New Android, unlimited photo storage and the Internet of Things among Google I/O highlights
The Google I/O conference for developers, which kicked off May 28, 2015 in San Francisco, is the perfect time for the company to present a preview of its latest projects: a new version of Android (M), a project for a platform for the Internet of Things, and a new version of its Photos app that offers unlimited photo and video storage for free.
A new payment solution with Android M
The latest version of Android integrates several hundred updates for better stability and easier use. The main idea is to optimize the smartphone's autonomy as well as the security parameters and their access to various pieces of information. This version will also feature the new Android Pay, a payment system that requires uploading credit card information to the smartphone, as with Apple Pay.
Free unlimited storage of photos and videos in the cloud
One of the most spectacular announcements made at the conference has to do with the new version of the Photos app, now entirely independent of Google+. The app makes it possible to store unlimited photos (up to 16MP) and videos (1080p) for free on the cloud, and comes complete with organization and editing tools. It is already available for download (for Android and iOS) and on the Web.
Google is also planning to add a very useful new feature to Maps: the possibility of consulting maps without being connected, as Nokia Here already does.
A platform dedicated to the Internet of Things
Google has also presented Brillo, a platform derived from Android and intended specifically for connected objects. With the developers' help, Google hopes to develop and refine a dynamic and collective ecosystem in order to make advances with this new technology, which is not set to be available before the end of 2015.
Cardboard technology for everyone
Finally, Google has released its Cardboard technology, in the form of DIY cardboard VR headset. More than 500 apps (films, games, guides, etc.) already allow the wearer to immerse himself, on the cheap, into a virtual reality experience.
Google claims to have more than 1 million users around the world of its Android operating system, which is compatible with around 4,000 different devices.
Visit the Google I/O official site at events.google.com/io2015
