There's plenty of speculation about possible news from the company's upcoming developers conference.
Google I/O, the company's annual developer conference, gets under way Wednesday and runs for three days--and there's plenty of speculation about what the company might unveil.
Here are a few things to keep an eye out for.
- Android and tablets: Google is expected to release information about the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update, reports Information Week. After Google's acquisition of hardware maker Motorola last August, Information Week suggests, the company will also unveil a Google-branded seven-inch Nexus tablet.
- Competition for Siri? After the mass success of Apple's Siri, it's said Google has been working to build a competitive personal assistant.
- A master plan: Some are hoping Google will unveil a vision for how its tech products, software and services will all fit together. "I'd like to see a strategic direction that encompasses all the different platforms," analyst Al Hilwa of research firm IDC tells Wired. "How are they going to unify their screens and experiences across web and devices?"
- Cloud services: There's speculation that Google will launch a cloud services platform to rival Amazon's EC2 cloud, GigaOm reports.
- Where's Larry Page? One thing you probably won't see is Google's Larry Page, notes Reuters. The chief executive recently lost his voice from an unspecified condition. Google isn't disclosing any details, but Page did email employees Thursday, saying that he'd "continue to run the company," and that "there is nothing seriously wrong with me" the Wall Street Journal reports.
