Google IO

Google has announced standalone VR, 'an entirely new type of VR device.' This is a virtual reality headset that doesn't require a separate smartphone, instead featuring all the technology needed built directly into the headset. This eliminates the external device burden, offering consumers a simple and robust VR experience that requires nothing more than putting on a headset. "No cables, no phones, no PC," Google explains, saying "it's easy to use. Getting into VR is as easy as picking the thing up."

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Users can now buy items from companies directly via Google Assistant on their mobile device, it has been announced, enabling consumers to, for example, order their favorite meal using simple voice commands and taps. Google's personal assistant works with the company's own payments system, the combination of which handles the ordering and payment process without requiring users to deal with third-party sites. This is made possible via Actions on the Google Platform, which are something akin to competing product Alexa's 'skills,' including support for transactions.

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Google Home is getting four new features, making the smart speaker's assistant more proactive and flexible, and throwing in free hands-free calling. Announced at Google I/O 2017 this morning, the company's annual developer event, the new functionality marks a significant upgrade on the connected speaker which is itself only six months old. It comes ahead of Apple's expected Siri speaker, which will embody the iPhone's virtual assistant in its own standalone device.

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Google Photos is about to give you a big nudge in the right direction when it comes to Photo sharing. Google Photos recognizes the faces that appear in the photos we upload automatically. When Google Photos recognizes these faces, in the near future, it'll start to recommend that we send these photos to the people in the photos that it's recognized.

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While it may not be as groundbreaking as Google Lens or new versions of Google Assistant, Android Device Manager is getting a much needed update today. The app on the Google Play Store has been updated for the first time in a while, and with that update comes a brand new name: Find My Device. If that doesn't signal that Android Device Manager is entering a new era, then its new look certainly will.

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Users will be able to take advantage of Google Assistant on the iPhone starting today. This update to the Google software space for iOS devices makes the iPhone have a real competitor for Siri - again, or for the firs time, depending on how you look at it. This update does not come to Google Search, but is instead delivered to the iPhone as a separate app.

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai just took the stage at Google I/O 2017, and he's starting the presentation off with a bang. After touching on the scale of this year's event, he shifted to focus to the services and products that Google offers. As it turns out, many of Google's services have hit important milestones, especially Android, which just hit 2 billion active devices around the world in the past week.

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This week Google revealed that they'll be making a new push for their "Google Lens" initiative (and eventual app integration). Much like what we've seen in the past with things like Google Goggles, Google Lens is about to make the things Android smartphones see - recognizable. As Google suggested today, Google Lens will be a "set of vision-based computing capabilities."

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ROLI's touch-sensitive BLOCKS have quietly added Android support today, with the portable modular music-makers showing up at Google's I/O 2017 keynote. The BLOCKS were launched last year, though initially only as an iPhone accessory; indeed, Apple sold them through its own stores. The rubbery top on each block acts as a pressure- and gesture-sensitive controller.

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Google is no stranger to having multiple projects related to the exact same technology, though not all of them survives. So when rumor broke out that Google is making yet another VR headset, there wasn't really much of a surprise. This headset, however, could turn the VR market on its head. If the rumors are true, the headset that Google will supposedly unveil at Google I/O this week would be one of the most advanced equipment in hat market. And it won't even need a smartphone.

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Today we're running down what's coming to Google IO 2017, the company's annual software conference aimed at developers. This event takes place on May 17th, 18th, and 19th of May - that's Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week. We'll be at the event series to get up-close-and-personal photos, video, and any hands-on bits that can be had. For everything else, there's streaming video.

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Volvo and Google are teaming up to build a new, Android-based dashboard for future cars from the safety-obsessed Swedish automaker. The partnership will see the next generation of Volvo's current Sensus infotainment platform built on Android, co-developed by the car company and Google. According to Volvo, we should be seeing it show up on a new car within two years.

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