Google’s Launch Night In event featured the arrival of the Pixel 5, Google Pixel 4a 5G as well as new Nest Audio and Chromecast with Google TV products. You probably got all the big stuff, but here’s 5 things you may have missed from the event
Screen Sharing in Duo
During the Pixel 5 launch Google announced a new screen sharing feature for its Duo video calling app, which sounds perfect for the era of social distancing.
The new feature, which will be available within Duo soon, will enable users to share what’s on their mobile display, rather than the traditional view from the front and rear camera.
The neat feature will help video callers watch videos together, effectively expanding the watch party feature to every streaming app. It could also be a great way to show family members how to use a certain app or plan activities together.
Google Duo allows you to video call anyone, on any phone. And now, you can use Google Duo to share your screen and watch videos together in HD.
So connected that you can *almost* share a bowl of popcorn. https://t.co/xQ5v9GHe9Y#LaunchNightIn #Pixel5G pic.twitter.com/NBZiDkX61P
— Made By Google (@madebygoogle) September 30, 2020
New Google Photos editing tools
Google is boosting its popular Photos app with new smart editing tools that “uses machine learning to give you suggestions that are tailored to the specific photo you’re editing.” These one-tap edits, liked Enhance, B&W Portrait and Colour Pop join the existing suggestions within the app. Google also says granular controls are easier to access within the app.
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Portrait Light
Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 owners will be able to boost the lighting on faces in portrait photography. The firm says it will “give you even more control over how your portraits look, you’ll be able to adjust the light position and brightness post-capture through the Google Photos app. You’ll also be able to add Portrait Light to regular photos not captured in Portrait mode—whether it’s a photo you just took or an important picture from the past—on Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5, with availability on more Pixel devices soon.”
Better Recorder app
The Recorder app for Pixel 4 gave users a powerful dictaphone with a built in translator, and this year the app is getting better. New editing tools make it possible to highlight a passage of audio from the transcription and cut it from the audio to share as its own clip, or to trim the fat from the recording.
Pixel 4a (is more than just) 5G
Google updated the Pixel 4a with 5G, as promised way back in the summer. However, there’s more here than just the next-gen connectivity. The Pixel 4a 5G has a larger screen (6.2-inches compared with 5.8-inches), a faster processor (Snapdragon 765G vs 730G). So, for $499, you’re actually getting much more of an upgrade than the name would suggest.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.