Category Archives: Google

From transparent micro OLED displays from Samsung to a 10,000 nits brightness TV from Hisense, CES 2024 has been eventful so far. Google is now joining the party as the search engine giant has announced a number of new, useful features it is adding to Android. The new features ensure more and more devices connect and work seamlessly together, regardless of what brand they are. Here are the top 5 new Android features Google has announced at CES 2024:

Nearby Share is one of the best features of Android. It makes sharing pictures, files and text between devices much easier. If you're a Samsung user, you might have already come across a similar built-in sharing feature called Quick Share. Google and Samsung have now partnered to rename Nearby Share and offer this cross-Android solution under the Quick Share name.

The functionality remains the same, with Quick Share allowing for peer-to-peer content sharing across all types of Android devices and Chromebooks. Google also says it is working with top laptop brands, such as LG, to include Quick Share as a pre-installed app on Windows devices. Quick Share will be available starting next month.

Fast Pair makes it very easy for Android users to find and connect to nearby Bluetooth accessories. Starting February 2024, this feature will be available on Chromecast with Google TV and expand to more Google TV devices later in the year. You will be able to see the fast pairing prompt on your screen once your accessory enters the pairing mode. And thanks to audio output controls, you will be able to switch to default TV audio whenever needed. It's a handy feature when you want to enjoy content on the big screen while someone next to you is reading or sleeping.

Speaking of watching content on big screens, Google and TikTok have finally partnered up to bring Chromecast functionality to the app. Starting today, you will be able to cast your favorite TikTok content from your phone to TikTok Chromecast built-in devices from the popular social media app. Google says the ability to cast live videos isn't available just yet, but it is coming soon.

Apple offers a neat feature for its ecosystem, called Handoff, wherein you can tap your iPhone on your HomePod and the music will start playing on the smart speaker. At CES 2024, Google is bringing this feature to its own ecosystem. The company is rolling out a casting feature that lets you easily move what's playing on Spotify and YouTube Music from your Pixel phone to your docked Pixel Tablet when it's nearby.

Android Auto is also getting way smarter with the new features. If you have a compatible EV like the Ford Mustang Mach-E or F-150 Lightning, Android Auto can now share real-time battery info with Google Maps. This helps by giving you an estimated battery level upon reaching your destination, suggesting charging stops, and estimating charging duration based on your vehicle. Google says this feature will soon extend to other car brands like Nissan and Lincoln.

Moreover, Google is adding one most-requested feature to Android Auto. Now, when your car is in parked mode, Android Auto offers the ability to access content on apps optimized for cars, such as content browsing on Chrome and watching shows on PBS KIDS and Crunchyroll.

These are some of the features coming to your Android devices. In addition to these features, Google has also announced a new feature wherein LG TVs and select Google TV and other Android TV OS devices will be able to serve as hubs for Google Home. So, if you own a Nest Hub, Nest Mini, or a compatible TV, you can effortlessly add Matter devices to your home network and control them locally using the Google Home app.

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The Pixel 7a is the new affordable smartphone from Google, featuring much-awaited features such as a 90Hz responsive display, a more powerful camera setup, and support for wireless charging. The Pixel 7a is powered by the Tensor G2 chipset, and it's the best device in the A series yet.

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The Google Pixel 8 features a 6.2-inch display with adaptive refresh rate (up to 120Hz). It also ships with the improved Google Tensor G3 and a 4,575 mAh cell that will allow for all-day use. And if you enjoy capturing images on your smartphone, its cameras, enhanced by AI will help capture the best moment in your life.

The Pixel Fold is Google's first foldable smartphone offering some of the finest hardware and software on the market. The device features a 5.8-inch cover display and a big 7.6-inch foldable display. It is powered by the Tensor G2 chipset and is backed by a 4,821 mAh battery.

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Google Announces 5 New Android Features at CES 2024 - Pocketnow

Adam Birney / Android Authority

TL;DR

Google is no stranger to CES, and the company is using the 2024 event to make a raft of announcements. These announcements include plenty of automotive-related news.

