Google Pixel 9a

Google Pixel 9a announced for $499

Posted on by Ashwin

Google has launched the Pixel 9a. The mid-range phone runs on Android 15 out of the box, with an update policy of 7 years of OS, security and Pixel drop updates.

Google Pixel 9a

As one might expect, the Pixel 9a ships with Gemini built-in, but it doesn’t include a subscription for Gemini Advanced.

The phone is powered by an in-house Google Tensor G4 processor, with 8 GB of RAM and 128/256 GB of storage. It has a Titan M2 security coprocessor, an optical fingerprint scanner, to protect user data which is end-to-end encrypted locally.

There is no camera island across the device’s rear panel, the dual cameras are instead housed in a regular array. The primary lens is a 48 megapixels wide angle camera that supports Optical Image Stabilization, Electronic Image Stabilization, and can record 4k videos at 60 frames-per-second. The other camera is a 13 megapixels ultra-wide angle lens.

The Pixel 9a is capable of AI-powered photography features like Add Me which combines group photos), Best Take which blends facial expressions from multiple photos, and Magic Editor that can reframe your photo, suggest best crop, auto-expand the scene, add effects, etc. In addition to these the Pixel 9a also supports various editing features such as Magic Eraser, Audio Magic Eraser, Night Sight, Astrophotography, Panorama with Night Sight, Photo Unblur.

Moving to the front, the Pixel 9a has a 13 megapixels wide angle camera for selfies, which is housed at the top of the screen. As for the design, the phone has thick bezels running around the edges. The screen is a 6.3-inches Actua Display, and it supports 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, HDR, and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Google has managed to fit in a chunky 5,100 mAh battery in the phone, which it says will offer 30+ hours of battery life. The handset is IP68 certified for dust and water resistance. More interestingly, Google claims that the Pixel 9a has drop protection, which should make it durable.

Google Pixel 9a tech specs

  • Processor: Google Tensor G4
  • Security: Titan M2 security coprocessor, Fingerprint Unlock, Face Unlock
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Storage: 128 GB / 256 GB
  • Screen: 6.3-inches Actua Display, 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, HDR, 2,700 nits brightness
  • Operating System: Android 15
  • Front Camera: 13 MP f/2.2 aperture, 96.1° FoV, 4k video @ 30 fps
  • Rear Cameras: 48 MP Wide f/1.6 aperture, 82° FoV, OIS + EIS, 0.5x and 1x optical zoom, Super Res Zoom – up to 8x, 4K video capture @ 30/60 fps, 5x digital zoom + 13 MP Ultra-wide angle f/2.2 aperture, 120° FoV
  • Battery: 5,100 mAh, Fast Charging, Qi Wireless Charging
  • Port: USB Type-C 3.2
  • Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 microphones
  • Connectivity: Dual SIM (Single Nano SIM and eSIM), 4G LTE, 5G Sub 6GHz, Wi-Fi 6E with 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz, 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth v5.3, NFC, Google Cast, Dual Band GNSS, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS, NavIC
  • Sensors: Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyrometer, Magnetometer, Barometer
  • Update policy: 7 years of OS, security and Pixel drop updates
  • Rating: IP68 water and dust resistance
  • Dimensions: 154.7 mm x 73.3 mm x 8.9 mm
  • Weight: 185.9 g

Google Pixel 9a price and availability

The Pixel 9a starts at $499 for the 128 GB model, while the 256 GB version costs $599. The device will be available at the Google Store and retail partners beginning in April. The Pixel 9a comes in 3 colors: Obsidian, Porcelain and Iris.

Vivaldi 7.2

Vivaldi Browser 7.2: the speed boost it needed

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Vivaldi Software has released a new version of its desktop browser today. Vivaldi 7.2 is available already. The company says that it implemented several speed optimizations in the browser as well as the usual mix of usability-enhancing options.

As for speed, Vivaldi has probably not been the fastest leanest browser out there in the past. Part of this comes from the awesome list of customization options that its users get. You can customize many aspects of the browser, including some that no other browser offers by default.

