May 2015 Summaries

Google's App Invites, launched in beta for both Android and iOS, aims to help app developers increase their user base and engagement through referrals, recommendations, and personalized onboarding experiences. This tool allows developers to tap into users' device and Google-wide contacts to drive referrals, offering features like deep linking to custom experiences and actionable invite cards that can include install buttons directly in email invites. Early adopters, such as UrbanSitter, The CW, PicsArt, and Yummly, have successfully integrated App Invites to enhance their growth strategies by leveraging social sharing and word-of-mouth referrals. The toolkit also facilitates streamlined Android install flows and provides insights through Google Analytics to measure the effectiveness of the invitations, all designed to simplify the creation of user referral and onboarding processes across platforms.

In a 2015 announcement by Jonathan Beri, Google introduced CocoaPods as the primary method for iOS developers to acquire Google SDKs, streamlining the integration of libraries and frameworks into Xcode projects. CocoaPods, a widely-used dependency manager, simplifies managing dependencies between various libraries, addressing the difficulty developers faced in locating the right Google SDKs. Key libraries, such as Google Cloud Messaging and the Google Maps SDK for iOS, are now accessible through CocoaPods, with new SDKs to be packaged as Pods and available on cocoapods.org. Developers are encouraged to explore features like GoogleAnalytics and AdMob by adding them to a Podfile, and can utilize the CocoaPods plugin 'pod try' to quickly test demo projects. Additional resources and tips for using Google’s iOS SDKs are available through the Route 85 video series, fostering the development of innovative Google-powered iOS applications.

Google announced new Google Cast APIs at Google I/O, aimed at enhancing mobile app and game experiences on larger screens through Chromecast and other Google Cast-enabled devices. The updates include the Google Cast Remote Display APIs, which allow developers to create unique second-screen experiences for both Android and iOS without needing to mirror content identically. These APIs enable mobile developers to display graphical content on Google Cast receivers, enhancing user interaction. Additionally, the introduction of Autoplay and Queuing APIs supports seamless media playback by allowing content queues and buffering of subsequent videos, potentially increasing watch time significantly. Game Manager APIs are also being introduced to facilitate the development of multiplayer games by synchronizing game states across multiple devices, making it easier to create interactive gaming experiences in the living room. These new tools are part of Google's ongoing effort to expand the Google Cast ecosystem and encourage innovative uses of their technology.

Polymer 1.0 is a significant release that introduces a refined library for developing web applications using Web Components, enhancing interoperability by simplifying the creation of custom elements. This version, which is redesigned for improved cross-browser performance, offers a library that is significantly faster and more efficient in coding than its predecessor, making it suitable for production use. It includes a new data binding system, enhanced element theming with custom CSS properties, a lightweight Shadow DOM shim for unsupported browsers, and a "Behaviors" mechanism for element functionality sharing. The updated polymer-project.org site provides comprehensive documentation, and the Polymer Starter Kit offers an out-of-the-box solution for quickly building production-ready applications. Additionally, the Polymer elements catalog presents a wide array of new components, allowing developers to enhance their web applications easily.

At the 8th annual Google I/O conference in 2015, attended by 5,600 developers and streamed worldwide, Google emphasized the themes of Develop, Engage, and Earn to enhance mobile experiences and support developer businesses. Key announcements included the Android M Developer Preview, updates to Google Play services 7.5, and advancements in Android Studio 1.3, as well as the introduction of Polymer 1.0 for web components. Google highlighted tools like Firebase for simplified app development, Cloud Test Lab for automated app testing, and initiatives to increase app engagement through App Indexing and Google Cloud Messaging. The conference also introduced new monetization strategies through AdMob and Universal App Campaigns, alongside educational opportunities such as the Android Nanodegree in collaboration with Udacity.

The Google Identity Platform, introduced by Product Manager Adam Dawes, is designed to streamline the authentication process for app developers and users, focusing on reducing friction in signing in while enhancing security. The platform offers tools such as Smart Lock for Passwords, Google Sign-in, and Identity Toolkit. Smart Lock for Passwords allows automatic sign-ins across devices by managing credentials in a user's Google account, which companies like Netflix, Instacart, and the New York Times are leveraging to improve user experience and boost retention. Google Sign-in simplifies the login process by letting users access apps and sites with their Google accounts, significantly increasing user registrations, as seen in the New York Times' 20% rise in new user signups. The Identity Toolkit offers a more secure, scalable authentication system that supports multiple identity providers and allows non-technical developers to easily implement and expand sign-in options. As the platform evolves, plans include expanding API support to other platforms and adding new features like sync passphrases, ensuring a seamless, trusted registration experience across various digital environments.

