Google Play Services 7.8 released with APIs for face detection, barcode recognition , Nearby and cloud messaging
Google Play Services is the main engine behind features that developers can build into their Android apps. This way even if you don’t have the latest version of Android on your device, still your device will be able to tap into the latest goodies. Expect it to be a while before any of these new capabilities show up in apps, as developers need build and test using the new tools.
Face Detection API
The Face API allows developers to find human faces in images and video. It’s faster, more accurate and provides more information than the Android FaceDetector.Face API. It finds faces in any orientation, allows developers to find landmarks such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, and identifies faces that are smiling and/or have their eyes open. Applications include photography, games, and hands-free user interfaces.
Barcode Recognition API
The Barcode API allows apps to recognize barcodes in real-time, on device, in any orientation. It supports a range of barcodes and can detect multiple barcodes at once. The Barcode API supports both 1D barcodes and 2D barcodes
1D barcodes
- AN-13
- EAN-8
- UPC-A
- UPC-E
- Code-39
- Code-93
- Code-128
- ITF
- Codabar
2D barcodes
- QR Code
- Data Matrix
- PDF 417
Nearby API
The Nearby API adds features like multi-screen and multi-player gaming and the ability for a group of users to collaborate over a virtual whiteboard. A cross-platform API that uses a combination of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and an ultrasound audio modem to connect nearby mobile devices and beacons. The Nearby Messages API works on both Android and iOS.
Google Cloud Messaging API
Google’s simple and reliable messaging service - has expanded notification to support localization for Android. When composing the notification from the server. Google Cloud Messaging will handle displaying the notification based on current device locale, which saves you having to figure out which messages to display on which devices!
