Google enhances Android Studio with enterprise Gemini AI tools

Google logo as the company unveils new enterprise Gemini AI tools in Android Studio, tailored to meet their privacy, security, and management demands.

Google has unveiled new enterprise Gemini AI tools in Android Studio, tailored to meet their privacy, security, and management demands.

The update aims to empower organisations by integrating AI-powered coding assistance while addressing concerns around data protection and intellectual property (IP).

Sandhya Mohan, Product Manager for Android at Google, explained: “We’ve heard that some people at businesses have additional needs that require more sensitive data...

9 April 2025 | Analytics

Pebble smartwatch revival: It’s time for open-source contributions

Photo of Pebble watches amid calls for developers to contribute towards the open-source PebbleOS as founder Eric Migicovsky plans to release a brand new smartwatch in the beloved line of pioneering wearables.

The iconic Pebble smartwatch continues to head towards a revival as developers are called upon to contribute to the open-source PebbleOS.

Google acquired Pebble’s intellectual property through its acquisition of Fitbit in 2021, which acquired the rights from Pebble in 2016. Last week, Google released the source code for PebbleOS—sparking the revival of the once-loved platform.

Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky said “This is a big deal!” and stated that work has...

7 February 2025 | Developer

Google urges Android developers to prep for 16 KB memory page

Android mascot with a jetpack as Google urges developers to prepare their apps for the 16 KB memory page size that promises future performance improvements for apps and games on the platform.

Android developers are being urged to prepare for a pivotal enhancement to the ecosystem: the adoption of a 16 KB memory page size. This upgrade promises significant benefits, with performance gains of 5–10% across apps and games.

While the transition represents a vital step forward in the evolution of Android, developers must take proactive measures to ensure compatibility with the new architecture.

For developers looking to test their apps on 16 KB-enabled devices,...

17 December 2024 | Android

2024 Developer Ecosystem: Shedding AI fears, improving DevEx

Happy person sat at a computer illustrating the release of the 2024 State of Developer Ecosystem Report that highlights a number of key software development trends including the acceptance of AI in tools, split between desktop and mobile programming, growth in DevEx, and expected salaries.

Each year, JetBrains, the maker of developer tools like IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm, compiles its "State of Developer Ecosystem Report," and the 2024 edition offers plenty of insights for the tech community to dissect.

Based on the input of over 26,000 developers worldwide, this year’s edition highlights key trends in programming languages, tools, and processes—placing a particular focus on AI adoption, career shifts, and the state of developer experience (DevEx). 

AI's...

11 December 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

Google releases Android 16 Developer Preview 1

Image of a Pixel 8 Pro illustrating the release of the Android 16 Developer Preview 1 by Google, allowing developers to get a head start programming apps for the next mobile OS.

Google has debuted the first Android 16 Developer Preview, offering developers an early look at the next major version of its OS.

Designed exclusively for developers, this initial release enables early development, testing, and the collection of feedback. As to be expected with preliminary builds, the Android system and the apps running on this version may not always function as intended.

System changes and app compatibility

Android 16, similar to its predecessors,...

21 November 2024 | Android

Google plans to merge Chrome OS and Android

Merging train tracks illustrating a report that Google plans to merge Chrome OS and Android to offer an improved experience, particularly on tablets.

Google is reportedly aiming to merge its desktop-based Chrome OS entirely into Android. This ambitious transition is designed primarily to enhance the experience for Android tablet users.

Earlier this year, Google announced its intention to incorporate elements of Android's code into Chrome OS. Specifically, Google highlighted plans to utilise portions of the Android Linux kernel and Android frameworks within Chrome OS.

"To continue rolling out new Google AI features to...

19 November 2024 | Android

JetBrains 2024.3 release elevates the developer experience

Brain with a jet illustrating the release of JetBrains 2024.3 that elevates the developer experience with a range of updates to its IDEs and development tools, including a range of AI enhancements.

JetBrains has a series of enhancements across its product offerings with the 2024.3 release, providing developers with a more refined experience.

The company's IDEs are now equipped with the ability to reveal the logical structure of code, thereby aiding developers in grasping projects comprehensively. This update streamlines the debugging of Kubernetes applications and offers extensive cluster-wide access to Kubernetes logs. In addition, the official release of the K2 mode –...

12 November 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

JetBrains launches AI model for software development tasks

Image of a brain illustrating the launch of the new Mellum LLM by JetBrains that enhances its AI assistant for developers that specialises in software development tasks.

JetBrains has announced the launch of Mellum, its own AI model specifically engineered for software development tasks.

Mellum has been integrated exclusively into JetBrains’ AI Assistant, reporting dramatic improvements in both speed and accuracy of code completions compared to previous implementations.

Unlike more extensive language models, Mellum has been purposefully designed with a smaller footprint to deliver near-instantaneous coding suggestions. The model...

23 October 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

Android 15: Developer productivity and UX take centre stage

Google has announced the release of Android 15, making the source code readily available through the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

Supported Pixel devices are set to receive the update in the coming weeks, with a wider rollout to devices from manufacturers like Samsung, Honor, and OnePlus planned for the coming months.

“Android 15 continues our mission of building a private and secure platform that helps improve your productivity while giving you new capabilities...

4 September 2024 | Android

SlashData: Rust sees fastest growth, JavaScript still dominates

According to SlashData's findings, the JavaScript community grew by an impressive four million users in the past 12 months, solidifying its status as the most widely-used programming language globally.

Here is a breakdown of the size of various programming language communities:

JavaScript: 25.2 million developers Python: 18.2 million developers Java: 17.7 million developers C++: 11.6 million developers C#: 10.2 million developers PHP: 9.8 million...

12 June 2024 | Developer