Special offer for Irish Tech News readers. May 18th Google I/O Extended Dublin:

By Raphael Savina, co-organiser of GDG Dublin. The event is now sold out but you can get one of the extra 50 EventBrite tickets using the Irish Tech News promo code: IO-IrishTechNews to be used on the website  ticket page

On May 18th, Google I/O kicks off in Mountain View, California. Google I/O is the annual Google conference for developers—the creative coders who are building what’s next. Together we’ll explore the latest in tech, mobile, and beyond.

Since not everyone can travel to the main event, Google is bringing it to the rest of the world through nearly 400 so called I/O Extended events globally, hosted by Google Developer Groups. I/O Extended Dublin will be one one of the largest I/O Extended with up to 500 developers and Google enthusiasts attending it.

I/O Extended Dublin will include a variety of activities for developers—from the live streaming of the I/O keynote to demos from local developers, to code labs, and more. The event will be hosted in the Foundry in Google’s Dublin office on Barrow Street.

Google I/O keynote is a great because it enables developers to hear from the Google Product Managers. They communicate the overarching, long-term strategy of their products, and make announcements on what’s coming. While interesting in themselves, it can sometimes feel like these talks are too general, not sufficiently hands-on for developers.

This year at I/O Extended Dublin, GDG Dublin decided to try to combine both: high-level overviews of the future of Google with the live streaming of the keynote and hands-on exhibits where attendees will get to see how the tech actually works.

First, they will be able to see Google-specific tech. The Google Cardboard team will be here to show Cardboard Expeditions. Expeditions is an education product to bring students where the school bus can’t. It combines three things: software built with teachers for teachers, immersive virtual reality content, and devices that are available to any school. .

Also as part of the exhibits, developers attending will be able to test and know more about some of Google’s projects like Tango, Android TV. There will also be members of the developer community showcasing how they have integrated some of Google Techs into their products / apps (Firebase, Chrome Web Audio API, and more).

After the broadcast of the live keynote, attendees will be able to attend talks. For example they will hear from Brendan Fahy, an Android developer and Emmet Fërdle, a designer on how to get started on Android from their experience ; the focus will be to help people avoid reinventing the wheel every time, warn them of a few potential pitfalls, and offer some recommendations on various tools and libraries and on how to use android material design specs to collaborate with developers.

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