Pebble SDK 3.0 developer preview released with support for Pebble Time features

The new SDK allows developers to craft and update their Pebble apps with the new features of the Pebble Time, such as the color screen and built-in microphone, in mind. Pebble gave a rundown some of the more notable features in version 3.0:

• Support for 64 colors which all have a name!
• A brand new animation framework
• PNG and Animated PNG support in the SDK
• Detecting which platforms you are building for at compile time
• Much more to come!

Pebble notes that apps that were built for the current version of the wearable are compatible with the 3.0 SDK with only minor changes required. Additionally, developers will also enjoy increased available memory (up to 64kb) and an unchanged screen resolution.

The release of the SDK comes in the wake of news from earlier today that the Kickstarter campaign for the Pebble Time has already surpassed the record-breaking funding of the original Pebble watch with 29 days left to go.

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Google to show sponsored apps on Play Store search results

The search giant has looked at how sponsored advertisements have performed on organic search results and now Google will be introducing a similar system for developers to take advantage of. In the coming weeks, a limited selection of consumers will see adverts from a pilot group of advertisers running the new system for their apps.There's a reason a developer might want to promote their app on Google Play: there's good money to be made. Says Google:

In fact, in the past year, we paid more than $7 billion to developers distributing apps and games on Google Play. We remain as committed as ever to making Google Play the best place to find great apps, games and other entertainment.

It'll be interesting to see how developers (and the larger companies like King and co.) utilize search ads within the store, and whether or not they will be of any use for consumers. More than 100 billion searches are made every month in Google Play, so there's a huge opportunity for exposure here — developers will just have to pay for it.

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YouTube reportedly considering new ad-targeting system after failing to post profit in 2014

According to a new report today, Google is looking at implementing a new ad targeting-system for YouTube. The new system would seek to make YouTube more profitable after years of struggling to generate significant revenues.Citing unnamed sources, The Wall Street Journal says that YouTube managed to pull in $4 billion in revenue last year. While this is up from $3 billion the year before, the service only managed to break even after accounting for content and equipment costs.In light of the lack of profits, the Wall Street Journal says that Google is actively looking at introducing a new ad-targeting system that takes advantage of a user's search history from its own sites:

For example, someone researching vacation plans via Google search might see commercials for Caribbean getaways on YouTube. Today, YouTube advertisers are left to guess who is planning a vacation based on other travel websites that DoubleClick has spotted them visiting.

According to the report, the new ad-targeting system could debut sometime later this year.

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Google Play Music expands storage limit to 50,000 songs

You don't really need to do anything to claim the extra storage space. When you open up the Settings section of the Play Music site, Uploaded Songs should now reflect that you can store a maximum of 50,000 songs.So how does Google Play Music stack up with the competition for storing your music library in the cloud? Well, Apple's iTunes Match service will store 25,000 songs, half of what Google now offers, and iTunes Match will run you $24.99 a year. Amazon, meanwhile, will let you upload just 250 songs for free, though a $24.99 annual subscription puts that limit at 250,000.As a reminder, music purchased on the Google Play Store does not count against your storage limit.

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Google officially launches Android for Work to make enterprise push

Google has announced today the official launch of an initiative called Android for Work. Through the program, Google has teamed up with several partners to integrate enterprise-level security into the Android platform.

Google originally announced and previewed Android for Work back in 2014 at Google I/O. The main idea behind the program is to allow workers to use their personal phones for work tasks, but keep work and personal content and data separate. Google gave the following breakdown of what users can expect from the initiative:

• Work profiles – We've built on the default encryption, enhanced SELinux security enforcement and multi-user support in Android 5.0, Lollipop to create a dedicated work profile that isolates and protects work data. IT can deploy approved work apps right alongside their users' personal apps knowing their sensitive data remains secured. People can use their personal apps knowing their employer only manages work data and won't erase or view their personal content.
• Android for Work app – For devices running Ice Cream Sandwich through Kitkat, or that don't run work profiles natively, we've created the Android for Work app. The app, which delivers secure mail, calendar, contacts, documents, browsing and access to approved work apps, can be completely managed by IT.
• Google Play for Work – Google Play for Work allows businesses to securely deploy and manage apps across all users running Android for Work, simplifying the process of distributing apps to employees and ensuring that IT approves every deployed app.
• Built-in productivity tools – For everyday business tasks, we've created a suite of business apps for email, contacts and calendar, which supports both Exchange and Notes and provides document editing capabilities for documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

To make all of this work, Google has teamed up with a large number of industry partners such as Citrix, Adobe, Samsung, BlackBerry, Cisco, and many, many more. Google says these partnerships have allowed it to create a set of APIs to bring easier management of Android devices to IT departments, as well as create secure business apps and more secure devices.

