Google has announced it’s rolling out the colorful new Android 16 interface for beta testers as reported by 9to5Google. The QPR1 beta includes the company’s Material 3 Expressive design language revealed officially last week and includes new visuals for the launcher, notifications, lock screen, and a very Apple-inspired quick settings page.QPRs, or quarterly platform releases, generally are more feature-rich updates for Android compared to the monthly security update patches. With Android 16 expected to launch to everyone soon, it will be followed in the fall by this QPR1 update that adds the new visual touches. Users with eligible Pixel devices, including ones as old as the Pixel 6 and up to the 9A, that are registered in the Beta program can get access to the new release as soon as it’s ready. However, if you’re already beta testing Android 16 but you’d rather wait to get the new design, you can opt out of this release on the Android Beta website (note: don’t install the system update afterward, as that will wipe your device — just wait for Android 16’s official launch).If you want to try the redesigned Android 16 but are not currently enrolled in the beta, Google posted instructions on Reddit on how to get started:You can get started with Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 today by enrolling your Pixel device. Eligible devices include Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, 8, 8 Pro, 8a, 9, 9 Pro, 9a, Pixel Tablet series devices*. Once enrolled, eligible devices will receive an over-the-air (OTA) update to the latest Beta versions. If you were previously enrolled in Android 16 Beta (and have not opted-out), you will automatically receive QPR1 Beta 1 and any future Beta updates.*

We all strive to be more productive in our daily lives, and when it comes to working from a PC, there are a lot of factors that play into it. Having the right peripherals can make a huge difference to various aspects of your day, and some are more noticeable than others.

Google is adding its Gemini AI assistant to Chrome, the company announced at Google I/O on Tuesday. Initially, Gemini will be able to “clarify complex information on any webpage you’re reading or summarize information,” according to a blog post from Google Labs and Gemini VP Josh Woodward. Google envisions that Gemini in Chrome will later “work across multiple tabs and navigate websites on your behalf.”I saw a demo during a briefing ahead of Tuesday’s announcement. In Chrome, you’ll see a little sparkle icon in the top right corner. Click that and a Gemini chatbot window will open — it’s a floating UI that you can move and resize. From there, you can ask questions about the website.In the demo, Charmaine D’Silva, a director of product management on the Chrome team, opened a page for a sleeping bag at REI and clicked on a suggested Gemini prompt to list the bag’s key features. Gemini read the entire page and listed a quick summary of the bag. D’Silva then asked if the sleeping bag was a good option for camping in Maine, and Gemini in Chrome responded by pulling information from the REI page and the web.After that, D’Silva went to a shopping page on another retailer’s website for a different sleeping bag and asked Gemini to compare the two sleeping bags. Gemini did that and included a comparison table.You’ll initially be able to keep a conversation going with Gemini as you navigate from tab to tab. But “later in the year,” Gemini in Chrome will let you select multiple tabs at once and ask a question about all of them.D’Silva also showed a demo of a feature that will be available in the future: using Gemini to navigate websites. In the demo, D’Silva pulled up Gemini Live in Chrome to help navigate a recipe site. D’Silva asked Gemini to scroll to the ingredients, and the AI zipped to that part of the page. It also responded when D’Silva asked for help converting the required amount of sugar from cups to grams.In Google’s selected demos, Gemini in Chrome seems like it could occasionally be useful, especially with comparison tables or in-the-moment ingredient conversions. I’d rather just read the website or do my own research instead of reading Gemini’s AI summaries, especially since AI can hallucinate incorrect information.Gemini in Chrome is launching on Wednesday. It will initially release on Windows and macOS in early access to users 18 or older who use English as their language. It will be available to people who subscribe to Google’s AI Pro and Ultra subscriptions or users of Chrome’s beta, canary, and dev channels, Parisa Tabriz, Google’s VP and GM of Chrome, said in the briefing.As for bringing Gemini to mobile Chrome, “it’s an area that we’ll think about,” Tabriz says, but right now, the company is “very focused on desktop.”Correction, May 20th: Gemini in Chrome can keep a conversation going as you move from tab to tab; it doesn’t only work across two tabs, as we initially reported.

