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.
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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.”
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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:
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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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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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For those who don’t like the whimsical Pay animation that appears after using Google Wallet, a new setting can disable it.
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A small but meaningful change on the Pixel Watch 2 means that a single tap of the always-on display (AOD) will immediately launch a complication.
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Google photographed “Minerals” for the default Pixel 8 and 8 Pro backgrounds, and a slightly different version of that wallpaper collection is now available on the Pixel Fold and Tablet.
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In addition to rolling out Conversation Detection, Hearing Wellness, and features exclusive to the Pixel 8, Google announced a Pixel Buds web app, and it’s now available.
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With Android 14 QPR1 Beta 2, a Google Weather experience is now integrated with the Google Clock app.
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Google Camera has been exclusive to Pixel devices for several years now, and it’s now being renamed on the Play Store to better reflect that fact.
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With Android 14, developers can build share sheets with app-specific actions, and Google Photos is now replacing its custom implementation with a native one.
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Back in November, we reported that Google was working on Gmail and Calendar apps for Wear OS. They’re now available, and I’m finding that triaging email from your wrist is weirdly handy.
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Following the announcement last month, Google Messages is rolling out the ability to send and listen to voice memos from the Wear OS app.
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The big limitation of At a Glance when it quietly launched in June was how it only supported a single watch face, but Google has now updated it with two more complication styles.
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Due to a “firmware update,” Google has had to change and increase the quoted charging speeds for the first-generation Pixel Watch.
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While the Pixel 7 Pro did “not snap in half nor break catastrophically” in JerryRigEverything’s testing, a gap was found in the frame after bending. The Pixel 8 Pro fared better in a durability test.
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With the Pixel 7, Google started offering a free VPN, and the Pixel 8 offers much deeper integration that doesn’t require a separate download.
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With the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro now available, Google has released Android 14 QPR1 Beta 2 ahead of the December launch.
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The Google Visitor Experience center is now open in Mountain View, California. Besides a Google Store, there’s a cafe and spaces for the local community.
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For Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Google is rolling out a trio of new features in its iOS and Android apps, like the ability to Autofill passwords. This follows the prompt to set-up passkeys for your Google Account that was announced earlier this week.
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