Google I/O 2016: Here's what has been announced

[suicidalfranco]

Google Home: the Amazon Echo competitor

source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/05/18/google-home-official/

This device is a new Google Assistant that will be available later this year

Quote

The device looks like a more sophisticated OnHub router, but it’s actually a lot smaller—almost like a fat soda can. Like Amazon’s Echo, it features far-field voice recognition, which means it will hear you no matter where you are in the room (and even if there’s a lot going on). Just activate the device, and you can tell it to play music, videos (via Google Cast) and ask it questions. Exactly what you’d expect it to do.

 

Google Allo: a new Messaging app

source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/05/18/google-allo-is-a-new-smart-messaging-app/

 

after google talks, we got hangouts, than came messenger now the new messaging app from google is called Allo. What does it do differently? It packs-in an AI assistant plus all the feature you come to expect from a messaging app. Allo will be available for iOS and Android

Quote

Allo offers all the standard stuff you’d expect from a messaging app. That includes text chat, emoji and custom stickers. Google’s also including smart canned replies to incoming messages and photos. The app can even scan a picture of your friend’s new dog and decide whether it’s cute or not.

You can also bring Google into a conversation. For example, if you’re planning dinner with friends you can ask Allo to help you find a restaurant and make a reservation thanks to a partnership with OpenTable. There’s even an option to chat directly with Google inside Allo. You can ask complex questions and follow-up queries, or just play a game.

Will also feature end to end encryption BTW

 

Google Duo: A new video calling app

source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/05/18/google-duo-android-ios/

 

If you aren't happy with having your messages, phone calls and video calls centralized in  single app in the form of Google Hangouts, well i've got some news for you! Enters Google Duo! Duo is a companion app to the new messaging app Allo for the sole purpose of doing one on one video calls, the gimmick with this app is Knock Knock, Knock Knock simply gives you a video stream of who's calling you even before you answer the call (knock knock a  is one sided thing, the one calling doesnt receive a stream of you looking at the phone and ignoring the call).

Duo will also constantly monitor your Wifi connection and automatically switch between cellular and Wifi to never let the call drop or degrade the quality of the call

Will be available for both Android and iOS

 

Android N Open beta starts today, launch  in summer

source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/05/18/android-n-open-beta-program-launches-today-full-release-this-summer/

 

Quote

“The Android Beta Program gives you an opportunity to try out pre-release versions of Android and provide feedback,” Google said on its site. “Devices that you opt into the program will receive an over-the-air (OTA) update to the latest beta version of Android N. The updates that you’ll receive as a part of this program are pre-release versions, and may contain errors and defects that can affect normal functioning of your device”

 

Google DayDream: Google's VR solution

source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/05/18/google-daydream-android-virtual-reality/

 

What may have started as a joke with Google cardboard, is now developing in it's own android-based platform Google Daydream. Daydream will be available for a huge range of devices: smartphones, tablets, headsets etc.. but it's focus right now will be smartphones, in order to work at it's best on phones google has also set specific specs that manufacturers will have to follow. Later on there will be a Daydream Home interface that will hold all of your VR apps, movies, street views and what not, there will also be a headset accessory for your the phones with a controller and this time they won't be made out of cardboard.

Google as also announced Google Play for VR which will reside inside day dream and will be your hub for new VR experiences.

 

Android Wear 2.0

source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/05/18/android-wear-2-0-is-a-huge-new-update/

 

Quote

Android Wear 2.0 lets developers create watch faces that can show information from any Android Wear app. It also includes a new smart reply feature that allows you to respond to incoming notifications quickly by scribbling on the touch screen.

Google also announced a big update to its fitness software. You can leave your phone at home and track your activity automatically using a third-party app on Android Wear. You can also play music on your smartwatch without your phone.

Standalone apps are a big part of Android Wear 2.o. Combined with cellular support, which is available for a few current smartwatches, this opens the door for some exciting new possibilities.

