Google I/O 2016 is over, but that doesn't mean the excitement has to stop as we'll be hearing more about everything from the annual developer conference many more times over the next few months or more. There were tons of things announced over the last few days and many of them big enough to reach a wide audience and capture the attention of mainstream consumers and users. In regards to mainstream, I am, of course, referring mostly to things like Google Home, Google Assistant, and the newly announced apps 'Allo' and 'Duo' which you can now pre-register for on Google Play. There are other more specialty products too, like the Levi's Commuter x Jacquard jacket that was announced just this morning from Google's ATAP division as the project turned product, which is due to launch and make it to the hands of consumers in the Spring of next year. ATAP also showed where they are with Project Soli, and we got to see a working developer model of the most recent revision of the Project Ara smartphone which is due to launch to the public next year as well.
On day one of the conference, Google launched the third version of the Android N developer preview, of which there is to be five, and then following the fifth developer preview Google is planning to launch the final and public version of Android N, at which point we should know the name. Speaking of names, Google officially revealed that they will be letting the public vote (kind of) on the upcoming name for Android N, and have put up a webpage where users can cast their submissions. Google will in the end, have the opportunity to choose the name, but it stands to reason that they will probably pick the most popular submission, so long as it isn't offensive, and probably so long as it's a dessert.
Also introduced this week was Android Wear 2.0 which sets out to offer a good chunk of new functionality, and we can't forget about Daydream, Google's official name for the VR platform that was announced on Wednesday. There are already a number of manufacturers lined up with products in the works which will be Daydream-ready, and Google themselves have confirmed that they will be building their very own Daydream VR headset complete with controller, that the majority of the public seems to agree looks like a Wiimote. Google showed off more with Android Auto this week, and they announced the Google Play Early Access program which aims to help developers with beta version apps become discovered easier. If you happened to miss any of the news from Google I/O this week, you can find the links to all the coverage from the conference, and you can even now watch the entire keynote speech if you didn't have the chance to catch the live stream.
Google I/O & Keynote Speech
- You Can Now Replay The Entire Google I/O 2016 Keynote
- Google I/O 2016: Google Assistant, Instant Apps, VR And More
Google Assistant
- Sundar Pichai Announces Google Assistant at I/O 2016
- Google Assistant May Forgo Ad-Based Business Model
Google Home
Apps
- Google Introduces Allo, A New Smart & Secure Messaging App
- Google Introduce Duo Video-Calling App at I/O 16
- Download: Very Early Allo & Duo APKs Leak Online
- Google Previews Android Instant Apps at I/O 16
- You Can Now Pre-Register For Google’s New Allo Messaging App
- Users Can Now “Pre-Register” for Duo in the Play Store
- Google’s Allo Chat App Is Built On The Signal Protocol
- Download: Google Keyboard v5.1 Gains Theme Support
- Google Photos Has Over 200 Million Active Users
- Awareness API Brings Contextual Features To All Apps
- Google Engineer Wants Encryption by Default in Allo
- Google Launches New Science Journal App in the Play Store
- Google Introduces Playbook App to Help Developers
Android N
- Google Releases Third Version Of Android N Dev Preview
- Google Wants your Help in Naming Android N
- Android N Will Update On Its Own, Just Like a Chromebook
- Android N to Add Clear All Button to Recent Apps Menu
- Android N Gets Improved Multi-Tasking in New Beta
- HTC 10, One M9, & One A9 To Receive Android N
- Google Won’t Judge Android N Name Entries After All
- What’s New in Android N Developer Preview 3
- Download: Wallpapers from Android N Developer Preview 3
- Naming Android N Is Turning Into A Dessert Battle
- You Can Set & Prioritize Languages in Android N
- Android N Preview 3 Adds Physical Keyboard Shortcuts for Devs
- Top 10: New Features in Android N
- Google Confirms Launcher Shortcuts Will Skip Android N
- Google’s Own Android N Screenshots Imply It’s Version 7.0
- Seamless Updates To Skip Current Nexus Devices
- ‘Daydream’ Renamed to ‘Screen Saver’ in Android N Dev Preview 3
- No Dark Mode or Night Mode for Final Android N Release?
