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.
With Android 12, the Pixel Launcher introduced a new “Search your phone” capability. Google is now testing search results from Google Photos in the Pixel Launcher on Android 13.
Expand Expanding Close
At the start of March, Android 12L rolled out to Pixel phones and AOSP, while updates for Samsung and Microsoft devices are planned for this year. Lenovo is also on that list and yesterday released Android 12L Beta 3 for the Lenovo P12 Pro.
Expand Expanding Close
The difficult SVD puzzle — if solved — reveals that Google will be hosting I/O 2022 on May 11–12. It’s another virtual event that will be free for all to participate in.
Expand Expanding Close
Google is actively developing an operating system for AR hardware, and a deal to acquire microLED startup Raxium continues that work.
Expand Expanding Close
Last year, Google announced that app ratings in the Play Store will be specific to each device type. The company is now continuing that work of improving the large screen experience by surfacing high-quality apps and warning about unoptimized ones .
Expand Expanding Close
Historically, Google teases its annual developer conference at the end of January, but last year waited until April. The company this morning released the Google I/O 2022 puzzle that should reveal when the event takes place.
Expand Expanding Close
In a rather amusing display of corporate sponsorship, Google is now an “Official Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team and the McLaren MX Extreme E Team” with the Android and Chrome logos making an appearance on F1 race cars.
Expand Expanding Close
Google wants to leverage AI to help kids get a more “personal learning experience.” In the coming months, Google Classroom is getting a “practice sets” feature that surfaces assistance and other suggestions as students do the work.
Expand Expanding Close
Over the past few months, the global supply chain has been heavily constrained resulting in long wait times and missing goods. Alphabet’s X moonshot factory wants to tackle that problem with Project Chorus.
Expand Expanding Close
At this point, Google’s biggest Android apps have been updated with Material You. Redesigns are widely rolled out, but widget availability varies depending on whether you have a Pixel or Samsung device running Android 12. The following is our running tally of which Google app Material You widgets are available where.
Expand Expanding Close
As previewed in February, Google Docs on the web is getting a rather nifty template for drafting emails that features Gmail integration. This is part of Google’s @-menu and Smart Canvas push.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s domain registration service entered public beta in January of 2015. It’s now exiting beta into general availability in 26 countries, and Google Domains is marking the occasion with a discount.
Expand Expanding Close
The long-awaited availability of Steam on Chromebooks was just more or less announced (in alpha) at the 2022 Google for Games Developer Summit. That said, Google is light on availability details for the moment.
Expand Expanding Close
As the 2022 Google for Games Developer Summit kicks off this morning, the company detailed its latest efforts and tools for Android developers.
Expand Expanding Close
After installing the Android 12L March Feature Drop and security patch, some Pixel devices have become uncertified and can no longer make contactless (NFC) transactions with Google Pay.
Expand Expanding Close
While Google hasn’t released a new Pixelbook since 2019, OEM partners have continued to release flagship Chrome OS devices and different form factors. In a rather peculiar Instagram post today, Google talks about a “new Chromebook” from HP as if it were its own.
Expand Expanding Close
The March Feature Drop introduced the ability for Snapchat to take advantage of Night Sight on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Behind the scenes, this requires an update to “Pixel Camera Services” that is rolling out today.
Expand Expanding Close
I want to use a tablet. In that fantasy, I’d use a large screen to quickly go through tweets, email, news, and other torrents of information during more laid back periods of the day (breakfast, lunch, etc). With the launch of Android 12L and the impending launch of updates and/or new devices, I tried to live that dream. The entire time I was conscious of Google’s track record, but I was not ready for its first-party apps to disappoint me as much as it did.
Expand Expanding Close
The majority of Google’s apps today feature a bottom bar and Contacts for Android is now the latest to add it as part of a redesign that retains a modified navigation drawer.
Expand Expanding Close
Google today issued an update on its response to the war in Ukraine. Among other ongoing efforts, Android users in Ukraine will soon have rapid Air Raid Alerts natively built into their phones.
Expand Expanding Close
YouTube Premium is how you’re officially supposed to watch videos without ads so that Creators continue to earn revenue from their work. An effort has long existed to get around paying for the ad-free subscription, but “YouTube Vanced” is now shutting down.
Expand Expanding Close
Following new widgets for YouTube Music and Google Photos in December, Digital Wellbeing will soon get a screen time widget that shows how much you’ve been on your phone and the top Android apps being used.
Expand Expanding Close
Noting how more people are buying cars online, Google is introducing a vehicle ads format in Search that shows what’s available for purchase nearby.
Expand Expanding Close
Star Trek serves as the inspiration for various technologies that are only now coming into existence. For example, Google Now was codenamed “Majel” after Majel Barrett, the voice of computers throughout the franchise. The opposite is now happening as Star Trek: Picard sure looks like it’s using Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold as a prop.
Expand Expanding Close