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The Google I/O 2017 gave us a glimpse of what Google has in store for us in the near future and even though most of the announcements were meant for app developers, some of the things they showcased were just too awesome! Here are some things Google has in store for us in the coming months.
Google Lens - This one blew everyone’s mind away and it is certainly the future of cameras. The way it works is that it uses your phone’s camera to analyse anything and give you information on it. Say you point the camera at a certain flower but you don’t know the name of that particular flower, all you need to do is open the app and point your camera at the flower and Google Lens will analyse the image and give you the name of the flower, along with all the information you need about it. You can also point the camera at a particular text if it’s not in English and the Lens will automatically translate it for you and with the help of Google assistant, you can ask any question you have about it. Although Google lens is somewhat similar to Google Goggles, the Lens is much more advanced in comparison since the technology has advanced beyond our imagination since the introduction of Google Goggles. Another cool feature about the Lens is the ability to automatically connect to a WiFi, instead of asking for a username and password, just point the lens at the WiFi router and it will automatically connect to that WiFi. How cool is that? With this latest technology, Google has certainly upped their game in being the ultimate search engine.
Google VR - Yes, this one has been around for a while now, with Cardboard technology and Daydream, but the latest gadget from Google comes in the form of a standalone Virtual Reality Headset. With another new technology known as “WorldSense”, Google has taken another step forward in Virtual Reality. Powered by its Tango augmented reality system, the new Google VR ( they still haven’t announced a name for it ) is a standalone device, meaning it won’t be a device where you attach your phone but it will be completely independent on its own. While most Virtual Reality headsets uses only your head tilt to give you the illusion of being in a different world, the big thing which separates this new VR headset from the rest is its ability to detect precise motion, including the back and forth motion of your head using sensors to detect the external world around you and this will give you a greater sense of realism. And since the entire product is crafted from the ground up, I’m absolutely sure that the new Google VR will deliver the most immersive Virtual Reality experience ever when it is released.
Google Photos - I already love google photos and the ability to safely store unlimited number of photos and videos online for free and now Google photos is going to get an upgrade which google called Suggested Sharing and Shared Libraries. Suggested sharing will automatically detect faces from the photos you just took and “suggest” you to share with that person, so the next time you are on a picnic, all you need to do is tap on “share” and the photos will automatically be sent to each individual. Shared Libraries on the other hand allows you to share certain albums with others.
Android Go - The perfect recipe for getting cheap and fast mobile phones. Android Go is a light weight version of Android O, which promises to run fast even on cheap devices with 512MB of RAM or less! What this means is that a very basic device will no longer face hiccups or face any issues. Along with the operating system being light, Android Go will also consume very little data which is perfect for most people. This has been one of the main focus for Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai ever since he took the job in 2015 and with Android Go, Google aims to capture the next billion users.
Other announcements from the Google I/O were the release of Android O Beta, Google Assistant for iOS, more features for Google Home, a new Tensor Processing Unit which will make Artificial Intelligence on Google’s platform really fast and official support for Kotlin, the programming language.