Tudia Products again are one of the first to drop some decent cases for the all new Google Pixel 8 series and there is two that you can pick from, one is their standard Merge Grip case and they also have a case that has a magnet built in which makes it MagSafe compatible which is excellent news for those who may cay both Android and iOS devices like me and makes them all work together with accessories.
The cases are built Rhino Technology and can take drops galore and do not add much built to the phone, I have been using the companies cases for some years now and almost always end up with their case on my phone full time in between testing other cases as we do.
You have dual layer drop protection with a soft TPU edge and this is what I like about these cases and then you have the additional grip factor the case offers which is why these have become one of my favourite case makers over the years for my phones.
You have raised edges front and back to protect the screen and camera array do the device can be placed face or back down and knowing it will not get marked on a flat surface.
The back of the case is anti- slip with extra grip so you can be sure your device is safe in your hand and on the surface it is left on. The cases are magsafe compatible and gesture compatible and the keys also work really well and overall makes these cases on of the first you should look at if you are picking up any of the new Pixel devices this year, they also cater for other brands and of course older Pixel devices.
Check out their range of Pixel cases here and the rest on offer here, then check out the video review below.
We have been testing out the Pixel 8 Pro a few days now and had time to check out their official cases which comes in a nice range of colours to match their latest phones,we also have other cases on the way so stay tuned for those reviews very soon, The Pixel OG cases though are today’s topic and in short these are a nice job and will protect your device and gives you additional grip.
The cases come in the colors Bay, Coral, Mint, Porcelain and Charcoal and fit the device perfectly with all ports clear and buttons that work really well and are tactile, the cases are also made with 42% recycled materials. The case also has a polycarbonate shell made with 75% recycled plastics and the external portion of the case’s power and volume buttons is made with 100% recycled aluminum.
According to Google the cases are stain-resistant, silicone material with microfiber lining offers durable protection though time will tell how they hold up on the exterior but for now so far so good and we like them.
Check the video review below for more. Note, wrong case sent out from our order hence the pixel 8 case included we have many more to come from other brands so stay tuned
For several years now I have been using the Google Pixel devices and there is always one in my hand no ter what else I am testing or using they have been a staple device for me and this year is the first year I have gone with the pro even though it is bigger the size of phones for me was getting out of hand and with the Pixel 8 Pro I have become custom to the bigger size again and now loving it.
The look and feel of the device is as expected from Google with lots of new features making it a production tool and much more and the design language is the same as before which is nothing new these days and I am fine with this. The back of the device has the traditional camera bar and nice texture on the back and the bar stands out and makes a statement and better looking that the rounded camera hump offerings in my opinion.
The keys on the side are placed well being a bigger phone and I have big hands so this would suit me better obviously and the keys are tactile and work well and of course with biometrics better this year you have face unlock and the under display fingerprint unlock which now is better and more functional with the face unlock on the Pixel 8 Pro.
So asides all the aesthetic looks for the Pixel 8 Pro the device feels solid looks solid and not to cumbersome in the hand and for me ideal for media consumption too amongst all the other AI features now baked into it.
We only have the device a few days so our full review will be up soon but we have been testing it out to the max the last few days we do have it and have some image and video samples attached below and we take a tour of the device and so far even so early in the review process which realistically takes more than a few days I am super impressed with what you get for you hard earned money and being my daily driver now it has been fast with good battery life it must be said so far being a power user and i have loaded it with all my apps and over time we will see how it gets on but for now it is dam good.
1 – Featuring the new Google Tensor G3 processor, it brings Google AI to help you do more throughout your day. With a fully upgraded pro-level triple rear camera system including a 5x telephoto lens and groundbreaking editing features, every photo and video is stunning. Its high resolution 6.7-inch Super Actua display is brighter than ever and intelligently adjusts between 1 and 120Hz for responsive performance and power efficiency. And for the first time ever in a Pixel, it features a thermometer.
Quickly get the temperature of objects like beverages and cookwarexnig by simply scanning them with your Pixel 8 Pro. Pixel 8 Pro starts at 1099 euro. It’s available in Bay, Porcelain, and Obsidian.
