Pixels

After updating Chromebook system requirements to qualify as “Chromebook Plus,” Google adds zooming capability to the camera app. The addition also seemingly includes the ‘Super Res Zoom‘ feature found on Google’s Pixel phones starting with the Google Pixel 3. Super Res Zoom utilizes Machine Learning (ML) to extract more detail in the final result. Chromebooks usually have a front-facing webcam for your video calls, although, you can capture still images too. However, the sub-par hardware doesn’t always lead to a final…

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNETSuper Res Zoom, a feature that uses AI to make zoomed-in photos appear sharper than they really are, has been a highlight of Google Pixel phones for some time now – and it may finally be heading to other devices.For the most part, Google Chromebooks only have a front-facing camera that's primarily used for video calls. A few Chromebook tablets do have a rear-facing camera as well, but those cameras don't offer nearly the same quality as phones do, so they're often not utilized. Also: I tested…

The Sphere is the main character in Las Vegas right now. If you’re flying into the city from the right angle, half the plane sees it out the window and feels obligated to tell the other half what they’re witnessing. The woman on the flight next to me, who said she’d been to Vegas precisely 52 times, told the first-timer sitting in the window seat that the main thing he had to do this week was get into the Sphere. No problem, he said. He had U2 tickets. I, in the aisle seat, silently cursed him. I did not have U2 tickets.…

Scientists are loudly warning that the world is running out of time to avoid dangerous warming levels. The picture is grim. But if you know where to look, there are a few bright spots shining through the darkness. New technologies that can help address climate change, from heat pumps to solar panels to EVs, are coming to the market and getting cheaper. Climate policy is also developing, from incentives to support new technology to rule-making around pollution.  And efforts to help the most vulnerable nations adapt to…

The HMZ-T1 headset performed best with 3D films, which proved to be a fad. But Sony didn’t give up on micro-OLEDs, and in 2018 it announced a 0.5-inch micro-OLED display that reduced the distance between pixels from 7.8 to 6.3 micro­meters (the same as the larger displays found in the Vision Pro), an innovation made possible by a breakthrough that placed the color filter closer to the OLED’s light-emitting organic material. With a display this small, any subtle change in the angle of light emitted from red, blue, and…

Google has launched a new Pixel Diagnostic App for the Pixel phones and released new repair manuals in English and French to make fixing Pixel phones easier. The Pixel Diagnostic App allows users to test their Pixels for issues before and after a repair and also see if their device is functioning properly after it's repaired. The app can be launched from the Pixel's Phone app by dialing *#*#7287#*#*, but make sure your smartphone is connected to the internet before proceeding. If you have to send your Pixel for…

June Wan/ZDNETWhen the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were released, one of the selling points was exclusive access to Android 14's new AI-generated wallpaper designer.But now it looks like Samsung users will be joining the fun -- and getting several other AI additions as well.Also: The best Samsung phones to buyX (formerly Twitter) user BennettBuhner shared a number of leaked screenshots over the weekend from Samsung's upcoming One UI 6.1 release and among them were generative-AI wallpapers. The leaked screenshots…

Google has recently rolled out the Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 update, which brings considerably faster installation speeds to seamless updates on the last two generations of Pixel devices. Notably, it has reduced the installation time from an average of 30 minutes (sometimes it would take nearly an hour) down to nearly 10 minutes or sometimes even less than that. Of course, there are some noteworthy optimizations under the hood, that has helped reducing the installation time. Artem Russakovskii on X has explained the Google…

The At a Glance feature on the Pixel line of devices is one of its smaller staple features, and it will finally have a toggle that will let you disable it. On phones like the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro which Google launched earlier this Fall, At a Glance is a small widget that sits in the top left corner of the display. It’s used to give you glimpses at helpful information across a wide range of categories. Say you have a package coming in from FedEx and it’s the day the shipment is supposed to arrive. At a Glance would put…

Samsung not too long ago introduced a new feature called Maintenance Mode for its Galaxy devices. This mode can be used by the device owner and activated prior to handing over the device to a service technician at a service centre. The Maintenance Mode by Samsung basically creates a new user profile, locking the main user's data once the mode is activated. Samsung came up with this feature so that users will not need to backup and reset their smartphones when handing it over for service. This also…