Vivaldi says that it has improved the performance of the web browser in two core areas:

  • The address bar.
  • Page loads.

As far as the address bar is concerned, it should deliver “quicker, and more relevant results” now. Vivaldi developers have tweaked suggestions and improved the accuracy of search. All this to help users find what they want faster.

Indeed, typing in Vivaldi’s address bar feels snappier after the upgrade to version 7.2. Mileage may vary though, so please let me know how you’d rate the experience after you have given it a try.

As for page load improvements. Vivaldi says it has optimized the browser’s connection handling and that this can lead in some cases to twice as fast page loads. I never really had issues with page loads in Vivaldi, but it surely feels as if pages load a bit snappier on my trusted HP laptop. Again, give this is a try and let me know how the experience is for you.

Priority shortcuts

Another new feature is the introduction of priority shortcuts. These are designed to take priority over any other shortcut, including those that websites may map when you visit them.

It is a power user’s feature, no doubt about that. Still, if you find the shortcut behavior on a particular site annoying, you may give it a shot.

Here is the list of other notable changes in Vivaldi 7.2:

  • You can now turn emails into events in Calendar.
  • There is a new Currency Widget to convert currency in real-time.
  • Quick Commands support Workspaces now.
  • Mail accounts can be reordered.

Additional information is available on the Vivaldi website. Existing users should receive the update automatically, but you can also select Vivaldi Menu > Help > Check for updates to get it right away. New users can download Vivaldi 7.2 from the official website to get started.

Now You: have you tried Vivaldi 7.2? What is your take on the new version? Noticed any speed improvements?

Curves Non-destructive filter being applied to a portrait of Sofiia being edited in GIMP. Photo by Sofia (CC by-sa 4.0 International)

Gimp 3.0 image editor is now available

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

When the Gimp development team started to work on Gimp 3.0 in 2020, it probably did not think that it would take five years to release the new version.

Gimp 3.0 is a major update that has been in the making for seven years, since the release of Gimp 2.10. The open source image editor is a popular alternative to commercial applications like Adobe Photoshop.

Highlights of the update are support for non-destructive effects, interface improvements, and the new GTK3 library, which improves scaling and tablet support. There is also an optional welcome dialog on start and improved color space management.

The release notes are available already, but download servers have not been updated yet. It may take a while before downloads become available officially.

Updated GTK3 user interface

The update to GTK3 brings several improvements along with it. Apart from better user interface scaling on high-resolution displays, it is also improving tablet input support.

Linux users may notice that GIMP 3.0 runs natively on Wayland now. An option to switch to X11 is still available, however.

Non-destructive layer effects

One of the big changes is support for non-destructive layer effects. Previously, adding a filter would have it merged automatically to the layer. This prevented you from making edits, as you had to use the undo function to do so.

Filters stay active in GIMP 3.0, which means that you can edit most filters without having to revert your work each time.

GIMP users who prefer the classic way can use the merge filters option when applying a filter to bring back the old functionality.

The team notes that the new filter effects can be saved “to XCF and reloaded for further editing” next to that.

Color space management

GIMP 3.0 offers extensive support for RGB color spaces beyond sRGB thanks to improved babl and GEGL libraries integrations.

The team notes:

For example, if you load an image with an AdobeRGB color profile, that information will be retained in all aspects of GIMP – allowing you to make whatever edits you need without losing color space information. This update also lays the groundwork for future CMYK and LAB image color modes.

Closing Words

GIMP 3.0 is a big update that improve things for users of the open source image editor in several meaningful ways. You can check out the full release notes, linked above, for additional release information.

Microsoft confirms bug that uninstalls Copilot app on Windows

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Just a few days ago, Microsoft released the cumulative security updates for Windows 10 and 11 to the public. The company did not confirm any new issues at the time, but that has changed now.

A new issue has been confirmed that is affecting all supported client versions of Windows.

The details:

  • Windows 10, version 22H2 and Windows 11, versions 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2 are affected.
  • The bug uninstalls the Copilot app from the operating systems.
  • The Copilot icon is removed from the taskbar in the process as well.

