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Gmail’s prepping code for AI-supported email writing
Google only announced it’s working on new AI features for Workspace last week
With all the hype surrounding ChatGPT and other generative AI tools, Google is finally starting to add long-teased powerful tools to some of its core applications. Last week, the company announced that it would bring generative AI experiences to Workspace, adding powerful features like the ability to draft messages and texts in Google Docs and Gmail. The company said that it would start testing these features with “trusted testers” this year, and it looks like Google is already adding the required building blocks to its Gmail Android app. Code has surfaced for new interface elements related to generative AI prompts.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro might use multiple cameras for better night performance
Evidence in the latest Google Camera version suggests camera blending for Night Sight is in the cards
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is set to do a lot of things right. If the most recent leaks are to be believed, it will finally have a flat display that isn’t curved while otherwise staying true to the already-iconic Pixel design. There is also a complete camera overhaul rumored to come with the Pixel 8 series, and not only that — evidence in the Google Camera app suggests that there are additional post-processing improvements on board, with Google aiming to combine multiple camera feeds to create a single better Night Sight photo.
Google Play Store rolls out option to sync apps across your devices
Great for those of us who wield two phones
The Google Play Store is making tweaks to help people with multiple Android devices. Google recently rolled out the option to install apps on other devices than the one that you’re using the Play Store on, and it also offers to install companion Wear OS apps much more prominently than in the past. The Play Store’s next step seems to be a full-on sync option that automatically installs new apps on multiple devices for you.
Google Calendar might soon support custom birthday reminders
Custom birthday reminders were spotted to be under development in Google Calendar
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Google has long allowed you to save birthdays and other anniversaries to your contacts, allowing you to have a central place collecting all information you have at hand for somebody. However, notifications were not handled too well, as we called out when Android's 14th birthday came up. It looks like Google is finally changing that, with Google Calendar reportedly working on a feature that lets you add custom birthdays and notifications.
Google Chrome might get an Amazon competitor on your laptop
An Amazon survey is asking users what they would think of an Amazon web browser
Google Chrome is the most-used and also one of the best browsers in the world. That gives Google a unique position in the market, allowing it to be one of the driving forces behind how the internet is supposed to progress and evolve. Other companies have been trying to get a piece of the cake, but Microsoft, Apple, and more specialized players like Mozilla and Vivaldi aren’t even coming close. The next company in line to try and take the crown is Amazon, which seems to be exploring launching its own web browser for desktops.
Google might have the perfect phone for everyone this year, and I’m all here for it
The Pixel 8 lineup is shaping up to be Google's best yet
We finally have an idea what the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will look like, thanks to the creation of renders based on hardware measurements, and we've also been able to check out quite a few leaks showing us what the Pixel 7a and the Pixel Fold might offer, too. It sure looks like this year, Google might have a smartphone for almost everyone in the market — and I’m all here for it.
Vivaldi is one of our favorite browsers, and for good reason. It’s filled to the brim not just with customization options and features that help enhance your web browsing experience, but it also has a built-in tracking blocker that works to limit advertisers from following you around the web everywhere you go. While that sort of thing's a standard feature on many browsers today, in Vivaldi’s case, there's more to it. Vivaldi’s CEO Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner, whom we sat down with after MWC 2023, doesn’t believe in the attention- and tracking-based advertising world we live in today, and is advocating for a radical renaissance that shifts us to a broad and content-based approach, like we're familiar with from print and TV.
Vivo X90 Pro review: I’m in love with the camera
The camera is incredible, but sadly, the software not so much
Overshadowed by the launch event for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and its more affordable siblings, Vivo announced the global release of the Vivo X90 and X90 Pro in early February. We wouldn't blame you if you didn't take notice of this handset — after all, it's yet another Android phone that won't make its way to the US, just like the Xiaomi 13 Pro hasn't.
Android 13 QPR3 tests a bouncy new popup for the Pixel Launcher
A small but visible change first spotted in Android 14 DP2 might come soon
Google is on an updating spree this week. The company released both the March Feature Drop and the next Android 13 beta program, the Quarterly Platform Release 3 (or QPR3 for short). While we’re not expecting too many changes to become available once this new beta goes stable as the June Feature Drop later this year, Google appears to be working on a delightful animation overhaul for the Pixel Launcher in the form of a bouncy long-press animation.
The Google Pixel 8 leaks in renders and it's a tad smaller than its predecessor
The Pixel 8 looks to be staying true to the form factor introduced with the Pixel 7
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It’s Pixel leak season. We just got our first proper look at the Google Pixel 8 Pro and its delightful flat screen this week, and we’ve heard that the Google Pixel 7a and the Pixel Fold might launch sooner than expected. And now, we’re in for our first look at the Google Pixel 8, courtesy of renders based on leaked assets.
