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Abner Li

technacity

Send tips/talk to abner@9to5mac.com or @technacity (open DMs).

Abner Li has worked at 9to5Google since 2015 and in late 2020 took on the role of editor-in-chief. He is keenly focused on tracking what happens at Google, and is often the first to spot new features in Google’s ever-growing family of applications that are updated on a daily basis, including Search, Assistant, Maps, Workspace, Android, Chrome/OS, Wear OS, and YouTube Music.

To him, what Google does greatly impacts the technology space and modern life. Inside the company, he is particularly interested in the key products mentioned above, as well as services like Google Podcasts and Google Lens. Each are massive platforms that can be unwieldy to grasp, with Abner keenly bent on understanding their philosophy and future direction. He is most excited about Google’s plans for augmented reality glasses.

Abner spearheads the APK Insight program at 9to5Google to chronicle all changes in the company’s Android apps, often finding new features before they are officially announced. This includes redesigns and revamps, launches, and new products.

A big area of interest is Google’s hardware division, including Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. He detailed all of the Pixel 3’s camera features before launch and scooped the 2nd-generation Nest Hub’s Soli-powered Sleep Sensing capability, including how it would integrate with Google Fit.

Recently, Abner detailed the Pixel Watch’s specs in full before launch, including bands and pricing. He also got wind of the Pixel Tablet’s ultimate form factor.

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Google Fitbit’s big week demonstra— seriously, where is the dark theme

Google Fitbit

Fitbit has had a number of back-to-back announcements and changes in recent weeks. I don’t think it was particularly planned to be that away, but the flurry of activity is more promising than not. It starts with a “Google Fitbit” name that cements how the brand is firmly a part of Google, just like “Google Nest.” If Google Fitbit was always the plan, they should have really done that from the start instead of picking a “Fitbit by Google” stopgap that was shown to people for sometime on product packaging and marketing. 

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