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Google's Sundar Pichai talks Google Wallet, China, and Google+ in new interview

One of the more interesting tidbits to come out of the interview were Pichai's comments on Google Wallet, particularly amid recent rumors that the Google may be gearing up to launch a new payments API called Android Pay at this year's I/O developer conference:

For people who use Google Wallet, the experience works. [The question is] how do you get Google Wallet present and how do you get all the point of sale terminals and the end-of-end ecosystem, the banks, the issuers. For me there's been a lot of progress in the last few months. I'm very excited with our road map there. Stay tuned. We definitely expect to make important advances in this area.

When asked about how Google is looking to leverage Android in China, a country which has historically been hard for the company to penetrate with its services, Pichai was vague, but said that the country presents a huge opportunity going forward:

We have seen a lot of interest from Chinese developers on Google Play, because the extent to which Android is used. We see those as opportunities ahead. If we can figure out a model by which we can serve those users, it would be a privilege to do so. So I don't think of China as a black hole. I see it as a huge opportunity in which we are playing as an enabling platform today and hopefully we have a chance to offer other services in the future.

Finally, while Google has already begun to separate Google+'s features into separate services with Hangouts and Photos, Pichai hinted that we may see an increased push to break them out further in the future:

I think increasingly you'll see us focus on communications [Hangouts], photos and the Google+ stream as three important areas, rather than being thought of as one area.

The full interview is a pretty good read, as Pichai touches on a number of other subjects including Google's relationship with Apple, as well as its vision of Android as a platform for innovation.

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Samsung's latest 128GB UFS 2.0 storage is all set to power next-generation flagships

The highlight of the new modules is that they offer SSD-levels of read and write performance while consuming 50 percent less energy.With read and write speeds of 19,000 IOPS (input/output operations per second), Samsung claims that its UFS 2.0 flash storage is 2.7 times faster than what is currently available in embedded memory solutions that utilize the eMMC 5.0 standard.

As to when we'll see the latest flash modules, it is possible they'll be in launching with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge next week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Seeing as how Samsung is a major manufacturer for embedded flash memory storage, it is likely we'll see these modules in other handset vendors' smartphones later this year.

Source: Samsung

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Visa announces partnerships for new mobile payment services on Android devices

These services will be enabled on through apps from banks and other financial institutions on the Google Play Store. The apps will enable you to pay with your Visa account from your phone:

Following a one-time enrollment process, customers of participating financial institutions who download and install the application will be able to pay in-store with their Visa accounts by waving their Android mobile phone in front of a contactless reader. These capabilities are an integral part of Visa Digital Solutions, a comprehensive suite of offerings that facilitate secure payments across a broad range of Internet-connected devices and wearables.

Apps from BBVA Cuscal have already launched their apps. Applications from Banco do Brazil, PNC Bank, N.A., and U.S. Bank are all expected in the near future.Visa's new payment service partnerships are an outgrowth of Visa Digital Solutions, an initiative launched by the company last year. It includes Visa's own SDK, their Token Service, and their support of Host Card Emulation, which allows payment information to be validated and stored off-site, making NFC payments more widely available.

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Android is ready for work

Over a billion people today carry Android smartphones—devices that are more powerful than the computers we used just a few years ago.

For many, these phones have become essential tools to help us complete important work tasks like checking email, editing documents, reviewing sales pipelines and approving deals. But for the majority of workers, smartphones and tablets are underutilized in the workplace. Their business and innovation potential remain largely untapped.

Today we're announcing the Android for Work program to tap into that potential. With a group of partners, we're helping businesses bring more devices to work by securing, managing and innovating on the Android platform.

Android for Work features four key technology components:

• Work profiles – We’ve built on the default encryption, enhanced SELinux security enforcement and multi-user support in Android 5.0, Lollipop to create a dedicated work profile that isolates and protects work data. IT can deploy approved work apps right alongside their users' personal apps knowing their sensitive data remains secured. People can use their personal apps knowing their employer only manages work data and won’t erase or view their personal content.

• Android for Work app – For devices running Ice Cream Sandwich through Kitkat, or that don’t run work profiles natively, we’ve created the Android for Work app. The app, which delivers secure mail, calendar, contacts, documents, browsing and access to approved work apps, can be completely managed by IT.

• Google Play for Work – Google Play for Work allows businesses to securely deploy and manage apps across all users running Android for Work, simplifying the process of distributing apps to employees and ensuring that IT approves every deployed app.

• Built-in productivity tools – For everyday business tasks, we’ve created a suite of business apps for email, contacts and calendar, which supports both Exchange and Notes and provides document editing capabilities for documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

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