- Android N to Make Opening Cloud Storage Files Easier
Android Wear
- Google Announces Android Wear 2.0, Coming Fall 2016
- Android Wear 2.0 Preview Available for Select Watches
- Google Issues Material Design Guidelines For Wearables
- Android Wear 2.0 Will Get Better Fitness Features
- Android Wear 2.0 Will Install Apps Directly from Play Store
- Here’s What’s New In Android Wear 2.0, Coming This Fall
Daydream/VR
- Google’s Virtual Reality Platform For Android Is Daydream
- Daydream VR Devices Are Coming From HTC, Samsung & More
- Google Announces VR Certification, Nexus 6P is Eligible
- Google Made a New VR Motion Controller for Daydream
- CNN Confirms Commitment To Provide Google Daydream Content
- Google’s Daydream VR Introduces IMAX Movies To Phones
- Google Hits 50 Million Downloads of Cardboard VR Apps
- UK VR Studio nDreams To Make 2 Apps For Daydream
- Huawei To Launch Daydream-based VR Devices Soon
- MediaTek's Next-Gen SoCs To Support Google's Daydream
- Google’s VR Expeditions Send One Million Students on Trips
- Google’s Daydream Labs Explores Typing On Virtual Drums
- The Daydream Controller is Mandatory for VR on Android N
- Google Will Launch Their Own Daydream VR Headset
- IMAX & Yi Technology Will Help Google With VR Camera Rigs
- Google To Focus On VR App Quality & Performance For Daydream
- Unreal Engine 4 And Unity To Power Gaming On Daydream
- Google’s Daydream VR Platform Possibly Launching In November
- PowerVR GPU to Deliver Better VR Performance on Mobile
- ‘Pearl’ Is Google’s Latest Spotlight Story On YouTube
Android Pay
- Android Pay Gains Support For Both ATMs And Mobile Web
- Android Pay Finally, Officially Launches in the UK
- Google’s New Android Pay APIs Make For Simpler Integration
Android TV
- Google Details How Android N Will Improve Android TV
- NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV To Gain HDR Netflix/GameStream & VUDU
- Google Confirms More Android TV Apps & Hardware Options Coming
- Android TV: Xiaomi Mi Box Announced & Coming To The U.S.
- Hands-On: The Xiaomi Mi Box, The Latest Android TV Arrival
- Video Hands-On: Xiaomi Mi Box Android TV Demo With Hugo Barra
Android Auto
- Google Is Releasing a Standalone Android Auto App
- Android Auto To Include Waze Soon
- Google Reveals Plans About The Future Of Android In Cars
- Qualcomm And Google Form Android Auto Partnership
- Android Auto Gains “OK Google” & Wireless Connectivity
- Hyundai to Debut Android Auto app at Google I/O 2016
- ‘Android In-Car Concept’ Shown Off at Google I/O 2016
Developer
- Google Announces Expansions & Improvements To Firebase
- Google Revamps Its IDE With Android Studio 2.2 Preview Launch
- Google Announces Coursework API For Education
- TPU That Powers Search Going Into Google Cloud Platform
- Google’s Custom TPUs Push AI 7 Years Into The Future
- Google Shows Glorious Need for Speed Demo Using Vulkan
Google Play
- Google Play Store & Android Apps heading to Chrome OS
- Google Play Early Access Simplifies Finding Beta Apps
- Zendesk & Google Play Integrate Using ‘Reply to Reviews’ API
- Google Play Services 9.0 Brings Player Stats API & Much More
- Google Play Served 65 Billion Downloads in 2015 Alone
- Google To Introduce The Play Store To Chromebooks This Fall
- With The Play Store Android Becomes Part Of Chrome OS
- Not All Chromebooks are Getting Android Apps, Here’s the List
- Adobe “Excited” About Android Apps Heading to Chrome OS
- Google Holds 1st Ever Google Play Awards For Apps & Games
Self-Driving Cars
Project Loon
Chromecast
A.I.
- Pichai’s Vision Of A Helpful, Predictive A.I.
- Google I/O: No Need To Worry About Super-Smart Machines, Yet
Project Soli
Project Jacquard
Project Tango
Project Ara
Chromebooks
