Tag Archives: Pixel

Record a lecture, name that song: Pixel 4 uses on-device AI

Pixel 4 is our latest phone that can help you do a lot of stuff, like take pictures at night or multitask using the Assistant. With on-device AI, your camera can translate foreign text or quickly identify a song that’s playing around you. Everything needed to make these features happen is processed on your phone itself, which means that your Pixel can move even quicker and your information is more secure.

Lens Suggestions

When you point your camera at a phone number, a URL, or an email address using Pixel, Google Lens already helps you take action by showing you Lens Suggestions. You can call the number, visit the URL or add the email address to your contact with single tap. Now, there are even more Lens Suggestions on Pixel 4. If you’re traveling in a foriegn country and see a language you can’t read, just open your camera and point it at the text, and you’ll see a suggestion to Translate that text using Lens. For now, this works on English, Spanish, German, Hindi, and Japanese text, with more to come soon.

There are also Lens Suggestions for copying text and scanning a document, which are processed and recognized on-device as well. So if you point your camera at a full page document, you’ll see a suggestion to scan it and save it for later using Lens.

Lens will prompt you with a suggestion to translate foreign text, which happens on device. Then, you’ll see the translation in your native language.

Recorder

Remember that time you were in a brainstorm, and everyone had good ideas, but no one could remember them the next day? Or that meeting when you weren’t paying attention because you were too busy taking notes? With the Recorder app on Pixel 4, you can record, transcribe and search for audio clips. It automatically transcribes speech and tags sounds like applause (say your great idea was met with cheers!), music or whistling, and more, so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. You can search within a specific recording, or your entire library of recordings, and everything you record stays on your phone and private to you. We're starting with English for transcription and search, with more languages coming soon.

Now Playing

Now Playing is a Pixel feature that identifies songs playing around you. If that song gets stuck in your head and you want to play it again later, Now Playing History will play it on your favorite streaming service (just find the song you want, tap it to listen to it on Spotify, YouTube Music and more). On Pixel 4, Now Playing uses a privacy-preserving technology called Federated Analytics, which figures out the most frequently-recognized songs on Pixel devices in your region, without collecting individual audio data from your phone. This makes Now Playing even more accurate because the database will update with the songs people are most likely to hear (without Google ever seeing what you listen to).

With so much processing happening directly on your Pixel 4, it’s even faster to access the features that make you love being a #teampixel member. Pre-order Pixel 4 or head out to your local AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint store on October 24.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Annie Leibovitz unveils photo series with Google Pixel

Legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz is unveiling a series of portraits of individuals who are changing the landscape of their time. Using her Google Pixel exclusively, Annie encountered her subjects in the places they live and work and are inspired into action.

Annie photographed equal justice lawyer Bryan Stevenson in Alabama.

The pictures portray extraordinary people who are defined by their fierce desire to make the world a better place, no matter how daunting the obstacles. The individuals photographed include soccer player Megan Rapinoe, equal justice lawyer Bryan Stevenson, artist James Turrell, journalist Noor Tagouri, hip-hop activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Army Officer Sarah Zorn, global-health scientist Jack Andraka and more.

Everyone can check out the full collection of these stunning portraits online, along with a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Annie’s work. The Face Forward series will expand with new images as Annie continues to tell the story of today’s changemakers.

Annie on a shoot with soccer player Megan Rapinoe.

This project pushed Annie, who rarely has shot professional portraits on a camera phone. “I wanted to challenge myself to shoot with the camera that’s always in your pocket,” she says. “I’d heard so much about the Pixel and was intrigued.”

Annie with Marc Levoy from the Pixel camera team.

Working closely with Pixel’s camera team, Annie tested new tools on the Pixel 4 including astrophotography. “I’ve been really impressed with the camera. It took me a beat, but it really started clicking when I relaxed and let the camera do the work.”

Finally—for those who are hoping to channel your own inner photographer, we’ll leave you with a piece of advice from Annie: “It’s all inside you. You just go do it. It’s all there.”

Source: The Official Google Blog

The latest Pixel 4 accessories

Before you head out to pick up your new Pixel 4 later this month, check out the latest Google accessories and the accessories our partners have been working on. Like Pixel 4, these new accessories are designed to help you capture the best photos, get a fast wireless charge, and in some cases, help the planet, thanks to sustainable materials.

Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL fabric cases

Our signature knit fabric cases come in four colors that complement the Pixel 4. Whether you dress up your phone with Could Be Coral or Sorta Smoky, your Pixel will stay protected and in style. New this year, we’re using a type of fabric that requires less water in the dyeing process which helps to minimize environmental impact.

