Google is reportedly playtesting a new YouTube feature called Playables, which would let users play games on the platform. According to the Wall Street Journal, which had access to an email sent to Google employees about Playables, games would be accessible directly on YouTube's website, or via the iOS or Android YouTube app. The publication saw a screenshot showing Stack Bounce, a brick breaker arcade game, as one of the titles […]
Despite being synonymous with searching (and the most visited website in the world), complaining about Google Search has become increasingly common. The gripes generally centre around both the plague of sponsored links, and the fact the top result is rarely the most credible source. SEMrush found last year, for example, that almost 30% of people are having to redo their Google searches, either by refining or extending queries. (This is without […]
As AI slowly creeps it way into every facet of our digital lives — from essay writing to conversations with therapists to the generation of original art — it's the least bit surprising that artificial intelligence would also take a step into music. It's also not surprising that tech giant Google would be the first major player on the scene. The company is reportedly building an AI bot that can create "original" music(Opens in a […]
After testing new delivered/read indicators and a photo picker redesign, Google Messages is beginning to roll out full emoji reactions for some users. For some time now, long-pressing on an RCS chat has let you react with one of seven emoji: thumbs up/down, Smiling Face with Heart-Eyes, Face with Tears of Joy, Face with Open Mouth, Crying Face, and Angry Face. This pill-shaped panel is now home to a “plus” icon that brings […]
At an event where Google launched two new Pixel phones, showcased a Pixel smartwatch, and teased a Pixel tablet for next year, one element was conspicuously absent. Throughout the event, there was no obligatory nod in the direction of Google’s other hardware partners—the Samsungs, Motorolas, and OnePluses that largely keep the Android ecosystem humming along. Their names never came up, and a large chunk of Google’s presentation covered features that will […]
To start the weekend, Drake released a new album titled “Honestly, Nevermind,” a super vibey summer dance album that is unlike almost anything the rapper has released. Whether the singsongy form of Drake is your favorite or not, at least one of the songs helped spark an Android moment. The third track on the album is called “Texts Go Green,” a reference to green bubbles in Apple’s iMessage. Drake is […]
The Google Photos “Your memories” widget introduced in August is set to get a Material You upgrade that will let you customize the shape, just like in the Pixel 6 promo videos. The Google Photos widget today ranges in size from 1×2 to 5×5, but is essentially a square or a rectangle with rounded corners. With a coming update, you’ll be able to choose from six shapes: Circle Flower Pill […]
Google first showed off the Google Assistant Driving Mode back at Google I/O in 2019, promising that it would arrive later on in that summer. It’s now the end of summer 2021 and that same Driving Mode, at least in the way it was first revealed, is now here. 2 years later…whatever. The new Google Assistant Driving Mode is more of a stand-alone experience than the one we first received last November, […]
A surge in interest for large-screen slates has prompted the company to inject an “Entertainment Space” into the user interface. Last summer Google introduced a content hub for select Android tablets called Kids Space to help children and their parents find age-appropriate books, games, and videos. Now the company is doing the same thing for adults. In what's possibly the biggest change to the Android tablet experience since 2011, Google's new Entertainment Space is […]