Windows 11 comes with a decent set of built-in tools, but if you've ever felt like they're not good enough and not quite productive, you're not alone. Over the years, I've replaced many of them with portable apps: lightweight, no-install programs that often outperform their built-in counterparts in both speed and flexibility.

Customizing the look and feel of your Windows system is fun and exciting. One tool that has a dramatic effect on your system is Windhawk. It allows you to implement several customizations to your Windows system. Once you download and install Windhawk, you can choose from various mods that you can install to make Windows 11 work and appear as you want it. I initially became familiar with it while creating the Windows 25 mod, which was fun replicating.

Meta antitrust trialThe long-awaited antitrust trial between Meta and the Federal Trade Commission kicked off on April 14th. Over about two months, DC District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg is hearing arguments about whether then-Facebook illegally monopolized the market for “personal social networking services” through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.The FTC first brought the case in late 2020. While it was initially thrown out by the judge, he let an amended version move forward after the government beefed up details about why it thinks Meta is a monopoly. This phase of the trial will help the judge determine if Meta is liable for breaking antitrust law. If he finds that to be true, he’ll later rule on how those harms should be remedied. The FTC is pushing for Instagram and WhatsApp should be spun off.This is the third US trial seeking to break up Big Tech in recent years, following the Justice Department’s two separate cases against Google over its search and ad tech businesses.Read below for all of our updates on the FTC v. Meta case. Instagram handled lots of growth and features before using Meta’s infrastructure. Joining Facebook ‘rapidly’ solved lots of Instagram’s issues. One of Instagram’s earliest employees testifies about its pre-Facebook ‘chaos.’ WhatsApp co-founder left behind $800 million in Meta’s restricted stock units. Meta diluted encryption on WhatsApp after its co-founder left. Facebook was reticent to push WhatsApp in places Messenger dominated. A Facebook employee tried to be WhatsApp’s CFO before the deal. WhatsApp added plenty of features before Meta bought it. WhatsApp could have made enough money without ads. WhatsApp didn’t bother getting Google to bid against Meta to buy it. ‘No ads, no games, no gimmicks.’ WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton takes the stand. FTC ignores ‘robust’ competition Meta faces for advertisers. FTC tries to poke holes in Meta’s TikTok ban theory. Does Google Chrome compete with Facebook? Facebook and Instagram might have had more ads as separate companies. Facebook and Instagram benefited from India’s TikTok ban. YouTube benefits most when people reduce their Instagram usage. Friends and family sharing is not a ‘secret sauce.’ Meta calls on Walmart’s chief economist to back its antitrust defense. Meta asks judge to throw out antitrust case mid-trial Facebook chief worries about differentiating Reels. TikTok took Facebook by surprise. Facebook is in the midst of an identity crisis. Getting people to share more with their friends isn’t always worthwhile. Facebook’s friends tab lets it have its cake and eat it too. Facebook friends posts are ‘becoming a supporting part of the cast.’ You might need to scroll Facebook all day to see all your friends’ posts. ‘OG Facebook’ tries to invoke early social media nostalgia. The core reason people use Facebook has changed in the past three years. Facebook didn’t want to dilute friend content. A friendless Facebook. Facebook users don’t care about all of their friends. Users don’t always know what they want. Head of Facebook Tom Alison takes the stand. Using Instagram isn’t necessary to evaluate an anticompetitive effect. Meta knew about the FTC expert’s pitch for regulators to investigate it. When ads get better, Meta shows users more of them. ‘You’ve known what you thought of this case before you saw a shred of evidence.’ Can Facebook discriminate against the majority of its users? Meta pushes back on the claim it discriminates against users who like seeing friends’ posts. FTC expert is ‘monkeying’ with charts, Meta charges. Are ads really that annoying? To make Facebook cheaper, it would need to pay users. TikTok users fled to Facebook and Instagram when it went dark. Meta’s beef with the press flares at its antitrust trial Tim Wu and Chris Hughes pitched a Facebook probe to regulators. FTC expert can’t tell the difference between Reels, TikTok, and Shorts. FTC’s expert witness has an ‘axe to grind,’ Meta charges. Are ads inevitable? Pay attention to what users do, not what they say. How much did Meta care about a ‘competitive moat’? Could Instagram have grown larger than it already is? ‘Innocent explanations’ for WhatsApp’s acquisition fail. WhatsApp would have had to make money eventually. Microsoft also claimed to be ‘hemmed in’ by competition. Do users’ quality perceptions matter? ‘Needy users’ get fewer ads on Facebook and Instagram. Infrequent ads on Reels is ‘price discrimination.’ Why one obscure app could help crumble Meta’s empire Boasberg scrutinizes the FTC’s arguments. Not all alternatives are created equal. Can Meta monopolize something that’s a fraction of its business? TikTok’s blackout doesn’t show it’s a substitute for Instagram. Very few Instagram users only spend time on Reels. Are people less interested in seeing posts from their friends? The FTC’s chief economic expert is up next. TikTok had a lesser impact on Instagram ‘friend content.’ Instagram has already reached most eligible users in the US. User engagement on Instagram wasn’t as great as it seemed. Are Snapchat and MeWe the only things holding back Meta’s dominance? Mapping users’ connections is becoming less important. Instagram would have followed Twitter’s growth strategy. ‘Kevin overreacted.’ ‘In the end, it didn’t matter.’ The other side of the Instagram ‘skirmish.’ Meta trial enters week five. Instagram CEO testifies about competing with TikTok: ‘You’re either growing, or you’re slowly dying’ People like Meta about as much as Wells Fargo. Focusing on friends and family helped Instagram grow. Keeping Messenger alive post-WhatsApp could ‘prove there is competition.’ ‘Make Instagram Instagram again.’ Creators always want more reach. ‘TikTok is notorious about being very loose with its data.’ ‘One of the best acquisitions of all time.’ Instagram ‘drifted culturally a bit too far’ from Facebook. Instagram has spent up to $700 million in a year to lure creators. ‘Compared to the competition, we are looking a bit sad.’ ‘We need to adapt, and do so quickly.’ Mosseri calls the first version of Reels his ‘biggest mistake.’ ‘TikTok is probably the fiercest competition that we have faced.’ ‘You’re either growing, or you’re slowly dying.’ TikTok and YouTube have become more similar to Instagram. Threads was originally going to live inside the Instagram app Instagram doesn’t want to be a ‘lean-back experience.’ ‘Part of our core identity’ is connecting friends. Mosseri moderated a ‘strained’ relationship with Instagram’s founders. ‘Instagram will always need to focus on friends.’ The FTC plays Mosseri’s ‘Decoder’ interview. Threads was initially going to be inside the Instagram app. People go to Twitter for news and celebrities. Connecting with friends is still an important part of using Instagram. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri takes the stand. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri is testifying tomorrow. Meta’s chief marketing officer takes the stand. Court adjourns for the day. Cuts to Instagram’s growth staffing came ‘out of the blue,’ Systrom wrote. Meta supercharged Instagram’s growth, its former product chief says. Messenger exec was ‘not at all’ concerned about WhatsApp becoming a major competitor. ‘We’re all terrified.’ People don’t come to TikTok to connect with real-life friends. Meta has grown despite the threat of TikTok. Meta throws a jab at Apple over its developer policies. Focusing on friends and family wasn’t a great strategy for Meta. Ads aren’t a huge cost for users. ‘Very little interest’ in Meta’s ad-free subscription in Europe. Users don’t really notice when Meta shows them more ads. Apple’s privacy changes let users block Meta from tracking them off-app. Would Instagram have collected less user data without Meta? Meta’s chief revenue officer is up next. Users don’t actually want a chronological feed. Meta saw a ‘precipitous decline’ in user sentiment after its speech policy changes. Media events can impact how users feel about Meta, even if the product doesn’t change. House Republicans drop their bid to strip the FTC’s antitrust authority. Cambridge Analytica had the ‘most extreme to date’ impact on how users feel about Meta. Keeping up with friends is important to Facebook users. The TikTok ban is back in court — in Meta’s antitrust trial Does Meta care about its users? Reworking ByteDance’s systems for a US-only TikTok would be costly. The TikTok ban makes another cameo. TikTok predicted Instagram would redesign its app to focus on Reels. Are YouTube and Instagram the top competitors for TikTok? TikTok and Reels are ‘indistinguishable.’ TikTok’s friends tab is not exactly a hit. TikTok’s legal entanglements collide. Reels isn’t Instagram’s ‘core’ experience. TikTok doesn’t compete with Meta for ‘personal social networking.’ TikTok’s head of operations takes the stand. Yahoo once paid $1 billion for an unprofitable tech startup, too. Tumblr’s former CTO tells the court about fandoms. Apple lists its messages app under social networking. Apple hasn’t considered putting ads in its messaging app. ‘Who are all these people?’ An Apple iMessage exec is up next. Meta prepared for a ‘flood in traffic’ ahead of the TikTok ban. It’s now ‘extremely easy’ to build a social graph from scratch. ‘We wanted it to be one of the biggest apps in the world.’ Facebook didn’t fear WhatsApp becoming a social competitor. Cambridge Analytica hit Facebook’s reputation, but its user numbers saw less impact. Meta was willing to sacrifice some Instagram growth to grow the whole pie. Facebook worried most about Google or Apple buying WhatsApp. Google had a ‘long shot’ chance of becoming competitive in social with WhatsApp. Facebook didn’t know how it would make money from WhatsApp. Facebook floated starting from scratch on messaging. WhatsApp showed ‘absolutely no signs of morphing’ into a social app. Facebook exec worried about losing the business to mobile messaging apps. ‘I was really worried that this could become the end.’ ‘This shit is getting scary.’ Meta COO Javier Olivan kicks off day 10 of trial. More cloud talk. An AWS exec testifies about how startups can scale with its cloud. Facebook execs worried Google would buy WhatsApp and make it ‘a cross-platform iMessage.’ Pinterest once saw Instagram as an ‘existential threat.’ Smaller apps don’t need Meta to keep users safe. Pinterest is a ‘lifestyle’ app. Pinterest’s former head of user growth is up next. Reddit doesn’t think it’s a social networking platform. Users also post workout content on Facebook and Instagram. You won’t find baby photos on Strava. A former Strava executive is testifying about its social platform. Twitter wasn’t really about sharing with friends and family. ‘I can’t believe that’s on the website.’ Twitter chose to focus on a different use case from Facebook. It’s not all about competing for attention. Judge Boasberg is getting schooled on how X works. An X product executive who built Community Notes is on the stand. Here’s who’s closing out Meta’s second week of trial. Taking a brief break to tune into the Google search remedies trial. Facebook is distinct from other popular social media apps. Shutting down Facebook Camera was ‘unrelated to Instagram.’ Facebook Camera didn’t directly compete with Instagram. ‘Facebook squashes competition.’ Facebook was urgently working on an Instagram competitor months before the deal. A former product manager for Facebook’s defunct camera app is testifying. Instagram co-founder: Zuckerberg saw us as a ‘threat’ to Facebook Kevin Systrom is finished testifying. Instagram had its own trust and safety team for what Meta wouldn’t prioritize. Becoming part of Meta was a ‘mixed bag’ for Instagram. Instagram’s probability of failing without Meta’s help was ‘low.’ Systrom says Zuckerberg got a ‘screaming deal’ by paying $1 billion for Instagram. Negotiating or misleading? ‘Sir:’ Systrom resists Meta’s spin on his testimony. Systrom explains the importance of network effects. Meta made a list of features that helped Instagram and then cut them. Zuckerberg had ‘real human’ emotions about Instagram’s growth. ‘We were a threat to their growth.’ Meta cut growth resources to Instagram. Zuckerberg wouldn’t give Instagram more integrity staff after Cambridge Analytica. Twitter limited Instagram’s integration ‘in direct retaliation’ to Facebook. Apple, Google, and Twitter were interested in buying Instagram. Systrom pitched ads for Instagram before it was acquired. Instagram didn’t have Twitter’s ‘fail whale’ problem. Instagram could have added video and messaging without Meta’s help. Instagram’s growth didn’t slow until after its first year at Meta. It was hard to keep up with Instagram’s early growth. Systrom recounts Instagram’s origins as Burbn. Kevin Systrom takes the stand. Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom takes the stand tomorrow. Meta execs discussed whether WhatsApp could ‘wedge’ its way into social media. ‘It wasn’t obvious you could make a great return’ by paying as much as Meta did for Instagram. Sequoia believed it could have helped Instagram grow independently. ‘It was catching lightning in a bottle’ to invest in Instagram. Instagram investor testifies about the app’s growth before Meta’s acquisition. Putting ads on WhatsApp ‘was not even a discussion point’ before Meta bought it. Meta wanted WhatsApp to sign a ‘no shop’ agreement. Former Google exec testifies about the company’s attempt to buy WhatsApp. Meta is digging through the FTC expert’s personal blog. Meta is trying to discredit the FTC’s expert. WhatsApp could have threatened Facebook if Google acquired it. Judge asks why it’s ‘laughable’ that WhatsApp’s investors could force an ad model. WhatsApp likely would have expanded into social networking, even though its founders resisted