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+ + Google just concluded its I/O 2017 keynote, where executives led by CEO Sundar + Pichai laid out the company’s future roadmap for Android, Google Assistant, + Google Home, virtual reality, and much more. + Skydiving Google Glass-wearers, giant phone giveaways, and major + hardware announcements no longer rule Google’s biggest annual conference. + Instead, the company has settled into a pattern of releasing information + about what it’s doing (and what it wants to do) for developers at I/O, instead of + trying to wow consumers or the press. + You might call that boring, but that’s also a misguided notion, because there was + much to glean from Pichai and the rest of the Googlers who presented onstage. So here + are the 10 most important takeaways from today’s I/O keynote. + +Who was waiting?+ |
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+ ANDROID SURPASSES 2 BILLION MONTHLY ACTIVE DEVICES++ Android’s mobile dominance hasn’t stopped growing. CEO Sundar Pichai revealed at the keynote’s + start that the tally of monthly active Android devices now exceeds 2 billion. That includes + smartphones, tablets, Android Wear devices, Android TVs, and any other number of other + gadgets that are based on the operating system. + + +GOOGLE ASSISTANT CAN SEE AND UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AROUND YOU++ Google Assistant can now analyze the world around you with the help of your + smartphone camera. Using a technology the company calls Google Lens, the + Assistant will analyze your surroundings and display relevant content on + your screen. You’ll see a restaurant’s rating when pointing your phone at + the storefront, you can aim it at a flower and it will identify the species, + and you can even pull up a band’s music or videos by pointing Lens at a + concert poster. But the most useful example might be this: if you point + Lens at Wi-Fi login credentials, your Android phone will be able to use + that info to log on to that network. (Thank you, Google.) + ++ Google’s not the first company to try to add artificial intelligence to a + smartphone’s camera. Samsung recently launched “Bixby Vision” on the Galaxy + S8, a sight-based version of its own Bixby digital assistant, for example. And + Snapchat (and now Instagram) are using low-level AI to apply goofy filters to + your face. But Google’s offering much more with Lens than just image recognition, + shopping, or face filters. And while Facebook is exploring similar computer + vision efforts, Google is trying to do it sooner than later with Lens. + + +GOOGLE ASSISTANT COMES TO IPHONE++ Assistant is expanding beyond Android to iOS. Google Assistant will be a + standalone app on iPhone and iPad, offering many of the same functions as + what we’ve seen it do on Google’s own operating system. You don’t have to + wait long to try it, either; it’s available starting today. + +
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+ GOOGLE HOME TURNS INTO A PHONE++ Like Amazon, Google is turning its smart speaker into a phone. Over the + coming months, all Home owners will be able to place free calls to the + United States and Canada. By default, Google uses a private number for + this feature — but you’ve got the option of tying it to your own mobile + phone number. The same goes for everyone else in your house, as phone + calls support Home’s multi-user setup. Only outgoing calls will be available + at launch, as Google is taking a cautious approach to avoid privacy headaches. + + +HOME GETS WAY MORE USEFUL++ Google’s smart speaker was already one of the best ones on the market, but + the company announced a suite of other new features and updates beyond calling + to Home that make it much more powerful. Home is now going to be able to control + HBO Now, Hulu, SoundCloud, Deezer, and more. Even better, Google is opening up + access to Home’s Bluetooth radio, meaning you can treat it just like any other + Bluetooth speaker. + + ++ HOME NOW ACTS AS A PHONE, CAN CONNECT OVER BLUETOOTH, AND GETS NEW + COMPATIBILITY WITH SERVICES LIKE HBO AND HULU + ++ Home is also becoming more useful away from the device itself. + Google showed off what it’s calling “visual responses.” Using Google + Assistant, Home will now be more capable of directing the right information + to the right connected screen. Say something like: “OK Google, show my calendar + for today” and Home can instantly display your day’s events on a Chromecast-connected + TV. Ask Home for directions to a place or event, and it will send the directions + right to the Google Maps app on your phone. + ++ More than ever, this requires extreme commitment to Google’s products and + services, but that’s sort of the point — Google is betting it can bring all + this stuff together in such an attractive way that you won’t think twice + about buying (or ditching) your Amazon Echo. + +GOOGLE PHOTOS ADDS BOOKS AND EFFORTLESS SHARING++ Google Photos is getting a slew of great additions. The app will now + recommend that you share photos you’ve taken with people that it recognizes + as being in the shot. Google calls this Suggested Sharing. It’s also + introducing Shared Libraries, which allow families to collectively + add images to a central collection more easily. But Google is emphasizing + control, here: you can share your entire photo library, share only from a + certain date, or share photos that include certain things like your kids. + + |
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