Microsoft confirms furthermore that only the native Copilot app for Windows is affected. In other words, Microsoft 365 Copilot remains unaffected by the issue and won’t be uninstalled.

Microsoft writes:

We’re aware of an issue with the Microsoft Copilot app affecting some devices. The app is unintentionally uninstalled and unpinned from the taskbar.

Note: This issue has not been observed with the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.

It is unclear how widespread the issue is.

Workaround: affected users are asked to reinstall the Microsoft Copilot application from the Microsoft Store and pin it manually to the taskbar to restore the functionality.

Here are the links to the support articles and the KB IDs.

Not all Windows users may be unhappy about this new bug. Granted, it is easy enough to remove Copilot from the system or hide it at least.

If you do not want to do it manually, you could give helper apps like O&O AppBuster or NoBloatBox a try.

Now it is your turn. Have you tried any of the Copilot apps on Windows ever since it was pushed onto systems by Microsoft?

Microsoft Edge for Android: more extensions now available, but one group is missing entirely

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

When Mozilla — finally — introduced support for extensions in Firefox, years to late, but still, it unlocked a whole new world for users of the mobile open source browser.

Up until that time, no major browser supported extensions no mobile. While there were some dedicated projects that supported mobile extensions, all major browsers did not. Imagine having to browse the Web without a content blocker.

The next best thing were browsers with integrated ad blockers. Vivaldi, Opera, or Brave come to mind.

Now that Firefox supports extensions, Microsoft has also moved on that front and integrated support for extensions in Edge for mobile.

Like Mozilla’s offering initially, Microsoft is limiting available extensions right now. Unlike Mozilla, Microsoft is not offering a single content blocker at this point.

Extensions in Edge Stable for Mobile

Once you have upgraded Edge Stable to the latest version on Android, you gain access to extensions with a click on Menu > Extensions. There you find the list of supported extensions. Some good ones are available, including Tampermonkey, Dark Reader, or Bitwarden Password Manager. There is also a video downloader, cookie manager, and some other useful extensions.

What you do not get is a content blocker. Granted, with Google’s decision to stop Manifest V2 extensions from working in Chromium and Chrome, popular choices like uBlock Origin are no longer compatible. But the lite version is also nowhere to be found. The same is true for other content blockers.

Microsoft does not explain why that is the case, only that more extensions “are coming soon”. So, the good news is that Edge is getting support for a wider range of extensions. The bad news is that no extension of, probably, the most popular extension type is available.

Closing Words

Support for extensions is a welcome feature on mobile, as it gives users more options to customize their experience while using the browser. Content blockers are a must, and it is puzzling that Microsoft has not added a single one to the list of supported extensions at this stage.

So, for now at least, you might want to stick to Firefox, the one browser with excellente mobile extensions support. Or, at least a browser with a proper content blocker, like Brave.

Copilot key

Copilot: I see some use for the assistant on Windows at the horizon, finally

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

The integration of the Copilot AI in Windows has been lackluster up to this point, if you ask me. It felt rushed and Microsoft is still scrambling to improve its use for users. The same is true for any other AI that is available as an application.

While there are plenty of options to use AI on Windows, the tools do not really offer much in terms of usability that is not also available elsewhere.

Microsoft seems to have forgotten a key ingredient regarding the successful launch of a new product: the benefit for the user.

The initial Copilot offered some of that, as it supported the tiniest amount of Windows-specific control options. It demonstrated what could have been, even though the implementation itself was cumbersome. Even Microsoft did not publish the full list of commands that Copilot supported back then.

Microsoft changed its strategy suddenly and replaced the integration with a copy of the web version. Windows-specific options were gone and the clear signal was that they would not be back anytime soon.

Two new Copilot for Windows features were shown this week. While I would not call them gamechangers, some Windows users may find them useful.

Number 1: Gaming

Copilot for Gaming. Source: Microsoft

Microsoft describes Copilot for Gaming as “the ultimate gaming sidekick that helps players get to play faster, sharpen skills with expert coaching, and enjoy a more social gaming experience”.

