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Spring has arrived In the air, the anthuriums are in bloom and Sundhar Pichai is sequestered somewhere in Mountain View, in preparation for another Google I / O. The annual developer conference, which starts on the morning of May 7, gives at Google three days to demonstrate his vision of the future and convince public developers to help build it.
Do not forget that Google is no longer just a search giant. He makes material and a popular vocal assistant. It transmits your email and manages your cards. It uses the most popular mobile phone operating system in the world. He builds autonomous cars and delivery drones. The developer conference is an opportunity for Google to talk about all of this, to show the world what it can do and to get the buy-in from the people most likely to reach its goals.
But do not think of I / O as a conference. Think more about a birthday party. The company invites all its favorite people to gather in the Coastal Amphitheater and listen to Google explain who she wishes to be this year. And, as Google turns 21 in 2019, we can expect this year to be a big party.
Private party
But wait, do not start champagne right away. Google had a crazy year, which had to deal with lawsuits for tracking the location of users via its phone (even if privacy settings are enabled), to a fine of 50 million euros for have violated the EU privacy laws and several visits to Capitol Hill platforms and plans to expand its search engine in China. (And this is only last year!) So before Pichai can start the party, he will want to talk about privacy first.
Like the rest of the tech industry, Google must commit to protecting users' data and respecting their privacy. Pichai and other leaders will almost certainly commit to this opening statement, including how Google will treat your data differently.
Of course, some of this will only be lip service. Last week at F8, the annual developer conference on Facebook, we heard a similar commitment from Mark Zuckerberg, who has repeatedly said that "the future is private." We do not yet know how much we can expect a radical change in privacy in Silicon Valley. all. However, as we see more privacy-focused legislation, including the proposed new rules in the state of California, where Google resides, we can expect leaders to talk a lot more about it and try to change the speech.
Artificial intelligence
Almost everything that Google builds is based on artificial intelligence. I / O is an opportunity to show all the ways in which he exploits this intelligence. The conference last year included a truly breathtaking demonstration of Duplex, the artificial intelligence wizard that sounds like an indistinguishable human. So, yes, expect Google to flex its AI muscles, big and small.
The company must also introduce thoughtful updates to the Google products you already use. Gmail, Google News and Google Maps are probably candidates for an AI injection this year. It is likely that the Google Assistant will learn new tricks – though, now that you can ring your wizard like John Legend's, this one is pretty much perfect.
Augmented reality
Google's vision of augmented reality has often been practical. Of course, you could turn your face into a pile of smiling poo, but would not you rather use the AR capabilities of your phone for something a little more, I do not know, useful? During last year's IO, Google announced a feature for Google Maps that was projecting step-by-step instructions in the real world with the help of RA. Expect to see more AR ads of this type, with a nod to what developers can create with Google's AR Core.
Of course, this does not mean that there will be no time to have fun and play games. Google loves games! Just a few months ago, Google announced the creation of its brand new cloud gaming platform called Stadia, which will be launched later this year. We could learn more about Stadia or other games on Google platforms.
Android Q, too
Year after year, Google uses the developer conference to launch the latest version of its Android operating system. A first beta version of Android Q (which means … Queso?) Was released in March. Based on this beta, you can expect many fun features (screen recording! Dark Mode!) As well as convenient additions (redesigned menu, easy WiFi sharing). Android Q will likely include architecture for folding phones, which Google has committed to support when Samsung first announced its Galaxy Fold last fall. And it will almost certainly introduce new privacy controls – such as file-based encryption, enhanced "locking" mode, and more controls over how applications can access personal data, such as the location of the device. A user. Did we mention that Google loves privacy now?
Hold the phone
In general, Google is registering its gadgets for a hardware-driven event in the fall, but we may see only a few new devices this week. Rumors suggest a pair of cost-effective phones to complete the (increasingly expensive) range of Pixel phones. The main benefit: Most of Googles' most sophisticated features come from software, not hardware. The company should be able to offer some of its best tips with these cheaper phones. Think: pixel-quality photos for half the price.
We could also see a new smart display called Nest Hub Max. (A product of this name appeared briefly on the Google Store online in March before the company removed it.) Leaks suggests a 10-inch display with an integrated Nest camera and stereo speakers. Google is already doing a smart display, the Google Home Hub, but the new Max Hub's screen looks larger, with more features designed for video calling. This could help Google compete with smart screens from Amazon and Facebook.
The keynote opening will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, May 7 at 10 am Pacific Time. We will live on WIRED, so be sure to follow. You can also watch the live talk here on WIRED.
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