Live Blogging The Google I/O 2011 Day 1 Keynote

Are you ready! We’ve got Google Music coming! Maybe. Certainly some Android or Chrome announcements to come, here at the first day of the Google I/O developers conference. The keynote begins at 9am PT. So does my live blogging.

Seriously, there is some expectation that Google Music 3.0, a cloud-based music system, will get aired (heh, pun!) today. See our story from yesterday for more:Google Readies Cloud Music Without Record Company Blessing.

Need some reading material while we wait? How about my recap of past Google I/O announcements? Here you go:Where Are They Now? Products Announced During Past Google I/O Keynotes.

Some lighter reading? OK, see The Secret Lives Of Androids and see what my kids do when you give them a bunch of little Android people.

OK, live blogging starts shortly. Google will also be live streaming the keynotes and several other sessions, plus hosting recorded sessions, at the I/O Live site.

Vic Gundotra is up saying we’re going to reminisce on how much accomplished together. Back to the first in 2008, recognized that smartphones were coming, so was connectivity that would help transform cloud apps. “All that happened.”

2009, focus on HTML 5. “And who could forget last year” and peopel laugh over a fat Android eating an Apple to laughs:

Hugo Barra Product Management Director of Android comes up. Momentum, mobile and more he says. He shows the T-Mobile G1. Holds a special place because of the doubts about Google from when it launched.

A short video ending on the stat that 100 million Android devices said to be activated as of now, 356 OEMs, 215 carriers, 310 devices in 112 countries.

Now 200,000 applications in Android Market. “What really matters is that the quality of these applications.” Rattles off some apps. 4.5 billion installs from market through today. “Android Market is seeing stronger, faster growth than ever.”

So much for momentum he says. Mike Cleron from Android team comes to talk the mobile. Android 3.1 Honeycomb upgrade is coming, Verizon Xoom customers getting it now (I think he said). Improves task switching (developer behind me grunts “thank you”).

Shows that widgets can be stretched as you like, to make them bigger or resize to your preference. Applause and developer guy behing me again says “nice.” He will be my guide to all mysteries developer going forward.

Android can support USB devices now, and laughs as an Xbox controller is plugged in to run a game as an example of this. Honeycomb also coming to Google TV later (think summer) along with Android Market:

Ice Cream Sandwich is the next major update coming for Android, and the new logo of an ice cream sandwich is shown. Comes fourth quarter this year, I believe I heard:

Now showing how Ice Cream Sandwich can detect where someone’s head is and move perspective on a screen based on that.

Now showing how during video chat, it can detect who is talking and zoom in on the right person from the same camera.

Now media, says Hugo. New service think we’ll be excited about. Chris Yerga from Android services comes now. He’s talking about how earlier, Android made it so you could buy a book and read it across any Android device.

“I’m happy to announce we’re bringing the same experience to Android market for movies, as well.” Starting today, you can rent movies starting at $1.99 on your device. You’ll have 30 days from start of rental:

Oddly, there was no mention of the YouTube launch of rentals yesterday, of which this is closely tied to (and in fact, may have enabled). For more on that, see YouTube Declares Intention To Compete In On-Demand Movie Rentals.

And now Music Beta is being announced. Music stored in the cloud. Build your own playlist or it can do a smart playlist building for you. It can listen to a song and suggest 25 more similar to it. Site is here (and see here), invite only for now:

Showing how if you get a new phone, it will know all your songs because they are stored

Up to 20,000 songs can be added, will be free while in beta, everyone at Google I/O gets admitted. Music app is being released for Android 2.2 devices or higher today.

Hugo is back, saying new founding partners HTC Verizon LG T-Mobile AT&T and others I didn’t catch will agree on new guidelines on how fast new devices will get updates. Big applause. Have to get latest updates with 18 months after launch, if the hardware supports. Wow, like that’s nothing. You’ll probably be on to a new device by then.

Postscript: Google says all devices will get eligibility for 18 months for updates after they’re purchased. When updates actually roll out isn’t said, but it will likely be much faster than that. It already is, though many people want it even faster.

Android Open Accessory now being covered. Way to build a wide range of accessories that will work with any Android device going forward.

Doing demo of CardioQuest and how exercise bike is connected to Android phone. API lets the bike control the game he’ll play. As he pedals, he moves through a maze — if he doesn’t go fast enough (the bike talking to the phone), then he hits the wall of the maze and dies.

2.3.4 and 3.1 support now for USB and Bluetooth support coming soon. Also a hardware & software “80K” reference design being issued, which is making the developers go wild, and sorry gang, this just gets outside my area to explain. So like a parrot, I’ll simply be tying some thing now without understanding.

OK, showing one of those tilt mazes with a marble? A tablet is hooked up to it, and it’s all being controlled because this 80K design helps things be transmitted. I guess.

Now they’re showing a giant tile maze that you can stand in, a video of it, that’s outside in the lobby for developers to play with.

Joe Britt now talking about “Android At Home” and how the Android OS is being extended to let Android talk to appliances and devices in via the “Android At Home Framework.” Anything electrical will be able to communicate, apparently.

Now showing how you can wave your hand toward a light to make it come on. The Android Tablet has digital light switches that are used. Hey, build an alarm clock app that slowly raises the lights and plays music (or, you know, buy one of those dedicated devices that do this).

Now showing how playing Quake on Android can talk to the lights here in the auditorium and make them flicker. LightingScience will be selling the first bulbs and switches that work with Android later this year. Other devices to come.

Project Tungsten, where music can be streamed direct to a receiving player. It can go to more than one “Tungsten boxes” throughout your house, so the same music is everywhere. In my mind, Phil on Modern Family is now trying to convince Claire that he must have this. He’ll never get it wired, even if it’s wireless.

Now being told to image if CDs shipped with NFC codes. If you touch it to a Tungsten device, the entire CD transfers. Of course, really, who buys a CD now? Much less an NFC equipped one? But it’s just a concept demo, don’t be so harsh, Danny. Oh, and it’s officially Android@Home by the way.

Oprah moment, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with Honeycomb coming out later this year, being given to all the developers here. The crowd goes nuts. They’ve come to expect some type of device.

And that’s it. Google’s got an official blog post up here now, and Techmeme has a round-up of stories here.

Postscript: See our follow-up posts:

• Where Are They Now? Products Announced During Past Google I/O Keynotes
• Live Blogging The Google I/O 2011 Day 1 Keynote
• Just Weeks Away, A Preview Of The Google +1 Button For Websites
• Google Launches Streaming Movies & Music
• Google I/O 2011 Chrome Keynote: Chromebooks Come June 15, Angry Birds For Web & More
• Google Chromebooks Out June 15, $349 For Consumers, $20-$28 Monthly For Educators/Business