Tag: Google I/O 2022

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Google rolls out safety feature allowing users to request personal information removal

Some Google users can now remove search results that detail personal identifiable information, following Google’s announcement of the “Results About You” feature at its 2022 I/O event in May.

According to Google’s support page, information that can be removed includes bank account numbers, images of ID documentation or handwritten signature, and phone numbers.

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Users can access the safety feature by selecting their profile picture on the Google app. A menu page titled “Results About You” will open up, detailing how to send a removal request from Google.

If you find a page that contains personal information, you can select the menu icon (three verticle dots on the top right corner) that’s next to the result, and select “remove result.”

Once submitted, users can monitor the progress of their requests.

The feature seems to only apply to Android users at this time.

Image credit: Google

Via: 9to5Google

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Google is setting up the Pixel ecosystem, and Apple better watch out

The ethos of connected products that work well together is starting to shape nearly all tech companies.

Google came out strong at I/O 2022 with a perspective lineup of products and updates designed to spread the Google experience further than ever before. Even Samsung and Windows are starting to play nice as the companies realize that a phone and computer are more helpful when connected. Not to be left out, Carl Pei’s startup Nothing is touting its goal of making its products work cohesively in an Apple-like way, and the company hasn’t even released its first smartphone yet.

Google’s strategy is the most exciting since the company has the backing, talent and, most importantly, its own chip. Tensor might not be a true Apple M1 or iPhone chip series competitor yet, but the possibility of Google being a full-stack hardware and software giant moves it closer to Apple than ever before. And if there is a company that can match Apple’s chips, I’d bet on the big G.

If Google can keep its software polished and its prices low, it’s setting up its devices to look very desirable.

Google Tensor chip

There’s no denying that Samsung has the power to do this too, but the company’s approach feels too disparate and niche. In reality, Samsung is primarily a hardware maker that runs Windows and Android on its devices. Even its product lineup is too diverse.

Since Google steers the Android ship and has Chrome OS (as lacklustre as it is currently), it’s better positioned to create a cohesive ecosystem. The company isn’t distracted by making TVs, Microwaves, fridges, laptops, Chromebooks, smartphones and more. Sure, Google has more software endeavours than Samsung, and the Nest line offers a lot of products, but its consumer-facing hardware is starting to share a consistent look and feel that’s very Apple-like.

Look no further than all of the products Google unveiled at I/O 2022 to see how clearly the company is trying to meld its products together this year.

Google still has a long way to go, but it finally seems to recognize that it’s not competing with only the iPhone — it’s competing with the entire Apple ecosystem.

Read more about Google I/O 2022

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Google’s AR Glass prototype shows you real life subtitles

More than 10 years after first unveiling the Google Glass, the Mountain View, California-based company has teased the augmented reality (AR) glasses’ successor.

Revealed at its annual I/O developer conference on Wednesday, May 11th, the move shouldn’t come off as a surprise. We know that Google acquired Amazon-backed Canadian smart glass startup North back in 2020, and subsequent leaks suggested that Google is working on new smart AR glasses.

A short video of the glasses in action was shown at the end of I/O 2022’s keynote, which emphasized their real-time translation capabilities. The person wearing the glasses is able to see real-time translation of whatever is being spoken, according to the demo prototype video. It’s kind of like subtitles, but in real life.

“You can see it in their faces: the joy that comes with speaking naturally to someone. That moment of connection. To understand and be understood. That’s what our focus on knowledge and computing is all about. And it’s what we strive for every day, with products that are built to help,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai, before concluding day one of the event.

While we have seen quite a few AR glasses in the recent few years, none have really offered a real-world use case that would actually benefit people in a significant way. Google did not share any tentative release dates, nor did it share the price the glasses would go on sale for. Additionally, apart from its translation capability, no other features were revealed

For now, the glasses are nothing more than just a prototype, but it’s still interesting to see where Google is heading with them.

Image credit: Google

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

What are you most excited about from Google I/O 2022?

At I/O 2022,  Google revealed several new features for Assistant, new Multisearch functionality, a new Maps feature called ‘Immersive View,’ Android 13 Beta 2, the Pixel Buds Pro, the Pixel 6a, the Pixel 7 series, the Pixel Watch and even the Pixel Tablet.

I’m personally the most excited to see the Pixel 7 Pro. That said, we only got to see the device’s rear, but that’s already got me pretty pumped about the device. The Pixel 7 Pro will sport Android 13 and the new Tensor chip. It also features a more elegant design and comes in a new Hazel colour that’s almost green, almost grey and offers a golden visor.

The Pixel 7 Pro series won’t release until sometime this fall.