Perhaps the most noteworthy news is that the Chrome browser is now coming to Google-powered cars. Google says this will come to Volvo and Polestar cars first as part of a beta program, with support for more cars later this year.

This isnt the first time weve seen a web browser in a car with Google built-in. The Chromium-powered Vivaldi browser was released on cars with Google built-in back in September 2023. Nevertheless, were still glad to see Chromes availability, giving you an easy way to access web content tied to your Google account. And a browser is also a handy fallback option for services that might not have a dedicated automotive app.

Chrome isnt the only app coming to cars with Google built-in, as the search giant said The Weather Channel, PBS Kids, and Crunchyroll are all coming to these cars.

Electric vehicles with Android Auto can also now share their real-time battery details with Google Maps. This integration will allow Maps to provide your estimated battery level upon arriving at your destination, suggest charging stops, and provide charging time estimates for your predicted battery level. The Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning will be the first cars to get this functionality, albeit in the coming months.

Google is also making trip-sharing easier, as you can now share your trip from your Android smartphone or iPhone to a car with Google built-in. This feature is being pushed out today.

Finally, the Mountain View company said that Google built-in was coming to select Ford, Lincoln, and Nissan cars later this year.

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You can now use the Chrome browser in your Google-powered car - Android Authority

Much of the auto news out of CES 2024 has focused on EVs, and Google is no exception. The company has announced that Android Auto will share real-time battery updates with Google Maps. The update should initially roll out to the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning in the coming months before expanding to other Android Auto-compatible EVs in the future.

With this new feature, Google Maps will give you suggestions of charging stations along the route without you having to pull over and search. It should also update you on the car's battery level once you arrive at a destination (something your EV should already do) and provide an estimate of how long it will take to charge. The latter is more novel and could help when you're in a rush.

Google also announced the expansion of Google built-in to additional car brands, such as Honda, Nissan and Ford, after first launching in a Polestar. The Chrome browser is now rolling out in beta to select models from Volvo and Polestar (of which Volvo is a part-owner) and should be more widely available later this year. Plus, Google built-in now has The Weather Channel app to track the forecast as you travel.

Update, January 09 2024, 6:42PM ET: This story was updated to clarify an error about the first car that launched with Google built-in.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

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Android Auto will soon let Google Maps see EV battery levels and tell you where to charge your vehicle - Engadget

Its not often that a young startup takes on a 25-year-old, $1.8 trillion tech behemoth. But for Aravind Srinivas, cofounder and CEO at Perplexity AI, thats just an average Tuesday.

Perplexity is hoping to create the next Google Search, infused with generative AI. The one-year-old startup has raised $100 million to fund that mission, most recently from IVP at a $520 million valuation. (We previously scooped the round here, and featured the company in our 50 Most Promising Startups list.)

Ive been testing out Perplexitys search engine for the past few months, and it has many of the features that Ive found missing in alternatives like OpenAIs ChatGPT, Googles Bard and Microsofts Bing. Its answers are concise and to the point, it includes citations to articles to back up its statements, and it doesnt have an overly cutesy, distracting personality.

Despite all its strengths and investor hype, though, the odds are stacked against itmost notably that its competing against the Silicon Valley powerhouse Google. Other companies have tried to take on the search engine giant and failed; last year, AI-powered search engine Neeva axed its consumer business after struggling to attract new users. In May, Neeva sold itself to Snowflake for $150 million, Supervised reportedjust half of what it was valued in its last fundraising.

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This One-Year-Old Startup Is Hoping to be the Next GoogleCan It Succeed? - The Information

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

TL;DR

CES 2024 is in full swing, and companies are using the event to showcase their hardware and software innovations. Google has announced a bunch of new upgrades to the Chromecast ecosystem, such as expanding Fast Pair support to Chromecast with Google TV, expanding casting abilities to more apps and devices, and more.

Fast Pair comes in clutch when you have a new Bluetooth accessory to pair with your devices, making it a one-click and rather seamless process. The feature is available on Android phones and Chromebooks, and in the next month, Google will be expanding Fast Pair to Chromecast with Google TV. Later in the year, the feature will be expanded to more Google TV devices.

