Send tips/talk to abner@9to5mac.com or @technacity (open DMs).
Abner Li has worked at 9to5Google since 2015 and in late 2020 took on the role of editor-in-chief. He is keenly focused on tracking what happens at Google, and is often the first to spot new features in Google’s ever-growing family of applications that are updated on a daily basis, including Search, Assistant, Maps, Workspace, Android, Chrome/OS, Wear OS, and YouTube Music.
To him, what Google does greatly impacts the technology space and modern life. Inside the company, he is particularly interested in the key products mentioned above, as well as services like Google Podcasts and Google Lens. Each are massive platforms that can be unwieldy to grasp, with Abner keenly bent on understanding their philosophy and future direction. He is most excited about Google’s plans for augmented reality glasses.
Abner spearheads the APK Insight program at 9to5Google to chronicle all changes in the company’s Android apps, often finding new features before they are officially announced. This includes redesigns and revamps, launches, and new products.
A big area of interest is Google’s hardware division, including Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. He detailed all of the Pixel 3’s camera features before launch and scooped the 2nd-generation Nest Hub’s Soli-powered Sleep Sensing capability, including how it would integrate with Google Fit.
Recently, Abner detailed the Pixel Watch’s specs in full before launch, including bands and pricing. He also got wind of the Pixel Tablet’s ultimate form factor.
Welcome to episode 34 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, we talk about Android XR on headsets and glasses.
Google Chat is getting a highly-requested feature with automatic translations, while a handful of tweaks are coming to @mentions.
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With the main YouTube app replacing YouTube Kids on televisions this year, Google is adding a new “parent code” lock.
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With the December 2024 Feature Drop, Pixel Camera 9.7 is rolling out “Quick access controls.”
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Like other first-party apps this year, a small Google News redesign on Android simplifies the bottom bar.
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Branded like the Workspace suite of productivity apps, Google Agentspace combines “Gemini’s advanced reasoning, Google-quality search, and enterprise data.”
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After dropping the experimental status in October, Google is rolling out a big update to NotebookLM that includes a redesign, while the Plus tier is beginning to go live.
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The latest products on the US Google Store are Bellroy’s Pixel Watch Strap and an instant photo printer that supports Fast Pair.
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In addition to the bigger Pixel Recorder, Screenshots, and Studio updates, Google has updated the Thermometer icon with a new-ish icon.
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Following Android and iOS last month, the YouTube website now offers fine-tunable (“Custom”) playback speed.
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In addition to Pixel Screenshots and Studio, Google is rolling out Clear voice in Recorder and the Phone app’s Call Screen AI replies as part of the December 2024 Feature Drop.
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YouTube Music is rolling out a new “Pin to Speed dial” option that lets you customize the new grid introduced in October.
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Google Wallet is running a curious promotion that complements the existing Google Store sales on the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL with a $100 Prepaid Mastercard gift card.
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Mixed reality headsets are not new. My personal novelty with them ended upon buying Apple’s Vision Pro earlier this year. In using Samsung’s Android XR-powered Project Moohan for about 30 minutes last week, Google has got all the basics down. However, Android XR has a true differentiator with Gemini, while bringing together almost a decade’s worth of Google efforts in a seamless, integrated manner.
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As a child, my first vision for the future of technology was shaped by an aspect of Star Trek that’s different from most people’s: the absolute ubiquity of touchscreens and tablets (PADDs). I was enamored with the idea of interacting with information via touch and being able to do so anywhere instead of in a fixed place. All that became reality with the iPhone and Android, and I live it every day.
My next vision of the future came with a 2:30 minute concept video. It ingrained in me that what comes after the smartphone is information overlaid with your line of sight as it’s contextually needed.
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Besides phones and tablets, Android is available on smartwatches, TVs, and even cars. Google today announced Android XR as the next form factor the operating system is coming to.
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Following the last increase in April of 2023, the price of YouTube TV is going up $10 to $82.99 starting Monday, January 13, 2025.
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Like other first-party apps that lack Dynamic Color theming, Google Maps currently uses a blue accent for buttons and other UI elements, but that looks to be changing to teal.
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After being spotted by some earlier this month, Google has detailed how Gemini “AI-powered answers” in Google Assistant works on the Nest Mini and Audio, and how to test it.
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After testing in October, Google Wallet’s ability to add your passport as an ID to the Android app is now widely rolling out in stable.
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The latest update to Pixel Screenshots rolled out this week, and the Gboard recall feature is now rolling out.
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Android offers OS-level “Unknown tracker alerts“, and Google is now adding two new features, including Find Nearby, for Find My Device (FMD) network tags.
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Just under a year ago, Google announced that Maps Location History would be moving to your phone, and this Timeline change is more widely rolling out.
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Gemini Advanced subscribers are getting access to a new “Deep Research” capability. It is the “first feature in Gemini” to bring Google’s vision of agents that can perform complex actions on your behalf.
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