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The second generation Pixel Buds debuted a few months ago. We left without being able to recommend them, but today these wireless headphones are getting a few new features that will hopefully improve the experience a bit. They include bass boost, split detection, and a few more. Additionally, some fixes have been implemented to hopefully alleviate the connectivity issues some have experienced.
These new features were introduced last month with the promise of fixing the audio cutoff issue the Pixel Buds have been dealing with for months. Google tells us that this version, v550, includes fixes for “less dropouts during calls, better automatic recovery when one or both headphones lose connection, improved media playback stability for phones with software audio encoding and fixes an issue where an earpiece fails to connect when pulled out of the case. “We’re also told that those who continue to have connectivity issues should feel free to contact Google customer service.
Now let’s move on to the new features. The first is bass boost, which is pretty self-explanatory; you can increase the bass in the Pixel Buds settings. Sharing detection is also new; Pixel Buds are able to see when an earbud is shared with someone else, at which point they will allow both people to slide their earbuds to control their own volume. Quite practical.
Google is also adding a transcription mode, which will translate things on the fly from English to French, German, Italian and Spanish. Naturally, it is said to work best in quiet environments with only one person speaking at a time. For example, in Spanish, the trigger would be “Hey Google, ayúdame a entender inglés” (help me understand English). Again, this only works to translate English speech into the other four languages at the moment, not the other way around. Users can also follow along on their phone to read the transcript.
Other additions include Attention Alerts, which is an experimental feature that lowers your audio volume if it detects dog barks, baby cries, or vehicles with passing sirens. It seems difficult to implement, so it will be interesting to see how effective it turns out. There’s also an update to Find My Device which will show the last known location of your Pixel Buds (when they were last connected to your phone). Finally, you can use two new wizard commands. You can now ask Google to turn your touch controls on and off. In addition, you can request how much battery life you have left on the headphones, which is very convenient.
These features are rolling out today, so keep an eye out for them.
Boost your bass and share your sounds with Pixel Buds
Today, we’re bringing new features to Pixel Buds to help you personalize your unique sound experience, find your headphones more easily if you misplace them, and do more with your headphones, including an experimental feature that alerts you of what’s going on around you even when you have your Pixel Buds.
Personalize your audio experience
When the Pixel Buds launched earlier this year, we heard that people wanted more control and customization of their audio experience. So today we are introducing bass boost and split detection to give you more options to use Pixel Buds in a way that is unique to you.You can enhance your bass right in Pixel settings Buds, and if you decide to share one of your headphones with someone, you don’t have to sacrifice your volume preferences anymore with share detection. When enabled, share detection automatically detects when you share an earphone with someone and you can both swipe individually on your respective earpiece to control your own volume. So whether you’re listening to music or watching a movie with a friend, you can share your Pixel Buds seamlessly.
Translate, transcribe and transform your conversations
Building on the usefulness of Pixel Buds’ Conversation Translation feature, which helps you when talking back and forth with another person, the new transcription mode lets you follow along by reading the translated speech directly into your ear, helping you to understand the gist of what is being said during longer listening experiences. First introduced for French, German, Italian and Spanish speakers to translate speech into English, transcription mode can help you stay present in the moment and focus on the person speaking. The transcription mode works best in a quiet environment where one person is speaking at a time. For example, just say “Hey Google, ayúdame a entender inglés” to start listening and optionally follow on your phone screen to see the translated transcript.
More useful features
If your dog is barking, baby is crying, or an emergency vehicle passes by with sirens blaring, Attention Alerts – an experimental feature that lets you know about important things happening around you – momentarily lowers the volume. your content to alert you to what’s going on. ring my headphones earlier this year to find out where your Pixel Buds are if you’ve misplaced them. Now you can see them too. We’ve added an update to Find My Device that will show you the last known location of your Pixel Buds on a map, even when they’re no longer connected to your Android phone.
Ask the Google Assistant
The Google Assistant on Pixel Buds just gets even more useful by letting you do more with your headphones on the go. Now you can ask Google to turn touch controls on and off, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally triggering them. You can also turn touch controls on and off in Pixel Buds settings. And now you can ask Google Assistant to help you check your battery life by saying “Hey Google, how much battery life do I have left on my headphones?
All of this is starting to roll out today for Pixel Buds users. To learn more, go to the help center.
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