With Fast Pair, you only need to put your accessory in pairing mode, and your accessory will show up as a prompt on your Chromecast with Google TV. For Fast Pair to work, your accessory needs to support Bluetooth Low Energy, and your host device (Chromecast with Google TV, in this case) needs to have Android location services turned on.

Chromecast built-in is the consumer-facing branding that is often used to refer to Googles proprietary Google Cast protocol. Google Cast supports both mirroring content from your host device to your receiver device, as well as running the casted app locally on the receiver device (which leaves you free to do other things on your host device), so it is better than standard screen mirroring, albeit proprietary.

You can now cast TikTok content from your phone to your Chromecast built-in devices. In the near future, you will also be able to cast live videos from TikTok to your TV and other Chromecast built-in devices. Look out for the Cast icon within TikTok on your phone to know when you can cast content to other devices.

Coming later this year, Pixel users will be able to cast playing content from Spotify and YouTube Music to a docked Pixel Tablet simply when the devices are close to each other. This would remove the friction in the casting process and make casting as simple as gently tapping your Pixel phone to your docked Pixel Tablet.

The feature is referred to as Cast to devices nearby and it aims to provide a seamless media transfer between Pixel phones and docked Pixel Tablet. It works in both directions too.

Chromecast built-in is coming to the 2024 LG TV series. LG Hospitality and Healthcare devices will also get Chromecast built-in support later in 2024, letting users cast content on LG TVs in their hotel rooms without having to log in and log out of apps on the TV.

Further, Chromecast built-in is also available on Google TV devices launching in 2024, such as the 2024 Hisense ULED and ULED X series, the TCL Q Class and QM7 line, and more.

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Google announces new features for the Chromecast ecosystem - Android Authority

Summary

Apple users enjoy the conveniences of AirDrop and AirPlay to share files between devices or stream content to connected displays. Since Android is an open ecosystem, its much more challenging to have a standardized system that works universally. However, Google recently invested efforts in Nearby Share for Android, even enabling file sharing with Windows devices. Now, Google has announced a complete rebranding of the feature, improved in collaboration with Samsung.

Nearby Share has been kicking around since 2020, and it is great for sending files and folders between Android devices and computers. The transfers are speedy if the devices are on the same Wi-Fi network, and the folder structures remain untouched too. Such a tool greatly helps the versatility of Android devices. However, big OEMs who invest considerable resources in developing custom Android skins also go the extra mile like Samsung did with its Quick Share tool. Late last year, we reported on signs suggesting Google is rebranding Nearby Share to match Samsungs Quick Share.

Today, it's all official at CES 2024, Google announced that Quick Share integrates the best of both utilities, and it works across the Android ecosystem. You can also use this system to share content with Chromebooks, while Google works with PC makers, including LG, to pre-install the Quick Share app on Windows PCs.

A rebranding means everything displaying Nearby Share branding today will soon read Quick Share, instead, and that includes the share sheet in most apps, notifications from the service, its Settings page, and Quick Settings tile. However, functional changes should be subtle in practice, and sharing files between your devices should feel just as seamless. Google reassures users that privacy settings which define the visibility of your device are here to stay, unchanged from the Nearby Share days. The biggest change may show on Samsung phones, where individual options for Nearby Share and Quick Share are consolidated into one tool.

We are disappointed Google is already rebranding a relatively new tool, because it will take some getting used to, just like were still getting the hang of writing 2024 instead of 2023 everywhere. That said, this is typical behavior we have seen from the company, like when it rebranded Hangouts Meet to Meet, combined Meet and Duo, or outright killed several services in 2022.

The Nearby Share rebrand to Quick Share should start reaching end-users in February, Google says. However, specific dates or even ambiguous timelines for when the rollout will be complete are still anyones best guess. We could hear more at Samsungs Galaxy Unpacked event later this month, though.

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Google and Samsung join forces, rebranding Nearby Share to Quick Share - Android Police

What you need to know

At CES 2024, Google spilled the beans on a bunch of updates and fresh features for Chromecast, all aimed at making transferring media between devices smoother than ever.

