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.
Ahead of the busy holiday shopping season, Google today announced a number of product updates, like updating Knowledge Panels for retailers with a “Promotions” section.
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Or, how I went all-in on info density. The Pixel Watch 2 introduces six new watch faces, and here’s how I would rank them from worst to best:
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Since May, YouTube has ramped up its block of ad blockers, and the company has now fully launched this policy worldwide.
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The Google (Search) app on Android now has a notifications feed that provides a history of alerts sent to your device.
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During the announcement, Google said the “Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are the most beautiful phones we’ve ever made,” and we’ve mostly found that to be the case. An interview with the Pixel designers focuses on several key aspects, like the 8 Pro’s matte glass back.
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Visually, Chrome on iOS is pretty different from the Android version. That disparity continues to grow today with the new ability to move the Chrome address bar on iPhone to the bottom of your screen.
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Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet today feature single-function AI features like Help me write and image generation. Google will soon start testing the Duet AI side panel. Ahead of that, the company is updating its “Google Workspace Labs Privacy Notice and Terms to better protect your privacy and data.”
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Google is increasingly using Reddit to provide product support for Pixel phones. Its use of the discussion/forum site picked up at the end of September, with daily responses to user problems since then.
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Google has been able to help with homework for quite some time now, while Lens features a step-by-step math solver. Google Search is now getting better at trigonometry, calculus, geometry, and physics.
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Back in 2021, Google Fiber got a new logo after using just a wordmark for the past decade. The latest branding change has Google Fiber increasingly leverage “GFiber.”
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Earlier this month, Qualcomm announced it was working with Google on a RISC-V Wear OS chip. The Android team today provided an update on RISC-V adoption, including an initial timeline and emulator support.
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Google’s biggest apps (Gmail, Drive, Docs, etc.) have been updated with Material You on the web, but it’s not as wide a rollout when compared to Android. The latest example of Material 3 is the Google Pay website.
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Google on Sunday evening provided a more detailed response about “Issues accessing storage after updating to Android 14” on some Pixel devices, including how it’s working on a fix and possible data recovery options.
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For the next week, the US Google Store has a number of notable deals, including $100 off the Pixel Tablet and a $199 original Pixel Watch. There are also discounts on the Pixel Buds Pro and Nest Hub Max.
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If something about Gmail for Android looks slightly different, you are correct. Gmail’s search bar, along with Google Chat’s, is now bigger to comply with the latest Material 3 design guidelines.
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Google Clock 7.6 fully rolled out with Pixel Watch alarm sync this week, and now the weather integration is seeing wider — but not full — availability on the Pixel 8 series and Android 14 QPR1.
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The latest Google Workspace large-screen optimization sees Drive for Android get a two-page layout when viewing PDF files.
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We’ve been tracking a big redesign of the voice recorder UI in Google Messages over the past few months, and it now appears to be rolling out for the first users.
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Google today detailed its research into audioplethysmography (APG) that adds heart rate sensing capabilities to active noise canceling (ANC) headphones and earbuds “with a simple software upgrade.”
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Large language models (LLMs) aren’t instantaneous, so there’s a delay between prompt and answer. Google is now making Bard feel faster with a “respond in real time” option.
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Since the addition of Gmail and Google Calendar, I’ve been using my Pixel Watch (2) so much more to triage and take other quick actions, such as marking off completed Tasks. I’m finding that my biggest entry point into the apps are their excellent Tiles. There are a good number of first-party apps available today, but I believe a few more should come over to Wear OS sooner than later.
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Recognizing the increase in open-loop payment systems that let you pay for transit with any card, Google Wallet is getting updated to better support this approach.
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Back in May, Uber announced a multiyear strategic partnership to make Waymo robotaxis available in its app, and that’s now happening in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Announced at I/O, Google Maps is now rolling out “Immersive View for routes” and a number of other search and navigation features.
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