Google Play Services for Android has been updated to version 4.4 with improvements to Maps, location and activity services, Games, mobile ads and Google Wallet API.
For most users, the Maps improvements will be most relevant. Developers will now be able to use Street View images and panoramic views, which will mean apps will be able to better use Maps without pushing you out to the Maps app. It will also allow developers to add floors to Indoor Maps so that they can build their own, which could mean more ‘virtual tours’ and the like popping up in some apps.
The Location API can detect whether you are traveling on foot, cycling, or driving. Now, it can also tell if you are walking or running, which opens up new possibilities for fitness applications. As far as mobile ads go, new in-app ads will now allow you to make purchases directly, without leaving the app. Advertisements can also be more targeted, offering, for example, different ads to returning or new users of an app.
There’s a new ‘Buy With Google‘ button that can now be added to apps for purchases using Google Wallet. The Google Play Services update should automatically update on your Android device, but you can also update manually.
Source: Android Authority
