Material

Flo looks up at the stars with the Pixel 3's Astrophotography mode, and Andy wonders if he'll ever find neutral ground with YouTube Music. We discuss FastCompany's illuminating profile with ATAP's Dan Kaufman and why the EU's anti-trust concerns are delaying the FitBit turnover. Before we bow out, help us figure out if Google search has started implementing a countdown for soon-to-be-released games. Links and Show Notes: The Comet, as shot by a Pixel 3 Fast Company: Inside Google's secretive ATAP research lab The Verge: Google just put a photo of the Pixel 4A on its store Reuters: Google offers data pledge in bid to win EU okay for Fitbit buy Reddit: Google search displays release timers for game releases Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Andy discovers a hack for clearing his YouTube Watch Later playlist, while Flo embarks on a journey beyond the Chrome browser. We run through the consumer-facing news from Google's virtual smart home summit this week, and imagine a world where Microsoft finally launches the Android-powered Surface Duo. For your After Dinner mint, sign the petition to add a meteor animation to the Chrome Dino game (because, we suppose, the dinosaurs haven't already been through enough). This episode of Material is sponsored by: Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code MATERIAL to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021. Links and Show Notes: Andy's Watch Later Trick Tech Junkie: Delete all watch later videos "Hey Google" Smart Home Summit Google announces new Google Assistant features for Developers at Smart Home Summit Upcoming Google Home improvements include Assistant routines from device makers Microsoft brings Android OS development for Surface Duo in-house Microsoft Surface Duo V2 enters early development as Microsoft acquires local operations of Movial Change.org: Add meteor animation to Chrome's dino game when it connects to the internet Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Flo leans into her Taurus Sun and Moon by talking about all the food she's going to eat over the holiday weekend. Andy is fed up with YouTube channels that don't practice basic coronavirus protocols (wear your mask, people!). This week, we break down the players in YouTube's latest dramageddon and delve into why the platform should take accountability for the drama that makes it off-screen. We'll also touch on Verily's backward step paying for its diversity initiatives, YouTube TV's drastic price-hike, and why we think Google Glass might be making a comeback. Andy sends us off with a chuckle-worthy Dad joke. Links and Show Notes: YouTube Takes Shane Dawson's Ads Away Alphabet-owned Verily suspended employee bonuses to fund diversity initiatives YouTube TV sharply increases monthly subscription to $64.99 To our YouTube TV members: an update to our content and price Google Glass 3.0? Google acquires smart glasses maker North Our focus on helpful devices: Google acquires North ‘Hey Google' smart home event scheduled for July 8th Join the "Hey Google" Smart Home Virtual Summit Dad Jokes Shop Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Andy is experiencing some severe bouts of Mercury in retrograde as he tells the tales of his flailing tech. Flo switched to the OnePlus 8, and she's wondering why the Pixel is lagging. We discuss why Google is (again) in the antitrust hot seat, and why employees are demanding the company stop doing business with police departments. We divulge all about Google Photos' latest redesign, ChromeOS's increased reliance on virtualization, why Google is fact-checking images, and what Pixel owners can expect from the newest update. For our After-Dinner Mint, we'll play around with Google's Pinterest-wannabe, called Keen. This episode of Material is sponsored by: ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package. Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code MATERIAL to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021. Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $20 credit. Links and Show Notes: NYTimes: Barr's Interest in Google Antitrust Case Keeps It Moving Swiftly TechCrunch: Google employees demand company stop selling tech to police Google Blog: A redesigned Google Photos, built for your life's memories Google Blog: Bringing fact check information to Google Images Washington Post: Google starts labeling manipulated images with fact-check labels - The Google Blog: New features for better sleep, personal safety for Pixel The Verge: Google quietly launches an AI-powered Pinterest rival named Keen Google Blog: Want to share your passion with the world? Get Keen Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Google finally updates its satellite imagery for Black Lives Matter Plaza, and Flo is learning about the significance of Juneteenth (despite the failings of her public school education). After the break, we'll tell you why folks are upset with Google's apparent misrepresentation of Winston Churchill in its search results, and express our disappointment for why the company hasn't de-platformed several prominent far-right publications. We finally get some details on when the Pixel 4a will hit the scene, and we'll get down to the bottom of why your Pixel Buds aren't connecting. This episode of Material is sponsored by: Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $20 credit. Links and Show Notes: Churchillgate: the "scandal" starts here The Verge: Google Ads bans Zero Hedge for racist content, but reverses decision on The Federalist TechRadar: The Google Pixel 4a launch may have been pushed back even further The Verge: Google acknowledges Pixel Buds connectivity issues, promises fix Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

