Google Goodies announced Nexus 7, Jelly Bean, Q, Glasses

June 30, 2012  |  Android, New Products

A few days ago Google held their I/O Keynote in which they announced a number of cool stuff (not really cool to me since I’m an Apple Fangirl! :P Seriously but technology is technology and any new gadget is something I gobble up quickly!) So what was announced and what does it mean to all of you?

I. Jelly Bean

Jelly Bean is the new code name for Android’s 4.1 version, this update comes just a few months after Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 (released Oct. 2011).  This update however is not as iconic as Ice Cream Sandwich was because it just brings some minor changes and this will be available on the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S, and Xoom devices in mid July whereas Developers can download the SDK today.

What’s new with Jelly Bean?

  • Project Butter: Android’s major effort to improve performance and response time of the device and lower the amount of lag times you would experience.
  • Home Screen Tweaks: You can now resize widgets before placing the widget.  You can also remove apps and widgets by flicking them off the screen.
  • Offline Voice Input: You can tap the microphone and dictate a message even when the phone is in airplane mode.
  • Camera: Updated and improved along with the gallery which has a new feature of giving you the ability to pull up the photo you last shot with a swipe to the left  Deleting images are easy too with swiping and image off the screen you, and if that causes you to accidentally delete a picture you can click the undo button and get it back.
  • Google Beam: Now can share videos and pictures along with other things by using NFC
  • Notification System: Alerts dynamically expand and shrink as they roll in and preset responses are even built in.
  • Revamped Search functions & Google Now: Basically Google Now will be a better stalker than an actual stalker, it will know when you are at a bus stop and will tell you when your ride will arrive and if there are any delays.  It will tell you when you have to leave so you can make it on time for your appointment and so forth.
So remind me again why this doesn’t get hit with the “there is nothing new here” bandwagon which Apple get’s hit with every Keynote? [Read this review to find out what's changed]

II. Nexus 7

If the late Steve Jobs was still alive today he would say this is the year more copy-cat tablets would appear (we saw the Windows Surface, and now its’ the Nexus 7) so Google has officially deemed it time to present the world with their own tablet.  This 7-inch tablet is the first and only one at the moment shipping with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean which takes advantage of their optimization for smaller tablet screens, magazines, and movies.  It is also the first to ship with Chrome for Android.

The tablet is built by Asus (thank GOD! it’s not Samsung) and its got the following features:

  • Quad-core Tegra 3 Processor
  • 1.2 Megapixel front facing camera
  • NFC
  • 1280×800 7″ IPS-based LCD
So what are the prices? For the 8GB model it’s going to cost you 199$ and for the 16GB it’ll be 249$.  Now that’s a bargain.  Apparently Google is not looking to take the iPad market but instead go for those who have the Kindle Fire. [Source] The people over at Engadget had a hands on experience and if you’d like to read it then click [here].
[Google]

III. Nexus Q

So Google has seen it important to introduce the first consumer electronics product that is so small, sphere shaped that will work with any Android device to stream media from the cloud or from it (video and music) or pulling content from YouTube or Google Play.  Basically they introduced an Apple TV that’s it.

It’ll be available in mid-July for the price of 299$. [Source] [Google]

IV. Project Glass

More details were announced about Project Glasses and well I can’t be bothered to list them all so to find out more click below:

Other announcements that made it on the second day of Keynotes:

  • Offline Editing for Google Docs available now
  • Google Cloud Messaging that will be aimed for app developers mostly.
  • Google+ iPad Version to be released very soon
  • Chrome for iOS (now available)

And that’s about it, I feel tempted for that Nexus 7, but not that tempted I have a hunch that we’ll see a mini-iPad coming out soon! :D

About the author

I am a Kuwaiti Apple and gadget girl freak, who gets bored of her blog layouts so much that I change them like I crazy. Currently I work in a newspaper and if you don't see me around I'm being sucked into my job reviewing TV Shows and APPS! This is my space where I vent and release everything, welcome to it.