Tag: google pixel

Google Photos Updated With Magic Eraser Feature, HDR Video Effect for Pixel Owners and Google One Subscribers

Google Photos is adding support for Magic Eraser, the company’s machine learning and AI-based photo editing feature to edit out unwanted objects and people in photos, for all Google One subscribers, the company announced on Thursday. The feature was previously available only to owners of Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 series smartphones, simplifying what was once a tedious task that required the use of apps like Photoshop. The company is also bringing an HDR video effect and new collage styles to Google Photos on iOS and Android smartphones.  

According to details shared by Google, the Magic Eraser feature that was previously exclusive to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 series of smartphones, will now be available to all Google One subscribers. The feature will be available to users across all plans. Owners of the Pixel 5a and earlier Pixel models will also gain support for Magic Eraser in Google Photos, without a subscription, the company says. 

The Magic Eraser tool will also be available to owners of older Google Pixel models
Photo Credit: Google

 

Google’s Magic Eraser feature relies on machine learning and AI computing that is performed on-device for the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones. Users can remove people, or objects like fences and power lines from their photos by tapping, circling or brushing over them. On other devices that are not equipped with Google’s in-house Tensor SoC, these AI tasks will likely be performed on the company’s servers. 

The company has also announced it will roll out an HDR effect for videos to Google One subscribers. Like the HDR effect for images on Google Photos, users will now be able to improve brightness and contrast on their videos, adding a dramatic effect. This feature, like the Magic Eraser tool, will be also be available to older Pixel models without a Google One subscription. 

Finally, Google has revealed that Google One subscribers and Pixel owners will soon gain access to a new set of collage editor styles on the Google Photos app. These will include limited-time styles from artists like Yao Cheng Designs and DABSMYLA. Users will also be able to add styles to a single photo in a collage, according to the company.

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CES 2023: Google Showcases Updated Android Auto App With Material You Redesign

Google is finally rolling out the Android Auto app with the new Material You design in stable form for all. The new update announced at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023, brings in a redesigned UI and some exciting features like Coolwalk UI for all, split screen functionality, as well as multitasking features. The app, which allows users to connect their Android phones to their car screen, was first previewed at Google I/O 2022, with the tech giant rolling out a beta version in November.

According to a blog post by Google, the new Android Auto app brings the Material You redesign along with direct access to Google built-in apps from Google Play to the car screen. The app also adds split screen layout and brings in new improvements for a more personalised experience. The tech giant said that the new design focuses on three things — navigation, communication with friends and family, and playing music or podcasts. The app has moved Maps closer to the driver’s seat for easy access.

According to Google, the new media card includes the best of Material You, along with a quick launcher that will let users quickly access recently-used apps. Also, the split screen layout adjusts to different screen sizes as the Android Auto app is compatible with all major carmakers. Additionally, the new Android Auto redesign will also enable Google Assistant to give smart suggestions like missed call reminders, quick arrival time-sharing, and instant access to music or podcasts.

In addition to all these features, users will also be able to make calls using WhatsApp with Android Auto on new Google Pixel and Samsung phones soon. Furthermore, users can now share digital car keys across Pixel and iPhones, while Samsung phones, and Xiaomi users will get this ability later this year.

Last year in May at I/O 2022, Google announced a bunch of new features for Android Auto. The company had shared that it will bring features like a new user interface and support for suggested responses that are based on Google Assistant’s suggestions. 

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Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2023 hub.

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Apple, Google Will Reportedly Bring 5G Update to iPhone, Pixel Devices by December

Apple has not started rolling out of 5G services yet in iPhone 12 and above devices. According to the update on the Bharti Airtel website, Apple is yet to update its software for iPhone 12 and above users. So far, there has been no official information on the expected timeline for Apple to provide 5G update to the users. However, it has now been reported that Apple will make the necessary changes by December this year with the roll out of a new iOS update.

According to a report by ET Telecom, citing people familiar with the matter, Apple is targeting the update to 5G service in iPhone 12 and above devices by December. This may come combined with an iOS update for the Apple smartphones.

Apple is reportedly testing its devices for Airtel’s 5G services in metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai. The Cupertino-based the giant is also said to be conducting tests for 5G roll out on Jio’s network. However, there has been no confirmation yet from Apple or Airtel officials on the matter.

The report also states that Google Pixel smartphones will bring the 5G services for the users via a software update in December. Meanwhile, as mentioned on Airtel’s website, a number of 5G-supported smartphones with Airtel network are yet to get an official update for 5G roll out on the devices. Some of these companies include Samsung, Motorola, Asus, Honor, Lava, LG, Nokia and Tecno.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) and MeitY officials will meet telecom operators and smartphone companies on Wednesday to discuss the use of 5G services on wide scale in the country. The meeting will also be attended by Apple and Samsung officials. Secretaries of both the DoT and Ministry of Electronics and IT will chair the meeting to discuss teething 5G issues.

The agenda of the meeting revolves around discussion on enabling the handsets to start supporting 5G services on 5G networks in India.

 

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Xiaomi Reportedly Planning to Introduce New Series or Sub-Brand Aimed at Technology Enthusiasts

Xiaomi is reportedly working on a number of new devices that are likely to be aimed at technology enthusiasts. The Chinese tech giant could launch a new series of handsets or even unveil an entirely new sub-brand, according to a report, which claims that the lineup could include new smartphones and tablets. These devices are believed to offer a stock Android experience. The tech enthusiast segment has been largely dominated by smartphones from Google and OnePlus in India. However, Pixel handsets have been relatively absent from the country and OnePlus has seemingly moved to more mainstream offerings.

