The Pixel Tablet doesn't need to be a computer - 9to5Google

Google’s Pixel Tablet is a unique product and a good reminder that not every tablet needs to double as a full-on computer.

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This issue of 9to5Google Weekender is a part of 9to5Google’s rebooted newsletter that highlights the biggest Google stories with added commentary and other tidbits. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox early!

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Our full review of the Google Pixel Tablet went live last week. In it, our Abner Li calls the device a “fundamentally good Android tablet.” After a week of using it myself, it’s an opinion I most certainly agree with. While I have my complaints, I’ve also been super pleased with the device. Hub Mode gives it a utility that goes beyond how I was using my iPad Pro previously, and as a tablet on its own, it’s one I surprisingly really enjoy.

But this week, as I really got to know the Pixel Tablet, I realized why I’m enjoying it so much. Unlike basically every other tablet I’ve tried in the past few years, it’s not trying to replace my laptop.

Apple’s infamous “What’s a Computer” ad for the iPad has perfectly represented how the company treats the form factor. The iPad is very much meant to be a productivity device in Apple’s eyes, especially on everything but the base model. And, because Apple is Apple, that viewpoint has bled into the rest of the industry. Even Amazon, which has long profited from super-cheap content consumption tablets, just made its own iPad competitor, which angles its entire existence on the point of being a productivity device.

For me, I’ve not really wanted that for a while now.

My use of a tablet usually boils down to content consumption. For years, I’ve had an iPad Pro stationed at my desk, acting as a secondary device to my PC primarily for displaying content. When I unplugged the iPad and took it on the go, it largely served as a device for carrying that media with me, such as on a flight. The ability to be productive on that tablet came in handy, of course, with it being a great grab-and-go option for taking notes or even writing articles for 9to5Google while away from home, but I’ve always preferred to turn to a laptop for that sort of thing.

The Pixel Tablet doesn’t focus on this side of the device but instead builds its whole design and feel around content consumption and being helpful.

It’s not that the Pixel Tablet is incapable of being used as a full computer. Android 13’s solid multitasking features, ongoing tablet app optimizations, and the power of the web open the slate up to a lot of productivity work. But the experience on the tablet and the narrative Google has built around it both just make it feel like a device that isn’t meant for those tasks.

Ahead of the Pixel Tablet’s launch, a friend asked me about buying an Android tablet to go with their Pixel 6a. They had heard about the Pixel Tablet coming and were curious if it would be any good. At the time and even now, my first thought was just how it would be used. If the goal of a tablet purchase is to get a device to consume content, the Pixel Tablet is really quite good. However, if the goal is to have a pseudo-computer, it’s not as easy to recommend because there are no useful peripherals to take advantage of those functions. The OnePlus Pad serves that use case far better at this time and in the same price bracket.

I do look forward to the day when the Pixel Tablet, or some future “Pixel Tablet Pro,” can better serve the productivity use case. But, for now, I’m delighted by the fact that, for once, there’s a tablet focusing on something other than being a computer.

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This Week’s Top Stories

Google Pixel Fold review and launch

The Google Pixel Fold made its splash this week, as reviews went live on Monday, and first shipments started being delivered through the week. The consensus so far? Most people seem pleased, including our own review, but a lot of people are rightfully frustrated with delayed shipments and more.

More of our Pixel Fold coverage from this week follows:

Android is getting a (logo) makeover

Google confirmed this week that Android is getting a slight makeover to its logo and branding. As our Abner Li reports, this includes a new wordmark and a 3D robot head to accompany it, as pictured below. We’ve actually been seeing hints of this for a while, but Google has only now confirmed some key details.

More Top Stories

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From the rest of 9to5

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Electrek: For the love of all things good, America needs smaller electric trucks

9to5Toys: Hands-on with CASETiFY’s new Spider-Man iPhone 14 cases and themed AirPods Pro cover

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iPhone 15 Lineup Rumored to Feature Significantly Larger Batteries - MacRumors

The iPhone 15 lineup will feature significantly larger batteries across the board, according to an alleged Foxconn worker speaking to ITHome.

The information claims that the iPhone 15 will feature an 18% larger battery, iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro a 14% larger battery, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max a 12% larger battery. The exact capacity changes are said to be as follows:

2021	2022	2023
iPhone 13: 3,227mAh	iPhone 14: 3,279mAh	iPhone 15: 3,877mAh
iPhone 13 mini: 2,406mAh	iPhone 14 Plus: 4,325mAh	iPhone 15 Plus: 4,912mAh
iPhone 13 Pro: 3,095mAh	iPhone 14 Pro: 3,200mAh	iPhone 15 Pro: 3,650mAh
iPhone 13 Pro Max: 4,352mAh	iPhone 14 Pro Max: 4,323mAh	iPhone 15 Pro Max: 4,852mAh

If correct, the changes would mean that the 15 Plus would increase its battery capacity lead over the Pro Max model even further, while the 15 Pro would remain the iPhone with the smallest battery. The source is without a proven track record, but the alleged capacities seem plausible, especially given the fact that this year's iPhone models are expected to get slightly thicker, providing more internal space for larger batteries. With the efficiency improvements of the A16 and A17 Bionic chips, it seems highly likely that the entire iPhone lineup could boast battery life improvements this year.

ITHome also highlighted separate information purportedly coming out of Foxconn that is circulating on Weibo saying that the iPhone 15 Pro will begin with 256GB of storage as standard, doubling the current 128GB base storage configuration. This would also be a key differentiator between the Pro and non-Pro models, since the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are still expected to start with 128GB of storage.

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Microsoft/FTC Hearing Reveals Gaming Details - Dark Horizons

Activision

A five-day hearing in the case between the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Microsoft in regards to the latter’s plans to acquire Activision Blizzard has had a knock-on effect – it’s revealed some of the inner workings of the usually secretive game industry according to Game Rant and CNBC.

The hearing held closing arguments on Thursday, with a judge now determining if the arguments are sufficiently plausible that a federal court should grant a preliminary injunction against the deal. Whatever way the case goes, some big revelations have come forward regarding the game industry overall.

Microsoft’s acquisition does indeed seem to be primarily about finding mobile customers for Xbox and expanding into that market which is growing faster than revenue from gaming on PCs or consoles. Microsoft reportedly considered several others like Zynga, Sega and Square Enix before settling on Activision to acquire.

Whilst Microsoft publicly proposed a ten-year extension to Sony regarding the “Call of Duty” franchise, Xbox Head Phil Spencer reportedly originally offered a five-year commitment which Sony Interactive’s Jim Ryan rejected as failing to address wider concerns about the deal. Spencer has subsequently sworn under oath during the second day of the ongoing trial to keep the “Call of Duty” franchise on PlayStation.

On the final day of the hearing, the FTC did reportedly succeed in getting witnesses to show that Microsoft evaluated ways of trying to reduce the availability of Activision Blizzard content on the Sony PlayStation.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick indicated while Activision Blizzard has experimented with putting games in subscription libraries, he didn’t think they would lead to “sustainable long-term business” and he “couldn’t imagine anyone offering commercial terms that would be favorable”.

In regards to cloud gaming, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly said: “The feedback to date is that it’s just not good enough as a — you know, definitely as a substitute to any of the current platforms.” He adds it could “breakthrough at some point” but neither the economics nor content are there yet.

Another reveal was that Bethesda’s Indiana Jones game, which was going to be multi-platform before the Xbox acquisition, will be an Xbox exclusive. The trial revealed Bethesda originally had more plans related to PlayStation than Xbox and Xbox was so worried about losing “Starfield” in particular to PlayStation that it became one of the deciding factors that made it acquire Bethesda’s parent company ZeniMax.

After that, Microsoft cancelled the PlayStation versions of all of Bethesda’s upcoming games that weren’t tied to pre-existing exclusivity agreements with Sony. Spencer adds that platform exclusivity decisions are made on a case-by-case basis at Microsoft.

Spencer also suggests “The Elder Scrolls 6” is at least five years away and will very likely be either a cross or next-gen title only at that time – so don’t expect it in stores until after a PS6 is available which the company predicts will happen in 2028.

The tech giant also tells the FTC it’s certain that Sony’s Project Q handheld, allowing people to stream PS5 games to a handheld within their home, will have a sub-$300 price tag.

Sony meanwhile indicated it intends to keep Activision out of the PlayStation 6 creation loop should Microsoft manage to acquire the “Call of Duty” maker as it can’t risk sharing its future hardware with its fiercest rival’s subsidiary. It was reportedly revealed that Activision helped Sony with PlayStation hardware development in the past.

Finally those poorly redacted documents have revealed the cost of AAA gaming these days with “Horizon Forbidden West” costing around $212 million U.S. dollars to make – created by 300 employees working on the game for five years. Around 200 people worked on “The Last of Us Part 2” which also took five years and came in at a cost of $220 million.

District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said on Thursday that she isn’t sure when she’ll decide on the preliminary injunction but is mindful of the dates set as Activision Blizzard and Microsoft have agreed to terminate the deal if it’s not done by July 18th. Thus if a preliminary injunction is granted, then the deal is likely off.

Sources: Game Rant, Games Hub and CNBC

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I think YouTube blocking videos for ad blocker users is the right thing to do - here's why - BGR

I recently sided with Netflix, saying the company’s password-sharing ban is warranted. I won’t get into any of that again. But that’s something you need to know before I explain why I think YouTube blocking playback for users who rely on ad blockers is the right thing to do. No matter how annoying the YouTube experience is with ads enabled.

What is the YouTube playback block?

Spotted by BleepingComputer, Google’s new YouTube move might be just a limited test that might never graduate to a full feature. Google is running a “small experiment globally.” The company will warn ad-block software users to turn off their ad blockers to continue playback. YouTube videos will stop after three video playbacks.

A Reddit user saw one such prompt from YouTube providing a screenshot.

“It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Video playback will be blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled,” the message reads.

“Ads allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide. You can go ad-free with YouTube Premium, and creators can still get paid from your subscription.”

YouTube confirmed the experiment to BleepingComputer:

We’re running a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium.

In extreme cases, where viewers continue their use of ad blockers, playback will be temporarily disabled. We take disabling playback very seriously and will only disable playback if viewers ignore repeated requests to allow ads on YouTube.

YouTube prompt telling a user video playback will be blocked because of ad blocker use. Image source: Reddit

I think Google is doing the right thing

YouTube is easily one of Google’s best products so far. It’s also available for free to anyone with access to the internet, just like almost every piece of software that Google makes. But nothing is free in life, even if the company makes it seem that way.

Google has been monetizing the platform with ads. That’s how creators are making money and how Google gets its share. You can’t get free entertainment without paying for it. You either pay a ticket in real-life or a monthly subscription online. Or you deal with ads.

That’s why I think Google’s experiment is warranted. In a world where more and more internet users have figured out how to block ads, Google is right to worry about revenue.

Also, blocking YouTube ads could lower the quality of content from your favorite creators. It won’t happen overnight, but it is a risk.

That said, I do blame Google for the rise of ad blockers.

Google’s personalized ads and user tracking practices

We got to block ads everywhere on the internet because of companies like Google and Facebook. They have been tracking us for years to make more and more money from personalized ads. Even if that meant infringing the user’s privacy and dealing with the consequences later.

Not to mention all the bad quality ads you used to see online that ruined the mobile experience.

Thanks to Apple’s stance on user privacy, Google had to pivot hard towards privacy a few years ago. But Google is still tracking users. Its latest plans for tracking users via Chrome without the use of cookies still include, well, tracking users.

It might be years until we get rid of personalized ads, which is probably the only way to fix ad privacy and eliminate tracking.

As for annoying ads that can impact the browser’s performance and user experience, Google started fixing those long ago.

But ad blockers allowed us to take matters into our own hands. People who turned them on years ago have probably not turned them off. This led to the current YouTube “experiment.” It’s up to Google to fix its advertising mess and convince internet users to ditch ad blockers completely.

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YouTubes Latest Move Encourages You To Shift To YouTube Premium - Beebom

YouTube is currently conducting a global experiment aimed at cracking down on ad blockers. The video platform giant hopes that this move will encourage its free user base to become paid subscribers. To learn more, continue reading below.

Pay For YouTube Premium For An Ad-Free Experience

Based on a post made by Reddit user Reddit_n_Me, YouTube will now cut off your access to videos, if ad blockers are detected. This is being rolled out in the form of a “3-way strike,” where if an ad blocker is detected YouTube will warn you thrice and urge you to shift to YouTube Premium. In case you fail to comply, your access to your current video will be cut off instantly. Additionally, you will be limited to only 3 videos on the platform. After that, your access will be blocked. This does not apply to you if you are not using any ad blocker, to begin with.

The warning will appear in the form of a pop-up window. It will urge you to either “allowlist” YouTube, disable your adblocker, or sign up for YouTube Premium. After that, your access to the platform will be revoked. However, it is unclear how long the strike will last. Will it be for 24 hours? Will you be able to access YouTube via VPN? Will it be a permanent ban unless and until you either disable your ad blocker or sign up for YouTube Premium? We do not have that information yet. Hopefully, YouTube will shed some light on this soon.

Source: Reddit_n_Me

Also, it’s important to note that the current strike isn’t available for public use just yet. It’s still being tested internally and has only been made available to a select group of global users. This was recently confirmed too. However, this suggests that a public release may be on the horizon. Should this occur, you may need to pay in order to enjoy an ad-free experience on YouTube.

If you are thinking about getting YouTube Premium during the wake of this strike, it’s important to know the pricing options. You can choose to pay Rs 139 per month, Rs 399 for three months, or Rs 1,290 for 12 months. With YouTube Premium, you will be able to enjoy ad-free video playback and ad-free access to YouTube Music, background playback, and the ability to download videos for offline playback.

So, what are your thoughts on this new development? Do you think the price justifies the benefits of YouTube Premium? Are you considering it? Do let us know your opinions in the comment section below.

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Rare 'One Ring' card worth millions found owner's ID a mystery - USA TODAY

A one-of-a-kind “Lord of the Rings” trading card worth millions has been found Friday after a search led to bids over a million dollars. 

Hasbro announced the sacred “One Ring” card, part of the 1993 game “Magic: the Gathering,” prompting a global scavenge that ended Friday.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the odds of finding the card were 0.00003%. The owner of the card has not been publicly identified. 

“We are thrilled to hear tale of a new Ring-bearer in possession of the serialized 1:1 The One Ring! This journey is finished, but the adventure with #MTGxLOTR's continues!” the Magic: The Gather official Twitter account said Friday. 

The singular card was described as a “traditional foil card printed in the Black Speech of Sauron and as among a set of new June 20 releases from the fantasy adventure franchise. In the books written by J.R.R. Tolkien, the ring drove men mad similar to the way the collectible card did in real life before Friday’s announcement.

NFL football player Cassius Marsh offered half a million for the card before trading card company Dave and Adam's Card World doubled the offer with a $1 million bounty. 

Both bids were foiled when the owner of a Spain-based card store promised 2 million euros, or about $2.2 million, according to the the Wall Street Journal reported. 

A rookie card for baseball legend Mickey Mantle is reportedly the most expensive card ever sold last year with a price of $12.6 million, according to Forbes. 

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Canada Joins UK US in Questioning Microsoft's Activision Blizzard Buyout - Push Square

Image: Push Square

If you've not been keeping up, the FTC — the United States' antitrust regulator — is currently in a major legal battle with Microsoft regarding its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. This has dredged up all kinds of stories, not least of which the ridiculous budget of Sony's biggest games, Microsoft's plans to purchase Square Enix, and much more. Now, another complication has been thrown into the mix; Canada has declared its disapproval of the merger as well.

As reported by Game Developer, the Canada Competition Bureau has reacted to a memorandum from Microsoft that stated "every single worldwide regulator" — excluding the FTC and the UK's CMA — approve of the acquisition. The "factual inaccuracies" of this statement have been called out by the CCB's lawyer, Jonathan Bitran.

According to Bitran, the CCB made its concerns about the deal known back in May. Although it hasn't taken matters as far as the UK and the USA, its disapproval of the merger is another blow to Microsoft and Activision, and will likely cause yet more headaches for the two firms.

The CCB's thoughts on the matter echo those of the other regulators, saying the deal is "likely to result in a substantial prevention and/or lessening of competition with respect to gaming consoles and multigame subscription services."

We're still a long way from this situation resolving. What are your thoughts on this development? Discuss in the comments section below.

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