News/Google
Yielding to Amazon? Smart home action nowhere to be found at Google I/O
Google's retreat from smart home innovation signals a concerning shift in priorities, with AI taking center stage while once-flagship Nest products fade into the background. At Google I/O 2025, the complete absence of smart home announcements marks a stark contrast to previous years when the category received significant attention. This trend raises questions about Google's commitment to competing with Amazon in the connected home space and whether its AI focus might eventually reinvigorate or further diminish its smart home ecosystem. The big picture: Google's smart home division has become noticeably absent from major announcements, with Google I/O 2025 featuring no...
read May 21, 2025Google Pixel Fold drops $300 for Memorial Day sale
Google's latest foldable device, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, delivers significant improvements over its predecessor with a slimmer design and enhanced AI capabilities tailored for larger screens. Priced at $1,799 (though currently available for $300 less), this premium device earns ZDNET's Editors' Choice by successfully balancing portability with the productivity benefits of a tablet-like experience, all while leveraging Google's AI ecosystem to create unique functionality not found on other foldables. The big picture: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold represents Google's refined approach to foldable smartphones with a thinner profile and taller design that opens to reveal an 8-inch internal display....
read May 21, 2025Google limits publisher options for AI Search opt-out
Google's internal documents reveal a calculated strategy to limit publisher control over how their content is used in AI search features, prioritizing Google's AI development and monetization efforts over publisher autonomy. The disclosure comes amid the ongoing US antitrust trial examining Google's online search dominance, highlighting the company's strategic advantage in AI development through its vast search data repository—an advantage that competitors like Perplexity and OpenAI cannot match. The big picture: Google deliberately avoided giving publishers meaningful choice about their content appearing in AI search features, instead offering what internal documents describe as an "illusion of choice." A newly disclosed...
read May 21, 2025AI shopping tool from Google transforms online retail experience
Google is introducing AI-powered shopping automation that promises to revolutionize how consumers find and purchase products online. Building on its existing shopping features in Search, Google's new AI Mode will not only help users search for products using conversational language but also autonomously complete purchases when items hit a user's target price. This advancement represents a significant step toward fully automated e-commerce experiences, potentially changing how consumers interact with retail websites and online deals. The big picture: Google's new AI-powered shopping feature allows Gemini to autonomously purchase products when they reach a consumer's desired price point, combining AI search capabilities...
read May 21, 2025Google’s new Veo 3 AI video generation is scary good and shockingly impressive
Google's Veo 3 video generation engine represents a significant leap in AI-generated content, blurring the line between synthetic and authentic media. By adding synchronized audio capabilities and enhanced visual fidelity to AI-generated videos, Google has created a tool that produces content nearly indistinguishable from human-created footage. This technological advancement signals a concerning new phase in the evolution of digital misinformation, as these hyperrealistic AI videos could potentially deceive viewers and further complicate an internet landscape already struggling with truth and authenticity. The big picture: Google's newly announced Veo 3 engine combines synchronized audio with enhanced video generation to create remarkably...
read May 21, 2025Google AI brings smarter search, auto-buying, and virtual try-on to online shopping
Google is revolutionizing online shopping with new AI-powered features that solve common consumer pain points. The company's announcement at Google I/O introduces tools that transform product discovery, price optimization, and virtual try-on experiences. These advancements leverage Google's massive Shopping Graph database and custom AI models to create a more personalized, efficient digital shopping journey—potentially disrupting how consumers search for and purchase products online. 1. Google's Shopping Graph gets a major upgrade Google has integrated Gemini AI with its Shopping Graph, which now features over 50 billion product listings from major retailers and independent shops. The system refreshes two billion listings...
read May 21, 2025Google brings NotebookLM to Android, upgrading mobile note-taking
Google's NotebookLM has made the leap from desktop experiment to mobile app, bringing its AI-powered research capabilities directly to Android devices. This expansion makes sophisticated document analysis and idea synthesis accessible on the go, allowing users to extract insights from their materials wherever they work. By combining Google Drive integration with advanced AI capabilities, NotebookLM represents a significant advancement in personal knowledge management that could change how researchers, students, and professionals interact with their collected information. The big picture: Google has launched NotebookLM as a mobile app for Android, transforming the previously desktop-only AI research assistant into a portable tool...
read May 20, 2025University of Michigan offers free Google AI and career courses to all students
The University of Michigan has expanded its digital skills offerings through a new partnership with Google, providing free access to career certificates and AI courses for more than 66,000 students across its three campuses. This collaboration represents a significant investment in preparing students for a technology-driven job market, equipping them with in-demand skills while still in college—a strategic advantage as employers increasingly prioritize digital capabilities in new hires. The big picture: University of Michigan students now have free access to Google Career Certificates and AI training courses across all three campuses in Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint. The partnership between...
