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Google I/O 2021 Recap: All the Major Announcements

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Google I/O 2021 Recap: All the Major Announcements


Google I/O 2021 keynote took place on Tuesday where CEO Sundar Pichai and his team of executives announced a list of new developments, including the release of Android 12 and new Wear OS. In addition to the two major product-focussed announcements, Google announced its progress in bringing natural language understanding with a new language model called LaMDA. The I/O keynote this year also included announcements on a smart canvas experience in Google Workspace, safer routing in Google Maps, and an enhanced video conferencing initiative called Project Starline.

In this article, we break down the key announcements that went live at Google I/O 2021 keynote in Mountain View, California, US, to give you a brief recap of the virtual event.

Android 12

Just like the past I/O keynotes, one of the most anticipated announcements of this year’s I/O conference was for Android 12. The new operating system that Google initially brought to developers in February and is currently live through a public beta release comes with an all-new interface. Google has also offered new privacy controls — some of them are similar to what Apple provided to its iPhone users through iOS 14 last year. Additionally, Android 12 carries elements based on design language Material You, which will also be used for designing the interfaces of Google’s wearables, smart displays, and other hardware in the future.

New Wear OS

After Android 12, the next major announcement that Google announced at the I/O 2021 keynote was the next Wear OS update. The company calls it the “biggest update to Wear ever”, with a fresh consumer experience. Google has partnered with Samsung to bring the best of Wear OS and Tizen into a single platform. The new Wear OS also includes features such as support for third-party Tiles and the ability to switch between apps by double tapping on the screen. Further, there are updates to Google Maps and Google Assistant for Wear OS with new interface and improvements. Google’s latest operating system for wearables also includes health and fitness tracking updates that are coming from the house of Fitbit.

Better multi-device experience

At this year’s I/O keynote, Google revealed that there are over three billion active Android devices around the globe. These devices are not just limited to smartphones but also include smartwatches, smart TVs, and others based on Android. Google is now on a move to make communication among multiple Android devices easier by offering new multi-device experiences. One such addition is wider rollout of Fast Pair to devices such as Beats headphones as well as cars from BMW and Ford. Android phones will also get an inbuilt remote control for smart TVs based on Android TV and Google TV. Chromebook users will also get a control centre to adjust a connected Android phone. Features such as to receive notification on Chromebooks and unlock cars using an Android phone will also be available in the coming days.

Smart canvas in Google Workspace

Google showcased the smart canvas in Google Workspace to ease collaboration of teams on Google Docs, Sheets, and other productivity tools. It will allow users to have a video call with their colleagues while working on their next assignment using Google Workspace. Users on Google Docs and Sheets will also be able to communicate with their teams using built-in Google Chat rooms. Google also announced some other productivity-focussed developments, including smarter meeting notes template and pageless Docs, as well as Google Meet integration within Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Google Maps safer routing

At the I/O 2021 conference, Google announced the arrival of safer routing on Google Maps that will suggest routes to help you avoid hitting brakes. It will combine artificial intelligence (AI) with navigation information to identify hard-braking events on your route. Google is also expanding its detailed street maps to 50 new cities by the end of this year. Detailed street maps were introduced in August and are designed to provide details about sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian islands. Google Maps will also start highlighting busy areas to help people avoid crowds.

Google Chrome with better password management

Google Chrome is getting an updated password manager that will let you change your passwords with a single tap, Google announced at I/O 2021. Google Assistant on Chrome will show a ‘Change password’ button when the browser finds a potentially compromised password on a particular website. Users just need to tap that button to change their password. Google also announced that by using the password manager of Chrome, users will now be notified about creating a strong password for certain sites and apps.

Google Photos with Memories, Cinematic moments, Locked Folders

Alongside Google Maps and Chrome, Google Photos has received a handful of new features that were all announced at the I/O 2021 keynote. One of them is the new types of Memories that will be around the moments a user has celebrated — whether it’s Diwali, Lunar New Year, and Hanukkah. Additionally, there will be controls to rename a Trip highlight or remove it completely, or able to remove a single photo from Memories. Google Photos will also create moving images from their still versions by filling the gaps in nearly identical photos. This is called Cinematic moments. The last major change that Google Photos will get is Locked Folders that will work as a passcode-protected space and will require users to either use their fingerprint or a PIN to unlock the folder each time they want to look at some of their memories.

LaMDA and MUM

Google at its I/O keynote announced LaMDA as its new language model for dialogue applications. It is claimed to be designed to converse on any topic and is available as an open domain, which means it can be customised for any conversations. Google demonstrated the scope of LaMDA by showcasing a communication about Pluto. The language model is limited to be trained on text. However, Google also talked about multimodal models (MUM) that will allow people to offer natural responses by sharing images, text, audio, and video. Both LaMDA and MUM could help Google enhance its search engine and uplift Google Assistant over time.

Project Starline

Pichai at the I/O 2021 keynote showed off Project Starline as Google’s next ambitious development to enhance video conferring. It uses high-resolution cameras and custom-built depth sensors to capture shape and appearance of users from multiple perspectives, and then fuses them together to create an extremely detailed, real-time 3D model. This brings a hyper-real form of video conversations that could be quite useful especially at the current times when people are avoiding physical meetings due to the coronavirus spread.

Google also unveiled its AI-powered dermatology tool that is designed to help people find answers to as many as 288 skin conditions — directly using the camera of their smartphones. It will launch as a pilot later this year, starting with Europe. Similar to the AI-powered dermatology tool, Google showcased a deep learning system that could help detect active pulmonary tuberculosis. It is claimed to help save up to 80 percent of the cost per positive TB case detected. Google is planning to work with Apollo Hospitals in India and the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) to bring its research work into reality.