2 – Pixel 8. Powerful in every way. Helpful every day. Meet Pixel 8. The helpful phone engineered by Google, with upgraded rear cameras, powerful security, and an all-day battery.1 It has the new Google Tensor G3, Pixel’s most powerful chip yet, and Google AI to help you do more throughout your day.2 With stunning image quality and groundbreaking editing features, you’ll want to share every photo and video. And Pixel 8’s 6.2-inch Actua display delivers sharp colors and vivid details, with an improved refresh rate of up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and gaming.
3 – Beautifully crafted. Durable by design. Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro both feature fresh, modern designs with softer silhouettes, new finishes, and stylish new colors. Pixel 8 Pro is crafted with a polished aluminum frame and, for the first time on a pro Pixel, matte back glass. Pixel 8’s smaller form features a satin metal frame and polished back glass. Both phones are made with recycled materials. With their durable design and IP68 protection, the phones can handle slips, spills, and dust.
Both displays are immersive, with slim, symmetrical bezels, and are scratch resistant: Pixel 8 Pro features Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus® 2, and Pixel 8 is built with Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus.®
4 – Google Tensor G3: the power behind Google AI on Pixel. Google Tensor G3 is Pixel’s most powerful chip yet, and brings the latest in Google AI to the Pixel 8 phones. Since Google Tensor was introduced with Pixel 6, its AI capabilities have dramatically increased – the biggest machine learning model on Pixel 8 is 10X more complex compared to Pixel 6. So you get even more of the cutting-edge photo and video features that Pixel is known for, and new, smarter ways to get things done throughout your day.1 With the help of Tensor G3, Pixel’s Call Screen can now detect and filter out even more spam calls.2
Plus, Tensor G3’s advanced image processing and next-generation design bring Google AI innovations to more areas, like
audio and video quality. Improved Clear Calling gives you high-definition crystal clear phone calls, and Audio Magic Eraser lets you erase distracting sounds from videos.
5 – The Pixel 8 Pro camera. Pixel’s best camera yet. The Pixel 8 Pro camera system includes fully upgraded pro-level cameras for better low-light photos, sharper selfies, and Pixel’s best zoom and video yet. Coming soon, Pixel’s new Video Boost technology will deliver HDR+ and enhanced color grading for professional-looking videos, plus Night Sight Video for the first time ever. Pro controls enable advanced camera settings and high-resolution photography. And new features like Magic Editor,Best Take, and Audio Magic Eraser let you perfect any photo or video.
6 – The Pixel 8 camera. Amazing photos and videos, every time. The upgraded rear Pixel 8 camera has advanced image processing to reveal vivid colors and striking details in almost any light. Now with Macro Focus, the smallest subjects can become spectacular images. And you can take your group photos to the next level with Best Take, which combines similar pictures into one where everyone looks their best. Plus, features like Audio Magic Eraser for video and Magic Editor for photos let you capture every moment just how you want to remember it..
7 – 7 years of OS, security, and Feature Drop updates. Pixel phones are engineered to last and get better over time. With your Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro, you’ll receive the latest OS and security updates for 7 years, and new, helpful features with Feature Drops every few months.
8 – Security you can depend on. With Google Tensor G3 and the Titan M2 security chip, both Pixel 8 phones are built
with multiple layers of security to help keep your personal info safe. And they come with VPN by Google One built in to help protect your online activity no matter what app or web browser you use. You can also use Face Unlock for more things, like app sign-ins and payments, thanks to Tensor’s advanced machine learning. And Pixel now comes with 7 years of security updates, so it keeps getting more secure over time.
9 – Save time and do more with Google Assistant. Google Assistant helps you do even more on Pixel. You can now ask Assistant to summarize, read aloud, and translate web pages. Using Google AI, Assistant can paraphrase what’s on your screen into key points. Assistant voice typing lets you write messages twice as fast with your voice and now lets you type, edit, and send
messages in multiple languages seamlessly.Google Assistant also understands more natural conversation and can pick up on pauses and “um”s, so you can speak at your own pace. And At a Glance shows more useful info right on your screen, like travel updates, event tickets, and more.