read May 20, 2025Google I/O 2025: 5 key AI announcements to watch for
Google's upcoming I/O developer conference marks a significant shift in focus, centering predominantly on artificial intelligence rather than Android announcements—which the company unveiled separately last week. This strategic pivot reflects the intensifying AI race between Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta, positioning the May 20-21 event as a showcase for Google's latest AI innovations while also offering glimpses into its extended reality ambitions. The big picture: Google's I/O 2025 keynote will prioritize AI developments, particularly Gemini, continuing a trend established over the past two years. The opening keynote begins May 20th at 10AM PT/1PM ET and can be streamed from Google's...
read May 20, 2025Google’s AI tools expand zero-click searches, raising concerns
Google's March 2024 core update represents a pivotal shift in how the search giant prioritizes and presents information, marking a significant evolution in its AI-driven search strategy. While Google frames these changes as efforts to combat spam and AI-generated content, the update's unprecedented scale and month-long rollout have fundamentally altered search dynamics, with profound implications for publishers, users, and the broader internet ecosystem. Understanding these changes is critical as they reflect Google's growing emphasis on keeping users within its ecosystem rather than directing them to external websites. The big picture: Google's March 2024 core update was one of its largest...
read May 20, 2025AI on the trail: Google Lens can tell you if what you’re looking at is poison ivy
AI tools have transformed the way we interact with and identify potential dangers in the natural world, offering new solutions for age-old outdoor problems. Smartphone-based AI applications now provide hikers, gardeners, and outdoor enthusiasts with reliable ways to identify poison ivy before accidental contact leads to painful, itchy rashes. This technological advancement addresses the notorious difficulty of distinguishing poison ivy from harmless lookalikes, making outdoor adventures safer and more enjoyable for everyone. 1. Use Google Lens for instant identification Google Lens offers perhaps the most seamless method for identifying poison ivy in real-time through your smartphone's camera. The app compares...
read May 20, 2025Google One hits 150 million subs as AI features expand, traditional search contracts
Google's subscription service is experiencing unprecedented growth by adding AI features to its cloud storage plans. This strategic pivot comes at a critical time as the company seeks to diversify revenue streams beyond advertising, especially as generative AI threatens to disrupt traditional search and advertising models that have long been Alphabet's primary business drivers. The big picture: Google One has reached 150 million subscribers, marking a 50% increase since February 2024, as the company aggressively expands into AI-powered subscription services. The milestone comes shortly after Google introduced a premium AI plan priced at $19.99 monthly that offers advanced artificial intelligence...
read May 20, 2025AI image battle: ChatGPT vs Gemini in 7 prompt showdown
The competition between AI image generators is intensifying as these technologies become more sophisticated and accessible to users. A recent head-to-head comparison between Gemini and ChatGPT across seven diverse image generation prompts reveals significant differences in how each AI handles creative challenges, from photorealism to abstract concepts. This comparison offers valuable insights for creators looking to choose the right AI tool for specific visual tasks, while highlighting the rapid advancement in AI's ability to translate text prompts into compelling imagery. The results: ChatGPT emerged as the overall winner in a comprehensive image generation test against Gemini, demonstrating superior performance across...
read May 20, 2025Apple considers third-party voice assistant defaults in EU amid Siri struggles
Apple's struggles to elevate Siri to match competing AI assistants have reached a critical juncture, prompting the company to consider allowing European users to choose third-party voice assistants as their default option. This potential concession signals a significant shift for Apple, which has historically maintained tight control over its ecosystem, and reflects growing pressure from both regulatory bodies and the rapidly evolving AI landscape where competitors like Google Gemini and ChatGPT have established clear technological advantages. The big picture: Apple is reportedly planning to let European iPhone users select a default voice assistant other than Siri, according to a Bloomberg...
read May 19, 2025AI assistant Gemini coming to Samsung and Sony earbuds
Google plans to expand Gemini AI assistant access to various audio devices across its ecosystem, marking a strategic shift away from Google Assistant as the company pushes its newer AI technology to more hardware. This expansion brings enhanced AI capabilities to earbuds and wearables, allowing for more sophisticated interactions than previously possible with Google Assistant. The big picture: Samsung will bring Gemini to its Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Watches in the "coming months," while Sony earbuds will also gain Gemini integration as part of Google's broader expansion to cars, TVs, and Pixel Watches. Key capabilities: Gemini on these audio...
read May 19, 2025AI rankings shift: OpenAI and Google climb as Anthropic drops
Poe's latest usage report reveals significant shifts in AI model preferences, offering rare visibility into user behavior across major categories. The data, drawn from subscribers accessing over 100 AI models, shows OpenAI and Google strengthening their positions while Anthropic loses ground. Meanwhile, specialized reasoning capabilities have emerged as a crucial competitive battleground, with these models growing from 2% to 10% of text messages—signaling a new phase in AI development where analytical capabilities are becoming a key differentiator. The big picture: Major shifts occurred in AI model usage between January and May 2025, with OpenAI and Google solidifying their dominant positions...
