Possible Google Play Store redesign follows Android L's lead

Google promised to reshape the entire look of its OS with the advent of Android L, bringing the flat, almost paper-like Material Design scheme announced at this year's I/O to each of its properties.

Now, it seems the new look will indeed extend to the Google Play Store, if leaked photos from an Android news site are grounded in reality.

Android Police got ahold of some screenshots showing off a flatter and more streamlined Google Play Store. From the leaked shots we can see the interface has been reconfigured for a simpler look, with fewer frames containing images and text.

Rather than splaying out app information across a device's whole screen, the Material Design rehash looks like it will move everything to a centralized pane.

On smaller smartphone screens, it seems Google also plans to bring a greater focus to apps themselves. From the purported preview, we can see the description has been bumped to a higher position on the page, while moving stars and sharing options to a lower section.

The current Google Play Store (credit: Android Police)

And the potential redesign (credit: Android Police)

Made for media

Media on Google's virtual store, including movies and music, will supposedly get the biggest overhaul. While looking at films, users should be able to play a trailer attached to the top of the page.

Music albums meanwhile will have their artwork blown up to stand in as the background for the entire page.

Overall it's a much cleaner and more attractive look than the busy webpage aesthetic of the current Play Store.

The new look will match the redesigns the search company made to Google Plus and Drive - just keep in mind these are leaked shots from pre-released software. Anything and everything could change before Google actually pulls back the veil on any of these redesigns.

• Have you met Android Wear, Google's other new OS?

Nvidia's Shield follow-up may be a serious Steam Machine rival

Nvidia is preparing to launch a new gaming device.

According to the BBC, that device will be an Nvidia Shield follow-up with a different form factor - and it might focus on the living room.

Like the Shield, this new Nvidia device will be able to stream Windows games from a PC (one with a newer Nvidia GPU that can support the Nvidia GeForce Experience, at least) and play PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+QW5kcm9pZCA8L2E+games natively.

But unlike the narrow-marketed Shield, this gadget may focus more on rivaling the upcoming wave of Steam Machines, with a controller sold separately rather than built-in.

Form confusion

The new device is said to have an HDMI outport, though, granted, the original Shield did as well.

At this point, only the BBC knows exactly what form the new Nvidia gaming device might ultimately take.

The report never comes out and says it, but it seems the gadget in question might be one and the same with the rumored Nvidia Shield tablet that keeps popping up.

For one thing the BBC says it the device can "also stream PC games" to a television screen via thanks to the outport, implying it has its own screen. What's more, the report also says that Nvidia may intend the Shield follow-up to serve as an example for other companies making smartphones and tablets.

Tegra K1 in the house

Naturally this mysterious Nvidia gaming device is also said to be packing the company's flagship Tegra K1 chip, another similarity it has with the rumored Shield tablet.

A Nvidia spokesperson declined to confirm with the BBC exactly what the company is working on, but did share that Nvidia has an "awesome new gaming product that is launching soon."

With at least some Steam Machines delayed until 2015, Nvidia might be able to get a head start with whatever this new gaming device turns out to be.

For now, unfortunately, all the rest of us can do is sit back and watch the living room PC wars continue to play out.

• What makes Steam Machines tick? Why SteamOS, of course