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.
After testing for the past few months, YouTube today officially announced several design updates, including Ambient Mode, to the video player across Android, iOS, the web, and smart TVs.
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In August, Google started real-world testing of AR (augmented reality) prototypes in the US, and is now expanding to Canada.
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Like on phones, many Wear OS features are delivered via Google Play services, and the latest version reveals what backups on watches will cover, as well as more features for Google Wallet.
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We’re just over a month away from Black Friday, but the US Google Store currently has a few deals that are approaching that level. The Nest Audio is currently $49.99, while you can get Pixel Buds Pro for $149 and a $299 Pixel 6a.
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In the broadest sense, Pixel phones are differentiated by AI and ML-powered features. The Pixel Watch — in the modern era* — is Made by Google’s third form factor with “Pixel” branding. As a first-generation device, its claim to that name is somewhat more tenuous.
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The third episode of the Made by Google podcast interviews Isabelle Olsson — Senior Director, Design for Wearables, Nest, and CMF (Color, Material, and Finish) — about the design of the Pixel Watch, the glossy Nest Wifi Pro, and picking the Pixel 7 colors.
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YouTube Music’s bimonthly recap of feature launches for August and September 2022 is here with wide rollouts for seven-day stats and a handful of teases about what the team is working on next.
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Today’s surprise release of Android 13 QPR1 Beta 3 contains only minor UI tweaks, but it does enable Clear Calling on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.
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Google is rolling out a trio of features to improve the search experience in Gmail with labels and related results. Chat also gets some upgrades with AI-generated summaries and inline threading for Spaces.
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The Pixel Watch is a first-generation wearable and some are encountering what they believe to be screen “burn-in,” but Google tells us that this is just image retention.
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Android 13 QPR1 Beta 3 is now available for Pixel phones and it’s rolling out just over two weeks after the previous release.
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Using voice commands to control smart home devices is very common, and something that Google Assistant is about to get better at through the use of AI.
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Google is rolling out a handful of new features for Messages today to make the core experience more convenient, like a YouTube PiP. This follows a similar set of announcements back in March.
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Amid the work-from-home era, Google’s Area 120 incubator released Threadit to boost team collaboration with video messages that could be replied to at any time. This project is shutting down soon, but the Threadit team is joining Google Workspace.
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Google announced and detailed Android 13 (Go edition) today with several sizable changes to the user experience and underlying technical functionality grouped under “reliability, usability and customization” tentpoles.
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Following Phoenix and San Francisco, Waymo is bringing its “One” ride-hailing service to Los Angeles in a sizable expansion.
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The first teardown of the Google Pixel Watch is here and provides a look at the especially dense and circular wearable.
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Google is using Assistant to help get the word out.
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Last week, Google rolled out its initial set of iOS 16 Lock Screen widgets, and YouTube Music is now the latest iPhone app to introduce a pair.
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Google announced Material You at I/O 2021, and it has since come to the vast majority of its Android apps. On the web, Gmail is the primary example, but you can also demo Material Design 3 on Material.io.
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Since launch, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro have been running a Google Play system update from July, but some users are now being prompted to install a new version only to have that download fail.
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Google’s push to optimize first-party apps for large screen Android devices and the Pixel Tablet continues with a handful of updates for Chrome that rolled out in recent months.
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Announced just over five years ago, Google Family Link is getting a redesign that offers a streamlined experience for parents by bringing controls to the forefront, as well as Material You and a web app.
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Even before the addition of Chat and Meet, Gmail preferences have been unwieldy on mobile. Google has now rolled out a redesign of Gmail settings on iOS that will hopefully make its way to Android.
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