Kyle Bradshaw joined 9to5Google in 2018 with a special interest in Google’s Fuchsia OS, rooted in his experience of being the first to offer a visual preview of the revolutionary design of the in-development operating system. Since then, his attention has broadened to include the secrets hidden within other areas of Google’s public codebases.
By reading the public Fuchsia code, Kyle was able to prove the existence of the Nest Mini and the Nest Hub Max months ahead of their respective announcements. With evidence from Chromium, he reported on Google’s since-canceled efforts to create an offshoot of Android designed for “touchless” feature phones.
In 2018, Kyle reported on three distinct Made by Google Chromebooks in development, the Pixel Slate, the Pixelbook Go — a full year before its release — and “Meowth,” the original version of the Pixel Slate that was canceled due to Intel’s delays that year. For ChromeOS itself, Kyle was the first to demonstrate the upcoming light theme redesign in action.
Looking at the early evidence of the Pixel 5’s specs, Kyle accurately predicted in February 2020 that the Pixel 5 might not be a traditional “flagship” phone. In 2021, he reported that Google’s next headset would be the “Pixel Buds A.”
Kyle was the first to report that the Pixel 6 would mark the debut of Google’s in-house processors, later revealed to be the Tensor chips.
Kyle contributes to the APK Insight column at 9to5Google, discovering the hidden changes in Google’s apps. These efforts have revealed hotly anticipated features, details about upcoming devices, and unexpected connections between companies.
He can be reached for tips or just friendly chat by Threads, Mastodon, Bluesky, or email. If you’re looking for his other works or side projects, head over to Kyle’s personal portfolio.
The Android 11 Developer Preview, as the name implies, is primarily intended to be an early preview of Android 11’s changes so developers can make their apps compatible long before it launches. However, sometimes upcoming Pixel-exclusive features leak through, as is the case with “Columbus” which lets you do things like invoking the Google Assistant with a double-tap on the back.
In the world of Android development, you need to connect your computer to your phone, usually via a USB cable, in order to transmit your app to your phone. To simplify and modernize this process, Android 11 Developer Preview 2 includes a new “Wireless debugging” setting to let you connect ADB over a Wi-Fi network.
Last year, Google began the process to acquire Fitbit to bolster its own fitness and hardware capabilities. While the business end of that deal is still ongoing, Fitbit appears to be moving forward with their next hardware launch, as a new fitness tracker has been listed with the FCC.
GitHub, acquired by Microsoft in 2018, is part code management service and part social network, and altogether an integral part of many developers’ lives. However, there’s not been a good way to take that experience on the go, beyond the mobile web interface and unofficial apps, but that changes today with the launch of GitHub for Android and iOS.
If you have some free time on your hands, Google Stadia is ready to fuel your next big gaming journeys. Starting today, and running until April 1st, Stadia Pro members have access to discounted sale prices on five games, including Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and just-released title The Division 2.
If you’re looking for a way to blow off steam with friends this week, Ubisoft and Google Stadia have just what you need. Ubisoft’s open-world, multiplayer, role-playing, third-person shooter Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 and its newest expansion Warlords of New York are available now on Google Stadia.
In this week’s top stories: the Pixel 5 is most likely not a “flagship” phone, Google won’t allow Android TV partners to make Fire TV devices, a new Android TV powered Chromecast Ultra is on the way, and more.
While we’ve been spending a lot of time lately learning about the swiftly approaching Pixel 4a, it’s not too early to start thinking about this fall’s Google Pixel 5. The Google Camera app has actually indirectly confirmed some specs for the Pixel 5 and Pixel 5 XL, which point to them not being “flagship” phones.
While the Google Pixel 4 has had its share of successes and failures, it seemed very disappointing for a phone that prides itself on its camera to not offer recording videos in 4k at 60 frames per second. Thankfully, according to a leaked version of the Camera app, Google is getting ready to bring 4K 60fps recording to Pixel phones, as well the possibility of a telephoto lens on the midrange Pixel 4a.
