Tech tutorials, howtos and walkthroughs

It’s official. Google I/O 2015, which has been set for two (2) days on Thursday May 28th 2015 and Friday May 29th 2015, should now be a date on your calendar. The conference, set to land at San Francisco’s Moscone Center has already begun accepting registration for the event since March 17 at 9 a.m. PT/5 p.m. GMT and lasted until March 19 at 5 p.m. PT/1 a.m. GMT.

google-io

At US$900, this is really for serious Developers of Apps and Chrome Web Apps as this year, Google is set to unveil a major push into the Internet of Things, Virtual Reality and even Self-driving Cars.

Google Android 5.0 Lollipop is set to take centerstage, despite the slow level of adoption of the new OS as pointer out in Android Lollipop on the fences as Kitkat munches away at Jellybean.

Still, it’s coming to the Samsung Galaxy Alpha on AT&T for Americans since Wednesday April 15th 2015. The Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge already has it and are set to “mash up Jamaica” according to Samsung Galaxy S6 and Edge at MWC 2015 coming to Mash up Jamaica.

Still, Aside from possible updates on the progress of Google Android 5.0 Lollipop to reassure restless Developers, what else can one expect from Google I/O. A whole galaxy of announcements!

Google Project Ara – Smartphone developement comes to the Caribbean 

For one, there will definately be more news on Project Ara.

Part of Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group aka Google X Labs, Project Ara launched in January 2015 in Puerto Rico as a pilot program to get Caribbean Nationals interested in designing smartphones. The aim is to develope a customizable budget smartphone made up of components that can be regarded as physical modular apps.

Google Android L and Google Chrome – Brother from another Mother ARC Welder

more on Geezam.com:  Samsung at CES 2022 – Customized Seamless Connectivity for a Better Planet

Google Android 5.0 Lollipop might be Growing Strong, Game of Thrones style, with an update to Google Android 5.5 or even 6.0 announced at Google I/O, just as Google Android 5.0, back then known as Android L, was announced.

Google Chrome may also be getting more support and deeper integration with Google Android. This is in light of the launch of the Google ARC (App Runtime for Chrome) Welder, App for Developer that was released on Thursday April 2nd, 2015 on Google Chrome Store.

ARC Welder makes it possible to port Android Apps to the Google Chrome Store and run on Windows, Linux and even Apple Macs within the Google Chrome browser.

Android Wear vs Apple Watch – More details expected on Tag Heuer and Intel partnership

Android Wear is expected to get a lot of press at Google I/O 2015, now that the Apple Watch fittings launched on April 10th 2015 has been sold out with analysts Cowen and Co. already declaring over 1 million devices pre-sold as Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster had predicted.

In fact, sales have been so good that Apple Watch pre-order may not ship until June 2015, indicating that Apple’s initial Stock of smartwatches may actually have been totally pre-ordered and may be more than the 1 million conservative analysts estimate.

This is more than all the 720,000 Google Android Wear smartwatches sold in 2014 and puts pressure on the Google Android Wear developers to really deliver promising Apps that will entice more persons to invest in a wearable.

It also prompted Google to partner with Tag Heuer and Intel to develope mechanical smartwatches that incorporate Google Android Wear as Google shift their strategy to target the Luxury Market like Apple. We’ll know how this works at Google I/O 2015 with more concrete details coming by December 2015!

more on Geezam.com:  Samsung’s The Frame 4K Exhibition of Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum Collection

Google Cardboard SDK and Google Android VR – Virtual Reality Trending by 2016

Don’t forget VR (Virtual Realty) as since MWC (Mobile World Conference) 2015 when HTC Vive VR Headset went live,  Developers have been given access to given access to Cardboard SDKs for Android and Unity during an announcement of updates to the VR Viewer technology in December 2014.

So expect more game content build by Android and Unity Developers and YouTube Content Developers, now that YouTube supports 360 Degree Panoramic Videos and Video Cameras. Especially as the Cardboard VR had now become a product, in the form of the US$30 Mattel View-master that launched February 13th 2015.

Even better, there may be the possibility of a version of Google Android made just for VR, possible called Google Android VR.  As that market is set to expand in 2016 now that Facebook’s Oculus Rift, Microsoft Hololens as well as the Sony Morpheus VR Headgear and the Samsung Gear VR as noted in my article Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition expands your Galaxy.

Android Auto and Android TV – Google I/O to resurrect the dead as Apple WWDC looms

Finally there may be news on Android Auto and updates for developers on work on their Self-Driving Cars as well as news on Android TV, which as far as I’m concerned died in January 2015.

Not excepting much here, but it would be exciting, considering that Apple’s WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) on Monday June 8th 2015 may be finally announcing an update to their Apple TV and more news on Apple iOS and its’ integration with the Apple Watch.

So Googlers, much to anticipate even as Apple is already forging ahead with a new product that’s already being declared a success and has plans to update their current line.

About the Author

Read more on Geezam.com