Google I/O 2016 – The Latest Announcements and Highlights

Let’s take a look at the Google I/O 2016 news and launches you need to know. So, we are at the end of Google’s annual developer conference. And, that’s Google I/O 2016. Still there is day presentation and event to go. To open the proceedings on Wednesday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai took to the stage of the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California which led to a few big announcements.

Since 2013, Google I/O is the biggest I/O event, taking place for three days. Industry geeks and gurus were excepting a lot from the conference. There’s been a lot of amazing and interesting developments. Here are a few highlights:

Android N is smarter, faster and better

• New set of emoji
• Released a new beta
• Show more of the new operating system
• A new API called vulkan

New VR platform: Daydream

• Built on top of Android N
• Much more powerful than Cardboard
• Daydream is a lot like Android for VR. It’s a backbone of software inside Android N  that provides users with an entire ecosystem to play around in.

The only Limitation: It will only work on new phones that have special sensors and screens.

Android Wear 2.0 Expected to Ride Smooth

• With Android Wear 2.0 version, Google strives to give its wearable platform a big shot. It will now be able to work independently of a Smartphone.  Even if the phone is switched off or left behind, apps will continue to function.
• Google has also added two input methods – a handwriting recognition mode and a little swipe-style keyboard.

Two new messaging apps: Allo and Duo

Allo, a new Al-powered foray into messaging with Allo:

• Messaging features
• Emoji and some custom stickers
• The ability to draw on photos
• The ability to control the font size of your messages.
• The most important one – The Google Assistant

Duo, a video chatting app:

• Completely dedicated to a video-only experience.
• Dead simple to use.
• A feature called “Knock Knock” allows the person you’re calling to see a video preview of you before they even answer.

Duo is mobile-only, though, and it’s tied to your phone number and Duo and Allo will be available on both Android and iOS this summer.

A smart Speaker: Google Home

• A small speaker with always-listening microphones that integrates into a broad range of services. It will answer question and execute commands.
• The device itself is a small cylinder with a rounded top and a speaker at the base, available in a number of different shells to match your decor.

Limitation: Home can’t communicate with as many outside services as Echo

Google’s assistant is getting more smarter

• With Google search engine you will more feel like a chat app.
• You can search things, buy tickets all without leaving the app and more or less in the way you’d speak to a human.

Android in Car

• This App will let  drivers see speed trap warnings and accident alerts in real time.
• Connecte to cars over wifi
• New back-end features
• The latest version of this app will even work if your car doesn’t support the system.

Android Instant apps

• We can run our Android Apps without downloading them, which is called “Android Instant apps”.
• This feature allows users to quickly “stream” parts of an app instead of having to download the app from the Google Play store, then back out to our home screen to open the app, then sign up, etc.

TPU (Tensor Processing unit)

• TPU (Tensor Processing unit) that power going into Google cloud platform.
• TPU to handle a high-density barrage of commands and computations that today’s CPUs and GPUs, requiring data to line up neatly, could only dream of.

Google Play Awards

• At I/O 2016, Google is honoring the best Android developers with the first edition of the Google Play Awards.
• Clash Royale, the new game from Supercell, the developer of Clash of Clans, took home the Best Game award, after a tight race against Alphabear, Clash of Kings, MARVEL Future Fight, and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.
• Houzz ended up winning the “Best App” title, beating out BuzzFeed News, Colorfy, TuneIn Radio and Yummly.

Playstore for chromebooks

• Google Play will start rolling out in the developer channel with M53 on the ASUS Chromebook Flip, the Acer Chromebook R 11 and the latest Chromebook Pixel.
• Over time, this will roll out to other Chromebooks in the market too. And, Google has also been working with their partners to launch some great new devices specially designed for Play.
• The entire Play Store is just a click away.

Conclusion

Messaging, Virtual Reality, and Smart Assistants are three of the hottest segments of technology that Google has put most thrust upon, though seeing through these products won’t be as easy as it seems. The demos on Google I/O 2016 were impressive, but leave behind several questions, the answers to which will only be available once we have these products in hand. Until then, let’s wait and watch!