The two most essential apps when using a Chromebook are without a doubt the built-in Chrome browser and the Files app. While Chrome gets regular improvements and tweaks in each update, Files has stayed relatively the same as of late. Chrome OS 82 is looking to shake things up by bringing Google Material Theme components to the Files app.
Are you on the hunt for a new wallpaper? An artist has taken the time to re-create the wallpapers seen in the various leaks of the Google Pixel 4a, and you can download them here.
Despite the constant advancements of the cloud, there’s still plenty of times when you need to work with paper documents, which hasn’t always been easy from a Chromebook. Google is working to fix this with a native Chrome OS app for printing and scanning.
Last month, following the expiration of some early Stadia Pro memberships, Google Stadia created a way for Base players to enjoy Destiny 2, which is free-to-play on other platforms, by buying one or both of its expansions. Starting today, Destiny 2 is going on sale on Google Stadia for those Base players who want to get back to the space magic shooter.
Just over a year ago, Brydge announced a continuation of their partnership with Google as a “Made for Google” accessory maker, which started with their Brydge G-Type keyboard for the Pixel Slate. Unfortunately, it seems Brydge has canceled their plans to release the C-Touch dedicated trackpad for Chrome OS.
Earlier this year, Google shared that they were aware of at least 120 games coming to Stadia over the course of 2020. While we’re still in the dark on most of them, today, the company has announced four more new titles, all from the “SteamWorld” series, will be arriving on Stadia.
In this week’s top stories: the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is reported to be getting a storage downgrade, the 2020 Pixel Buds have gotten wireless charging certification, Google Messages getting ready to send iMessage-like reaction texts, and more.
Last year, Google began a new line of affordable alternatives to their flagship Pixel phones, starting with the Pixel 3a. This year, we’re anticipating a follow-up in the form of the Google Pixel 4a, and today, thanks to some sketchy new leaks, we may be getting our first look at the upcoming mid-range phone.
Over the course of the past few years, Google’s Fuchsia team has developed support for quite a few devices that seem to line up with known Made by Google hardware. In some cases, those devices appeared in Fuchsia’s code long before they were announced to the public. Looking ahead into 2020, keeping that close relationship in mind, Fuchsia has already laid the groundwork for two more potentially Made by Google devices, codenamed “Nelson” and “Luis.”
Google has recently begun making progress toward bringing reactions to RCS, or at least their version of RCS in the Google Messages app. In the latest salvo in the petty war of blue bubble vs green bubble, Google Messages is getting ready to send some very iMessage-like reaction text messages, such as “Liked a photo.”
Originally announced at GDC last year, Stadia Games and Entertainment is a division driving Google’s ambitions for Stadia exclusive games and especially first-party titles. Today, Stadia Games & Entertainment is announcing its second development studio, headed up by the executive producer of Sony’s God of War.
First unveiled at the 2019 Made by Google Event, Google’s second generation of Pixel Buds wireless headphones are set to debut sometime this spring. With their release growing closer, the 2020 Google Pixel Buds have become certified for wireless charging.
Google Stadia is a great way for those who were never gamers and those who had to leave gaming behind for a while to play games at their convenience without the normal fuss of traditional consoles and PCs. Because of that unique market, games both old and new are greatly welcomed in Stadia’s growing library. To that end, Croteam and Devolver Digital have brought their classic Serious Sam trilogy to Google Stadia.
One of the hallmark features of Chrome OS devices is their ability to run Android apps, currently handled by a version of Android Pie. Now that the Android 11 Developer Preview period has begun, Google has publicly begun work on bringing Android 11 to Chrome OS.
This morning, quite a few Android apps have mysteriously disappeared from the Google Play Store, and developers are currently in the dark as to what has happened. Thankfully, it’s not difficult for developers to get their apps back onto the Play Store as normal.