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JioTag Go With Find My Device Network Support Launched in India: See Price

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JioTag Go With Find My Device Network Support Launched in India: See Price


JioTag Go was launched in India on Wednesday. It is claimed to be India’s first Android tracker with support for Google’s Find My Device network. Users can locate the tracker with the Google Find My Device app, which uses the network of all Android phones worldwide. The Bluetooth-enabled tracker is claimed to offer a battery life of up to a year. Earlier this year in July, Reliance launched the JioTag Air, which is compatible with Apple’s Find My network. 

JioTag Go Price in India, Availability

JioTag Go price is set in India at Rs. 1,499. It is available for purchase in the country via Amazon, JioMart e-store, as well as Reliance Digital and My Jio stores. The tracker is offered in black, orange, white, and yellow colour options.

JioTag Go Features

The JioTag Go is a Bluetooth tracker which is compatible with Google’s Find My Device feature. The tracker connects with the Find My Device application on Android smartphones, which users can access through the Play Store. People can use this to track their belongings worldwide, the company said. 

It can be attached to keys, purses, luggage, gadgets, bikes, and more and then be used to locate the items if lost. When within Bluetooth range, users can tap the ‘Play Sound’ option on the Find My Device app, and the concerned JioTag Go will make a beeping noise, which should easily help locate the lost item.

Outside the Bluetooth range, the last location of the tracker can be detected by Google’s Find My Device network. On the app, users can follow the map that appears with the ‘Get Directions’ option, to this location. Once in range, the JioTag Go will automatically connect to the user’s phone and they can use the ‘Play Sound’ feature to find the tracker.

The latest tracker from Reliance Jio is compatible with smartphones running Android 9 and above. It does not connect to iPhones. Notably, the JioTag Air is compatible with iPhone models running iOS 14 or later, as well as Android smartphones on Android 9 and later.

JioTag Go does not require a SIM card to function. It supports Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and is backed by a CR2032 battery, one of which is said to last up to a year. The Amazon listing reveals that the tracker measures ‎38.2 x 38.2 x 7.2mm in size and weighs 9g.

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Apple’s AirTag 2 to Come With Improved Ultrawide-Band Chip: Mark Gurman

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Apple’s AirTag 2 to Come With Improved Ultrawide-Band Chip: Mark Gurman


Apple’s AirTag, that helps users track their belongings, was introduced in 2021. The Cupertino-based tech giant is expected to unveil the second generation of the smart tracker soon. A rumoured AirTag 2 has surfaced online over the past few weeks. Although the company has yet to confirm the tracker, its probable launch timeline has been tipped.  It is said to come with several improvements over the existing version. The latest reporting on the device suggests that the AirTag 2 is expected to pack a new ultrawide-band chip, similar to the one found in the iPhone 15.

Apple AirTag 2 New Ultrawide-Band Chip

The anticipated AirTag 2 will carry a new ultrawide-band chip instead of the one used in the current version of the tracker, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter Sunday. This new chip is said to be “on par with the one introduced in the iPhone 15.”

Gurman claimed that the new ultrawide-band chip is expected to increase the Precision Finding range considerably in the second generation of AirTag. This is said to make it easier to track and find items. Currently, depending on certain conditions an item with an attached AirTag can be located from 10 to 30 meters away. With the rumoured new UB chip, that range is expected to triple, Gurman said.

Apple AirTag 2 Launch Timeline

Previous reports have suggested that Apple could launch the AirTag 2 around the “middle of next year,” that is roughly June-July 2025. The purported smart tracker is said to carry the codename B589. It is expected to sport a similar design as the existing variant but get upgraded privacy features.

Since the launch of the first generation AirTag, it has been misused for stalking. Apple is expected to make privacy-focussed changes for the AirTag 2 “to make the new model more tamper-proof.” The company will reportedly launch a new smart home display alongside the second-generation AirTag.

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Oppo Find X8 Ultra Tipped to Come With 2K Display and 6,000mAh Battery; Other Key Specifications Leak





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Apple’s HomePod Tipped to Come With 6 or 7 Inch OLED Display

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Apple’s HomePod Tipped to Come With 6 or 7 Inch OLED Display


Apple is expected to launch a new HomePod next year. Previous reports have suggested several key details about the purported smart speaker. It is tipped to come with a large touch-supported screen supplied by China’s Tianma firm. An earlier leak had suggested this feature, and now a new report has made similar claims. Other details about the smart speaker have surfaced online over the past few months as well. The launch timeline of the third-gen HomePod has been hinted at earlier, too.

New Apple HomePod Display

A report by SE Daily claims that the third-generation HomePod from Apple will likely sport a 6-inch to 7-inch OLED display. The Cupertino-based tech giant will use OLED panels by Tianma. An earlier leak had claimed that the upcoming HomePod model will get a 7-inch panel from Tianma. 

The older had leak claimed that Tianma would likely provide display panels for Apple’s iPad models in the coming years. Tianma is an electronic technology company which is popular for manufacturing displays for Android smartphones.

Previous reports suggested that an upcoming HomePod speaker unit could be powered by an A18 chipset and have support for Apple Intelligence. It has been tipped to carry a square display instead of a rectangular one, which is primarily seen in tablets.

The HomePod is expected to be equipped with a customisable lock screen with multiple clock faces. It may have an in-built camera to support video conferencing apps like FaceTime. The camera may be able to recognise hand gestures, that could be used to control the smart speaker.

Initial reports claimed that the third generation of Apple’s HomePod could be unveiled in the first half of 2025. A recent report suggests that the production of the speaker may not begin until the third quarter of 2025. This delay is reportedly a result of the company continuing to work on the software for the smart speaker. It may launch by the end of 2025.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.





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