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.
Following last month’s launch of 12L, Android 12’s April security patch is rolling out to the Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6 Pro today. It comes as Android 12 QPR3 is in beta and Android 13 is set to follow this month.
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Google Translate has been updated with a very neat quality-of-life improvement on Android that sees Gboard automatically update languages to improve text entry.
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Google’s hardware storefront is rarely updated outside of product launches and the holiday season at year’s end. In the US, the Google Store is now being used to prominently advertise Pixel Pass.
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Given its lack of a first-party mobile OS, Microsoft is firmly invested in offering its services on Android, while also being an OEM with the Surface Duo. The company has now created a dedicated Android division internally.
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With the March Feature Drop, Google announced that your Pixel’s home and lockscreen would start showing more contextual information. As the month comes to an end, At a Glance is only now beginning to roll out the “Connected devices” Bluetooth integration.
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In addition to Smart Compose, grammar corrections, and spelling autocorrect, Google Docs is now rolling out writing suggestions that feature a purple underline to help with tone, style, and word choice.
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The Google Home app is getting a rather sizable redesign of the device grid that makes it faster to control smart gadgets right from the main tab. This is more or less similar to the Device controls page on Android 11+.
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In what’s turning out to be a big week for Pixel 6 accessories, Peak Design has released its “Everyday Case” for Google’s flagship phones.
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Google officially announced Glass Enterprise Edition 2 in May of 2019 with Android 8.1 Oreo installed. It has received several updates since launch, and the latest release this week adds a handful of new capabilities for businesses.
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After releasing Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1 at the start of this month and following up with Beta 1.1 for the Pixel 6 line last week, Google is now asking for feedback.
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It came to light — sorry, not sorry — last month that Google internally developed a smart lamp for its employees. More details about Google’s “dLight” are now available courtesy of FCC confidentiality ending.
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In an under-the-radar enterprise announcement at the start of this year, Verizon partnered with Google to pair the Pixel 6 with Glass Enterprise Edition 2. In fact, there’s even a discount for businesses that ends today.
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Alongside a slew of Meet announcements, Google Voice is getting a pair of new capabilities, most notably call recording, for enterprise subscribers. Google also previewed what’s coming to Spaces this year.
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When G Suite was rebranded to Google Workspace in 2020, the company teased that Meet was coming to Docs, Sheets, and Slides. That Google Meet integration is now coming along with desktop web Picture-in-Picture (PiP), in-call reactions and more.
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At the start of 2022, Google announced that the Privacy Sandbox was dropping FLoC as its proposal to replace third-party cookies for online ads. The company shared today that it will start trialing FLEDGE, Attribution Reporting, and Topics in Chrome and showed off end user control settings for the latter.
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To help people evaluate news that appears in Search, Google is adding a “highly cited” label to the Top Stories carousel and other information literacy tips.
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The Recorder app found on Pixel phones was updated this month with various Material You tweaks and a handy Quick Settings tile. Recorder also introduced a landscape mode that would look awfully good on a Pixel tablet.
As promised in February, YouTube TV is rolling out picture-in-picture (PiP) to its iPhone and iPad app. It comes as the main YouTube for iOS client is still only previewing an identical capability.
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In addition to getting Custom Text stickers with the latest Pixel Feature Drop, Gboard is now beginning to roll out an “Emojify” capability that’s marked by a magic wand button.
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At the end of last year, Google thoroughly redesigned and simplified the process of creating Assistant Routines. That update introduced sunrise/sunset triggers, and Google will soon let you program a delay between when the command is given and the Assistant Routine starts.
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Right out of the gate, the trailer for Marvel’s latest Disney+ series rather prominently featured a Razr V3 flip phone. With the first episode of Moon Knight now streaming, we see that Oscar Issac is using both the Razr and a Samsung Galaxy S9.
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Following the desktop browser and mobile apps, Google is detailing what’s new in Chrome OS 100, which starts rolling out later this week.
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While Apple in no way invented Bluetooth trackers, AirTags undoubtedly popularized the category this past year. There are ongoing concerns about these readily available devices being used to track people, and tag makers have taken steps to counter that. Google might soon add a Bluetooth tracker detection capability directly into Android.
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Google released the initial beta of its browser in September 2008 and over 13.5 years later Chrome is getting updated to version 100 today.
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