News/Google
Bing grows 3% while Google drops 6% in AI-driven search shift
Microsoft's Bing search engine has gained market share over the past two years while Google has experienced slight declines, marking a notable shift in the search landscape driven by AI integration. This growth represents the first meaningful challenge to Google's search dominance in years, with Bing benefiting from both direct AI features and backend partnerships with popular AI tools. The numbers: Recent data from ComScore and StatCounter shows Bing growing while Google shrinks slightly over the past two years. Bing has grown by approximately 2% according to ComScore and 3% according to StatCounter since early 2023. Google has dropped by...
read Aug 1, 2025Google launches cloud-based Firebase Studio to challenge VS Code with AI
Google has launched Firebase Studio, a cloud-based AI-powered integrated development environment that directly challenges Microsoft's VS Code dominance. The new platform features an App Prototyping agent that can generate full applications from natural language prompts, while running entirely in the cloud to eliminate system resource constraints. Why this matters: Firebase Studio represents Google's most aggressive push into developer tooling, offering AI-powered capabilities that could fundamentally change how applications are built and prototyped. Key advantages over VS Code: Firebase Studio outperforms the popular Microsoft IDE through several breakthrough features. The platform's AI can create complete applications from simple prompts, with the...
read Aug 1, 2025Google DeepMind’s AI maps Earth with 24% better accuracy
Google DeepMind announced AlphaEarth Foundations, a breakthrough AI system that can map the entire planet's surface with unprecedented accuracy by integrating massive amounts of satellite data into unified digital representations. The system reduces error rates by 23.9% compared to existing approaches while requiring 16 times less storage space, potentially transforming environmental monitoring and resource management for governments, conservation groups, and businesses worldwide. How it works: AlphaEarth Foundations processes information by creating "embedding fields" — highly compressed digital summaries that capture essential characteristics of Earth's surface in 10-meter squares. The system maintains sharp 10×10 meter precision while tracking changes over time,...
read Jul 30, 2025YouTube’s AI will now detect teen users and apply safety protections
YouTube is implementing AI-powered age verification to automatically identify teen users and apply age-appropriate protections across its platform. The machine learning system will analyze account signals including longevity, search patterns, and viewing habits to determine whether users are over or under 18, then automatically enable safeguards like disabling personalized ads and limiting repetitive content recommendations. What you should know: YouTube's AI age verification system represents a shift from manual age reporting to automated detection based on user behavior patterns. The AI will interpret "a variety of signals" including account age, types of videos searched, and viewing categories to make age...
read Jul 30, 2025Ok, alright, fine: Google signs EU’s AI code of practice after initial opposition
Google has confirmed it will sign the European Union's AI Code of Practice, a voluntary framework it previously opposed as too restrictive. The decision positions Google to influence AI regulation implementation while competitors like Meta refuse to participate, potentially giving Google strategic advantages in navigating Europe's evolving AI legal landscape. The big picture: Google's reversal reflects a calculated shift from resistance to engagement, as the company seeks to shape rather than simply comply with EU AI regulations. The tech giant initially opposed the code for being too harsh but now believes its input has helped create a framework that could...
read Jul 29, 2025Google’s Magic Cue AI assistant debuts with Pixel 10 this August
"Magic Cue Ball" was a missed opportunity but be that as it may... Google is developing Magic Cue, an AI assistant that will proactively analyze your screen activity and suggest relevant information and actions based on what you're doing. New code strings discovered in Android's latest Canary build confirm the feature's development, with Google expected to debut it alongside the Pixel 10 series at their August 20th Made by Google event. What you should know: Magic Cue represents Google's most ambitious contextual AI assistant yet, designed to work entirely on-device while accessing data from multiple Google services. The assistant will...
read Jul 29, 2025Google expands AI Mode with 4 major features including video support
Google is expanding its AI Mode with four major features, including video capabilities for Search Live, a new Canvas planning tool, PDF upload support, and integration with Google Lens on desktop Chrome. These updates position Google's AI search experience as a more comprehensive workspace for research, planning, and document analysis, directly competing with ChatGPT's similar features. What you should know: AI Mode will soon support file uploads beyond just text and images, allowing users to upload PDFs and ask detailed questions about documents.• Uploaded files will be analyzed and cross-referenced with relevant web information, rolling out to stable in the...
read Jul 29, 2025Google’s NotebookLM adds video overviews with AI-generated slideshows
Google's NotebookLM has launched Video Overviews, a new AI feature that creates narrated slideshows from users' saved documents. The addition gives users a visual alternative to the platform's existing Audio Overviews, helping make complex information more accessible through AI-generated visuals combined with content from uploaded materials. What you should know: Video Overviews transforms documents into visual presentations with AI-generated narration and graphics. The AI host creates new visuals to illustrate key points while incorporating images, diagrams, quotes, and numbers directly from user documents. Google describes the feature as "uniquely effective for explaining data, demonstrating processes and making abstract concepts more...
