In the wake of its big antitrust loss, Google could soon find itself forced to sell one of its crown jewels. Among the government's proposed remedies in the search case is a requirement that Google divest its market-leading Chrome browser, and Perplexity is already throwing its proverbial hat into the ring with a whopping $34.5 billion offer. The problem, however, is that Perplexity doesn't have nearly that much cash.

Perplexity has ridden the AI hype wave, with its AI-powered search appearing on smartphones and in the company's custom Comet browser. Like any company offering an AI product, investors have been happy to throw money at Perplexity, totaling around $1 billion so far. Investors value the company at about $14 billion right now. So how does Perplexity have more than twice that to buy Chrome? That's the neat part—it doesn't.

There is so much capital floating around in the artificial intelligence sphere currently that even a cash-poor firm like Perplexity can secure enough investment to splurge on Chrome. Reuters reports that the all-cash offer is funded by various venture funds, but Perplexity has not offered specifics.

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After months of hype and anticipation, OpenAI released its new GPT-5 model family this week. Promising massive upgrades across the board, the company is already working to roll out the new AI to everyone. Some dedicated ChatGPT users wish it would stop, though. After becoming accustomed to the vibe of the GPT-4 models, the switch to GPT-5 doesn't feel right. Around the Internet, chatbot fans are lamenting the loss of the digital "friends" they've grown to appreciate, which probably says a lot about how the human condition is shifting in the AI era.

OpenAI noted that it was not eliminating older models like GPT-4o, which is about a year old. However, these models are now limited to the developer API. For people who hopped on ChatGPT to have a conversation with their favorite AI, things are different now that GPT-5 is the default.

On the OpenAI community forums and Reddit, long-time chatters are expressing sorrow at losing access to models like GPT-4o. They explain the feeling as "mentally devastating," and "like a buddy of mine has been replaced by a customer service representative." These threads are full of people pledging to end their paid subscriptions. It's worth noting, though, that many of these posts look to us like they have been composed partially or entirely with AI. So even when long-time chat users are complaining, they're still engaged with generative artificial intelligence.

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Google has often bristled at the implication that its obsession with AI search is harming web traffic, and now search head Liz Reid has penned a blog post on the topic. According to Reid, clicks aren't declining, AI is driving more searches, and everything is fine on the Internet. But despite the optimistic tone, the post stops short of providing any actual data to back up those claims.

This statement feels like a direct response to a recent Pew Research Center analysis that showed searches with AI Overviews resulted in lower click-through rates. Google objected to the conclusions and methodology of that study, and the new blog post expands on its rationale.

The banner claim in this post is that Google is not sending fewer clicks to websites. According to Reid, "total organic click volume" has remained "relatively stable year-over-year." Meanwhile, Google is seeing more searches on its end, which is the most important metric for the company. Google's blog also notes (fairly) that the web is unfathomably vast, and it's common for trends to shift.

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Generative AI systems have proliferated across the technology industry over the last several years to such a degree that it can be hard to avoid using them. Google and other big names in AI spend a lot of time talking about AI safety, but the ever-evolving capabilities of AI have also led to a changing landscape of malware threats—or as researchers from Tel Aviv University would say, "promptware." Using simple calendar appointments, this team managed to trick Gemini into manipulating Google smart home devices, which may be the first example of an AI attack having real-world effects.

Gemini has the barest of agentic capabilities by virtue of its connection to the wider Google app ecosystem. It can access your calendar, call on Assistant smart home devices, send messages, and more. That makes it an appealing target for malicious actors looking to cause havoc or steal data. The researchers used Gemini's web of connectivity to perform what's known as an indirect prompt injection attack, in which malicious actions are given to an AI bot by someone other than the user. And it worked startlingly well.

The promptware attack begins with a calendar appointment containing a description that is actually a set of malicious instructions. The hack happens when the user asks Gemini to summarize their schedule, causing the robot to process the poisoned calendar event. Here's an example of one of those prompts.

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Google is unleashing its most powerful Gemini model today, but you probably won't be able to try it. After revealing Gemini 2.5 Deep Think at the I/O conference back in May, Google is making this AI available in the Gemini app. Deep Think is designed for the most complex queries, which means it uses more compute resources than other models. So it should come as no surprise that only those subscribing to Google's $250 AI Ultra plan will be able to access it.

Deep Think is based on the same foundation as Gemini 2.5 Pro, but it increases the "thinking time" with greater parallel analysis. According to Google, Deep Think explores multiple approaches to a problem, even revisiting and remixing the various hypotheses it generates. This process helps it create a higher-quality output.

