Google I/O Keynote: The Good, the Odd and the Android
June 27, 2012
By Rory Lidstone, TMCnet Contributing Writer
Whether or not you consider Google's (News - Alert) I/O developer conference to be the biggest moment of the year in tech likely depends on your opinion of Google and its products. It's also hard not to think back to Apple's (News - Alert) Worldwide Developers' Conference which only took place a couple of weeks ago. WWDC had a new MacBook announcement and the complete rundown on iOS 6 — two pretty big announcements.
Google is no slouch however; as the search engine giant managed to fit more than a couple huge announcements into the IO keynote speech today. Here's a look at the highlights:
First off, the Google team hit the ground running by immediately unveiling the newest version of Android (News - Alert), Jelly Bean or simply version 4.1. Key upgrades shown off include a redesigned/smoother way to setup the Android home screen via automatic resizing, offline voice typing, NFC device pairing and notifications which can be expanded right there in the notifications tray.
The two most significant features of Jelly Bean are the Knowledge Graph and Google Now. The former is basically Android's version of Siri, while the latter learns from user behavior including habits, locations and events on your calendar and allows Android to make personalized suggestions. For example, if you're in an unfamiliar area, your Android device will be able to direct you to restaurants you might like.
Next, the team announced Smart App Updates for Google Play, now 600,000 apps strong according to Google. Smart App Updates allows devices running Gingerbread or higher to complete updates by downloading the parts of an app that are actually updated rather than re-downloading the whole thing.
Speaking of apps, Google+ will receive a tablet version that will roll out today for Android tablets with an iPad version coming soon.
We all knew it was coming, but now we know its official name: the Nexus tablet, called Nexus 7 and developed in partnership with Asus was officially unveiled. Rumors regarding its hardware were spot on as this device features 1280 x 800 HD display, a Tegra 3 processor, a 12-core GPU and will run Jelly Bean on release. And, of course, pricing starts at $199.
While the Nexus Q didn't receive as much attention leading up to the conference as the Nexus 7 did, it still managed to impress. Described as the "first ever social streaming device," the Nexus Q allows multiple people to sync up their playlists and queue up songs with their Android devices.
Lastly, attendees to the conference got a look at the latest version of Google Glass complete with a flashy presentation which featured skydivers and motorcycles. Not much was said about this iteration except that they now weigh less than a pair of sunglasses and apparently look a little less odd.
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Edited by Jamie Epstein