Google I/O is here, and with it are some of the most anticipated product and service announcements for enterprises and end-users alike. On day one of the annual developer conference, a two-hour-long keynote address saw the Google leadership exhibit a flurry of new offerings from several of the company’s subdivisions.
The conference had something for everyone: a new database management system, artificial intelligence updates, the latest Android OS, new hardware, and feature updates. This year, Google I/O is being conducted as an in-person event and is back to being hosted at the Shoreline Amphitheater after two years due to COVID-19.
Top Announcements From Google I/O 2022
AlloyDB
AlloyDB is a fully-managed database service compatible with PostgreSQL. Google claims AlloyDB is more than four times faster for transactional workloads and up to 100 times faster for analytical queries.
Available on GCP, AlloyDB is Google’s attempt to capture the database management space currently dominated by Oracle, AWS, IBM, Microsoft Azure, etc. Presently, Google enjoys a less than ideal market share through CloudSQL for PostgreSQL and Spanner, which do not feature among the top ten most-used database engines.
AlloyDB being cloud-native is perhaps one of its biggest benefits compared to legacy database offerings by competitors. “Databases are increasingly shifting into the cloud and we expect this trend to continue as more companies digitally transform their businesses,†noted Carl Olofson, research vice president, Data Management Software, IDC.
“With AlloyDB, Google Cloud offers large enterprises a big leap forward, helping companies to have all the advantages of PostgreSQL, with the promise of improved speed and functionality, and predictable and transparent pricing,†Olofson added.
The open-source nature of PostgreSQL, not to mention its rapidly increasing adoption, is on track to dethrone MySQL and Oracle, both of which do not support PostgreSQL.Â
Google says AlloyDB’s pricing structure is designed to instill transparency and eliminate concerns such as proprietary licensing, vendor lock-ins, opaque I/O charges, etc. More importantly, faster performance means existing and new users can leverage the new cloud-based service to perform rapid analytical queries as well.
Google claims a 99.99% SLA availability for AllowDB, including maintenance and a machine learning-assisted storage and memory management, analytics acceleration, vacuum management, and data tiering and operations. AlloyDB is also integrated with Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence platform, Vertex AI.
Google also claimed that AlloyDB could deliver up to 100 times faster analytical queries than standard PostgreSQL.
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LaMDA 2 Conversational AI
Google followed up last year’s LaMDA conversational AI with LaMDA 2 at I/O 2022. The natural language processing platform is designed to refine user experiences across Search, Google Assistant, and more services.
However, LaMDA 2, in its current form, isn’t ready for the real world. “These language models are very exciting, but they’re also very incomplete. And we want to come up with a way to gradually get something in the hands of people to both see hopefully how it’s useful but also give feedback and point out areas where it comes up short,†said Josh Woodward, senior director of product management at Google.
An acronym for language model for dialog applications, LaMDA itself was a nifty achievement for Google’s AI department for open-ended conversations between people and machines. LaMDA 2 takes it a step further, according to Google, although the fundamental capability remains the same.
Users can now test the second iteration of the natural language platform through AI Test Kitchen, an Android app powered by LaMDA 2. AI Test Kitchen is not exactly a product itself. Still, it is a way for Google to showcase and, more importantly, help the new conversational AI improve itself with user feedback.Â
The demonstration of LaMDA 2 is available in three parts viz., Imagine It, Talk About It, and List It.
Under ‘Imagine It,’ the app prompts the user to speak any scenario to which it provides a descriptive and relevant response. For example, at the keynote, on being prompted “Imagine if†by the app, the user said, “I’m at the deepest part of the ocean.†The AI Test Kitchen then responded with a description of a person in a submarine at the Mariana Trench.
The next demo, Talk About It, pertains to the ability of LaMDA to stay on topic. So imagine the conversation between the user and LaMDA 2 is about migratory birds, and the AI says, “Siberian Cranes migrate to China and India during winters.†The user responds, “why is that?†The AI may respond with the reason: to find a warmer climate.
The final demo is to present the ability of LaMDA 2 to break down complex tasks into smaller subtasks. Through List It, the conversational AI tool can list the ingredients of a dish and then organize the cooking steps upon being asked, “I want to bake an apple pie.â€
In all three demos, the conversation is not limited to the three examples mentioned and can be about any topic.
Android 13 Beta 2
Generally available since Fall 2021, Android 12 was Google’s way of overhauling the aesthetics, customization and privacy of the world’s most popular mobile operating system. With Android 13, Google continues to build on the momentum from the previous initiatives.
The search giant released the second public beta of Android 13 at Google I/O 2022. It features the Material You aesthetic (larger buttons, widget design changes, animations) from its predecessor and newer customization options such as the ability to identify and set the phone’s and apps’ color scheme to that of the wallpaper and other UI elements.
Codenamed Tiramisu, Android 13 will also extend the end-to-end encryption capabilities of Google Messages’ Rich Communication Service (RCS) to group chats. Android 12 supports RCS encryption for individual chats.
Android 13 has extended language preference support, allowing users to set different languages for different apps. Other functional updates include fast-pairing support, secondary profiles for NFC payments, Bluetooth LE Audio/Low Complexity Communications Codec (LC3), easier QR code scanning etc.
For privacy, Android 13 users will have greater controls over the sharing of personal information, interaction with notifications, and what permissions apps have. For instance, instead of granting app permissions to all ‘Files and media,’ users will be able to grand permissions for ‘Photos & videos’ or ‘Music & audio.’
A consolidated Security and Privacy settings page that provides visibility into the safety status and other critical privacy-related information is also on the cards. Google Wallet is also making a comeback to help users manage digital versions of payment cards (debit, credit), essential documents such as passes, student IDs, office IDs, rewards cards, etc.
Other service updates and new products
Service updates
- Search: Multisearch capabilities
- YouTube: Transcripts and auto-translated captions supporting 16 languages
- Translate: Addition of 24 additional languages
- Maps: 3D-assisted immersive view
Google also announced new products, including Pixel 6A (July 21), 7, and 7 Pro (fall 2022), Pixel Watch (fall 2022), Pixel Buds (July 21), AR Glasses, and Tensor-powered Tablet running Android 13 (2023).
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