Google has released Google Play Services 5.0, which is now rolling out to devices worldwide. Google Play Services allows developers to connect with Google services like Google Maps, Cloud Messaging, and more. This release contains support for Android wearable devices and updates to the Wallet API, Drive API, and more.
The Android wearables API lets developers more easily communicate with their apps running on wearable devices running Android. The data store provided by the APIs is automatically synchronized and persistent. There is a low-latency messaging intercafe for data syncing, exchanging control messages, and asset transfer.
The App Indexing API lets you tell Google about deep links in your native application. The Google Search app can show your app's history to to users as part of instant search suggestions when you make use of this API. Your app's content can be indexed and shown as deep links in Google search results if deep links are reported.
The Google Wallet API has added offer support to the "Save to Wallet" button. Users can now tap the button to save offers from an app and have them show up in Google Wallet. Users can receive location-based notifications to scan these digital cards when checking out. Payments can also now be split between a users Google Wallet balance and the credit or debit card associated with their Wallet.
The Google Play game services updates contain a couple of major additons. Quests are a new set of APIs that can run time-based player goals and reward players without the need to update your game. You send game activity to the service when a player successfully completes a level or task. Saved games, meanwhile, allow you to store a player's saved progress in the cloud so it can be accessed on multiple devices. Stored data can include a cover image and description for greater context, as well as time played.
There are a number of other updates in Google Player Services 5.0. These include media tracks introducing Chromecast closed caption support, and update to the Google Drive API, Analytics improvements, and more. You can check out all of the changes over on Google's Android Development Blog.
Tell us what you think of the changes to Google Play Services below in the comments.
Source: Android Development Blog
