The annual Google I/O developers conference, held last week at San Francisco's Moscone West center, gathered more than 6,000 developers, journalists, Googlers, and assorted tech folks for two days of keynotes, and product demos. Here are five of the coolest things we saw there, all of which are due out year's end. Affordable virtual reality Like e- smartwatches, virtual reality is suddenly having a comeback moment (case in point: Facebook's $2B acquisition of Oculus VR earlier this year in March). But while that admittedly better-than-the-early-nineties version of virtual reality (VR) is likely to be pricey, the Cardboard VR viewer that Google handed conference attendees can be made at home with some basic cardboard, lenses, Velcro, a magnet, and a few other inexpensive items available online (or in your garage). Cardboard is a DIY viewer that contains biconvex lenses and a slot to hold your smartphone in landscape mode. Then, just load up the cardboard Android app, which displays footage that turns into VR when you look through the glass. According to Cardboard's creators, the technology could be used for everything from simple games and virtual tours of, say, a museum, to live gaming events. Keyless Entry to Your Hotel Room Count hotel check-in to the list of apps and voice menus that make it increasingly possible to never talk to another human being. Same-day booking app HotelTonight is about to update its Android app with Express Check In, which lets you find, book, pay, and check in to a hotel with just a few swipes. The feature already exists on iOS devices, but the Android version will have an added feature: Thanks to near-field communication (NFC) technology, your Android smartphone will be able to unlock hotel room doors. After an entry code is sent to your phone, just tap on your room door, and presto, you're in. (This feature won't hit current iPhones, since they don't have NFC.) Smartwatches that Aren't Ugly The Moto 360, the first Android Wear watch with a round face, is also the first that isn't horribly geeky. It runs Android Wear, Google's wrist wearable operating system which offers a swipe-controlled, scrollable interface much like Google Now. Coolest feature? It'll let you call a taxi by simply saying "Okay, Google, get me a taxi." It offers a selection of classic wristwatch faces, so you could change up the watches look according to your mood or outfit. Google Now on Your Car's Dashboard Google Auto is the tech giant's answer to Apple's CarPlay, and lets drivers extend the Google Now experience into the car. Besides bigger, easier-to-see-and-select buttons for navigation, communications, and music at the bottom of the dashboard screen, Android Auto lets you search for points of interest via voice and get instant turn-by-turn navigation. You can also respond to e-mails and texts via the same high-quality voice transcription you get on your Android phone. More than 40 companies have signed up, including Audi and Hyundai, which will offer a knob and touchscreen version of the OS, respectively, as well as Apple's CarPlay. Android Wear uses a combination of your phone's computing power and mobile signal with manufacturer-developed technology inside the car (for diagnostics and such) to offer its custom car functionality. Broadcast Video to Any TV That little $35 USB and HDMI dongle that lets you watch everything from Netflix and YouTube to your photo collection and Web pages on your TV is about to get better. With Chromecast's next major update later this year, you'll be able to ‘cast' to any TV with the Chromecast dongle installed, regardless of whether it's in your home Wi-Fi hotspot or not, which means you can send live video, a slideshow of your pictures, or give a walk-through tour of, say, Yosemite via Google Earth from any Android cell phone, smartphone, or tablet. Source: http://www.gq.com/