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Google Infuses Chrome Desktop App With Gemini Nano for Smarter Browsing
Sagnik Das Gupta
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Google Chrome is all set to soon get Gemini Nano built right into its desktop app. The AI model will be running on-device, bringing features like 'Help Me Write' to users. The feature will be available via an upcoming Chrome 126 version. It will be to Google Chrome what Copilot is to the Microsoft Edge app.
Google Announces Imagen 3, Its Latest AI Text-to-Image Generator
Sagnik Das Gupta
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Google announces Imagen 3, which is its latest AI text-to-image generator. The tool is an upgrade from the last gen Imagen 2, for Google calls it the highest quality text-to-image generation model till date. To put the latest model to use, you will need to head over to ImageFX in Google Labs and sign up for it. Developers and enterprise users will get access to it soon through Vertex AI.
Android 15 Developer Preview and beta builds have been under testing for months, allowing us to finally confirm the desert name of Google's latest operating system as Vanilla Ice Cream. This time as well, Google has gone with using a dessert as an Android codename. Android 14 came with the "Upside Down Cake" codename, while the one before was called "Tiramisu".
If you're looking for cases to buy for the Pixel 8a, you should take a look at this list we've compiled. From ultra-rugged cases that offer a 360-degree protection and designer cases that focus on aesthetics to transparent cases that highlight your phone's color to even cases that bring some top-tier utility, we've handpicked each of those.
Pixel 8a: Why is Google So Tone-Deaf on Pixel Pricing in India?
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google has announced the Pixel 8a in India at Rs 52,000, and it proves that with each passing year, Google distances itself from understanding the Indian smartphone scene. The steep price increase makes us believe that Google still doesn't understand the Indian market.
According to Google, the Wallet and Google Pay app will co-exist, and while the former will be for storing things like transit, gift, and loyalty cards, and no tap to pay, the latter will be for making payments. We believe this makes Google Wallet quite useless.
Files by Google App Gets a Built-in PDF Reader but Still Lacks Some Features
Anshuman Jain
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We will soon see a new PDF reader feature native to File by Google app. It will replace the Google Drive PDF viewer that is the default option Android users rely on today. The upcoming PDF reader will feature navigation and text annotation tools with a simple interface. The feature is yet to arrive but some users have already received it.
Google's Phone app has a new feature called Audio Emoji, which allows users to play sound snippets during calls. It features six sound effects, like clap, laughter, and drumroll, that you can play during a phone call. The feature is currently available for users who have enrolled in the beta program for Google Phone app but will soon be available for stable users.
The Pixel tablet released last year was supposed to be Google's redemption in the tablet market but it did not work out for them. So for their next tablet, they should go back to the drawing board and put efforts in improving the hardware and software features while also ditching any gimmicks.
There's a hidden feature that has been spotted inside the Gemini Settings page which lets you "Choose your default media provider". It will help users select a streaming service as the default, allowing Gemini to start accepting commands related to music streaming, such as "Play my liked songs".
What Does Google’s AI-Hardware Merger Mean for Your Next Android Phone?
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google has decided to merge AI and Hardware teams, and for those wondering, here's what this decision could mean for Android. This could mean users will get faster updates, better ecosystem features on Pixel, better AI features, and improvements to existing AI features.
YouTube's new AI "Ask" button, allows viewers to ask video-related questions and receive real-time responses without pausing the video. It's currently available for YouTube Premium users in the US, for English videos only. It can provide summaries, discuss specific sections, or translate educational content into simpler language. This feature is a convenient tool, but could potentially affect video watch time.
If you want to mass delete unnecessary junk mails from your Gmail, you can do so easily from the web. To do so, go to go to Gmail web using any desktop browser -> select More drop-down menu from left panel -> select All Mail -> tick central checkbox -> click on Select all [total number of emails] conversations in All Mail -> hit delete icon -> click on OK in popup window. Using the web version, you can also use Advanced Search to filter, sort out and bulk delete specific types of emails as well.
This Essential New Chrome Feature Will Shield Your Account From Hijacking
Arjun Sha
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Cookie theft aka session hijacking has become a security menace where attackers gain access to users' online accounts without requiring a password or 2FA authentication. To put a stop, Google has developed Device Bound Session Credentials (DBSC) for Chrome that bind the authentication session to the device. It means attackers can't use the stolen cookie to access accounts on another device. You can enable DBSC on Chrome right away.