[UPDATE]

Google Instant Apps

source: http://www.engadget.com/2016/05/18/google-instant-apps-android-io-2016/

 

As mentioned by @LAwLz below, Google also announced what they called Android Instant Apps. Here's the scenario: you're browsing the web find something that interest you and as soon as you click on the link your prompted to download an app, let's say my friend sends me a gif link from 9gag, i click on the link and instead of viewing directly the gif, all i see is a big "go download our awesome 9gag app on the play store" prompt. Well now with Instant Apps, Android will trigger a download that's not bigger than the webpage itself an allow you to see the content of that page from app itself without requiring to install it 

hopefully this gif will give you an idea of what i'm trying to say

[Mew]

Having a keyboard on a watch is so....... Samsung

[Kimmers]

How many messaging apps are they going to make?

[suicidalfranco]

2 minutes ago, Kimmers said:

How many messaging apps are they going to make?

as much as it takes to pop out that really good one that dethrones giants like whatsapp 

[thexzenon]

The begining was quite interesting, but it's quite and underwhelming keynote imo. I wanted to see some crazy stuff  Also why would you release a third (or is it fourth?) messaging application?  

[SauronsV]

no tablet sigh

[thexzenon]

2 minutes ago, SauronsV said:

no tablet sigh

They'd have to redesign the whole OS to make an Android tablet good enough, currently it's just a big mess. 

[Trixanity]

And no solution to the Android update problem. At the first mention of the separate system images I thought it was just that but then they explained that it was merely doing seamless updates of (basically) Nexus devices. 

[Ohlyver]

No ARA news???

[handymanshandle]

Huh I didn't know Google I/O was today... Well interesting I suppose. Allo and Duo could be interesting, but I don't use Hangouts. I use Google Messenger. Though I could technically use the Verizon Messages or Samsung Messages...

[handymanshandle]

1 hour ago, crisro996 said:

They'd have to redesign the whole OS to make an Android tablet good enough, currently it's just a big mess. 

I thought Lollipop was okay on my Nexus 7 (2012) besides it being slow but that's excusable as the N7 wasn't a terribly fast tablet.

 

I'd love to see a Nexus 9 update with better specs and more features.

[Kryptyx]

So I'm a huge fan of everything Google, some will even call me a Fanboy, but this was a pretty underwhelming I/O. I think Google Home will be great but I really question how much Google will let us developers customize it. I can't see Google giving us the same level of "hackability" that we have with Amazon Echo at the moment.

I really wasn't expecting Allo/Duo. I think this is going to only cause more confusion to consumers. Also with this being bound to the phone number I doubt we will see the same level of desktop integration that Hangouts currently has. Google finally managed to get Project Fi and Hangouts to play nice with each other and now we have another app? Also, doesn't Allo having Google Assist built in defeat the purpose of Google On Tap?

 

Doesn't Android already have a feature called Daydream? I guess they will be renaming that? Android Daydream vs Google Daydream (that runs on Android) is just as confusing as 37 messaging apps.

[DocSwag]

All I want is that modular smartphone (can't remember the name right now).

[suicidalfranco]

all i wanted was for android to become hardware agnostic, guess it's back to playing the waiting while i wait for google io 2017

[SansVarnic]

looks kinda gowdy really.

[LAwLz]

Nice post @suicidalfranco

 

Allo might be really good. I would like to see some whitepapers on how the end-to-end encryption works though. I don't trust Google's word. It's just a shame everyone I know already use Facebook and Skype.

Edit: Sigh... It's only end-to-end if you put the conversation in a special "incognito" mode. It should be the default Google...

 

Android N looks like it has some nice things, but nothing ground breaking from what I can tell.

 

My guess is that Daydream will end up like Gear VR. Kind of a gimmick. I got bored of Cardboard in like an hour, and I don't see this being that much more impressive.

Might be a cheap way to get half decent VR porn though, but that's pretty much the only appeal I can see.

 

Don't care about Android Wear since all smartwatches right now sucks (in my humble opinion). Seems like a nice upgrade for all 5 people who do use Android Wear, but good software can't make up for hardware shortcomings.

 

Edit: Missed Google Home. I can see it being really useful (like a real life Jarvis), but extremely scary. I am going to say no thanks to that...

 

By the way OP, you missed "Google Instant apps". It is basically "streaming" apps you do not have installed seamlessly. So if you don't have the B&H app installed, but click on a B&H link, it will open as if you had the app. It only downloads the things necessary to display that link though. They got some demos on their developer page.

