2013谷歌I/O大会：这次只谈软件

Google在近日于美国举行的年度开发者大会(Google I/O 2013)上发表全新的语音搜寻功能、音乐串流服务，以及 Google Maps 与Google+的升级版，包括媲美数字相机、可自动强化线上照片画质的新功能。 不同于过去几年，本届Google I/O大会的开幕专题演说并没有发表崭新的 Android 平台或是 Chrome OS 硬件装置，而且 Google首席执行官拉里·佩奇（Larry Page）意料之外现身，发表短暂谈话并开放问答，以工程师的角度对高科技产业与Google的前景提供乐观预测。 “我们所分享的是有关科技能改善人们生活之潜力的深刻乐观感受；”穿著红色T恤的Page在估计有5,500名现场听众以及100万以上透过Youtube观看实况转播的网友面前表示：“大概是自个人计算机诞生以来，我们还未看过运算领域有这种幅度的变化。” Page表示对做为一个“宅男怪老头(nerdy curmudgeon)”十分自豪，他回忆小时候父亲开车载全家人横越国境去参加机器人研讨会，并跟主办单位争取让小Page也能进去：“我们需要更多小 朋友爱上数学与科学，以及更多取得科学与工程学位的人来解决技术问题。” 响应现场观众的提问，Page提及以下重点： ●年轻工程师们应该专注于第一原理(first principles)：“我鼓励你们避免额外的思维，对你正在做的事情有真正深刻的理解。” ●大部分Google跳脱传统框架的开发计划已经获得成果，例如自动驾驶车辆就对Google Maps的想法与团队贡献卓著：“我们所付出的那些努力正一点一滴地回收成果。” ●微软(Microsoft)并没有让Google完全与其平台互通：“我很遗憾网络世界(Web)并没有以应该有的速度进步，我们一直努力与微软沟通。” ●Google Health计划：“并没有取得太多进展，主要是因为所有议题都受到法规管制；我们将会看到医疗照护领域出现令人惊奇的东西，而我认为那些会以科技形式出现，例如平价的DNA排序。” ●智能手机终将渗透印度、非洲等开发中市场，并成为主要的商业工具：“我几乎能在手机上处理所有公务，但可惜的是我无法做太多编程。” ●Page表示他参加了年度Burning Man活动，并认为那是一个适合测试新产品的场合；相对的：“我不确定站在(Google I/O)的讲台上说出一切是否有让人惊奇的价值，我们应该要用一种谦虚的方法来发表新东西，并看看效果如何。” 在 Page现身以前，已经有十几位Google人上台发表该公司Android与Chrome平台以及建构于其上的服务新进展。根据电信营运商的报告，目前 市面上已经有超过9亿台的Android装置启用；而Google也表示，其Chrome浏览器的活跃用户有7.5亿。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 本文下一页：把Android、Chrome与Chrome操作系统视为独立但彼此相关的平台来推广

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{pagination} 不过 对于Chrome操作系统环境──也就是环绕着浏览器、激活连网笔记本电脑的薄软件层，Google的详细现况说明并不多；据了解，目前在美国有1,000所学 校正在使用所谓的‘Chromebook’，而今年Google I/O的参加者都获得了最新版本的Chromebook Pixel连网笔记本电脑，该最新版的产品是在今年2月发布。 Google将继续在可见的未来把Android、Chrome与 Chrome操作系统视为独立但彼此相关的平台来推广，并在现场展示了横跨以上环境的各种工具与服务，以及它们在苹果(Apple) iOS操作系统上的执行。此外这场大会专题演说的新发表，集中在较高阶层网络服务(higher-level)的进展，挑战Apple、 Facebook。 例如Google的All Access就是与Apple iTunes打对台的串流音乐新服务。Google+则推出了41项显然是向Facebook叫阵的新功能；包括只要一个按钮，用户就能提升线上发表相片的画质，如移除红眼、调整色调等等，还有建立全景图片(panoramas)、把一系列照片编辑成迷你视频档案等五种新特效。 而 锁定Apple的Siri，Google也展示了Chrome浏览器最新的语音辨识功能，能在执行于智能手机的行动版浏览器上，处理相对较复杂的自然语 言查询。 Google还展示了Google Map更新接口与新功能，预定今年夏天正式上线，将与Google +连结、让使用者打造个人化地图。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Judith Cheng 参考英文原文：Google I/O: Larry Page talks, search box listens，by Rick Merritt

