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Google's I/O 2016 conference announced for May 18th–20th

Google's I/O 2016 conference announced for May 18th–20th

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Please fix the tablet software situation

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai just announced that the company's annual I/O developer's conference has been scheduled for May 18th through the 20th. The venue this year is a bit different than last time; it's Mountain View's own Shoreline Ampitheatre. In a tweet, Pichai said this will bring Google's major event back "to neighborhood where it all started 10 yrs ago." That could also make for an easier place to demonstrate Google's fleet of self-driving automobiles — more convenient than San Francisco, anyway.

Additional specifics on I/O 2016, such as ticket info and other details, will be coming soon. Google typically uses the I/O stage to unveil its latest major Android update each year; in 2015 it was Android M, which became Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

We can only hope the next keynote will contain some much-needed Android improvements — led by improved tablet software and side-by-side app multitasking. Both are found in rival products from Google's competitors, Apple and Microsoft. And the lack of them has greatly limited the appeal of otherwise impressive hardware like the Pixel C. It's also been rumored that Google plans to bring Android and Chrome OS closer in line, though the company has pushed back against this rumor, so we should hear the full story in just a few months.