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'Dramatic' Google moves outlined

Lauren Kate Rawlins
By Lauren Kate Rawlins, ITWeb digital and innovation contributor.
Johannesburg, 01 Jun 2015
Users will soon be able to make use of Google Maps offline.
Users will soon be able to make use of Google Maps offline.

Google made several announcements on disruptive product moves during its annual IO conference, last week. These included Android Pay, offline Google maps, Google Photos, gesture control development and Android Auto.

Google's Android Pay, a contactless mobile phone payment system, was unveiled as a direct competitor to Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, both of which were recently announced.

Arthur Goldstuck, World Wide Worx MD, says this news was expected but dramatic, coming so soon after the other two payment systems and with such a similar name.

Goldstuck says this could point to a potential integrated payment environment, especially as Google also said standardised fingerprint recognition will be used as a password on devices that support biometrics.

Android Pay will allow users to pay with credit or debit cards and will integrate retailers' loyalty programmes directly into the app, so users do not have to carry around a heap of loyalty cards.

Android Pay will be available soon in the US in more than 700 000 store locations, although it is not known when it will be rolled out internationally. Goldstuck says it will be up to local retailers and financial institutions to deploy it in SA. "There is already widespread use of Standard Bank's SnapScan; use of Android Pay in SA could happen sooner than we think."

Google Photos

Also unveiled was Google Photos, a new standalone product from Google that allows users to easily search through every photo they have ever taken and store them all in one place, accessible across all devices.

Anil Sabharwal, head of Google Photos, said in a blog post: "Google Photos gives you a single, private place to keep a lifetime of memories... automatically backed up and synced."

The app allows users to store an unlimited amount of high-quality photos and videos for free. However, any picture with a resolution above 16MP and video more than 1080p will be compressed. To maintain original quality, users will have to pay to expand their Google Drive storage space (every user automatically gets 15GB free to begin with).

Goldstuck says this is a significant announcement as it positions Google Photos to become the Gmail of photo storage systems and is a direct shot at Apple's iCloud. "Like Gmail, you will be able to access Google Photos on any device seamlessly."

Google Photos is available on iOS, Android and through the Web in SA and around the world.

Project Soli

Google also divulged it has been working on gesture control development under the name Project Soli.

Ivan Poupyrev, Project Soli founder at the Google advanced technology and projects group, said: "The hand is the ultimate computing device; it is precise, fast and natural for us to use. We are working on taking the finesse of the hand and applying it to the virtual world. Radars are used to track micro twitches and motion of the hand, and then use that to interact with wearables and other devices."

Goldstuck says this is significant as Microsoft also said recently it is working on the same innovation. "So we can expect to see the applications of it become more widespread and easier to use.

"We were first introduced to the concept with the Samsung S4, but it never really caught on as the perimeters were very narrow."

Android Auto, Maps go offline

In addition, Google said it will introduce the Android Auto mobile app, allowing users to link their handsets to their cars. Drivers will be able to operate Google Maps, Google Play Music and other apps completely hands-free. There will also be touch-screen option available.

It was announced, by the end of this year, 35 car models will offer Android Auto in the US.

Google will soon allow users to make use of Google Maps, including turn-by-turn voice directions, without an Internet connection. However, the map would have to be saved online previously.

While offline, users will be able to search for restaurants, museums and other services within their vicinity; they will be able to see reviews and opening hours, allowing them to learn more about the place they want to visit.

Jen Fitzpatrick, VP of engineering at Google, said at the conference users will be able to search and navigate in the real world, online and offline. "We are taking many of our core products and re-thinking them in ways that work far better in a world where speed, size and connectivity are central concerns."

Goldstuck says Google Maps has been available offline before but not with so much functionality. "It is a great but obvious development."

Google Offline Maps will be available later this year.

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