Google developer’s conference, dubbed Google I/O, took place last week and a number of intriguing, erm, developments came out of it. Before discussing the bulk of major announcements made on stage at San Fransisco’s Moscone Center West, let’s focus on two of the most interesting and “out there” concepts the G-Men are working to bring to life.
The first is called Hands Free. Thanks to Apple and its simple, secure, and private Apple Pay system, contactless payments are making waves across the nation. People with iPhones and Apple Watches need simply wave their device in front of an NFC payment terminal and in seconds goods are purchased and a digital receipt is collected. With Hands Free, Google is looking to make that simple way to pay even easier.
Imagine paying for things without lifting a finger. No digging around for cash, credit cards, or loose change. Just tell the cashier you’d like to pay with Google, and you’re good to go.
That’s it. With the Hands Free app installed on your phone, to purchase goods at a participating store, all you need to do is walk up to the cashier, say the phrase “I’d like to pay with Google,” and voila–you’re good to go. Though Google is being shy in providing details in how this will all work, Engadget says that when customers utter that phrase, the cashier will see a picture of the customer on their point-of-sale machine to authenticate the purchase. Hands Free will likely tie into Android Pay, Google’s version of Apple Pay that collects and securely stores credit and debit cards.
When can you expect this futuristic concept to make its way into reality? Sooner than you think: Google plans to slowly roll it out later this year in the San Fransisco Bay Area at early participating merchants McDonalds and Papa Johns. Watch the magic happen in the video above.
Jump after the break to learn about Google’s other super cool initiative.
If you think Apple Watch is a fine wearable with a flair for design, wait until you meet Project Jacquard. Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group unveiled the ultimate wearable: clothes! In a nutshell, Project Jacquard aims to produce conductive fabrics that can communicate with digital devices. By weaving technology into fabric, Google hopes to transform everyday objects, like clothes, into interactive surfaces. At the very end of the introductory video above, a demonstration is shown where a user could swipe his sleeve to initiate a call on a nearby smartphone. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when you really think about it. Itch your collar to silence your phone at the movies. Jump to play your workout playlist at the gym. The possibilities are endless.
“It’s somehow getting the technological out of the way and making interactions more natural and more seamless,” says a Google creative technologist. It’ll be up to the consumer whether or not the tech is visible or completely hidden from view. These gestures are activated with the technology-infused clothing–a touch display is not required. ATAP is working hard to make the tech so small and inconspicuous that users won’t see it or feel it inside their clothes.
Google hasn’t shared a timeline as to when we can expect Project Jacquard’s conductive fabrics to live inside our everyday clothes and objects. That being said, the company’s already partnered with Levi Strauss to dream up ways to make connected clothing work in our everyday lives. Watch as technology, design, and fashion collide like never before.
Elsewhere at Google I/O…
- The next version of Google’s mobile operating system is Android M; the company came just short of revealing the OS’ sweet treat inspired name (I want Marshmallow). In M, Google is focusing on “polish and quality” and Engadget reports it’ll feature better permissions, a new feature called “Doze” that aims to extend battery life, and Android Pay.
- Android Pay is Google’s answer to Apple Pay. Though Google introduced a contactless payment system with Google Wallet years ago, it never caught on and so a new, built from the ground up system called Android Pay is taking over to help users securely store and use credit, debit, and loyalty cards with their smartphones.
- Android M also comes packed with an improved version of Google Now called Now on Tap. It’s neat: tap and hold the home button to receive more information about what you’re currently looking at without leaving the app. Now on Tap is smart enough to see what your looking at and contextually pull the key content from it to feed you more information about a specific thing. For example, if you get a text from a friend saying that he wants to see Mad Max with you, hold the home button and Now on Tap will bring up movie times, ratings, trailers, and other pertinent information.
- Google Photos provides a free way to store unlimited photos and video to the cloud on Google’s servers. It supports photos up to 16 megapixels and videos up to 1080p HD; anything beyond that and you’re content will be automatically compressed. Photos and videos stored are accessible and editable across your Google devices and if you let it, the service will automatically organize them by people, place and more.
- Google Maps is going offline more than ever before with a new upcoming feature that’ll allow users to store maps to locations and later travel to them with turn-by-turn navigation without connection to the Internet.
- The Play store is getting more kid-friendly. Filtered searches and specially marked brands such as Dora and SpongBob will allow parents and their children alike to quickly find the kind of appropriate content they’re looking for.
- Also coming to the Play store is HBO NOW. Previously an Apple exclusive, HBO’s content streaming app will give users in Google’s ecosystem of devices another way to access the premium cabler’s offerings, at $14.99/month. Google Cast support will be present for Android, iOS, and web browsers. Expect the app to arrive before the late June debut of True Detective.
- Project Brillo hones in “the Internet of Things.” That’s what the tech industry calls connected devices. “Our day-to-day lives will be much simpler when these technologies can talk to each other—if our recipe app, for example, could communicate with our smart oven to turn the temperature to exactly the right setting.” That’s Google plan, at least, as they continue to push efforts to bridge our everyday tools with smart technology.
- A new version of Cardboard, Google basic attempt at virtual reality, was showed off now supporting phones with screen sizes up to six inches (welcome into the fray, iPhone) and an improved design.