Credit: Google

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Big Tech is increasingly addicted to AI, but many companies are allergic to regulation, bucking suggestions that they adhere to copyright law and provide data on training. In a rare move, Google has confirmed it will sign the European Union's AI Code of Practice, a framework it initially opposed for being too harsh. However, Google isn't totally on board with Europe's efforts to rein in the AI explosion. The company's head of global affairs, Kent Walker, noted that the code could stifle innovation if it's not applied carefully, and that's something Google hopes to prevent.

While Google was initially opposed to the Code of Practice, Walker says the input it has provided to the European Commission has been well-received, and the result is a legal framework it believes can provide Europe with access to "secure, first-rate AI tools." The company claims that the expansion of such tools on the continent could boost the economy by 8 percent (about 1.8 trillion euros) annually by 2034.

These supposed economic gains are being dangled like bait to entice business interests in the EU to align with Google on the Code of Practice. While the company is signing the agreement, it appears interested in influencing the way it is implemented. Walker says Google remains concerned that tightening copyright guidelines and forced disclosure of possible trade secrets could slow innovation. Having a seat at the table could make it easier to bend the needle of regulation than if it followed some of its competitors in eschewing voluntary compliance.

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Search is changing at a breakneck pace, with Google rolling out new AI features so quickly it can be hard to keep up. So far, these AI implementations are being offered in addition to the traditional search experience. However, Google is now offering a sneak peek at how it may use AI to change the good old-fashioned list of blue links. The company says its new Web Guide feature is being developed to "intelligently organize" the results page, and you can try it now, if you dare.

Many Google searches today come with an AI Overview right at the top of the page. There's also AI Mode, which does away with the typical list of links in favor of a full chatbot approach. While Google contends that these features enhance the search experience and direct users to good sources, it's been easy to scroll right past the AI and get to the regular list of websites. That may change in the not too distant future, though.

Google's latest AI experiment, known as Web Guide, uses generative AI to organize the search results page. The company says Web Guide uses a custom version of Gemini to surface the most helpful webpages and organize the page in a more useful way. It uses the same fan-out technique as AI Mode, conducting multiple parallel searches to gather more data on your query.

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The last few years have seen several smartphone makers pull back or totally abandon their mobile efforts. UK-based Nothing Technologies, however, is still trying to carve out a niche in the increasingly competitive smartphone market. Its tools have been quirky designs and glowing lights, along with a focus on markets outside the US. With the Nothing Phone 3, the company has brought its "first flagship" phone stateside.

Nothing didn't swing for the fences with the Phone 3's specs, but this device can hold its own with the likes of OnePlus and Google. Plus, it has that funky Nothing design aesthetic. There's a transparent back, a tiny dot matrix screen, and a comprehensive Android skin. But at the end of the day, the Nothing Phone 3 is not treading new ground.

Designing Nothing

Despite Nothing's talk about unique designs, the Nothing Phone 3 looks unremarkable from the front. The bezels are slim and symmetrical all the way around the screen. Under a sheet of Gorilla Glass 7i, it has a 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED screen with an impressive 1260 x 2800 resolution. It hits 4,500 nits of brightness, which is even higher than Google and Samsung phones (we're not seeing much difference in practice). It's more than bright enough to be readable outdoors, and the touch sensitivity is excellent—sometimes too excellent, as we've noticed a few accidental edge touches.

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The games on the devices shown by the content creator may not be entirely legal. That was enough for Italian law enforcement to ding him for “promotion of pirated copyrighted materials.”

Google is hosting its annual Pixel event on August 20, which will likely feature the Pixel 10 series and the Pixel Watch 4. The new Pixel phones are expected to retain the physical design of last year's phones, but a new report claims Google's smartwatch is getting an important hardware upgrade—it may finally be repairable.

Google has stuck with the same design for all three generations of the Pixel Watch, making changes only to internal components, displays, and charging. Even with the year-to-year design consistency, Google has neglected to make replacement parts available—not to consumers and not to repair shops. A report from Android Headlines claims that Google will make changes to the construction that will allow for repairs.

The Pixel Watch, Watch 2, and the current Watch 3 have the same sleek construction, featuring a curved glass cover that merges seamlessly with the aluminum housing. It looks great, but there's no easy way to disassemble it. Even if you manage to get inside, it's nigh impossible to find replacement parts. We don't yet know if the supposed redesign will make the Pixel Watch 4 look different, but the report claims it has been designed specifically with repairs in mind.

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Google's Pixel phones have grown from a curiosity to become some of the best smartphones you can buy, featuring excellent cameras and lengthy support. Unfortunately, they are also gaining a reputation for battery defects. For the second time in a year, Google has announced that it will render some of its past phones almost unusable with a software update, and users don't have any choice in the matter.

