Google is not shy about promoting its latest developments and updates, and more announcements can be expected from today with the opening of Google I/O, the internet giant’s annual developer conference. The 2014 event was used as a platform from which to unveil Android TV as well as Android Auto and Android Lollipop, the newest version of the Android operating system. Google also used the 2014 event to unveil Android Wear.
What will the 2015 Google I/O conference have in store?
Google has been fond of the spectacular in the past. The skydiving stunt at the 2012 I/O event – in which the video production aspect of Google Glass was showcased – was a prime example of such spectaculars, but Google has rowed back on the theatrics somewhat and the 2015 event will focus heavily on what developers actually want to see and hear. At the same time, this is Google – a company intent on changing the world – so interested parties expect to see, amid talk about new services and software updates, some key announcements on breakthrough technologies.
Google has already hinted that it will use the 2015 I/O event to discuss Android M, the latest version of Android, but it remains to be seen what exactly will be up for discussion. It is rumoured that Android M will have an improved battery management feature, with the new software believed to be more efficient in how it uses RAM and location.
Google is also expected to unveil password-free ID authentication with platform-wide support, making it easier for manufacturers to incorporate fingerprint-sensor technology into their devices. Such an announcement would fit in nicely with the theme of one of the sessions being held at I/O, focusing on Android in the workplace.
The Internet of Things will not be overlooked either. Google acquired Nest Labs, maker of smart-home gadgets, in 2014 and could use the 2015 I/O event to showcase its IoT platform, rumoured to have been given the name Brillo. It is said to be compatible with Nest, though it is not a part of that particular Google business in a formal sense.
