Google I/O 2014: Join us Wednesday (live blog)
Join CNET for live coverage from Google's event, which starts at 9 a.m. PT Wednesday. Our live blog will bring you news updates, photos, and running commentary.
Just weeks after Apple presented its vision of the future -- or at least, the next year of it -- Google will take a stab at convincing developers that it's the brighter belle of the nerd ball later this week.
The annual Google I/O confab returns to San Francisco's Moscone Center West on Wednesday, and CNET will be there in full force to tell you what's being announced and what it means for the company, for technology, and for you.
Join CNET's Tim Stevens, Juan Garzon, James Martin, Rich Nieva, and myself as we report and comment live on all the I/O announcements.
The live blog kicks off at 9 a.m. PT here:
CNET's live coverage of the Google I/O 2014 keynote on Wednesday.
CNET editors Brian Tong, Donald Bell, Sharon Profis, and Steven Beacham will kick off the event with running commentary beginning around 8 a.m. PT, which you'll be able to watch from the same link as our live blog above.
CNET has confirmed that Samsung will announce an Android Wear watch at this year's Google I/O. And LG and Motorola are expected to debut their previously announced Android Wear smartwatches at the conference. Smartwatches promise to be big business, as burgeoning public interest in them has increased shipments by 250 percent in the first three months of this year.
Google also plans to reveal at least one set-top box and new Android software for TVs on Wednesday at Google I/O, sources have told CNET.
This year, Google has said that it will focus its army of attendees on the three Ds: design, development, and distribution. The conference regularly fills out Moscone West with more than 6,000 attendees.
As with last year, expect to hear a lot from Google Senior Vice President Sundar Pichai, the Chrome and Google Apps leader who took over Android as well in early 2013. And don't be surprised if Tony Fadell of Nest makes an appearance. Google bought the Internet-connected appliance maker in a high-profile deal earlier this year for $3.2 billion.
Developer swag, a predictable attention-getter at the show, has taken a considerably lower pre-show profile -- at least from Google. Where last year Google had by now published a photo to tease its giveaways, this year it has remained mum. That doesn't mean there won't be giveaways, though, with at least one smartwatch and tablet rumored to be among the mix.
Other Google mainstream projects that we expect to hear about include its Open Auto Alliance, a partnership with carmakers to get Android on their vehicles' entertainment systems; the Chromecast streaming media dongle; and a long-awaited update to Android TV.
But Google has staked a lot of ground in the past year on what CEO Larry Page calls "moon shot" projects, and the company is expected to talk about some of them in the 90-minute keynote presentation. These could include the Internet-connected Google Glass headset, self-driving robo-cars, Project Loon's low Earth orbit Internet broadcasting balloons, and next-generation smartphone projects such as Ara and Tango.
Given Google's core interests in search, advertising, the Chrome browser, Gmail, Drive, Maps, and Earth, you used to be able to joke that at least the company wasn't involved with gardening tools or dot-matrix printers. But now, with its ""="" shortcode="link" asset-type="article" uuid="137e5d41-08c6-4b87-95f3-dc4db593b39a" slug="google-x-where-google-meets-world" link-text="growing interest in the " section="news" title="Google X: Where Google meets world" edition="us" data-key="link_bulk_key" api="{"id":"137e5d41-08c6-4b87-95f3-dc4db593b39a","slug":"google-x-where-google-meets-world","contentType":null,"edition":"us","topic":{"slug":"tech-industry"},"metaData":{"typeTitle":null,"hubTopicPathString":"Tech Industry","reviewType":null},"section":"news"}"> even that could be changing.
CNET publishes its up-to-the-moment text and photos using the ScribbleLive platform, starting about 15 minutes before Google officially kicks off its 9 a.m. event.
Editors' note: This story originally was published June 23 at 1:39 p.m. PT. It has been updated with new details about what to expect at Google I/O.
