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, and Chrome/OS.
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 up-and-coming 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.
Another big area of interest is Google’s burgeoning hardware division. He detailed all of the Pixel 3’s camera features before launch and got wind of Stadia’s hardware controller. Most recently, Abner scooped the 2nd-generation Nest Hub’s Soli-powered Sleep Sensing capability and how it would integrate with Google Fit.
Send tips/talk to abner@9to5mac.com or @technacity (open DMs).
Google is finally addressing a big gap of its 2FA (two-factor authentication) code app by adding sync capabilities, with Google Authenticator also getting a new icon on Android and iOS today. This will make “one time codes more durable by storing them safely in users’ Google Account.”
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After various teasers, Humane today finally revealed its product. Ex-Apple designer Imran Chaudhri demoed the combadge-like (in Star Trek parlance) device at the TED 2023 conference.
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For years, YouTube Premium has centered around removing ads, background playback (Picture-in-Picture), and offline downloads. YouTube is now expanding what perks are offered with a Premium subscription.
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At BETT 2023, Google previewed a handful of education features coming to Chromebooks this year. Notably, ChromeOS and the Chrome desktop browser are getting a Reading Mode.
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Following last month’s announcement, Google Translate for iPhone has received a Material You redesign.
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After previewing Multiview earlier this week, YouTube TV announced a price increase today to $72.99 per month.
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Following last week’s announcement, Magic Eraser is now available on all Pixel phones and for any Google One subscriber, including those on iOS.
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After widely rolling out an Energy Saver mode, Google has made four optimizations to Chrome for Mac that allows the browser to match the battery life you get when using Safari.
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In a rather surprising move, Magic Eraser, one of the Pixel’s best features, is coming to any user of Google Photos for Android or iOS if they’re subscribed to Google One.
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The Memory and Energy Saver modes that Google announced for Chrome on Mac, Windows, Linux, as well as Chromebooks, in December are now widely rolling out.
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Google is expanding the availability of AR features in Maps, as well as adding glanceable directions to the Android and iOS lockscreens.
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After leaving Apple, Matt Rogers founded Nest with Tony Fadell and stayed at Google for several years following the acquisition. Mill is a new company from Rogers that offers a “kitchen bin” with a monthly subscription that can “de-stink your kitchen, stop wasting food, and make a positive impact.”
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On Thursday evening, third-party Twitter clients stopped working in a move that many have come to conclude was intentional. A report now confirms that this was the case.
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As of last week, Twitter looks to have dropped support for text message two-factor authentication (2FA) using Google Voice numbers.
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Speedometer is a browser benchmark that measures responsiveness by simulating user interactions on demo web applications. Introduced by Apple’s WebKit team, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are now partnering on the development of Speedometer 3.
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“Add to queue” is already available on the YouTube website, and it’s now in testing for the Android and iOS apps.
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With Chrome 108, Google is introducing Memory Saver and Energy Saver modes to improve the browser’s performance and extend battery life, respectively.
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Back in September, Google previewed a new AR Translate feature for Lens that takes advantage of the technology behind the Pixel’s Magic Eraser. Ahead of that, Google Translate has replaced its built-in translation camera with Google Lens.
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Over the past hour or so, some YouTube for iPhone and iPad users have reported that the app is repeatedly crashing on open.
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After years of teasing, the secretive startup founded by ex-Apple employees in July released a more explicit preview of what it is building. Humane announced today that its “first offerings will be announced this spring” of 2023.
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Following the first annual summary last year and subsequent seasonal ones, YouTube Music is starting to roll out the 2022 Recap today.
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While Apple Silicon-powered Macs can run most iOS apps, the vast majority of developers have opted out. Google did that in late 2020, though it recently made its AI Test Kitchen iPhone/iPad app available on the Mac App Store.
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Google has added a nifty feature to Chrome for iOS that gives you the option to quickly open external links from other apps using Incognito. It’s especially useful on shared devices.
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Ahead of availability on Netflix next month, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is currently in theaters for a limited one-week release. It’s a nuanced film, but one of the more clever things was how Rian Johnson escaped something that the director said was “gonna screw [him] on the next mystery movie. Some spoilers about Glass Onion below.
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