How Do You Know Android? (Google I/O 2013)

The reason I'm typing this article into Word rather than directly into my site is that the storm, which my Android has been loyally warning me about all day, is making the internet connection chancy. I tried to get a picture of lightning (one of my life goals; it's a lot harder than the sun rays life goal) before clouds closed in and blurred the bolts, but I was on the wrong side of the car.

But this magnificent thunderstorm is not what I wanted to talk about; Google I/O was last week. That’s Google’s annual “Don’t Forget We’re Awesome” conference. I can't seem to confirm this, but my information says I/O is not officially the abbreviation of anything. Google lets us guess whether they mean the technical Input/Output or the old school 1 = On and 0 = Off… I’ve also heard it’s the more imaginative Innovation in the Open. Whatever it might be, this year’s logo was pretty neat:

So what happened at I/O this year?

Google Glass was announced at last year’s I/O, so this was the first time attendees (many, apparently) had the actual device. However, just four little sessions (including one called “Voiding Your Warranty: Hacking Glass” – how can you not love Android?) were dedicated to Glass. But Glass was the undercurrent, whatever else was going on; it wasn’t the focus very often, but how does this fit with Glass? was the question of the hour. It looks like a big part of Google’s plan of attack, in this phase of Glass, is stepping back and letting developers play, learn, and create. Interesting. It means no one is really refuting the Glass is creepy accusations, but it also means developers are going crazy taking advantage of the potential that’s always there with a next big thing. I’m looking forward to following the evolution.

Developers (app designers) were the emphasis this year, but there were some fun new things for the average user… we’ll get to that. For developers, changes include APIs (Application Programming Interface) for creating location-specific apps, as well as new tools for sales and marketing in the Play Store. There was also a lot of discussion about geographically expanding Android’s influence. Big advances in location tracking – increasing precision and decreasing power drain – are another leg-up for developers. An overhaul of last year’s Google Play Developer Console brought a new interface and improved optimization tools, wrapping up the developer-specific highlights.

One topic of interest for users as well as for developers is the new Google Play Game Services. There's even a logo. A lot of changes came along with this release, not the least of which is cloud syncing of progress and rankings, across platforms and devices. Leaderboards now summarize achievements by user, so bragging is much easier. Developers got great new multiplayer interfaces. I’m not a gamer, but I’m still intrigued by the changes coming in the gaming world.  I think the face of gaming is transforming, becoming something similar to an alternate reality, like Google’s own Ingress. Something to watch.

Now on to fun stuff for the typical user. First, some big news that didn’t even hit the rumor mills before the conference: Google has teamed up with Samsung to bring a stripped-down, pure Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S IV to AT&T and T-Mobile on June 26, making the device Nexus-esque (that’s hard to say aloud – try).

Google Maps has been overhauled, and I am impressed (so impressed that I didn’t use the contraction I’m). Remember before the conference, when Google Maps was so much better than anything else out there? The gap has been widened. One of the biggest updates is 3D imagery, some of which is compilations of user-uploaded photos, giving you a quasi-tour of the inside of buildings. Google is encouraging users to upload photospheres, but regular photos are also incorporated into the collage, which is apparently not entirely user-generated. Also, on top of setting your home location on the map, you can set personal landmarks, giving better frames of reference when you’re floating around the map or getting directions. Next, Google’s recommendations are getting a lot more useful. I’ve heard this upgraded recommendation system compared with Pandora’s advanced system. In addition to giving you the travel time for your directions, Maps now suggests speedier public transit alternatives, as well as providing full public transit schedules. Filters allow you to view only businesses your Google+ friends patronize, and tapping a business on the map now results in a lot more information, such as Zagat reviews, related roads, and closest intersections. Uploading public photos for a location has also become a lot easier. A small, but much-needed change is the subtlety of those red pins; they no longer make it hard to tap on what you’re aiming for. Alerts warn of real-time traffic issues and suggest alternate routes, and lastly, real-time cloud movements are now visible. Pretty sweet. Some of these features are only found on the (currently invite-only) new desktop version, but I’ve played around with the app and found a lot of these changes there as well.

Hangouts is officially replacing Talk, with the Talk feature making up only a small piece of what the new app does. It’s a summary, unifying your communications between phone and computer. Chats, voice, or video calls (support for 10 friends), options for sending pictures, tons of emoji, notice of who’s seen your message as well as who’s typing, messaging support even for friends not currently on, video and call history, saved photos previously sent, snooze options, one notification across all devices, and a whole lot more make this a really interesting update.  And of course it’s a beautiful UI. SMS isn’t in this release, but the app’s permissions already include SMS and MMS reading and sending, so we can expect that update very soon. On a similar note, Google+ got a new columns look, with cards that flip, giving more information, when you mouseover. There’s also a new automatic photo optimizer, providing subtle edits to improve photos you upload, and allowing you to upload multiple pictures of the same thing, letting Google+ choose the best to display.

My last big news from I/O is …... *drum roll*……  Google Play Music’s very own music subscription service, much like Spotify. Play Music All Access includes Google’s entire library and options to save to your personal collection, for $9.99/month. Buy before June 30 to get a special $7.99/month price. Or just try the free 30-day trial and see if you find you can’t live without it.

If you’re interested in watching some of the I/O sessions for yourself, or just finding more information about them, visit the sessions schedule or even download the companion Android app from the Play Store.

If you had high hopes for an announcement that didn’t come to fruition, don’t be too distraught: Google releases and announces all throughout the year, not just at I/O – it’ll come.