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Google I/O 2024: What's new

Google I/O 2024 centered on making AI accessible to developers. Updates to Gemini and Gemma models offer increased capabilities. Project IDX simplifies app development with cloud-based tools and AI integration. New features in Android Studio, Play Store, and Firebase enhance developer workflows.

Google I/O 2024: What's new
Image: Google

Google I/O 2024 placed a strong emphasis on making AI accessible and useful for developers. Here's a breakdown of the key announcements across various areas:

AI

  • Gemini 1.5 & Flash Variant: The upgraded Gemini 1.5 Pro model offers a 2 million context window and is now in public preview. A lightweight variant, Gemini 1.5 Flash, is designed for specific tasks.
  • Gemma Improvements: Updates to the open-source Gemma model include specialized variants and an upcoming 27-billion parameter version, Gemma 2.
  • Project IDX: This widely available beta allows developers to build apps for Android, iOS, and web using a web browser and cloud-hosted tools. It also integrates with Gemini for AI-powered code completion.
Image: 9to5google

Android & iOS

  • Gemini in Android Studio: This AI assistant provides answers, suggestions, and advanced code completion within Android Studio. It will be upgraded to Gemini 1.5 Pro later this year.
  • Gemini Nano for On-Device Tasks: This on-device model offers low latency and privacy benefits for developers. It's currently available on Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 series.
  • Google Checks: This tool leverages AI to identify potential privacy issues in your app to ensure compliance with regulations. It now includes AI Safety for ensuring safe and appropriate generative AI output.

Flutter & Dart

  • Flutter 3.22: This release brings stable support for compiling Flutter web apps to WebAssembly, resulting in significant performance improvements.
  • Dart 3.4: Introduces the beginnings of macros for code generation within the Dart programming language.

Kotlin Multiplatform

  • First-Class Android Support: Kotlin Multiplatform now offers better integration with Android, allowing developers to use Android Jetpack libraries in their cross-platform projects.

Google Play

  • Engage SDK: This developer preview program allows you to showcase in-app content from across Google Play, potentially increasing user engagement.
  • Play Integrity: The Play Integrity API is enhanced with features to detect suspicious app behavior and improve app security.
  • Custom Play Store Listings: Play Store listings can now be tailored to specific search terms, allowing for targeted app promotion.

Web

  • Gemini Nano in Chrome: This integration brings the "Help Me Write" feature to Chrome, assisting users with short-form content creation. Developer access will be available soon through APIs.
  • Gemini for DevTools: Chrome DevTools Console Insights leverages Gemini to explain error messages and offer personalized debugging suggestions.
  • Background Loading & Seamless Transitions: New APIs like Speculation Rules and View Transitions are designed to improve browsing performance and make Chrome feel faster.
Image: Google

Firebase

  • Firebase Genkit: This beta launch provides a framework for Node.js developers to build backends with AI features for their apps. Support for Go is coming soon.
Image: 9to5google
  • Vertex AI for Firebase SDKs: These SDKs allow developers to integrate advanced AI capabilities into their apps using Kotlin, Swift, Dart, and JavaScript.
  • Data Connect: This tool simplifies connecting Firebase apps to a traditional PostgreSQL database hosted by Google Cloud. It's currently in gated preview.
  • App Hosting: Firebase expands its hosting capabilities to support server-rendered web frameworks like Next.js and Angular.
  • Crashlytics AI Insights: This feature analyzes crash details and offers AI-powered suggestions for fixing app issues.
Image: 9to5google

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