The key feature is helpful coaching, not game recommendations, maintaining connections with friends, or seamless game setups.

One particularly exciting area which Kardar demonstrated on the podcast is a future feature of Copilot for Gaming: in-game assistance. In example scenarios, players were presented using natural language, where Copilot was able to provide situation-specific advice to assist players in overcoming challenges and improving their gameplay.

So, when you are stuck in a game currently, you may fire up a web browser to find a solution. Maybe it is a YouTube video or a tutorial that explains how to beat a particularly difficult boss in the game you are playing.

Clearly, it remains to be seen how useful this AI assistance is really going to be, but it is finally something specific and not just a feature that everyone is also offering.

Number 2: Press to talk

Copilot push to talk. Source: Microsoft

The main mode of interaction with AI is typing currently. Microsoft, Google, and other major players are evolving their AIs to allow different means of communication.

Talking offers advantages in some situations, for instance when you have your hands busy or do not want to leave an app or game that you are using at the moment.

Press to talk is a new feature of Copilot for Windows that is rolling out currently to Windows Insiders. Microsoft mapped the function to the Alt-Spacebar shortcut of Copilot. Press the two keys for two seconds to start a conversation with Copilot.

Ask anything over the microphone and you get an answer from the AI. Copilot ends the conversation automatically when there is no speaking for several seconds.

This may be useful in several scenarios, from gaming over other fullscreen applications to asking for contextual help without having to do a lot of typing.

Closing Words

Yes, these features may not persuade the majority of Windows users to give it a try or buy a new Copilot+ PC. What I like about them is that they introduce usefulness to Copilot when using Windows in particularly.

I expect more features like these to become available in the future.

What is your take on this? Do you see your “future you” using Copilot or another AI? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

How to take high quality screenshots of YouTube videos

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

There are quite a few ways to take a screenshot of a specific scene of any YouTube video. Sometimes, I need to get a screenshot for work, for instance to use an image as a teaser for an article.

Other YouTube users may have different reasons for wanting to capture a specific frame. Maybe because they like what they see, want to save a copy for eternity, or get a new wallpaper image.

Whatever the reason, there are several options to do that. While many require an extension, not all do.

The not-so-secret shortcut

YouTube Save Screenshot

Did you know that you can take screenshots of any YouTube video in any modern desktop browser? Here is how that works:

  1. Open the desired video in your browser of choice.
  2. Use the settings to set the video quality. The screenshot will always be in that quality.
  3. Play the video or use seek to jump to the right frame.
  4. Hold down the Shift-key, right-click twice on the video, and select “save video frame as” from the context menu that opens.
  5. Save the image to the local system.

The process described above should work in all Chromium-based browsers. Firefox users need to select “take snapshot” instead from the context menu to save the frame to the local system.

Firefox YouTube Screenshot

Second option: browser extensions

There is not really any need for using an extension to take a screenshot. The only exception is mobile use. Some browsers, Firefox for example, support extensions. This allows you to capture YouTube screens on your mobile as well, as the not-so-secret shortcut does not work on mobile.

Here are some suggestions:

There are plenty more on the official extension stores.

Microsoft is not done yet, adds more “Recommendations” to Windows 11

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

One of the new features of Windows 11 was the recommendations section of the start menu. Windows displays recently added programs or opened files in the section.

Microsoft likes it that much, that it made it a mandatory feature. You can reduce the number of recommendations or even display none at all, but you can’t remove the entire section to make room for more pinned items and other useful things.

Note: third-party programs or Start menu replacement apps do away with this, but that is another story.

The latest Windows 11 Insider preview build adds another recommendations section to the operating system. It is not really a new feature, considering that Microsoft tested it in the year 2023 already. It does come with a new design though.

File Explorer: Recommendations

This time, it is File Explorer that is going to show a recommended section when you launch it or display the home section.

