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.
The latest update to Google’s Home companion app is rolling out on Android and iOS this morning. Besides Home 2.34 adding support for the 2nd-gen Nest Hub, the Google/Nest Wifi experience gets a big update with network usage graphs.
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Google announced today that it will be reducing the commission it takes from Android developers that distribute paid applications and offer in-app purchases through the Play Store. The service fee on the first $1 million (USD) in revenue every year will be lowered from 30% to 15%.
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In deciding to not put a camera on what was initially called the Home Hub, Google made its first Assistant Smart Display ideal for nightstands. The new 2nd-generation Nest Hub is further embracing that role with Sleep Sensing to track your rest. Otherwise, it looks the same and is not that much more expensive than the original.
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With screen usage increasing in the past year due to distance learning and the need for alternative entertainment, Google is updating Family Link with more tools that tell parents “how kids use devices.”
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Google is introducing a “new way to view and manage notifications” related to your Drive files. The hope is that users with this new notifications feed will spend less time switching between Google Drive for Android and an email app.
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The presenter bar in Google Slides is getting redesigned to offer a “less intrusive experience” for presenters and viewers alike. Overall, the new toolbar is more hidden and not as distracting.
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Last year, Google’s video calling app gained an improved desktop layout to help you see everyone in large meetings. The Google Meet tile view is now coming to the mobile apps, starting with iOS.
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As Daylight Saving Time started this morning in the US and Canada, some Google Pixel phones did not update and jump ahead the prescribed hour. Fortunately, a quick reboot fixes Google’s Pixel DST bug.
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Pi Day — March 14 — in 2021 is this Sunday, and Google is celebrating with an easter egg when you open Search’s built-in calculator. It tests how well you know the mathematical constant.
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Alongside web articles, YouTube videos, and Web Stories, advertising frequently appears in the Google feed available to the left of most Android homescreens. Google Discover is now getting a new ads slideshow format that automatically moves you to the next image.
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Starting in 2019, swiping left on Wear OS clock faces would show you “Tiles” for weather, news headlines, and more. Only first-party Google apps have ever been able to offer these glanceable pieces of information. That’s finally changing with Google now letting third-party developers create custom Wear OS Tiles.
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Microsoft famously started running the Scroogled attack ad campaign almost a decade ago, and has recently been targeting Google again in front of governments in the realm of the news media. Ahead of congressional testimony today from Redmond’s president, Google published a scathing rebuttal that goes after Microsoft’s “naked corporate opportunism.”
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Chrome is perennially criticized for its memory usage, and Google has been working to address those complaints in recent browser releases for Mac, Windows, and Android.
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From getting major Android releases that improve privacy first to monthly patches and the Titan M chip, security is often an under-discussed selling point of Pixel phones. The latest security advantage sees Pixel devices on Android 11 get Common Criteria’s Mobile Device Fundamentals Protection Profile certification.
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Since the start of this year, Google has been working on a revamped Now Playing screen for its Podcasts app on Android. Based on what we enabled, that modernization is to make way for more advanced recommendations.
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For the past several years, Google has not provided meaningful details about the progress of its smartphone division beyond occasionally touting the popularity of its cheaper devices. A new report today sheds some light on the Pixel line, including the 4a, in India.
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Google Assistant capabilities created by third-parties, including developers integrating smart home devices, are known as “Actions.” The company today announced an updated Google Assistant Actions policy that introduces device quality and safety guidelines.
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Google is introducing a new way for Maps users to contribute without having to leave a review. Google Maps photo updates will be available in the coming weeks, while a “Local Love” challenge is kicking off.
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Crowdsourcing plays a big role in keeping Google Maps accurate and current. Google is introducing a more immersive desktop tool to edit roads in Maps over the coming months.
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Google announced the Pixelbook Go in October of 2019, and it’s currently the only first-party Chrome OS device following the Pixel Slate’s quiet discontinuation at the start of this year. The Pixelbook Go is now seeing some slight discounts on the US Google Store.
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The last major update to mobile Chrome introduced a grid layout for tabs and the ability to group them. A more minor Chrome addition on Android today lets you preview a page before fully opening it.
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Google offers a dedicated Finance portal that shows you news in addition to charts and other trend data. That said, most users make do with entering ticker symbols in Search to find the price of stocks, with Google recently revamping the desktop experience.
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It emerged yesterday that from next month, T-Mobile will sell web and app usage information to advertisers unless subscribers manually opt out. Google tells us today that this T-Mobile change to how data is used will not apply to Fi customers.
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The latest virtual exhibit for Google Arts & Culture and YouTube takes a look at the history of electronic music from its inventors, artists, sounds, and technology. Google also built a fun AR Synth experience that lets you create a tune.
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