Tag Archives: Pixel Phone

Google’s Pixel Studio Image Generation Can Go Off The Rails

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One of the new AI-powered launch features on the Pixel 9 series is Pixel Studio, an app that takes text prompts and turns them into images. It might end up being a fun little tool, but it can also go off the rails pretty easily in our experience, 9to5Google reported.

Pixel Studio is a dedicated app for creating images from text prompts. The app works on the same idea as Gemini and ImageFX, allowing users to input a text prompt and get an image in return. But, like any respectable image generator, there have to be limits in place.

In a statement to 9to5Google, Google explains that there are limits in place for both Pixel Studio and Magic Editor to “prevent abuse” while still respecting “the intent of the user prompts” even if instructed to create content that “may offend” if the user directly tells the app to do so.

This is similar to Gemini, which has safeguards in place against potentially offensive and divisive content. For example, Google was criticized for inaccurate depictions of people in historical context, which led Google to “temporarily” disabling the ability to generate images of people as it has for the past several months,

Like Gemini, Pixel Studio is unable to generate images of people, but we found that the app can quickly and easily go off the rails.

According to 9to5Google, ahead of today’s Pixel 9 review embargo, we found that Pixel Studio was able to generate images of cartoon characters in WWII German uniforms, in some cases with Nazi symbols. Another jarring and worrying example 9to5Google viewed saw a character shooting in a school with dead children surrounding it, which Google’s models shouldn’t be able to generate in the first place.

Engadget reported: This year, Google decided not only to update the design of its Pixel phones but also put its AI features front and center. The Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL are the first Pixels that have swapped the Assistant for Gemini. 

With it’s latest flagships, Google continues to improve its cameras, by upgrading its primary sensor and expanding its suite of editing tools. And to power all those new AI tricks, the company has equipped the devices with its newest Tensor processor, designed to handle on-device Gemini tasks. 

For the first time, too, the Pro-branded Pixel is available in two sizes, with a smaller version joining the family. Better yet, if you go for the Pixel 9 Pro, you’ll be getting a largely identical phone to the pricier 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL. 

But this isn’t just another flagship Android: it’s a concerted effort to get you hooked on Google’s AI-powered image editing, email assistance and more. The Pixel 9 Pro delivers on all these aspects, with varying degrees of success.

The Verge reported: For the first time, Google is offering the Pro version in two sizes. They come with different-sized batteries, naturally, but both managed a full day of heavy use without needing a recharge. The Pixel 9 Pro is the size of the Pixel 8 (and the standard Pixel 9) with a 6.8-inch display.

But despite the difference in size, these two Pro 9 devices share the exact same camera hardware, including a 5x telephoto lens — something you don’t get on every “small” flagship phone. The main and telephoto cameras are unchanged from the 8 Pro, but the ultrawide has been updated with a faster lens that helps boost low-light performance.

In my opinion, it sounds like Google is trying very hard to prevent its Pixel line of phones from generating images that can be offensive or just plain incorrect. That’s one problem that can happen when relying on AI to create an image.

 

Google Announced Hands-Free Photos For The Pixel Family

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Google announced that their latest Feature Drop is here, and it’s jam-packed with helpful tools and updates for your Pixel Phone, Pixel Watch and Fitbit devices. These began rolling out yesterday, and will continue over the next few weeks.

For Pixel Phones

Peace of mind from Google Assistant: Use your voice to ask Google Assistant on your Pixel phone to start emergency sharing or to schedule a safety check for some extra piece of mind. If you’re out for a night run, just say “Hey Google, start a safety check for 30 minutes.” If you don’t respond to your safety check in the set duration, your emergency contacts will be notified and your real-time location will be shared.

Added safety on the road: Car crash detection on Pixels has helped keep drivers safe since launching in 2019, and now it can even keep loved ones in the loop if you’ve been in a severe crash. In addition to contacting emergency services, it can share your real-time location and call status with your emergency contacts.

Stunning videos, down to the smallest detail: Pixel Pro’s Focus is now available for video, so you can have larger-than-life videos of the smallest details, like butterflies fluttering or flowers waving in the wind.

Easier hands-free photos: Pixel 6 and newer phones will now let you take self-timed photos by simply raising your palm to trigger the timer after setting it for 3 or 10 seconds.

Express yourself with wallpapers that wow: Now on Pixel 6 and newer phones, you can bring your favorite memories of friends and family to life with Pixel’s new cinematic wallpapers. Pixel uses AI to transform your 2D wallpaper photos into dynamic 3D scenes for a truly magical look. And with new emoji wallpapers, you can also mix and match over 4,000 emoji with different patterns and colors to create live wallpapers that fit your personality.

Recorder speaker labels are even better: Recorder makes transcribing recordings a breeze with speaker labels. Starting next week, users with Pixel 6 and newer phones will be able to export transcripts into Google Docs, generate speaker-labeled video clips and search for speakers within recordings.

Quick access to smart home controls: Quickly access your favorite home devices right from your Pixel lock screen when using the Google Home app. Use the designated home panel to turn off lights, adjust the temperature, see your cameras and more.

Smarter haptics: For Pixel 6a and Pixel 7a, Pixel’s adaptive haptics can now lower its vibration intensity when it detects that it’s on a hard, flat surface like a desk of table.

Charging that adapts to your habits: Adaptive Charging now uses Google AI to help extend the lifespan of your Pixel battery. When you plug in your phone, it can predict a long charging session based on your previous charging habits, and slowly charge to 100% one hour before it’s expected to be unplugged.

New Google Assistant Voices: Google Assistant now sounds more natural and relatable to even more users with two new options to add to our diverse array of voices, totaling 12 in U.S. English.

In addition, Google has also introduced new features for Pixel Watches. For example, Pixel Watch will now be able to check your oxygen saturation (SpO2) and help you identify the changes in the level of oxygen in your blood while you are sleeping. There are also new features for Fitbit Devices

To me, it sounds like some of these features included in the Pixel family can make life easier for people with certain disabilities. Hands-free photos, an easy way to record speakers, and smart access to home controls are all a great place for Google Pixel to start with.