Social Items

Google, while at the on-going annual developer-focused conference in San Francisco, California (Google I/O), gave an early preview of the next-generation Android (Android L). And as part of a larger ploy to tie Chromebooks and Android devices closer together, the company outlined planned authentication by a secondary device, which allows you bypass your phone or tablet’s lock screen (though, optional).

If, for instance you open your Chromebook with your Android device in your pocket, the laptop will automatically unlock and sign into your Google account, without password required.

And, while your smartphone is tied to your Chromebook, you’ll receive notifications about incoming phone calls and be able to see your text messages right on the laptop. Google is also working to bring top Android apps to Chromebooks, where they’d be launched straight from the Chrome launcher.

Sundar Pichai, the head of both Chrome and Android, at the event showed off Android versions of Evernote, Flipboard, and Vine running on a Chromebook; with a demonstration by a Google employee using his Chromebook’s webcam to snap a selfie while using Vine’s Android port.

As Google provides the ported apps underlying access to device APIs, the software can even interact with the laptop hardware. And all the data is automatically synced to the cloud and available on all devices.

Finally, Android and Chrome convergence within Sight?

Google, while at the on-going annual developer-focused conference in San Francisco, California (Google I/O), gave an early preview of the next-generation Android (Android L). And as part of a larger ploy to tie Chromebooks and Android devices closer together, the company outlined planned authentication by a secondary device, which allows you bypass your phone or tablet’s lock screen (though, optional).

If, for instance you open your Chromebook with your Android device in your pocket, the laptop will automatically unlock and sign into your Google account, without password required.

And, while your smartphone is tied to your Chromebook, you’ll receive notifications about incoming phone calls and be able to see your text messages right on the laptop. Google is also working to bring top Android apps to Chromebooks, where they’d be launched straight from the Chrome launcher.

Sundar Pichai, the head of both Chrome and Android, at the event showed off Android versions of Evernote, Flipboard, and Vine running on a Chromebook; with a demonstration by a Google employee using his Chromebook’s webcam to snap a selfie while using Vine’s Android port.

As Google provides the ported apps underlying access to device APIs, the software can even interact with the laptop hardware. And all the data is automatically synced to the cloud and available on all devices.
Operating Systems