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.
Back in April, Google Workspace for Nonprofits became available with deals on plan upgrades. Google for Nonprofit users now have a new perk where they can get discounts on Google Store products, like the Nest Wifi.
Expand Expanding Close
The last software update for the Chromecast with Google TV earlier this month added the underlying support needed for Stadia, as well as other tweaks and bug fixes. Google TV on the Chromecast now has a much more obvious search field for applications.
Expand Expanding Close
Following the official launch last week, Google Chat is picking up improved search. Starting on Android, the experience is adding filters to “help you find artifacts like files and links more easily.”
Expand Expanding Close
Ahead of the 2021 Google for Games Dev Summit next month, the company shared the two-day agenda split across four tracks. Besides Android 12, Play, Ads, Firebase, Chrome, YouTube, and Cloud news, Google will be talking about developing for Stadia.
Expand Expanding Close
Google today announced “Ads Creative Studio” as a “unified home for creative tools” that span across video, display, and audio advertising. The goal is to simplify the ad creation process with more collaboration features.
Expand Expanding Close
The Google-created International Small Business Week is now in its second year, and various teams from across the company are launching new features to celebrate. This includes a Pixel-specific Google Pay promo when shopping at small businesses, faster YouTube ad campaign creation, and three free months of Pointy from Google.
Expand Expanding Close
Announced at the start of this month, Made by Google’s latest earbuds went on sale last week. Some of those Pixel Buds A-Series buyers are now getting a $10 credit for the Google Store.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s staple advertising format is having people enter queries into the iconic Search homepage. The latest Google Search ad is timed for Father’s Day and tells the story of communication.
Expand Expanding Close
According to many user reports over the past day, MassNotify — the Massachusetts exposure notifications app — was automatically installed on Android phones without warning. It’s unclear if this was an intentional decision or a bug, but exposure notifications did not also get enabled with the install.
Expand Expanding Close
From rolling out end-to-end encryption to the upcoming ability to star messages, Google’s RCS/SMS client has seen a number of feature additions recently. You can now pinch-to-zoom to change the font size in Google Messages for Android.
Expand Expanding Close
Android 12 this fall will introduce support for digital car keys. With our phones growing ever more capable, losing them will become a greater and greater inconvenience. As such, the Find My Device process will incorporate deleting and suspending car keys if you misplace your phone.
Expand Expanding Close
In addition to letting specific Android apps always bypass the VPN, Google One now lets you temporarily snooze the secure connection on Android.
Expand Expanding Close
Google released a new batch of Nest Detect sensors to help existing Nest Secure owners expand their systems in March. In an email today, the company said the Nest Detect will no longer be available after the current inventory runs out.
Expand Expanding Close
With iOS 14 last year, Apple introduced Picture-in-Picture to let you watch video in a floating window while using other tasks. The YouTube app is finally adding support for PiP on iPhone and iPad.
Expand Expanding Close
The latest beta version of Play services rolled out last evening to reveal that Google is working on a “Find My Device network” capability named “Spot” that leverages your Android phone to locate other devices.
Expand Expanding Close
Google today notified users of a change to how Fit works to calculate some metrics. End users of the Google Fit apps should not see a real impact due to this, but “some data” will be deleted in 30 days.
Expand Expanding Close
Since the start of this year, Google’s streaming service has yet to receive a major feature update. That continues today with search in YouTube Music for Android and iOS now directly displaying songs.
Expand Expanding Close
The Hand Raise feature in Google Meet is getting a slew of updates over the coming weeks. Everything from the end user to host experience is seeing an upgrade.
Expand Expanding Close
Ahead of Thanksgiving and the long weekend, YouTube TV is giving all subscribers a free preview of HBO Max and Cinemax. These are otherwise paid add-on channels over your monthly membership.
Expand Expanding Close
The first permanent Google Store just opened this morning, and the company has provided a few more details about logistics, like opening hours for the Chelsea location and how shopping works.
Expand Expanding Close
One of the key aspects of the Pixel Launcher experience is “At A Glance,” which has seen a handful of weather-related tweaks in recent months. Google is now planning to overhaul the capability into “Live Space” and better integrate it on with Assistant on Pixel phones running Android 12.
Expand Expanding Close
Last year, Google announced that the future of Gmail will see Chat messaging and group Rooms join the existing Meet video calling integration. This is already available to enterprise Workspace users, and Google is now letting personal Gmail accounts get this “integrated workspace.”
Expand Expanding Close
Google launched a program to help teach kids about online safety four years ago. The latest update to the Be Internet Awesome curriculum today adds 11 new lessons following an outside evaluation.
Expand Expanding Close
Knowledge Panels in Google Search are available for notable places, organizations, things, and people. The latter category includes journalists, with Google now showing a Knowledge Panel carousel of their published articles.
Expand Expanding Close