Ready for a nice Android rumor before we ride off into the weekend? Of course you are.
A new report from Android Police claims that Google is peeping a new feature for Android called “Nearby.” As the name suggests, this feature will allow a user’s device to determine when something is nearby and automatically interact with it. According to Google’s own explanation, Nearby lets users “connect, share and do more with people, places and things near you.”
The Nearby feature uses your device’s mic as well as its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios to determine when it’s near another enabled device. Once the devices recognize that they’re near one another, they can automatically connect and share with one another or perform other actions.
When Nearby is enabled, Google says that it will use Location History and Location Reporting so that it can store your location data for use with Nearby. It’s said that users will be able to monitor which apps have access to Nearby and disable services if they wish.
So what can you do with Nearby? Well, we’ll have to wait for Google to announce it and developers to take advantage of it before we can name specific examples, but I imagine that Nearby could be used to automatically unlock a connected phone, tablet or computer, control an accessory or remind yourself to do something when you’re near a person or place.
Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on when this feature will actually make its debut. Android Police seems fairly confident in this rumor, though, so maybe you can pass the time until its announcement by thinking up ways that you’d like to use this Nearby feature in your everyday life and drop ‘em in the comments below.
Via Android Police
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