Google has unveiled smarter software, including a new photo service that automatically sorts photos based on their content. Google Photos will be free and unlimited, the search engine company said. Google Photos will be accessible via Android devices of course, but also with iPhones, iPads and desktop computers.
Users can upload photos of any size and the original resolution will be maintained up to 16 megapixels. The photos can be ordered chronologically, but the software is also able to sort them automatically by recognising people, places or objects.
Users will be able to search the images using a keyword, without having had to tag the images beforehand with that keyword.
Google has also announced a new version of its Android operating system, a payment system for Android phones and new privacy settings.
The new operating system, Android M, aims to detect where the user is more reliably and then offer assistance. For example, if the user forgets to pick up laundry from a cleaning service, the software can automatically pop up a reminder.
Android M will also show the way back to your parked car and help with travel plans by displaying your flight boarding pass. Various apps will also intelligently link with Google services such as Search.
To achieve all this, the software will require wide-ranging data access. At the same time Google is giving its users more control over what information the apps on its Android devices can access. Permissions for email, location services or calendar entries can now be assigned app by app.
Also on the way is a payment service, Android Pay, which will allow users to make payments in shops using their Android phones. Google is co-operating with payment companies such as Mastercard and Visa and the service should be available to all Android smartphones that have NFC (near field communication) technology.