10 – Help making calls. And avoiding them. Phone calls are easier with Pixel Call Assist, a set of features that help with everything from making calls to avoiding them. Google Assistant can now detect and filter out even more spam calls. If you’re too busy to pick up, Pixel can tell you who’s calling and why. Pixel also features a more realistic-sounding Assistant to engage with callers more naturally. And with improved Clear Calling, Pixel reduces your caller’s background noise – so you can hear them more clearly.
It our is that time of year when everyone awaits to see what the latest is form Google and we have a slew of new products in store this years as expected and again features galore on the new handsets which are the ones I carry the most as my daily drivers. Google have announced not only new phones but a new watch following up from last years wearable which we also look forward to checking out. Stay tuned for more on the Pixel devices and cases here on site and our YouTube channel. Meet Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, engineered by Google and built with AI at the center for a more helpful and personal experience. These phones are packed with first-of-their-kind features, all powered by Google Tensor G3. And they’ll get seven years of software updates, including Android OS upgrades, security updates and regular Feature Drops. Take a closer look at the new phones — everything from the beautiful design and new sensors to updated cameras.
A polished look made for your everyday
Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are elegantly designed with softer silhouettes, beautiful metal finishes and recycled materials.
Pixel 8, with its contoured edges and smaller size than Pixel 7, feels great in your hand. It has a 6.2-inch Actua display, which gives you real-world clarity and is 42% brighter than Pixel 7’s display. Pixel 8 features satin metal finishes, a polished glass back and comes in Rose, Hazel and Obsidian.
Pixel 8 Pro’s 6.7-inch Super Actua display features our brightest display yet. So even in direct sunlight, you’ll love how true-to-life your Ultra HDR images look. It also has a matte glass back with a polished aluminum frame and comes in three colors: Porcelain, Bay and Obsidian.
And on the back of the Pixel 8 Pro, a new temperature sensor lets you quickly scan an object to get its temperature. Use it to check if your pan is hot enough to start cooking or if the milk in your baby’s bottle is at the right temperature. We’ve also submitted an application to the FDA, to enable Pixel’s Thermometer App to take your temperature and save it to Fitbit.
More camera improvements
Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro feature powerful, upgraded camera systems for stunning photo and video quality, plus game-changing editing tools.
Every camera on the Pixel 8 Pro has been upgraded, starting with the main camera that captures better photos and videos in low-light settings. The bigger ultrawide lens delivers even better Macro Focus, the telephoto lens captures 56% more light and takes 10x photos at optical quality, and the front-facing camera now has autofocus for the best selfies on a Pixel phone.
And Pixel 8 has the same updated main camera, plus a new ultrawide lens that enables Macro Focus.
The camera app has an intuitive, redesigned interface, letting you quickly find and capture content in your favorite photo and video modes. And for Pixel 8 Pro, you’ll have access to Pro Controls, giving you more creative control of the Pixel Camera with settings like shutter speed, ISO, 50 MP photos throughout the zoom range and more.
We’ve all been in that situation where you have the perfect group photo, but someone isn’t looking at the camera. Best Take uses the photos you did take to get the photo you thought you took. To make that happen, an on-device algorithm creates a blended image from a series of photos to get everyone’s best look.
Magic Editor in Google Photos is a new experimental editing experience that uses generative AI to help you bring your photos in line with the essence of the moment you were trying to capture. You can reposition and resize subjects or use presets to make the background pop — all with just a few taps.
Audio Magic Eraser lets you easily reduce distracting sounds in your video, like howling winds or noisy crowds. This first-of-its-kind computational audio capability uses advanced machine learning models to sort sounds into distinct layers so you can control their levels.
Later this year, Pixel 8 Pro will get Video Boost, which pairs Tensor G3 with our powerful data centers to apply cutting-edge processing to your videos. It adjusts color, lighting, stabilization and graininess, and the result is stunning videos that look true to life. Video Boost also enables Night Sight Video on Pixel for better low-light smartphone video quality.
Features to help you save time and get things done
Now you can quickly get more context and dive deeper into a webpage. With Summarize, Pixel can generate a summary of a webpage, so you can quickly understand the key points. And your Pixel can even read aloud and translate webpages for you so you can listen to articles on the go.
