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Google searches for ‘how to move to Canada from U.S.’ spike following overturning of Roe v. Wade

Bangkok. Thailand. January 24, 2016:A woman is typing on Google search engine from a laptop. Google is the biggest Internet search engine in the world.

Google searches for “how to move to Canada from U.S.” have skyrocketed since Friday of last week. On June 24th, the U.S. Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade, banning the right to abortion. In a radical declaration against woman’s rights, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed what’s been in place for nearly half a century, allowing laws regarding abortion to be enacted at the State level.

It appears as though many are taking to Google in hopes to move to Canada. According to reports, “how to move to Canada from U.S.” rose by 850 percent in the first hour after the Supreme Court announced its decision. “How to become a Canadian citizen” also increased by 550 percent during the same hour.

Canada is obviously fitting as a destination for U.S. citizens given the close proximity. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a statement in support of women’s rights. “No government, politician, or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body,” Trudeau wrote. “I want women in Canada to know that we will always stand up for your right to choose.”

Abortions were decriminalized in Canada in 1988 as the result of the R. v. Morgentaler ruling, but no legislation was passed to replace it.

The last time search interest regarding moving to Canada gained traction in the U.S was during the first week of November 2020, preceding the U.S. presidential election. Search interest also rose last month when Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould said in a CBC News interview that Canada would continue to offer women their right to abortion, even for those coming to Canada from the United States.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Axios Via: National Post

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Google Pixel 6a may offer a faster fingerprint sensor compared to Pixel 6 Pro

Ahead of its July 28th launch, early tests indicate that Google’s Pixel 6a could feature a faster fingerprint sensor compared to the Pixel 6 Pro. This may be a relief to some as the Pixel 6’s sensor was a point of contention when the series first launched in late 2021.

In a recent video, Malaysian content creator Fazli Halim spent some hands-on time with the Pixel 6a. In the video, Halim discusses how the device supposedly uses a different under-display fingerprint sensor than the Pixel 6 flagship devices and is able to recognize the user’s fingerprint faster.

This should come as welcomed news for Pixel users. When Pixel 6 launched, users voiced their concerns over the slow and often frustrating under-display fingerprint sensor. Oftentimes, users would be met with a “Hold a little longer” message when attempting to use a thumb to unlock the device. In Halim’s video, we can see the Pixel 6a unlocking with far less hassle.

Last year, Google became privy to user frustrations. In response to user inquiries, the tech giant claims that the sensor “utilizes enhanced security algorithms.” The issue impacted enough users that Google released a patch to mitigate the situation.

News that Google is utilizing a different fingerprint sensor doesn’t come as a surprise, however. Earlier this year, the company confirmed the Pixel 6a would utilize a different sensor. Thankfully, it appears the swap has resulted in a positive impact on the user experience.

It’s only a matter of time until the Pixel 6a will be available for users to try for themselves. The new mid-range device should offer at least one key advantage over its premium counterparts.

When it launches, the Pixel 6a will be available in ‘Charcoal,’ ‘Sage’ and ‘Chalk’ in Canada for $599.

Image credit: Google

Source: Fazli Halim (YouTube) Via: The Verge

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Pixel 7 Pro prototype reveals some details about second-gen Tensor

More details have emerged about the hardware used in Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 and 7 Pro thanks to leaked prototype devices.

As reported by 9to5Google, some enterprising users have managed to scrape limited information about the devices’ processor and other hardware, including display and haptics. This comes after Google reportedly remote-wiped several leaked prototype units that had made their way out into the wild. Although the remote wipe left the units bricked, prototype owners were able to pull data about the Pixel 7 Pro from logs and the bootloader.

First up, we already knew that the 7 Pro would sport a second-gen version of Google’s Tensor system-on-a-chip (SoC), dubbed ‘GS201.’ Data from the prototype indicates the new chip will once again use a “4+2+2” design. In other words, it will again offer four low-end cores for simple tasks, two mid-level cores, and two high-power cores to handle most work.

Unfortunately, information about the mid- and high-level cores wasn’t found. As for the low-level cores, it appears the Tensor 2 chip will use the same Cortex A55 cores as Tensor 1, as the logs include a suggestion of a workaround that is solely used for Cortex A55 cores.

Additionally, it looks like the Pixel 7 Pro will sport a Cirrus Logic ‘CS40L26’ chip for haptics. That’s one generation newer than the haptics chip in the 6 Pro. There’s also an STMicroelectronics ‘ST21NFC’ chip instead of the ‘ST54K’ chip in the 6 Pro. 9to5 notes that the main difference here is the ST21 doesn’t include ultra-wide band (UWB) like the ST54K. The publication says another component will likely handle UWB instead.

