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 year in Bard updates is starting today with Gemini Pro now available in “all supported languages and places.” Google is also adding an image generator to Bard and announcing “ImageFX.”
Expand Expanding Close
As we previously spotted and Google later confirmed in a series of deprecations, the Assistant Driving Mode for Google Maps is going away later this month.
Expand Expanding Close
Following the big update late last year, Google Messages for web is facing an outage this evening.
Expand Expanding Close
After installing the January 2024 Google Play system update, some Pixel owners reported an issue accessing data stored in internal storage, and Google is now out with a detailed fix that end users can apply to their phones.
Expand Expanding Close
After releasing Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3.1 last week, Google is rolling out Beta 3.2 to address issues on the Pixel 5a.
Expand Expanding Close
Following the CES announcement at the start of this month, Google is now rolling out Quick Share on Pixel and other non-Samsung devices.
Expand Expanding Close
Announced earlier this month and then made part of the January Feature Drop, Circle to Search is beginning to roll out to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. It’s very much the latest version of “Now on Tap,” “What’s on my screen?” in Assistant, and later “Search screen.”
Expand Expanding Close
Back in 2022, Google Docs introduced a Pageless mode on the web, and switching to it is now easier than ever.
Expand Expanding Close
As we previously enabled, Google Messages is rollinh out a redesign of the compose text field that features a dedicated shortcuts bar.
Expand Expanding Close
During Alphabet’s Q4 2023 earnings call, Sundar Pichai announced that Google One is about to cross 100 million subscribers.
Expand Expanding Close
Alphabet today announced Q4 2023 earnings with $86.3 billion in revenue. These numbers range from October to December and summarize the fiscal year.
Expand Expanding Close
Google ended 2023 with a pretty sizable Pixel Feature Drop where the camera took center stage. There was Video Boost + Night Sight Video for the 8 Pro, as well as Night Sight timelapse for the 8/Pro. All users benefited from being able to turn their Pixel into a laptop/desktop webcam, while the Pixel Fold picked up Dual Screen Preview and customizable app aspect ratios (Tablet too).
Expand Expanding Close
As part of the December Feature Drop, the Google Password Manager on Pixel devices introduced the ability to upgrade supported online accounts to passkeys. Google is partnering and highlighting several services that offer passkey upgrades today.
Expand Expanding Close
We spotted two weeks ago that Google might rebrand “Assistant with Bard” to just “Bard.” The company might not have decided on a new Assistant with Bard name yet as the latest version of the Google app introduces “Gemini” as a candidate.
Expand Expanding Close
Google this week invited K-12 students in the US to create a Doodle for its Search homepage. For 2024, the Doodle for Google theme is “My wish for the next 25 years.”
Expand Expanding Close
Besides Recorder Summarize and Magic Compose in Google Messages, Gboard Smart Reply is the other feature that Gemini Nano powers on the Pixel 8 Pro. After initially just supporting WhatsApp, Google has quietly added support for two more apps.
Expand Expanding Close
Google is rolling out the first update of 2024 for the Chromecast with Google TV 4K.
Expand Expanding Close
After testing in October, YouTube Music has rolled out a redesign of the Now Playing overflow menu, but only on iOS.
Expand Expanding Close
Most of the new Messages features announced last week have yet to widely launch, but Google is now rolling out Photomoji that can be used as reactions and stickers.
Expand Expanding Close
To be blunt, the default Calculator app on the iPhone is really bad. Apple just replicated a standard/scientific calculator without adding any additional features.
Expand Expanding Close
In announcing that Assistant would lose 17 “underutilized” features, Google also said the Pixel Launcher microphone shortcut would be removed. Google is now rolling out this deprecation.
Expand Expanding Close
The nature of the dongle form factor means that those devices are often placed in challenging connectivity environments. For the Chromecast with Google TV, the Google Store is now selling a HDMI Extension Cable.
Expand Expanding Close
Google is rolling out an update to the Pixel Thermometer app that enables body temperature measurements.
Expand Expanding Close
Google confirmed today that the January Pixel Feature Drop just consists of app updates from the Play Store. Meanwhile, the Google Store has emailed the 20% off discount codes for the Mint Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
Expand Expanding Close