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.
People like using their Google Assistant Smart Displays and speakers to play white noise before sleeping. Google earlier this week changed the white noise ambient sound and there has been an onslaught of complaints from Home/Nest users.
Expand Expanding Close
On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to review the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, and technology companies have been pushing back. Like Apple earlier today, Google this afternoon published a blog post detailing specific “harmful consequences” on products as a result of these antitrust bills.
Expand Expanding Close
The Android 12L Beta 2 software survey is now open for Pixel owners to report their experiences from the past week.
Expand Expanding Close
In recent weeks, YouTube very quietly introduced an annual plan for YouTube Premium and Music Premium. It currently features a rather notable discount compared to paying every month, but that ends very soon.
Expand Expanding Close
Google starting today is inviting K-12 students in the US to create a Doodle for the Search homepage. Doodle for Google 2022 is looking for artwork that reflects “I care for myself by…”
Expand Expanding Close
HP today announced their latest line of Chromebooks for education customers under a new Fortis brand. The line will include the HP Fortis 14 G10 and 11 G9 Q Chromebook, as well as a webcam accessory.
Expand Expanding Close
Following an unexplained delay last week, Samsung Electronics on Wednesday announced the Exynos 2200. The most significant aspect of this high-end mobile processor is the AMD RDNA 2-based Xclipse GPU.
Expand Expanding Close
On Wednesday, we found new Android 12L assets that suggest Google’s upcoming foldable could take after the Oppo Find N form factor rather than Samsung’s Galaxy Fold. 9to5Google has heard that this device could be named the “Pixel Notepad” with a lower price point than expected.
Expand Expanding Close
Arriving much sooner than the original “late January” target from Google or this morning’s carrier date, the next patch for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro is now beginning to roll out following a long delay.
Expand Expanding Close
We’ve known since the end of last month that the next Pixel 6 update would arrive later than usual. According to one carrier today, the January security patch (and December Feature Drop) could start rolling out this coming Monday.
Expand Expanding Close
Over the past two years, Google has committed to eventually bringing its employees back into the office as part of a “flexible workweek.” Google’s latest commitment to this model is purchasing its existing UK office for $1 billion.
Expand Expanding Close
Back in June, Google previewed a second screen experience for video conferencing. Google Meet’s Companion Mode is now beginning to roll out “when joining a meeting using Google Meet hardware or the Nest Hub Max.”
Expand Expanding Close
Last year saw the emergence of dongles that let you use Google’s phone-powered car UI for navigation, messaging, and entertainment wirelessly even if your vehicle doesn’t support that natively. Motorola is now making a wireless Android Auto adapter.
Expand Expanding Close
The latest YouTube “new” feature that users can test, though it’s not widely available, is “Smart downloads” for the Android app.
Expand Expanding Close
Back in 2019, Google introduced real-time video call transcriptions and has since added support for more languages. The next step sees Google Meet beta test live translated captions.
Expand Expanding Close
A little over three and a half years after Voice was massively redesigned, Google started telling original users that the legacy web version would stop receiving updates and encouraged them to migrate over. Legacy Google Voice is now set to be “phased out” from next month.
Expand Expanding Close
The preview period for the first mid-cycle update (focused on foldables, tablets, and Chrome OS) to Android in years continues today. Join as we chronicle all the new features and changes in Android 12L Beta 2 for Pixel phones.
Expand Expanding Close
The Android 12L developer cycle continues today with the release of Beta 2 today for Pixel phones enrolled in the Beta Program.
Expand Expanding Close
With the first beta channel release of 2022, the Google app introduced a bug that sees its Chrome Custom Tab break and all web pages open in your default browser on Android.
Expand Expanding Close
Google is rolling out a trio of productivity updates to its iPhone and iPad productivity apps. Notably, Gmail will get a homescreen widget, while iOS Picture-in-Picture is now available for Google Meet.
Expand Expanding Close
Over the past year, Google has publicly pressured Apple to support Rich Communication Services. The latest salvo this weekend was the harshest yet, but RCS on the iPhone is not the panacea to Google’s historical messaging woes, nor will support lead to a transformatively better experience for Android users when interacting with their iPhone counterparts.
Expand Expanding Close
After critical comments on Saturday, Android chief Hiroshi Lockheimer is back with some “thoughts and clarifications” on RCS and iMessage.
Expand Expanding Close
Made by Google is continuing its monthly drop of new “Curated Culture” Pixel wallpapers in 2022, though January’s additions do not coincide with a specific event/month/day.
Expand Expanding Close
Apple-owned Shazam has just released a Chrome Extension that works to identify what’s playing in your “Netflix or YouTube video, that Soundcloud mix or in a Twitch streamed video game,” but it doesn’t work for all users just yet.
Expand Expanding Close