CorysTechTime

  Yesterday afternoon Google released Android 16 to the public with new features and fixes for your Pixel devices. I was able to immediately download all of the updates to my Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel Tablet and Pixel Watch 3. Although, this is not the new UI update some may have been waiting for it provides much needed bug fixes along with new features as the release includes the June feature drop .  As for the update itself, like I mentioned before there are no real user facing changes but my devices feel much more responsive and smooth. The stability of my devices improved greatly as well. This update ultimately is the set-up to the major redesign that's expected to be released in September and I can't wait. Though not perfect Google seems to be on a roll with their software and it is good to see.  See what's new and coming below. Live updates from apps like food delivery will appear in notifications, and notifications from one app will be grouped. Android 16 improves hear...

We're just a week or so since Google IO and I have been busy with consuming content related to the event and there was something missing. ChromeOS was nearly a no show and was only mentioned here and there when Google discussed making apps adaptable to different layouts. Now, this is not entirely surprising since this is a developer conference, however, ChromeOS usually gets some stage time or a "Whats new in ChromeOS" video uploaded to YouTube. Last year Google announced that ChromeOS is transitioning to Android frameworks but did not highlight anything specific. With ChromeOS becoming more like Android at the OS layer more of what we see may just be related to Android itself.  What surprised me? Gemini was mentioned throughout Google IO and it was even announced that it is coming to Chrome for Mac and Windows but not Chrome for ChromeOS. Gemini is on ChromeOS but as a PWA. There are no real hooks to the OS like it is on Android. It seems like integrating Gemini into Chr...

  I write this on the eve of Google I/O '25 knowing that more features and new capabilities are on the way but Gemini is the Google Assistant that I always wanted on my Pixel (devices) phone. During the Android Show nearly a week ago now, Google showed off some current features and a few things on the horizon. What has me really excited is that we are set to see Gemini in more places such as on Wear OS and in Android Auto. Google TV will also feature Gemini at some point this year as well.  As it currently stands, Gemini on my Pixel 9 Pro XL is such a game changer for me. I get fast responses for just about anything I may want to know. For instance, I am a movie buff and whenever I go to the movies I always ask Gemini if there are any end or post credit scenes for the movie I am watching and it lets me know if there are any and what to expect. Another feature is Gemini Live. I was once skeptical but once I tried the feature it is now my go to for so many things. Lately, I've b...

  I'm not one to start a Google rumor but I have to do it this time. Looking at the Google Store website this evening I noticed that the Pixel Buds A series are all but out of stock except for the Sea color way. This lines up perfectly with Google I/O being just around the corner. The Pixel Buds A are coming up on their four year anniversary in June so a refresh is definitely needed.  I'm actually hoping Google gets rid of the A series line and make a slightly more premium version with features similar to the Pixel Buds Pro 2s. Of course Google will save some features just for the pros, however, they can add multi point and better battery life just to name a couple of much needed upgrades. I guess we will have to wait and see what Google's plans really are.

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to attend a Pixel Superfans event at the new Google Store in Santa Monica. It was a soft launch of the store and a good way to meet like minded people. The staff were very nice and helpful. While I was at the store I was able to finally check out the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and wow that device is extremely impressive. Outside of that, I was able to look around the store and check out other Google products which there are quite a bit to see. I'm looking forward to my next visit to the new Google Store. Take a look at the pictures below including one of some swag I got from Google at the event.

  No doubt, the Pixelbook Go has served me well in my 5 yrs with the laptop. This is not necessarily a review of the features on the laptop but a review of the PBG hardware and its usability in 2025. I acknowledge that I am a part of a very small club of users that still have and use this device but I must say that I still enjoy using the PBG every single day. Now, to the review. Hardware Right off the bat. The hardware is probably the least compelling aspect of the PBG. When the laptop was first released in 2019 it was already a year or two behind the competition with the onboard soc. Surprisingly, this has not negatively impacted using the laptop with most tasks. Web surfing is a breeze and most Android apps run pretty effortlessly. The 8th Gen i5 Intel soc paired with 8GB of RAM is well optimized and I feel that Google is getting as much as it can out of the chip.  Where the PBG falls short is with video editing apps. I've tried several Android apps and a couple of Linux ap...

Google is always experimenting with AI and one of those new features I really hope sticks around is now available on my Google TV Streamer. News Briefs is an AI experiment that Google is rolling out to a small group of users as part of a test of the feature. When I turned on my TV this evening I quickly noticed the News Briefs feature. It looked similar to any other option on the Google TV home screen but with News Briefs for 5pm so assume there are News Briefs created throughout the day. The picture below is displayed at the end of the News Briefs. The feature is very reminiscent of what NotebookLM does with the two AI hosts that talk in what sounds like a podcast. News Briefs only has one voice that is somewhat similar to the Google Assistant voice on Android devices. I have only used this feature once and I already see the potential here. What was shown to me as part of the News Briefs was actually relevant and current news. The news discussed was very surface level, however, a YouT...

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