Google Wants Future Android Apps to Work Across a Range of Devices

Android apps run on Android-based devices, obviously, but Google wants to connect apps to a wide range of platforms. Google has announced new “multi-device experiences” are coming to Android, and it’s handed developers a new SDK to make it happen. It has tools to simplify device discovery, connection, and authentication, allowing apps on your phone to reach out beyond the Android world. At least, that’s the goal. To start, cross-device apps will focus on linking multiple Android devices together to enable collaboration and sharing in new ways.
Google first talked about the Cross Device SDK at Google I/O this past May, but it wasn’t one of the company’s keynote announcements. The SDK has only just become available for download. It’s more important for developers right now as they’re the ones who will have to take these new tools and create the experiences Google has envisioned.
The SDK uses essentially every wireless technology to negotiate connections, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ultra-wideband. Developers don’t have to worry about the intricacies of how two different devices talk — the SDK does all the heavy lifting. It can share current app states, start apps on a secondary device, and hand off tasks between the devices.

Google provides a few examples of how cross-device connections could improve apps. Imagine you’re ordering food at a restaurant that uses mobile apps instead of paper menus. An app developed with the Cross Device SDK could link your party’s phones, allowing everyone to add to an order without passing a single phone around the table. It could also make content on the devices that belong to you easier to access. The new SDK could lead to apps that share location and map data seamlessly between your Android phone, tablet, and an in-vehicle navigation system. You could also start reading an article on your phone, and then pick up your tablet to continue where you left off instantly.
Developers can start tinkering with all these features today, but the SDK is only available as a preview. The final version won’t be available until later, and Google isn’t providing a specific timeline. Also unknown is when the Cross Device SDK will support non-Android systems. Google says it intends to enable device connections to Windows and iOS, but that’s probably more of an aspirational goal. We’ll have to see if the Android-to-Android functionality works the way Google hopes, and whether developers embrace it.
Continue reading

Huawei Sells Honor Brand Amid Tightening Trade Restrictions
(Credit: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)Huawei has been battered by US trade restrictions in the last few years, and it’s taking a toll on the company’s long-term stability. Experts don’t expect a radical change when the new US administration comes to power next year, so Huawei is beginning to take drastic action. It has sold its Honor…

Cyberpunk Developer Hit with Ransomware Attack
The perpetrators claim to have swiped source code to the company's games, as well as embarrassing internal documents. All will be released unless CDPR pays up, which it says it isn't going to do.

Interview: NASA’s Adam Steltzner Talks Perseverance and Why We Shouldn’t Colonize Mars
NASA's Perseverance rover is set to touch down on Mars in the coming days, and we had the opportunity to talk to one of the people who had a hand in bringing this mission to fruition.

WATCH: Perseverance Lands on Mars Today in ‘7 Minutes of Terror’
It's almost time for Perseverance to join Curiosity on the surface of Mars. Here's how to watch the landing.