Google announced the introduction of App Indexing for iOS apps, expanding its capability to allow users on both Android and iOS to access mobile app content directly from Google Search results. Initially available to a small group of test partners, this feature will soon roll out more broadly, enabling iOS apps to appear in search results through the Google App and Chrome for signed-in users globally. To prepare for App Indexing, iOS developers are encouraged to add deep linking support to their apps, provide deep link annotations on their websites, and express their interest in participating. Detailed documentation is available for developers, and more information can be obtained at Google I/O or through the Webmaster help forum.

Google I/O 2015 is set to showcase a range of design-focused content, emphasizing the adoption and implementation of material design, a cross-platform visual, motion, and interaction design system announced the previous year. The event features sessions like Matias Duarte's "Material Now," which will review past achievements and future directions, and will be live-streamed for those unable to attend in person. In addition to scheduled sessions, the event offers a Design Sandbox at Moscone West for one-on-one and group UX reviews, as well as 20-minute tech talks by Google designers and engineers on topics such as cross-platform design and adapting material design for various brands. Attendees can interact with designers and engineers in a space designed to encourage discussion and are encouraged to follow the event online through various social media channels for ongoing updates and announcements.

Starting in 2015, goo.gl short links were enhanced to serve as versatile links that direct users to the appropriate content across Android apps, iOS apps, or websites, depending on their platform and app installation status. By setting up App Indexing for both Android and iOS, these URLs enable seamless redirecting, ensuring that users with the app installed are taken to the app's specific page, while others are guided to the website. This feature not only applies to new URLs but also retroactively to existing ones, offering improved re-engagement opportunities for app users. Integrating the URL Shortener API into an app's share flow further enhances this capability, allowing links shared across platforms to automatically direct to the native app. Google Maps exemplifies this functionality by generating links that optimize the sharing experience regardless of the user's platform. For developers, deep linking via goo.gl is accessible to all iOS developers, offering a broader reach compared to search-based deep links.

Google I/O 2015 is set to commence on May 28th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, offering both in-person and remote participation options. Attendees can navigate the conference using updated Android and web apps, which allow for offline access to schedules, venue maps, and real-time content. Keynote access will follow a first-come, first-serve policy during badge pickup, requiring attendees to bring ID and proof of eligibility. Remote participants can engage through I/O Extended events happening worldwide or by streaming sessions via I/O Live, with opportunities to interact using the #io15request hashtag on social media. The event promises engaging activities, including code labs and hackathons, with live interviews and a social media photo stream to enhance the experience.

In May 2015, Google introduced new features in its Search Console to aid app owners in tracking their app content's performance in search results, offering insights into top queries, popular app pages, and errors. These updates enable app developers to understand how Google indexes and ranks their app content, providing detailed analytics through the Search Analytics report, which includes filters for queries, regions, clicks, impressions, and CTR. To utilize these features, app owners must add their apps to Search Console using their Google Play accounts and associate their websites with their apps for effective App Indexing. The Crawl Errors report and the Fetch as Google tool for apps help diagnose and resolve indexing issues, ensuring that app content is correctly displayed in search results. These tools aim to optimize app visibility and user engagement by aligning the app's most important content with what users find through search.

Fun Propulsion Labs at Google has released an updated version of their open-source Android game, Pie Noon, which now supports Google Cardboard, allowing players to experience the game in virtual reality using their Android phones. By utilizing the Cardboard SDK for Android, the team simplified tasks such as head tracking and rendering, enabling players to engage in interactive gameplay where they select targets by looking at them and throw pies with a flick. The update reflects the lab's ongoing commitment to advancing gaming technologies, as seen in their previous work with tools like FlatBuffers, Pindrop, and Motive, all integrated into Pie Noon. Players can explore the virtual reality adaptation by downloading the game from Google Play or examining the source code to understand the transition process.

Google I/O 2015, scheduled for May 28-29 in San Francisco, is set to feature over 200 talks on topics such as app design, user engagement, and emerging Google platforms. Attendees, whether in person or virtually, can prepare by creating personalized schedules on the I/O website, with automatic time zone adjustments and notifications available through Chrome. The event will include livestreamed sessions, more than 100 intimate sandbox talks, and self-paced code labs focusing on various Google technologies. Attendees will also have the opportunity to interact directly with Googlers during technical discussions. As the event nears, additional sessions and surprises will be revealed, making it an exciting opportunity for participants worldwide.