New technologies: Google wants to make devices smarter with AI

new technologies
Google wants to make devices smarter with AI

Google relies on artificial intelligence to make its services and devices more attractive in everyday life.

At the Google I/O developer conference, the group showed, among other things, how software can automatically display useful information in the camera image on the smartphone screen – and how its voice assistant can do without the usual wake-up word. As a glimpse of the future, there was the prototype of glasses that can display translations from other languages ​​in the user’s field of vision during a conversation.

Visual search engine for the world around

The search mask in which you type letters laid the foundation for Google’s current size – but the group is increasingly relying on smartphone cameras for this. At Wednesday’s I/O, for example, it was shown how a photo of a meal is enough to find it at well-rated restaurants nearby. Or how to point the phone’s camera at a snack shelf to see which ones are healthier on the screen.

Thank you camera addressed

Today, the language assistant Google Assistant is usually activated by a wake-up word, just like Amazon’s competing software Alexa or Apple’s Siri. On the in-house device Nest Hub – a networked speaker with display and camera – you will be able to do without the “Hey, Google”. The assistant feels addressed when the user looks at the device. The software does not take a cursory glance into account when analyzing the camera images.

Watch is supposed to compete with the Apple Watch

Google is also making a fresh attempt to break Apple’s dominance in the computer clock business. The group announced the in-house Pixel Watch, which is intended for users of Android smartphones. However, it is not expected to be on the market until autumn. Google did not name an exact date, nor a price.

Apple took the lead in the computer watch business with the launch of its Watch in 2015 and has held it ever since – despite various Android phone manufacturers launching their smartwatches. However, the devices had weaknesses in software and design.

The Pixel Watch is the first computer watch that was developed inside and out by Google, emphasized device boss Rick Osterloh. As with the Apple Watch, fitness should be a central application.

Google bought fitness band specialist Fitbit in 2019, whose technology is used in the Pixel Watch. Technology under the Fitbit brand should also continue to exist. Osterloh emphasized that the Pixel Watch can also navigate without a paired smartphone, for example on a bike tour. You can also use it to make contactless payments, just like with the Apple Watch.

Hardware offensive: Rival of the Android partners

The group is also expanding its Pixel product range along Apple’s range of devices: There is also an improved Pro model of the Pixel Buds earphones and next year there will be a new Pixel tablet. Android tablets have not been able to shape the market like Apple’s iPad.

Google is bringing the hardware offensive into greater competition with manufacturers of Android devices such as Samsung. As the developer of the Android operating system, the Internet group has so far held back somewhat in the hardware business. Device manager Osterloh now emphasized the advantages of a seamless interaction of devices from a single source.

Glasses show translation

For the future, Google is working on computer glasses that can automatically display translations in the wearer’s field of vision. A prototype of the device could be seen in action in at least one video: “Like subtitles for the real world.” There was no information on technical details such as battery life. From the outside, however, the device looked like conventional horn-rimmed glasses, with the exception of the slightly wider brackets.

Technology that superimposes digital content in real environments – on displays or directly in the user’s field of vision – is referred to as «augmented reality» (AR, augmented reality). It is already known that Apple and Facebook, among others, are working on AR glasses. A few years ago, the German Bosch Group showed the prototype of glasses that can show the user arrows for navigation instructions, for example.

Google pioneered computer glasses back in 2012 with the Google Glass, which had a small display and camera. In addition to technical weaknesses, however, data protection concerns were fatal to the device.

dpa