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What did you find the most exciting out of all of these announcements?  Let us know in the comments below.

Check out all of the news from Google I/O 2022, here. 

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The biggest announcements at Google I/O 2022

This year’s Google I/O was full of new reveals, useful features, and tools that make me ask, “what took so long?”

Here’s a recap of the five biggest announcements, in no particular order.

Pixel Watch

The Pixel Watch has to be one of the most anticipated releases surrounding a Google I/O event. Rumours have been leaking for months, and the loud cheer that erupted from the audience once the watch was revealed shows the excitement surrounding Google’s entry into the smartwatch market.

The Pixel Watch has a circular dome design and is made of recycled stainless steel. Customizable bands are also available and can be attached/detached easily. The device will be integrated with Fitbit. You can read more about the watch here.

Pixel 6a/Pixel 7

The second piece of anticipated hardware was the Pixel 6a. It features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a centred hole-punch selfie camera and a 60Hz refresh rate. The device uses the Tensor processor and Titan M2 chip and offers the same power as the Pixel 6Pro.

The Pixel 6a will cost $599 in Canada, but it’s unclear when pre-orders will open.

Image credit: Google

Google also offered a cheeky reveal of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. The sneak-peek only featured the back of the devices, showing an aluminum finish. More information is available here.

Language features

Google I/O featured various updates that involve language in one way or another.

Let’s start with Google Translate, which now includes 24 new languages. The updates include the Indigenous Languages of the Americas, such as Quechua, Rani and Imatra. The new additions mean Google Translate now supports 133 languages.

Image credit: Google

Auto-translated captions are also now live for YouTube videos on mobile. Viewers can view captions in 16 different languages and access transcripts as well.

Google also previewed its AR glasses, which allow users to access live translated dialogue in a language they understand. The promotional video shows simply wearing the glasses and having someone speak directly to a participant lead to translated text on the lense.

TL;DR

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said he looks for the acronym TL;DR whenever he comes across a long document or email. It stands for “Too Long, Didn’t Read” and is the basis of a new feature that makes Google Docs more efficient.

Automated summarization condenses large bodies of text and pulls out key pieces of information for the reader to review. While it’s only available for Google Docs at this time, the feature will make its way along with Workspace. Google says it will come to Google Chat in the coming months.

The Monk Skin Tone (MST) Scale

Google is using the work of sociologist and Harvard professor Dr. Ellis Monk to ensure users access images and other forms of content that represent them.

The ten skin tones that make up the scale. Image credit: Google

Dr. Monk’s scale features ten different skin tones, and Google will incorporate it with its ‘Search’ feature and Google Photos. You can read more about that here.

Image credit: Google

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Google unveils Pixel Watch, Pixel 7 series, Pixel 6a and Buds Pro at I/O 2022

While Google’s I/O conference often places a significant emphasis on software updates and launches, this year’s keynote offered a look at more hardware than we’d typically expect.

In order of most to least exciting, let’s get into it:

Pixel Watch

After years of waiting, Google has finally unveiled the Pixel Watch.

While we expected to see the watch, it’s pretty exciting to finally get more details about the wearable. First and foremost, this device won’t launch until later this fall, alongside the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. This means we should expect an October launch for the Pixel Watch.

The watch will run WearOS and features “deep integration” with Fitbit and its heart rate, sleep and fitness tracking tech. While Google didn’t reveal much about the wearable, it did mention that the watch will feature a voice assistant, wallet integration, and support for the Google Home app.

You can learn more about Google’s new wearable, here.

Pixel 7 and 7 Pro

While we expected to see the Pixel Watch, catching a glimpse of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro was a surprise.

Google revealed the back of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro devices. We don’t know much about these two smartphones, but they both will offer the next generation of the Google Tensor chip, Android 13 and more.

You can learn more about the Pixel 7 series, here. 

Pixel 6a

Google has unveiled its Pixel 6a, and while that might not be the most exciting announcement from the keynote, it’s been a full two years since we saw an a-series Pixel smartphone in Canada. The phone will retail at $599 and will be available for pre-order on July 21st and available July 28th.

The Pixel 6a features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a centred hole-punch selfie camera and 60Hz refresh rate, and two 12-megapixel sensors (wide and ultra-wide angle) on the Pixel 6-like visor. Additionally, it sports 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, an 8-megapixel shooter in the front and a 4,410mAh battery.

Check out more details about the Pixel 6a, here. 

Pixel Buds Pro

We expected to see the Pixel 6a at Google I/O 2022, but the Pixel Buds Pro are more of a surprise. While the earbuds leaked a month ago, we assumed it would be at least a few more months before we learned more about Google’s high-end wireless earbuds.

