Well, get ready for a bunch of Android news, because GoogleI/O is just getting fired up at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
Just less than a month after Apple’s WWDC, thisGoogle-centric conference brings together developers for many Google products, witha huge focus on Android.
What we’ll be looking for during the conference:
1) More details onthe Jellybean. Jellybean is the forthcoming operating system for Android,also known as Android 5.0…wait, make that Android 4.1 now (5.0 is now rumouredto be Key Lime Pie). Even though Ice Cream Sandwich still hasn’t finishedrolling out across the board, many folks are already eagerly anticipating thisnext revision, but precious little has been revealed to this point about, youknow, what’s actually going to be in it. But that seems to be what a conferencelike this is designed to reveal. As for what the rollout of Jellybean will belike? Another story altogether, most likely.
2) Information on therumoured Google tablet. Just as the company released several flagshipAndroid phones under the Nexus name, so it’s expected that there will soon be aGoogle-branded tablet, too. While the Nexus phones were higher-priced and higher-performance,the Google tablets are expected to be lower-priced and configured in a moremodest way in order to better compete against the still-dominant iPad. TheAmazon Fire has already proved to be an attractive combination of price andfeatures…a well-balanced Google tablet could be even more attractive to theregular consumer.
3) More on Google TV.Previously, unavailable in Canada, Google TV is now set to launch here inAugust of this year. But what will be announced at the conference? And willthere be a big tie-in with your Android devices? Reception to Google TV has sofar been a bit…let’s say tepid. But it seems clear that there’s a growingdemand for this type of service, even if noone has really been able to nail itjust yet.
Of course, there’ll be a lot of other developer-heavycontent, thanks to a myriad of sessions. That includes topics like monetizingapps, using built-in motion sensors, accessibility, social integration, NearField Communications, and more. Lots to learn if you’re there, and lots to lookforward to if you’re stuck at home wondering what’s next.