Google I/O 2022 Developer Conference

If September and October of each year are the peak period for the release of technology products, then May and June of each year are the time for developers, programmers and technicians to enjoy a feast of gluttony. The more famous developer conferences are Google I/O conference, Microsoft Bulid conference, Apple WWDC conference.

This Google I/O conference mainly focuses on cutting-edge information in the field of technology and Google's latest products and development tools. Covers: Android, Google Cloud, Firebase, Flutter, AI and Machine Learning, Web Platform, Chrome OS, Google Home, Google Play, AR Core, and Car Talk

Below, we'll share with you the highlights of Google I/O 2022.

1. After three years, back to the offline Google I/O conference

"It's a great feeling to be back at the Shoreline Amphitheatre to start this conference after three years," said Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Looking back on the innovation and creativity that Google has brought to life with technology over the past year, it said, "By deepening our understanding of information so that we can turn it into knowledge; and advancing the state of computing, so no matter where you are, knowledge easier to obtain.”

In terms of products and technologies, Google brings the latest updates and improvements, such as:

• On Google Translate, Google has added 24 new language support, and it also uses machine learning to make this feature smarter.
• Google Maps gets a new immersive viewing experience. Using computer vision and neural network technology, Google enables large-scale detection of buildings from satellite imagery. At the same time, based on 3D mapping and machine learning technology, Google brings an immersive view experience to the map, and you can experience different places through the map as if you were there, and even enter the restaurant interior. In addition, Google Maps has also launched environmentally friendly routes, showing users the most fuel-efficient routes.
• YouTube videos can automatically generate chapters and transcriptions. Through DeepMind's multimodal technology, YouTube videos automatically generate chapters with greater accuracy. A speech recognition model can also be used to transcribe videos, which is a great assist feature.
• Google Docs introduces automatic summarization. The landing of this function also marks a big leap in natural language processing. Using machine learning models, Google Docs can automatically parse words and extract key points in seconds.
• Google Meet also brings transcription and summarization capabilities, as well as an update to Project Starline. In fact, at last year's I/O conference, Google debuted Project Starline, a technology project that combines advances in hardware and software to bring together friends, family, and colleagues who are separated from each other. Starline inspired machine learning-driven image processing to automatically improve image quality in Google Meet.

2. Redefine Google Search

After a brief sharing by Sundar Pichai, Google SVP Prabhakar Raghavan shared the search improvements.
In the browser market, there is no doubt that Google's Chrome occupies an important position in the world, and the search engine behind it is even better, ranking first with a share of 92.07%. However, in recent years, the Google search engine has also been criticized for biased search results and inaccurate content.

At this year's Google I/O conference, Google presented its vision of "Search reimagined. Any way and anywhere".

To this end, Google launched the Multisearch function last month, that is, when you encounter something you don’t know at all or can’t describe in your daily life, through the Multisearch function, you can directly take pictures and ask questions in Google Apps search in . At this conference, Google updated this feature to bring a feature called "Multisearch Near Me", such as when taking pictures of parts needed for home repairs, Google can directly recommend the local area that has the part enterprise. This feature will be available in English later this year, and will expand to more languages over time.

In addition, Google has also launched a "scene exploration" feature, which is also a feature update equivalent to Google Lens. It will allow users to use the phone camera function to scan the supermarket's goods directly, and then find the products they want. In simple terms, it is similar to using the "Ctrl+F" shortcut in the Google search engine to quickly find what you want. This feature will be officially rolled out later this year.

3. The revolution of the intelligent assistant, no need to say Hey Google

"You can interact with smart devices just by moving your eyes without further ado?" Scenes that were once only seen in sci-fi films are now becoming a reality.
Today, Google introduced a new wake-up mode for the Nest Hub Max (smart speaker), instead of saying "Hey Google" to trigger the Assistant, just stare at the device and when the device's camera recognizes you, You can directly state your needs. It is reported that six machine learning models are used on the device to process more than 100 signals to detect whether the user is looking at the camera or just glancing.

In response to the above, many netizens may say that when they want the camera to recognize their gaze in time, it means that the camera is always in the monitoring state. Compared with the intelligent voice assistant who has been listening to the user's speech, this kind of camera monitoring is more terrible. In this regard, Google said that these facial recognition data will not be sent to the cloud, and all processing is completely done locally.
The Nest Hub Max also extends the Quick Phrases feature, allowing users to respond to common situations with short voice commands, while skipping repeating the Hey Google wake word all the time.
Going forward, Google says, "Assistant will be able to better understand the flaws of human language without getting in the way -- including when it encounters pauses -- making your interactions feel closer to natural conversations."

