Countdown to Google I/O: Vincent Nguyen, the pundit
 |
| Katie |
 |
| Vincent |
By Vincent Nguyen, with Katie Miller, Google I/O Team
Google I/O 2012 is fast approaching, and to help energize you for three packed days of demos,
announcements and developer fun, we chatted with a few attendees to see what excites them
about this year’s agenda, and to get some tips on how to make the most of the event.
Today’s conversation is with Vincent Nguyen. Vincent is co-founder of
Android Community and
SlashGear, where he writes about mobile
technology and consumer electronics. We asked Vincent for a look at what he expects during his
I/O 2012 experience.
You’ve been to Google I/O before. How are you approaching this year’s
event?
I've been attending Google I/O since the very first year back in 2008, and watched as the
event has matured into a showcase for everything that we love about Google. Far-fetched ideas
that somehow find their way into phones; ambitious plans to help users engage with data in new
and intriguing ways; and a combination of enterprise and geeky glee that permeates all the way
through, whether you're talking to a Google exec or a developer attendee.
We'll be covering I/O wearing two different hats, which is fitting considering Android has
broken through into the mainstream as well as remaining a developer's playground. For
SlashGear, we'll take a more consumer-centric
approach: looking at the technologies and developments that will make a day-to-day difference
in users' lives. It's really easy to put together a slick demo and presentation, but we'll be
trying to make sure the SlashGear audience sees the context too, where they'll actually
benefit once that technology reaches the market.
On the flipside there's the
Android
Community readership, which tends to be more advanced in its understanding of
hardware, code and apps, as well as eager and willing to dig into the minutiae of what makes
Google I/O special. There, we'll spend less time on context - though that's still important -
and more on specifics, keeping readers up to speed on the cutting edge.
Android has become a huge part of I/O. What do you foresee happening with Android at
this year’s conference?
Android's rise has been meteoric, and apps have grown in number and scope alongside it. Many
Google I/O sessions will center on app accessibility, security and privacy, all hot-button
topics in the months since last year's event. One of the great strengths of the platform is
the freedom developers have to distribute their software, but with that comes no small amount
of responsibility, and I'm expecting to hear more best-practice guidelines as Google shifts
into broader areas.
That's where arguably the real meat of Google I/O comes about: the opportunity for developers
to talk to Google's own engineers. As press attendees rather than as developers, the team and
I are always mindful of the huge number of interested people who haven't been able to make it
to I/O itself. We're their eyes and ears in the keynote, the backstage interviews, when
talking with Sandbox partners and everywhere else. It's a big responsibility but I love the
challenge of spotting the most important trends and stories and packaging them up in a way
that makes sense to those not lucky enough to be on-site.
Is there anything you’re hoping to learn about that isn’t a major part of the current
schedule?
Google has some challenges ahead, and like many I'll be very interested to see the latest
developments in Google TV. I'm hoping the multi-screen strategy we've seen developing from
other companies in home entertainment and gaming will find a counterpart in Google's platform,
pulling the disparate elements of the cloud, smart mobility and entertainment together.
It's the surprise additions - the keynote items we never expect - that I'm most excited about,
though. I'd be shocked if Google didn't bring the latest iteration of Project Glass on-stage,
and disappointed if I don't get to try it myself sometime during I/O. I expect some talk about
what Google has learned in wearable computing. After long speculation about Google Assistant,
and with Samsung's S-Voice making its debut on the Galaxy S III recently, I'm also guessing
that voice control will make itself heard too.
As a veteran of 4 previous Google I/O events, how are you feeling about this year’s
I/O?
Ultimately, we want Google I/O to be a fun experience, and help convey that excitement and
enthusiasm to our readers, developers and others through our coverage of the event. It's a
huge, valuable opportunity for insight into one of the most important companies around today;
a starting point for ripples that we'll see impact the tech world across the following months.
It's a privilege to be involved, and I can't wait to be wowed.
Not coming to Google I/O 2012 in person? Not a problem. Watch the keynote
and dozens of other sessions streamed live at developers.google.com/io.
Vincent Nguyen began his career in tech more than a decade ago as a provisioning
manager and software developer. As the co-founder of Android Community and SlashGear, he
specializes in mobile technology, and also writes about all aspects of consumer electronics
with an independent perspective. You can follow Vincent on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.
Edited and posted by Katie Miller and Scott Knaster, Google
I/O Team
