Tag: Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Framework, Google partner on modular Chromebook

Google and Framework, the company behind the modular laptop of the same name, partnered to introduce a ‘Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition.’ That means customers looking to get an upgradable laptop running ChromeOS now have a solid option to consider.

The Chromebook Edition comes in grey and sports a “precision formed and milled aluminum housing” with a gear logo on the lid. It weighs in at 1.3kg (about 2.87lbs) and features a 13.5-inch, 3:2 aspect ratio display with a 2256 x 1504 pixel resolution.

The laptop runs a 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1240P CPU with 4+8 cores and 30W sustained performance. It also includes the Titan C security chip that other ChromeOS devices have, which enables Verified Boot. Moreover, the Framework Chromebook will get up to eight years of ChromeOS updates. Plus, it supports running Android apps from the Play Store, access to Linux through Crostini, and Steam (with ChromeOS Alpha).

More importantly, the Framework Chromebook supports expansion cards to customize which ports you have, and upgradable and customizable parts (including memory, storage, and more). Every part of the laptop has a scannable QR code that people can use to find access to documentation and guides for repairs.

For the privacy conscious, the Framework Chromebook also includes built-in privacy switches that cut power to the camera and microphone when you want.

You can pre-order the Framework Chromebook on the Framework website for $1,299 in Canada, although pre-orders require a $100 deposit. The laptop is set to be available starting in December. You can learn more about the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition here.

Images credit: Framework

Source: Framework Via: 9to5Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google makes Tasks app a more unified experience

Google is looking to simplify its Task experience by allowing users to manage all their to-dos in one place, whether they create tasks using Assistant or Calendar.

With the update, you’ll be able to create tasks whether you’re in Gmail, Google Chat or Google Calendar, and you can sort the tasks you make into lists and star what are most important to you. Once you’re done with a task, you can keep track of the progress in the Google Tasks app. Further, you can mark them as complete.

You’ll also be able to use Assistant to add items to your tasks list, whether you’re using your smartphone or a smart display. And if you add a date or time, you’ll also recieve a notification when it’s time to complete the task to prevent you from forgetting.

These features aren’t available yet but will arrive in the coming months. When Tasks gets the update, you’ll see a notification when you use Assistant or Calendar to create or view reminders. The notification will prompt you to try out the Tasks experience. Open the notification to move your reminders to Tasks, so you can manage all of your to-dos in one place.

Image Credit: Google

Source: Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will be available to pre-order on October 6

Google has announced that pre-orders for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will open on October 6th, the day of the company’s big fall hardware keynote.

The tech giant revealed this information in a video that features Pixel fans checking out the new smartphones.

Oddly, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are censored in the video, which is weird given Google already revealed renders of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro back in May at Google I/O.

At the end of the clip, there’s tiny text on the screen that reads,”Pre-order starting October 6th, 2022.” Following that, you can hear fans saying at the end, “Wait! there’s a watch?” With this in mind, it’s possible that the Pixel Watch’s pre-order date might also be on October 6th.

A recent rumour suggests that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro won’t go on sale until September 18th. This leak goes on to state that the Pixel Watch won’t be available until November 4th. With this in mind, while the smartphone and possibly the watch will be available to pre-order on October 6th, you’ll likely need to wait a few weeks before you get the devices in your hands.

It’s worth noting that this ad is U.S.-based, so the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro may have a different pre-order date in Canada. MobileSyrup has reached out to Google for more information.

Source: Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro rumoured to release on October 18

Google’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are expected to launch within a month, but you might have to wait until October 18th to purchase the two handsets.

This leak regarding the smartphones’ release date comes from Caschys Blog. Front Page Tech, which originally leaked the Pixel 7 series, said that the phone would be on sale on October 13th. While Front Page Tech is a somewhat reliable source, the even more accurate Roland Quandt backed up Caschys Blog’s claims.

Further, the leak indicates that the Pixel Watch will launch a bit later, stating that it won’t hit the market until November 4th. Caschys Blog doesn’t specify what region this is referring to, but Android Police believes it’s for the U.S market. If so, the Canadian market will likely receive the update on the same day.

It’s worth noting that these are just leaks and we won’t know anything for sure until Google’s October 6th keynote.

Image credit: Google

Source: Caschys Blog Via: Android Police

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Another Pixel Watch leak confirms U.S. pricing for Bluetooth, LTE models

Google’s October Pixel event is on the horizon, and we already know most of the details about the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, as well as the Pixel Watch. However, new leaked details about the Pixel Watch pricing further rounded out what we know about the smartwatch.