According to a report by The Mobile Indian citing unnamed industry sources, Xiaomi could be planning to target tech enthusiasts, a segment that the company has largely overlooked ever since moving away from its Android One smartphone lineup. The company previously launched Poco in 2018 for hardcore tech enthusiasts, which has since become a mainstream brand.

The report claims that the smartphones in this series will be powered by Qualcomm 700 series chips and run on stock Android. Xiaomi apps and other bloatware will reportedly be absent from these smartphones. Xiaomi is said to provide up to three OS updates for these devices and up to four years of security patches.

These smartphones are expected to be priced in the range of Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000. The cheaper models of this rumoured series are believed to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 SoC. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line models may pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778 chipset. It is worth noting that Xiaomi is yet to officially announce any plans to launch a new smartphone series that is aimed at tech enthusiasts

As per the report, opinions appear to be divided on whether Xiaomi should revive the A series or come with an all-new series, or a sub-brand. The Chinese tech giant is said to be interested in this segment as OnePlus has seemingly not been focusing on the tech enthusiast segment. Additionally, Google‘s Pixel smartphones have been relatively absent from the Indian market — the company only recently launched the Pixel 6a smartphone, the first Pixel handset to launch in India since the Pixel 4a made its debut in 2020.

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Google Rolling Out May 2022 Update With a Fix for Weak Notification Vibrations on Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro

Google has started rolling out the May 2022 update for its Pixel phones that addresses weak notification vibrations specifically for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The problem of weak notification vibrations surfaced earlier this year and was reported by a large number of users on both the latest Pixel phones. The May 2022 software update also fixes the display and launcher issues for all Pixel phones starting from the Pixel 3a to the Pixel 6 Pro.

As highlighted in the changelog available on the Community post, the May 2022 Pixel software update includes improvements for haptic feedback to enhance vibration alerts particularly on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. These improvements are essentially aimed to address user complaints related to weaker vibrations that surfaced on platforms including Google’s support forum and Reddit after the March software update.

Users had complained at the time that following the March update, they were starting to miss text messages and calls due to weaker vibrations than what they were getting earlier.

The March update was, though, meant to offer features including Live Caption and Night Sight support for Snapchat. It also included bug fixes, including the ones for some Wi-Fi connectivity issues on the Pixel 6 series.

It was not the first time when an update introduced problems for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users. Last year, the December update caused call drop issues on both Pixel 6 models. Google had to pause that update to avoid its mass impact.

The May 2022 update also fixes the issue that was causing the display on the Pixel phone to wake without user interactions. It also addresses the problem that was resulting in a launcher crash after restarting the device. Both these fixes apply to all eligible Pixel phones, namely the Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a (5G), Pixel 6, and the Pixel 6 Pro.

Google has also improved the security side of things with the latest update.

The May 2022 update for the Pixel phones running Android 12 will continue to roll out over the next week in phases. You can check for its arrival on your Pixel device by going to Settings > System > System update. Alternatively, you can get the factory images or OTA images of the update package from the Android Developers portal if you are aware of the risk involved in manually installing the new software version.

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Google Reveals to Have Blocked Over a Million Policy-Violating Apps From Being Published on Play Store in 2021

Google has revealed that it blocked as many as 1.2 million apps from being published on Google Play in 2021 as they were violating its policies. The company said that it introduced privacy-focussed features and enhancements to protect users against bad apps and developers, and improved data safety that all helped bring improvements for Android consumers. In addition to its ongoing efforts, Google has the Google Play Protect pre-installed malware protection that is claimed to scan billions of installed apps each day across billions of devices to limit malicious and unwanted software from Android phones.

In a blog post, Google’s Android security and Privacy team said that by blocking 1.2 million policy-violating apps from being published on Google Play, it prevented billions of harmful installations. The Android maker also noted that it banned 190,000 bad developer accounts to reduce malicious and spammy developers. It also closed around 500,000 developer accounts that were inactive or abandoned.

“Providing a safe experience to billions of users continues to be one of the highest priorities for Google Play,” the team said.

In May, Google announced its Data safety section, which essentially works similar to Apple’s privacy ‘nutrition labels’, and lets developers give users the information about the privacy and security of their apps directly through their app listings on Google Play. It rolled out to users earlier this week, and developers are required to complete the information required in this section for their apps by July 20.

The Data safety section is one of the moves by Google to help make users aware of what data they are sharing with app developers and for what purposes. However, since the onus of sharing data access information is on developers, there could be some instances of misleading details. Google, though, said that apps that don’t become compliant will be subject to policy enforcement.

Google has features including the Policy and Programs section on Google Play Console. It also worked with system development kit (SDK) developers to improve the safety of its SDKs. As a result of all these initiatives, Google said that as much as 98 percent of apps migrating to Android 11 or higher have reduced their access to sensitive APIs and user data. It also claimed to have significantly reduced “the unnecessary, dangerous, or disallowed use of Accessibility APIs in apps migrating to Android 12, while preserving the functionality of legitimate use cases.”

Specifically for Google Pixel users, Google said that its in-house devices now use new machine learning models that help improve the detection of malware through Google Play Protect.

“The detection runs on your Pixel, and uses a privacy preserving technology called federated analytics to discover bad apps,” the team said.

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