After nerfing the Pixel 4a's battery capacity earlier this year, Google has now confirmed a similar update is rolling out to the Pixel 6a. The new July Android update adds "battery management features" that will make the phone unusable. Given the risks involved, Google had no choice but to act, but it could choose to take better care of its customers and use better components in the first place. Sadly, a lot more phones are about to end up in the trash.

Bad batteries

Lithium-ion has become the technology of choice for rechargeable batteries due to its high energy density and reliability compared to other options. However, storing and releasing energy day after day causes inevitable wear and tear. Electrolytes that transport electrons can decompose into flammable gases and puff up your battery into a spicy little pillow, for example. Batteries also form clumps of lithium ions called dendrites, which grow and can cause internal shorts. This damage is accelerated by heat, and batteries get warmer the faster and longer they charge.

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Google's Veo 3 videos have propagated across the Internet since the model's debut in May, blurring the line between truth and fiction. Now, it's getting even easier to create these AI videos. The Gemini app is gaining photo-to-video generation, allowing you to upload a photo and turn it into a video. You don't have to pay anything extra for these Veo 3 videos, but the feature is only available to subscribers of Google's Pro and Ultra AI plans.

When Veo 3 launched, it could conjure up a video based only on your description, complete with speech, music, and background audio. This has made Google's new AI videos staggeringly realistic—it's actually getting hard to identify AI videos at a glance. Using a reference photo makes it easier to get the look you want without tediously describing every aspect. This was an option in Google's Flow AI tool for filmmakers, but now it's in the Gemini app and web interface.

To create a video from a photo, you have to select "Video" from the Gemini toolbar. Once this feature is available, you can then add your image and prompt, including audio and dialogue. Generating the video takes several minutes—this process takes a lot of computation, which is why video output is still quite limited.

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There's no denying annual smartphone releases have settled into a routine—flat glass slabs with slightly faster processors and better cameras. Foldable phones buck the trend, but these products come with plenty of drawbacks. They're big and heavy, and even with all that bulk, the battery life and cameras can be lacking.

Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 don't right all the wrongs, but they mark the most significant year-to-year upgrade since the company began making foldables. The new phones are thinner and lighter, particularly in the case of the Z Fold 7, which is even lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. You will pay handsomely for Samsung's new foldable flagship, but it's also releasing a new budget FE version of its flip phone as well.

One big fold

Samsung has been making foldable phones longer than anyone, but the changes from one generation to the next have been minimal. Its seventh-generation foldables make the biggest leap yet, responding to a new spate of thinner foldables from Google, Oppo, and others. That's really the biggest innovation for the Galaxy Z Fold 7—it's slimmer and a bit wider.

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The release of Google's Veo 3 video generator in May represented a disconcerting leap in AI video quality. While many of the viral AI videos we've seen are harmless fun, the model's pixel-perfect output can also be used for nefarious purposes. On TikTok, which may or may not be banned in the coming months, users have noticed a surplus of racist AI videos, courtesy of Google's Veo 3.

According to a report from MediaMatters, numerous TikTok accounts have started posting AI-generated videos that use racist and antisemitic tropes in recent weeks. Most of the AI vitriol is aimed at Black people, depicting them as "the usual suspects" in crimes, absent parents, and monkeys with an affinity for watermelon. The content also targets immigrants and Jewish people. The videos top out at eight seconds and bear the "Veo" watermark, confirming they came from Google's leading AI model.

The compilation video below has examples pulled from TikTok since the release of Veo 3, but be warned, it contains racist and antisemitic content. Some of the videos are shocking, which is likely the point—nothing drives engagement on social media like anger and drama. MediaMatters reports that the original posts have numerous comments echoing the stereotypes used in the video.

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Smartphones contain a treasure trove of personal data, which makes them a worthwhile target for hackers. However, law enforcement is not above snooping on cell phones, and their tactics are usually much harder to detect. Cell site simulators, often called Stingrays, can trick your phone into revealing private communications, but a change in Android 16 could allow phones to detect this spying.

Law enforcement organizations have massively expanded the use of Stingray devices because almost every person of interest today uses a cell phone at some point. These devices essentially trick phones into connecting to them like a normal cell tower, allowing the operator to track that device's location. The fake towers can also shift a phone to less secure wireless technology to intercept calls and messages. There's no indication this is happening on the suspect's end, which is another reason these machines have become so popular with police.

