Google's Second Android Q Beta Brings Us 'Bubbles' Multitasking (arstechnica.com) 42
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Google is releasing the second Android Q Beta today. As we learned with the first release, Android Q is bringing support for foldable smartphones, better privacy and permissions controls, and a grab bag of other features. We've yet to install the second beta on one of our own devices, but Google's release blog post promises "bug fixes, optimizations, and API updates," as well as a crazy new multitasking feature and an emulator for foldables. Android loves multitasking. So far we've had split screens and floating windows, and Android Q Beta 1 even had a hidden desktop mode. Beta 2 brings us a new multitasking feature called "Bubbles." Bubbles let you minimize an app into a little circle, which floats around on the screen above all your other apps. Tapping on a bubble will open a small UI. The only demo Google shows is one for a messaging app. Each bubble is a contact, and tapping on the bubble shows a small chat UI. If you remember Facebook's "Chat Head" UI for Messenger, Bubbles is that, but built into the OS. "Bubbles are great for messaging because they let users keep important conversations within easy reach," Google said in their blog post. "They also provide a convenient view over ongoing tasks and updates, like phone calls or arrival times. They can provide quick access to portable UI, like notes or translations, and can be visual reminders of tasks too."
Googly words... (Score:2)
That's great but... (Score:2)
... can they finally bring a sane, performant and usable audio API please? One that I can use directly from Java, without being forced into native code, please. Maybe they could look at this for some ideas [apple.com].
Oh good, my phone had way too much screen space (Score:2)
I really need to use more of it up by displaying applications that I'm not currently using.
Re: (Score:2)
You realise the bubbles are the "tabs" right?
When you click on a bubble, the relevant window covers the screen, you use it, then dismiss it back to the bubble. That's essentially what switching tabs in a tabbed interface does...
Living in a bubble... (Score:2)
Great.
Google has brought meaning to the term "living in a bubble".
In capitalist America (Score:2)
In Capitalist America, computer multitasks you!
Amiga had something like this called Iconify (Score:2)
Though Iconify [aminet.net] was sort of a cross between Bubbles and the MacOS dock (iconified apps went to the desktop, rather than persistently hovering over everything else) which made more sense in the early 90's desktop-centered UX context.
Feature freeze (Score:2)
Spend a month optomising the code, a lot.
I'm tired of needing to buy a new phone every 3 years because they run horrifically.
Employ tricks like Apple do with the screenshot of an idle app that comes up first, then the app loads in behind it, making the app usable.
Oh and to the handset manufacturers? Please, can at least SOME of you stop copying Apple? /have/ to remove home buttons.
You don't have to remove headphone jacks, you don't have to remove notification LEDs, you don't
Well, bubbles... (Score:2)
oh god no (Score:2)
what is wrong with having a notification icon, just as android has now.
want to see what the message is, just quickly pull it down, you can even reply through the notification if you want.
but a bubble, or in worst case, multiple bubbles only get in the way.
for some reasone those things always hover just above that part of the screen that you're using/looking at.
please make this an option that can be turned off.
Re: (Score:1)
Seen that, hated it. (Score:2)
Those stupid conversation bubbles is the very first feature I disable on the Facebook Messenger app. Whoever thought that was a good idea needs to be sterilized. Whoever thought at Google that idea needs to be copied should be taken out behind the shed and put out of their misery.