My technological “how often do you think about the Roman Empire” is the double twist shortcut introduced with the Moto X that would launch the camera from anywhere, including when the screen is off.
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Just all the Google Wallet updates and changes
Since the beginning of March, Google Wallet has seen a somewhat uncharacteristic flurry of updates with both new features and behavior changes.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 15 Beta 1 and the curious case of ‘Pixel Weather’
To coincide with the Android 12 push and Material You, Google introduced a pair of weather widgets for Pixel in 2021. With the Android 15 Beta, the exclusive Pixel nature of these weather widgets has been enshrined.
Expand Expanding CloseWill AI hardware prove to be anything more than novelty?
The past year has seen an explosion of AI tools and software, but over the next couple of months, we’re also going to be seeing a lot more AI hardware. Personally, though, I’m just wondering if any of it will become anything more than novelty.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel’s Now Playing needs to be thoroughly modernized
Now Playing on the Pixel is my favorite example of ambient computing that we have right now. Dating back to the Pixel 2 and 2 XL in 2017, it shows what song is playing on the always-on display, lockscreen and notification shade without requiring you to do anything. It’s “better than instant.”
Expand Expanding CloseWhen did we stop talking to each other?
In short order, the explosion of generative AI technology has changed the way we read and write for one another, especially in journalism and blogging. While the many AI tools all appear to be useful on the surface, I fear we’ve lost our human connection along the way.
Expand Expanding CloseSmall Android phones are dead, but Google’s Pixel 9 series will be good enough for most
I feel like a broken record at this point, but amid new leaks of the Pixel 9 this week, there are many still asking Google for a “Mini” device, forgetting that small phones are dead.
Expand Expanding CloseMaking Google Calendar more like Google Now
I wish Gmail and Google Calendar were built for consumers instead of businesses. That shift could make the suite of apps infinitely more useful. They are already vital in day-to-day use, but the target audience feels more like employees of a company than anybody else.
Expand Expanding CloseIt could’ve been great: An abridged Google Podcasts history
Before “Google Podcasts,” there was the ability to play podcasts in Google Search on Android. This straightforward feature was announced a few days after Google added podcasts to Play Music in April of 2016. It was rather emblematic of how Google did two of everything.
Expand Expanding CloseEven if Apple doesn’t have a monopoly over Android, it clearly wants one
This week the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company has built and maintains an illegal monopoly. Whether or not Apple actually has a monopoly over Android in the smartphone market is up for the courts to decide, but what’s clear is that Apple really wants one.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Fitbit’s big week demonstra— seriously, where is the dark theme
Fitbit has had a number of back-to-back announcements and changes in recent weeks. I don’t think it was particularly planned to be that away, but the flurry of activity is more promising than not. It starts with a “Google Fitbit” name that cements how the brand is firmly a part of Google, just like “Google Nest.” If Google Fitbit was always the plan, they should have really done that from the start instead of picking a “Fitbit by Google” stopgap that was shown to people for sometime on product packaging and marketing.
Expand Expanding CloseA second shot for smartwatches with cameras
The first two generations of Samsung Galaxy Gear watches in the early 2010s had cameras. Coming in at around 2 megapixels, the quality was unsurprisingly mediocre. With Wear OS having a renaissance, it would be interesting if Google and its partners experimented with cameras.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Pixel needs more cases and watch bands this year
Accessories are an important part of any tech purchase, and it’s an area where Google Pixel has been lacking. I really hope to see a push from Google’s third-party partners this year for more Pixel phone cases and Pixel Watch bands.
Expand Expanding CloseWhere do you want Wear OS to go?
As a platform and ecosystem, Wear OS is in a good place right now. That wasn’t the case three years ago before the Samsung partnership. Wear OS 3 reinvigorated the operating system with the Galaxy Watch 4 serving as the flagship device until the Pixel Watch over a year later. The next hardware milestone was the Snapdragon W5 in mid-2022 giving manufacturers a more capable chip to work with. Also, keep in mind how Google and Qualcomm are working on a RISC-V chip for Wear OS.
Expand Expanding CloseDoes the Google app on Android handle too much?
The Google app on Android handles a lot of common information requests throughout your day, and I’m not just talking about Assistant, Lens, or Gemini.
Expand Expanding CloseI want Gorilla Armor on every smartphone
Smartphone glass has gotten much better over the years, but Corning’s new Gorilla Armor feels like the first truly big upgrade we’ve seen in a while. I want it on everything.
Expand Expanding CloseWill Google One ever include YouTube Premium?
The service people most want from Google One is YouTube Premium. That is the holy grail for a Google subscription and calls for it will only increase now that Nest Aware and Fitbit Premium are coming — starting in the UK — at no extra cost.
Expand Expanding CloseGive Whimsy Back to YouTube Music
YouTube Music is my streaming service of choice followed by Apple Music. Music is important to both companies given YouTube’s role in music videos and the iPod, but it’s far from the core business.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’s Pixel is the only phone to do fingerprint and face unlock the right way
Biometrics have made it way more conveinent to unlock our smartphones, but there’s a debate on if face, or fingerprint unlock is the better solution. Many Android brands have taken the approach of “why not both,” adding both face and fingerprint unlock to their devices, but Google’s Pixel is the only one that’s done it correctly.
Expand Expanding CloseDoes Gemini completely replace Google Assistant?
Even before generative AI, it was clear that Google Assistant was in retreat. Now that Google is in its “Gemini era,” what’s next for Assistant?
Expand Expanding CloseWasn’t Android TV supposed to basically be dead by now?
Android TV has been replaced, but it’s apparently still getting new, unique features of its own. Why?
Expand Expanding CloseWill ‘Hey Google’ ever become ‘Hey Gemini’
My reservations about Google calling all of its AI features “Gemini” remain, but most users seem to like the branding change. One thing I’ve seen people speculate about is a “Hey Gemini” hotword in the future.
Expand Expanding CloseGemini on your phone but Google Assistant in your ears
In testing the Gemini app over the past week, my usage of Google Assistant through Pixel Buds Pro has skyrocketed, and I’m actually liking the balance.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Maps speed trap and accident reporting is increasingly useless
Using a navigation app when out on the road is what just about everyone does nowadays, but these apps are useful for more than just getting directions from point A to point B. Google Maps has supported incident reporting for quite some time, but as we keep moving forward, the feature is becoming essentially useless due to neglect.
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