5 ‘smarter’ things Google wants to develop
Smarter artificial intelligence. Smarter messaging services. Smarter home technology. Smarter smartphones. If there was a theme to Google’s 2016 developers conference, I/O, it was everything you’ve seen before — but smarter.
More than 7,000 software developers packed the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, Calif., on Wednesday to hear Google executives talk about products and features coming to consumers and the developer community.
With nearly half the amphitheater exposed to sunlight, the tech giant handed out free sunglasses and sunscreen to attendees, who supplemented with their own caps and parasols. A few developers covered the tops of their heads with Google t-shirts and bandanas.
The event had been held in San Francisco’s all-indoor Moscone Center for the last 10 years, but Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai told the audience that I/O was breaking tradition to signal new beginnings (if not new tan lines).
Here’s what’s new:
Google Assistant: Google has ramped up its efforts in machine learning with a powerful new artificial intelligence tool, Google Assistant. About 20% of searches done on the Android app are voice searches, Pichai said, and Google Assistant expands on that. Through voice recognition and natural language learning, users can have a conversation with the virtual assistant, ask for movie recommendations and book tickets and perform complex searches.
“Every single conversation is different, every single context is different, and we’re working very hard to do this for billions of conversations, for billions of users,” Pichai said.
Google Home: Google now has an answer to the Amazon Echo. The voice-activated gadget can play music, connect to Nest and thermostats and control entertainment systems throughout the house. It supports Google search and Google Assistant. When it launches later this year, users will also be able to order meals, send flowers and book rides with words alone. The company did not announce a price for Google Home.
New messaging and video apps: The company is launching a new messaging app, Allo, and a new video app, Duo, this summer on both iOS and Android devices. Following the theme of the conference, both apps aim to be “smarter” than your average messenger.
Google Assistant is built into Allo, so users can perform searches without leaving the app. Users will also be able to find and make restaurant reservations inside the app, and chat directly with Google Assistant instead of opening a window to perform searches.
The one-on-one video calling app, Duo, is based on phone numbers and is intended to perform fast even on slow networks.
Android and virtual reality: Android N, the newest version of Android, will launch this summer and boast a virtual reality mode that lets developers create high-quality experiences for mobile VR.
As part of its investment in virtual reality, Google is launching Daydream, a virtual reality platform for Android. It will release blueprints for a smartphone-powered VR headset (not unlike Samsung’s Gear VR) and controller that developers can use to build optimal hardware for mobile VR. Expect this one to be a little more high-tech than Google Cardboard, a do-it-yourself VR viewer handed out at 2014’s I/O event.
The company also plans to roll out Android Instant Apps later this year, which will let developers split their apps into modules — meaning customers won’t necessarily need to download a company’s entire app when they want to read an article or buy a product. Instead, Google Play will download only the necessary code to display that part of the app.
Android Wear 2.0: In a jab against other smartwatches (ahem, Apple Watch), the latest version of Android Wear will let users stream music and send messages even when they aren’t carrying their phones.
“As long as your watch has a WiFi, Bluetooth or cellular connection, you’ll be able to make calls, send messages or launch Spotify,” said David Singleton, Google’s vice president of engineering. “You don’t even need your phone.”
ALSO
Warren Buffett’s company buys 9.8 million Apple shares
Google tells payday lenders to take their advertising business elsewhere
Mark Zuckerberg to meet with Glenn Beck and other conservatives over Facebook bias accusations
Twitter: @traceylien