Pixel is even better at understanding the nuances of human speech, so you can talk to it more naturally to get things done. If you take a pause or say “um,” it will wait until you’re done before responding. Use your voice to quickly type, edit and send messages, even if you speak multiple languages.
And with improved AI, Call Screen now helps you receive 50% fewer spam calls on average. It will silently answer calls from unknown numbers with a more natural-sounding voice to engage the caller. It’s also smart enough to separate the calls you want from the calls you don’t. And soon, Call Screen will suggest contextual replies for you to tap to quickly respond to simple calls, like appointment confirmations, without having to answer the phone.
7 years of updates to keep you and your personal information secure
Google Tensor G3 works with the Titan M2 security chip to protect personal information and make your Pixel more resilient to sophisticated attacks. And now, Face Unlock on Pixel 8 meets the highest Android biometric class, allowing you to access compatible banking and payment apps like Google Wallet.
With Pixel, you receive exclusive features and updates that keep your phone getting better over time. For the first time, we’re providing seven years of software support for Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro — including OS upgrades, security updates and regular Feature Drops.
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar today joined Head of Google Ireland, Adaire Fox-Martin and Google’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, Lorraine Twohill to officially open the first phase of the Bolands Mills development and announce a new €1.5M Google.org scholarship fund for students from under-represented communities in the area of AI. With grant support from Google.org’s fund, the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics at Dublin City University will enable scholarships for students at universities around Ireland.
The opening marks the 20th anniversary of Google’s arrival in Ireland. The company opened its first office in Ireland with just five employees in 2003. In the past twenty years Google Ireland has grown to become Google’s EMEA HQ with a workforce of over 9,000 people. The new Bolands Mills development will become a hub of engineering with over 1,000 engineers moving into the offices upon their completion.
Lorraine Twohill, CMO of Google, said “Over the past two decades Ireland has become one of the world digital leaders at the heart of Europe and as Ireland has grown, Google has grown in Ireland. We are immensely proud of the strength of our team here and the work they are doing in driving Google’s future. We want to ensure that everyone across Ireland is able to benefit from the next generation of AI technology which is why we are announcing a new €1.5M Google.org scholarship fund. This fund will support AI education for students from under-represented communities. The scholarships will be available across Ireland through a grant to the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics at Dublin City University.”
The new fund will enable universities to provide scholarships to students from under-represented communities, including people with disabilities, women in STEM, first generation students with no history of third level education in the family and members of the Traveller community, who wish to apply for undergraduate courses where Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Safety are core elements of the course. Through the scholarship fund, Google.org is providing a grant to the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics, which will provide scholarship funding to Access offices in all Higher Education Institutions in Ireland.
Speaking at the event today, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD said, “The opening of this historic building is good for Dublin’s civic heritage and represents a major milestone for Google Ireland driven from their innovative new centre of engineering. This new centre of excellence, alongside the scholarship fund announced today, will help cement Ireland’s role as a digital leader at the heart of European and global digital developments.”
The historic Flour Mills building at Bolands Mills has been expertly restored and adapted into a dedicated collaboration space for Google, with the ground floor opening to the public in 2024. The building features a range of new designs and technologies so that people can mix and match their workspace to their needs and more closely collaborate with colleagues anywhere in the world.
Adaire Fox-Martin, Head of Google Ireland, “The Flour Mills building is steeped in history and our real estate teams have worked hard to ensure we respect its past, while equipping it for the future. When Bolands Mills opens fully next year, a mix of shops, eateries, public squares, and community and cultural spaces will bring new energy to this historic site. We want Bolands Mills to be an inclusive space that brings communities together: Google employees, our neighbours and visitors alike.”
Google, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices are renewing their partnership to help upskill Irish SMEs by launching the 2023 You’re The Business competition. This initiative will reward businesses across Ireland that have demonstrated a commitment to digital at different stages of their journey, from those who have launched a website through to those who are just starting to export.
SMEs will be invited to submit a video no longer than two minutes in duration detailing what their business means to them as well as an example of how they have used digital to enhance their business. Entries are open now until October 31st 2023.