it. Instagram and WhatsApp were ‘highly likely to be successful’ without Meta. Meta is starting its second week of trial against the FTC. The government doesn’t understand Meta Meta gets a Friday breather. Big Tech is back on trial Does Google think Meta is its competition? YouTube struggled with adding social features. The FTC calls Google’s Aaron Filner as its next witness. Meta didn’t overpay for WhatsApp, according to the app’s investor. WhatsApp’s founders ‘shot down’ suggestions of adding social features. Facebook considered ad-free subscriptions after the Cambridge Analytica scandal Sequoia tried to get WhatsApp to skirt Zuckerberg’s advances. Zuckerberg was ‘very concerned’ that Tencent wanted to buy WhatsApp. Plenty of companies were interested in WhatsApp before Facebook bought it. Sequoia is ‘dramatically better off’ when the startups it backs go public, rather than get acquired. WhatsApp investor Sequoia saw Facebook as the app’s ‘most significant threat.’ Sandberg is done testifying. Meta considered a subscription model to address Cambridge Analytica backlash. TikTok’s rise lowered Meta’s revenue forecast. The FTC’s view of how Meta’s ads work ‘doesn’t make any sense.’ Ads can be ‘as good as content.’ Sandberg is back on the stand to kick off day four of trial. Zuckerberg tells court he made WhatsApp and Instagram better Sandberg says she was wrong about Meta paying too much for Instagram. Meta’s network effects hasn’t protected it from competition. Cambridge Analytica didn’t impact Meta’s engagement metrics. Meta was focused on Instagram’s quality, not its competitive impact. The rise of Google Plus was a ‘rallying the troops’ moment. Ex-COO Sheryl Sandberg takes the stand. Zuckerberg is done testifying. Zuckerberg defends his decision to put more ads on Instagram. Google, Apple, and Snap aren’t happy about Meta’s poorly-redacted slides Buying TikTok’s precursor would have been ‘too complicated’ because of its China ties. Zuckerberg’s testimony gives the court his vision of the future. Zuckerberg on buying WhatsApp: ‘I’d do it again.’ WhatsApp’s founders had limited aspirations. Meta wasn’t too worried about WhatsApp becoming a rival. Zuckerberg can’t rule out that Instagram would have succeeded on its own. Instagram grew far larger than Zuckerberg ever imagined. Zuckerberg flatly denies that he bought Instagram to squash it. ‘Only the paranoid survive.’ ChatGPT’s image generation gets a shoutout. AI is solving Meta’s ‘negative network effects’ problem. ‘I don’t like it when our competitors do better than us.’ Zuckerberg: TikTok slowed Meta’s growth ‘dramatically.’ Apple, Google, and Snap accuse Meta of being reckless with their confidential info. Zuckerberg’s wildest ideas in Meta’s history Meta reportedly offered $1 billion to settle the FTC’s antitrust lawsuit. We’re done with day two of Zuckerberg’s testimony. Your Honor, we sell ads. ‘What is MeWe?’ Zuckerberg takes an opportunity to jab the EU. Meta doesn’t ‘optimize directly’ for time spent on its platform. Meta’s antitrust trial slide redactions aren’t actually hiding anything The FTC is done questioning Zuckerberg for now. The FTC is trying to pin Zuckerberg down on its market definition. Mark Zuckerberg once suggested wiping all Facebook friends lists to boost usage Zuckerberg sees LinkedIn as competition. Mark Zuckerberg suggested spinning off Instagram Zuckerberg offered to buy Snapchat for $6 billion. Meta discussed having a feed that only contains ads. Zuckerberg’s ‘crazy idea’ to reset everyone Facebook’s friends to zero. People like ads, actually? After Snapchat turned Zuckerberg down, he worried about the rise of Stories. Zuckerberg: Snapchat would have grown faster with us. Meta was worried about early messaging apps expanding into its business. Meta considered blocking rival messaging app ads. ‘A billion dollars is very expensive.’ Settlers of Catan makes a cameo. Zuckerberg downplays that he wanted to buy Instagram to ‘neutralize a potential competitor.’ We’re here for day two of the FTC v. Meta trial. Mark Zuckerberg takes the stand Here’s how the FTC began its case against Meta. A slow start to the trial. Facebook considered keeping Instagram alive to keep ‘everyone from hating us.’ ‘I wonder if we should consider buying Instagram.’ Facebook had interns working on its Instagram competitor. Zuckerberg’s testimony trudges through years of social media history. “Mission accomplished.” Mark Zuckerberg takes the stand. Here are the slides Meta used to lay out its defense. Facebook and Instagram traffic surged when TikTok went down. Meta slams FTC’s ‘grab bag’ case as ‘at war with the facts, and at war with the law.’ FTC previews evidence that Meta allegedly sought to extinguish Instagram and WhatsApp as threats. We’re at the courthouse where Meta is facing its existential antitrust trial. Meta goes to trial to avoid a breakup of Instagram and WhatsApp FTC chair says he’d ‘obey lawful orders’ if Trump asked to drop an antitrust case like Meta’s Judge says the FTC’s Meta monopoly lawsuit can go forward Federal court dismisses FTC’s bid to unwind Instagram from Facebook The FTC is suing Facebook to unwind its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp

