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.
New safety research from Waymo finds that its driverless cars “led to a significant reduction in the rates of police-reported and injury-causing crashes compared to human drivers.”
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In late 2020, Google Discover introduced a “heart” button on articles to let you provide feedback on recommendations, and there is now an easy way to view all of your liked stories.
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In 2023, YouTube Music redesigned a lot of the core UI you use day-to-day. It started with a revamped Library on Android, iOS, and web in January that later gained a grid view. Album pages were also modernized just like playlists.
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As of Sunday, 60% of Beeper users weren’t able to send or receive iMessage, and the company’s upcoming Android solution is to “have access to a Mac computer, or have a friend on Beeper with a Mac.”
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In 2021, 36 US states and the District of Columbia sued Google over Play Store antitrust concerns. A settlement was reached in September and the terms, including changes to Google Play, have now been revealed.
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Last month, Chrome on Android started rolling out more Material You for the New Tab Page (NTP), and that work continues with a carousel, as well as a key application of Dynamic Color on tablets.
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Google Podcasts will stop working in the US this April, and the migration tool to YouTube Music or other podcasting apps is now live.
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At a Glance on the Pixel Watch provides the functionality of two complications in one slot, but the day/date functionality has now disappeared. Similarly, a Gboard for Wear OS update is failing to install.
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As we previously spotted and enabled, Google Messages is now rolling out Google Account-based “Device pairing” that replaces QR codes.
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Google is bringing the YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium subscriptions to 10 more countries/regions for a grand total of 110 locations.
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The Gboard stylus handwriting support that we first enabled in August is now rolling out on Android tablets that offer the input.
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With the addition of Gemini Pro, Google has been advertising Bard a great deal more. The latest involves Harry Kane and subway ads.
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Google is rolling out a background wallpaper for RCS chats in Messages to help distinguish them from SMS/MMS conversations.
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My colleague recently called for better Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) on the next Pixel Buds Pro, while I simply want a future charging case to support lanyards.
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In October, Google announced that it would require bulk senders to add a one-click unsubscribe button in the body of emails. Gmail is now making its “Unsubscribe” button much more prominent.
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In a notable expansion, Pixel Launcher search is getting the ability to surface Quick Settings (QS) Tiles.
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Google has simplified Lens so that users only have to decide between three filters when performing a visual search.
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Besides the Gemini Nano-powered Summarize on the 8 Pro, the latest Recorder update adds “Transcribe again” to other Pixel devices.
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In addition to rolling out the gradient background for Now Playing, YouTube Music this week is adding play counts for every song, while the generative AI creator for playlist art is seeing broader availability.
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Google released Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 on Monday, and some Pixel 7 and 7 Pro devices are encountering issues with the under-display fingerprint sensor (UDFPS).
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With Gemini now in the wild, Google’s next task is to integrate the foundational model into its various products. A new report today describes hardware efforts like a “Pixie” AI assistant that could launch with the Pixel 9.
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Introduced last year, Gmail’s package tracking capability is getting two new features, including bumping messages to the top of your inbox, as the busy holiday shipping is in full swing.
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Besides the new Repair Mode introduced with Android 14 QPR1 and the December Feature Drop, Google is widely launching a new Pixel Diagnostic App and repair manuals in English.
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Google is in the final stages of phasing out support for third-party cookies in Chrome. Ahead of a wide rollout in the second half of 2024, Chrome in January will start testing “Tracking Protection.”
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