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Codebreaker

Jellybean gets dissected. More notes from Google I/O.

Marc Sanchez Jun 28, 2012

In case you thought that Nexus Q and 7 were the only things Google had to offer as it kicked off its annual developer’s conference yesterday, Jellybean was trotted out. All these new devices are going to need a new platform to run on, right? Jellybean, loved by the Easter Bunny and Ronald Regan, is the newest Android operating system . The New York Times gives a fine how-do-you-do to some of its candy-coated features:

As expected, Google unveiled a voice search feature that will compete directly with Apple’s Siri software. During the onstage demonstration, a Google employee asked Google to define words or search for images. Asking, “Show me pictures of pygmy marmosets” will return pictures of the very peculiar dwarf monkey.
A new product that will make Android more intelligent is called Google Now, which the company says will help people “navigate their day.” For example, if a user has an appointment on a calendar at a specific location, Google Now will check the traffic on the route to the meeting, notify that person when to leave, then continually monitor traffic along the way.


Apparently the Nexus Q (aka bowling ball) won’t come pre-loaded with the new OS, but Google’s new, seven-inch tablet offering will be showing it off when it ships in mid-July. If you’ve been keeping track of Google’s food-obsessed OS names, Gingerbread, Froyo, and Ice Cream Sandwich being the predecessors to Jellybean, you’ll notice that they’re all in alphabetical order (the first was Apple Pie). Already announced for 2014 is Key Lime Pie, but I think Kale might have been the healthier choice. It’s time for a game of guess what’s next. Limburger? Too stinky. Lamb? Too cute. Lard? Too bloated. How about Lunch? That’s all-inclusive!

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