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.
Chromebooks are quite popular in schools for their mix of affordability, ease of management, and utility. Another growing use case sees libraries across the US acquire Chrome OS laptops and make them available to patrons for extended periods of time. Here’s our non-exhaustive list of library systems that let you borrow a Chromebook and internet hotspot.
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Back in March, Gboard heavily suggested that it was adding a split keyboard for foldables, and the first look at that design is now here.
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The latest change to Google Docs lets you select multiple passages of text and take bulk actions (delete, copy, paste, etc.) simultaneously to greatly speed up formatting.
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With Android 13, a revamp of the Pixel Launcher search experience is underway, and one aspect of it is now live with the latest Google app beta.
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The US Google Store has long let you purchase Pixel phones unlocked through Google Fi or with Verizon. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are now available through AT&T on the Google Store.
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Google Marketing Live is the company’s annual equivalent of I/O for advertising. The 2022 edition saw Google announce several new shopping and advertising experiences that end users can expect in the coming year, including Discover video ads.
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Google is updating Lens in desktop Chrome so that it doesn’t open as a new tab and keeps you on the same page via a new side panel.
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To mark the 15th anniversary of Street View, Google Maps is rolling out a slew of features including the ability to view historical data on Android and iOS, as well as a new camera system.
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In recent weeks, the DALL-E 2 AI image generator has been making the waves on Twitter. Google this evening publicized its own version called “Imagen,” and it pairs a deep level of language understanding with an “unprecedented degree of photorealism.”
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Galaxy Watch 4 owners have been waiting for Google Assistant since Samsung launched the wearable with just Bixby last year, and support is now officially launching today.
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Google already lets you create and assign tasks in Google Chat Spaces, and the integration is now going deeper with the ability to create a personal task from any message.
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Ahead of availability this fall, Google is turning to Taiwan’s Compal Electronics to manufacture the Pixel Watch, while we also learned today that it will have a USB-C charger.
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At the start of this month, we spotted that the Nest Hub would get deeper Google Fit and Fitbit integration. You can now ask Google Assistant for your Fitbit and Google Fit stats.
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Google won’t be selling the Pixel 6a for another two months, but an official unboxing video provides a quick glimpse of the under-display fingerprint sensor, while the actual box contains some rather interesting Tensor branding.
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Since our report on Friday about how the Pixel Watch will be using Samsung’s Exynos 9110, 9to5Google has learned more details about what specs are powering Google’s upcoming wearable and the health capabilities it will offer.
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Qualcomm today did its usual mid-year update to this cycle’s mobile flagship chip with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, and the 7 Gen 1 was also announced. The chipmaker additionally unveiled a new reference design with the Wireless AR Smart Viewer.
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In addition to a new Recently Played tile, YouTube Music for Wear OS will soon let you stream songs over data/cellular instead of having to download songs, albums, or playlists ahead of time.
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Google is bringing its bright red warning banners to Chat in order to guard against invites that contain potential phishing and malware links.
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In addition to other Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) announcements today, Google is making it easier to find accessible Android apps in the Play Store.
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On the Google My Activity page, one of the very first controls shown is Web & App Activity. Google will soon break up that setting with a new “Workspace search history” preference.
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The first-generation Nest Hub is getting a more sizable update than usual that adds the app launcher and on-device Bluetooth settings menu.
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For Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Google is previewing new features across several products covering Android and Workspace, including alt-text in Gmail.
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As announced in March, Google TV is rolling out a redesign that adds a “Highlights” news feed and reorganizes other parts of the Android app.
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Google Photos recently rolled out a pair of tweaks on Android and iOS that make it easier to delete media in albums, and there’s a new date/location indicator when browsing.
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