Google's Pixelbook getting Android Pie via Chrome OS Canary update

The still unreleased Pixel Slate may be the hot new 2-in-1 from Google but last year's formidable Pixelbook Chromebook is getting a lot of fresh functionality thanks to the Chrome OS Canary update that brings Android Pie functionality and features.

Chromebooks can now run Android apps and while this has had mixed reactions, Google is skipping Oreo and going straight for Android Pie, which should make Android integration smoother on the Pixelbook's still impressive hardware. Google Assistant will be getting an updated interface. The Chrome camera interface will be replaced by an updated Google camera and other improvements should be visible.

Source: Android Police

Digital Wellbeing features spotted by some Google Home users

Looks like Google is taking its Digital Wellbeing features beyond Android 9 Pie and bringing it to its Google Home platform. Reddit user /u/alexanderbumpertramp spotted a new Digital Wellbeing option in the Google Home app. This feature is meant to help people curb smartphone addiction by showing how much time they’ve spent on their phones and do things like set app timers, help wind down usage at night, to name a few. There are currently two features available in the app: filters and downtime. Filter lets you add an age restriction and prevents non-registered users from playing media. Meanwhile, downtime blocks all voice commands during a specific time. This seems to be a staged rollout, though, so you might not see it for your Google Home device of choice just yet. We can’t say either if it’s coming to all Google Home users as sometimes these features get regional restrictions but we’re keeping our eyes peeled for any updates.

Source: XDA Developers

EA DICE will give ‘Battlefield V’ players free items at launch

After pushing back its release by about a month, EA DICE is rewarding Battlefield V players with a couple of free items when the game comes out on November 20^th. Oskar Gabrielson, general manager of EA DICE, shared a video on Twitter announcing that when players log into the game, they will get an emblem and helmet to customize their characters. Both items have “SNAFU” imprinted on them with the A changed to look like an upside down V—which is taken from the game’s name.

Battlefield V was originally supposed to launch on October 19^th but the developers pushed back the release to offer a more polished experience. EA DICE took feedback from players who took part in the closed alpha tests and those who played at event shows like E3 and Gamescom and wanted to improve on the game before it’s released. Battlefield V will come to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and the PC.

Source: Comicbook.com

Pixel 3 XL supports 1440p 60fps HDR playback

Check out our review of the Google Pixel 3 XL

With the Pixel 2 XL, Google had to limit HDR playback to 1080p 60fps because of performance issues. It seems the new flagship doesn’t have the same issue as the Pixel 3 XL supports 1440p 60fps HDR playback. Spotted by a Reddit user, this news comes on the heels of Google bringing 1440p60 HDR support for Samsung flagships like Note 9 and Galaxy S9 and S9+. This doesn’t seem to work retroactively with the Pixel 2 XL at the moment, but who’s to say if Google decides to change that in the future? Google Pixel supports HDR playback on YouTube so this change might be welcome for those who want to get a higher resolution experience on their new phones. Don’t expect this to come to the Pixel 3, though, as that model only supports 1080p playback.

Source: Android Authority