Google's press conference at this year's Mobile World Congress proved to be a mixed affair, the firm proclaiming the mobile as the platform of the moment but offering little insight into where it plans to take it next.
According to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, the company lives and dies by the mantra "mobile first". Google proudly revealed that its Android OS is now available on more than 65 devices, with 60,000 units shipping daily.
"It's our goal to make mobile the answer to pretty much everything," Schmidt said in his keynote speech. "Why the mobile phone? Because it's the high volume end point. That time is upon us right now and right here."
Of most note was Google's plans for voice search technology. Schmidt said it was the company's desire to serve up technology that allowed people speaking two separate lives to talk without any delay, software translating the speech on the go.
We aren't quite there," he admitted, "but it's coming."
Much was also made of a new mobile search set-up that will allow users to take pictures of foreign words and have them translated back in the form of a text in quick time.
Likewise, a 'search by image' function will also enable Google to recognise locations based on nothing more than a photo.
Just how far such functionality will stretch is still up in the air, but Google itself demonstrated using a picture of Gaudi cathedral in Barcelona.
However, there was very little in the way of major full-scale announcements.
More time was spent taking what could be seen as a dig at rival Apple, senior product manager for Android Erick Tseng demonstrating Flash on a Nexus One by navigating to a video embedded into the New York Times's front page - a demo sadly hampered by buffering issues.
Apple currently has its own issues with Flash, which won't have escaped Google. CEO Steve Jobs has recently dismissed the platform as "buggy", its developer Adobe "lazy", and ruled out any future Flash support on iPhone or iPad.
News
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
Related Articles
News
Apr 20th, 2024
PocketGamer.biz Podcast Week in Views E08 - The UK games industry's skills crisis, Fallout's TV success, and Epic's endless court battles
Top Stories
News
3 hours, 1 minute ago
EU ruling gives Apple six months to bring iPadOS into line with DMA demands
News
4 hours, 44 minutes ago
Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen joins LEGO’s board of directors days after Squad Busters’ soft launch
News
6 hours, 2 minutes ago
A Thinking Ape lays off staff across game design, software engineering, art teams and more
Feature
5 hours, 11 minutes ago
King’s Paula Ingvar: a games industry journey from "I’m not worthy!" to Candy Crush Soda’s VP of product
Feature
9 hours, 21 minutes ago
Hot Five: Supercell’s Squad Busters levels up, retro Nintendo on iOS, and Genshin Impact’s worst month yet
News
Apr 26th, 2024
Week in Views - Squads busted, Apple crushed, War zoned and Snoozin' with the Snorlax…
Events
Dubai GameExpo Summit 2024 | Middle East | May 1st |
The MENA Games Industry Awards 2024 | Middle East | May 2nd |
GameDev Atlantic 2024 | May 4th | |
Mobidictum Meetup Berlin May 2024 | Europe | May 7th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Israel Mobile Summit 2024 | Middle East | Jun 6th |
WN Conference Istanbul 2024 | Jun 11th | |
DevGAMM Vilnius 2024 | Europe | Jun 14th |
Popular Stories
News
Apr 23rd, 2024
Supercell’s Squad Busters soft launches today with over 100,000 Google Play downloads
News
Apr 25th, 2024