Google Play Services 7.3 allows multiple Android Wear devices to connect to a single phone

Google has just announced a forthcoming upgrade to Google Play Services. It’s version 7.3, and while most of the changes are specific to developers — such as more robust Location APIs and enhancements to Google Fit’s APIs — there’s one neat future everyone should know about.

According to Google, the update will make it possible for multiple Android Wear devices to connect and sync to a single Android device. This means it won’t be much of an issue for users to switch between smart watches at ease. We’re not sure what sort of baller you’d have to be in order to own multiple Android Wear devices that you regularly switch between, but if you ever find yourself in that scenario then you’ll be glad this functionality is here.

Developers can grab the SDK right now by accepting the latest update, and it shan’t be long before the functionality arrives to handsets everywhere.

[via Google]

Google Play Services 7.0 will make it possible to use your Android device as a game controller for Android TV

Google has announced the rollout of Google Play Services 7.0 to give developers new tools to make even more awesome apps. Highlights of this update include the ability to use Google’s public Places API to easily support Places in your apps.

Other notable changes in today’s update include a more robust Google Fit API, improvements to the AdMob SDK, improvements to app indexing and more. The most exciting change of all today, though?

This version of Google Play Services will make it possible for folks to use their Android smartphones and tablets as game controllers for Android TV games. This is made possible by the Nearby Connections API that will let an Android devices and your Android TV set discover each other seamlessly and wirelessly.

This is a great solution for households who invite friends and family over to play games, but were only able to snap up one controller with whatever Android TV set they have. Here’s a quick video of it in action:

Not looking bad at all, Google. Developers can get their hands on all these tools within the coming days. In the meantime, put your thinking caps on and explore how you can make your apps better with these latest changes.

[via Google]

BLU is making a Cyanogen OS phone later this year that won’t have any Google services

Cyanogen has been alluding to this for a while now, but they’re about to partner with someone on a phone that doesn’t rely on any of Google’s services. That much was revealed to Forbes in a profile about the up-and-coming company after they’d announced an million Series C funding spurt.

The partner is BLU, a budding maker of budget smartphones that actually aren’t bad for their low cost. The details are thin right now, but the smartphone is said to be on tap later this year and will use a variety of apps and services to replace what Google’s suite provides. Here are just a few examples of which apps BLU’s CEO thinks can be used to replace the popular ones Google provides:

• Amazon’s app store for downloading new apps and games


• Opera’s web browser


• Nokia Here for maps and navigation


• Dropbox and Microsoft’s OneDrive for cloud storage


• Spotify for music.


• Bing for search


• Microsoft’s Cortana as a replacement for Google Now

But the big question remains: will this be successful? If so, how? And — more importantly — why do they even want to do this? Kirt McMaster’s promise to “take Android from Google” was recently reiterated by stating he believed his company was going to put “a bullet through Google’s head.”

At this point, Cyanogen’s motives don’t seem all that clear. If we’re to draw examples from a high school social setting, their behavior (or that of the mouthy CEO’s, anyway) is akin to taking the ball from the 10 other kids enjoying a fun game of kickball for no reason than to be heady and rebellious.

Perhaps the reason isn’t clear to someone not involved with the day-to-day workings of the company, but our idea of making a new OS with a new ecosystem and new services isn’t “we’re going to dump everything Google, and replace them with offerings from other random companies.” One might assume this play is simply about money, and Cyanogen’s only gravy train is to strike deals with developers and companies to get their apps preloaded on these devices.

With no apparent rhyme or reason Cyanogen wants to be as far away from Google as possible, and we still have no idea why. It’d be nice to know, though, so we’re hoping those questions are answered as we inch closer to the release of this smartphone (and we’re hoping they’re answered in a far more tolerable tone than McMaster’s latest blurts).