4. Android 13 Beta 2 is coming

At this conference, Google released the Android 13 Beta 2 version, and as usual, the official version will be released in August and September. To this end, Google proposed three major visions:

• Let you do more with your phone
• Expanding from phones to watches, tablets, and more
• Keep all your devices better connected
  
  In terms of functionality, Android 13 expands the Material You design style, allowing you to set color themes for app icons, while extending the color theming of app icons beyond Google apps, enhancing customizability.

4.1 Privacy and Security Improvements

"Security is an important pillar of Android," says Google. In terms of privacy and security, Google will improve RCS (converged communications) support for Google Messages, which has now tested end-to-end encryption for group chats. Based on this, Google hopes that the RCS standard can become the successor of the SMS and MMS protocols.

Additionally, Android 13 places more restrictions on the personal data and phone features that apps can use by default, including requiring apps to ask for permission before sending notifications, automatically erasing clipboard history, and including a new security and privacy page that lets you see at a glance how secure your phone is. Android 13 now includes a new photo picker that shows two new categories that you can control access to: "Photos & Videos" and "Music & Audio" instead of "Files & Media." It's also more focused, rather than providing direct access to the entire media library.

4.2 Google Wallet

To compete with the likes of Apple Wallet and Samsung Pay, Google has now launched Google Wallet, which can be used directly as a driver's license, bank card, boarding pass, and tickets. It will also be available to WearOS users.

At present, Google has opened the beta program of Android 13 to many OEMs such as OnePlus, Realme, Oppo, Nokia, and Xiaomi.

4.3 More suitable for tablet

Google mentioned in the release of the first developer preview that it has been working to make Android 13 more tablet-friendly by enhancing users' multitasking capabilities.
At the conference, Google showed off a new taskbar, multitasking, drag-and-drop of apps, and more. Meanwhile, Google says, "Big screen, big change. We're optimizing the Android experience for larger tablet screens. Over 20 Google apps will be getting a makeover to make them easier to use and easier to navigate."

4.4 Getting everything connected together

Google is working with hardware partners from all different industries to make its services like music, movies, and photos accessible on more devices. It also launched the Fast Pair service, which makes it easy to pair all the different devices.
Google is also launching Matter, its smart home platform, this fall, eliminating many of the silos in which smart home platforms operate independently.

5. The most humane AI - LaMDA 2

Also a year ago, Google launched LaMDA, a language model for conversational applications. At this year's I/O 2022, Sundar Pichai announced the arrival of LaMDA 2, calling it "the most conversational AI to date."

6. Google hardware products

On the hardware side, Google has launched new phones with Android 13, as well as headsets and other devices, and even previewed the next-generation Pixel 7 series of phones for the first time.

6.1 Pixel 6A

The so-called upgrade does not increase the price. First of all, in terms of price, the newly launched Pixel 6A retains the price of the 5A, which is also $449.

In terms of design, the Pixel 6A uses a 6.1-inch OLED 1080p display with a 60 Hz refresh rate, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle and a main camera, with a fingerprint sensor located below the screen. The rear of the phone uses a raised camera and a two-tone body.
Google's custom Tensor chip powers the Pixel 6A with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and it also supports 5G. Google promises to provide it with three years of Android software updates and five years of security updates.
The Pixel 6A will be available on July 28 this year.

6.2 Pixel Buds Pro

Pixel Buds Pro's new wireless earbuds feature active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and longer battery life. They're also sweat and water resistant, and feature multipoint connectivity to connect and switch between multiple Bluetooth devices at the same time.
The Buds Pro will be available on July 21st for $199 and start shipping on July 28th.

7. Other things worth paying attention to

In addition to the above highlights, Google has brought some noteworthy technical updates:

• Open source Monk Skin Tone Scale ( https://skintone.google/ ). To build a more inclusive experience, Dr. Ellis Monk, now at Harvard, is working with Google to take accurate photos of people with darker skin. It uses the Monk Skin Tone Scale, where people of different skin tones are offered different makeup or filters.
• ARCore Geosspatial API is available on Android and iOS platforms. Developers can use APIs to make more useful applications and provide an easy way to interact with both the digital and physical worlds.

• For Android developers looking to optimize their apps and try them out, Google recommends upgrading to the latest Jetpack library, downloading the Android Studio preview, and trying the Jetpack Compose 1.2 Beta.

Video address: https://live.csdn.net/room/jILRvRTrc/Fi25agR6