Articles by Derrek Lee

Google I/O may be over, but it left us with a lot to look forward to later this year. Google made many big announcements at its annual developer conference, including the new Android 12 beta that was launched on some of the best Android phones including the Google Pixel 5. Wear OS is also getting a massive overhaul thanks to the effort of both Samsung and Google, among updated to smart home, AI, and plenty more. That said, we want to know what your favorite announcement was from Google I/O 2021.

What was your favorite Google I/O announcement?

Android 12 beta is here

After several months of digging through developer previews, Google has finally released the beta for Android 12, bringing us one step closer to a stable release. With the beta, we finally get a look at the new system-wide theming that we’ve been getting hints of, as well as updated widgets, bolder visuals, and a more efficient OS.

Google also announced new privacy features for the platform that should make it easie…

Sundar sits down to chat about AI, the future, and the phone he has in his pocket.

What you need to know

In an interview with MKBHD, Sundar Pichai talks about how AI will benefit the future.
Pichai mentions Google’s new LaMDA technology and the ethics surrounding it.
He also talks about using multiple phones to test out how Google’s products work.

Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai sat down with MKBHD for an interview that focused on the importance of AI and the technologies that were announced at Google I/O this week.

In the interview, Pichai talks about the practical uses of AI, such as advancements in Google’s computational photography that can be found in phones like the Google Pixel 5, making it easier to account for darker skin tones. Pichai mentions how excited he was for the technology and how his own daughter benefited personally from it. “My daughter had the same reaction when she first heard about it,” he stated. “She felt she wasn’t represented correctly.”

This also extend…

Netflix wants to expand its streaming foothold.

What you need to know

Netflix is reportedly looking to expand into the gaming industry.
A report indicates that Netflix is trying to hire a gaming executive to lead the charge.
The company has not confirmed plans but wants to “do more with interactive entertainment.”

Netflix is reportedly trying to break further into the gaming, according to a report by The Information. The largest streaming video platform in the U.S. by subscribers has reportedly been trying to poach gaming executives to join the company and lead the effort.

According to people familiar with the matter, Netflix is still trying to figure out the best approach. The company is considering whether to license video games, develop them on its own, or both. Netflix has apparently decided that regardless of how its games are made, they won’t include ads, following its current model with streaming video.

Netflix is reportedly considering an offering similar to Apple Arca…

Twitter is moving quickly on improving Spaces.

What you need to know

Twitter has detailed its new Ticketed Spaces, which will be powered by Stripe to handle payments.
Hosts will receive up to 80% of revenue after app-store fees are taken out of ticket sales.
Ticketed Spaces will roll out within the coming weeks to users with at least 1,000 followers.

Twitter is providing more details on its upcoming Ticketed Spaces, the latest push for the company’s Clubhouse alternative.

Ticketed Spaces expands Twitter’s monetization options for creators and influencers by allowing them to tell tickets to followers to join their upcoming Space. Hosts will be able to set their price and limit the number of tickets that can be sold. The feature was previously teased earlier this month when Spaces opened up to more users.

Twitter told Android Central that it is partnering with Stripe to handle the transaction process, which hosts will need to sign up for. The company previously stated that hos…

Google Photos’ new privacy feature doesn’t seem too useful after all.

What you need to know

A crucial limitation to the Google Photos app has been discovered.
Photos placed in the Locked Folder will no longer be available on the cloud.
The new feature will be available on Pixel smartphones before rolling out on more Android devices.

During the Google I/O keynote on Tuesday, the company unveiled a new privacy feature in Google Photos called Locked Folder. It allows users to place private or sensitive images in a password-protected space, separate from the rest of their camera roll. It’s supposed to be a safe space for your images, although a notable limitation to the feature may have been uncovered.

Android Police discovered that the images placed in the Locked Folder will be removed from the cloud and placed on your local device storage. As noted by the support page, “Cloud backups of these items will be deleted.”