Here is how Microsoft describes the feature:

These files will provide you quick access to relevant files based on your activity in the Recommended section which is displayed as a carousel with thumbnail previews. This includes content such as files you frequently use, have recently downloaded, or added to your File Explorer Gallery.

It is interesting to note that Home is already showing recently used files on the very page. Even Microsoft’s screenshot shows the same file under recommended and recent.

The new section is displayed only for users who sign-in with a personal Microsoft account or a local account. Users from the European Economic Area do not get the feature at this point.

It is unclear at this point whether this section will also be mandatory, or if users may disable it. There is an option to collapse it.

Registry hacks exist to remove the entire Home section in File Explorer. This could be another option for users who do not really need the recommendations there.

What is your take on these recommendations? Is it a useful feature that you would like to use? Or do you prefer to hide these whenever possible?

Spotube open source Spotify client

Spotube: open source Spotify client without ads

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

You have plenty of options when it comes to listening to music. From traditional radio and Internet radio to locally stored music, music CDs, or online services such as Spotify or YouTube.

If you like Spotify, but do not like the advertisements that come with a free account, then you might like what the open source software Spotube has to offer.

It uses music information from Spotify, but links all the music to YouTube. Means: you get most features that Spotify offers, including popular radios, mixes and whatnot, but without ads, as music is streamed from YouTube.

Spotube is a cross-platform application. It is available for the desktop systems Windows, macOS and Linux, and also the mobile operating systems Android and iOS.

Installation is straightforward. First thing you may do is sign-in to a Spotify account. You can create one or sign-in to an existing one. This is not a requirement, but your playlists, artists that you follow and albums are carried over, which means that you get direct access to them.

You may also browse Spotify’s selection of radios, mixes and other content. The only features that are not supported are Spotify Podcasts and Shows. These are only available on Spotify and require a premium subscription.

Click on the play button and music starts to play. There is a noticeable delay. It may take a few seconds before you start to hear the music, but playback was reliable during tests. Never got the wrong song or no song at all while testing the application and its features. There is an alternative track sources feature, which may help if a song is wrong or not of the best quality.

Speaking of which, features do not end here. You can create or generate playlists, like tracks, follow artists, and even download music to the local system for offline playback.

Closing Words

Spotube is an excellent option when it comes to playing music on your devices. It uses Spotify’s vast database of music, mixes, radios, and such, and combines those with freely streamed music from YouTube to avoid advertisement entirely.

Do you listen to music on your devices? If so, which services do you use? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Migrating from Skype to Microsoft Teams

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft plans to retire the communication software Skype in May 2025 and recommends that users switch to Microsoft Teams for all their communication needs.

You may ask yourself now how that works. How do you get data like your contacts migrated to Microsoft Teams? This guide walks describes what Microsoft has in store for you and how to export your Skype data manually as well.

First, the information that Microsoft provided so far:

  • Skype users will be able to sign into Teams using their credentials.
  • Chat and contacts will automatically appear, according to Microsoft.
  • During a transition period, calls between Teams and Skype users will be supported.

This makes the migration to Microsoft Teams quite convenient, provided that you want to migrate to the new application.

Note that it may take days before you are able to sign in to Microsoft Teams with your Skype credentials. Microsoft says that this will happen “over the coming days”, but does not provide additional details.

Skype users may export their data. This can be useful if Microsoft Teams is not an option, or if you prefer to switch to a different communication platform altogether.

Important: Skype remains available until May 5, 2025. It is advised to export the Skype data before the date to avoid disruptions or issues.

Export Data from Skype

Here is how you export your Skype data manually:

  1. Sign-in on the web-based version of Skype.
  2. Locate settings and preferences on the page that opens.
  3. Click on “export contacts (.csv)” to export all contacts.
  4. Click on “export files and chat history” to save it to the local system.
  5. Click on “export caller ID numbers” to save the data locally.

Not all third-party communication services may support Skype imports, but you can also open the files manually to access the information whenever you require it.

Now it is your turn. Did you use Skype in the past or are you using it still? What is your take on Teams? Is it a good replacement? Let us know in the comments below.