Perhaps one of the most surprising announcements is Google's decision to make casting from short-form video apps like TikTok a native experience. Currently, casting TikTok videos from your Android phone to TV requires several steps, starting with mirroring the entire phone to the big screen.

Soon, the Cast icon will appear on every screen with playable content in the TikTok app's top right corner. And with auto-play enabled, it smoothly rolls into the next video without you lifting a finger.

Chromecast will also come to additional devices. The shiny new LG TVs hitting the shelves in 2024 will be flexing with built-in Chromecast. The Google TV squad is also growing, now with more members like the fresh Hisense ULED and ULED X Series, along with the latest TCL Q Class models and the hot-off-the-press QM7 line.

Google is also on a mission to prepare your smart home setup for the Matter takeover. Coming soon, LG TVs and some Google TV and other Android TV OS devices are stepping up as hubs for Google Home. So, if you've got a Nest Hub, Nest Mini, or a compatible TV, adding Matter devices to your home network and bossing them around with the Google Home app is about to be a piece of cake.

As for the Pixel Tablet, Google's rolling out a fresh trick to make casting from your phone a breeze. Say hello to the "Cast to devices nearby" feature, which lets you sling media onto your tablet by holding your phone close to it. This was spotted earlier last year.

When this kicks in, you can ditch the menu hassle on your device. Just make sure your Pixel Tablet is docked, and pick it as your casting target. Wave your phone in front of it, let the ultra-wideband chip work its magic, and you're beaming whatever media you want. Thanks to the ultra-wideband chip in the Pixel Tablet, it senses your device.

This feature is a two-way street. Your Pixel tablet sends music back to your Pixel phone, and all it takes is getting the phone cozy with the tablet again. But there's a catchthis cool trick is exclusive to the Pixel Pro models.

Chromecast's output switcher is getting a facelift as well, with better volume control and slick device categories. Plus, Fast Pair is hitting Chromecast with Google TV next month and spreading to more Google TV devices later this year.

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Google drops big upgrades and new features for Chromecast at CES 2024 - Android Central

At CES 2024, Google has a number of Chromecast and television announcements, including how Fast Pair is rolling out to the Chromecast with Google TV very soon.

First shown at CES 2022, Fast Pair support is rolling out to the Chromecast with Google TV in the next month. This seamless Bluetooth pairing with an onscreen Connect now prompt for headphones is coming to more Google TV devices later this year.This follows Fast Pair coming to Chromebooks last year.

You can now Cast TikTok videos from your phone to Chromecast built-in devices with auto-play enabled by default. In the future, youll be able to do the same for live content.

On the hardware front, the 2024 LG TV series, which is powered by webOS, will have Chromecast built-in. Also of note is how that support is coming to LG Hospitality and Healthcare televisions that you find in hotels.

Other partner launches include the Google TV-powered 2024 Hisense ULED and ULED X Series, as well as the TCL Q Class and TCL QM7 line. Google says there are now over 220 million monthly active devices Google TV and other Android TV OS devices.

Meanwhile, Google is making it so that select Google TV and Android TV OS devices, as well as LG TVs, can be used as Matter hubs for Google Home. This is happening soon.

So if you have a Nest Hub, Nest Mini or compatible TV, its easy to add Matter devices to your home network and locally control them with the Google Home app.

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Fast Pair for Chromecast with Google TV is almost here - 9to5Google

Google Maps is obviously the most popular mapping service in the world, but both Google and Apple have had an issue with electric vehicle makers like Tesla and Rivian. Both of those companies favor running their own in-house software to power their driving experiences over Apples CarPlay and Googles Android Auto experiences.

The benefit of doing that, for those brands, is that they can more closely integrate the driving and charging experience in the vehicle (amongst a mile-long list of other benefits). So, up until now, running something like Google Maps in an EV has been worse than running the cars built-in mapping system since Google Maps couldnt interface with the vehicles battery information. Up until now is the most important part of that sentence.

In a press release, Google announced that it is rolling out real-time battery information for Google Maps. With this new feature, compatible electric vehicles will be able to share battery info directly with Googles mapping service, enabling Google Maps users to understand how much charge theyll have when they arrive at their destination, suggest charging stations along the route, and also estimate how long a charge will take.