As detailed by 9to5Google, a retail source shared U.S. pricing details for the Pixel Watch. The smartwatch will start at $349.99 USD (roughly $465 CAD). Moreover, the information corroborates an earlier leak that the cellular Pixel Watch model will start at $399.99 USD (about $531 CAD).

The retail source also confirmed that the Wi-Fi Pixel Watch would be available in ‘Black/Obsidian,’ ‘Silver/Chalk,’ and ‘Gold/Hazel.’ The cellular model is the same, except instead of Chalk, it’s ‘Silver/Charcoal.’ 9to5 indicates the second word — Obsidian, Chalk, Hazel, Charcoal — refers to the colour of the band, while the first is the colour of the watch case.

If accurate, the pricing could make the Pixel Watch one of the more expensive options out there, in line with Apple’s smartwatch efforts. For example, the Galaxy Watch 5 starts at $349.99 in Canada for the 40mm Bluetooth variant. In the U.S., that model starts at $279.99.

While we’re still missing some important details about the Pixel Watch, what we do know so far suggests the price might be a tough sell for many. The Pixel Watch is supposedly running an older Exynos chip and reportedly sports a 300mAh battery that will last about a day.

Ultimately, it might be too early to make a judgement on the Pixel Watch. Google is expected to unveil the watch alongside the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro on October 6th.

Header image credit: Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google Nest Wifi Pro pricing and colour options leak ahead of official reveal

Google is planning to host its big annual hardware keynote on October 6th. It’s here that many assume the company will unveil its rumoured Nest Wifi Pro router. However, ahead of the event, new listings show the device’s pricing and colour variants that look to be available at launch.

Following a leaked FCC listing, B&H posted listings for a product name “Google Nest Wifi Pro 6E Router.” Given the name, it’s likely Google will retain the Nest Wifi Pro name. The name also suggests what the FFC listing itself notes, Wi-Fi 6E support. If correct, the Google Nest Wifi Pro will support the latest connectivity standard and upwards of 9.6Gbps speeds.

The B&H listing shows a pricing breakdown of a single Nest Wifi Pro unit as costing $199 USD (roughly $264 CAD.) Google also appears to be providing a 2-pack for $299.99 USD (about $397 CAD) and 3-pack for $399.99 USD ($531 CAD.)

Four colour options are suggested to be available at launch as well. According to the listings, Google will be offering the Nest Wifi Pro in ‘Snow’ (white), ‘Fog’ (blue), ‘Linen’ (brown), and ‘Lemongrass’ (yellow). The colours appear to line up with Pixel Buds Pro, Nest Doorbell and likely the Pixel 7 series.

Beyond pricing and colour options, the B&H listing doesn’t include official specs or product descriptions. The listing also doesn’t even show the product itself. Therefore, we may have to wait until Google’s event on October 6th to see it in full.

Google’s October event is expected to feature the official reveal of the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Google Watch.

Image credit: Google

Source: B&H via The Verge

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google reduces funding for Area 120, kills half its projects

Google’s experimental incubator, Area 120, got a funding cut and saw nearly half of its projects shuttered amid the company’s ongoing hiring freeze.

Area 120, for those unfamiliar, is an in-house incubator that developed experimental projects that sometimes went on to have wider impacts, or just fizzled out after. For example, there was the ‘Reply’ project that added automatic reply bubbles to notifications — Google killed the experiment in 2019, but it went on the become a staple feature in Android. There’s also Grasshopper, an app that teaches people how to code using short puzzles, which currently has over 5 million downloads on the Play Store.

On the other hand, projects that ‘fizzled’ include things like Shoploop, a TikTok-like app for shopping, Keen, an AI-powered Pinterest wannabe, video messaging app Uptime (of course it’s another messaging app), and more.

Per reports from Bloomberg and TechCrunch, Google cancelled or reorganized seven of the 14 ongoing projects at Area 120 and informed team members that they would need to find new roles within Google by January 2023. Those who don’t find new roles will be terminated, although the company’s recruiters will help relocate affected employees.

Terminated projects include Qaya, a service to help creators set up storefronts to sell goods and services.

A company spokesperson told Bloomberg that Area 120 “will be shifting its focus to projects that build on Google’s deep investment in AI and have the potential to solve important user problems. As a result, Area 120 is winding down several projects to make way for new work. Impacted team members will receive dedicated support as they explore new projects and opportunities at Google.”

In other words, Area 120 will keep trucking but with a new focus and, well, less funding. Google also recently shuttered its Pixelbook team, so I’d expect the company to continue cutting and reducing projects for the foreseeable future.

Source: Bloomberg, TechCrunch Via: Android Police

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google Photos gets new collage editor and look for Memories

Google Photos‘ Memories feature is getting a new look.

