Google I/O (Input/Output) is a three-day developer's conference held at the Shoreline Amphitheater near Google's Mountain View, California, headquarters. Attending feels like getting a ticket to the most incredible amusement park where the theme is state-of-the-art technology, from programming language updates to new hardware and software. This year, 7,200 people attended, and I was lucky enough to be one of them.
Before I/O
Google I/O began for the Women Techmakers at a dinner the evening before the conference. Shown in the photo below before the event commenced, the venue filled up shortly thereafter with female technologists from around the globe working on software changing and improving people's lives.
The Google Keynote
After breakfast, the first day of the conference began early in the morning with the Google Keynote. Since there were about 100 announcements made--no, really--it makes more sense to dive into the most talked-about announcement: in the next version of the Android operating system, you can take a screenshot by just pressing one button!
Although I find this news incredibly exciting, the announcement that has actually been written about--and discussed--the most is Google Duplex.
What is Google Duplex?
Google Duplex will, as described in the embedded video above, use artificial intelligence to make appointments and reservations, over the phone with real businesses, for you. My prediction is that this system will help small businesses. Some brick-and-mortar stores do not have the resources to create a website or online reservation system when they first open. Potential customers in the past may have been more inclined to go elsewhere, avoiding the necessary phone call. Now, with Google Duplex, small businesses can bring in phone-call-averse clientele.
What is most reassuring about the angle from which Google is approaching this software is the emphasis on ethical artificial intelligence development. In addition to CEO Sundar Pichai's statements, cofounder Sergey Brin echoed his sentiment in his recent Founder's letter on developing artificial intelligence with ethics in mind.
The Sessions
After the keynotes on the first day of the conference, I/O provided an opportunity to attend breakout sessions held by Googlers and incredible individuals, including Hannah Beachler, the production designer for Black Panther.
The sessions can be viewed online, which is fortunate, because I wish I could have attended all of them. The ones that I was able to attend I thoroughly enjoyed. Some of my favorites are listed below:
This talk's presenters opened my eyes to how frontend development and consistent design can reinforce an app's and website's branding.
If you're curious about how to publish a 360-degree tour on Google's site Poly, this is a great talk to watch.
From seamless screenreader integration to high-contrast text for improved readability, the presenters at this session did a fantastic job clearly explaining accessibility and why it matters to both developers and users.
The Sandboxes
To add to the atmosphere of being at a technology carnival, "sandboxes"--tents, housing the technology discussed and announced in the keynotes and at sessions, were scattered throughout the conference site. On hand were Googlers who could answer questions about the technology, including...
Waymo
Google's driverless cars have always fascinated me, and one question I have had for over a year is how they handle poor lane markings, where lane dividers have been worn away. At I/O, I finally got the answer to my question: Waymo cars orient themselves relative not only to the surroundings they are analyzing in real-time, but also to the known maps of the area in which they are navigating.
Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream
In one of the sandboxes, attendees could try on the standalone virtual reality headset and be immersed in an animated adventure with adorable otters. I was impressed by how natural the experience felt: no nausea, just a delightful underwater adventure. This delight is, in part, the result of the device's six degrees of freedom (6 DoF), meaning the user's movements can be picked up in more directions and on more axes than on a device with three degrees of freedom.
And...The Food
For those considering applying to attend a future Google I/O, this information is especially useful for you. Dietary restrictions are considered, and there were vegetarian and vegan options available. Developers' needs for coffee and snacks were also kept in mind, as there was always strong coffee available, and snack stations could be found throughout the space between meals.
Farewell, I/O
On the last day of the conference, I overheard a fellow developer say, "I love attending I/O, because I always return to my work with more energy." I couldn't agree more. If you weren't able to attend in person, check out the livestreams from the breakout sessions that I linked to above or search through Google Developers' YouTube playlist here.
