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.
Over a one-month period that ended in late November, Google rolled out updated logos for the vast majority of Workspace apps. Google Tasks was left off the list, but that’s now being rectified with a new icon.
Expand Expanding Close
For customers in the Asia-Pacific region, Google is marking its birthday a bit differently this year and using the occasion as an opportunity to promote its upcoming flagship phone. Purchasing something this weekend from one of three Google Stores will net you a discount when buying the Pixel 6 later this year.
.
Besides Tensor, the camera upgrade is the most exciting aspect of Google’s upcoming flagship phone. The latest Pixel 6 Pro leak suggests the return of an ultra-wide front-facing camera and details the video shooting experience.
Expand Expanding Close
The Surface Duo launched with Android 10 two days after the Android 11 rollout commenced last year. Following the unveil of the Surface Duo 2 yesterday, Microsoft is now committing to bringing the year-old operating system to its original Android Foldable by the end of 2021.
Expand Expanding Close
For the past few years, Google has been working on a new specification for building Chrome extensions. Manifest v3 became available earlier this year with Chrome 88. In launching, the company has been conscious of how big a shift the privacy-preserving aspects are, and today detailed the transition away from Manifest v2.
Expand Expanding Close
Back in November, Assistant Driving Mode started rolling out as part of Google Maps. Google today is making official the new “dashboard” experience coming to Driving Mode, while the Assistant capability is set to get wider availability and a new way to launch.
Expand Expanding Close
Back in June, Pixel phones were the first to receive the ability to secure images and videos behind a passcode. Google today confirmed that the Locked Folder in Photos is set to soon arrive on all other Android devices.
Expand Expanding Close
Google today has three car experiences, and all of them are seeing updates. The biggest is an upcoming “Hey Google, pay for gas” command, while Android Auto is getting new media and connectivity features.
Expand Expanding Close
With Ford back in February, Google’s car operating system netted a significant partner. Honda is now the next major carmaker to adopt Android Automotive from 2022 onwards.
Expand Expanding Close
An update to the Nest Hub and Hub Max improves how the Assistant Smart Displays handle Spanish by providing a more immersive language experience in the US.
Expand Expanding Close
Last March, Google announced a “Works With Chromebook” program to certify and badge accessories for Chrome OS. The latest peripheral to come out of this certification is docking stations.
Expand Expanding Close
On Android and iOS, YouTube Premium lets you store content for offline viewing. The ability to download YouTube videos is now coming to the desktop web as part of an experiment that paying subscribers can enable today.
Expand Expanding Close
Last year, Google introduced an updated “About this ad” feature to let you learn more about specific advertising. This page is now gaining a history feature that shows you what an advertiser has run on Google’s platforms in the past 30 days.
Expand Expanding Close
Microsoft announced its first foldable in October of 2019, but did not ship the phone until almost a year later. The end result was not too groundbreaking, but Redmond is trying again with the Surface Duo 2.
Expand Expanding Close
Following the big update in August, Google Podcasts for Android is getting a straightforward Material You redesign, though it’s not yet widely rolled out.
Expand Expanding Close
Google has been working on an in-app browser for Search on Android for quite sometime now. After being widely rolled out to the beta channel for the past few months, it has disappeared and reverted to Chrome Custom Tabs.
Expand Expanding Close
Android Auto and the various available apps are built with safety and quick interactions in mind. This involves putting controls close to the driver, but that’s not always the case in some parts of the world. To help remedy that, Google Maps in Android Auto can now adapt its UI for right-hand-drive vehicles.
Expand Expanding Close
After redesigning the Weather app, Google’s next step is introducing Android 12 homescreen widgets. We enabled the first one last week, and the second Google widget coming is straight from the Pixel 6’s Material You advertising.
Expand Expanding Close
Last week, Google’s new design language started widely rolling out to Gmail for Android in some countries. As part of that launch, Google notably shrunk down the Material You bottom bar in Gmail.
Expand Expanding Close
Google is continuing to add more settings to the Search app on Android with a new preference to control “Personal results.”
Expand Expanding Close
The most full-featured Gmail experience is still found on the web, but the mobile apps continue to pick up more and more capabilities. Gmail for Android is now gaining “improved search” through a set of filters.
Expand Expanding Close
On Thursday, we got a look at the print campaign Google is running for its upcoming flagship. Additional Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro billboards highlight how the design — especially the screens — between the smaller and larger models diverge.
Expand Expanding Close
With the launch of iOS 15 and iPad OS 15, Google announced a handful of app updates to support the latest platform features today. This includes new XL widgets, Focus mode, and Spotlight support.
Expand Expanding Close
Recent updates to Google’s main video conferencing service have made it easier to set visual effects and detect echos. Google Meet is now bringing brightness adjustments to the web client following the introduction of a low-light mode on mobile last year.
Expand Expanding Close