If you’ve used Google’s AI-powered notetaking tool, NotebookLM, you’ve likely converted your sources into an AI-generated podcast using the Audio Overviews feature.

Google just wrapped up its big keynote at I/O 2025. As expected, it was full of AI-related announcements, ranging from updates across Google’s image and video generation models to new features in Search and Gmail.But there were some surprises, too, like a new AI filmmaking app and an update to Project Starline. If you didn’t catch the event live, you can check out everything you missed in the roundup below.Google’s AI Mode for Search is coming to everyoneGoogle has announced that it’s rolling out AI Mode, a new tab that lets you search the web using the company’s Gemini AI chatbot, to all users in the US starting this week.Google will test new features in AI Mode this summer, such as deep search and a way to generate charts for finance and sports queries. It’s also rolling out the ability to shop in AI Mode in the “coming months.”Project Starline is now Google BeamProject Starline, which began as a 3D video chat booth, is taking a big step forward. It’s becoming Google Beam and will soon launch inside an HP-branded device with a light field display and six cameras to create a 3D image of the person you’re chatting with on a video call.Companies like Deloitte, Duolingo, and Salesforce have already said that they will add HP’s Google Beam devices to their offices.Imagen and Veo are getting some big upgradesGoogle has announced Imagen 4, the latest version of its AI text-to-image generator, which the company says is better at generating text and offers the ability to export images in more formats, like square and landscape. Its next-gen AI video generator, Veo 3, will let you generate video and sound together, while Veo 2 now comes with tools like camera controls and object removal.Google launches an AI filmmaking appIn addition to updating its AI models, Google is launching a new AI filmmaking app called Flow. The tool uses Veo, Imagen, and Gemini to create eight-second AI-generated video clips based on text prompts and / or images. It also comes with scene-builder tools to stitch clips together and create longer AI videos.Gemini 2.5 Pro adds an “enhanced” reasoning modeThe experimental Deep Think mode is meant for complex queries related to math and coding. It’s capable of considering “multiple hypotheses before responding” and will only be available to trusted testers first.Google has also made its Gemini 2.5 Flash model available to everyone on its Gemini app and is bringing improvements to the cost-efficient model in Google AI Studio ahead of a wider rollout.Xreal shows off its Project Aura prototypeXreal and Google are teaming up on Project Aura, a new pair of smart glasses that use the Android XR platform for mixed-reality devices. We don’t know much about the glasses just yet, but they’ll come with Gemini integration and a large field-of-view, along with what appears to be built-in cameras and microphones.Google is also partnering with Samsung, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker to create other Android XR smart glasses, as well.Google’s experimental AI assistant is getting more proactive Last year we unveiled Project Astra on the #GoogleIO stage. See how it’s evolved since then — and what might be possible in the future. pic.twitter.com/ObMi7gFrrl— Google (@Google) May 20, 2025Project Astra could already use your phone’s camera to “see” the objects around you, but the latest prototype will let it complete tasks on your behalf, even if you don’t explicitly ask it to. The model can choose to speak based on what it’s seeing, such as pointing out a mistake on your homework.Gemini is coming to ChromeGoogle is building its AI assistant into Chrome. Starting on May 21st, Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers will be able to select the Gemini button in Chrome to clarify or summarize information across webpages and navigate sites on their behalf. Google plans on letting Gemini work across multiple tabs at once later this year.Google’s new AI Ultra plan costs $250 per monthGoogle is rolling out a new “AI Ultra” subscription that offers access to the company’s most advanced AI models and higher usage limits across apps like Gemini, NotebookLM, Flow, and more. The subscription also includes early access to Gemini in Chrome and Project Mariner, which can now complete up to 10 tasks at once.Search Live will let you discuss what’s on your camera in real-timeSpeaking of Project