From Daydream to Google Home, the highlights from Google I/O 2016

Put your goggles on, fasten your seat belts and get ready for a virtual reality war. Imagine that you are in an ocean and a whale passes by or picture yourself watching a match with a 360-degree view, making you feel like you're cheering in a stadium with thousands of fans. Virtual reality enables people to experience content in as real a way as possible.

Let's try to describe a virtual reality platform for those who have not yet had a chance to experience one. For a virtual reality experience, you put on goggles, which resembles pulling the curtains over your eyes. Then you see options such as games, films or directions that are prepared for a 360-degree experience. With virtual reality technology, you are able to play games or control a robot that is thousands of kilometers away from you and hundreds of meters under the sea. From education and entertainment to health and construction, virtual reality is being used by various platforms and industries. I have to stress the fact that this is just the beginning. All the technology and products we see employing a virtual reality platform are just introductory projects. With the increase in competition and collaboration, a virtual reality platform will take its shape.

Content and tech

Two of the major obstacles in the way of creating the ultimate virtual reality experience are content and the lack of technology that makes our eyes less tired and slower. Facebook - via Oculus Rift - Google, HTC, Microsoft and Sony have already taken their place in the virtual reality sector. Google, which entered the virtual reality business with Cardboard at the Developers Conference in 2014, is getting ready to challenge its rivals with a new device called Daydream. Introduced at the opening keynote address during the annual Google I/O Developers Conference, which took place from May 18 to May 20, Daydream will be supported by devices featuring Android apps, such as YouTube, Street View, the Google Play Store, Google Play Movies and Google Photos.

Most realistic solution

Gaming and media companies, including The New York Times, HBO, Netflix, Ubisoft and Electronic Arts, will continue to be Google's content partners for its mobile or wearable devices. It is still too early, however, to review the performance of Daydream, but there is no doubt that everyone will improve their skills, as they will be pre-informed by developers. When Facebook bought Oculus years ago, it was actually making an investment for the future. Now, SamsungVR is supporting Oculus even before Android services. HTC Vive also promises an advantage regarding the device's performance.

The audience at a play

Virtual reality technology has to have very powerful operating performance to sustain a clear view and a solution that prevents eyes from tiring. Imagine that you are watching a play on a platform above the stage and become a part of the moment. While the user becomes part of the action in virtual reality games, he or she becomes an audience member in some films and videos. For now, the virtual reality device user is only deprived of the use of the senses of touch and smell. However, there will certainly be new developments in this matter as well. It is also possible for virtual reality to be used for real-world applications, such as patient recovery or surgery.

Google Home

Gadgets are becoming smarter, which is why Google Home does not surprise us. Google Home, recently introduced at Google I/O 2016, is similar to Amazon Echo. However, drawing on its own features and services, Google brings a completely new experience. Google Home can receive sound from the end of a room and answer questions, can play music or open Internet radio stations or services. In other words, it helps consumers use all smart gadgets at home. It would not be wrong to say it is a smart, voice-operated remote control. It is also possible to personalize Google Home's color in harmony with your home's decor. With its LED light system, Google Home notifies the user when a message pops up or something happens to your home devices.

Connecting to TVs

Amazon Echo does not offer an excellent experience when used in more than one room. Google Home, on the other hand, is designed for multiple rooms. The speaker of Google Home, which uses Google's Basic Cast standard, manages to distribute music to other speakers. Google Cast-supported platforms, such as Google Play Music and Spotify, can be connected via Google Home. By featuring Google Cast, Google Home is able to communicate with Chromecast, which is connected to the TV and can play YouTube videos. Google Home will not initially support more than one Google account, but the company promises that this will eventually change. Google Home works in coordination with a small number of home automation devices. Although, Google has not yet released a list of the devices that will be used via Google Home, thermoregulatory devices, such as the Nest thermostat and LED lamps like those offered by Philips, will definitely be included. The price of Google Home, which will be on the market this year, has not yet been announced.