However, while surveilling a target, Stingrays can collect data from other nearby phones. It's not unreasonable to expect a modicum of privacy if you happen to be in the same general area, but sometimes police use Stingrays simply because they can. There's also evidence that cell simulators have been deployed by mysterious groups outside law enforcement. In short, it's a problem. Google has had plans to address this security issue for more than a year, but a lack of hardware support has slowed progress. Finally, in the coming months, we will see the first phones capable of detecting this malicious activity, and Android 16 is ready for it.

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We sometimes call chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT "robots," but generative AI is also playing a growing role in real, physical robots. After announcing Gemini Robotics earlier this year, Google DeepMind has now revealed a new on-device VLA (vision language action) model to control robots. Unlike the previous release, there's no cloud component, allowing robots to operate with full autonomy.

Carolina Parada, head of robotics at Google DeepMind, says this approach to AI robotics could make robots more reliable in challenging situations. This is also the first version of Google's robotics model that developers can tune for their specific uses.

Robotics is a unique problem for AI because, not only does the robot exist in the physical world, but it also changes its environment. Whether you're having it move blocks around or tie your shoes, it's hard to predict every eventuality a robot might encounter. The traditional approach of training a robot on action with reinforcement was very slow, but generative AI allows for much greater generalization.

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After 20 years, being able to look at any corner of the planet in Google Earth doesn't seem that impressive, but it was a revolution in 2005. Google Earth has gone through a lot of changes in that time, and Google has some more lined up for the service's 20th anniversary. Soon, Google Earth will help you travel back in time with historic Street View integration, and pro users will get some new "AI-driven insights"—of course Google can't update a product without adding at least a little AI.

Google Earth began its life as a clunky desktop client, but that didn't stop it from being downloaded 100 million times in the first week. Today, Google Earth is available on the web, in mobile apps, and in the Google Earth Pro desktop app. However you access Earth, you'll find a blast from the past.

For the service's 20th anniversary, Google was inspired by a social media trend from last year in which people shared historical images of locations in Google Maps. Now, Google Earth is getting a "time travel" interface where you can see historical Street View images from almost any location.

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Even in the age of TikTok, YouTube viewership continues to climb. While Google's iconic video streaming platform has traditionally pushed creators to produce longer videos that can accommodate more ads, the site's Shorts format is growing fast. That growth may explode in the coming months, as YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has announced that the Google Veo 3 AI video generator will be integrated with YouTube Shorts later this summer.

According to Mohan, YouTube Shorts has seen a rise in popularity even compared to YouTube as a whole. The streaming platform is now the most watched source of video in the world, but Shorts specifically have seen a massive 186 percent increase in viewership over the past year. Mohan says Shorts now average 200 billion daily views.

YouTube has already equipped creators with a few AI tools, including Dream Screen, which can produce AI video backgrounds with a text prompt. Veo 3 support will be a significant upgrade, though. At the Cannes festival, Mohan revealed that the streaming site will begin offering integration with Google's leading video model later this summer. "I believe these tools will open new creative lanes for everyone to explore," said Mohan.

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NotebookLM is undoubtedly one of Google's best implementations of generative AI technology, giving you the ability to explore documents and notes with a Gemini AI model. Last year, Google added the ability to generate so-called "audio overviews" of your source material in NotebookLM. Now, Google has brought those fake AI podcasts to search results as a test. Instead of clicking links or reading the AI Overview, you can have two nonexistent people tell you what the results say.

This feature is not currently rolling out widely—it's available in search labs, which means you have to manually enable it. Anyone can opt in to the new Audio Overview search experience, though. If you join the test, you'll quickly see the embedded player in Google search results. However, it's not at the top with the usual block of AI-generated text. Instead, you'll see it after the first few search results, below the "People also ask" knowledge graph section.

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Apps used to be the measure of a mobile platform's worth, with Apple and Google dueling over who could list the most items in their respective stores. Today, the numbers don't matter as much—there are enough apps, and Google's attempt to replace parts of the web with apps is going away. Instant Apps, a feature that debuted in 2017, will reportedly be scrapped in December 2025. In its place, you'll just have to use the Internet.

Developer Leon Omelan spotted this news buried in the latest Canary release of Android Studio (confirmed by Android Authority). The development client includes a warning that Instant Apps is headed for the Google graveyard. Here's the full notice, which is the only official confirmation from Google at this time.

Google's latest Android Studio build announces the end of Instant Apps. Credit: Android Authority

Instant Apps wasn't a bad idea—it was just too late. Early in the mobile era, browsers and websites were sluggish on phones, making apps a much better option. Installing them for every site that offered them could be a pain, though. Google's Instant Apps tried to smooth over the experience by delivering an app live without installation. When developers implemented the feature, clicking a link to their websites could instead open the Android app in a similar amount of time as loading a webpage. Google later expanded the feature to games.

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