Thousands of developers will trek to Google's developer conference, I/O, on Wednesday in Mountain View to hear the latest updates on Android, virtual reality and machine learning. The search giant will hold a two-hour keynote presentation that analysts expect will delve into new features like split screens on its Android smartphone operating system, a rumored all-in-one virtual reality headset and, perhaps, a device similar to the Amazon Echo that recognizes voice commands. "Google is at the point now where they are really looking at expanding way beyond search and mobile platforms," said Tim Bajarin, president of advisory services firm Creative Strategies. Last year's Google I/O -- the initials stand for "input, output" -- drew 5,600 people. The event, being held this year at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, has turned into a nearly weeklong affair.

The SPS IPC Drives event--held every November in Nuremberg, Germany--disappointed some attendees this past fall by not showing many steps forward for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies. Yes, the marketing noise was loud, but little was actually being delivered. I am proud that Hilscher stood out from the crowd with its new portfolio of IIoT products. With connectivity being our core business, it was clear to us as we initially approached the IIoT concept that some sort of hardware (e.g., gateways) would be needed. After all, IIoT is just another "gateway" challenge, right?

Google wants to play an even bigger role in managing people's daily lives, while also nudging them into an alternate reality, as the Internet company responds to competitive threats posed by Facebook, Amazon and Apple. As part of an onslaught of upcoming products, Google will implant a more personable form of artificial intelligence into an Internet-connected device called Home, which echoes the Echo, Amazon.com's Meanwhile, Google will also delve deeper into the still-nascent realm of virtual reality with a system called Daydream that's meant to challenge Facebook-owned Oculus's early lead in fabricating artificial worlds. In an attempt to outshine Apple, Google is also adding features to its Android operating system, including the ability to run apps without actually installing them on a device. That feature, called Instant Apps, might have been the biggest breakthrough that Google announced Wednesday at its annual developers conference held in an amphitheater located a few blocks from its Mountain View, California, headquarters.

The world got its first glimpse of Allo at Google's yearly I/O conference on Wednesday. Its creators hope the Android and iOS app will transcend similar services like Amazon Alexa, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. Receiving a photo of clam linguini prompted Allo to offer responses like "Yummy!" and "I love linguini!" Known as Smart Reply, the feature may one day keep thumbs from worrying about autocorrect, as full conversations could be had at one tap per message. As Allo gets to "know" its user over time, other responses, such as "I wish I wasn't allergic," could conceivably be produced. The app will do more than just recognize images and suggest responses, however.

The science and technology wants to make our living easy but at the same time it is affecting our lifestyle and health. The scientists are curious beings and we know that but they are quite stubborn too when it comes to reaching their goals. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is cool if you think about it but at the same time it does have some drawbacks. Every technology has its cost like after sitting in air conditioner rooms we no longer are able to tolerate a bit of heat. Likewise invention of vehicles was needed to travel long distances but now people can't even walk a mile, nowadays everyone is using vehicles to reach very nearby places as well.

The device is similar to the Amazon Echo, which was released in the US in 2014. Although derided when it was first unveiled, the Echo has become a fixture in many American homes, although it has not been released elsewhere. But despite being well behind Amazon in releasing its own speaker, Google is counting on its AI prowess, voice recognition technology and the stash of data it already has on users to gain an advantage. By always listening, Google Home can respond to any queries just by users saying "OK Google" and issuing a command, rather than having to type a phrase into a search engine or check emails to dig out flight details.

Computers find it difficult to understand the English language. The U.S. search giant is releasing the code, a piece of software called SyntaxNet and Parsey McParseface for free for developers to use. Together, these pieces of software will allow a developer's program or app to understand written English, something that companies from Facebook to Google have placed great emphasis on. Google's move is significant because artificial intelligence (AI) and in particular, natural language understanding, is very difficult for computers and even harder for developers to code. By opening up the capabilities to do this, Google is giving these developers the chance to integrate natural language understanding into their apps.

Yesterday was the first day of Google's annual I/O developer conference: its equivalent of Apple's WWDC in terms of revealing new products and services for the year ahead. While there were no direct news about the music aspects of Google Play and YouTube, there was plenty for the music industry to think about in Google's other announcements. Starting with Google Home, a connected speaker controlled by its owner's voice, which will compete directly with Amazon's Echo. The speaker will use the Google Cast technology to stream music, which means that services like Spotify will be supported alongside Google Play Music. Amazon's speaker has been a big hit in the US, and Google is training its sights squarely on the device.

In this May 2, 2016 photo, researchers watch a six-foot-tall, 300-pound Valkyrie robot walk slowly at University of Massachusetts-Lowell's robotics center in Lowell, Mass. "Val," one of four sister robots built by NASA, could be the vanguard for the colonization of Mars by helping to set up a habitat for future human explorers. NASA spokesman Jay Bolden says the agency aims to get to Mars by 2035 and it'll be the Valkyries or their descendants paving the way.

Google unveiled a brand new self-driving car prototype on Tuesday; the first company to build a car with no a steering wheel, accelerator or brake pedal. The car's arrival marks the next stage in Google's self-driving car project, which was born from the Darpa Grand Challenges for robotic vehicles in the early 2000s. Google kickstarted its own self-driving car project in 2008, and it has been rumbling on ever since, first with modified Toyota Prius and then with customised Lexus SUVs, which took the car's existing sensors, such as the cruise-control cameras, and added a spinning laser scanner on the top. It is the first truly driverless electric car prototype built by Google to test the next stage of its five-year-old self-driving car project. It looks like a cross between a Smart car and a Nissan Micra, with two seats and room enough for a small amount of luggage.