Google I/O is a yearly event in which the company announces new products, software updates, and more. We’ve compiled three main points covered during Wednesday’s keynote event below. Android O(reo)Of course, Google devoted a lot of time to explain it’s new innovations with the next Android version, O. The standout feature in O is Picture-in-Picture, which allows YouTube videos and other content to stay active while users perform other tasks. For example, on stage Android engineering lead Dave Burke demonstrated a YouTube video playing in the background while he notated about it using Google Keep. Other features in O include Notification Dots (think iOS), an improved Autofill, and the introduction of Kotlin as an officially supported programming language. Google LensNext up, Google Lens. Some background information first; in 2010, the company released Goggles, which recognized what’s in images using context (location, the Knowledge Graph, & words on screen). Since 2014, it has been all but discontinued. Earlier this year, Samsung launched it’s own version of Google Goggles, called Bixby Vision. So, to explain Google Lens as bluntly as possible: Google Lens is what Google Goggles & Bixby Vision should have been. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that Lens will be rolling out to the Assistant platform & it’s Photos app first — and it has new features like the integration of Google Street View to identify businesses. Pichai also demonstrated that with Lens (on Android), users can point their phone at a WiFi SSID & password, and Lens will automatically log them in to the network. Google HomeFinally, Google Home. Announced at I/O 2016 and released in November of that year, Home is a smart speaker that is meant to compete with the Amazon Echo. It runs the Google Assistant (which now has an SDK like Alexa & even an iOS app). Since it’s release, it’s enjoyed several updates, including multi-user support, to continue one-upping Amazon. At I/O, Google announced even more features, like push notifications. Since Home lacks a screen, this will work using the device’s lights. They will blink to inform users of events and traffic, and the user can access the notification’s info by saying “What’s up?” Google is also allowing for information to be beamed to phones or an Android TV to make up for said screen. In addition, Google is adding free voice calling through Home using an anonymous number. Luckily, in the app, users can connect their own number. So what's next?Google’s improvements in the AI realm of tech will most likely drive Samsung, with Bixby Vision to add more improvements to their own software to pull away possible Lens users (however, initial reception to Bixby in general has been mixed & most users have already chosen their preferred assistant). Amazon with Alexa and the Echo is also likely to add even more features to their line of speakers (especially with the introduction of the Echo Look & Show lately) to once again gain the upper hand in this relatively new market. Amazon’s Echo Dot still remains the consumer favorite in the smart speaker market, so it’s also likely that Google may be planning a mini version of it’s Home (however this is speculation). With WWDC ahead, Apple could possibly implement Picture-in-Picture with iOS 11, as it’s already available on the iPad line of products. But who knows? In the tech world, it’s a constant battle to one-up each other in terms of product quality. And that’s the big takeaway from I/O. Roan Thibault is the editor-in-chief of Mirror Journal.
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