The Google Pixel 7 is still more exciting than the Samsung Galaxy S23
Samsung is just perfecting great devices while Google had a lot of issues to fix
It's been a little over a month now since the Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup was finally unpacked, and a few weeks since the first customers got their hands on early Galaxy S23 orders. Samsung's flashy event was videographed on Galaxy S23 hardware and saw Alien creator Ridley Scott endorsing the Galaxy S23 Ultra's new 200MP camera. While the whole thing was sure entertaining to watch, what struck me the most, and a feeling I haven't been able to shake off in the weeks since, is the sense that we've seen it all before (apart from that 200MP camera, anyway). The S23 lineup represents a purely iterative upgrade over its predecessors, with minor design changes and the usual hardware improvements being the only real highlights for what could still be some of the best phones of 2023.
This country’s new legislation will let you get rid of pre-installed bloatware on your phone
India reportedly wants to follow Europe’s example when it comes to uninstalling preloaded apps from phones
While it’s unlikely that anyone wants a phone that doesn’t offer any pre-installed apps, manufacturers of the best smartphones out there often go above and beyond. Rather than just offering a selection of essential apps to get you started, many phone makers have deals with services and app makers, which means you’re often looking at duplicated and unwanted services — and often enough, you can’t uninstall some or all of these. It looks like India wants to change this, along with introducing new security testing requirements for system updates.
Google’s March feature drop is finally here for Pixel phones, a week late
The March Feature Drop brings Health Connect and Direct My Call to all Pixels, plus more
For a while now, Google hasn't been content with releasing major versions of Android once a year only. The company offers smaller, more iterative updates known as Feature Drops for its Pixel devices, which it releases once every quarter along with the usual monthly Android security patch. After an ominous delay of a week, Google has just released the March Feature Drop, and it has also shared what exactly is new in it.
Android’s March security patch is now available for Google Pixel phones
Keeping your phone smooth and secure
Google is finally releasing Android 13’s March Feature Drop today, after a slight week-long delay. As always, it's coupled with this month's security patches. While the feature drop offers some exclusive extras for Google Pixel phones, the security patch will eventually make its way to all the latest and greatest Android phones (it may in fact have reached your Samsung Galaxy phone already). As such, let’s dive into what Google says is new in this month’s patch.
Android 14 makes me excited for the future of gesture navigation
The new Android release makes back gestures more predictable and beautiful, and I’m all in for it
Google first introduced gesture navigation with Android 9 Pie back in 2018, as we already detailed in our brief history of Android gestures. This initial solution was decidedly half-baked, with Google retaining both the back and home buttons, and only adding gestures for multitasking. One year later, the company did the right thing and made the full switch to gesture navigation on Android 10, turning the home and back buttons into gestures, too.
Google confirms plans for the next service it's shutting down
A new message in code-learning app Grasshopper announces it will be sunset later this year
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Google is infamous for ruthlessly killing services it doesn’t deem successful or viable anymore. Just this winter, the company sunset Stadia, it’s high-profile game streaming platform that it announced with much fanfare a few years earlier. Google just spilled the beans on yet another shutdown, though this one might not ring a bell for you. A shutdown notice has just been posted for the Grasshopper app, a Duolingo-like service the company's Area 120 team created to help you learn how to code.
You can now try Android 14’s new back gesture on the latest developer preview
Google is getting ready for the biggest revamp to gesture navigation yet
Android 14 promises to bring a big change to gesture navigation, making it much easier for you to understand where the back gesture will take you next. This new method requires a bit of work for app developers, so Google made the new back gesture official as early as last year. With this week’s release of Android 14 Developer Preview 2, a few system apps now finally work with the new back gesture, allowing anyone brave enough to install the preview release on their Pixel phone to use the new predictive back gestures.
Android 14 DP2 brings back the lava lamp-style media player
Android 14 DP2 also adds displays to the list of media playback targets
Android 14 Developer Preview 2 hit Pixel phones on Wednesday, and there are tons of new features to be spotted, including a working-but-buggy implementation of predictive back gestures. There are loads of smaller changes, too. One of them is the re-introduction of a lava lamp-like animation to the media player that lives in the notification shade, and there is also a minor tweak to its output options.
Android Automotive's first (and only) browser has big plans for the future
Vivaldi's CEO shares his plans to repeat Opera Mini's success story
Android Automotive is slowly but steadily taking over the car market. The car-optimized version of Android is running on quite a few manufactures' in-vehicle infotainment systems, allowing you to access all your favorite apps, like Google Maps, Spotify, and more, on the go. One thing has been missing for a long time, though, and that’s a regular web browser for you to use while your car is parked. Vivaldi changed that back in December 2021, becoming the first (and so far only) browser to make itself available for cars.
Even if the competition is getting better (and sometimes faster), Google Chrome remains the most-used browser on the web for now. The company worked hard to achieve this goal, and continues churning out new releases every month or so. This is no different for Chrome 111, which is now available in stable, rolling out to everyone using the Google browser.