read Jul 29, 2025Google’s AI Mode search launches in UK with conversational queries
Google Search has expanded AI Mode to the UK, following its earlier launches in the US and India. This conversational search experience offers a more chatbot-like alternative to traditional AI Overviews, allowing users to ask complex, multi-part questions and receive comprehensive answers powered by Gemini 2.5. What you should know: AI Mode transforms how users interact with Google Search by supporting longer, more conversational queries that are "two or three times the length of traditional search queries." Users can ask complex questions like "Things to do in Edinburgh this weekend with friends. We're big foodies who like music but also...
read Jul 28, 2025Google expands AI weather forecasts to Pixel 8 devices
Google's Pixel Weather app has begun rolling out AI-powered forecasts to Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a devices, expanding beyond the Pixel 9 series where the feature originally debuted. This marks a significant expansion of the locally-generated AI weather feature, which had previously been limited to Google's newest flagship phones despite older devices having the necessary Gemini Nano AI capabilities. What you should know: The AI forecast feature requires Gemini Nano to be enabled and updated to the latest model version.• Users need to activate Gemini Nano in their phone's Developer Settings to access the AI-powered weather predictions.• The latest Gemini...
read Jul 28, 2025Google expands AI Mode widget to all Android devices
Google has rolled out an AI Mode shortcut for its Search widget on Android devices, allowing users to directly access the AI-powered search interface from their home screen. The feature, which was previously limited to Pixel devices through the Pixel Launcher, now extends to any Android device running Google app version 16.28, making AI Mode more accessible across Google's broader ecosystem. What you should know: The AI Mode widget shortcut appears as a dedicated circle to the right of the voice microphone and Google Lens icons in Google's latest widget redesign. Users can customize the widget by long-pressing it on...
read Jul 28, 2025Google’s Gemini AI hits 450M users as India strategy accelerates
Google's Gemini AI assistant has crossed a significant milestone, surpassing 450 million monthly active users while daily usage surged more than 50 percent compared to the previous quarter. This growth comes as Google deepens its artificial intelligence investments in India through a series of strategic initiatives targeting students, farmers, and developers. The user growth represents a major validation of Google's AI strategy, particularly as the company faces intensifying competition from OpenAI's ChatGPT and other AI assistants. Shekar Khosla, Vice President of Marketing and Site Lead at Google India, announced the milestone on LinkedIn, noting the "growing momentum" behind the Gemini...
read Jul 25, 2025ChromeOS 138 brings desktop sync and enhanced AI wallpaper creation
Google has released ChromeOS version 138, introducing desktop synchronization across Chromebooks and significantly enhanced AI wallpaper generation capabilities. The update addresses workflow continuity for users working across multiple devices while expanding creative control for Chromebook Plus owners through freeform AI prompting. What you should know: The new desk sync feature allows users to seamlessly transition between Chromebooks without losing their work environment.• Windows, tabs, and cookies sync across devices, enabling users to pick up exactly where they left off when switching Chromebooks.• Google specifically highlights its utility for workers in healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing who often share device pools.• The...
read Jul 25, 2025Google tests Gemini-powered Web Guide to organize search results
Google is testing a new "Web Guide" feature that uses its Gemini AI to organize search results into curated sections with grouped web links. The experimental feature aims to blend AI-powered organization with traditional search results, offering users a more structured way to find information while maintaining direct access to source websites. What you should know: Web Guide represents Google's latest attempt to integrate AI into search without completely replacing traditional blue links.• Unlike AI Overviews that dominate the top of search pages, Web Guide maintains the familiar search structure while using AI to organize results into helpful categories.• The...
read Jul 25, 2025Google launches Opal, an AI tool that builds apps from text prompts
Google has unveiled Opal, an experimental AI-powered tool that allows developers to create apps using natural language prompts and interactive visual aids, without requiring any coding knowledge. The Google Labs release positions the company to compete in the rapidly growing no-code development market, offering an alternative to traditional programming that could democratize app creation for non-technical users. What you should know: Opal harnesses multiple Google AI models to streamline the entire app development process through conversational interfaces. Gemini 2.5 assists with written content creation, while Veo 3 generates videos with audio and Imagen 4 creates accompanying images. Users can choose...
read Jul 24, 2025Forget the dressing room, Google adds AI-generated clothing images and virtual try-on to shopping search
Google is launching two new AI-powered shopping features this fall: an AI Mode that generates synthetic clothing and decor images to help users find real products, and a virtual try-on tool that shows how clothes look on users' uploaded photos. These features represent Google's push to inject more generative AI into its Search shopping experience, potentially offering a more personalized and visually-driven approach to online retail discovery. What you should know: The AI Mode shopping feature will create synthetic images based on user descriptions to guide product recommendations more effectively than text-based searches alone.• Users searching for "a green flowy...
