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.
One aspect of the Data Safety section that the Play Store introduced last year is the ability to feature “Independent security reviews.” Google Play is more prominently surfacing that badge when you search for VPN apps.
Expand Expanding Close
Google is adding a new built-in tool to Gboard for Android that lets you “Scan Text” using optical character recognition (OCR).
Expand Expanding Close
Later this year, Google will add AI summaries to the Recorder app on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, but in the meantime, you can now favorite your recordings.
Expand Expanding Close
Following the United States in July, YouTube Premium’s international price increase is starting. The Google video is rolling this out slowly across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America.
Expand Expanding Close
Besides a redesign, the most interesting part of the updated Weather experience for Pixel is “Google Nowcast” for real-time 12-hour precipitation forecasts. Google today detailed the MetNet-3 deep learning model behind it, which is also powering weather features in Google Search.
Expand Expanding Close
After a brief disappearance, the US Google Store is letting you trade in the Pixel Watch towards the purchase of the Pixel Watch 2. However, the value of Google’s first wearable has declined slightly.
Expand Expanding Close
As the year winds down, Google Play has opened voting for the 2023 Users’ Choice Awards. You can select the best new Android app and game, as well as book.
Expand Expanding Close
Apple was working on making the Apple Watch, along with various health features, compatible with Android before the project was canceled.
Expand Expanding Close
At Cloud Next ’23 in August, a big enterprise-focused revamp of Google Chat with a new homescreen, Duet AI, and audio-first huddles was previewed. A smaller redesign of Google Chat today adds message bubbles for a more modern look.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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:
Expand Expanding Close
Since May, YouTube has ramped up its block of ad blockers, and the company has now fully launched this policy worldwide.
Expand Expanding Close
The Google (Search) app on Android now has a notifications feed that provides a history of alerts sent to your device.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.”
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.”
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close