Astra, Google is launching Search Live, a feature that incorporates capabilities from the AI assistant. By selecting the new “Live” icon in AI Mode or Lens, you can talk back and forth with Search while showing what’s on your camera.After making Gemini Live’s screensharing feature free for all Android users last month, Google has announced that iOS users will be able to access it for free, as well.Google’s new tool uses AI to create app interfacesGoogle has revealed Stitch, a new AI-powered tool that can generate interfaces using selected themes and a description. You can also incorporate wireframes, rough sketches, and screenshots of other UI designs to guide Stitch’s output. The experiment is currently available on Google Labs.Google Meet adds AI speech translationGoogle Meet is launching a new feature that translates your speech into your conversation partner’s preferred language in near real-time. The feature only supports English and Spanish for now. It’s rolling out in beta to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.Gmail’s smart replies will soon pull info from your inboxGmail’s smart reply feature, which uses AI to suggest replies to your emails, will now use information from your inbox and Google Drive to prewrite responses that sound more like you. The feature will also take your recipient’s tone into account, allowing it to suggest more formal responses in a conversation with your boss, for example.Gmail’s upgraded smart replies will be available in English on the web, iOS, and Android when it launches through Google Labs in July.Google is going big on AI shoppingGoogle is testing a new feature that lets you upload a full-length photo of yourself to see how shirts, pants, dresses, or skirts might look on you. It uses an AI model that “understands the human body and nuances of clothing.”Google will also soon let you shop in AI Mode, as well as use an “agentic checkout” feature that can purchase products on your behalf.Google Chrome will soon help you update compromised passwordsIf Chrome detects that your password’s been compromised, Google says the browser will soon be able to “generate a strong replacement” and automatically update it on supported websites. The feature launches later this year, and Google says that it will always ask for consent before changing your passwords.

The Trump administration is working to limit access to covid booster shots by creating more regulatory hoops for companies developing vaccines for “healthy persons.” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it’s only prioritizing covid vaccine approvals for adults older than 65 and others over the age of 6 months who have at least one “risk factor” for a severe case of covid-19. “The FDA will approve vaccines for high-risk persons and, at the same time, demand robust, gold-standard data on persons at low risk,” FDA officials write in commentary laying out their plans in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The move comes as notorious antivax crusader Robert F. Kennedy reshapes the US Department of Health and Human Services, recently pushing out the FDA’s top vaccine official and thousands of other federal health workers. Some public health experts are already voicing skepticism over whether the FDA’s new guidance for covid boosters will reap any benefits. “This is overly restrictive and will deny many people who want to be vaccinated a vaccine.”“This is overly restrictive and will deny many people who want to be vaccinated a vaccine,” Anna Durbin, director of the Center for Immunization Research at Johns Hopkins University, said in an email to the New York Times.“The only thing that can come of this will make vaccines less insurable and less available,” Paul Offit, a vaccine scientist, virologist, and professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Associated Press.The FDA says it will require more data from additional clinical trials before approvals can be granted for covid-19 vaccines being developed for people not considered to be at heightened risk from severe sickness. It says 100 to 200 million Americans will still have annual access to covid vaccines after its policy change. That would be less than 60 percent of the US population. Last week, the agency approved the Novavax covid-19 vaccine for only older adults and people at higher risk from the disease.