Here's everything to get excited about for Google's biggest event of the year (GOOG, GOOGL)
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Get ready for a whole lot of Google news.
On Wednesday, the company kicks off its annual, three-day long developers' conference at a big stadium near its headquarters in Mountain View, California.
Besides schooling the thousands of attending developers on how to best integrate its products and services, Google uses its biggest event of the year to show off all the cool new tech it's been working on and to lay out its vision for the future.
Here's everything we're expecting to see at Google's I/O conference:
Sundar Pichai will define the new era of Google.
Beck Diefenbach/ReutersSundar Pichai was handed the keys to the Google kingdom in August, after a big corporate restructuring created the Alphabet parent company and crowned him CEO of the Google subsidiary. Pichai headlined the event last year, but this year will mark his big coming out party as the leader setting Google's agenda going forward.
Virtual reality will be huge.
AP/Christof StacheSince Google introduced its deceptively simple Cardboard headset back at its 2014 conference, virtual reality has turned into the next big battleground, with Facebook and Samsung all making big bets on the technology.
This year's schedule is packed with VR-themed presentations, including several about filmaking.
We're expecting Google to talk about a rumored new interface for Android that any developer can use to build VR apps. Reports have also hinted that Google might release a new VR headset, though Google may not actually show it off at I/O:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/732318478670008320
I wish I’d been more clear about this: Android VR will be announced this week. Google is working on headset, but may not be announced now.
The expected merger of Android and Chrome will be in the spotlight.
Google quashed reports last year that its two operating systems, Chrome OS and Android, are about to merge entirely. But this year's I/O could show off new ways that the two operating systems may be inching a little closer.
For example, Ars Technica first reported that Google might start letting its Android Play Store run on Chrome. So, prepare to hear about new ways that Android apps could make their way onto that platform.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider