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.
Besides astrophotography time lapse, the key addition from June’s Pixel Feature Drop is the Google Photos Locked Folder that was first announced at I/O. It’s now beginning to roll out via a server-side update.
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Tomorrow, the first permanent Google retail store opens its doors to the public in a project that the company has been working toward since 2016. Since there’s only one — with the company steadfastly not commenting on whether there will be more, here’s a tour of the site in New York.
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Google is rolling out a new Search Console Insights tool that provides creators with an overview of how their content is performing. It’s meant to be an “easier way to understand how your content resonates with readers.”
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Over the past few years, Google Fiber has been replacing legacy aspects of its service and streamlining. The latest allows Fiber TV customers that own a dedicated box to upgrade to a Chromecast with Google TV.
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Back in November, Google announced that it would start testing end-to-end encryption in Messages for Android. After being limited to the beta channel, E2EE is now rolling out to all stable users.
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Back in April, Google activated the Android Earthquake Alerts System in Greece and New Zealand. This Google Play services-powered mechanism is now live in seven more nations as the global launch gets underway.
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One of last year’s more curious Made by Google products was a relaunched Google Wifi that starts at $99. After debuting in the US in October, Google is taking it to Canada and Europe as a more affordable alternative to the Nest Wifi.
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In addition to an upcoming Companion Mode, Google is bringing the background noise cancellation feature in Meet to more users and making it the default behavior.
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Last month, Google announced that its hardware division would be opening a permanent retail location. Google Store Chelsea is now set to open this coming Thursday in New York City at 10 a.m. ET.
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In addition to Gmail, Meet, and other Workspace announcements today, Google Docs and Drive will soon get Client-side encryption where “customer data is indecipherable to Google.”
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Google has been rapidly iterating on Meet in the past year, and that’s continuing today alongside updates to Gmail and Workspace. Google Meet is getting a “Companion Mode” to provide a second-screen experience as part of a push to make hybrid meetings more equitable.
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Back in October, G Suite became Google Workspace for enterprise and later education, as well as nonprofit, customers. Google Workspace is now available “for everyone,” meaning that regular users with free accounts can access a more integrated productivity experience that merges Gmail, Chat, and Meet.
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A key part of Google’s integrated vision for productivity is routing everything through the Gmail apps. As part of Workspace becoming available “for everyone,” Gmail is getting streamlined navigation on the web, while Google Chat’s “Rooms” will soon be called “Spaces.”
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Android 12 Beta 2 rolled out this week with a ton of changes, and Google is now asking users to participate in a feedback survey.
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Back in September, Google’s internal Area 120 incubator launched Tables as a “user-friendly, intuitive work tracking tool.” The Tables team announced today that the service has proven a “success” and that it will become a “fully-supported Google Cloud product” in the next year.
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The Privacy Sandbox is Google’s initiative for building a more private web, and a key aspect involves phasing out support for third-party cookies in Chrome through an alternative called FLoC. Given Google’s reach, the change was always going to be contentious, and it today offered a series of Privacy Sandbox commitments.
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Back in March, Google announced that Chrome was moving to a four-week release cycle for faster feature rollouts. The company today detailed plans for Chrome OS updates and what the upcoming schedule looks like.
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The Pixel Launcher is one hallmark of Made by Google phones that has remained relatively unchanged over the years. Google is now letting you disable weather from appearing at the top of the Pixel Launcher in At a Glance.
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Android 12 Beta 2 launched yesterday with the wallpaper-based theming announced at Google I/O. We already provided a preview of the upcoming support in Google Messages, and now here’s an early look at the Material You “Dynamic Color” theme in the works for Gboard.
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Alongside Live View directions in Maps and 3D Animals, Lens is one of Google’s key investments in augmented reality. Google UK is now promoting the visual search tool with a “Behind the Lens with Google Pixel” promo campaign.
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While powerful, picture-in-picture is not implemented in the most user-friendly manner, Android 12 Beta 2 takes a crack at simplifying that experience by getting rid of resizing through corner dragging.
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The first Beta at I/O 2021 last month rolled out the first aspects of the Material You redesign and Google is continuing to overhaul the next major version of its OS with the latest release. Over the coming hours, we will dive into Android 12 Beta 2 to chronicle all the new features and changes.
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Following Android 12 entering wider availability last month, Beta 2 is rolling out today to Pixel phones. This is the first of two incremental Beta-quality releases as the next release of Android nears its public launch.
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Just over three weeks ago, Google announced Material You as its hyper-personalized design system for creating apps that adapt to users, specifically their Android wallpapers. It will take some time for all apps to get updated, but here’s an early look at Material You theming for Google Messages.
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