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.
Following the last extended repair program in 2022, Google is launching one for a “limited number of Pixel 8 devices” that suffer from “display related vertical line and flickering issues.”
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Besides the Summarize expansion and enhancement with the June Feature Drop, Pixel Recorder is adding a simple app shortcut.
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Back in April, Google announced a merger of the Platforms & Ecosystems and Devices & Services divisions. According to sources, the resulting Platforms & Devices team is now undergoing a reorganization.
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YouTube’s crackdown on tools that block advertising continues with server-side ad injection.
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Google announced today that ChromeOS will be “developed on large portions of the Android stack” going forward.
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As announced with the June Pixel Feature Drop yesterday, Phone by Google is rolling out its reverse number “Lookup” shortcut.
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The redesigned Google Weather app on Android is down this afternoon (PT). This has happened before but it’s far from a common occurrence.
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Google is rolling out a pair of updates to Meet, starting with Material 3 on the web client. Then there’s support for third-party add-ons in Google Meet on Android.
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Google is rolling out the latest Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 update with the June 2024 security patch today.
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In a rather interesting move, the search bar in YouTube for Android has gained a new Google Lens integration.
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Android 14 QPR3 is rolling out and brings a number of fixes for the Pixel 8 series and other current Google devices.
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In addition to the Feature Drop, Google is rolling out QPR3 to Android 14 with the June 2024 security patch for the latest Pixel devices: 5a, 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, Tablet, Fold, 8, 8 Pro, and 8a.
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Google is rolling out the June 2024 Pixel Feature Drop alongside Android 14 QPR3 today. This should be the last major update before Android 15 later this year.
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The fitbit.com web dashboard is shutting down next month with Google going all-in on the Fitbit mobile apps for Android and iOS.
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Following the announcement of Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, and Remote Lock at I/O 2024, Android users in Brazil can now sign-up to test that functionality.
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Google yesterday published its Plastic-Free Packaging Design Guide that details the road to a 100% plastic-free box for the Pixel 8 and all future products (by 2025).
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Google Play services is currently responsible for the transaction notifications you see after using tap-to-pay, but Google Wallet will soon take over that role.
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At WWDC 2024, Apple demonstrated how it’s infusing AI into the iPhone with iOS 18. Google said it wants to do the same with Android a month earlier at I/O and that this would be a multi-year journey.
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As expected, Apple announced RCS support for the iPhone’s Messages app with iOS 18 at WWDC 2024. This was first teased last November.
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The five finalists for the US Doodle for Google 2024 contest were revealed today.
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At Computex 2024 this week, Asus announced the first Google TV monitor with the 27-inch ZenScreen Smart MS27UC.
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As announced in February, “GPay” is no longer available in the US. The redesigned Google Pay was announced in 2020 to “make money simple, secure, and helpful” with plans for a “mobile-first bank account” that never came to fruition.
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Introduced in 2020, Hum to Search is an underrated capability and Google has now given it a delightful animation.
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Last month, Google removed its list of countries where “5G on your Pixel” is supported. While a replacement is still not available, Google now provides a little bit more information in an updated support page.
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