Sustainability in your pocket

Pela, one of our more than 50 Made for Google partners, created a Compostable Protective phone case for Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. Beautifully designed and eco-friendly, Pela makes one of the first sustainable phone cases, which are 100 percent compostable in just three months.

Fast, wireless charging

Pixel Stand is still available to quickly charge your Pixel while displaying your favorite Google Photos album in a slideshow while you charge your phone. For a helpful, quick charge on the go, iOttie is launching the Easy One Touch Wireless 2 car charger with Pixel 4 compatibility and 10 watts charging speed; so even while driving and using Google Maps, Waze, or Android Auto features, Pixel 4 can charge wirelessly.

A helpful photography sidekick

The Joby Standpoint Tripod phone case is the perfect photography companion for the Pixel 4’s latest camera features. The aluminum legs offer on-the-go stability whether you’re capturing a group shot, a time lapse or making a video.

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Pela’s Compostable Protective Phone Case
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iOttie’s Easy One Touch Wireless 2 car charger
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Joby Standpoint Tripod Phone Case

If you live in the U.S. and Canada and purchase a Pixel 4 between October 15 and 24, you’ll get a $100 Google Store credit to put toward Pixel 4 accessories (terms apply).

Our partners in the Made for Google program work closely with Google engineers to make sure that their accessories are compatible with all of Pixel’s exciting new features. To check out all of the new Pixel accessories, visit the Google Store.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Pixel 4 is here to help

With a camera that captures detail that others can't, a new way to use your phone without touching it, a new Google Assistant, and a fast and responsive display, Pixel 4 packs new technology into a new design. Best of all, Pixel includes the latest version of Android, which gets better with each update.

Get the perfect photo with Pixel 4

Pixel 4 brings our largest camera upgrade yet. There are now two cameras on the back of the phone, including a new telephoto lens. When you combine this new hardware feature with our Super Res Zoom software, it gives you exceptional image quality—even from a distance.

Night Sight already takes beautiful photos in full darkness, and now you can use Night Sight for shots of the night sky, the stars, and even the Milky Way (when you find a clear night). Pixel 3 and 3a will also get a version of this capability with the latest camera app update.

Starting with the original device, all Pixel phones have HDR+ (High Dynamic Range) which delivers outstanding photo quality. With Pixel 4, you can fine-tune the brightness and amount of detail in the shadows, helping with difficult shots like sunset portraits. Pixel 4 also has Live HDR+ in the viewfinder so you know exactly what your photo will look like, even when you're using the new controls in tricky lighting.

Night Sight photo.jpg — Actual Night Sight photograph with the new astrophotography capability.

A new Google Assistant

Thanks to a deeper integration into Pixel 4, the Google Assistant is now a faster way to get more things done. Breakthroughs in speech processing mean that more requests can happen right on your phone, without always sending your request to the cloud.

We redesigned the Assistant so it doesn’t take up too much room on your screen, letting you better multitask across other apps. It can quickly open apps, search your phone, share what's on your screen, and more. It also considers the context of your query to do a better job answering. For example, you can ask the Assistant to “show my photos from New York” and then say “the ones in Central Park.” Then, you can share a picture by saying “send it to Mom.” We’ll continue improving the technology that powers the new Assistant over time.

A phone that senses what you want it to do

Pixel 4’s Motion Sense feature uses a miniature radar sensor to detect movement around your phone. It can sense when you’re reaching for the phone and will initiate face unlock, or turn off your screen when you’re not around. New Quick Gestures let you skip songs when you don’t want to pick up your phone. Just wave your hand to snooze alarms, dismiss timers, or silence your phone ringer. Motion Sense is enabled everywhere Pixel 4 is sold, except in Japan where it's coming soon.

A gif showing someone skipping songs using Motion Sense

New built-in apps

Pixel 4’s new Recorder app records meetings, lectures, jam sessions—anything you want to save and listen to later—and simultaneously transcribes speech and identifies sounds like music and applause. You can easily search within your recordings to quickly find a specific word or sound. All of this happens on-device. We're starting with English for transcription and search, with more languages coming soon.

An example of how the recorder app works

Pixel 4 also comes with a new Personal Safety app that can automatically call 911 if it detects that you've been in a car accident. Car crash detection will be available in English in the U.S.

Built for performance and security

With 6GB RAM, a 90hz display, and Pixel Neural Core, Pixel 4 is fast and powerful. Pixel Neural Core is the engine for on-device processing, always-on computing, and machine learning, meaning more tasks are done on the device for performance and privacy.

