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Abner Li

Abner Li

The Wayback Machine - http://web.archive.org/web/20230204181223/https://9to5google.com/author/technacity/

@technacity

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.

Google is making a small but profound usability tweak by adding an eyedropper tool to the color picker in Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings.

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With the Grammys being this weekend, it’s the perfect opportunity to remind you that Google’s best, most iconic Pixel ad featuring Childish Gambino aired during the 2019 edition of the awards show.

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Google has announced that it’s hosting a Search and AI event on Wednesday, February 8. It comes as the company is gearing up to combat ChatGPT and other AI competitors.

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In recent months, Android’s Messages app quietly lost its Google Assistant integration. However, Google Messages might be replacing that functionality with something called “Spotlights.”

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Earlier this week, a Google update broke the “ability to connect Pixel Buds A-Series to a second device.” Version 3.527.0 is now rolling out to the Pixel Buds A-Series with a fix.

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Alphabet just reported Q4 2022 earnings that include the holiday season and the launch of the latest Pixel devices, which are seeing “great momentum.”

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On desktop web, most instances of Picture-in-Picture (PiP) are quite basic. Google Chrome is now working on adding support for more advanced Picture-in-Picture players and use cases.

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YouTube Music already lets you customize your current queue by familiarity, genre, mood, energy level, and more directly from the Now Playing screen, and it might soon get the in-depth ability to create a custom radio.

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Android 13 QPR2 Beta 3 is rolling out today as what should be the final major preview before the stable launch in March.

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Besides the S23 and Galaxy Book 3 series, Samsung today announced that it’s working on “extended reality�? (XR) products alongside Google and Qualcomm.

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Last August, Google Meet for Android introduced a feature that lets you co-watch videos on YouTube, curate a playlist on Spotify, and play games together. YouTube Music is now readying support for Google Meet Live Sharing.

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In an email to subscribers this afternoon, YouTube TV announced that it hasn’t been able to renew its deal with the MLB Network and that the baseball channel will no longer be available.

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After a three-year absence, Google Cloud will host an in-person event for its annual developer and partner conference. Google Cloud Next ’23 will take place in San Francisco at the end of August.

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Google is rolling out the first update of 2023 for the Chromecast with Google TV, though this appears to be a small bug fixer.

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