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 October, YouTube redesigned the video watching experience on Android and iOS. YouTube on the web is now following that revamp by placing the autoplay toggle directly inside the video player.
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The end of the year is a time for reminiscing, and Google is doing that in a substantial manner following a team up with Nickelback to release a Photos-themed parody of Photograph.
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In late October, Google released a statement committing to continued software support for the Nest Secure. As part of that, it promised that more Nest Detect sensors would be coming by the end of 2020, but the Google Store will no longer be hitting that deadline following a delay.
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At the start of this month, a rumor suggested that Samsung was working on a follow-up to the premium Chrome OS device that it announced in January. A render of the Galaxy Chromebook 2 has now leaked and leaves little to the imagination.
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Material Gallery is essentially Google Slides for designers wanting to upload mockups and screenshots for collaborative feedback. Google is now moving Material Gallery’s backend to Google Photos early next year.
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Cloud regions let developers run hosted services closer to where their users are located for a faster, more reliable experience. Google Cloud today announced a trio of new regions for Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Chile.
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Last month, Google briefly mentioned that the Location History-powered Timeline feature in Maps was coming to Photos. The Timeline integration is now rolled out in Google Photos for iOS and Android, along with the ability to change the map layer.
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Alphabet was one of the first companies to mandate remote work back in March and is continually pushing back office reopening. As a free benefit, Google is now letting employees request weekly, home COVID-19 tests.
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Google started the week with a big outage that took down Gmail, Drive, and all other Workspace apps. As promised, Google now has a detailed explanation on the outage and steps it will take to prevent future incidents.
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This week we talk about Stadia’s trio of big launches from Cyberpunk 2077 to Ubisoft+ and iOS support. We then say goodbye to the Google Home Max, but end on a happier note with some major developments for Android, Fuchsia, and CloudReady OS.
Alphabet Scoop is available on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castro, Pocket Casts, Overcast, and through our dedicated RSS feed.
A Google Photos storage system “mistake” this year resulted in image and video uploads being “inaccurately” counted towards your cloud storage quota. This Photos issue, which is now fixed, was present throughout 2020 and Google is offering a refund for One storage during that period.
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Google frequently asks users for feedback to improve Search results, and the latest rating example is in the Search app on Android. There is a new “Rate your recent experience” notification that appears to be focused on improving location results.
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Earlier this month, Google announced that it was using auto-generated narrators to make more audiobooks available. The Google Play Store now has a collection of free audiobooks created using this method.
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In February of 2019, Google announced that it was “refocusing” Android’s IoT platform to just be for OEMs building Smart Displays and speakers. Google is now shutting down Android Things for non-commercial usage.
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Today, a second group of states filed a lawsuit that alleged Google Search “hinders” access to “specialized vertical providers” that provide travel and entertainment information. Google’s response to that antitrust claim is focused on how Search today is intended to benefit users.
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In October, the Justice Department alleged that Google paying device makers and browser vendors to make Search the default was monopolistic. States are now filing and preparing their own antitrust lawsuits focused on Google’s ad business and Search ranking.
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The lack of in-store shopping means fewer opportunities to try things. Google Search wants to help virtually replicate that try-on experience for lipstick and other beauty products through AR and better previews.
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Last week, 50 new AR creatures were introduced to Search for Android and iOS. Google is now making Grogu, previously only known as “The Child,” from The Mandalorian available in Search, joining the long list of 3D animals and objects.
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Today, Pixel phones and the top Samsung devices are guaranteed to get three years of major software upgrades. Working with Qualcomm, Google is now making it feasible for Android devices to get 4 OS versions and years of security updates.
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Google has a 2030 goal to use carbon-free electricity around the clock, and it’s now working to achieve that by switching its Belgium data center away from backup diesel generators to batteries.
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Back in July, Google made a push for fun interactive experiences on Assistant devices. In the midst of the holiday season, more games are coming, along with a redesigned lobby on Smart Displays that better curates what is available.
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On Android, Apple’s streaming service is currently only available on Sony televisions. That’s changing next year when an Apple TV app comes to Chromecast with Google TV.
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Last month, Google announced that Photos would drop free unlimited backups as part of cross-service changes to storage that also impacts Docs/Sheets/Slides. This means that more people will be paying for cloud space, and Google One is now getting a significant price cut on higher-tier plans.
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Google suffered a massive hour-long outage yesterday morning. This afternoon, Gmail is seeing some widespread “Address not found” issues that prevent certain emails from being delivered.
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