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Google wants make it easier to craft apps that go big
The Google Play Store serves over a billion users globally a month, so the potential for an app to go big is nothing to sneeze at. Alas, the chances of that actually happening is a different story, which is why Google has released a bunch of updates to help developers craft apps to make more of an impact.
Google's plans for VR are even more ambitious than we thought
In 2014, Google introduced Cardboard. It was literally just a cut-out piece of cardboard outfitted with Velcro strips, a pair of lenses and magnets. Insert your smartphone and voila, you got your very own VR View-Master. Though it seemed pretty silly at the time, Cardboard was Google's very first foray into virtual reality. Fast forward two years, and there's a whole cottage industry of Cardboard-compatible viewers -- not to mention lots of content made just for it. More than 5 million viewers have shipped and over 50 million Cardboard apps have been installed, as Google said at its keynote yesterday. Now, however, the company is ready for the next stage in its grand plan. Yesterday, Google announced Daydream, a platform that represents its most serious push yet into VR.
Up close with the Moto G4 Plus, the best from a puzzling new lineup
I've been spending my time here at Google I/O hoping to catch a Google exec pull a supersecret VR headset out of a coat pocket. Instead I ran into one using Motorola's new Moto G4 Plus -- the highest-end of the three new Moto G models announced earlier this week. Said exec was surprisingly cool about letting me give a personal phone the full hands-on treatment too. After a few minutes of play time, I can say that Motorola once again has an impressive device on its hands. It's too bad, though, that a confusing lineup of Moto Gs suggest Motorola's priorities have shifted in some unsettling ways.
Google has big plans for Daydream VR but not much to show
Google revealed the Daydream VR platform at its I/O conference yesterday, and even though the company is definitely building a headset itself, there's nothing for us to get our hands on just yet. Daydream is a complete VR ecosystem from Google, starting with software baked into Android N and ending in partnerships with Samsung, HTC, LG, Alcatel and other major brands. Google has drawn up reference designs for Daydream hardware, including a Wiimote-like controller with a clickable touchpad. Engadget's Chris Velazco walks through the Daydream details in the above video. For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2016, follow along here.
Please don't send me Smart Replies
Yesterday, Google announced Allo, a new AI-powered messaging app. One of its key features is Smart Reply, which makes use of Google's machine learning tech to suggest responses if you don't feel like typing for whatever reason. Similar to the Smart Reply feature in Inbox, it's apparently clever enough to learn from your behavior, allowing it to make better and more relevant suggestions over time. While this seems like a neat feature at first, I ultimately wouldn't want any of my friends to use it in a conversation with me. In fact, I'd feel pretty insulted.
Android Apps and the Play Store are coming to Chrome OS this year
Google CEO Sundar Pichai was handed the reins of Android in early 2013, putting him in charge of both Chrome and the company's mobile OS. Ever since then, rumors have swirled that Google would look to merge its two distinct operating systems into a unified whole. Those picked up steam this past fall, and indeed Google is finally unveiling some closer ties between Chrome OS and Android. But that doesn't mean Chrome OS is going away. Quite the opposite, in fact: This year, Google's browser-based operating system will become compatible with the million-plus Android apps available in the Google Play Store. The company accidentally revealed its plans yesterday, but a session this morning at Google I/O makes it official.
See Google's version of a VR future in today's livestream
It's day two of Google's annual I/O developer conference and by now we've gotten a taste of the company's plans for the future of messaging apps, home assistants and virtual reality. Today, VP of Virtual Reality Clay Bavor takes the stage for a deep dive into Google's VR history and its plans going forward. Perhaps we'll hear more about Android N's VR mode, Google's Daydream VR platform or its hardware goals. The event kicks off at 12PM ET in the video embedded below.
New updates aim to make Android Pay a universal payment system
There's more to today's Android Pay news than just a long-awaited UK launch. Google doesn't want people to just think of Android Pay as a way to pay for things in stores with phones, so today it pulled back the curtain on new and updated APIs to let developers -- and merchants -- use Android Pay in more places and in different ways.
Google's Daydream controller is a Wiimote for VR
Google's new Android VR platform, Daydream, wouldn't be complete without a sleek input system for its headsets and mobile devices. That's where this little white controller comes into play. At the company's I/O keynote this morning, Google VP of Virtual Reality Clay Bavor showed off the new controller, which includes two buttons and a smooth, clickable touchpad at the tip. It functions a lot like Nintendo's Wii remote, using an orientation sensor that allows users to flick a magic wand, fling projectiles, flip flapjacks and perform other motion-enabled tasks in VR.
