Google I/O 2024: all the news from the developer conference – The Verge

Google’s new ‘Add to Chromebook’ badge makes web apps easier to find and install

2024-05-21T17:52:22-04:00

How the “Add to Chromebook” badge looks like on websites. | Image: Google

Google is making a new "Add to Chromebook" badge that's designed to make it easier for ChromeOS users to find and install progressive web apps (PWAs) and Android apps. The badge links directly to the web app you're looking to install or to the Google Play Store (if it's an Android app), 9to5Google reports.

In a Google I/O session video about ChromeOS, the presenter says many people looking for apps start with a Google search and end up on developers' websites - a great place to display an Add to Chromebook badge and get ChromeOS users to the app. There isn't much of a barrier when it comes to finding and installing Android apps on a Chromeb …

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Single-tap passkeys are coming to Android 15

2024-05-17T11:22:25-04:00

Signing in is about to get more convenient in Android 15 and Wear OS 5. | Screenshot: Google

AI was the main focus of the Google I/O keynote this year, but there are still a bunch of new feature updates hidden in the various developer sessions. Case in point, 9to5Google spotted that Android 15 and Wear OS 5 are going to get some convenient passkey updates.

In its "Passkeys and identity best practices" dev session, Google announced that Android 15 is going to get a single-tap sign-in process. Instead of having two separate screens - one to select an account and another for a biometric prompt - Google will merge them into a single screen.

The end result is you'll be able to just use your face, finger, or any other screen unlocking m …

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AI assistants are so back

2024-05-17T09:07:14-04:00

AI. AI? AI! AI… A. I. This has been a week filled with AI announcements from some of the biggest and most important companies in tech, all of whom seem totally convinced that we're due for a revolution in virtual assistants. If Silicon Valley gets its way, you might never have to write an email, a line of code, or a joke ever again. All you'll do is ask your all-knowing, ultra-helpful, maybe slightly too flirty virtual assistant, and it'll get everything done for you.

On this episode of The Vergecast, we discuss all the AI assistant stuff OpenAI announced at its Spring Update event and the very similar stuff Google announced at its I/O deve …

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Google’s Gemini AI plan for schools promises extra data protection and privacy

2024-05-16T17:58:23-04:00

Google will soon offer schools access to Gemini AI - specifically for educators and students over the age of 18 - and promises not to use their data for AI model training or share it with anyone.

Google will include the extra Gemini data privacy protections on Workspace for Education accounts at no additional charge. However, it does mean relying on the older Gemini 1.0 Pro model instead of newer, more updated models like Gemini 1.5 Pro or Flash, which is designed to provide more accurate answers.

Gemini for Google Workspace launches on May 23rd and will come in two packages for institutions. The first is the lower-cost Gemini Education, w …

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Google’s making it easier for people with low vision to find objects using their phone

2024-05-16T16:09:42-04:00

Coinciding with Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Google is highlighting a number of new accessibility features across its software and enhancements to others that were already part of Android. First is a significant upgrade to Android's Lookout tool, which helps people who are blind or have low vision find out more information about their surroundings. Google is leveraging AI and adding the ability for Lookout to search for specific objects, including seating, bathrooms, and more, making up seven total categories.

"As you move your camera around the room, Lookout will notify you of the direction and distance to the item," Eve Andersson, …

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Android 15’s second beta release lets users lock down access to private apps

2024-05-15T16:59:37-04:00

Alongside Google's ongoing developer-focused I/O conference comes the latest release of Android 15, which is now in its second beta. It's got some cool new features, like the ability to now hide a collection of apps inside a "private space," customizable vibrations so you can notice different types of notifications just by feeling, and also richer widget previews.

The new private space function is the most interesting of the bunch: it can hide apps you don't want others seeing into a biometric or PIN-protected container in the app drawer. It's one of several new security features coming to Android.

Accessing a private space. | GIF: Google" data-portal-copyright="GIF: Google">

Private space leverages Android's user pr …

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Wear OS 5 triples down on battery life

2024-05-15T13:00:00-04:00

Wear OS 5 is on the way. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Wear OS 5 is on its way, and with it, Google says Android smartwatch users ought to see even better battery life. Running a marathon, for example, will purportedly consume 20 percent less battery than on Wear OS 4.

This emphasis on battery life is similar to last year's Wear OS 4 announcement - and for good reason. Wear OS 4 helped the Pixel Watch 2 last an entire day, something the original struggled to do. That improved battery life has seemingly bought some goodwill. Google says that, in the last year, the Wear OS user base grew by an impressive 40 percent across 160 countries and regions.

Of course, we'll likely have to wait until Sams …

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Google adds Max, Peacock, and Angry Birds to cars with native Android software

2024-05-15T13:00:00-04:00

Google is adding several new apps to its in-car infotainment platforms, while also making it easier for developers to get their apps approved faster and with fewer complications.

Google said that two new streaming services, Max and Peacock, are coming to cars with Google built-in. These include models from companies like Renault, Polestar, and Volvo. (Other brands with Google built-in, like Ford, Acura, and Honda, do not support video streaming while parked yet.)

In addition, cars with Google built-in are getting the Angry Birds game, so you can enjoy all the brick smashing and pig disrupting fun while parked in your vehicle. (Video stream …

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Car screens are getting bigger — and weirder — and Google wants to help

2024-05-15T13:00:00-04:00

Google is lowering the barriers for new apps to be added to Android Auto and cars with Google software built-in, making it easier for developers of gaming and streaming apps to get them added to those platforms. It is also releasing new guidelines for developing apps for various screen sizes and shapes.

Google is launching a new program for car-ready apps, essentially expediting the process for developers to get their apps approved for in-car platforms. As part of this program, Google says it will "proactively" review mobile apps that are already compatible with the increasingly large-sized screens found in more modern vehicles.

Google is l …

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Android will be able to detect if your phone has been snatched

2024-05-15T13:00:00-04:00

More security features on more Android phones. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Google is announcing an array of new security features as it releases its second Android 15 beta, including a feature that can detect the moment your phone is swiped from your hands. Some of these updates will be included with Android 15 when it arrives this fall, but theft detection and a number of other features will be available to phones with much older OS versions, too - bringing them to many more people.

Theft Detection Lock works by recognizing the unusual motions that would indicate someone has yanked your phone out of your hand or a table in front of you. To prevent a thief from being able to access information on your device, the …

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