It seems like a pretty notable limitation. Google Photos is a p…

IFA organizers were very persistent about the show happening this year.

What you need to know

IFA organizers have announced that the trade show has been canceled.
The organizers cite “many uncertainties” as the reason for the cancellation.
IFA plans to have a full-scale return in 2022.

After being strongly adamant about hosting an in-person event this year, IFA organizers have announced that the trade show has been canceled. This comes after a full-scale return was scheduled this September.

There simply are now too many uncertainties. Therefore, right now it has become near impossible for anyone to responsibly plan their participation in any trade show.

IFA organizers were confident that the show would go on “with the world on course to emerge from the pandemic.” Now they are backpedaling on their decision to the ongoing pandemic.

That said, IFA plans to finally have its full-scale return in 2022. Berlin Photo Week and SHIFT Mobility will continue this year as planned.

T…

Loading a Clipper card onto Google Pay is pretty easy.

What you need to know

The Bay Area’s Clipper Card arrives on Google Pay for easy transit payments.
Clipper Cards can be transferred from a plastic card to the app and easily reloaded.
Google Pay is also introducing new viewable transit passes.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) announced on Wednesday that Bay Area residents with Android smartphones are now able to use Google Pay to access their Clipper card and pay for transit.

Residents in the Bay Area will be able to transfer their existing Clipper cards to their smartphones using the new Clipper app that was also launched for Android. After launching the app and selecting the option to “Convert Clipper to Your Phone,” users will just have to hold the card against their smartphone for it to transfer. From there, the card can be added to Google Pay for easy access.

If you don’t already own a Clipper card, you can bypass the app and just add a new digital car…

YouTube Music and Spotify are bringing quality music experience to Wear.

What you need to know

Google announced that it’s bringing a YouTube Music app to its Wear platform.
Spotify is also rebuilding its app from the ground up with support for offline playback.
The apps will arrive later this year with the new updates to Wear OS.

There was quite a bit that got announced at the Google I/O keynote today, but one of the bigger announcements was around the changes coming to Wear OS, namely, the apps that are arriving on the platform. Spotify and Google are aiming to bring quality music experiences to Wear thanks to their new apps.

Spotify already has an app on Wear OS, but the company has announced that it’s rebuilding the app experience for Wear. This will include improved performance, smarter handling of playlist syncing, and even offline downloads. The company states that it is working to allow users to download music and podcasts to the Wear app, which could come in handy when …

Google Photos is locking down your images.

What you need to know

Google is adding a password-locked folder to Google Photos.
This will keep certain images from appearing when scrolling through your library.
Google is also bringing new privacy features to Maps and Search.

Google is introducing new privacy features in Google Photos and other apps. At Google I/O 2021, the company announced that it’s bringing a new “Locked Folder” to the Google Photos app. This will lock some of your photos away behind a password or biometric scanner like a fingerprint sensor.

The benefit of a Locked Folder on Google Photos is that it will keep some of your sensitive images hidden while you’re scrolling through your photos. It may also keep these photos from appearing in your slideshows that appear on smart displays like the Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen).

The new Locked Folder is arriving first on Google’s Pixel smartphones but will arrive on more of the best Android phones later this year. There are …

Samsung gives us a glimpse into its foldable desires.

What you need to know

Samsung shows off some display concepts at this year’s Display Week event.
One concept includes the rumored bi-folding smartphone device that’s thought to debut with an upcoming Galaxy Z Fold.
Other concepts include a device with a slidable display, a PC-like device with a 17-inch folding display, and a PC with an under-display camera.

Among the few tech events happening this week is the Display Week 2021 exhibition, where companies show off the latest innovations in display technology. Samsung is one of the big names at the event, and the company has just shown off several concepts at the event (via SamMobile), giving us a look into the company’s plans for its mobile devices.

The first concept (above) has been rumored for some time. Samsung’s “S Foldable” OLED panel shows a mobile device that folds in two places. When folded outwards, it has a display size of 7.2-inches, making it appear more tablet-li…