If you missed the Google I/O 2017 keynote, here’s a list of the most important announcements.
Google I/O announcements
Android has more than 2 billion active users
Google’s CEO Sunder Pichai announced that Android keeps growing, and it has already surpassed 2 billion active devices, combining phones, tablets, Android TV, Android Wear accessories, and numerous other devices.
Android O now on beta
Google is making available Android O as a preview for testers. This means that you can go android.com/beta to download and install the latest build. Of course, the mobile OS isn’t ready, but you can install it in a spare device to test the latest features.
Android Go for low-end devices
Alongside Android O, Google also announced Android Go, but it’s not a new version of the mobile OS. Instead it’s optimized version of Android O to run on entry-level devices with less than 1GB of RAM and for data-restricted environments. Devices with Android Go configuration will also get access to a tweak version of the Google Play Store that highlights apps optimized to reduce battery consumption and data usage.
Google Lens
Google also announced Lens a new feature for Google Assistant that using advanced AI and deep learning can recognize the world around you. Using Google Lens, you can, for example, point the camera to a flower and the assistant will be able to give you information about it. Or you can point the camera to your router, and it’ll be able to identify the username and password to get you connected online.
Google Assistant comes to iPhone
Google Assistant is no longer tight to Android devices, the company has now announced that you can now install and use Google Assistant on your iPhone. However, you won’t be able to change Siri as your default assistant. In addition, Google said that the assistant will be available in more languages, including in German and French.
Google Home gets hands-free calling
Google Home will receive an update that will allow you to call anyone to a landline or cell phone hands-free using your voice — no phone require. Google Home by default will use a private number to call anyone in your contacts, but you can connect your mobile number if you want. The best part is that it’ll recognize your voice when placing a call, so that if you say “Hey Google, call mom,” it’ll call your mom. But if someone else say the same command, Google Home will call their respective mom.
Google Photos is more useful
The company announced that a number of features coming to Photos, including Suggested Share, which is a feature that suggests what photos should share and with whom you share them. In addition, you’ll also get the ability to automatically share a library with a feature called Shared Libraries.
Google VR standalone headsets
Google will also start offering standalone virtual reality headsets. The search giant revealed that upcoming headsets from partners including HTC and Lenovo won’t require a phone or computer to power the user’s VR experience.
Google’s TPU chips
During Google I/O 2017, the company unveiled its second version of its Tensorflow Processing Unit (TPU), called the Cloud TPU. This is the kind of hardware Google uses for Tensorflow, which is its open-source machine learning software, and developers can use to build their own apps and AI-powered tools.
Google Jobs
Google has also decided to take on Microsoft’s LinkedIn with a new search engine for job listing. For example, if you search for “retail jobs,” Google will intelligently show the relevant jobs available in your area.
YouTube Super Chat
If you’re a YouTuber that regularly watch live streams, you’ll be able to pay to have your comment highlighted in a big way as a “Super Chat” comment. This new feature makes the comment standout above the rest, and it’ll help creators make more money. Here’s the full Google I/O 2017 keynote:
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