The Pixel Buds Pro will cost $259 in Canada. It’s currently only possible to subscribe for updates on the Buds Pro on Google’s Canadian website. We haven’t verified Canadian availability, but in the U.S., the Pixel buds will launch alongside the Pixel 6a on July 21st.

Like Apple’s AirPods, Google says the Pixel Buds Pro are designed to automatically switch between Android devices via “intelligent” audio switching. The Buds Pro are also IPX4 water-resistant.

For more on the Pixel Buds Pro, click here. 

Pixel Tablet

Google is working on tablets again. This tablet won’t launch until 2023, but we know it will run on the Google Tensor chip.

The front of the tablet in an image that flashed on-screen looks like the display of a Nest Hub. The front-facing camera is also set to be on top when you hold the tablet in landscape, which should be great when video-calling loved ones.

It also seems like the Pixel Tablet is launching in white and green colour variants, but these are probably subject to change.

You can learn more about the Pixel Tablet, here.

For all of our content from I/O 2022, follow this link.

Image Credit: Google

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Google reveals new Pixel Buds Pro with active noise cancellation

During its I/O 2022 developer keynote, Google revealed its upcoming Pixel Buds Pro, the tech giant’s first wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC).

Along with a new design that features a custom-built six-core audio processor, the Buds Pro feature ‘Spatial Audio’ when paired with a Pixel smartphone and improved battery life over the Pixel Buds (2020) and Pixel Buds 6a.

Pixel Buds Pro

Other notable features include sensors that “measure the pressure in your ear canal so the earbuds can actively relieve it and stay comfortable.” As someone who often finds wireless earbuds uncomfortable, I’m very interested in this feature. Google says the Buds Pro feature a “Silent seal” algorithm that’s capable of adapting to your ear’s shape.

Like Apple’s AirPods, Google says that the Pixel Buds Pro are designed to automatically switch between Android devices via “intelligent” audio switching. The Buds Pro are also IPX4 water-resistant.

Though the Pixel Buds Pro seem very promising on paper, the Pixel Buds (2020) suffered from widespread connectivity issues. For what it’s worth, I didn’t have these problems with the 2nd-gen Pixel Buds and used them quite frequently.

The Pixel Buds Pro will cost $259 in Canada. MobileSyrup has reached out to Google for more information regarding Canadian availability.

For all of our content from I/O 2022, follow this link.

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Google unveils the Pixel Watch at I/O 2022

Google finally announced the long-awaited Pixel Watch at its annual Google I/O developer conference after months of leaks and rumours surrounding the ‘Rohan‘ codenamed project.

The Pixel Watch, which marks Google’s entry into the smartwatch/fitness tracker market, has a bold circular dome design, with a recycled stainless steel body and customizable bands that attach and detach seamlessly.

The watch will run WearOS and features a “deep integration” with Fitbit and its heart rate, sleep, and fitness tracking tech. While Google didn’t reveal much about the wearable, it did mention that the watch will feature a voice assistant, wallet integration, and support for the Google Home app.

The watch will be released later this fall alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. More information about the watch will come over the next few months.

Regardless, MobileSyrup managing editor Patrick O’Rourke is relieved.

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Google announces Pixel 6a with same Tensor chip as 6 Pro

After months of waiting, Google has announced the Pixel 6a, the company’s latest mid-range handset.

The handset is launching in ‘White,’ ‘Black,’ and ‘Green’ in the U.S. It’s launching at $449 ($582 CAD). The phone becomes available to pre-order in the U.S. on July 21st and comes out on July 28th.

Google says the Pixel 6a offers the same speed as the Pixel 6 Pro as its using the same Tensor processor and Titan M2 chip.

The Pixel 6a features a 6.2-inch OLED display with a centred hole-punch selfie camera and two 12-megapixel sensors (wide, and ultra-wide angle) on the Pixel 6-like visor.

You can also expect Pixel-exclusive features, including Night Sight, Real Tone, and Magic Eraser.

The Pixel 6a also sports a fingerprint scanner like the 6 Pro and 6, and has five years of security updates.

Image credit: Google

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Google surprisingly shows off Pixel 7 at I/O 2022

In a surprising turn of events, Google showed off the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.

The rear of the phone features a new aluminum finish on its visor, making it more striking than what’s available on the Pixel 6 series.

The Pixel 7 Pro will launch in Obsidian, Snow and Hazel, whereas the Pixel 7 will come in Obsidian, Snow and Lemongrass. Additionally, it will come with Android 13, the next generation of Google Tensor chip and more.

 

More to come…