If you missed the Google I / O 2021 Developer Conference, you can watch it again in the video we’ve included below, and if you want to know what’s important in a summary way, you can continue reading this article.
While we haven’t heard from devices like the Pixel 6, Pixel Watch, Pixel Buds A, and Pixel 5a, there was a lot of news in terms of Software, with Android 12 and an announced new Wear operating system, among others. With 3 billion active Android devices worldwide, these developments will affect many.
Android 12
Of course, the biggest announcement of the evening was the new Android 12 operating system. Specifically, the Beta 1 version of the mobile operating system. Something called “Material You” will allow you to customize the interface to your personal style and taste, with apps that adapt perfectly to the user.
For example, you can set a photo as wallpaper and Android 12 will be redesigned based on the colors of the image. Everything works more dynamically with the lock screen lighting up from below if you slide it or from the power button if you use it. The clock will get big if you don’t have notifications.
Google calls this the biggest design change since 2014 – when 5.0 Lollipop came out – with the firm rethinking the entire experience “from colors to shapes, to light and to movement”. It really looks like a whole new interface.
In addition to a major makeover to the look, Google says there’s more transparency in Android 12 about which apps are using your data, as well as more controls that give you better options on what’s going on.
Google explains that “Android 12 is all about creating a personalized experience that suits you.” It will arrive with the Pixels from this fall / winter.
Wear OS
Google also announced a new look for Wear OS, its operating system designed for the smart watches, claiming this is the biggest Wear OS update ever.
This means longer battery life, improved performance (loading apps 30% faster) and updated apps, plus a new way to navigate that includes new tiles and the ability to swipe between applications.
There is also a “world-class health and fitness service” through Fitbit and the Google-owned company appears to be moving to Wear OS, as Fitbit co-founder James Park said: “At the future we will build smart watches premium Based on wear. “
Leaving aside the change of interface, the firm says that “at Google, we are motivated by the positive impact of technology. portable in people’s lives and we are excited to share our new unified platform with Samsung. “
This is particularly interesting because smart watches Samsungs, like the Galaxy Watch 3, use their own Tizen operating system. Now Google has announced that it is combining the two operating systems to provide a better experience.
Android ecosystem
Google is also making progress in working with its devices with a number of features, starting with quick pairing so you can connect to Bluetooth devices with less hassle.
You can also use your phone as a remote control for Android TV devices and unlock your car (compatible) with your phone.
There’s also the recently launched Phone Hub on Chromebooks, which lets you perform various tasks on your phone from your laptop or other Chrome OS device from a control center, such as answering calls. text messages or check the battery level.
confidentiality
In an increasingly connected world, Google is increasingly interested in privacy. In Android 12, for example, the new quick settings will let you lock the camera or microphone on all apps, whether you’ve already granted access or not.
A new password manager is a great first for Google users. It will “automatically create, remember, save and populate passwords on the web” with the ability to change a password through the Google Assistant.
Also new are Locked Folders in Google Photos for snapshots you don’t want others to find, either because they contain sensitive information or because you don’t want to spoil a surprise.
Quick Delete is another new option that will delete the last 15 minutes of your search history with just one click from the Google Account menu.
The heart of Google and AI
“Don’t rest on your laurels” is a motto that Google should have put well on a wall in its offices, since the heart of Google’s search engine is never a finished product. At I / O, the company announced updates for Research, Objective, AR, Maps, and Purchases.
One of the biggest novelties is MUM (Multitask Unified Mode) which, according to Google, is 1000 times more powerful than BERT and can process increasingly complex information. The company says this is an important step for machine learning.
For its part, About This Result provides useful information about a website before you visit it so that you can decide if the source is trustworthy and trustworthy.
Lens improves with an updated translation filter, and Maps offers more useful features, such as new route options, more detailed street maps, area businesses, custom highlights, and improvements. live view.
On the other hand, Google Canvas is a new collaboration tool as an evolution of Google Workspace. The company is rolling out updates throughout 2021 to allow colleagues to stay connected and work together, regardless of their location.
New features include building blocks like smart tabs, templates, checklists, as well as pageless formatting in Docs and emoji reactions. Google also claims it is bringing Meet closer to Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
On the geekier end of the spectrum, a new quantum AI campus has been unveiled to tackle global issues like sustainable energy.
LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) is a “next-generation multiturn dialogue system” that enables natural conversation with AI. In the Google examples, you could converse with Pluto or even a paper airplane.
Because? Well, Google says that “we think it could unlock more natural ways of interacting with technology and entirely new categories of useful applications.”
To make matters worse, Google’s Project Starline is a “magic window” for 3D telepresence and could be the future of video calling.
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