Pixel 4 also includes Google’s custom-built Titan M security chip to protect your most sensitive data and ensure the integrity of the operating system. Combined with the latest version of Android 10, monthly security updates for 3 years, and access to Google’s advanced security services, Pixel 4 is designed to keep your data secure.

Pricing and availability

We’re expanding our carrier partner lineup and will be selling Pixel through all the major U.S. carriers for the first time, including AT&T, C Spire, Cellcom, Google Fi, Spectrum Mobile (Charter), Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon, Visible and Xfinity Mobile (Comcast).

Beginning today, you can pre-order a Pixel 4 for $799 and Pixel 4 XL for $899, and phones will ship on October 24, globally. Pixel 4 comes in three colors, including Clearly White, Just Black, and a limited edition, Oh So Orange.

Made by Google, made to help

Pixel 4, Pixel Buds, Pixelbook Go, Nest Mini and Nest Wifi are part of our vision to create a consistent, helpful Google for you.

View all 9 articles

Source: The Official Google Blog

Meet the new Google Pixel Buds

Many of us turn to our phones constantly. On average, people check their smartphones almost 100 times a day, and more than half of those interactions—playing a song, setting a reminder or getting directions—are less than 30 seconds. Google Pixel Buds can help make those quick tasks easier and faster, with instant access to the Google Assistant. Plus, they’re comfortable and secure in your ear, deliver high-quality sound, make clear calls, and have a long battery life.

Comfortable and secure in your ear

Because everyone's ears are shaped differently, we scanned thousands of ears to create a design that’s comfortable for as many people as possible. Pixel Buds have a low-profile look that sits flush in your ear. The stabilizer arc gently tucks in, and together with the interchangeable eartip, make Pixel Buds fit securely and comfortably, so they stay put even when you’re exercising.

Great sound all around

Pixel Buds have a unique hybrid design that keeps you aware of the world around you, while still delivering powerful sound. The eartips gently seal the ear to isolate the loud outside noises, and to give high quality audio. The spatial vent underneath reduces that plugged-ear feeling, and lets through just the right amount of environmental sound so you can stay aware of the things around you. Pixel Buds also have Adaptive Sound, which dynamically adjusts the volume as you move from a quiet environment to a noisy one, so you don’t have to constantly raise or lower the volume.

Clear calls anywhere

When it’s time to talk instead of listen, Pixel Buds make sure the sound of your voice is at the forefront. Two microphones in each earbud focus on the sound of your voice while suppressing other sounds in the background, which extends to the most challenging environments. Pixel Buds have a voice accelerometer that can detect speech through the vibrations of your jawbone, so that you can be heard even in windy conditions, like when you’re running or biking.

Convenience on the go

Long-range Bluetooth connectivity lets you use Pixel Buds even when your phone isn’t by your side. They’ll stay connected three rooms away indoors or a football field-distance away outdoors. Pixel Buds pair easily with Bluetooth 4.0+ laptops, tablets and iOS devices. And with your Pixel phone and other Android 6.0+ devices, they pair with just a single tap.

Pixel Buds automatically detect when they’re in your ear and each earbud gives you handy touch controls: just tap to play or pause, and swipe to adjust volume. With Pixel Buds, you get 5 hours of listening time on a single charge, with up to 24 hours with the wireless charging case. They are sweat and water resistant, so rainy days and intense workouts are no problem.

Helpful wherever you are

Pixel Buds also give you hands-free access to the Google Assistant, so instead of turning to your phone for quick tasks, just say “Hey Google,” and ask the Assistant for whatever you need—playing a podcast, sending a quick text, or translating a foreign language.

Google Pixel Buds will be available next year in the U.S. at $179, and will come in four colors: Clearly White, Oh So Orange, Quite Mint and Almost Black. In the meantime, head over to the Google Store to learn more and sign up for our waitlist to be notified when they’re available.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Hey Google, talk like Issa

Here's a trivia question for you. Which actress is also a writer and producer, started a web series on YouTube, translated common insecurities into a hit show, gives a great pep talk and makes a cameo as a voice on the Google Assistant? It's Issa Rae!

Starting today, Issa Rae’s voice is available as a cameo on the Google Assistant, in English for a limited time in the U.S. To switch to Issa’s voice, simply say “Hey Google, talk like Issa," or go to your “Assistant voice” in Assistant Settings. You’ll then hear Issa’s voice when you ask the Assistant for things like the weather forecast or for answers to questions like, “When is the first day of winter?” You’ll also hear Issa’s voice when you’re in the mood for a joke or when you’re seeking motivation. Try asking your Assistant, “Hey Google…”

“Do I need an umbrella today?”
“Tell me a secret.”
“What do you think of me?”
“Give me a quote from Issa Rae.”
“Sing a song.”
“Tell me a joke.”
Or ask, “Mirror talk” or “How do I look?” for confidence-boosting affirmations.

