Android M, Chromecast 2 and Voice Access - a look ahead to Google I/O 2015

Google I/O is the search giant's annual get-together for developers from around the world and is used by the company as a platform to announce its latest products and software updates.

The 2015 running of the event will be no different and Google has just published the schedule for the two-day conference which kicks off with a keynote on 28 May in the Moscone Centre in downtown San Francisco.

IBTimes UK has had a look through the schedule to see what the company will be talking about and picked out five of the most interesting topics which are likely to be covered at this year's conference.

Android M - Macaroon, Marzipan, Mars Bar?

Unsurprisingly, Android is likely to be front-and-centre at Google I/O 2015 and the while it may now have been removed, a session entitled Android for Work Update specifically referenced Android M in the description.

Beyond saying that it will bring "the power of Android to all kinds of workplaces" the session description gives little away about what new features we can expect in Android M (or indeed what it will be called).

If Google continues its alphabetical sweet-themed nomenclature (cupcake, donut, eclair, froyo, gingerbread, honeycomb, ice-cream sandwich, jellybean, kitkat, lollipop) then we can look forward to something like Android Marzipan, Android Macaroon, or even Android Mars Bar.

As for features, we would like to see Google seriously address the way the operating system is updated, with less than 10% of Android users currently running Android Lollipop, six months after it was released.

Expect more voice control (see below), increased security measures and more granular control over the data apps are able to access on your phone or tablet.

Voice Access for all

Voice is the natural evolution of how we interact with our gadgets, but moving beyond touch has proven to be troublesome to date.

Apple has tried with Siri, Microsoft with Cortana and Google with Google Now, but all have limitations and don't work the way we want them to.

Google looks set to have another stab at the problem and will radically overhaul the way we can use our voice to interact with devices running Android in the latest update to the software.

A session entitled "Your app, now available hands-free" scheduled for the opening day of Google I/O asks the question:

This suggests voice will permeate all areas of the OS, from apps to settings and even controlling the hardware on which it is running. This means turning your camera on with your voice, opening and closing apps (Google's own and third-party ones) and navigating around the Android interface.

If Google gets this right, it could be really powerful, but it will depend on the support of manufacturers and more importantly developers to integrate the feature into their apps.

Real-time satellite imaging of Earth

If you have seen the film Enemy Of The State then you will have marvelled at the NSA's ability to view realtime feeds of satellite imagery of the earth.

Fast-forward 17 years and it looks like Google could be about to bring that ability to everyone. In a session entitled "The Earth in real time" Google says it is "looking to take the next step forward in satellite imaging and find new ways to help people use data from space to solve problems on Earth".

Last year the search giant bought satellite imaging company Skybox for $500m (£323m) and it appears as if the resources of Google have supercharged its original plans of launching 24 image satellites into space by 2018.

How this will work in reality is not clear yet. Will we all be able to log into Google Earth Live and watch everything happening around the world live via satellite?

Whatever Google unveils, it is likely that there will be a backlash from advocates who previously hit out at Street View as being an invasion of privacy.

A wearable that will blow your socks off

ATAP is Google's Darpa. The Advanced Technology and Projects Group that was formerly a division of Motorola and last year unveiled its first project, Project Tango, a smartphone-like device that maps the 3D world around it.

At Google I/O 2015 the group is set to unveil a wearable device which the company said "will blow your socks off" before cryptically adding "we mean this more literally than you might think".

The description goes on to say:

"Our goal: break the tension between the ever-shrinking screen sizes necessary to make electronics wearable and our ability to have rich interactions with them. Why can't you have both? We like to build new things. Sometimes seemingly impossible things."

There have been no leaks or rumours about a new wearable coming out of Google in the build up to this year's conference which should ensure a real surprise when it is announced.

Chromecast 2

Google's Chromecast was a surprise hit for the company when it was launched a couple of years ago. It offers the ability to stream video content from your tablet/smartphone to the big screen TV in your living room, all for just £30.

Since it was launched, we've seen companies like Amazon and Roku look to replicate the success by launching their own streaming sticks.

Now Google looks set to launch an updated version of its Chromecast. A session entitled "Designing games for Google Cast" has been added to the Google I/O schedule with topics including "choosing the best Google Cast SDK technology for your game, designing for the mobile and television experience on multiple screens, and adapting existing game design patterns to a multi-screen interactive format".

Google has previously confirmed it is working on a new version of Chromecast which will "give us a better opportunity to take full advantage of a large screen paired with a small screen".

Gaming is one of the main let-downs of the Chromecast, especially when you consider the ever-growing catalogue of great games available in the Google Play Store.

If Google has bridged the gap between the small and big screen with the Chromecast 2, potentially allowing users control games on their TVs with their smartphones/tablets, it could be an even bigger success than the original.