Tech Tuesday: May 31, 2016

Keeping up with new tech is important, and it can be easy to get lost in all the latest tech news. So you don’t get behind, this Tech Tuesday, we’re checking out all the latest news from Google’s I/O 2016 conference.

• Google unveiled Daydream, a VR system that will utilize a full headset. Daydream is an upgrade from the simple Cardboard, but the system will still use a mobile phone as the processing power.Currently, no phones produced have the necessary hardware to run Daydream for long, but Google is working with several phone manufacturers to fix this.
• Google plans to ease the burden of user logins on mobile devices, and instead will use a “Trust Score” to decide whether a user will need to login or not. Trust API will use several determining factors to give users a trust score, which is essentially a score to determine if they are the owner of the device and apps. The level of security needed will depend on the app. A gaming app may only require a location and typing pattern check, while a banking app could require multiple levels up to facial recognition.
• As another perk of the I/O conference, Google has posted plenty of Code Labs for developers to work through new skills. From Android, VR, apps, and Cloud development, there more than 50 code labs to work through, the majority of which are 30 minutes or longer in length. There are plenty to explore!
• Google steps into mobile messaging with its own app called “Allo.” Not connected with Google+ or Google Hangouts, the app can be downloaded without a Google account. The app comes complete with its own emojis and an assistant that can learn your likes and dislikes. The assistant can learn without having a Google account linked, but Google does recommend linking the two so the assistant can be more accurate with more information to pull from.
• In addition to a new messenger, Google announced “Duo” which is essentially its version of Facetime. It’s available on mobile devices, and is the companion app to Allo. Currently, the app allows you to only call one person at a time, and is designed to be minimalist and easy to use. 
• In a new software update for Android users, Instant Apps will be available to use. Instead of having to download an app, you’ll be able to click a link and use the features like usual. Google Play will download only the immediately needed sections of code and open the content without the delay of downloading. You also don’t have to take up space just to view a video your friend sent you. Instant Apps additionally allows you to instantly use Android Pay on any link you’ve clicked, without having to sign in again.

Google announced a lot of new gadgets and apps last week, but there is even more to check out from the conference!