Tag: accidentally

Android Google

Google may have accidentally leaked the remote of a new Chromecast

Google Chromecast with Google TV on table style photo

David Imel / Android Authority

TL;DR

  • The latest Android TV 14 beta includes a video that shows off the outline of a new TV remote.
  • This TV remote is similar to the one included with the Google Chromecast with Google TV but with more buttons on its surface.
  • One of these buttons would be a star button that the user can customize to open a favorite app or switch TV input.

The Google Chromecast with Google TV is one of the better Android TV streaming boxes you can buy now. It’s not due for a refresh per se, but new features and new hardware are always appreciated. We’ve heard of Google working on a new Chromecast with Google TV at the beginning of this year, but leaks have slowed since then. But it seems that the product is still underworks, as the company may have accidentally leaked the new remote of this new Chromecast with Google TV.

Prolific Android expert Mishaal Rahman spotted a video in the latest Android TV 14 beta. This video shows an outline of a remote. The outline is similar to the current remote of the present generation Google Chromecast with Google TV. But the button layout is different, with more circular single buttons, two oblong double buttons, and a new star button.

New remote from new Google Chromecast with Google TV

For comparison, this is what the current generation remote looks like:

Google Chromecast with Google TV remote in hand

David Imel / Android Authority

The new star button is said to be used for a “magic button” customization setting on Android TV 14. Users would be able to choose whether they want the button to open a favorite app or view and switch inputs for TV or other devices.

If we are allowed to speculate, some of the extra buttons could be for partnered streaming services. Streaming services pay license fees

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Android Google

Google Pay users are discovering Google accidentally gave them free money

Google Pay stock photos 4

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

TL;DR

  • A Google Pay bug has accidentally sent payments from the company to random accounts.
  • The payments have ranged from a few dollars to over $1,000.
  • Google has fixed the problem and says “the money is yours to keep.”

If you’re someone who has a Google Pay account, you might want to check out your balance right now. Google may have accidentally given you some free money.

Google Pay users were surprised by something strange earlier this week. It appeared that they had received payments from an unlikely source — Google. One of those lucky users happened to be freelance journalist Mishaal Rahman who shared that he received $46 in rewards. According to Rahman, the payment came with a message stating it was for “dogfooding the Google Pay Remittance experience.”

The term dogfooding refers to a process where employees beta test pre-release software given to them by their company. In return, the company gives them money for participating in the test. As a result, this money should’ve only gone to Google employees.

Rahman was far from the only person to receive a payment. Reddit threads on both the Google Pay and Google Pixel subreddits were full of users who claimed to have received money that ranged from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. One user even claims that they received a deposit of over $1,000.

It appears that there may have been a bug in the app or some kind of mix-up that resulted in the unexpected payments. On April 6, Rahman shared this official message sent from Google.

You received this email because an unintended cash credit was deposited to your Google Pay account. The issue has since been resolved and where possible the credit has been reversed. If we were able to

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