Google Tightens Grip on YouTube: Third-Party Ad Blockers Targeted
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google has announced that it will now strictly go against third-party YouTube apps and Ad blockers that go against its terms of service. The strict measures to ban Ad blockers tell us that Google is pushing users toward purchasing YouTube Premium, which gives you access to Ad-free video playback and YouTube Music
The Pixel 9 series will be getting a new Exynos 5400 modem that will satellite connectivity and fix the connectivity issues that have plagued Pixels for years. The modem will be coming to the Pixel 9 series, Pixel Fold 2, and a 5G Pixel Tablet which is under development. The feature will ask you a few questions, and will then message your emergency contacts followed by emergency services.
Google has announced a new workspace app at Cloud Next 2024. The new workspace app called Google Vids is a video, writing, production, and editing assistant which will be available in June this year. The main use of the feature is to make content like team recaps, announcements, training reels, and more using generative AI.
Google at the Cloud Next 2024 event made its Imagen 2 model generally available to enterprise customers. One of its new features is that it can generate short video clips aka live images of up to four seconds. In addition, the generation clips show different camera angles and motion. Users can also inpaint and outpaint images on Vertex AI.
Recent reports from users in India suggest that Google Wallet might have started working in the subcontinent, allowing users to set up and add payment cards and passes. While the app has been working for me for over three months, the WearOS app still refuses to work. Besides, the only way to download Wallet is by installing the APK. All the events indicate that Google might be planning to bring Wallet to Android.
Google has released Jpegli, an image coding library capable of reducing the size of regular JPEGs up to 35%, while retaining details thanks to the 10+ bits per component. Jpegli is a tad bit better than WebP thanks to its faster and higher-quality compression. It can save storage while speeding up the load times of web pages.
Google Phone App Is Getting a Lookup Feature to Identify Unknown Callers
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google could soon add a Lookup feature in the Google Phone app. While the name might suggest that it's a Truecaller-like caller ID lookup feature, that's not the case. When you tap on the Lookup option, the Phone app will open your device's default browser and searches for the number on the web.
Soon You Might Have to Pay to Access Google’s AI Search Features
Sagnik Das Gupta
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Google announced its SGE (Search Generative Experience) last year, and now, we are getting to see this entire thing become "premium". In other words, you will have to pay for the AI features integrated within Google Search. For those unaware, generative AI in Google Search allowed you to get a summary of your query, thereby providing all the information you need right at the top. Now, the new Financial Times report suggests that you will soon need to pay the premium $19.99/month fee of Google One AI to make use of it.
Google announced in a blog post that it will be increasingly investing in the podcast experience on YouTube Music and sunsetting Google Podcasts on April 2 in the US. If you're looking for alternatives to Google Podcasts, some of the best apps you can use are Pocket Casts, Podcasts Addict, and Spotify.
Amidst the iOS 17.5 Beta rollout which hints at the release of Apple's unwanted tracker alerts feature, Google's new Find My Device experience, which was delayed due to Apple, is coming soon. Google has started to roll out a part of the feature which lets you put your Android phone on the Find My Device network.
Play Edition devices were Google's attempt at bringing Stock Android to some of the most popular devices that ship with custom UI on top of Android. Google should bring it back to offer Pixel-like Android experience with other devices in partnership with manufacturers in theirupper mid-range an flagship devices.
Google Finally Agrees to Delete Data It Collected from Incognito Mode for Years
Sagnik Das Gupta
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Back in 2020, a couple of Google account holders took to Boies Schiller Flexner to file a lawsuit against Google for illegally collecting user data on its Chrome's Incognito mode. The Incognito mode is supposed to be private browsing and previously, users were not accurately informed that while it's private to them, data is still collected as when normally browsing. Now, Google and Boies has reached a $5 billion settlement to finally move and delete or remediate this very data.
The direction in which the recent Pixel 8a leaks and the upcoming Pixel 9 series leaks point toward Google eventually discontinuing the A series of devices. This is because both the price and specification gap between the regular and A series Pixels is diminishing, and Google wouldn't want one's sales devour others' sales. Besides, the firm is also upping the number of models, which might bring the price of the vanilla model down, thereby leading to the discontinuation of A series.
Google just confirmed that RCS will be coming to iPhones in fall 2024 through the new Google Messages webpage. This update will improve messaging experiences for iPhone users, although the "blue bubble-green bubble" issue remains unresolved. This move is a positive step towards enhancing messaging experiences, particularly for those using Google's messaging platform.
US vs Apple Lawsuit: Is This the Chance for Google Pixel Phones to Shine
Abubakar Mohammed
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The US has hit Apple with a lawsuit that accuses Apple of breaking the anti-trust laws. Apple says it will vigorously defend against it, but if things don't go as planned, Apple would be forced into opening the software and hardware to work with other manufacturers in the industry. This would give Google a chance to add more users and increase the market share of its Pixel phones.
