Google I/O 2015
Google I/O 2015's keynote was come and gone. Here is a summary of what was announced.
Android M was previewed. And per usual, they teased major power saving capabilities. Fingerprint authentication is supported. Application permissions is now refined more like iOS. Google Now on Tap was announced which will provide better search results based on the context of what is currently the screen. This is going to be as useful as Google Now; I have no doubt about that.
Android Pay seems to be Google's answer to the failed success of Google Wallet. As with previous attempts (namely Google TV), Google expects renaming the service will improve the numbers. With Apple Pay and Android Pay, how can anyone be confused... It's certainly an easy shot for Apple to take at WWDC next month.
Google Maps now has increased offline capability including directions (which is huge in my opinion). Sadly the release date of this is unknown.
Google introduced a framework for the Internet of Things. It's definitely a good thing to have a powerhouse like Google to come up with a standard to push the IoTs further along.
Google introduced Expeditions using virtual reality and developed using the properly named Cardboard SDK (now works with iOS). Go anywhere in the classroom, basically a virtual field-trip. How will the media used in the Expeditions be captured? Well, with something like this rig with 16 GoPros:
Where will you be able to find videos to watch on your Cardboard VR? A little thing called YouTube.
Onto more news, Google Photos is finally a separate stand-alone product and best news of all, FREE UNLIMITED PHOTOS AND VIDEO storage. The application itself looks slightly like iOS' iPhoto but is capable of so much more. Auto-Awesome has been extended to videos and can be done manually. There are more edit options. The most impressive feature is the search feature; it can be done by faces, places, and things. With the unlimited storage, features like stories, auto-awesome, collections, and easy sharing methods (just share a link which may contain multiple pictures), Google Photos is a service that will be hard to beat.
On a disappointing note, continuity between devices was not discussed at all... When will I get what was announced last year?! I just want to natively text from my Chromebook!