Extra Stuff From Google Today: Google Play Games, Google Play Textbooks & More

[dgstorm]

Google's "breakfast" event this morning didn't just come with a helping of Nexus 7 and a side of Android 4.3. It also included a generous portion of several other tasty side-dishes as well. Here's a quick rundown with some quotes from Google & Engadget below,

Google Play Games App - (Available now. Here's the Google Play Store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.play.games)

Description

Google Play Games app is the easiest way for you to discover new games, track achievements and scores, and play with friends around the world. It brings all your gaming on Google Play together in a unified Android experience.
KEY FEATURES

- Discover great games
- Play with your friends, and see what they're playing
- Join multiplayer games
- Track your achievements
- Compare scores with other players

Google Play Text Books - (with a quote from Engadget)

The section will offer titles from the top five publishers, and students will have the choice of renting books for six months in addition to buying them outright. Textbooks should be available this August, and they'll sync across Android, iOS and the web.

Netflix 1080p Streaming -

Director of Product Management Hugo Barra revealed that the company has teamed up with Netflix to bring higher resolution video streams to compatible devices, a feature you'll only enjoy on devices running the just-announced Android 4.3. Yep, Netflix will now run at 1080p resolution, with the video-streaming company one of the first to use the new set of DRM APIs announced in tandem with this latest OS release. ~ Engadget

As you can see, Google shared a great deal more than expected at the event this morning. One other interesting new piece of tech they share is their new Chromecast HDMI Streaming device. We will cover that one in a separate thread in just a bit.