Google I/O 2013 summary: S4, Gaming, and Google Maps

Google's I/O conference took placed yesterday, where Google announced latest software and hardware updates to their devices.

Firstly, Google will sell the Samsung Galaxy S4 with the stock-android OS. This means that it won't have any Samsung adaptions and will be pure Android- the way Google intended. The device will be available from the Google Play store on the 26th June for around £430.

Google has also announced upgrades to Gaming on Android with some new feature including: Leaderboards and easy to use multi-player services. All together they'll be known as Google play game services (not the snappiest name) and not only does it let you compete with your friends in certain games but it updates across all your android devices meaning you can pick up where you left off on a different phone or tablet. Because it works in-apps, you should also be able to do this cross-platform (e.g from iPhone to Samsung Galaxy Tab).

Google Play Music access was the next thing launched at the event and is a music streaming service looking to compete with the likes of Spotify. It will feature the songs already available on the Google Play store, but unfortunately there is no free-to-use option like on Spotify or other rivals. Google describe it as 'radio without rules', but the price is $9.99 (£5.60) per month is the US. However, it does have the feature of being able to play across android devices and in your web browser.

Finally, Google maps was another big talking point for the company as they announce a more basic and clean user interface for the software. They say it has 'been built from the ground up' and now offers a more personalized experience. Maps will also now come with Ads and promotions though, as you scroll round over certain business the sponsored business names will come up. Another feature is being able to zoom out of the planet to see the spherical earth, more like Google earth. It will then show you up to date cloud information!