Android Wear is getting a massive overhaul this fall
It's been over two years since Android Wear was introduced, but smartwatches are still very much an unproven commodity. But Google has been making plenty of tweaks and refinements to its watch-based OS to hone the features owners find most useful. Today at its annual I/O developer conference, Google is announcing what Android Wear VP David Singleton is calling its "biggest platform update yet": Android Wear 2.0. It's a visual and functional overhaul organized around the three things Google has found to be most important for Android Wear users.
Google needs your help naming Android N
Nougat? Nerds? Necco wafers? Nonpareils? We'd argue none of these treats sound cool enough for the next version of Android, and it turns out Google is having a hard time picking too. That's why, for the first time ever, the search giant wants to know what you think the "N" in Android N should stand for. Google launched a website to take your suggestions, and could pick a winner if someone out there cooks up something seriously inspired.
The new Android N preview is more stable and updates itself
Google surprised us all with an Android N developer preview two months before its annual I/O developer conference, and then it updated the software a few weeks ago with new performance-enhancing features. Now, as revealed during this morning's keynote, there's yet another update for you bold souls who crave bleeding-edge software.
Android N gets a high-performance VR mode
Even the most stubborn fence-sitters have to admit it: Virtual reality is worming its way into the fabric of our culture. Part of VR's growth is due to the fact that we can now just strap phones to our faces and see other worlds, but that typically requires lots of work from phone makers like Samsung and LG to get their VR hardware and software working just right. The software side of that equation might have just gotten way easier to figure out, though, thanks to Google's announcement of a VR mode for Android N.
Google's Allo puts AI in a messaging app
Google took the veil off a new messaging app today and it's called Allo. It's not a Hangouts replacement but rather a standalone app that looks kind of like Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp. The key difference between Allo and Hangouts is that Allo comes with some machine learning built right in, courtesy of Google's newly announced personal assistant. As Google engineering director Erik Kay explained on stage during today's I/O keynote, Allo is a smart messaging app that "learns over time" to make conversations easier and more productive.
Google Home will take on Echo to be your at-home assistant
While the New York Times may have broken the news early, Google's answer to Amazon's smart speakers is now official. Announced today at the search giant's annual I/O developer conference, Google Home is the company's answer to the Amazon Echo, whose voice-controlled "Alexa" assistant can help with various tasks. Google Home has a virtual assistant too, with software that can handle household tasks like adjusting your Nest thermostat. It also allows you to control third-party apps using your voice.
Watch Google's I/O keynote right here, right now
Google's big I/O keynote kicks off at 1PM ET live from the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. We expect big news about Android N (including its actual, probably delicious name), a look at the future of Chrome OS, fresh information on Android Wear and even some news about Android VR. Follow along with our liveblog right here, and watch the keynote with us in the video below.
Google I/O kicks off at 1PM ET, follow our liveblog here!
Google I/O, the company's annual developer-focused conference, kicks off in just a few hours -- but at a much different venue than in years past. Instead of San Francisco's Moscone Center, we're literally in Google's backyard at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View. The location may be different, but CEO Sundar Pichai and a parade of Google executives will still be taking the stage to tell us all about the next version of Android, updates to Chrome, and a host of things yet to be formally announced. We should hear about the company's expanded VR ambitions, a new competitor to Amazon's Alexa, more details on Android Wear and much more. The keynote starts at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, and we'll be liveblogging all the news right here. Google wouldn't shuttle us all down to Mountain View if it didn't have something big planned, so stay tuned.
Get ready for Android N, VR and more at Google I/O 2016
It's that time of year again -- Google's about to give developers a serious show at I/O 2016, which this year is at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California (also known as Google's backyard). We'll be there throughout the week bringing you thoughtful, up-to-the-moment coverage of Google's future looks like, but until then, here's what we expect (and hope) to see starting tomorrow morning.
Google wants developers making crazy Android experiments
Last year, Google launched a site promoting innovative Android experiments on phones, tablets and smartwatches. Anything was game, provided it ran on top of Android or Android Wear. Now, with less than two months to go before its next I/O developer conference, Google is putting the call out for some new, equally brain-melting ideas. The kicker is that the best three submissions will get I/O tickets in order to show off their projects to attendees. A further five runner-ups will get a Nexus 6P.
Google I/O 2016 set for May 18-20 in Mountain View
Mark your calendars, folks. Google, Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai took to Google+ today to announce the company's annual developer conference, I/O, would take place at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on May 18-20. This will be the 10th year Google has held an event for Android developers to attend or stream on the web. There's sure to be a (lengthy) keynote, during which we'll likely get the latest on Android Wear, VR and all of the other things the company has in the works. If past years are any indication, we'll get the first look at the next major version of Android. Last year, Google showed off Android M at I/O, the release that would eventually become version 6.0 or Marshmallow. [Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
