For those of us who really dominate the email game, a new Gmail update has promised a reward in the form of an all-new congratulatory "inbox zero" icon.
The refreshed Gmail graphic, spotted by Android Police , replaces the previous image, which, under the congratulatory message "You've finished! Nothing in Primary", showed an abstract cartoon of a smiling woman, lying on her front without a care in the (working) world, reading a book in the countryside under a happy sun, suggesting an air of calm and peace for those lucky enough to clear their inboxes.
Clearly, this is not a Covid-friendly view of the new hybrid working world for Google, which has now refreshed the image with something a bit less outside-y.
As seen above, shown in dark mode on a mobile device, our carefree pal has been replaced with a selection of empty colorful boxes (inboxes?) stacked on each other, topped by a flag not unlike a castle banner (much like that seen at the end of every Super Mario Bros level).
The congratulatory message still remains, but it's a much colder, more sterile feeling to achieving the goal of clearing all your work tasks for the day.
Gmail inbox zero
Inbox zero may just be a pipe dream for many of us, especially with a work account, but Google clearly sees it as something worth celebrating.
Recent research carried out by TechRadar Pro and OnePulse found that over three-quarters of email users (75.6%) have between one and 10,000 emails in their inbox, followed by 16.75% with between 10,001 and 100,000, with just 7.59% having over 100,001 or more. Over half of users (50.2%) either said they don't know or don't care how full their inbox is. The rest have up to 5GB filled (32.8%) or over 5GB (17%).
Gmail was found to be the most popular email platform around, a conclusion backed up by recent figures from Google itself, which claimed in January 2022 that Gmail for Android has now surpassed 10 billion installs on the Google Play Store.
Via Android Police
The world’s first aptX HD Bluetooth record player has been reimagined for CES 2022
Cambridge Audio lifted the lid on two brand-new turntables in its popular Alva range at CES 2022 .
Following in the footsteps of the world’s first aptX HD wireless record player, the Cambridge Audio Alva TT , the Alva TT V2 and Alva ST are the latest models to be launched by the high-end audio company.
The Alva TT V2 is the more high-spec of the new record players . The direct-drive turntable retains its predecessor’s heavy aluminum top plate, polyoxymethylene platter and pre-installed Alva MC cartridge. Plus, there’s that all-important aptX HD support that allows for 24-bit/48kHZ hi-res streaming .
New features for the second-gen vinyl player include a tonearm that comes with a detachable headshell - so you can upgrade it over time - and a switchable phono stage. This gives you more flexibility in how you use the Alva TT V2 – with the option to use the phono stage from your existing stereo amplifier, for example, or try a different phono stage in the future.
You can now turn the Bluetooth transmitter off for a shortened signal path - Cambridge Audio says this leads to better sound and more energy efficiency.
If the new record player is anything like its predecessor, you can expect an excellent audio performance combined with a simple setup and a build that’s made to last - which is exactly what you’d want from a turntable that costs $1,999 / £1,700 (about AU$2,770).
Magnet or coil? It’s your choice
If that price is a little rich for your blood, Cambridge Audio is also releasing its first model under $1,000 - though not by much. Expect to pay $999 / £850 (about AU$1,400) for the Alva ST.
The Alva ST has many of the same features as its pricier sibling, including aptX HD wireless streaming, that detachable tonearm, and a switchable phono stage. However, it comes with a moving magnet cartridge rather than Cambridge Audio’s own moving coil cartridge.
For those not in the know, the cartridge is the little device that sits on the end of your record player’s tonearm. It contains the stylus (also known as the needle) that sits in the microgrooves in your vinyl. As the platter spins the record, vibrations travel through the stylus and into the cartridge, where the kinetic energy from the vibrations is converted into an electric signal. Feed this signal through a preamp or phono stage to your speakers and you have sound.
Moving coil cartridges tend to be lighter and faster to respond to the grooves in records than moving magnet cartridges, which means more accurate reproduction of the music and a wider frequency range. In other words, they let you hear every single detail of a song. So, for a dedicated audiophile, the Alva TT V2 is the turntable to choose out of these two new models.
The precision and expertise required to make moving coil cartridges means they’re usually more expensive than their magnet counterparts, so it’s no surprise that the Alva TT V2 is priced so highly.
Saying that, our pick for the best record player you can buy today, the $499 / £449 / AU$879 Pro-ject Debut Carbon Evo , uses an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge and that’s a moving magnet model. And yes, it still sounds sensational.
Whatever turntable you opt for, you’re in good company. Revenue from vinyl sales grew by 94% in the US in 2021 , and there’s no sign that the vinyl revival will slow down in 2022 - especially if record players like these continue to offer audiophile specs combined with wireless streaming convenience.
Google splashes $1bn on new London HQ
Google is seriously expanding its presence in London, snapping up the Central Saint Giles development next to Tottenham Court Road station for $1 billion as part of a plan to expand its UK workforce to 10,000 people.
Google already rents office space in the development, which was designed by architect Renzo Piano. The building comes with distinctive outside colouring, 38,000 square metres of office space, as well as 100 apartments alongside cafes and restaurants on the ground floor.
The company is continuing to build its flagship UK office space in King's Cross, announced way back in 2013 and costing £1 billion. According to The Guardian , the King's Cross office will be finished in 2022 and will stand 11 storeys tall.
Google remains aware that the working landscape has changed during the pandemic, especially in relation to working in an office. The plan, according to the company, is to let employees use a hybrid model.
"We believe that the future of work is flexibility," Ronan Harris, Google's UK and Ireland boss, says. "Whilst the majority of our UK employees want to be on-site some of the time, they also want the flexibility of working from home a couple of days a week. Some of our people will want to be fully remote. Our future UK workplace has room for all of those possibilities."
Google CFO Ruth Porat said: "We have been privileged to operate in the UK for nearly 20 years, and our purchase of the Central Saint Giles development reflects our continued commitment to the country’s growth and success."
The Financial Times says Google will become a landlord to all existing tenants in the Central Saint Giles development, including NBCUniversal.
Google also recently completed the Grace Hopper subsea cable from America to the UK, further strengthening the link between the search giant and the country. The company has also invested in subsea cables to Africa.