Google has been releasing the source code for its annual I/O app releases for quite a while now, and today marks that release for this year’s Google I/O 2017 app.
In this week’s top stories: Announcements from the Google I/O 2017 developer conference, hands-on with a new unreleased Pixel Launcher, Android O enter beta, Assistant and Google Home updates, and much more.
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As part of its Google I/O announcements this week, Google announced its latest new payments features today, including new targeted offers coming to Android Pay, a new Google API that will enable fast checkouts in apps and online, payments with Google Assistant, and more.
For Assistant, users will soon be able to send and receive money using only voice commands and a card linked to their Google account:
Google’s popular education-focused Expeditions program has allowed over two million students to immerse themselves in new environments and get a close look at monuments and other items of interest using the Cardboard VR headsets. Now the program is moving from virtual to augmented reality.
Following an announcement from GE earlier today, LG is the latest appliance manufacturer to announce integration with Google Home and Assistant for a new lineup of connected appliances. The company made the announcement during the opening day of the Google I/O 2017 developer conference.
It’s no secret that Android runs less than optimally on low-end hardware, and Google is attempting to tackle that problem with a new platform called Android Go. Go is a trimmed down version of Android built upon three keys ideas: OS, apps, and Play Store.
Update: The Google Assistant for iPhone is now available on the US App Store.
As previously rumored, Google today announced during its I/O developer conference that its Assistant platform is coming to iOS. The virtual assistant will arrive soon as a standalone app for iPhone, initially for users in the US. Previously the Siri competitor was only available through its Allo messaging app and for Android and Google Home devices.
With I/O 2017 three weeks away, Google is announcing some improvements to the format of its annual developer conference. In addition to larger venues for sessions, attendees will be able to reserve seating and take advantage of twice as many Office Hours.
For those who didn’t score I/O tickets yesterday, Google is offering one more way to attend the 2017 conference. By submitting an Android, web, or machine learning-related project, three developers will win free admission, while runner-ups will receive Pixel devices.
With drawings coming to a close yesterday evening, Google is beginning to inform applicants who were selected for an I/O 2017 ticket. Emails were sent at around 6AM PST with both general and academic admissions being notified.
The Google Developers Twitter account has announced that applications for Google I/O 2017 are now open. You can apply for a ticket (like previous years, it’s going to be a matter of winning a drawing to see if you’ll actually be able to buy a ticket) between now and February 27th at 5PM PST. Results for the lottery will be announced on February 28th…
Getting tickets for the Google I/O developer conference has always been a thing of difficulty. In 2014, Google changed up ticketing for the conference and started a lottery system. Google would randomly select roughly 5,000 applications and grant these developers the opportunity to purchase a ticket for I/O.
We’re not sure how things are going to go this year, but chances are it will be the same lottery system we’ve seen over the last couple years. This year’s application period is going be between February 22 10 am PST through February 27 5 pm PST…
In a somewhat non-traditional manner, Google has today made official the dates and location for Google I/O 2017. This year’s developer conference will take place, once again, at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, and will be three days: May 17, 18, and 19.
Update 3: It’s not clear who is getting these or why, but some smart developers who solved the puzzle early do indeed seem to be receiving free tickets to I/O (via Twitter DM from @GoogleDevs).
Update 2: The puzzle has been solved. No free tickets to be had. :(
Update: Google’s I/O website has been updated for I/O 2017, although no details have been provided yet.
The Google Developers Twitter account tweeted out a cryptic message (with a link to a cryptic website) this afternoon, which means that Android and Google developers might have a chance to win something important — although we have no idea what that might be yet. The use of the ‘#savethedate’ hashtag, however, suggests that this might be related to Google I/O 2017.
Update: Nope, that report was wrong. It’s actually going to be at Shoreline again!
This year’s Google I/O was held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View to mark the 10th anniversary of the company’s first developer day at their headquarters. For next year’s event, Google is returning to the more traditional Moscone Center in San Francisco (via TechCrunch).