read May 19, 2025Android devices gain major Gemini AI boost across cars and watches
Google is bringing Gemini, its conversational AI assistant, to virtually every Android-compatible device in a sweeping ecosystem expansion. This integration will transform how users interact with their technology, enabling more natural, context-aware assistance across smartwatches, cars, televisions, and XR devices. The comprehensive rollout represents Google's strategic push to embed AI capabilities more deeply throughout its product lineup ahead of its annual developer conference. 1. WearOS integrationGemini will arrive on WearOS smartwatches later this year, offering hands-free conversational assistance directly from users' wrists. This update allows users to access Gemini's capabilities without needing their phones nearby, particularly useful when hands are...
read May 19, 2025AI medical advice improves, but adoption remains a challenge
OpenAI's latest research shows chatbots are improving at answering medical questions, but a critical gap remains between the artificial testing environment and real-world medical emergencies. The company's new HealthBench evaluation framework tests how well AI models can provide medical advice through text-based interactions, yet it doesn't address how humans might actually interpret or act on AI-generated medical guidance during emergencies. This distinction highlights a fundamental challenge in medical AI: technical performance in controlled settings doesn't necessarily translate to beneficial real-world outcomes. The big picture: OpenAI's HealthBench tests AI models on their ability to respond appropriately to medical questions, including emergency...
read May 19, 2025Symptom Checker? Check! Fitbit Labs unveils 3 AI features to simplify health data
Fitbit is introducing three AI-powered health features that transform how users interact with medical information and track their physical wellbeing. These experimental Fitbit Labs capabilities bring sophisticated health monitoring to consumer wearables, marking a significant step toward personalized digital health management. The new tools aim to bridge the gap between complex medical data and everyday health understanding, though they come with important limitations about their diagnostic capabilities. The big picture: Fitbit announced three Gemini-powered AI features exclusively for Fitbit Labs users that help interpret medical records, check symptoms, and identify unusual health trends. The company's parent Google is leveraging its...
read May 19, 2025Apple’s AI tools fail to impress in the race against OpenAI and Google
Apple's push to compete in artificial intelligence has hit a challenging reality check as its suite of Apple Intelligence features fails to match the capabilities and user experience of established AI players. Despite aggressive marketing campaigns and high-profile presentations, the tech giant is now facing scrutiny over the gap between its ambitious AI promises and what it has actually delivered to users. This disconnect highlights the difficulties even the world's most valuable company faces when playing catch-up in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The big picture: Apple's AI strategy struggles to match the capabilities of competitors like OpenAI's ChatGPT, despite...
read May 19, 2025YouTube’s “Peak Points” ads target viewers when they’re most engaged
YouTube's newest ad format is poised to deliberately interrupt viewers at the most engaging moments of their viewing experience. The streaming giant revealed "Peak Points" at its recent Brandcast presentation, which uses Google Gemini to analyze videos and identify moments of highest user engagement—then strategically inserts ads immediately after these peak moments. This controversial monetization strategy comes as YouTube continues to expand its advertising presence, potentially risking viewer satisfaction in favor of advertiser interests. The big picture: YouTube is introducing two new ad formats with "Peak Points" being the most disruptive by targeting moments of highest engagement in videos. Peak...
read May 17, 2025Google AI boosts subscription service to 150 million users
Google's AI subscription service has seen dramatic growth, further diversifying Alphabet's revenue streams beyond advertising as consumer interest in premium AI features accelerates. The rapid adoption of Google One amid intensifying AI competition reflects changing consumer willingness to pay for enhanced AI capabilities while offering Alphabet an alternative monetization pathway in a landscape where traditional search-based advertising faces disruption. The big picture: Google One subscription service has surpassed 150 million subscribers, representing 50% growth since reaching 100 million subscribers in February 2024. Key details: The company introduced a $19.99 monthly AI plan in February 2024, which has already attracted "millions"...
read May 17, 2025Android 16 may add Gemini-powered ‘Magic Actions’ to notifications
Android is poised to make notifications smarter with a significant AI upgrade in its next major release. Google appears to be enhancing its notification system by integrating Gemini AI technology through a feature called "Magic Actions," which could transform how users interact with alerts on their devices. These AI-powered contextual actions would represent a major evolution of Android's notification intelligence, potentially offering far more personalized and situation-aware response options than the current Smart Actions and Smart Reply features. The big picture: Android 16 code reveals Google is developing "Magic Actions," an AI-powered enhancement to replace Smart Actions in notifications with...
read May 16, 2025Google files reveal concerns over Project Nimbus control in Israel
Google's Project Nimbus contract with Israel is raising serious ethical and legal concerns as internal documents reveal the tech giant knowingly provided powerful cloud technology despite limited ability to monitor its use. The confidential report, obtained by The Intercept, exposes Google's awareness of significant risks in selling advanced cloud computing services to a nation with a controversial human rights record. This revelation comes at a time when tech companies face increasing scrutiny over their government partnerships and the potential weaponization of their technologies. The big picture: Google acknowledged it would have "very limited visibility" into how Israel would use its...
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