From a new OS to better VR - 7 things that wowed the crowd at Google's I/O 2016

The OS has taken multitasking to another level with its splitscreen feature. In addition, the notifications shade has been revamped and a lot of people are loving it. The setting menu has also been overhauled. Virtual Reality (VR) too has got some love and there's something for everyone with the new keyboard themes. Lastly, for all you serial texters out there, there are new emojis. Increased performance was expected and Android seems to have delivered again.

Android Wear may have launched a whole two years ago but this week it got its biggest overhaul till date. The biggest change is that the user can now make data from any app show up on the interface of the watch. Also, the watch has become more autonomous. Just for kicks, there is a tiny swipeable QWERTY keyboard, because who doesn't want to type on a tiny screen?

The name might throw you off but Google is doubling down on its VR platform. Daydream is a mobile platform that makes it easier for 'companies to create high-quality virtual reality experiences on Android devices'. Google is working directly with mobile phone manufacturers such as LG, HTC and Samsung to add components that are more optimal for VR.

The only limitation is that it won't work for current phones and Daydream-ready phones will only start appearing in the market starting this fall.

Then there's Duo. Duo's is yet another Apple FaceTime competitor since, clearly, one isn't enough for Google. In fact, it now has three if you still remember Google Hangouts. It's another video chat app that's an absolute must. It's a video-only experience. There's a feature called 'Knock Knock' that allows the receiver to see a video preview of you before they even answer the call.

It's kinda like how a phone call works. When it's ringing, the receiver is technically on the call, just waiting to accept or reject. Significantly, Duo is available on both Android and iOS.

It's conversation based. Ask a question and Google will return relevant results that will make your life easier. As Phandroid says, "Assistant is geared more towards conversation. Type "what's playing tonight" and Google will return a list of nearby movies. If the movies aren't fit for the kids, say "we want to bring the kids," and Google will show you kid-friendly movies. You could then say "book us tickets," and Google will take care of the order for you. All of this is shown in a conversation flow."

What makes Google's Assistant stand out is that it isn't named based on a female unlike Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, Microsoft's Cortana. There's no gender influence here. "However, despite the push for innovation that this new virtual assistant has, that's not the only reason industry members are taking note. In fact, it's stunning industry leaders more that Google is deliberately refusing to have their new product take on a gendered name," says Tech.Co.

A lot more people will now be clamouring for Chromebooks and I know I will be one. Most apps are built for mobile phones but most tech bloggers have commented saying they run quite well on Chromebooks.

Edited by Ranjan Crasta