“We simply don’t know whether a healthy 52-year-old woman with a normal BMI who has had Covid-19 three times and has received six previous doses of a Covid-19 vaccine will benefit from the seventh dose,” the NEJM commentary says. But previous CDC studies have shown that getting a booster can help prevent mild to moderate cases of covid up to six months after getting the shot regardless of whether a person is at higher risk or not, Offit tells The Associated Press. And even if someone does get sick, being vaccinated can make the illness shorter and less severe and reduce the risk of developing long covid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The rate of covid-19-associated hospitalizations was 71.2 per 100,000 people during the 2024–25 season, according to the CDC — although hospitals haven’t been required to report covid-related hospital admissions to HHS since May of last year. Vaccines are an important safeguard for people with a weakened immune system. The FDA’s new directive raises questions about whether people considered healthy will be able to get vaccinated if they want to protect someone close to them who’s at greater risk.In the NEJM article, the FDA notes that covid booster uptake has been low in the US, with less than a quarter of people getting the shot each year. “There may even be a ripple effect: public trust in vaccination in general has declined,” it says.Kennedy, meanwhile, has a long history of spreading disinformation about vaccines, advocacy for which he has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars and profited from during the covid pandemic. “It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” Peter Marks, former director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) that regulates vaccines, wrote in a resignation letter in March.

I've been building PCs for a long time now, and the one constant is that I've always picked the most suitable hardware to go in whatever PC chassis I've decided on. I used to pick huge, spacious cases for future upgrade potential, but I realized that I never keep a case long enough for it to be worth the added bulk. Before I had a NAS running my smart home, I picked cases with enough 3.5-inch drive bays to stuff with my digital hoard.

Proof that there’s a display.Here in sunny Mountain View, California, I am sequestered in a teeny-tiny box. Outside, there's a long line of tech journalists, and we are all here for one thing: to try out Project Moohan and Google's Android XR smart glasses prototypes. (The Project Mariner booth is maybe 10 feet away and remarkably empty.)While nothing was going to steal AI's spotlight at this year's keynote - 95 mentions! - Android XR has been generating a lot of buzz on the ground. But the demos we got to see here were notably shorter, with more guardrails, than what I got to see back in December. Probably because, unlike a few months ago, there are cameras everywhere and these are "risky" demos.First up is Project Moohan. Not much has changed since I first slipped on the headset. It's still an Android-flavored Apple Vision Pro, albeit much lighter and more comfortable to wear. Like Oculus headsets, there's a dial in the back that lets you adjust the fit. If you press the top button, it brings up Gemini. You can ask Gemini to do things, because that is what AI assistants are here for. Specifically, I ask it to take me to my old college stomping grounds in Tokyo in Google Maps without having to open the G …Read the full story at The Verge.

Editions is the name of a new game publishing label launched by Lost in Cult, the same company known for making gorgeous books about video games, like Outer Wilds: Design Works. The new label’s aim is to preserve indie games, including some that haven’t been released on physical media before, and to celebrate their artistic contributions to the medium by including plenty of extra goodies. Notably, Lost in Cult is working with DoesItPlay? to validate its titles before they’re released. The group specializes in game preservation, ensuring that games can be run from the physical media they’re stored on without the need for a download or an internet connection.The focus on elegantly preserving these titles is similar to what we’ve seen from Limited Run Games,  while Editions’ focus on indie games reminds me of the Criterion Collection’s approach.  Each game included in the Editions lineup will come with a fold-out poster, a sticker, a numbered authenticity card, a 40-page essay and developer interview, and gorgeous cover art, along with the game itself. The first three games to launch under the label include Immortality, The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow, and Thank Goodness You’re Here. Editions plans to announce a new game every month, starting in July.Each of the three games is available to preorder through the Lost in Cult site starting at £59.99, with the option to choose between Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 editions when applicable. PS5 owners can opt to buy the entire first run of Editions games at a discounted price, containing Immortality and Thank Goodness You’re Here, and they’ll get a third (as of yet, unannounced) Editions title when it launches in July. Lost in Cult is asking for patience with shipments, which may take up to six months. But if they’re as good as the books, the wait will be worth it.