With the release of Android 14 creeping closer, Google just announced a makeover for the Android brand, which was last updated in 2019. The logo has been modernized, and the Android mascot, called Bugdroid, has a fresh 3D look. The company also unveiled a handful of new features for Google apps and Android devices, including a Google Assistant-powered widget and the option to store digital versions of library and gym cards in your Google Wallet. The new look is designed to "reflect Android's core ethos of being open, iterative, and inclusive." From now on, it's Android with a capital "A," and the Android logo has grown curvier, bringing it closer to the style of the Google logo.

It's been more than two years since Google plopped down $2.1 billion for Fitbit, but there hasn't been much integration between the two companies' products thus far. That looks like it'll change this fall. Not only is the upcoming Pixel Watch set to get a shiny Fitbit integration, but it also appears that the rumored Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 might have some kind of Google Wallet integration as well. According to 9to5Google, the latest version of Android's Play Services shows signs that Google Wallet -- which includes Google Pay -- is adding Fitbit smartwatch support. That includes a new menu with graphics resembling a "squircle" Fitbit smartwatch.

Google I/O 2022, Google's largest developer conference, kicked off with a keynote speech from Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. The keynote speech had major announcements including the launch of Pixel watch, updates on PaLM and LaMDA, advancements in AR and immersive technology etc. Let us look at the key highlights. "Recently we announced plans to invest USD 9.5 billion in data centers and offices across the US. One of our state-of-the-art data centers is in Mayes County, Oklahoma. I'm excited to announce that, there, we are launching the world's largest, publicly-available machine learning hub for our Google Cloud customers," Sundar Pichai said.

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Dec. 7, 1941, for example, which is the day that will live in infamy. Others are symbolic for other reasons. Everyone may not know that the Ides of March means March 15, but there are very few English speakers who don't know that one ought to beware of them. It seems the secret to being an infamous day -- as opposed to achieving the sort of fame commemorated with a holiday and some bank closings -- is having both an unmistakably significant event and the talents of a particularly good hypeman. In that regard, it is probably hard to do much better than Shakespeare or FDR.

Last week on the Alphabet earnings call Sundar Pichai made several explicit references to machine learning. This is meaningful on several levels and is also a warning shot for entire industries who don't view Google as a competitor (but should). "I also want to point out that our investments in machine learning and artificial intelligence are a priority for us. Machine learning has long powered things like voice search, translation and much more. And our machine learning is hard at work in mobile services like Now on Tap which quickly assist you by providing additional useful information for whatever you are doing, right in the moment, anywhere on your phone."