2013

Google I/O keeps browser focus despite fancy phones, eyewear

With newer technologies such as Android and more recently Glass, the scope of Google I/O has expanded dramatically since the first show in 2008. But Google, born on the Web, is keeping the browser at the heart of the show.

Five years ago, Google wanted to advance what Web-based software could do. The company could take steps such as improving interfaces to its own online services so developers could build better sites, and it promoted the Gears browser plug-in designed to beef up browser abilities with features like offline app support and the ability.

Two things make that different … Read more

What Google I/O should bring for Android hardware lovers

Google's hotly anticipated annual developer conference will kick off in just a couple days in San Francisco. And conference-goers and Android fans are excited about the possibility of new products the company may announce and/or give away.

But Android fans may be a bit disappointed if their expectation is brand new hardware. While the 2012 Google I/O conference saw the introduction of the new $199 Nexus 7 seven-inch tablet and the Nexus Q streaming media hub, the 2013 conference is likely to feature no brand new Android hardware. Instead, it's likely that Google will refresh some … Read more

Expect games, social, and Now at Google I/O 2013

"Are you still jumping out of windows in expensive clothes?" asks Tom Waits in his song, "Who are you?"

It would be beyond surprising to see Google fling more of its hardware out of low-flying dirigibles, strapped to wingsuits and courageous stuntmen, at this year's Google I/O, which begins on Wednesday.

But make no mistake: Google knows exactly "who" it is, and it's taking the confidence earned from a year of solid hits and few misses, and a strong first quarter of 2013, to define the parameters that it wants other … Read more

Friday Poll: Can Google I/O possibly top last year's?

Google set a pretty high standard of what I'll call "wow-ness" with last year's introduction of Google Glass to the world at its annual developers' conference, Google I/O. Glass-wearing stunt people took the brand new device skydiving, rappelling down the side of San Francisco's Moscone Center, and mountain biking through the crowds inside the conference center.

Can Google I/O 2013 possibly contain more wow-ness than that?

A year later, Glass is now in the wild, so it's always possible Google could have some new apps, features, and use cases it plans to … Read more

What to expect from Android Key Lime Pie

With Google's I/O developer conference just a week away, all eyes are on the company's plans for the next version of Android.

For much of the last year we expected to see Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. After all, leaked slides from a January Qualcomm presentation showed a midyear debut for this next build, but they were immediately pulled from the Web site.

But now, recent rumors suggest that we might actually see the debut of 4.3 Jelly Bean instead of Android 5.0. Details found in various server logs show that a JWR23B build … Read more

How to fix Nintendo

The bad news keeps stacking up for Nintendo.

The Wii U console was greeted with yawns when it was released in November 2012. Sales numbers for the console look increasingly dire, and support from third-party software publishers seems to be wavering (EA's next-gen Frostbite graphics engine apparently doesn't even work on the Wii U). And now comes word that Nintendo won't have a formal press conference at this year's E3 show.

Is Nintendo's low profile at E3 a retreat, or a change in strategy? Whatever the answer, it seems perfectly indicative of Nintendo's current … Read more

What should CNET Road Trip not miss in the Midwest?

If you know the American Midwest like the back of your hand, I want to pick your brain.

Starting around July 1, I'll be heading out on CNET Road Trip 2013, my eighth-annual journey in search of some of the most interesting destinations for technology, military, aviation, architecture, nature, science, manufacturing, and so on. I'll start in Chicago and spend a month or so traveling through Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, and possibly Indiana, Iowa, and/or Minnesota.

A couple of months ago, I posted here asking for suggestions of where I should stop, offering a … Read more

Facebook's Q1 by the numbers

Facebook's Q1 results are in and there's food for both bulls and bears to chew over. One bullet point in particular stands out: The number of people using the social network via smartphones and tablets soared 54 percent from a year earlier. Here's the year-over-year comparison to the same quarter in 2012. (We'll update the stats after Facebook's conference call gets underway this afternoon.)

Daily active users: 665 million, up 26 percent Monthly active users: 1.11 billion up 23 percent Mobile monthly active users: 751 million, up 54 percent Instagram: 100 million monthly active … Read more

Google releases schedule for 2013 I/O conference

Google has published the schedule for its 2013 Google I/O conference, which features more than 120 sessions on the Android and Chrome operating systems, and just one keynote, but it's a long one.

The three-day annual conference, which typically assembles more than 5,000 developers, will begin May 15 in San Francisco with a three-hour keynote, according to the agenda released Tuesday evening. There will also be a host of satellite events, allowing developers around the world to view conference sessions and connect with other developers.

Because the company uses the conference to make big announcements, the confab … Read more