Google Conference: Android Jelly Bean, Tablet Announcement Expected - East Idaho News
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Google Conference: Android Jelly Bean, Tablet Announcement Expected

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Getty B 102210 GoogleLogo2?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1340795966864JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images(SAN FRANCISCO) — Apple and Microsoft both had their turns to show off their latest software and hardware this month, and on Wednesday, it’s Google’s turn.

Google executives will take the stage at the annual Google I/O Developer’s Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, where they will show off the latest versions of Google software, including Android and other services.  

Google’s next version of its Android operating system is expected to be one of the major points of conversation.  Like earlier Android versions, this one is named after a dessert — Jelly Bean.  Ice Cream Sandwich, the current version of Android, was announced last November.  Before Ice Cream Sandwich, there was Gingerbread and Honeycomb.  Google put out a statue of a bowl of jelly beans at its Silicon Valley campus on Tuesday.

While there haven’t been many details to spill out yet about Jelly Bean, Google is likely to announce a tablet to go along with the new operating system.  Rumored to be called the Nexus 7, the tablet is said to have a 7-inch screen, a fast quad-core processor and a very affordable $199 price.  The tablet is expected to go head-to-head with Amazon’s Kindle Fire.

While there have been lots of Android tablets released, none have been as successful as the iPad. It is expected that the Nexus 7 will ship in July and that Taiwanese manufacturer Asus is making the tablet itself. Microsoft’s Windows 8 Surface tablets, which were announced last week, aren’t expected until later this year.

But Google isn’t only expected to talk about Android and its tablet strategy.  The search giant will discuss its maps platform and other services like its Cloud storage solutions, including the new Google Drive.

Apple recently ditched the Google Maps app in iOS 6; it has created its own 3-D mapping system for the iPad and iPhone.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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