February 2019 Summaries

The .dev top-level domain (TLD) has been launched and is now available for public registration, offering a dedicated space for developers to showcase their projects, tools, programming languages, and blogs. Priced between $12 and $15 depending on the registrar, the .dev domain aims to be a hub for innovation and collaboration in the tech community. Google has already migrated several of its developer resources to .dev, such as web.dev for web development education, flutter.dev for cross-platform app development, and tfhub.dev for the TensorFlow community. Additionally, those who applied for Google I/O 2019 tickets are eligible to receive a free .dev domain for one year, encouraging participants to explore the potential of this new digital space for their creative endeavors.

In February 2019, Google opened the Developer Space @ Google Singapore, the first physical space dedicated to developers within a Google office, aimed at supporting Southeast Asian developers, entrepreneurs, and community groups. This initiative follows the success of one of their first machine learning bootcamps in the region, where participants like Raymond Chan from Chope gained valuable skills in using Google Cloud Platform for data management, leading to improved decision-making capabilities. The Developer Space offers insights, mentorship, and networking opportunities, and hosts a variety of workshops on Google tools and technologies, alongside programs such as LeadersLab and Indie Games Accelerator. By fostering growth and innovation among startups and developers in the rapidly advancing Southeast Asian tech scene, Google is committed to helping these communities reach their full potential.

Flutter 1.2 was launched at the Mobile World Congress in 2019 as the first stable feature update of the open-source UI toolkit, marking significant improvements in stability, performance, and the visual refinement of existing widgets, alongside new web-based tools for developers. The update included broader support for UI languages, enhancements to Material and Cupertino widgets, and new support for floating cursor text editing on iOS, easing functions for animations, and expanded keyboard and mouse functionalities to support desktop-class operating systems. Alongside Flutter 1.2, new developer tools were introduced, including a web-based suite for debugging and analyzing apps with features like a widget inspector and a full source-level debugger. The release also brought the Dart 2.2 SDK, which offered performance improvements and new language support. The development roadmap for 2019 aimed at expanding Flutter beyond mobile platforms, with projects like "Hummingbird" for web integration and efforts to bring Flutter to desktop devices. Additionally, the Flutter Create contest was announced, challenging developers to build innovative apps with limited code, with winners to be announced at Google I/O. Flutter's popularity continued to grow globally, becoming one of the top 20 software repositories on GitHub, supported by an expanding community and new resources like a dedicated YouTube channel.

In 2019, Google announced a series of updates and tools for Actions on Google, aimed at expanding the reach and engagement of its developer community, which saw significant growth in 2018. With the Google Assistant available in over 80 countries and nearly 30 languages, the focus is on catering to the next billion users, particularly in rapidly growing markets such as India, Indonesia, Brazil, and Mexico, where voice interaction is prevalent. The integration of Actions on Google with entry-level platforms like Android Go and KaiOS will allow developers to create applications without additional work, making them accessible in over 100 countries. New features include improved text-to-speech (TTS) voices in multiple languages and expanded transactional capabilities across 22 markets. Developers are encouraged to use templates for rapid deployment of Actions in various languages, with examples like Hello English and Where is My Train? already addressing local needs. The initiative underscores Google's commitment to enhancing user experience across diverse global markets, irrespective of language or location.

In February 2019, Google announced five new investments under its Google Assistant Investments program, aimed at supporting innovative startups within the digital assistant ecosystem. The new portfolio includes diverse companies like AskPorter, an AI-driven property management platform that simplifies space management with a digital assistant; GradeSlam, a personalized tutoring service that connects students with educators through chat-based sessions; Aiva Health, which utilizes smart speakers to enhance patient care and satisfaction in hospitals and senior communities; StyleHacks, a conversational AI tool providing personalized fashion recommendations and shopping assistance; and StatMuse, which offers sports fans personalized commentary and historical sports data through interactions with sports personalities. The program, launched to expand the capabilities of Google Assistant through voice technology and new devices, continues to foster partnerships with startups exploring applications in various industries, including hospitality, insurance, fashion, education, and sports.

Launchpad Accelerator Mexico is a new program aimed at supporting Latin American startups in creating scalable and impactful products using advanced technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Android, and web solutions, with Google Cloud as the technological backbone. The program, developed in partnership with the co-working space Centraal, is set to run for three months in Mexico City and offers technical support for high-impact projects, along with mentorship from Google and industry experts. The initiative is designed for startups that have already validated their business model and are looking to refine their product-market fit and traction. Applications for the inaugural class are open until March 15, with selected startups announced on March 21, and the program commencing on April 29, 2019.

Google Registry has launched a new top-level domain (TLD) called .dev, specifically aimed at developers and technology enthusiasts, providing a dedicated online space for building communities, showcasing projects, and learning new technologies. This initiative is designed to offer a secure domain environment as all .dev websites require HTTPS connections, enhancing protection against ad malware, tracking injections, and spying on open networks. Notable companies like GitHub, JetBrains, and Salesforce are already utilizing .dev domains to offer a variety of resources, tools, and solutions to improve productivity and skills, while the Early Access Program allows users to secure desired domains at a premium before the general availability begins on February 28. Google itself is using .dev for its projects such as web.dev and opensource.dev, and the launch follows previous successful introductions of secure domains like .app and .page, facilitating a broader movement towards an HTTPS-everywhere web future.

ARCore version 1.7 introduces new tools and enhancements designed to enrich augmented reality (AR) experiences, focusing on creative elements and user experience improvements. The update includes the Augmented Faces API, which allows for the application of 3D face meshes to create AR selfies with fun effects like animated masks and virtual hats using the front-facing camera. It also expands the AR creative canvas by supporting animations in Sceneform, enabling objects to perform various movements. Additionally, ARCore Elements has been integrated into the SDK for Unity, offering pre-validated AR UI components to streamline user experience improvements, such as Plane Finding and Object Manipulation. The update enhances the smartphone camera UX with Shared Camera access, allowing users to pause AR experiences and capture photos. These updates aim to make AR experiences both immersive and accessible, with more details available on the ARCore developer website.

Google is enhancing user security for applications using Google Sign In by introducing Cross Account Protection (CAP), a protocol that allows apps to share security notifications about a common user. CAP addresses a critical flaw in single sign-in solutions, where an attack on a user's Google Account could compromise app access. It supports standardized security events such as account hijacking, account disabling, and forced password changes, and is built on new Internet Standards developed with the OpenID Foundation and IETF. CAP enables developers to implement a single system for receiving security signals from multiple identity providers. For those already using Google Sign In, implementing CAP involves enabling the RISC API, creating a Service Account, and setting up a REST API to receive security event tokens. Developers using Firebase Authentication or Google Cloud Identity automatically have CAP configured, simplifying integration.

Cloud Firestore, a serverless NoSQL document database, has been made generally available, offering significant updates such as reduced pricing for regional instances, integration with Stackdriver for monitoring, and expansion to 10 new locations. Designed for modern application development without infrastructure management, Cloud Firestore enables data storage, synchronization, and querying for web, mobile, and IoT applications. It supports real-time capabilities, offline access, and secure authentication, allowing seamless app transitions between online and offline states. The database integrates with Google Cloud Platform and Firebase, offering scalability and flexibility to industries like media, IoT, and mobility, and supports significant workloads with multi-region and regional instances to ensure high availability. Users like The Telegraph and The New York Times have leveraged Cloud Firestore for real-time updates and personalized content delivery, demonstrating its capacity to handle millions of concurrent clients with ease. The platform's strong consistency guarantees, combined with its hands-off infrastructure, make it ideal for developers aiming to create applications that swiftly transition from prototype to production.