Google I/O 2016: Daydream, Home and other big takeaways (pictures)

Google CEO Sundar Pichai kicks off the conference at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, to a crowd of 7,000 attendees.

For a rundown of everything Google announced today, check out our full coverage here.

Mario Queiroz from Google's Chromecast team, introduces Google Home, an always-listening digital assistant that is the company's answer to the Amazon Echo.

Users can customize the look of the Google Home's bottom speaker. The device also works as a Wi-Fi speaker, control center for IoT devices, and a media streamer.

Google's Erik Kay announces Google Allo, a messaging service and an alternative to Facebook's standalone Messaging app.

In addition to changing text sizes within each IM, Allo enables users to send and notate photos.

Within the same vein as Allo is Duo, Google's video chatting app that can compete with Apple Facetime and Skype.

Duo gives a video preview (called "Knock Knock") of who is calling before you pick up (left). On the right is an active call on Duo.

For the first time ever, Google is letting the masses submit possible names for the next version of its mobile operating system, which is known for now as Android N.

VP of engineering at Android Dave Burke outlines updates to Google's mobile OS, Android N. In addition to security enhancements, N will feature split-screen display, direct reply in notifications and more emojis.

Clay Bavor, lead of Google's VR team, takes the stage to introduce Daydream.

Daydream is a hardware and software VR platform to guide Android phone manufacturers to create VR headsets.

Google's reference design for a Daydream VR headset and an accompanying remote.

David Singleton, head of Android Wear, outlines updates to Google's operating system for wearables, Android Wear 2.0.

Ellie Powers, lead product manager at Google, announces Android Instant Apps, which lets users access content from other apps without the need to download and install the particular app.

Pichai closes out the show after detailing Google's involvement with machine learning and AI.

For a rundown of everything Google announced today, check out our full coverage here.