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.
This week on Alphabet Scoop, we talk about our report on the Pixel Watch 2 and what’s powering it. Then it’s hands-on with the Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Messages Magic Compose.
Google Chat, the company’s Slack and Microsoft Teams competitor, looks to be getting an overhaul in the near future that features a new logo and “Timeline”-focused redesign of the mobile apps.
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Artist pages on YouTube Music have remained mostly unchanged over the years, but the Android, iOS, and web apps now show a combined “Top releases” section.
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Last June, Google announced it was removing third-party Assistant voice apps and Nest Hub games in a year’s time. With that set to occur on June 20, another casualty of that deprecation is the shutdown of third-party Google Assistant Notes & Lists integration.
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Google Podcasts is supposed to remain (for the time being) and not be merged with YouTube Music, but the desktop website is partially broken at the moment.
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Google has quietly announced that support for Chromecast (1st gen) has ended and that there will be no more updates.
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Following an update last month, the Chromecast with Google TV is getting an update to the April 2023 security patch.
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We already know what the new Google Weather will look like on phones, tablets, and foldables, and now we’re learning that it should be a standalone app.
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We revealed at the start of May that Google is planning to announce the Pixel Watch 2 alongside the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro this fall. 9to5Google can now report some key Pixel Watch 2 specs, including the processor, battery, and health sensor upgrades.
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After public voting ended last week, the five finalists for the US Doodle for Google 2023 contest were announced today.
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After first rolling out for some users in mid-February, Gboard for Android’s shortcuts toolbar redesign that boosts customizability is more widely rolling out.
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In using the future of Google for the past few days, I’ve had some takeaways about the AI-powered Search Generative Experience (SGE). It’s early days for SGE, but I think the fundamentals are set in stone: Most people for most queries will find generative Search useful.
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Amazon’s consumer electronics division makes a lot of hardware. I’m sure the strategy is more than trying everything and seeing what sticks, but it sometimes feels like that from the outside. It’s easy for products to get lost in the fray, but one that shouldn’t be is the Fire Max 11.
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In addition to your Bookmarks and Reading List, the desktop Chrome side panel will soon support Manifest V3 extensions that want to display an interface.
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As we first spotted last July, At a Glance will now show “Ridesharing” status on your Pixel’s lockscreen.
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As the big redesign of the Home app exits preview, Google is rolling out a handful of refinements announced at I/O 2023 with version 3.1.
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Following the last release at I/O 2023 two weeks ago, Google is rolling out Android 14 Beta 2.1 to Pixel phones as a bug fixer.
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Like with phones, Google now offers full factory and OTA images for the Pixel Watch, though they can’t really be used by most people to restore a bricked device.
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One exciting generative AI announcement out of I/O 2023 was Magic Compose in Android’s Messages app, and Google is now starting to roll out the feature to some beta testers.
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Announced at I/O 2023, Google is now rolling out the AI/LLM-powered Search Generative Experience (SGE) to users that signed up for the Search Labs program.
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On Thursday, many Android users woke up to an update for a “Family Link parental controls” that shares the same name with an existing Google app.
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Google Home for Wear OS got a big UI redesign last week, with animated camera notification previews also coming, but you’ll have to wait until next month for that.
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Given the over month-long pre-order period for the Pixel Tablet and Fold, the Google Store today sent out a note providing an update.
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As telegraphed earlier this year, the Google Play Games on PC Beta is now available in Europe and New Zealand.
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