Good morning. How many times have you typed that greeting today? I hope you enjoyed the long weekend before Labor Day. This morning I’m reading about pristine Duck Hunt cartridges discovered in a Wisconsin warehouse, nodding along to John Oliver’s critique of subscription bloat, and wishing I had a 3D printer to build a custom storage and organization system for my gadgets.
Inbox is our tech newsletter that goes beyond the daily headlines. We summarize the most important 9to5Google stories from the last few days and highlight notable items from around the web. We publish every Tuesday and Thursday; if you enjoy this, please subscribe.
Inbox is written by Daniel Bader. Read previous issues here, and catch Ben Schoon’s Weekender column published every Sunday.
⭐️ Starred
Over the weekend Google updated its maps to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America, a change that has prompted considerable public reaction. Google says it follows the Geographic Names Information System when presenting place names, and that an executive order directing the Board on Geographic Names to rename Lake Ontario required the company to reflect the updated name in its maps. The company previously applied the same process when it renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America in early 2025.
The controversy gave unexpected momentum to MapQuest. The long-standing mapping company posted a cropped map labeled “We’re not changing it,” which resonated widely and sparked renewed interest in the app. Over the weekend, MapQuest’s Android and iOS downloads jumped dramatically, propelling it into the top spots in the navigation category, while active usage spiked significantly, according to the company’s owner.
Apple has not mirrored the change in its Maps app yet, but reports suggest further updates could arrive soon under political pressure. While the name swap is a relatively small episode in broader US-Canada relations, it highlights how much influence major mapping platforms wield: changes to place names ripple across apps, services, and APIs that people and businesses rely on.
✉️ Inbox
- Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 is rolling out with numerous Pixel bug fixes. The latest beta feels more substantial than many previous incremental releases.
- Here’s everything new in Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 [Gallery]
- Android 17 QPR2 adds Status bar customization for notification and system icons
- Google’s personalized “Dreambeans” feed is now freely available for testing. It’s an intriguing name and a noteworthy experiment in personalized content.
- Google released a cozy mobile game called “Froggy’s World,” bringing playful, low-key whimsy back into its software lineup.
- AI Overviews in Google Search are appearing more prominently for certain queries, reflecting Google’s continued push to keep users within search results rather than sending them elsewhere.
- Gemini Notebook is moving to compute-based usage limits, aligning its policy with the Gemini app and tightening overall access to the tool.
- Gemini Notebook’s new “Expert Intelligence” feature allows embedding purchased Play Books into the workspace as reference material—an interesting step toward integrating commercial books into AI workflows.
- People are experimenting with unconventional placements for Fitbit Air devices, and the trend has produced some amusing and inventive results.
- Google has raised prices across much of the Nest lineup, with the Google TV Streamer seeing a particularly large increase and most Nest cameras and doorbells rising by double-digit percentages. Those adjustments may sting for smart-home buyers.
🤝 Cc: David Imel
Welcome to Cc, a short interview series where I ask notable community members what’s bringing them joy inside and outside tech. First up: technology journalist David Imel.
Who are you?
I’m David Imel.
What do you do?
I work as a technology journalist for outlets including the Waveform Podcast and The Verge, and I publish articles and videos on my own platforms.
What do you do for fun?
I enjoy landscape photography, hosting community events, hiking, traveling, playing music, and walking—especially long walks. I love being outdoors.
How do you relate to technology these days?
My relationship with technology is complicated. I’m intentionally trying to spend more time offline—reading more physical books, attending movies, and doing analog hobbies like film photography and listening to records. Social media often leaves me feeling worse, so I’m making a point of going screen-free more often, which has noticeably improved my mood.
Three apps you can’t live without:
- Pocket Casts — a long-time favorite for podcast listening.
- Viewfinder Preview and Second View — essential apps for light metering and framing when shooting film.
- Moment Camera Pro II — a powerful app for shooting RAW photos on a phone.
Gadget you love right now:
The Fitbit Air—great for combining classic watch styles with modern health tracking.
Recent books you loved:
East of Eden by John Steinbeck for its rich characters and vivid Northern California descriptions, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson for its wild, unforgettable voice.
Recent albums you loved:
- The Place Behind the Stars (partial release) by Streetlight Manifesto—new music from a favorite band after a long wait.
- Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan by The Mountain Goats—an album that remains a standout for its songwriting.
Recent movies you loved:
Project Hail Mary for its IMAX experience, and The Drama for the performances and the way it sparked debate.
Daily offline joy:
Long walks—often hitting about 15,000 steps—playing guitar at the park, and morning coffee at a local shop while catching up with friends and regulars. Those routines offer a quiet, steady starting point each day.
Thanks, David, for being the first guest in this experiment.
➡️ FWD:
Here are some notable items from around the internet—reports, podcasts, and developments that caught our attention. Send us your suggestions!
- The FTC and a coalition of states filed a complaint against Amazon alleging pricing and auction manipulation in its advertising platform. Amazon has disputed the claims and defended its ad practices.
- Tim Cook’s final day as Apple CEO was August 31st; he shared a farewell message expressing gratitude and confidence in his successor.
- Flock cameras deployed in many U.S. cities have sparked widespread debate and concern about surveillance, privacy, and misuse; the NYTimes Daily podcast provides a clear summary.
- A large portion of Valve’s Steam production database from 2003–2013 leaked, exposing unfinished and archived game files that document a decade of PC gaming history.
- OpenClaw returned with a significant 2.0 update—an early tooling project that continues to evolve amid many new competitors.
🎙️ Quotations
Due to rising component costs, we are adjusting the U.S. pricing of select Google Nest cameras, doorbells and Google TV streamer 4K, effective August 31. We remain committed to providing our customers with industry-leading smart home security and continuous feature updates.
– Google, on justifying recent price increases across Nest products
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Thanks for reading. Have a great day — talk to you on Thursday.
— Daniel