The successful SMEs selected by a panel of established judges, will receive a digital support package from Google which includes a €1,000 Google ads package as well as expert mentorship across a range of technical areas that will help them to develop their business. An additional prize of a video creation kit will also be awarded to one SME that has demonstrated great efforts in promoting their business online.
Cera Ward, Managing Director at Google Ireland said: “Google is committed to supporting Irish SMEs upskill. We were so inspired by last year’s entries that really showed how SMEs strived to get their business online and how being online has helped them to succeed and grow, both domestically and further afield. We are excited to launch this year’s competition and look forward to learning about more SMEs, their challenges, and digital ambitions. Google wants to support these companies as they take the next steps on their digital journey.”
John Magee, Chair of Local Enterprise Office Network said: “The digital transformation of Irish businesses is essential for their future success and the Local Enterprise Offices have been to the fore with a range of supports to enable businesses get online and maximise their online presence with the likes of the Trading Online Voucher and our Digital Start programme. We are committed to helping Irish businesses thrive in a digital world, and this initiative in partnership with Google is just one of the many ways we continue to support our clients on their digital journey.”
Speaking at the launch announcement, Caryna Camerino of Camerino Bakery said: “Our website was designed to be our virtual shop window, allowing customers to customise their ideal celebration cake. Going digital meant that our online sales could continue smoothly while we grew the business and opened our new cafe in the Irish Museum of Modern Art. With Google’s help, we are now looking to reach new customers via online marketing, newsletters, and email campaigns”.
Entries are open now with further information on the You’re the Business competition available at: g.co/yourethebusiness
Deadline
Entries are open until October 31st 2023.
How to enter
SMEs to outline how digital has helped their business so far by answering these questions in a short video (two minutes or less):
What does your business mean to you?
What one change have you made to grow your business online?
What opportunities could growing online create for you?
SMEs will be asked to upload the video to YouTube – details on how to upload are here. All videos must be original content only (including use of music), and should be a maximum of two minutes in duration.
Evaluation
Judges will appoint winners based on the following criteria:
Demonstrate how digital skills have helped their business to grow and succeed.
Have an inspirational story about how getting their business online has helped them to succeed.
One of the biggest benefits of Bard, an experiment to collaborate with generative AI, is that it can tailor its responses to exactly what you need. For instance, you could ask Bard to start a trip planning Doc for you and your friends, draft up your online marketplace listing, or help explain a science topic to your kids. And now, Bard is getting even better at customizing its responses so you can easily bring your ideas to life. Check out what is on offer now below.
Today we’re rolling out Bard’s most capable model yet. Bard now integrates with Google apps and services for more helpful responses. We’ve also improved the “Google it” feature to double-check Bard’s answers and expanded features to more places.
Connect to Google apps and services
Today we’re launching Bard Extensions in English, a completely new way to interact and collaborate with Bard. With Extensions, Bard can find and show you relevant information from the Google tools you use every day — like Gmail, Docs, Drive, Google Maps, YouTube, and Google Flights and hotels — even when the information you need is across multiple apps and services.
For example, if you’re planning a trip to the Grand Canyon (a project that takes up many tabs), you can now ask Bard to grab the dates that work for everyone from Gmail, look up real-time flight and hotel information, see Google Maps directions to the airport, and even watch YouTube videos of things to do there — all within one conversation.
Or, imagine you’re applying for a new job and using Bard to help with the process. You could ask Bard to “find my resume titled June 2023 from my Drive and summarize it to a short paragraph personal statement,” and continue collaborating on your new cover letter.
We’re committed to protecting your personal information. If you choose to use the Workspace extensions, your content from Gmail, Docs and Drive is not seen by human reviewers, used by Bard to show you ads or used to train the Bard model. And of course, you’re always in control of your privacy settings when deciding how you want to use these extensions, and you can turn them off at any time.
Easily double-check responses and build on shared conversations
Starting today with responses in English, you can use Bard’s “Google it” button to more easily double-check its answers. When you click on the “G” icon, Bard will read the response and evaluate whether there is content across the web to substantiate it. When a statement can be evaluated, you can click the highlighted phrases and learn more about supporting or contradicting information found by Search.
