Day 1: Larry Page Speaks at Google I/O and Great New Stuff Are Revealed

This year’s Google I/O plays to an audience of around 6,000 entrepreneurs and engineers who are directly involved with developing features and applications for tablets and smartphones. This is the sixth Google I/O to be held and like before, there are announcements that are meant to wow reporters who came from all over the world just to hear first-hand about the latest Google innovations that have been the subject of speculations in the weeks leading to the event.

Day One

Day One proved to be exciting enough. Android smartphone software, Chrome laptops, and a new music service are just some of the great new stuff that have been revealed to software developers and other attendees of the Google I/O. And on Day one, Google engineering director Chris Yerga let out the very first revelation worth $9.99 a month called “Google Play Music, All Access” or in “radio without rules.” On the other hand, “Google Play for Education” is a customized Google app store with educational videos and books that are organized by topic and grade level. This one is launching in the Fall. Here are some of the highlights of the day.

Customized Samsung Galaxy S4

One of the most exciting items out of the box is the customized Samsung Galaxy S4 that will be released on June 26. This $649 item will run a new Android OS version that’s been cleared of the much criticized Samsung version.

41 Pluses for Google+

Senior VP for Google engineering Vic Gundontra introduced 41 additional features to Google’s social networking platform, Google+. The Facebook competitor has not yet gained enough of a hold on users but the redesigned site is going live today with a very responsive multicolumn design (Google+Stream), tiles that flip over, hashtags that facilitate a faster search and stand along “Hangouts.” Google+ Sign-In is also being expanded to allow for cross-platform sign-on.

And Google’s latest photo sharing tool (Google+Photos) works like an automatic Photoshop. The tool rejects blurry captures, posts the best of the bunch, sharpens colors, and chooses photos where people are smiling.

“A map built for you”

Bernard Seefeld, Google mapper only had very promising adjectives to describe the next generation of Google Maps for Android and iOs smartphones. The latest software has a new look, easy to use and more customized, and more immersive than before. There is no clear release date for his product yet.

Larry Page is in the house

And towards the end, Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page spent one hour onstage to reiterate the fact that Google is “just getting started.” Page said that the rate of change in technological innovations is giving people the world over the chance to do more. Page revealed (via Google+) that he suffered from a vocal cord illness. But he was definitely out of the woods despite a slightly strained voice. A lot of people were worried when Page did not show up in last year’s annual meeting and Google I/O.

Page ably talked to developers, reporters and tech enthusiasts about the “potential of technology” and by doing so assured everyone in attendance that he is capable of leading Google to greater heights. In an unexpected ending to the keynote, Page took questions from the audience.