Google I/O 2021 - Major Announcements
Google I/O major take aways
Going into this event, this was the most understated tech keynote event recently. Major leaks about this started just 2-3 days back. And the production value of the event reflected the reason why. It was the most unadorned tech production in a long time! Forget about competing with Microsoft and Samsung. Even OnePlus creates better keynote presentations than Google did.
In terms of content, there was nothing that majorly stood out. The one thing I am most excited about is Multitask Unified Model (MUM) from Google search. It could have a GPT 3 like impact on search.
The event starts with Google and it's Covid relief initiatives.
Google maps
150k of Bike maps added
Eco-friendly routes
Adding an option of safer routing (to minimise jerky breaks etc).
Google Classroom
150 million users
Chromebooks are #1 K-12 education devices
Richer collaboration in Google workspace! This is exciting, they were already at the bleeding edge of this.
Basically bringing Google meet into Google Slides, Doc and sheets.
Companion mode in Google meet - To allow people in office to have their own chat ability in google meet, without having multiple video streams.
Improved ML for noise cancellation and background light adjustment.
Google Search
Translate
Breakthrough in NLP - LaMDA. Language framework for conversations. Still in RnD. Basically ,how do you start about talking from weather to going to sports naturally. Goal is to make conversations more natural.
Infrastructure
New TPU- v4. 2x speed of v3.
Improvements in Quantum computer. Personally, their explanation was more creepy than funny, but to each their own.
Privacy
Auto-delete info by default. delete in 18 months
A quick option to generate Delete last 15 mins history
Google is testing a new Search algorithm using Multitask Unified Model. Potentially 1000x more powerful than BERT.
The model seems to have some Generative behavior in it
It seems it's more end to end than the current model, allowing multi-language and multi-modal inputs. Will have to double check.
An example of the new architecture - For a google search for a hike on Mt Fuji, the engine will search all available text across all languages, images, videos and "generate" the best answer for you. Will have to confirm my understanding with their research papers when released.
Google's password manager.
Import
Deeper integration in chrome, android
Compromised warning.
Quick fix feature - This is incredibly cool. It takes you to "change password" pages on websites where your password is compromised and helps you reset your password with an aided process.
Personal comment - My basic premise for adopting password managers is that they need to easily export of passwords for ease in switching the software later. If Google's password manager allows that, I'll give it a shot, just to test the quick fix feature.
Google Maps
Indoor AR
Adding crosswalks to street maps
More contextual/personalised maps (highlight breakfast places in the morning, dinner spots at night).
Google Shopping
Shopping graph (similar to knowledge graph)
Making YouTube shoppable. How many startups did Google just killed?
Continuing their free for merchants to list approach, which they started in the Pandemic.
Integrating with Shopify! Wow! This means with a few buttons, your product will appear for purchase across Search, Maps, YouTube, Google Assistant.
Google photos
Apparently, most photos in Google photos are never viewed.
Little patterns. Showcase your past moments. This is cute. AI will create stories and memories of your life and find new automated patterns.
Cinematic Pictures - Take near-duplicate images and interpolate the frames. Examples looked great.
Added a feature to hide photos from memories! This is really important imo, because people have tragic movements they don't want to re-discover.
Android 12 -
Update - 3 Billion active Android devices now.
Core principle - Instead of form following function, make form follow feeling.
Two main UI changes -
Custom color theme inside Every app! This is a HUGE change in how you think about UI.
Especially in Pixel, color theme inside every app will change based on automated color extraction from your wallpaper! Pixel will do clustering on the image pixels of the background to find the dominant color and find the closest match to the Material design color.
My worry is if it's just Pixel exclusive, no developer will care. Curious how much of this is baked into Android 12 v/s what's Pixel specific.
More responsive across themes.
Good improvements in Privacy.
Privacy Dashboard looks pretty useful! It gives you a timeline of apps that requested access.
During Camera and Microphone access, it will explicitly appear on top of your phone. And there will be a universal place for you to block camera/microwave access irrespective of individual app permission.
Better connection between android devices.
Can control Android TV directly from your Android 12 phone
AndroidAuto Wireless. Will launch Digital Keycard based on NFC and Ultra-Wideband. Can also remotely share it with a friend.
SmartWatch
Google worked with Samsung and combined WearOS and Tizen!
For Samsung, all future Gear watches will use WearOS and not Tizen. Does this mean all owners of current watches can say any chances of future OS updates goodbye? Would be regretting not buying an Apple Watch imo.
Very early preview of a few things like double tap to move between recent apps, low power consumption core, and more focus on health with Fitbit integration, but I would expect a lot more to come.
Google will be creating it's smartwatch with Fitbit, but no details. Hopefully some interesting wearables in October.
Health (R&D)
Google's been using AI for image processing (for ages!) for many health disease recognition. Launched some similar experiments and tests with Mammography.
Sustainability
Google is investing in Geothermal energy to power their plants with 100% renewable energy by 2030.
They ended with an INCREDIBlLE demo of Project Starline. It's a 3D holographic video conferencing software that makes it feels like the other person is in the same room!!! It was really cool! Many complex technologies like Creating a 3D model with multi-camera rigs, compression of this data stream for real-time streaming, light-field displays all come together for this. If the demo videos were representative of actual experience and not clever camera trickery, this would be amazing. No production date, still a research project.
Some notable disappointments -
Google meet. That platform needed more improvements.
Gmail didn't even get a mention.
Google has been pushing it's own chat/integrated work solution over Slack. The fact that it wasn't mentioned increases the probability of it landing in the Google Graveyard?
No updates from Waymo. Not sure if that's because it's an independent company now or just because they have nothing to share.
The video production in the event - The transitions were all nice and cute, but expected much better. There is serious wind in their audio recordings! The setup was terrible. I find 0 value in doing it live if everyone is going to stream the event. Just pre-record it and do it better.