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.
It’s rather hard to change how people use their phones. One recent example was Google wanting to meaningfully change how you interacted with “People and conversations” on Android in large parts through widgets.
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Google is making a small but profound usability tweak by adding an eyedropper tool to the color picker in Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings.
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With the Grammys being this weekend, it’s the perfect opportunity to remind you that Google’s best, most iconic Pixel ad featuring Childish Gambino aired during the 2019 edition of the awards show.
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Waymo’s latest milestone is autonomously driving one million miles on public roads without a human safety driver.
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Google has announced that it’s hosting a Search and AI event on Wednesday, February 8. It comes as the company is gearing up to combat ChatGPT and other AI competitors.
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In recent months, Android’s Messages app quietly lost its Google Assistant integration. However, Google Messages might be replacing that functionality with something called “Spotlights.”
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Earlier this week, a Google update broke the “ability to connect Pixel Buds A-Series to a second device.” Version 3.527.0 is now rolling out to the Pixel Buds A-Series with a fix.
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Alphabet just reported Q4 2022 earnings that include the holiday season and the launch of the latest Pixel devices, which are seeing “great momentum.”
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Alphabet today announced Q4 2022 earnings with $76 billion in revenue. These numbers range from October to December and close out the fiscal year.
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On desktop web, most instances of Picture-in-Picture (PiP) are quite basic. Google Chrome is now working on adding support for more advanced Picture-in-Picture players and use cases.
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YouTube is getting the ability to invite a guest to your mobile livestream with “Go Live Together.”
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Last month, Fitbit fixed an issue that prevented the Charge 5 (and Luxe) from syncing with Android 13 Samsung phones. The Fitbit Charge 5 is now seeing two more clock faces.
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Android SVP Hiroshi Lockheimer made an appearance at the end of the Galaxy S23 event today to talk about Google’s partnership with Samsung and Qualcomm on extended reality (XR).
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Android 13 QPR2 Beta 3 is rolling out today as what should be the final major preview before the stable launch in March.
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Besides the S23 and Galaxy Book 3 series, Samsung today announced that it’s working on “extended reality” (XR) products alongside Google and Qualcomm.
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In response to ChatGPT and others, Google is planning to add direct answers to Search. A new report details one possible design for a chatbot in Search as Google ramps up internal testing.
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Last August, Google Meet for Android introduced a feature that lets you co-watch videos on YouTube, curate a playlist on Spotify, and play games together. YouTube Music is now readying support for Google Meet Live Sharing.
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In an email to subscribers this afternoon, YouTube TV announced that it hasn’t been able to renew its deal with the MLB Network and that the baseball channel will no longer be available.
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After a three-year absence, Google Cloud will host an in-person event for its annual developer and partner conference. Google Cloud Next ’23 will take place in San Francisco at the end of August.
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Google is rolling out the first update of 2023 for the Chromecast with Google TV, though this appears to be a small bug fixer.
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After rolling out a Material You redesign in December, the Google TV Android app is now readying a homescreen widget.
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Google Play system updates occasionally lag behind the current month, with the Pixel 6 and 7 series starting to see the January 2023 release today after skipping December entirely.
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With the launch of Play Games for PC, Google introduced a new icon for the service that’s now coming to the Android app.
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While we wait for the Pixel Buds Pro release that adds spatial audio with head tracking, Pixel Buds A-Series is getting what looks to be a minor update.
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