 

 

 

30 minutes ago, suicidalfranco said:

all i wanted was for android to become hardware agnostic, guess it's back to playing the waiting while i wait for google io 2017

It already is that. It runs on ARM, x86, MIPS and while it is not officially supported, it can run on POWER as well.

[suicidalfranco]

25 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

Nice post @suicidalfranco

 

Allo might be really good. I would like to see some whitepapers on how the end-to-end encryption works though. I don't trust Google's word. It's just a shame everyone I know already use Facebook and Skype.

Edit: Sigh... It's only end-to-end if you put the conversation in a special "incognito" mode. It should be the default Google...

 

Android N looks like it has some nice things, but nothing ground breaking from what I can tell.

 

My guess is that Daydream will end up like Gear VR. Kind of a gimmick. I got bored of Cardboard in like an hour, and I don't see this being that much more impressive.

Might be a cheap way to get half decent VR porn though, but that's pretty much the only appeal I can see.

 

Don't care about Android Wear since all smartwatches right now sucks (in my humble opinion). Seems like a nice upgrade for all 5 people who do use Android Wear, but good software can't make up for hardware shortcomings.

 

Edit: Missed Google Home. I can see it being really useful (like a real life Jarvis), but extremely scary. I am going to say no thanks to that...

 

By the way OP, you missed "Google Instant apps". It is basically "streaming" apps you do not have installed seamlessly. So if you don't have the B&H app installed, but click on a B&H link, it will open as if you had the app. It only downloads the things necessary to display that link though. They got some demos on their developer page.

 

 

 

It already is that. It runs on ARM, x86, MIPS and while it is not officially supported, it can run on POWER as well.

i meant hardware agnostic as in i can go to the android website, download the latest image, and install it on whatever phone and have drivers and what not installed on a second time, but the OS can already run without them (just like desktop OSs)

Will update the post to include the instant google apps, didn't mention it cause it wasn't on technobuffalo, and i haven't watch the stream since i was out all day

[AlexGoesHigh]

15 minutes ago, suicidalfranco said:

i meant hardware agnostic as in i can go to the android website, download the latest image, and install it on whatever phone and have drivers and what not installed on a second time, but the OS can already run without them (just like desktop OSs)

Will update the post to include the instant google apps, didn't mention it cause it wasn't on technobuffalo, and i haven't watch the stream since i was out all day

what you want is for manufacture to switch to embed android into the hardware and have a PC style BIOS and in their stuff which given that Android is being developed as an embedded OS is going to take a lot of re engineering in the OS which i doubt a OEM would do, even less Google because they want it to behave as an embedded OS, just look at chrome OS, is a striped down Linux distro to run a browser (at it seems at some point Android apps) and every chrome OS device has the OS embedded into it, from the dirt cheap ARM devices all the way to the Pixel (and FYI the Pixel for some good damned reason it uses custom chips for the KB and trackpad and other stuff which is why is a PITA to make it work with a distro like Ubuntu because when it you make it work with Crouton is actually running on top of Chrome OS and not directly in the hardware)

[TopWargamer]

Their new messaging/video apps and instant apps have easily been the highlight of I/O for me. Awesome looking apps and an awesome feature (even runs on Jellybean and up!).

[suicidalfranco]

34 minutes ago, AlexGoesHigh said:

what you want is for manufacture to switch to embed android into the hardware and have a PC style BIOS and in their stuff which given that Android is being developed as an embedded OS is going to take a lot of re engineering in the OS which i doubt a OEM would do, even less Google because they want it to behave as an embedded OS, just look at chrome OS, is a striped down Linux distro to run a browser (at it seems at some point Android apps) and every chrome OS device has the OS embedded into it, from the dirt cheap ARM devices all the way to the Pixel (and FYI the Pixel for some good damned reason it uses custom chips for the KB and trackpad and other stuff which is why is a PITA to make it work with a distro like Ubuntu because when it you make it work with Crouton is actually running on top of Chrome OS and not directly in the hardware)

soooo... no need for waiting game?

[potoooooooo]

Easily one of the most interesting IO events in years and yet i heard nothing about it until riiight about now