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.
In late 2020, Google introduced a VPN for its Google One subscription that provides additional Drive/Photos storage, extended support, and other perks. After initially being Android-only, the Google One VPN is now launching on iOS.
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In recent years, Google has pretty much shut down most of its earlier virtual reality efforts. However, it still owns VR game studio Owlchemy Labs, which is launching Cosmonious High later this month.
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Before today, the US Google Store had yet to discount the Pixel 6 this cycle in a possible sign of consistent demand. Now, and for the next two weeks, you can get a $100 discount as statement credit when buying the Pixel 6 or 6 Pro through financing.
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Back in December, Google postponed its early 2022 return to office plans and held out on providing a new date amid the Omicron wave. Google informed US employees today that they have to return to offices at the start of April.
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Back in October, Google updated its excellent Recorder app with a redesign. Version 3.5 of Google Recorder is rolling out today with a handful of Material You tweaks and a Quick Settings tile on Pixel.
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At the start of last week, Google began rolling out the “new view” redesign of Gmail on the web. It has now hit our accounts, and here’s a look at how it works, as well as other details we’ve found while using it this afternoon.
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After testing for some time, YouTube Music is finally bringing the song/video switcher to the Now Playing UI of the web client.
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After rolling out a redesigned “Add to playlist” UI, YouTube Music is adding a “From your library” section to artist pages that is similar to something that was found in Google Play Music.
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Similar to desktop Search changes last week, the Google app on Android has been updated with a darker dark theme as part of today’s beta.
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Soli radar today is found on the second-gen Nest Hub and the $129 Nest Thermostat after previously debuting on the Pixel 4. Google’s Advanced Technology & Projects (ATAP) group today showed off other potential ways Soli could be used by future products.
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As the creators of Chrome OS, Google is a big proponent of Progressive Web Apps (PWA) especially to expand what the platform can do. Google shared today that desktop PWA installs have seen a 270% growth spurt since the beginning of 2021.
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March 2022 will bring five games to Stadia Pro in a decrease from the previous drop.
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Waymo One is Alphabet’s autonomous Lyft and Uber competitor that’s already operating in Phoenix, Arizona. Following testing in California, Waymo has now received permission to start charging fares and operate 24/7 in parts of San Francisco and San Mateo.
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Google is working to make Spaces in Chat more versatile and feature rich. It will eventually replace Currents, and Google is now rolling out features like setting Space Managers and guidelines.
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Back in 2018, Google joined the Universal Stylus Initiative to boost the adoption of an active pen protocol. USI today announced version 2.0 of its standard with a handful of new features possible.
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Since 2010, Google has published Transparency Reports to demonstrate “how the policies and actions of governments and corporations affect privacy, security, and access to information online.” One such report shows the impact the war in Ukraine is having on how people use Google products, including Maps.
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In a big win for Google, its Messages app is the default client for the Galaxy S22 in the US. However, Google’s RCS backend might not be powering your messaging experience and that might result in an extra step during the set-up process.
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Last year, Google Messages in India started automatically categorizing your texts into categories. This auto-group capability is now starting to appear for users in other parts of the world.
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YouTube Music’s subscriber base has been growing over the past year especially among youths. Google wants to keep that pace up by hiring a former Spotify executive to lead YouTube Music in Asia-Pacific (APAC).
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In 2020, Google started to deprioritize its Accelerated Mobile Pages format in favor of general site speed and a “page experience” metric. The biggest news publishers are now planning to move away from the Google-backed AMP format.
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With today’s launch of the Edge+, Motorola shared some thoughts on how smart glasses and phones will coexist in the future.
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Android 12L is scheduled to get its “final release” sometime next month, but it’s already quite a stable beta build. However, Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners that are fully updated cannot install it at the moment. Google, meanwhile, plans to release one more Android 12L build in March.
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Last May, Google announced that each app in the Play Store is getting a “Data safety” section. It serves a dual-purpose for developers and end users alike, but Google Play is now delaying the launch until later this year.
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Following Android, Google Home for iOS is now starting to roll out the ability to remote control your Chromecast with Google TV from your phone. Version 2.48 also makes tweaks to Google Wifi stats and graphs.
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