read Jul 24, 2025Sora vs. Veo 3, Fight! OpenAI readies Sora 2 with audio to challenge Google
OpenAI is reportedly preparing to release Sora 2, the next iteration of its text-to-video AI model, setting up a direct confrontation with Google's Veo 3 model. This battle represents more than just visual quality—it's about creating complete audiovisual experiences that could define the future of AI-generated content creation. The big picture: While OpenAI's original Sora impressed with high-quality visuals, it produced silent videos, whereas Google's Veo 3 already integrates synchronized audio, speech, and environmental sounds. Veo 3 can generate videos where viewers hear "the gentle splash of liquid, the clink of ceramic, and even the hum of a diner around...
read Jul 23, 2025Google boosts AI spending to $85B as user adoption of Gemini app soars
Google's CEO Sundar Pichai declared that "AI is positively impacting every part of the business" as the company reported strong Q2 2025 earnings with $96.4 billion in revenue, up 14% year-over-year. The tech giant is doubling down on its AI strategy by increasing planned capital expenditures to $85 billion—a $10 billion jump that signals Google's determination to keep pace with competitors like OpenAI and Meta in the AI infrastructure race. What you should know: Google's AI features are gaining massive user adoption across its platform ecosystem. AI Overviews now reaches more than 2 billion monthly users across "more than 200...
read Jul 23, 2025Google Cloud surges 32% as Alphabet raises AI spending to $85B
Google's parent company Alphabet exceeded Wall Street expectations in its second quarter earnings, reporting $96.43 billion in total revenue against an expected $94 billion. The tech giant also raised its 2025 capital spending target to approximately $85 billion from $75 billion, driven by massive demand for cloud computing services and the ongoing AI arms race among Big Tech companies. What you should know: Alphabet's strong performance was powered by robust growth in Google Cloud and steady digital advertising revenue. Google Cloud revenue surged nearly 32%, well above the estimated 26.5% increase that analysts had projected. Google's advertising revenue, which represents...
read Jul 23, 2025Google’s Aeneas AI helps historians decode ancient Latin inscriptions
Google DeepMind has launched Aeneas, an AI system designed to help historians decode and contextualize ancient Latin inscriptions carved in stone. The tool analyzes weathered engravings to determine when and where they were originally created, while also providing researchers with historical parallels from a database of nearly 150,000 catalogued inscriptions spanning from modern-day Britain to Iraq. How it works: Aeneas processes partial transcriptions alongside scanned images of inscriptions to reconstruct missing text and provide historical context. The system can fill in damaged portions of text—for example, completing "...us populusque Romanus" by suggesting "Senat" to form "Senatus populusque Romanus" ("The Senate...
read Jul 23, 2025Google expands AI photo-to-video tools to Photos and YouTube Shorts
Google is expanding its AI-powered photo-to-video capabilities to Google Photos and YouTube Shorts, bringing the technology that debuted in its Gemini app to a broader audience. The rollout represents Google's push to democratize AI video generation tools, though these implementations come with more limitations than the original Gemini version. What you should know: The new features use Google's older Veo 2 video model rather than the more advanced Veo 3 that powers Gemini's photo-to-video tool. Google Photos users can create six-second video clips from still images, while YouTube Shorts allows variable clip lengths. Unlike Gemini, neither tool accepts custom prompts—users...
read Jul 22, 2025Follow-through failures: Google’s AI overviews cut website clicks by 50%, Pew study finds
A new Pew Research Center study confirms what many website owners suspected: Google's AI Overviews are significantly reducing clicks to other websites, with searches featuring AI summaries generating nearly half the click-through rates of traditional search results. The findings challenge Google's repeated claims that AI Overviews don't harm web traffic, providing concrete evidence of how artificial intelligence is reshaping information consumption and potentially starving content creators of visitors. The numbers: The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan research organization, analyzed data from 900 users and found stark differences in click behavior between traditional and AI-enhanced search results. Searches without AI Overviews...
read Jul 22, 2025NotebookLM transforms business documents into searchable AI workspaces
Google's NotebookLM has quietly emerged as one of the most practical AI productivity tools for business professionals, yet many remain unaware of its capabilities. Unlike general-purpose AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini that draw from vast internet datasets, NotebookLM functions as a personalized AI research assistant that works exclusively with documents and sources you provide. This focused approach addresses two critical concerns that prevent many professionals from fully embracing AI tools: unreliable information and data security risks. NotebookLM eliminates hallucinations—instances where AI generates false information—by restricting responses to your uploaded materials, while offering enterprise-grade security for sensitive business documents....
read Jul 21, 2025Google’s Gemini Deep Think solves 5 of 6 Math Olympiad problems for gold
Google's Gemini Deep Think AI model achieved gold medal status at the 2025 International Math Olympiad, correctly solving five of six competition problems while adhering to official IMO rules and time constraints. This marks a significant advancement over Google's 2024 silver medal performance and demonstrates how specialized reasoning models can match elite human mathematical problem-solving abilities. What you should know: Gemini Deep Think represents a major evolution in AI mathematical reasoning, processing problems in natural language without requiring expert translation. The model runs multiple reasoning processes in parallel, integrating and comparing results before delivering final answers. Unlike previous systems that...
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