2018 Google I/O: Conference Recap

Google held its annual I/O Conference, which took place May 8 through 10, at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. There were a lot of featured talks, prominent keynote speakers, and announcements of a lot of new information.

It all started out with some keynotes. Sundar Pichai was the Google keynote, followed by Jason Titus, who was the developer keynote.

Google Developers

Several Google developers spoke. This included talking about App development with TensorFlow, the future of AI, as well as Android TV. Developers also spoke heavily of the new Google Lens. It would make it possible to do more with what you see on a regular basis. The lens will be available inside of the smartphone camera. The new feature that will launch in a few weeks is called “Style Match.” This will make it possible to find a look-alike by visually matching similar furniture and clothing. Smart text solution is also featured within the lens, making it possible to connect words with answers and actions. This includes everything from traffic signs to restaurant menus.

Lookout is a new Android app that will be launched soon to help blind and visually impaired people receive visual cues about the text, people, and objects around them.

There is new open-source code for Android, iOS, and the web, too. Flutter gave examples of Material Design’s new tools so that it would be possible to streamline cross-platform development.

Google Play

Dynamic Delivery is a new app in Google Play that allows for optimized APKs so that there is better device configuration for users. Additionally, on Google Play, 12 new subscriptions features have been launched as a way to grow a business. Some of these focus on improving the user experience, such as deep links and new management UI. There is also more developer flexibility with refund API improvements, faster test renewals, as well as advanced subscription reports.

Google Maps

Maps was originally built to assist everyone. Over 220 countries and territories have been mapped. It makes it easier for people to travel around the world. “For You” is a new tab that will be launching soon so that people can learn more about specific neighborhoods. It’s possible to receive personal recommendations, learn what’s trending, as well as find out about new places that are opening.

Artificial Intelligence

It’s not surprising that artificial intelligence (AI) was included throughout many of the conversations and workshops provided at I/O. the Google assistant has six new voices that you can choose from. A few well-known voices will be added later in the year, including John Legend.

The artificial assistant is also making it possible for continued conversation to be able to follow up on requests. Multiple actions are also being encompassed, allowing the assistant to understand complex queries. Custom routines are also something that is being rolled out, allowing people to create a custom routine with something as simple as “Hey Google, dinner’s ready.” At that point, the assistant will turn off the TV, turn on dinner music, and broadcast the announcement to everyone inside the home.

Each day was filled with more excitement than the previous one. Codelabs were also offered, often running at the same time as sessions. This made it possible for developers to get some hands-on coding experience. The tutorials provided step-by-step processes to ensure that web fundamentals were understood and built on so that small apps could be built.

I/O is one of the top conferences to attend for anyone who is a web developer or simply interested in the future of technology.

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