On May 28th in San Francisco, Google will host its I/O conference, an annual two-day showcase of the company's latest technology, devices, and services. Last year, Google (GOOG) previewed its array of Android improvements and demoed Google TV, satisfying developers but leaving headline-hungry tech fans wanting more. This year, with Android M, Project Ara, virtual reality systems, and new wearables already on the I/O schedule, it's looking like Google will make the big splash that fans have been waiting for.
To get you excited for the upcoming I/O, here's everything we know, everything we think we know, and everything we want to know about the conference.
What We Know:
Though it hasn't been confirmed by the company, one of the big announcements at I/O is expected to be Android M. (Google accidentally published an 'Android M' session to its digital I/O calendar before immediately pulling it down, all but confirming the rumors). Android M (or Android 6.0) is the next version of Google's mobile operating system. It's expected to arrive with enhanced notification features (especially for wearables), as well as support for the Android TV and Android Auto. Insiders also think that M will have more Smart Home features, giving users better control over their connected devices.
The I/O schedule also lists a number of sessions dedicated to Project Ara, Google's modular phone initiative. Ara is the "ultimate form of customization," allowing users and developers to create their own smartphones from a pile of parts. In January, Google said that it will launch a pilot program in Puerto Rico later in 2015. Perhaps a release date and a complete list of pieces and prices is coming at I/O.
Project Tango also has a dedicated session. At a recent We Are Wearables event, Cubicle Ninjas CEO Josh Farkas remarked that augment reality and virtual reality are two pieces of technology that will eventually co-exist. Tango is Google's tablet that supports this prediction. The device combines AR and VR, letting users connect the virtual world with the real world.
Finally, Google will offer updates on in-progress projects like its affordable virtual reality lens, Cardboard, and Android TV.
What We Think We Know:
Google ATAP, its Advanced Technology and Projects team, will host a wearables session titled "Badass and Beautiful," promising new products that "that [they] hope will blow your socks off." ATAP has suggested that its goal is to "break the tension between the ever-shrinking screen sizes necessary to make electronics wearable and our ability to have rich interactions with them," leading many to speculate that the team is playing around with holograms. (Think Star Wars; how else can you get a big picture from a small device)? And with several sessions devoted to the topic of "VR," many are wondering if we'll see more than just the Cardboard and get a preview of a new virtual reality wearable.
We also know that Google will be talking about Android Auto, its app that coverts a car's dashboard into an Android phone, but it's unclear if Google will offer an update on its driverless-car. In the wake of reports that 20 Google cars have been involved in 11 accidents, it'd make sense for Google to show off its technology and rebut the narrative that its vehicles are "dangers." (As an aside, an important part to the "11 accidents" story is that these 20 cars have traveled a combined 1.7 million miles).
What We Want to Know:
In January, Google pulled Google Glass off the shelves to re-work the device, stating that the public will "see future versions of Glass when they’re ready." Many are expecting a Glass update at I/O, but few think that the company will unveil a new version just six months into the process. But could Glass be the big wearables announcement that ATAP is promising? An improved Glass in such a short timeframe would probably be a bigger reveal than an entirely new product.
And finally, we want to know what's going on in that monster airfield that Google leased from NASA? The company committed $1.6 billion in rent over the next 60 years for the hangar. What's cooking in there?
No comments:
Post a Comment