The update, rolling out now, will let users see more videos, including snippets of longer videos in Photos. The app will also automatically trim videos so you can relive the more critical moments. Some still photos will get a subtle zoom effect to bring movement to the memory. Further, next month instrumental music will be played with some Memories.

Google will also bring more cinematic photos to Memories. These full Cinematic Memories will transform still images into a cinematic experience with music to make your memories feel more like a movie.

Additionally, Google is rolling out a new feature called ‘Styles’ that will add graphic art to Memories to make them pop.

Finally, you can share your Memories with your friends and family on Android (though this feature is coming to iOS and the web soon).

Outside of Memories, a collage editor is also coming to the Google Photos app on iOS and Android.

Source: Google Blog 

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Leaker claims Google is working on a small-screen Pixel flagship

Google may be working on a small flagship Pixel phone, although you definitely shouldn’t get hyped about it yet.

The information comes from leaker ‘Digital Chat Station,’ who shared it in a post on Chinese microblogging site Weibo (via Android Authority). Digital Chat Station has shared Pixel information before (last month, they shared details about Google’s work on a Pixel foldable and another Pixel device made with ceramic), but this new leak doesn’t seem to line up with any other information we have about upcoming Pixel phones. As with any leak, you should probably be more than a little skeptical.

Still, the idea of a Pixel 7 Mini — or something like that — is certainly intriguing. Digital Chat Station says (via machine translation) that the “small-screen flagship” sports codename ‘Neila.’ Moreover, it features a centred hole-punch “straight screen,” which likely means it doesn’t have rounded or curved edges like the Pixel 6 Pro.

That’s about it in terms of information about the phone, but Digital Chat Station goes on to note that “small screen phones feel popular overseas, domestic sales are not as good as expected, [and] including super large screen product lines are quite dangerous.”

Digital Chat Station Weibo post | Credit: Android Authority

When I first read the leaked information, I thought the mini phone could be the ceramic Pixel previously detailed by Digital Chat Station, but that phone’s camera details line up with another rumoured Pixel device with the codename ‘Lynx.’ Some think Lynx could be a high-end Pixel (perhaps a Pixel Ultra?), while others believe it to be a prototype for testing new hardware.

Moreover, we already know that Google plans to launch a Pixel 7 and 7 Pro this year. While it’s possible Google might have plans for a third mystery device, I’m skeptical the company could have kept that under wraps this long. I suspect Neila (and perhaps Lynx too) could be early prototypes of the Pixel 8, but frankly, I have nothing more than speculation to go on.

The tiny Pixel of my dreams?

Whatever Neila ends up being (if it ends up as anything at all), the prospect of a mini Pixel is very exciting to me. I quite liked the Pixel 6, but found it to be uncomfortably large. Google’s Pixel 6a is nearly perfect in terms of size (I still think it’s a tad too big, but it’s far better than the 6 and 6 Pro in that regard). If Neila ends up being a flagship Pixel about the same size as the Pixel 6a, that would be the phone for me.

Of course, to get a smaller size, there will need to be concessions. Battery capacity will definitely shrink, and Google may be limited in terms of what camera hardware it can include in a smaller form factor. Moreover, other manufacturers who’ve tried a small form factor (like Apple, which recently killed its iPhone mini line) haven’t had much success. Large phones are clearly more popular, even if there’s a vocal minority of people like me clamouring for a smaller phone.

But again, there’s not much to go on with this leak and it seems a dubious claim given what we know about Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 line. So, I will not get hyped about the rumoured small Pixel. I will not.

Source: Digital Chat Station (Weibo) Via: Android Authority

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google reportedly scraps new Pixelbook, shutters team behind it

Google is out of the laptop game — the company has reportedly killed its next big Pixelbook and dissolved the team working on it.

The details come from The Verge, which cites a “person familiar with the matter.” The news is somewhat contradictory to what Google itself has said over the last few months — notably, at its I/O developer conference in May, Google’s hardware chief Rick Osterloh told The Verge that the company was “going to do Pixelbooks in the future,” while acknowledging that the market has changed significantly.

However, Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, has been vocal for months about plans to slow down hiring at Google and cut some of the company’s projects. It very much seems like the Pixelbook and the team behind it were one such project.

A Google spokesperson told The Verge that it doesn’t share plans on future products and that in “regards to our people, in times where we do shift priorities we work to transition team members across devices and services.”

The Verge included a look through the history of Google’s Chromebook and Pixelbook ambitions, which is worth the read if you’re interested in that kind of thing. The main takeaway, however, is that the main customers for ChromeOS and Chromebooks aren’t going to pay for pricey Pixelbook hardware. For example, ChromeOS is huge with schools, but schools won’t be kitting out teachers and students with $1,000 Pixelbooks.

Source: The Verge