In case you missed it, Google revealed several updates at this morning's keynote [1] during its annual I/O Developer conference. From a new photo app to an updated operating system, Google's improvements will help users in their everyday lives. The company also made smaller announcements that are just as exciting: HBO Now will soon be coming to Google Play and Chromecast [2] and that Inbox by Gmail [3], an email organizer app, is now available to everyone [4].
Read ahead to see what's in store for Google this year — there's plenty to be excited about.
Game-Changing Photos App
Probably the biggest announcement at the conference, Google Photos is every person's dream [5]. Available to download today, you can back up unlimited photos for free on the app [6], plus organize, search, and edit.
New Operating System
Android Lollipop is gone — enter Android M. The newest Android release out in the Fall comes fully equipped with Android Pay, a fingerprint reader, and many more cool features [7].
Smarter Personal Assistant
Move over, Siri. Google's newest feature, Now on Tap, [8] will help you conquer your day more easily. It'll help you set reminders, look up information, and make restaurant reservations all without leaving the current app you're using.
Updates to Android Wear Watches
With several different watches available, Android Wear has four new updates [9]. It now has "always on" apps that will stay on the screen, will understand different wrist gestures and flicks, will recognize emoji you draw on the watch, and includes launcher, which gives a user faster access to apps with just one tap.
Family-Friendly Searching
It's a parent's constant struggle to ensure devices and apps remain family friendly, which is why Google will soon release a new Family button on Google Play [10]. It'll show PG content and also includes a new label that lets a parent know age ranges and ratings. Google Play will also let you search for content that centers around characters like Elmo, Spongebob, and others.
New Way to Connect Your Home
As more people adopt technology and devices to create a smart home, it's only gotten more complicated to connect them all. Enter Brillo, Google's operating system to control these devices. Along with it comes Weave [11], a communications protocol that helps different devices communicate.
Virtual Reality + GoPro
Last year, Google released Cardboard [12], the company's take on virtual reality. This year, the hardware got an update [13], with an improved viewer that'll support bigger phones. But, Cardboard is going even further by launching with Google Expeditions [14], an education initiative that lets teachers take their students anywhere with Cardboard. And that's not all; Google created a Jump camera [15] that will record virtual-ready video, which will soon be available to watch on YouTube. Lastly, Google teamed up with GoPro to create a virtual-reality-ready video camera.