You can even hear a few surprises—like Issa’s take when you ask, “Hey Google, do you love Daniel or Lawrence more?” or “Hey Google, tell me something awkward.” Responses to all other questions will continue to be in one of the original Assistant voices. And if you want yet another surprise, keep an eye out on the @Google Instagram channel today for a few exclusive sneak peeks into Issa’s life on set!

This is the Google Assistant’s second celebrity voice, following the melodic vocals of John Legend, made possible by the state-of-the-art speech synthesis model, WaveNet. You can get Issa’s cameo voice on any device that has the Google Assistant, including Google Home smart speakers and all Smart Displays—including the new Nest Hub Max—and on mobile for Android and iOS.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Pixel 3a helped me see my vacation through a new Lens

When I was a kid, my mom would tell me on every birthday she wanted me to have a big goal in life: Travel to as many countries as my years on Earth. And though I'm far from that ambitious target, my mom did instill a major travel bug in me.

Briana Feigon in Oaxaca — Settling in at the Casa Oaxaca hotel.

But no matter where I travel, I struggle with the same issues many people face: pricey phone bills, subpar photos, a language barrier and, well, getting extremely lost.

So when I traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico last month, I sought out ways to combat these typical tourist problems. And thanks to my Pixel 3a, I was able to make real progress for the next time I visit more countries on my bucket list. Here’s how I did it.

Navigating on Maps without pricey data fees

Even when I’m traveling, I like to be able to use my phone the same way I would at home. (Meaning, a lot.) For this trip, I decided to set my phone up with Google Fi so I could have unlimited international usage and great coverage. At the end of my trip, my phone bill netted out to be a fraction of my typical charge when I travel internationally.

Thanks to my cheaper data plan, I was also able to navigate with help from Maps. I’d never admit it myself, but some people might say I’m bad at directions. (Okay, a lot of people might say that.) In any case, I really leaned into using Live View in Google Maps, a tool that literally has a big blue arrow staring at me on my screen, pointing me exactly in the direction I should go. Even when in rural areas, outside of cell service, I was grateful to be able to use Google Maps in offline mode—like when I visited the Monte Alban ruins.

Taking in the beauty of Monte Alban with friends.

Lens translate — When ordering a juice from a mercado stand, I was able to use Translate in Lens to decipher many of the blends, opting for a juice that promised benefits for my skin.

A new way to break down the language barrier

I’m ashamed to say my Spanish isn’t great, so I put the Pixel 3a to the test. Could it magically help me speak a new language?

Within the camera app, there’s a nifty feature in Google Lens that allows you to hover over text in another language for real-time translations. This came in handy in bustling markets, local restaurants and juice stands that only had menus in Spanish. Even if you don’t have a Pixel phone, you can download the Google Lens app on other Android or iOS devices to try it out yourself.

The Google Assistant also came in handy when I needed language help. It was easy to ask the Assistant questions like, “Hey Google, how do you say ‘where is the bathroom’ in Spanish?” and get help converting costs from pesos to dollars.

Taking my vacation photos to the next level

In a city as beautiful as Oaxaca, I knew I’d be leaning heavily on the camera quality of the Pixel 3a. I snapped photos throughout a cooking demo making tortillas from scratch, and used features like portrait mode and Night Sight to make the most out of my vacation pics. Here are just a few highlights:

Making tortillas
Learning to make tortillas from start to finish.
Vida Nueva women’s weaving collective
A group of amazing women I met at the Vida Nueva women’s weaving collective, who were able to earn a living so they could flee abusive home environments.
Night Sight in Oaxaca
I tested Night Sight when dining on the rooftop of Casa Oaxaca Restaurant and fireworks unexpectedly appeared in the skyline. I also used it during night walks around the Santo Domingo church.

My Pixel 3a was the ultimate tour guide

I know, I know, it’s just a phone, but I have to say I feel indebted to my Pixel 3a for showing me such a special time in Oaxaca. I think I’ll take it to my next dream travel destination: Japan.

Source: Google LatLong

Our hardware sustainability commitments

Most of us can’t get through the day without a phone, tablet, computer or smart speaker. My team at Google understands this well—we’ve been making consumer hardware (like Pixel phones and Google Home Minis) for just over three years now. But building these devices and getting them into the hands of our customers takes a lot of resources, and disposing of our old electronics can create significant waste.

