First reported on Android Police, Google is now prompting some users in the search bar of the Google Photos app to answer questions about their personal pictures in an effort to help train the machine learning algorithms that power it. The tool used to survey users is called Crowdsource and is an in-house Google-owned AI […]
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Chrome OS is building a System Web App to diagnose connectivity issues
For the countless users that have and will make the move to Chrome OS in 2020, a connectivity tool is something that many will expect to find should the need arise to diagnose network issues. While Chromebook users have some options for checking network errors, Chrome OS has never had an in-built connectivity diagnostic application […]
Continue ReadingGoogle Photos without depth information will require a Google One subscription to use Color Pop
Google Photos is now locking their Color Pop editing option behind a Google One subscription for photos without depth information. Color Pop is a feature that allows you to retain the color of a foreground object, like a person, while transforming everything in the background to greyscale using the photo’s depth information. Applying Color Pop […]
Continue ReadingGoogle Chat will finally make sense to more people thanks to unthreaded conversations option
Google Chat currently bundles messages together in what are called threads to mirror the functionality of something like email. It’s meant to be a productivity tool for teams, similar to that of Slack, but it has probably turned more users away from it than it’s attracted. Soon, rooms will feature unthreaded conversations, with the option […]
Continue ReadingFamily Sharing finally arrives for Google Stadia and it’s a really big deal
At long last, Google Stadia is getting Family Sharing! Coming up on their first birthday on November 19, 2020, Google’s cloud gaming platform has faced many doubters, but they’ve done a lot to keep their promises. They said that they would have 124 games before the end of the year and while they had a […]
Continue ReadingChrome OS is getting an annotation tool for the Media App
The built-in Gallery or Media App on Chrome OS is relatively simplistic but for the most part, it contains the tools that most users look for in a basic media viewer. When you open an image with the Gallery viewer, you are presented which options that include scaling, crop and rotation, and basic lighting filters. […]
Continue ReadingGoogle Meet will soon let you accept knocks in bulk
Google Meet has been making so many improvements lately, like custom backgrounds and blur, virtual whiteboards with Jamboard, and even a 50 person grid view. It comes as no surprise to me that we continue to see new features roll out as it seeks to crush its competition. Today, Google announced that you will soon […]
Continue ReadingHere’s how you can set your food preferences to get customized recipes from Google Assistant
Last year, Google added food and drink options to Assistant, which allowed users to choose whether or not they would like to receive recipes on smart displays that were categorized as gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian. Not long ago, they also added the ability to specify cuisine types and ingredients, ensuring that you’ll only receive content […]
Continue ReadingStadia will soon use less data thanks to AV1 compression codec, but these other Google services will too
Google has been utilizing a codec called AOMedia Video 1, or AV1 for a few years now in order to reduce the bandwidth needed to stream video content from their services so that users with less bandwidth can benefit from them without reduced picture quality. AV1 has already been built into Youtube, Google Duo, Chrome, […]
Continue ReadingThe new Nest Thermostat can predict potential heating and cooling issues in your home
In a recent Keyword interview with Nest engineers Marco Bonvini and Rayma Bhagavatula, Google revealed the inner workings of their new Nest thermostat. In addition to mentioning the device’s Savings Finder feature, which makes energy-saving recommendations based on your habits, they discussed how the thermostat can predict potential issues with your HVAC system. How HVAC […]
Continue ReadingState Share for captures, a Pro trial without a payment method, and more coming soon to Stadia
An APK insights report by 9to5Google reveals several new and interesting tidbits in version 2.42 of the Stadia app. The ability to pair a Dualshock 4 Playstation controller or Microsoft’s Official and Adaptive Xbox controllers via Bluetooth or USB on Android and more strings related to the incoming text-based messaging system can be found within. […]
Continue ReadingFar Cry 5 and New Dawn are now available on the Stadia Store with heavy discounts for Pro subscribers
Thanks to a recent blog post by Ubisoft, we recently learned that their popular Uplay+ service would be headed to Google Stadia before the end of the year as Ubisoft Plus. With it, several of their games are due to hit the service for download. As of now, we’re still waiting for Watch Dogs 1 […]
Continue Reading[Updated] Gboard joins forces with Google Assistant to end the need for dictating punctuation
Update: Because so many users were experiencing issues with this update (as I was), Google has reverted it for for many for the time being. Have you ever voice texted in public and had to end your sentence by saying “question mark…period…exclamation mark” out loud, only to have passers-by give you funny looks? Don’t worry, […]
Continue ReadingHands-on with the new web-based Google Meet custom backgrounds and blurs on a Chromebook
If I’m being honest, I’ve long held a bit of jealousy towards Zoom users (and eventually Google Meet users, too) on desktop platforms and their custom backgrounds and background blurring abilities. Yes, I know the background blurs look mediocre at best and the backgrounds, while fun, bleed into the subject on all sides due to […]
Continue ReadingChromebooks slated to get a native VPN via Google One
To add an extra layer of online protection for your data against hackers, Google One will soon offer a Virtual Private Network or VPN on Android to users who subscribe to their 2TB and higher plans. Within the coming weeks, subscribers will be able to toggle the VPN on from within the app as seen […]
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