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This neat eye-tracking experiment looks like a weirdly convenient way to interact with your phone
It's perfectly paired with small motion gestures
Although a handful of small phones still exist, it's no secret the entire industry has moved into a "bigger is always better" mindset. A large display can come in handy when you're editing documents on the go or watching a downloaded movie on a plane, but you'll need two hands to tap on every part of the screen. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Future Interfaces Group have created a potential solution to this ever-growing problem.
Our favorite Chrome OS 93 flags you should try on your Chromebook
Some of these flags also carry over to the browser on other platforms
Chrome OS 93 arrived for Chromebooks on Tuesday of last week, and it's packed with quality-of-life polish to help you enjoy your Chromebook even more. There are several additional features and tweaks that are not yet part of the default experience — including four that we detailed earlier this week. That's because they're still in development and need further refinement before being made available for millions of Chromebook users around the globe. Google has hidden these work-in-progress Chrome OS features behind a page in the Chrome browser, where you can set "flags" to toggle them on and off at will. Just take your time and be wise enough not to enable them at random — the wrong one could render your device unusable.
Google's Area 120 team jumps on the latest media trend in its new app
You know, since everyone has a newsletter now
Blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels — it seems like there's always some new kind of media to "pivot" to, especially if you're trying to avoid being left out of the crowd. Newsletters have been the "next big thing" for a while now, with countless reporters and online personalities switching to paid email subscriptions to further their support. If you've been dreaming of writing your own newsletter, Google's latest experiment might be just what you need.
Our favorite Chrome OS 92 flags you should try on your Chromebook
Some of these flags carry over to the browser on other platforms
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Chrome OS 92 arrived to Chromebooks on Monday this week following a week of delay, and it's packed with a ton of helpful features to supercharge your ability to communicate on Chrome OS. There are several additional features and tweaks that are not yet part of the default experience — a few we detailed earlier this week. That's because they're still in development and need polishing before being made available for millions of Chromebook users around the globe. Google has hidden these work-in-progress Chrome OS features, or "flags," behind a page in the Chrome browser, and you'd be wise not to enable them at random — the wrong one could render your device unusable.
Not too long ago, Google disgruntled many power users by changing a shortcut in Chrome related to custom searches. Instead of being able to follow up a trigger word with a tap of the space key to start a custom search, Google forced users to press Tab. It quickly changed the trigger as it became apparent that people weren't willing to adjust their muscle memory that much. It looks like Google still hasn't decided on how to trigger keyword mode, as it's experimenting with activating it via a double space.
Story time: YouTube is adding a button to quickly make TikTok-style videos
Current availability seems limited to users in India
If TikTok's explosive growth has proven one thing, it's that short-form videos are not something that social platforms can afford to pass on — they're catchy, they help improve app retention rates, and they're attracting more ad dollars than ever before. Google has certainly realized this, and it's making sure that YouTube adapts to changing times. In its latest attempt to make it easier to produce short videos, the video platform is experimenting with a prominent Create button.
Google is working on a minor Play Store redesign that does away with the hamburger menu, moving its contents to the account switcher instead. But as a tipster shared with us, that might not be the only change coming at us once that new interface rolls out widely. We've received screenshots of a redesigned settings page that separates and orders options better.
YouTube tests option to share short looping clips instead of full videos
Limited to a small selection of content from a few creators right now
YouTube is always testing new features, some more controversial than others. The latest experiment revolves around sharing short, looping clips from longer videos. Creators and fans have been asking for a way to easily highlight memorable moments in long-form content, particularly when it comes to livestreams. With the new test, YouTube is working on bringing just that to the platform.
Alphabet’s Project Loon goes down like a lead balloon
Downfall caused by failure to achieve commercial viability
As the old adage says, "what goes up must come down," and that's literally what's happening to Project Loon. Alphabet's X subsidiary (formerly Google X) was responsible for the idea of beaming internet to rural areas with the help of balloons, but CEO Astro Teller has announced that Loon will be winding down operations in the coming months.
