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Here Are 10 Biggest Announcements From Google IO 2018

Google I O 2018

Google wrapped up its I/O keynote with a lot feature packed announcements, which include Android P, Google Assistant, Google Lens, Google Duplex, Gmail and so on. So, here are 10 biggest announcements from Google IO 2018 that are worth noting.

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ANDROID P

Google gave a huge preview of the new features coming to Android P. This update comes with pretty significant changes to the operating system. Some of the new features include iPhone X like gestures and Dashboard (shows how much time you’re spending on your phone time spent in apps, how many times you’ve unlocked your phone, and how many notifications you’ve received).

Android P

Furthermore, Android P will introduce a new predictive app system called Actions and Slices, which merely suggest the software you would like to use next — with specific features and information you want to access.

ALSO READ: Google Announces Android P; Features Notch Support, Multi-Camera API & More!

Android P will also have Adaptive Battery, which takes note of user behavior to cunningly switch off apps when it predicts you’ll need them least, apparently resulting in a 30 percent reduction in CPU app wake-ups, which should save you some juice.

GOOGLE ASSISTANT VOICES

Google is bringing six new voices are coming to the Google Assistant, including that of singer John Legend. These voices are created through WaveNet, which helped the company to not only record John Legend’s voice but also incorporate it into the assistant voice repertoire to work for any query.

Google Assistant

Users will get to pick from six additional, natural sounding voice in addition to the original one you’re probably using. The new voices will be included in the phone and home speaker later this year.

ALSO READ: Google Made A Fun AI Powered Emoji Scavenger Hunt; Play Your Phone!

SMART DISPLAYS WITH GOOGLE ASSISTANT

Smart Displays

Google is all set to debut its Smart Display partnering with the manufacturers like JBL, Lenovo and so on. This is clear competition to Amazon’s Echo Show. Google announced that the first Smart Displays with Assistant built in will begin shipping in July.

ALSO READ: Amazon Echo Show Loses Its Access To YouTube!

GOOGLE DUPLEX

This something that exicte me and scares me at the same time. So, with this feature Google Assistant will make phone calls on your behalf. Yes, you heard it right. When CEO Sundar Pichai played a recording of Google Assistant calling a hair salon and making an appointment in a conversation the person on the other end had no idea they were talking to a digital AI helper.

Google

Duplex really feels like next-level AI stuff, but according to the chief executive, it is still very much under development. Google is planning to conduct early testing of Duplex inside Assistant this summer.

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GMAIL CAN WRITE EMAIL FOR YOU BY ITSELF

Google is expanding on its helpful Smart Reply feature with Smart Compose. This new feature will suggest complete sentences within the body of an email as you are writing. It operates in the background and auto-completes the sentences as you’re typing.

Gmail

According to Google, it not only will helping saving time but will also help reduce the chance of you sending off something with a grammar or spelling error. Smart Compose is coming to the new Gmail for consumers first over the next few weeks; G Suite users will have to wait a few months.

ALSO READ: 5 Things Google Home Can Do Amazon Echo Can’t!

GOOGLE MAPS IS GETTING AUGMENTED REALITY FEATURES

We can’t deny the fact that Google Maps is getting into a full-scale social experience, pretty much like Yelp and FourSquare. And the addition of Augmented reality has enhanced its level.

Google Maps

Well, Google is combining the existing Street View and Maps data with a live feed from your phone’s camera to overlay walking directions on top of the real world and help you figure out your way to go, of course without needing to wear an AR headset.

Google Maps 1

In addition to that, induction of a new “For You” tab lets you follow specific neighborhoods to see new restaurants and business that are trending among other users. Moreover, you can even coordinate with your friends in real time in choosing a place to eat at.

ALSO READ: You Can Set Amazon Alexa As Your Default Voice Assistant On Android!

GOOGLE PHOTOS GETS SMARTER

Google Photos is gaining varied new editing features like the ability to separate subjects from the background in photos and pop the color or turn the background black and white. If you have an old photo (black and white) – well, Google Photos can also colorize that.

Google Photos

In addition to that, when you’re just swiping through your gallery Photos will analyze your pics and make recommendations for quick fixes. Well, do note, all these new features are purely based on AI.

ALSO READ: Do You Own Your Photos, Posts On Facebook, Twitter, And Instagram?

GOOGLE NEWS – NEW DESIGN AND AI

Google News gets a refreshing new look with its editorial focus is now powered largely by AI. The new Google News experience begins with a “For You” section that has a briefing of five top stories Google has pulled for you, in other words, personalized news.

You can also switch over to Headlines to see top stories from around the world. There is a new visual format called newscasts, which uses natural language understanding to give you a collection of articles, videos, and quotes on a single topic. News will also deliver “a range of perspectives” to bring you a little bit outside your bubble.

GOOGLE LENS – COPY TEXT FROM REAL WORLD

Google Lens combines the company’s advanced computer vision and natural language processing with the power of Google Search. Google Lens can see, understand and augment the real world. So, when you point your phone’s camera at text in the real world – it can grab the text (written in the real world) and then paste it into a text field on your smartphone.

Furthermore, it will help you buy fashionable things. Google is announcing a new “Style Match” feature that will scan something the camera is pointed at and help you buy it from internet retailers. Although Lens still isn’t perfect at identifying precise items of clothing, but Google thinks it can get close enough.

ALSO READ: Amazon Echo Look Unveiled, Judges Your Outfits With Machine Learning!

AUGMENTED REALITY TO INSTANT APPS

Google announced that Instant Apps will soon support ARCore, allowing users to interact with augmented reality apps without having to download them. This experience will be closely integrated with search and soon user will be able to search for shoppable items and see a link to an Instant App that lets them place the product in front of them in augmented reality.

Tapcart, a Google Play Instant early partner allowing retailers who have a Tapcart-powered app may see their items show up on a Google search result, where shoppers can check out a product in AR for a closer look from various angles and can also purchase the item via Google Pay without going to the retailer’s site or downloading the app.


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