This week, we're diving into the Android 11 Beta, which Andy and Flo are both using on their Pixel devices. We'll also talk about why YouTube's commitment to amplifying black creators on its network is too little too late, and we'll tell you about Alphabet's pilot program for delivering library books by drone. This episode of Material is sponsored by: Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code MATERIAL to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021. Links and Show Notes: The Verge: Android 11: Conversations, Bubbles, and Making Sense of Complexity Google: Android 11 Beta is available today YouTube Official Blog: Susan Wojcicki: My mid-year update to the YouTube community Washington Post: Google-backed drones will drop library books so kids in Virginia can do their summer reading Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Andy and Flo lament about their "corona hair" before getting into the specifics of how to cop-proof your smartphone. We discuss why Google postponed the Android 11 Beta event and what the leaks tell us about the next version. We dissect Google's show of solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and why the company might be shifting away from relying on contract workers. We end by convincing ourselves there's a perfectly valid reason for a blush pink Android TV dongle, like the one that's making the rumor rounds. This episode of Material is sponsored by: Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $20 credit. Links and Show Notes: Twitter: Google postpones June 3 Android 11 beta launch event XDA Developers: Some users on the beta list got it pushed to their Pixels anyway Google Blog: “Standing with the Black community” NYT: Google rescinded job offers for 2,000 contractors and temps XDA Developers: More heat behind rumors of a Google Nest-branded Android TV dongle Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Andy and Flo throw it all on a chair this week to see what sticks and what falls to the ground. Flo has started reading The Making of the Tech Worker Movement by Ben Tarnoff, and she hopes you'll join her for this weekend's book club. Andy wonders if Chrome OS will ever feel like a Mac or PC. Then, we break down WIRED's supersized interview with Sundar Pichai and discuss why YouTube is under fire for deleting comments critical of the Chinese government. We also rationalize whether it's worth buying the last stock of the Pixel 3a mere months away from the next phone release. This episode of Material is sponsored by: Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code MATERIAL to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021. Links and Show Notes: Flo's Book Club: The Making of the Tech Worker Movement WIRED: Sundar Pichai Says Google Doesn't Plan to Go Entirely Remote BBC: Google deletes millions of negative TikTok reviews The Verge: YouTube is deleting comments with two phrases that insult China's Communist Party The Verge: YouTube took down Michael Moore's film attacking renewable energy Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Flo goes down the rabbit hole where YouTubers get radicalized, and Andy has a billion-dollar idea for movie studios. Then, we'll talk about why Sundar Pichai said making hardware is hard. We'll also run through Android's new Accessibility features in honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) and Google and Apple's new API to help fight coronavirus. This episode of Material is sponsored by: Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $20 credit. Links and Show Notes: NYT: Rabbit Hole YouTube: Seven (1979) ORIGINAL TRAILER The Verge: Sundar Pichai on managing Google through the pandemic Google Blog: Accessibility updates that help tech work for everyone WaPo: Apple and Google launch coronavirus exposure software WaPo: Apple and Google are building a virus-tracking system. Health officials say it will be practically useless. Support Material with a Relay FM Membership

Andy and Flo take this week to dissect why the Pixel phone is losing key members of its team. We'll touch upon the reports that Google is stepping away from varying diversity initiatives. And we introduce the cast of animals and mitochondria you can hang out with in augmented reality. This episode of Material is sponsored by: Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code MATERIAL to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2021. Linode: Cloud Hosting & Linux Servers. Get a $20 credit. Links and Show Notes: The Information: Google’s Pixel Division Undergoes Shakeup After Disappointing Launch (Paywalled) Ars Technica: Google Pixel’s camera lead quits after the failure of the Pixel 4 CNBC: Ex-Google Engineer Who Became Right-Wing Hero Ends Suit Quietly Google Support: Experience 3D & augmented reality in Search Support Material with a Relay FM Membership