Google is expanding Android’s Circle to Search feature with new AI capabilities and gaming assistance, alongside updates to Gemini Live for foldable devices. The enhancements integrate Google’s AI Mode chatbot directly into Circle to Search and introduce camera-sharing support for Samsung’s latest foldable phones, marking a significant step toward more seamless AI-powered mobile experiences.
What you should know: Circle to Search now includes AI Mode integration, allowing users to access Google’s chatbot-style search without switching apps.
- Users can “long press the home button or navigation bar, then circle, tap, or gesture on what you want to search,” with AI Overviews appearing when most helpful.
- The feature enables follow-up questions by tapping “dive deeper with AI Mode” at the bottom of search results.
- AI Mode previously debuted in Google Search earlier this year and recently launched in India outside the US.
Gaming gets smarter: Circle to Search now provides in-game assistance for mobile gamers, a feature Google tested in January.
- Players can find character and strategy information without closing their games.
- The tool locates articles and videos timestamped to the exact moment where assistance is needed.
- This addresses a common pain point for mobile gamers who previously had to exit games to search for help.
Foldable-first features: Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 7 receives exclusive Gemini Live camera-sharing support for its external cover screen.
- The AI assistant can answer questions about what it “sees” through the camera without users opening the phone.
- This functionality leverages the unique dual-screen design of Samsung’s foldable devices.
- The Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Watch 8 series are the first devices shipping with Android 16 and Wear OS 6.
Expanding ecosystem: Gemini Live integrations are rolling out to Samsung apps and smartwatches running Wear OS 6.
- Samsung Calendar, Notes, and Reminders now support Gemini Live functionality.
- Support for apps from other device manufacturers will follow Samsung’s initial integration.
- Gemini is becoming available on smartwatches from Pixel, OnePlus, OPPO, Xiaomi, and Samsung’s new Watch 8 series.
What’s next: Google plans to bring AI Mode to Lens via the Google app for both Android and iOS devices, expanding the feature’s reach beyond Circle to Search.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...