It’s a twofer: Google releases I/O video and liveblog gadget

In the lead up to Google I/O, the search giant’s sold-out developer conference, Google has released a liveblogging gadget that lets armchair quarterbacks everywhere toss up their commentary alongside a live stream of conference keynotes and sessions and official show announcements.

Google I/O, as you know, is the highly anticipated affair that’s less than two days away. Google’s expected to announce its first tablet (a 7-inch Nexus-branded tablet if rumors prove true) and serve up a side of Android, Chrome, and Google+ news.

The accompanying conference gadget (pictured right), which is partially customizable and can be embedded on third-party websites, is a twofer for bloggers covering the show. The tool can just display the live video stream from the I/O event on users’ sites, or it can be supped-up to provide visitors with a stream-plus-liveblog experience.

The one caveat for you would-be livebloggers is that you’ll need a Google+ account to post your stream-of-conscious reactions to Google’s announcements. The liveblog portion of the gadget is pretty basic, and it simply pulls in all your public posts from the Google+ Page you configure during the plug-and-play set-up process.

Clearly this is not a full-featured liveblogging solution for the serious professional, but we’re sure there’s a pack of G+ people out there who will love the handy-dandy connection for posting their reactions — in text, video, photo, or URL form — in tandem with the stream. Also keep in mind that this appears to be a clear attempt by Google to move some of the I/O-related conversations off of Twitter and to its own social platform.

Not up to the liveblogging challenge? The observers among us can just sit back and watch the video stream on the conference website or via the I/O mobile app for Android. And, of course, you should keep your eyes glued to VentureBeat for all Google I/O news, analysis, and commentary.