What to expect at Google I/O 2011

(Credit: Google)

 

With Google I/O 2011 less than two weeks away, I wanted to take this opportunity to round up a few potential Android-related announcements. The annual Google developer event has grown to include more Android news each year, and this event will follow suit. Indeed, Android is listed in at least 21 of the sessions scheduled for May 10-11, with topics ranging from Honeycomb and 3D gaming to NFC and Android Market tools. Two keynotes will be covered live by CNET; expect tomorrow's session to focus on Android with Wednesday's session switching to Chrome.

And on that note, Samsung has a press conference on Wednesday night where we could see a Chrome-based device.

Google TV

Looking closer at some of the sessions, I expect to see a heavy, if not renewed, focus on Google TV. When the service was announced last year, we knew that the SDK and true integration of the Android Market wouldn't happen until 2011. Next month, developers will get a pair of classes that address development for Google TV while using Android or Web (HTML5 and Flash) apps. As a result, I predict that developers soon will be offered the tools to code for Google TV and Android Market support for distribution.

OS updates

More than a few of the sessions will cover Gingerbread and Honeycomb features such as NFC, high-end 3D, and hardware acceleration, so expect that the Google team will demonstrate new games and applications that take advantage of the updates. They might come in the form of high-profile developers or industry partners announcing titles in conjunction with the conference. A few names that might be worth watching include War Drum Studios, Gameloft, Catch, and Com2uS.     Read More