The company says it is rolling the feature out first to the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning in the coming months. In addition, starting today, you can now send trips youve planned on Google Maps on your Android or iOS phone directly to EVs with Google built-in.

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Electric vehicles compatible with Android Auto can share real-time battery information with Google Maps coming first to the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning in the coming months, with others to follow. This integration will make driving an electric vehicle easier, as Google Maps will provide your estimated battery level upon arrival at your destination, suggest charging stops along the way and even estimate how long charging will take based on your vehicle.

In addition to rolling out new Google Maps features, the company announced a number of new apps coming to vehicles with Google built-in. Chrome, PBS Kids, Crunchyroll, and the Weather Channel app are all starting to roll out today.

Today, Chrome browser is starting to roll out to select Polestar and Volvo cars in beta, and will be available in more cars later this year, so you can do a little shopping or access your saved bookmarks to keep you busy while parked. And if you need to keep the kids entertained (or hey, maybe keep yourself entertained!), you can watch shows from PBS KIDS and Crunchyroll, which are both now available in select cars with Google built-in. Finally, by popular demand, The Weather Channel app is now available for cars with Google built-in, giving you peace of mind on the road. Now you can stay up-to-date on changing weather conditions with hourly forecasts, follow-me, alerting and Trip View radar right from your dashboard.

Google is really leaning hard to build Google directly into vehicles as opposed to relying on Android Auto. The company says that Nissan, Ford, and Lincoln will all have models rolling out this year that have Google built-in and that Porsche will have its first models launching in the future. It also announced that its digital key technology will be rolling out to select Volvo models soon.

Digital car key availability also continues to expand, rolling out to select Volvo cars soon and to even more phone and car brands in the future. Using a digital car key, you have the ability to unlock, lock and start your car with supported Android phones and securely share keys with friends and family on iOS or Android phones.

As Google continues to integrate its software and services into vehicles, Apple is continuing to push its next generation of CarPlay. The company recently announced that the first vehicles to support the new version of CarPlay will be models from Aston Martin and Porsche later this year.

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Google Maps can now display your electric vehicle's battery information in real time - BGR

Google and Meta is backtracking on their commitment to DEI in a huge way according to a bombshell report by CNBC.

Per the outlet, the tech companies have severely underdelivered on their promises to demonstrate commitment to racial equity over the last few years.

By mid-2023, DEI-related job postingshad declined 44% from the same time a year prior, according to data provided by job site Indeed, the outlet wrote. In November 2023, the last full month for which data was available, it dropped 23% year over year.

Whats more both Google andMetahave laid off employees in DEI and minimized programs that fell under DEI investment.

Whenever there is an economic downturn in tech, some of the first budgets that are cut are in DEI, but I dont think weve seen such stark contrast as this year, Melinda Briana Epler, founder and CEO of Empovia told CNBC. The company consults companies and leaders how to use research-based culture tactics to improve their workplaces.

When George Floyd began to become the topic of conversations, companies and executives doubled down on their commitments and here we are only a couple years later, and folks are looking for opportunities to cut those teams, Devika Brij, CEO of Brij the Gap Consulting told CNBC. The outlet reported that Brij shared some of her clients had slashed DEI budgets by 90% by midyear.

Our workforce reductions and company-wide efforts to sharpen our focus span the breadth of our business, and cherry picking examples to suggest were deprioritizing our longstanding efforts for underrepresented communities, or our DEI work, is inaccurate and misleading, a Google spokesperson shared with ESSENCE in a statement. To be absolutely clear, our commitment to this work has not changed and we invested in many new programs and partnerships in 2023.

The tech industry isnt the only sector thats disinvesting in DEI.

As previously reported by ESSENCE, Hue, a workplace culture platform, releaseda reportin 2022 that found 82% of HR professionals they surveyed said their industry does a decent job of carrying out diversity-related initiatives while 84% of workers shared they felt there was a lack of meaningful progress for equity work over that past year.

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Following Big Racial Equity Promises In 2020, Google And Meta Have Let Go Of Several DEI Leaders And Cut Programs - Essence