GOOGLE HAS ROLLED OUT a milestone release of its Google
Play Services framework for Android devices.
Google Play Services 5.0, which
includes APIs for all core and many third party apps, has a lot of
new functionality, as well as support for the upcoming Android L mobile operating system and Android
Wear for wearables.
The dynamic security component has
been updated to reflect the post-Heartbleed changes to OpenSSL. Google recently announced its own
fork of OpenSSL to be known as BoringSSL, which is likely to feature
in future editions.
Game developers can take advantage
of two new features to enhance their apps. For the first time, game data can be
saved to the cloud, allowing end users to pick up from where they left off on
different devices or after a hard reset.
Quests are a new type of time-based
goal that uses triggers to update the game online, after reaching goals such as
level completions and object collections offline. This is particularly
significant in large scale roleplaying games, allowing them to reduce data use.
The App Indexing API makes it easier
for developers to integrate the contents of their apps into Google's search,
meaning that results can include data from within the app. This has previously
only been available to select partners.
Minor tweaks mean that Google Cast
now supports closed captioning for Chromecast, Drive can sort query results and
create folders even while offline, and Wallet supports vouchers and loyalty
cards that are automatically used when valid.
There are also updates to analytics
and advertising APIs. Google Play Services is being rolled out silently now to
certified Android devices, and full details and access for developers can be
found in the Android SDK Manager.
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