New Pixel 8a Leak Suggests 120Hz Refresh Rate and DisplayPort Support
Abubakar Mohammed
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New exclusive information about the upcoming Pixel 8a has leaked thanks to popular leaker and features spotter Kamilla Wojciechowska. The info suggests that the Google Pixel 8a will boast a 120Hz OLED display, DisplayOut support, Tensor G3, and could bring Pixels to more countries.
When a smartphone model gets listed on the FCC, it's an indication that their launch is imminent. We all know that Google launches an A series device in May, and this year's Google I/O is scheduled for May 14, which means Google could launch the 8a during the same.
Earlier today, Google rolled out its famed yearly puzzle to tease its I/O 2024 event. Within around 4 hours of the puzzle being out, it was cracked by the community and we got to know that the much-anticipated event has been scheduled for May 14, 2024. From the Pixel 8a to the Pixel Fold 2 and more on Android 15, there's a whole lot that is expected to be announced at the event.
The Pixel lineup sure has come a long way since its first resurrection in 2021 with the Pixel 6, steadily improving the lineup with every iteration with the Pixel 8 series being the best so far. However, Pixels are far from perfect and the five things I would improve are the Google Tensor G4, Charging Speeds, faster storage, better modem and connectivity, and bringing Telephoto to the standard Pixel.
If your Gmail account is filled with spam and junk, or there's an account that you don't even use anymore, getting rid of it is probably a good idea. However, there are two ways to go about it, and you can either delete just your Gmail service or your entire Google account altogether. We'd recommend going with the former if the Gmail service is bothering you specifically.
Google Takeout allows you to download your account data and make a copy of it alongside the cloud backup that already backs up your data. Making a physical copy of your data this way makes you store it to your computer for additional retrievability. To use the Google Takeout too, head over to the Takeout page and follow the on-screen instructions and manage the settings to finally create an export which will allow you to download the data easily.
What the Gemini Image Generation Fiasco Tells Us About Google’s Approach to AI
Arjun Sha
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After Gemini generated some inaccurate and offensive images, Google has been accused of anti-white bias by critics from many quarters. In response, Google has temporarily turned off image generation of people in Gemini. Moreover, many accuse Google of aggressively tuning the model to represent diversity which seems to have backfired. So what explains this debacle and Google's overall approach to AI? Read on to find out.
Although the new features are not groundbreaking, Google has announced some key AI features for all of its platforms including Android, Android Auto, Wear OS, Google Docs, etc. You can chat with Gemini in the Google Messages app, have all your notifications summarized in Android Auto, view your boarding pass and other cards on your Wear OS smartwatch, and more.
After a gap of six years, Google is updating the visual look of the sign-in and sign-up pages. The new update has a more modern look and brings changes in line with Material Design 3 principles. Google says it's strictly a visual change, and no changes have been made to functionalities. The login flow remains the same. The new updated look will be visible to both personal accounts and Google Workspace accounts in the next two weeks.
By dropping a pin in Google Maps, you will be able to navigate to the pinned location easily. You can also save the location to get back to it without getting lost, or share a pinned location with your friends to make navigating to it easier for them. To drop a pin in Google Maps, open the Android or iOS dedicated app and long press on any location you want to pin. On your PC, simply right click on the location you want to pin and then click the information panel that pops up.
With the Chrome 121 release, Google is adding three new generative AI features to Chrome. Currently, the AI features are available on Windows and macOS in the US only. The AI features include smart tab organization, Help Me Write, and theme generation using AI. You can put similar tabs in a tab group using AI automatically. Help me write will let you draft texts on the web using AI. And you can generate unique themes based on your mood, and visual style using AI.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 series also introduced a new Google Circle to Search feature to the world. Using this feature, you can circle, scribble, tap, or highlight any object on your phone screen to instantly get details about it via Google Search. To use the feature, you will need to long-press the home navigation button -> circle the desired object on your screen -> swipe up the search panel at the bottom to see all results. By default, this feature is turned on, and you can also turn it off by heading over to display settings.
Google Kills 17 Assistant Features Ahead of ‘Assistant with Bard’ Release
Abubakar Mohammed
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The next victims of Google's slaughter and first entrants of Google Graveyard in 2024 are Google Assistant features, 17 of them. Most of the features are related to voice commands on smartphones and smart speakers. Google claims most of these features were "underutilized," and that the company would like to focus on "prioritizing the experiences."