YouTube Music rolls out Apple HomePod support
After being teased at WWDC this June, Google today announced support for YouTube Music on the HomePod.
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Author
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.
Would you buy screenless, pre-AR smart glasses made by Google?
We reported earlier this week on signs in the Google app that “Iris” glass development is proceeding after reportedly being canceled earlier this year. I’m of the opinion that Google, since 2015, should have continued consumer development of Glass as a pre-AR wearable given that the display technology is far from ready.
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Gmail on the web adds icons to make navigating menus easier
A small tweak to Gmail on the web adds more icons to menus that aid in navigation by making things more visual.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Weather redesign rolls out to older Pixel phones [U]
With the Pixel Tablet and Fold, Google introduced a redesign of the Weather app, and other phones are now beginning to see it.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle wants every Android version to be ‘higher quality than the previous release’
Dave Burke, VP of Engineering for Android, was interviewed during The Android Show today and shared a lot of interesting tidbits, especially around quality and performance.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Photos now always backs up RAW images and shows in main grid
As we spotted at the start of this year, Google Photos is making a sizable change to how it handles RAW imagery and backup on Android. Rolling out now, this greatly elevates the format but could have some downsides.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel Watch 2 lets you change vibration intensity
As we immediately felt and noted in our review, the Pixel Watch 2 has much better haptics, and Google offers the ability to adjust vibration intensity.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Meet portrait touch-ups apply eye effects, complexion smoothing
Portrait touch-ups are the latest Google Meet filter and are meant to “lightly touch up your appearance from the green room before joining or during the meeting.”
Expand Expanding CloseAt a Glance rolling out ‘At a store’ for Google Pay cards, unified settings on Pixel 8
Google is streamlining At a Glance with a unified settings page and adding a new “At a store” feature.
Expand Expanding CloseGboard will update the skin tone and gender of other emoji with one tap
Google is now letting you easily set your own default skin tone and gender for supported emoji in Gboard on Android.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Play Protect will prompt you to scan unknown apps before sideloading
To avoid detection, Google has found that malicious parties are looking beyond the Play Store to infect Android devices with malware. In response, Google is updating Play Protect and extending its scan protections.
Expand Expanding CloseChrome address bar gets smarter autocomplete, typo correction, bookmark search
Google is rolling out a series of updates to the address bar (or Omnibox) in Chrome that improves the accuracy of autocomplete across the desktop and mobile browser.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Wallet on Android adds support for three more state IDs
Following the initial launch last year, Google Wallet now supports Driver’s Licenses and State IDs in three more states: Arizona, Colorado, and Georgia.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel Watch Wear OS 4 update lacks new faces, Do Not Disturb sync
Google rolled out the Wear OS 4 update to last year’s Pixel Watch much sooner than expected, but it is lacking some notable features that aren’t particularly hardware-dependent.
Expand Expanding CloseFitbit Charge 7 needs slightly larger, more premium hardware
While Google apps help make the Fitbit Charge 6 more like a smartwatch, everything is ultimately running on and constrained by fitness tracker hardware.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle rolling out Wear OS 4 to the original Pixel Watch
With this year’s model less than a week old, Google is now rolling out Wear OS 4 to the original Pixel Watch.
Expand Expanding CloseFitbit details app updates to address redesign criticism, dark mode coming
The Fitbit app redesign is widely rolled out at this point, and some people do not like the updates. Google is aware of the feedback and has shared a list of upcoming changes in response.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle now lets you buy a Pixel Buds Pro replacement case
After previously only offering earbud replacements, Google will now let you buy a new Pixel Buds Pro case in the US if you lost the original.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle and Qualcomm working on RISC-V chip for Wear OS
RISC-V is an open-source alternative to ARM and x86 that’s getting a big boost today with a Google-Qualcomm partnership to develop a “RISC-V Snapdragon Wear platform that will power next-generation Wear OS solutions.”
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle brings Action Blocks customization to all Assistant Routines
Google is rolling out a number of new accessibility features, including the ability to use Action Blocks as Assistant Routine shortcuts on your Android homescreen.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube rolling out stable volume, You tab, song search by humming, and more
Following the big redesign last year that introduced a black dark theme and Ambient Mode, YouTube is rolling out “three dozen new features and design updates,” like a You tab and stable volume, “over the coming weeks.”
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle committing $8 million to Israel, Gaza relief efforts
Google last week detailed its initial employee, product, and cybersecurity response to the situation in Israel and Gaza, and CEO Sundar Pichai provided an update today about relief efforts:
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle launches Sleep Quality Study to improve Fitbit with $25 Merch Store credit
Google launched a Health Studies app in 2020, and you can now sign up for a Sleep Quality Study that will improve Fitbit devices.
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The Google Store is selling a Pixel 8 Pro glass camera ‘lens protector’
While there have been a handful of reports about the camera lens breaking on the Pixel 7 series, it’s far from a widespread issue. That being said, a “Tempered Glass Lens Protector” now exists for the Pixel 8 Pro.
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