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{pagination} Google I/O: Larry Page talks, search box listens Rick Merritt No shiny new gadgets debuted, but Google did show search responding to voice recognition and CEO Larry Page gave a surprise Q&A. SAN JOSE, Calif. – At its annual developer’s conference, Google announced a new voice search capability, a music streaming service and upgrades of Maps and Google+, including automated online photo enhancements that compete with what digital cameras offer. Unlike past years, the keynotes announced no shiny new Android or Chrome OS devices or hardware initiatives. However, in a surprise appearance Google chief executive Larry Page closed out the session with a short talk and Q&A, giving an upbeat engineer’s perspective on the state of high tech in general and Google in particular. “We share a deep sense of optimism about the potential for technology to improve people’s lives,” said Page, appearing in a red T-shirt before an estimated crowd of 5,500 and nearly a million more on a live YouTube Webcast. “We haven’t seen this rate of change in computing probably since the birth of personal computing,” he said. Claiming pride in being a “nerdy curmudgeon,” Page told of his father driving the family across the country to see a robotics conference and arguing to get the young Larry into it. “We need more kids falling in love with math and science and people graduating with science and engineering degrees and working on technical problems,” he said. Responding to audience questions Page said: · Young engineers should focus on first principles. “I encourage you to avoid incremental thinking and have a really deep understanding of what you are doing.” · Most of Google’s out-of-the box initiatives have paid dividends such as a self-driving car effort which contributed ideas and staff to Google Maps. “The amount we spend winds up being small checks.” · Microsoft is not letting Google fully interoperate with its platforms. “I am sad the Web is not advancing as fast as it could be; we have struggled with Microsoft.” · Google Health “didn’t make much progress--primarily all the issues were regulatory. We will see amazing things in health care but I think they will be things that have a tech lever like [low cost] DNA sequencing.” · Smartphones will eventually penetrate developing markets in India and Africa and become a primary business tool. “I can get almost everything I need to run the company on my phone, but unfortunately I don’t get to do much programming.” · He attends the annual Burning Man event and sees it as a good venue for testing new products. By contrast, “I’m not sure about the value of getting on stage [at Google I/O] and saying everything is amazing. We should launch things in a humble way and see what the affect is.” Voice search, photo enhancements Prior to Page’s appearance, a dozen Googlers got on stage to talk about advancements in the company’s Android and Chrome platforms and the services in builds above them. Carriers report more than 900 million Android device activations to date. Google’s Chrome browser has 750 million active users each month, the company said. It was less specific about its Chrome OS environment, a thin software layer around its browser powering Web-connected notebooks. A thousand U.S. schools now use the so-called Chromebooks, and Google I/O attendees received the latest version of the Web-based notebook, the Chromebook Pixel launched in February. Google will continue to drive both Android and Chrome and Chrome OS as separate but related platforms for the foreseeable future. It showed multiple demos of tools and services running across the environments as well as on Apple’s iOS. The keynote news mainly focused on advances in higher-level Web services, competing with the likes of Apple and Facebook. Google’s All Access, for example, is a new streaming music service competing with Apple’s iTunes. In a clear attack on Facebook, Google announced 41 new features to Google+ including more contextual links and a photo enhancement capability. With a single button, users can let Google make a list of improvements to pictures from removing red eye to smoothing skin tones. It also supports five effects such as creating panoramas or mini-videos out of a sequence of photos. Taking Apple’s Siri to task, Google showed a voice search capability running on its Chrome browser. It handled a set of relatively complex natural language queries running on a mobile version of Chrome on smartphones. Google also showed an updated interface and new features that will roll out this summer for its Maps service. It sports links to Google+ to create personalized maps.