We’re also making it easier to build on others’ conversations with Bard. Starting today, when someone shares a Bard chat with you through a public link, you can continue the conversation and ask Bard additional questions about that topic, or use it as a starting point for your own ideas.
Access features in more places
As we continue to build Bard responsibly, we’re now expanding access to existing English language features — such as the ability to upload images with Lens, get Search images in responses, and modify Bard’s responses — to more than 40 languages.
EPAM Systems, Inc., a leading digital transformation services and product engineering company, has won the 2023 Google Cloud Social Impact Partner of the Year Award for North America. The Company was recognised among a diverse group of organisations for creating the best examples of customer and partner innovation and transformation—solving today’s biggest challenges across key industries worldwide. The Social Impact award is given to those who went above and beyond in 2022, creating or promoting initiatives that made a positive and lasting impact on our world.
At the onset of the war in Ukraine, EPAM identified an opportunity to connect the dots between supply, demand, logistics and funding. The UkraineNow website was created as an infrastructure provider to Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy and other volunteer organisations and NGOs. The website is hosted on Google Cloud and aggregates important humanitarian aid data from numerous endpoints. It supports the UkraineNow global initiative that mobilises volunteers worldwide to help evacuate Ukrainian children, the elderly, and those with disabilities from the war zone.
“We’re pleased to be recognised as a 2023 Google Cloud Partner of the Year for our continued efforts in providing unwavering aid and support to Ukraine during a crisis,” said Stepan Mitish, VP and Head of EPAM Ukraine. “As an adaptive enterprise, we help customers pivot quickly under unrelenting waves of change. Such was the situation, and we quickly mobilised a plan to orchestrate a solution with the UkraineNow website in addition to our other support initiatives while consistently delivering exceptional results to Google Cloud and our mutual customers.”
“Google Cloud’s partner awards recognise the significant impact and customer success that our partners have driven over the past year,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, Corporate Vice President, Global Ecosystem and Channels at Google Cloud. “We’re delighted to recognise EPAM as a 2023 Google Cloud Partner Award winner and look forward to a continued strong partnership in support of our mutual customers.”
EPAM and Google Cloud help solve companies’ most complex cloud challenges. With more than 2,000 experienced Google Cloud engineers, EPAM has been a premier partner since 2018 and recently announced a strategic global partnership to help enterprises modernise and transform with the power of AI. Credentialed and specialised in Google Cloud technology and industry pillars, EPAM provides best-in-breed Google Cloud solutions to its customers.
Google has today announced a new training programme aimed at supporting SMEs in Ireland. You’re The Business Live Sessions, hosted in Google’s Dublin offices, will include five in-person training sessions suitable to SMEs at the early stages of their digital journey right through to those more digitally-sophisticated businesses who are ready to export globally.
The initiative is part of the You’re the Business programme, an initiative created by Google, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices last year to help upskill Irish SMEs. The You’re the Business programme aims to help accelerate Irish SME growth through digitalisation, which is in support of the Irish government’s ambitious goals around SME digitalisation and internationalisation.
Today’s announcement follows recent Google Search data which found that Irish people are increasingly seeking to gain new certifications, particularly in digital skills. The last year has seen increases in searches for certifications in UX Design (+80%), IT Support (+60%), Data Analytics (+60%) and Project Management (+50%). There has also been a 180% rise in searches for “artificial intelligence courses” over the last five years, with an increase of 150% for data science-related courses.
Cera Ward, Managing Director at Google Ireland said:
“Our partnership with Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices was devised following research last year that identified gaps in the digital capabilities of Ireland’s SMEs. It found that only 45% of Irish SMEs had a website while 50% said they lacked the basic knowledge about which digital skills to prioritise and invest in. Irish SMEs need support which is why we partnered with Enterprise Ireland to launch You’re The Business last year and we’re delighted to continue our partnership for the benefit of SMEs in Ireland in 2023.”
The first training session will take place on Friday 15 September with live and in-person modules occurring every two weeks in Google’s Dublin headquarters. The five online training modules will help Irish SMEs to:
