Are you an Android developer or just someone that really, really loves APIs? If so, you'll be glad to hear that Google has announced the Google Play services 4.3 update, which brings with it some new APIs and updates to existing ones as well. Here's the rundown on what to expect from Google Play services 4.3:

• Google Analytics API, Google Tag Manager: These two have existed outside of Google Play services in the past, but now they've been upgraded to full-on Play services members. The Google Analytics API enables developers to get detailed information on how their apps are being used, like which part of the apps are being accessed most frequently. Meanwhile, the Google Tag Manager lets devs change an app's characteristics (like its colors) without having to go through the trouble of pushing an update to Google Play.
• Google Play Games services update: Adds support for game gifts, which Google announced earlier today as part of an update to Google Play Games.
• Google Drive API: Adds support for the following features:
  • Pinning: Pin files that should be kept up to date so that the user can access them offline
  • App Folders: Allows an app to create folders that aren't visible to the user, like a photo editor's temporary files
  • Change Notifications: Request a callback to receive notifications when a file is changed
  • Metadata Fields: Support for accessing several new metadata fields
• Address API: New API that lets devs request access to addresses. Can be used for things like automatically filling out a user's delivery address form.

This is a pretty beefy update, no? The new Google Play services 4.3 update may not mean much to us regular folk right now, but it does give us a preview of some new features that we could start to see popping up in apps in the near future. Google says that this update is now rolling out around the globe, so if you're an Android dev, be sure to keep an eye out for it!

Via Android Developers Blog