Finally, the data shows the Pixel 7 Pro sports Samsung’s ‘S6E3HC4’ display panel. Again, this is one generation newer than what was offered in the Pixel 6 Pro. The display should offer a higher maximum brightness of 1,000 nits compared to 800 nits in the 6 Pro.

Ultimately, the leaked spec details give a little more insight into the upcoming Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, but not a ton. Tensor 2 will have some improvements, clearly, but it remains to be seen how much better it is in real-world use. Tensor 1 wasn’t exactly a powerhouse, but in my experience with the Pixel 6, it’s been more than adequate so far.

Header image credit: Google

Source: 9to5Google

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Stadia code change hints Google is prepping Nvidia GPU support

Google might be working to add Nvidia GPU support to its servers for Stadia and/or Immersive Stream for Games.

As reported by 9to5Google, a code change from last month shows that Google added a way to include necessary drivers for Nvidia GPUs:

“Add support to the kokoro job script to generate a disk that contains the UMD/KMD NVIDIA modules and corresponding support files required for instances that use a NVIDIA gpu.”

Google’s game streaming services — Stadia and the underlying Immersive Stream for Games tech Google opened up for companies to use — have so far relied on custom AMD GPUs to power games. Researchers have said that Stadia’s servers run on AMD’s Radeon Pro V340, or something similar in power.

The main reason for this is that Stadia uses a modified version of the Linux kernel and, until recently, Nvidia hasn’t offered open-source GPU drivers for Linux.

In other words, with Nvidia offering open-source GPU drivers, it looks like Google is prepping to support the company’s hardware for use in Immersive Stream for Games and Stadia. While Nvidia GPUs aren’t available for the services yet, the inclusion points to intriguing possibilities.

As 9to5 notes, Stadia games are optimized to run on the current AMD hardware. If Google swapped Stadia to Nvidia, it would likely introduce issues for the current lineup of games unless developers similarly optimized for the new hardware.

That said, it’s certainly a possibility. 9to5 says Google might have plans for a Stadia ‘hardware upgrade’ to make it more competitive with other game streaming options from Microsoft and Nvidia. Alternatively, it could just be a way to give developers building Immersive Stream experiences more options.

For now, it’s not clear how this will play out, or what it means for Stadia users. The change could herald a significant upgrade, or could mean little — only time will tell.

Source: 9to5Google

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Google wants beef with Apple, uses Drake’s new track as a diss

Toronto’s very own Drake dropped his seventh studio album, “Honestly, Nevermind” over the weekend, and the album’s third track, “Texts Go Green” is already a topic of conversation.

The track and its title reference what happens when an iPhone user blocks someone from contacting them via iMessage, and the blocked individual’s messages go through as green SMS bubbles.

Google’s marketing team was quick to jump on the track and release an “unofficial lyric explainer” video, which was tweeted out by the official Android Twitter account.

In the lyric explainer video, Google takes shots at Apple by showcasing the more general green versus blue bubble issue when Android and iOS users connect via SMS, and how Apple should adopt RCS (Rich Communication Services), something that Apple reportedly considered back in 2019.

“The Android team thinks Drake’s new song “Texts Go Green” is a real banger. It refers to the phenomenon when an iPhone user gets blocked. Or tries to text someone who doesn’t have an iPhone. Either way it’s pretty rough. If only some super talented engineering team at Apple would fix this. Because this is a problem only Apple can fix. They just have to adopt RCS, actually. It would make texting more secure too. Just sayin’. Great track tho.”

Google wants Apple to get rid of iMessage colour-coding, where message bubbles blue if sent to an Apple device and green if sent to a blocked number or Android phone. Google has historically called Apple out on the disparity, while a The Wall Street Journal report from earlier this year talked about how “Teens Dread the Green Text Bubble,” and the dominance of iPhone among young US users.

Check out the track in question below:

According to Google, if Apple adopts RCS, cross-device messaging will become safer and faster for users. RCS allows users to send and receive high-quality photos and videos, include read receipts, typing indicators and reactions. iMessage includes all of those features too, but only when you’re texting someone who also owns an Apple device, a disparity that Google wants to be abolished.

Image credit: Apple

Via: 9to5Google

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Google’s ‘Material You’ design language could come to Chrome OS

Google’s new design language known as ‘Material You’ appears to be coming to Chrome OS.

‘Material You’ will likely make its way to Chome OS following its introduction alongside Android 12 back in 2021. The change, which was first spotted in a Chromium Gerrit by 9to5Google, notes a flag that says, “When enabled, runs ChromeOS in Material Next MVP mode.”

