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7 things you missed at Google I/O

Google's conference was packed full of new goodies. We assembled our favorite announcements you might have missed.

Patrick Holland Managing Editor
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
Expertise Apple, iPhone, iOS, Android, Samsung, Sony, Google, Motorola, interviews, coffee equipment, cats Credentials
  • Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
Patrick Holland
2 min read
James Martin/CNET
Watch this: Google Assistant is your new bartender

After three days of I/O, Google 's developers conference has come to an end. During that time, there were several announcements including Google Lens and updates to Android O and Tango/Daydream. But there were several other pieces of news that might have flown under your radar. Read on to check out all the good stuff you might have missed from Google I/O .


Google is going to do some deep cleaning in its Play Store.


Kirikk Grouchnikov/Google

Google deletes apps that suck

To improve Android apps, Google is going to delete the ones that cause problems. Read: Google declares war on 1-star app reviews.


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Virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality: Which one are we going with?

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AR? VR? UR? What's in a name?

Both Google and Microsoft are making leaps to pursue virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). But both companies have different names to their approaches. Let the AR-VR turf war begin. Read: The VR future is here but no one can agree on a name for it.


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Tango makes your shopping experience more like a video game.

Google

AR shop to you drop

Finding items and goods at shops will be a breeze with AR and indoor mapping. At least, that's what Google and other department stores hope. Read: Google Tango bringing indoor AR mapping to 400 Lowe's stores.


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How long do you VR?

CNET

Do you VR?

To get people using VR more often and for longer periods of time (currently, people play with VR a mere 5.7 minutes a day, or 40 minutes a week), Google is on the search for the "Angry Birds of VR," or really any killer app will do. Read: ​Google wants you to use VR more than 40 minutes a week.


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Tango makes classroom AR amazing accessible for classrooms.

James Martin/CNET

The ultimate selfie stick

Google has a Tango selfie stick that is a must for good AR, especially for kids. It's all a part of Google's push to bring AR into schools. Read: ​Google's selfie stick AR is a great idea.


Watch this: Google's got VR. Next it's diving into AR

Superpowers for teachers

Google Expeditions is an educational initiative that, for two years, has taken over 2 million students to the VR and AR versions of the coral reefs and outer space. It's a wild way to bring tech to the classrooms. Read: Google's 'superpower' for teachers: AR and VR.


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This phone has both Tango and Daydream, a first.

James Martin/CNET

Tango and Daydream -- together at last

If you want to satisfy your AR and VR curiosity this summer, the Asus ZenFone AR will go on sale this summer through Verizon. Unlike the Tango phone you might have already heard of, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, the ZenFone AR is the first phone to have both Tango and Daydream. Read: New Tango phone could make trying on clothes so last year


All the cool stuff Google announced at I/O

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But wait, there's more

Other Google I/O news you should check out include: