If you haven’t noticed, I like to stay in the know when it comes to the hottest trends. I buy Julio & I the best items to make our lives easier, and when it comes to mobile and home devices, I’ve loved our ongoing love affair with all things Google over the last few years. Having recently joined the #GoogleIO excitement online, I wanted to share some of the things you need to know about the items coming to Canada and why I am so excited for them!
Over the years we’ve been lucky enough to work with companies from around the world, but it was only when we started to integrate Google products into our day to day that I truly felt organized. Google TV, Google Nest, our Google Doorbell that I still need to install, and of course our Google mobile devices have all helped me to realize how much I love that everything is seamlessly connected to make life better for us. I MAY have lost my Google Pixel buds and am devastated, but I’ll get a new pair soon – and hopefully I’ll pick up a Google Pixel Watch to go with it at the same time!
This year’s Google IO had a lot of information about new product launches, software updates, and yes even AI which I’ll admit is a topic I’m very familiar with but one I loved learning about.
First up, let’s talk about the NEW Pixel 7a.
CNN recently wrote that it was “The best camera on any midrange smartphone … of all time” and I have to say, I’m pretty excited about the review unit I just received from Google Canada to try out for myself!
The differences that stand out to me from the current Google Pixel 7 is of course the approachable price point for 8GB RAM, up to 90 Hz display and the all NEW wireless charging for the first time.
I’ll be switching over to test it out just in time for Pride month and can’t wait to report back to you all. For those of you interest in even more reasons to switch:
- Take stunning photos even in low light with Night Sight
- Touch up your new or old pics with Magic Eraser, Camouflage, and Photo Unblur¹ because all your photos should have the chance to be #FixedOnPixel
- Feel protected with multiple layers of security from Google Tensor G2 and the certified Titan M2 security chip² to VPN by Google One³, which help keep your personal info safe
Switch to Pixel 7a with ease whether you’re upgrading from a previous Pixel phone or just joining #TeamPixel. Get Pixel 7a today at GoogleStore.com
Of course the excitement around the NEW Pixel Fold is bitter sweet. The first foldable phone has the best camera on a foldable phone¹, and opens to a 7.6-inch screen and folds to a familiar smartphone silhouette. The Pixel Fold will be available in select countries for $1,799 USD, and at this time will not be released in Canada.
I am curious if I can convince the Google US team to send me it or maybe pick it up for myself on my next trip to the states, but trust me, for those Google fans out there, Google Canada has a lot in store for us too!
I was also blown away by the buzz around the all new Pixel Tablet which is 100% on my wishlist for the summer of 2023 (with those pixel buds and watch. I told you I was a fan!)
The all new tablet has a brilliant 11-inch display within an aluminum enclosure textured with our unique nano-ceramic coating, designed for entertainment and gaming. It’s paired with a Charging Speaker Dock to keep it charged up and ready to go, and becomes a helpful smart home device that you can use hands-free. Pre-order Pixel Tablet starting today bundled with the dock for $699 CAD by clicking here.
The new devices have everyone online buzzing for sure, and I am right there with them!
“From a broad selection of smartphones, watches, earbuds and now tablets and foldables, the Pixel family continues to grow into a dynamic hardware portfolio. There are now more ways than ever to experience the helpfulness Pixel is known for, whenever and wherever you need it.”
But it wasn’t only about devices this time. I/O also tackled the concept of AI and how Google is helping to make our lives easier with it. I’m going to be honest that this gets a bit techy for me personally, but below are some high level announcements that had me impressed.
- Three new foundation models are available in Vertex AI, where they can be accessed via API, tuned through a simple UI in Generative AI Studio, or deployed to a data science notebook.
- Codey, our text-to-code foundation model, can be embedded in an SDK or application to help improve developer velocity with code generation and code completion, and to improve code quality.
- Imagen, our text-to-image foundation model, lets organizations generate and customize studio-grade images at scale for any business need.
- Chirp, our speech-to-text foundation model, helps organizations to more deeply and inclusively engage with their customers in their native languages with captioning and voice assistance.
- Embeddings APIs for text and images help developers build recommendation engines, classifiers, question-answering systems, and other sophisticated applications based on semantic understanding of text or images.
- Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) extends Vertex AI’s tuning and prompt design capabilities by letting organizations incorporate human feedback to customize and improve model performance.
- Generative AI Studio, Model Garden, and PaLM 2 for Text and Chat are moving from trusted tester availability to preview, meaning everyone with a Google Cloud account has access.
You can of course read more about all of the excitement here.
But that wasn’t it. With announcements around Google Workspace, the newest Project Starline prototype which now has a simpler design to easily fit into more homes and offices, the introduction of Search Labs as a new way for you to sign up and test new products and ideas we are exploring, Immersive View for routes in Maps to help you visualize every segment of your journey, and so much more, Google certainly got my attention as always.
While I get excited about the devices I have to test, the ones I hope to get, and all things Google that are helping to improve my day to day life, I encourage you all to consider Google Canada for your next upgrade. Why? You deserve it.
If you’re not following me yet, find me at @dothedaniel on all social media platforms
Photos: Daniel Reyes Cocka and participating brands
Don’t forget to be kind & laugh a little more this year
*Please note that this may be a sponsored post and promotional consideration may have been offered by participating brands – our disclosure can be found at all times by clicking here.