The codename “Material Next MVP” seems to be an internal Google reference to ‘Material You.’ Further, ‘MVP’ is the term used by developers for “minimum viable product.”

‘Material You’ will likely enable anyone using Chrome OS to customize the colour schemes used in app wallpapers.

In addition, colour is referenced in the discussion on the Chromium Gerrit, describing options regarding how hues can be changed. However, it looks like the wallpaper will not determine the colours and that instead, you’ll select them through a mixer.

As always, this isn’t confirmation Google will add ‘Material You’ to Chrome OS, though it looks that’s likely the case.

Image credit: Google

Sources: Chromium Gerrit Via: 9to5Google, Android Police

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Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro up to $340 off at Fizz Mobile

Fizz is offering Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro at a discounted rate.

The Pixel 6 is available for $600 and the Pixel 6 Pro for $840, which comes to $200 and $340 off, respectively.

The Pixel 6 Pro features a 6.71-inch 1440 x 3120-pixel resolution display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Additionally, the flagship smartphone offers Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB of RAM and a triple camera setup featuring a 50-megapixel primary shooter, 48-megapixel telephoto with 4x zoom and a 12-megapixel ultrawide angle camera.

The Pixel 6, on the other hand, features a 6.4-inch 1080 x 2400-pixel resolution display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888, 8GB of RAM and a dual-camera setup featuring a 50-megapixel primary shooter and a 12-megapixel ultrawide angle camera.

Check out Fizz’s site for more details on the offer.

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YouTube says 1.5 billion users watch ‘Shorts’ monthly

Despite TikTok’s growing popularity, it seems YouTube’s ‘Shorts’ are still pretty popular.

YouTube has announced that it received 1.5 billion views from users on its Shorts feature, down from the 2 billion users the platform had in April, as first reported by TechCrunch.

Similar to Tik Tok, YouTube Shorts offers 60-second vertical videos through YouTube. The platform launched in Canada, the U.K., Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela in June 2021.

Back in January 2022, YouTube Shorts recorded more than five trillion views over the two years since it’s been active. YouTube recently added advertisements to its Shorts videos.

YouTube Shorts is available on the YouTube app on both Android and iOS.

Image Credit: YouTube

Via: The Verge, TechCrunch

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Google Pixel 6a unboxing video arrives ahead of July release

Source: Screenshot of Fazli Halim video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qo3oQjh25k

For those planning to pick up a Pixel 6a when it releases at the end of July, a new unboxing video reveals what you can expect to come with the phone.

YouTuber Fazli Halim posted a video unboxing Google’s upcoming mid-range phone — it’s not clear how Halim got his hands on a Pixel 6a, considering it’s not available yet. You can check out the full video below, although it’s worth noting that Halim speaks in Malay and Google’s auto-translating captions don’t work great with the video.

As for what’s in the box, well, there’s nothing surprising. When Halim first cracks it open, you see the back of the Pixel 6a. Beneath the phone is a USB-C-to-C charging cable and a USB-A-to-C adapter, plus a small box with a SIM tool and two little booklets.

The rest of the video includes Halim showing off the Pixel 6a, comparing it with the 6 Pro (which has a notably beefier camera visor), and using the device. Toward the end of the video, Halim also tries the camera — he shared a picture on Twitter, although it’s hard to judge the quality after passing through the site’s compression.

All-in-all, it looks like the Pixel 6a will offer a standard unboxing experience. It’s exactly what you’d expect, for better or worse.

As a refresher, the Pixel 6a sports a 6.1-inch, 60Hz AMOLED display, 12.2-megapixel wide-angle and 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle cameras, Google’s Tensor chip, a 4,410mAh battery and 18W fast charging. The phone will cost $599 in Canada and will be available for pre-order starting July 21st before releasing on the 28th.

Image credit: Fazli Halim’s (YouTube)

Source: Fazli Halim (YouTube) Via: Android Authority

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Say goodbye to Pokémon Wave Hello

Google has removed the Pokémon Wave Hello app from the Play Store.

Pokémon Wave Hello launched alongside the Pixel 4 back in 2019 and used the Pixel 4’s Soli Motion Sense technology, which allowed users to wave at new generation-8 Pokémon, like Pikachu or Scorbunny.

It’s worth noting that is different than the Pokémon live wallpaper that’s available in the “Come Alive” section of the Google wallpaper app. The live wallpaper remains available on Pixel 4 and 4 XL devices.

Image Credit: Bulbapedia

As noted by 9to5Google, the app is no longer in the store. Pokémon Wave Hello was published under the Developed by Google account, which hosts AR Stickers.

Source: 9to5Google