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 May 2018, Pocket Casts was acquired by NPR, WNYC Studios, WBEZ Chicago, and This American Life. That consortium of “top podcast producers” is now looking to sell the Android, iOS, and web application.
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Back in June, Google made its energy saving tuning program available to all Nest Thermostat owners after previously restricting to certain partner public utilities. The wider availability of Seasonal Savings is continuing this winter with Nest Thermostats starting to show the prompt.
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YouTube Music is now Google’s only song streaming service after Play Music was deprecated last year, though transfers are still available. A small tweak sees YouTube Music being prominently advertised on the YouTube.com sidebar.
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This week we recap everything announced by Samsung today at the Galaxy S21 event from the trio of phones to new earbuds and a tracker. We then highlight the top things announced at an otherwise quiet CES 2021.
Alphabet Scoop is available on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castro, Pocket Casts, Overcast, and through our dedicated RSS feed.
With the launch of Hitman 3 on Stadia next week, State Share is officially debuting. Ahead of that, Google today showed off how the feature works while revealing that it’s coming to the entire trilogy.
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Besides the intended differences, web browsers based on Chromium offer an underlying experience that’s mostly identical to Chrome. Google recently discovered that users of third-party Chromium browsers have inadvertently been able to access data and other sync features reserved for Chrome.
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Google told Fi subscribers last year that classic Hangouts would no longer support texting or calling in January. A week before the deadline, Google has pushed back that deadline for MVNO subscribers to March.
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The Google Store serves as both the place to learn about Made by Google and the way to buy products directly. Made by Google is now advertising the Fitbit acquisition with a prominent store link.
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Samsung devotes a portion of every Unpacked event to talk about its partners, and the Google segment today revealed how Messages is “native” on the Galaxy S21, while you can connect Duo video calls to your TV.
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Windows 10X was originally intended to debut on dual-screen devices, like the Surface Neo, before later coming to laptops. Last May, Microsoft announced a “pivot” to “focus toward single-screen Windows 10X devices” amid the work-from-home surge. A “near final version” of Windows 10X has now leaked, and it reveals some key similarities to Chrome OS.
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The last big update to YouTube on the web saw autoplay controls move inside the video player. YouTube.com is now gaining voice search for fast lookup and hands-free navigation commands.
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To boost privacy on Smart Displays and speakers, Google is introducing a Guest Mode. It’s rolling out today for Nest Hubs and other first-party Google devices.
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Google wants to leverage YouTube’s scale and reach to disseminate trusted health videos, and announced a new effort to “surface easy-to-understand medical information from some of the most respected organizations and clinicians.”
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Google keeps Maps up-to-date with the help of “Local Guides” and rewards contributors through a tier system with various perks. A small change sees settings for Local Guides moved out of Google Maps to a new site.
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Last year, Google revamped Nest Aware with a fixed pricing model but allowed customers to stick to the previous structure. Due to a billing error, some users still on that old plan have not had to pay for Nest Aware since November, but they should expect a charge in the coming weeks following that delay.
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A handful of factors play into the quality of your video call, and Google Meet now wants to “make it easier for end users to understand how their local desktop and network environments affect meeting quality” with a new Troubleshooting menu.
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While Chromeboxes haven’t caught on in the same way as Chromebooks, they are ideal for some use cases. The most notable aspect of a new “Fanless” Chromebox from Asus is frankly a design that heavily borrows from Wi-Fi routers.
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In lieu of hardware or Play Store credit, the 2020 Google Fi holiday gift will let subscribers vote on how $2 million in donations is dispersed among three charities.
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Unlike other ride-hailing services, all the vehicles currently used for Waymo One are identical. Waymo’s solution for differentiating cars is to add a screen behind the windshield that displays a custom two-letter code.
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Back in November, Google announced an “early preview” of Assistant Driving Mode in the US. It has officially been “rolling out” since late last year, but most users have yet to receive it. The company today reiterated that the preview is coming.
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One of the more useful features made possible by enabling Location History on Android is the Google Maps Timeline. In addition to a monthly recap, Google Maps is sending out a “2020 Timeline update” that is obviously impacted by the last 12 months but still provides useful local stats.
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This week we talk about our report of a new Nest Hub that will feature Soli-powered sleep tracking, as well as the upcoming line of Nest security cameras. We then preview and make predictions about what we want to see in the Made by Google 2021 roadmap.
Alphabet Scoop is available on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castro, Pocket Casts, Overcast, and through our dedicated RSS feed.
Google is touting a “more tailored experience” on a revised Meet homepage for Workspace customers that provides three precise options for creating a new meeting.
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Selecting a language in Android settings applies that choice systemwide. Google Maps now lets you set a language, which can differ from the rest of your phone, for in-app menus, controls, and other settings.
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