Samsung C-Lab 2021 projects include pocketable oxygen and a virtual sommelier
And a portable sunlight solution that can give 'as much energy as an espresso shot'
Innovation is key to maintaining your market dominance, and Samsung knows this very well. To help push its employees to think outside the box, the South Korean electronics giant has its C-Lab (Creative Lab) Inside program that churns out some really interesting products and solutions — there's also Samsung C-Lab Outside, which is the same, but for startups external to Samsung Electronics. These projects usually get showcased at CES, and while we can't check them out in person this year, there are still 21 C-Lab projects starring in Samsung's virtual showcase.
YouTube briefly tested cross-device downloads
The UI is live, but the feature doesn't seem to be functional yet
It looks like YouTube wants to make video downloads easier to manage for Premium users. A cross device offline settings entry has popped up and subsequently disappeared in the most recent Android app versions for some. While the feature apparently wasn't fully functional yet, it looks like it might allow you to download videos on your phone and make them automatically appear on other devices someday.
Forget foldables — Oppo's latest concept phone is rollable
It uses a motorized scroll mechanism to expand and contract
There are a lot of weird phones out there, but I've never seen one quite like this before. Oppo's new concept phone, the Oppo X 2021, might at first appear to be a standard 2020 phone with a 6.7" display. One quick swipe on the side, however, and the screen expands to a more tablet-like 7.4" size. Magic? Almost — it's thanks to a flexible screen and a motorized scroll mechanism.
Google compares similar apps head-to-head in new Play Store experiment
This could greatly improve discoverability for developers
As one of the most important apps on a smartphone, Google is always making tweaks to the Play Store to improve its usability and design. Earlier this month, a controversial test was spotted that took hamburgers off the menu. Now the Play Store is experimenting with a new change that shows direct comparisons between similar apps to let users decide which best fits their needs.
Shortly after starting to test an all-in-one record-and-publish function in the YouTube app, its developers have added another experiment that'll be useful for those of us who'd rather only watch videos. They're working on a button that lets you switch voice search languages right on the input screen. If you're multilingual and like using voice search, this will finally make it possible to search for videos that aren't available in the language you've set up in your YouTube app settings.
YouTube testing new one-stop recording and uploading feature in its app
As with YouTube Stories, individual clips apparently can’t be longer than 15 seconds
YouTube is testing a new all-in-one shooting and uploading feature for its creators using the platform's mobile apps. It allows people to record multiple clips right in the YouTube app and upload them as a new video. However, there's a limitation that's odd at first glance: It looks like creators will only be able to record 15-second long clips or takes at a time.
Google has been working on a bottom bar interface for Chrome for what feels like forever and keeps changing the layout. Initially, the browser had its complete app bar moved to the bottom, while recent implementation left the bare address bar up top and put all buttons (new tab/tab switcher, home, share, overflow menu) in the new location. The latest iteration of the design, accessible on Chrome Beta and Dev, reduces the number of shortcuts on the bottom from five to three, and people aren't happy about it.
Google has apparently taken the criticism regarding last week's favicon changes to heart, promising to "experiment" with different layouts that offend our collective sensibilities just a little less. Even now, the company has apparently rolled back the favicon change for at least some of us as it mulls over how to better implement the change.
Google's always experimenting with tiny improvements to its search experience with the hope of helping out users who feel like their wants and needs are stuck in the margins. Fortunately for them, after months of it hiding in the background, they can now finally access these experimental features through a new Labs section of the search app.
Over the last few years, the YouTube creator community has grown closer together and collaborations have become a regular occurrence. To make it easier for you to find out which YouTubers participate in a video, Google is A/B testing a new 'featured in this video' section on Android. In it, you'll find an overview of partaking creators complete with links to their channels and the option to subscribe.
Over the years, Twitter has undergone quite a few changes. Some recent ones that come to mind include threading and the upped 280-character limit. The latest changes the company is testing include a new interface for threads, as well as a presence feature that'll show when people are online.