Vice President of Android Product Management Hugo Barra has revealed that the tech giant has drastically improved location-based services within its Android mobile platform.
Taking to the stage at Google I/O in San Francisco following a brief introduction from Android and Chrome boss Sundar Pichai, Barra announced three new APIs for developers of location services.
The first of the APIs, Fused Location Provider, helps improve the accuracy of connected device's pinpoint location by using all available sources including Wi-Fi, cellular data and GPS. It's also said to preserve battery thanks to a low-power mode that uses only 1% of battery power per hour.
Additionally, increased functionality to geofencing capabilities will allow the platform to recognise users entering specific geographic zone and track connected activity so as to provide tailored content and services to users.
Finally, Barra revealed that a streamlined cross-platform sign-in across all applications will be added to Android, significantly reducing the number of security credentials needed to be stored and increasing the reach of the Google eco-system immeasurably.
As to how these new features eventually manifest themselves will ultimately come down to the developers who chose to utilise them in the software they produce, but the prospect of a fully integrated sphere of apps and services accessed and used in a similar manner to those within Google's suite of products is an enticing prospect indeed.
by deanq via Featured Articles
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