My job is to integrate sustainability into our products, operations and communities—making it not just an aspect of how we do business, but the centerpiece of it. It’s an ongoing endeavor that involves designing in sustainability from the start and embedding it into the entire product development process and across our operations, all while creating the products our customers want. This is how we will achieve our ambition to leave people, the planet, and our communities better than we found them.

To help us get a step closer to reaching our goals, we’re sharing a set of hardware and services sustainability commitments:

By 2020, 100 percent of all shipments going to or from customers will be carbon neutral
Starting in 2022, 100 percent of Made by Google products will include recycled materials with a drive to maximize recycled content wherever possible.
And we will make technology that puts people first and expands access to the benefits of technology.

These commitments will build on the foundation and progress we’ve already made. In 2018, we began publishing our product environmental reports, which help everyone understand exactly what our products are made of, how they’re built and how they get shipped to you. And from 2017 to 2018, our carbon emissions for product shipments decreased by 40 percent. we’ve also launched our Power Project, which will bring one million energy- and money-saving Nest thermostats to families in need by 2023, and built much of our Nest product portfolio with post-consumer recycled plastic.

We’re always working to do more, faster. But today we’re laying the foundation for what we believe will be a way of doing business that commits to building better products better.

Source: The Official Google Blog

With a tap on your phone, get help in an emergency

A quick, informative conversation with an operator during an emergency call is critical, but in some cases, people are unable to verbally communicate, whether they’re injured, in a dangerous situation or have a speech impairment.

Soon, you'll be able to share information about the assistance you require, along with your location, to the emergency operator without speaking. This feature will be available in the Phone app on Pixel and select Android devices.

Tapping on the “Medical,” “Fire” or “Police” buttons during an emergency call will convey the type of emergency to the operator through an automated voice service. That service works on device, which means the information stays between you and emergency services, and the service functions whether or not you have a data connection. After you activate the service, you can always speak directly to the operator as well.

Your location, which comes from your phone’s GPS, is often already shared with the operator when you make a 911 call. This new feature provides similar location information through the automated voice service, along with the caller’s plus code, which is another reliable way to help emergency services accurately locate them. Like the rest of the content shared with the operator using this feature, your location stays between them and emergency services.

This feature will become available in the U.S. over the coming months, starting with Pixel phones. We’ve been collecting feedback from public safety organizations, including the National Emergency Number Association, to make this feature as helpful as possible, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with the emergency services community to make people safer.

Source: Android

(Don’t) hold the phone: new features coming to Pixel 4

As we shared last month, Pixel 4 is in the works¹. Today we’re giving you an early look at the technology behind two new features coming to Pixel 4 that make your phone more helpful and represent a next step in our vision for ambient computing.

Motion Sense

For the past five years, our Advanced Technology and Projects team (ATAP) has been working on Soli, a motion-sensing radar. Radar, of course, is the same technology that has been used for decades to detect planes and other large objects. We've developed a miniature version located at the top of Pixel 4 that senses small motions around the phone, combining unique software algorithms with the advanced hardware sensor, so it can recognize gestures and detect when you’re nearby.

Pixel 4 will be the first device with Soli, powering our new Motion Sense features to allow you to skip songs, snooze alarms, and silence phone calls, just by waving your hand. These capabilities are just the start, and just as Pixels get better over time, Motion Sense will evolve as well. Motion Sense will be available in select Pixel countries.

Soli Pixel 4 Sensors — The sensors and cameras enabling Motion Sense and face unlock in Pixel 4

Face unlock

Unlocking your phone should be easy, fast, and secure. Your device should be able to recognize you—and only you—without any fuss. Face unlock may be a familiar feature for smartphones, but we’re engineering it differently.

Other phones require you to lift the device all the way up, pose in a certain way, wait for it to unlock, and then swipe to get to the homescreen. Pixel 4 does all of that in a much more streamlined way. As you reach for Pixel 4, Soli proactively turns on the face unlock sensors, recognizing that you may want to unlock your phone. If the face unlock sensors and algorithms recognize you, the phone will open as you pick it up, all in one motion. Better yet, face unlock works in almost any orientation—even if you're holding it upside down—and you can use it for secure payments and app authentication too.

Keeping your data safe with Pixel

Security and privacy are core principles for Pixel. Face unlock uses facial recognition technology that is processed on your device, so that image data never leaves your phone. The images used for face unlock are never saved or shared with other Google services. To protect your privacy and security, your face data is securely stored in Pixel's Titan M security chip. Similarly, Soli sensor data is also processed on your phone, and it’s never saved or shared with other Google services.

We’re busy building these features for Pixel 4 and look forward to sharing more with you and the entire #teampixel later this year.

_{1.This device may not be sold or otherwise distributed until required legal authorizations have been obtained.}