Google launched a barrage of new hardware this week, from the Pixel 9 smartphones to new wireless earbuds. Underpinning all the shiny gadgetry is Google's Gemini artificially intelligent assistant. The chatbot launched earlier this year and is now the default assistant on the Pixel 9 series and is already available …
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The oddest app update in my 16 years of owning smartphones happened last November. My Samsung Galaxy S23 running Google’s Android 13 operating system notified me that some updates were ready to be installed from the Galaxy Store, which Samsung ships on its devices as a complement to Google’s Play …
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Electric vehicle depreciation is something of a hot topic right now, and for good reason. On one hand, there are some fantastic deals to be had on the secondhand market, but on the other of course, there’s the thorny issue of some EVs losing half of their value in a …
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Formula One’s paymaster, Liberty Media, may have thrust the sport deep into its American heartland—there are now three grand prix in the US—but it’s Nascar that continues to build its TV audience there against a slight decline for the “open wheel” F1 and IndyCar championships. European race fans are famously …
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When you watch this year’s English Premier League soccer games, there’s a high chance you may get mad at some of the offside calls. However, unlike past seasons, your anger won't be because the call, or the lack thereof, was obviously lousy. That’s because the League's new offside-detection system is …
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Google’s Pixel smartphones have long been known for their great camera systems, but in recent years the company has taken to juicing its imaging platform with artificial intelligence features that expand its capabilities. Taking a photo is no longer just about tapping a shutter button and getting a nice picture. …
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Choice is the theme of this year’s Made by Google hardware event, the annual spectacle where Google announces new Pixel devices. The company has unveiled four new smartphones—the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold—alongside the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro …
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“Did Real Tone get worse?” That was one of my criticisms of the Pixel 8A when I reviewed it a few months ago. Google’s midrange smartphone packs a wallop for $500, but Real Tone, the camera feature designed to produce more accurate skin tones, especially for people of color, was …
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The clock is ticking for Google. The company has largely been playing catch-up in the wearable-computing space ever since its acquisition of Fitbit and revival of Wear OS, the operating system that powers smartwatches from various companies, including Google, Samsung, and OnePlus. The platform debuted as Android Wear in 2014, …
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Late summer is when our thoughts typically turn to pastoral pursuits. Long drives along the coast. Wine tastings. County fairs. Smartphone launch events. Wait, smartphone launch events? Those usually happen in late September and early October. Yet here we are talking about new phones and mobile gadgets in mid-August, on the …
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