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Weekend poll: Which rumored gadget are you most excited to see at Google I/O?
Pixel 6a? A detachable Nest Hub? Or something else?
Believe it or not, Google I/O is officially less than a month away, which means it's time to start daydreaming about what gadgets might get a full reveal. The company has often used its developer-focused conference to announce an all-new slate of products worth checking out, and this year seems to be shaping up to be one of its biggest yet. We've heard all sorts of rumors about what might be in the works, with a little something to interest everyone.
Google has just pushed live its I/O 2021 schedule. Outside the usual expected talks like the I/O and developer keynotes, "What's new in Android?," and the (always great) fireside chats, there are a few new interesting-sounding topics, like "anomaly detection with TensorFlow" and "serverless demo derby." And, nestled among the three days of events, there's even a talk from Android Police alumnus Liam Spradlin.
Google I/O is fully canceled, even the online event
The company still plans "ongoing updates" through its blog and forums
Google I/O 2020 has been fully canceled, with even the online event no longer taking place, according to a statement tweeted out by the company just earlier today. Following the shelter-in-place requirements imposed in California, Google has ultimately decided "to not to move forward with I/O in any capacity this year in order to prioritize the health of everybody who is a part of our community."
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Every year at about this time, Google does a cryptic teaser to announce the dates for its I/O developer conference, usually happening in the late spring. Last year, Till Kottmann, one of the developers behind the popular Lawnchair Launcher, cracked the puzzle in record time by circumventing it entirely. This year Google is tweaking the formula a bit, turning the teaser into a forced collaborative effort inside a highly technical puzzle/game.
Google I/O is one of the most exciting times of the year for us tech nerds, and as we near the 2019 event, the schedule is now up for all to see. This isn't the full complement of sessions — many smaller talks and workshops will be added in due course — but it does give us a good idea of which areas Google is likely to focus on most this year.
Google typically reveals details about its yearly I/O developer conference via a cryptic teaser that turns into an elaborate, interactive puzzle. This year all of that has been sidestepped, as Lawnchair developer Till Kottmann has "cheated" the answer out of Google. I/O 2019 will be at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA on May 7th through the 9th.
Google's spring schedule is always an exciting dichotomy between the predictable and the unexpected. We never know what services might get axed during the company's regular spring cleaning, but we can always depend on the I/O developer conference—and with it, a good chunk of Google's non-Pixel announcements for the year.
Google I/O 2018 should still be about 4 months out, but Google is ready to let you in on a few secrets. The I/O website has been updated with a little hunt for clues behind the scenes of the 2018 event. The setting uses Street View and starts in a parking lot then a reception office full of little hints and 4 locks to get through. I managed to open the first one, but I had to stop to write this article.
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One of the unique features of Google's Inbox mail application was smart replies. Inbox tries to predict what the message is about, and provides three quick replies. I'll admit, I don't use it much, but it's pretty nice if you're quickly exchanging messages.
Google I/O is but months away, so it's right about time to start organizing the trip. There's one problem: tickets. As with previous years, getting tickets is a random affair, with Google making no preference about who attends, developer or not. As such, the application period entry is from February 22 10AM PST until February 27 at 5PM PST.
It's been a while since we last heard anything about Project Soli - Google's radical post-touch experiment unveiled at I/O - but it looks like the project is still rolling right along. According to a tipster, Google has begun notifying interested parties of an impending "Soli Alpha DevKit," asking that those notified fill out an application for the chance to receive one.
Google's I/O conference app is generally considered a boon for developers. Each year the app is open-sourced following the conference, exposing the code beneath Google's latest design suggestions and functionality on Android.
We have already posted a pretty thorough preview of the features coming with the new Google Photos app, but that doesn't mean Google didn't save a couple of surprises for IO. The big bombshell is that, starting later today, users will be able to upload an unlimited number of photos and videos for free. If you weren't using Google as your primary source for photo archiving, this news may give you reason to reconsider.
Besides new family-friendly and kid-friendly efforts on search and discovery in the Play Store, Google announced during its keynote today that Play Store search will be getting smarter overall.
We've all seen, probably many times, the common situation where you click a link on your Android device and you are then asked with which app you would like to open it. On one hand, this is a great feature; merely guessing could be very annoying and it is a sensible way to allow users to assign default apps. Sometimes, though, certain types of links should always open in a particular app without prompting the user.
When it comes to getting users to your app, your Play Store listing counts for a lot. What users see (and read) when they reach your app's listing can make or break their decision to download or buy, so carefully crafting a good listing is important.
At Google I/O today, Google introduced Play Store developers to a new cloud testing service, which will help devs ensure their apps work on top-selling Android devices.
While we've been following this rumor for months now, Google made Android Pay official during today's keynote. We first heard the name back in February, and knew something was coming ever since they acquired the intellectual property of mobile payment competitor Isis, an agreement that would also make Wallet a pre-installed app on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon phones. Though it was announced as part of Android M, it will work on KitKat and newer versions.