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.
Google has been publicly testing features that help users write in Gmail and Docs over the past few weeks. Generative AI is now coming to Sheets, Slides, and Meet with a new name: Duet AI for Google Workspace.
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After adding code generation last month, Google is updating Bard with a handful of new capabilities while also previewing several other upcoming features, like Gmail export.
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Google today announced PaLM 2, with improved multilingual, reasoning, and coding capabilities. This “next generation language model” is faster, more efficient, and powers 25 first-party products and features.
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Generative AI is coming to many Google products, and in Photos, it will power a “Magic Editor” that’s coming later this year. Announced by CEO Sundar Pichai to kick off I/O 2023, it’s pretty impressive if the two examples we have are reflective of the final product.
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I/O 2023 kicks off today as Google’s biggest event of the year to highlight what’s new for users and developers alike. This edition is especially important given the AI-focused tech landscape. You can also expect Pixel announcements and updates to Android 14.
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The miniplayer in YouTube Music for Android and iOS last changed in 2020 with a broader redesign of the Now Playing screen. YouTube Music is now testing rather significant changes to the miniplayer.
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Ahead of the announcement at I/O 2023 tomorrow, Google has released an ad that features NBA stars with the Pixel Fold.
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After announcing all of its new APIs and tools tomorrow, Google has to convince developers to use its generative offerings and demos, like I/O FLIP, are one way to do that.
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When we reported last week that a Pixel Watch 2 is coming with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, we did not know what it would be called. According to a leak this evening, that indeed appears to be the name.
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A big part of Wear OS 3 was getting more third-party developers on the platform, and WhatsApp is now testing an app for the Pixel Watch, Galaxy Watch 5, and other devices.
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Following new icons for the Play Store and Play Games, it’s now time for Google Play Books to get a new logo, while a tablet redesign is also in development.
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Compared to other VPNs, the one included with Google One is more privacy- and security-oriented. An upcoming update to the Google One VPN will let you better obscure your location with a “broader IP address region.”
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Android’s Weather experience in 2021 got a Google Material Theme redesign just as Material You was widely rolling out to other first-party apps. Google Weather is now set for a redesign with Material You elements.
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Before today, the deepest Google Store discount brought the cellular Pixel Watch to $349. The Pixel Watch LTE is now $329.99 for the next week, while the Active Band sees its first official deal.
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According to an early Amazon listing that has since been removed, the Pixel Tablet will be released on June 20 in Japan, while other key specs have also now emerged thanks to this leak.
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Ads already appear throughout the Play Store, and Google is now showing them when you start a search, alongside other visual tweaks.
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AI coming to Google Search is more than a given at this point, and a new report details how the search engine is set for what sounds like a massive overhaul to boost its relevance and match how people are now finding information.
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One complaint that Android app developers (and end users) have are the differing “restrictions on foreground services and background work” across devices. Google is addressing background inconsistencies with Android 14 and will be getting buy-in from Samsung.
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Fitbit smartwatches are updated on a two-year cycle, while wearables from Samsung and Apple see annual refreshes. 9to5Google can now report that the Google Pixel Watch 2 is coming later this year with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
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As part of the relaunched Google Design, there are new articles on the website. One such interview explains why Google opted for bird feather wallpapers for its 2022-2023 Pixel devices.
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After first appearing last month, the Google Messages “Send photos faster” option is more widely rolling out, and we’ve done some quick tests on how it impacts file size, resolution, and quality.
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In late March, Google started letting the public test generative AI in Gmail and Docs. It’s now expanding the Trusted Tester program by a significant degree.
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Google Design has redone its website, and it is quite fun to explore. To mark the occasion, there is a series of short design films about “The Making of Material You.”
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Google is rolling out Android 13 QPR3 Beta 3.1 to Pixel phones today as a sizable bug fixer. It arrives two weeks after the last release.
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