The name Google is synonymous with online searches, but over the years the company has grown beyond search and now builds multiple consumer products, including software like Gmail, Chrome, Maps, Android, and hardware like the Pixel smartphones, Google Home, and Chromebooks. Its name can also be found on internet services such as Google Fi, Flights, Checkout, and Google Fiber. Here is all of the latest news about one of the most influential tech companies in the world.
The feature starts rolling out today.
Google gave us room for infinite email. What did we get? Infinite email.
If you’re a Gemini Advanced user, you can now dive deeper into different topics from the Gemini app on Android or iOS. Deep Research was only available on the web when it launched last year.
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Wear OS is much better than it used to be, so there’s never been a better time to consider a smartwatch.
Google updated the name last week for Maps users in the US, though Maps users in Mexico still see Gulf of Mexico and people outside either country see both names. Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum said Monday that the country would “proceed to court” if Google did not reverse the change. Google defended the change in an earlier letter to the Mexican government, saying that it follows “longstanding maps policies impartially and consistently across all regions.”
Following the Gulf’s name change in Google Maps last week, Developer Bryce Bostwick created the Restore the Gulf of Mexico extension to revert it back, which he says in a YouTube video is “the world’s smallest form of protest.”
Its Chrome Web Store listing says it could take a few refreshes to work, though it only took one for me.
[fixthegulf.com]
I’m not talking about using something like Kagi, although that’s one way to do it. Last year, I directed Verge readers to a Tedium blog post explaining how to add “udm=14” to your browser’s default search URL to get rid of Google Search AI Overviews.
If that’s a headache, there’s also Tedium author Ernie Smith’s website that builds the “disenshittification Konami code” into your searches. Alternatively, you could just use cussword-laden searches.
[udm14.com]
Free users can upload files to be analyzed, a feature previously limited to the paid tier. Reddit users report the feature is rolling out gradually. Gemini accepts various text, spreadsheet, and code file formats, or Android and web users can import files directly from Google Drive. You can upload multiple files simultaneously, though you can’t share an image and file in the same prompt.
ChatGPT has had file uploads for free users since May 2024.
[androidpolice.com]
In addition to adding features for pro photographers, the second public beta of Android 16 being released today lets you quickly access Google Wallet by double pressing your device’s power button, as discovered by Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman.
Previously, double pressing the power button on a Pixel device launched the default camera app, but there’s now a new settings option (under System > Gesture) that will instead launch the default wallet app.
Yesterday leaker Evan Blass shared renders of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy A56, and today he’s followed up with the similar looking Galaxy A36. It has the same redesigned camera module and raised power and volume button island.
We’re more confident the A36 will launch Stateside — while the A55 skipped the US, the A35 launched as the best phone for under $400.
The company told The Verge last week that it stopped highlighting certain events like Pride and Black History Month and switched to showing public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com globally in the middle of last year.
Today, Google posted a similar statement to its own blog with slightly revised wording that avoids saying maintaining hundreds of cultural moments globally “wasn’t scalable or sustainable” and highlights the customizable nature of Calendar.
[blog.google]
A new interface update adds search and quick navigation buttons to the main screen on the right side, so you don’t have to tap to make the top bar appear to start your next trip, 9to5Google and autoevolution report. The new shortcut button lets you tap to quickly begin navigating to home or work based on the time of day.
A clever and since-fixed exploit allowed a security researcher to find the email address belonging to any YouTube account through a roundabout series of steps. Strangely enough, the Pixel Recorder app played an important role in spilling the Google account details.
Google’s security panel initially awarded the researcher $3,133 before upping the total to $10,000 — a sum that many on Hacker News still find rather low considering the exploit.
[brutecat.com]
The Google AI assistant’s Deep Research mode now works on both Android and iPhone, though is still exclusive to paying Gemini Advanced subscribers. The mode, which can produce relatively detailed research reports, launched as a web-only option in December. It expanded to Android last week and iOS yesterday.
ChatGPT has its own deep research feature, which we tested last week to mixed results.
[9to5google.com]
Google has a new game called Prism Shift that you can play to help reveal the date of Google I/O 2025, as spotted by 9to5Google. In the game, you’ll reflect beams of light using mirrors and other tools to solve puzzles. It’s pretty fun! The music is great, too.
Google I/O typically takes place in mid-May, so I’m guessing that will be the case this year, too.
[io.google]
As lawmakers continue to pressure online platforms about child safety, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said on Tuesday that the company is working on a machine learning-powered tool that will “help provide the best and most age-appropriate experiences and protections” for users later this year. Meta rolled out a similar feature that uses AI to scan for “signals” that someone might be lying about their age.
[blog.youtube]
Here’s our first look at this year’s Motorola Razr Plus, courtesy of Android Headlines, and it looks an awful lot like last year’s Motorola Razr Plus. The design appears just about identical, so the only thing that’s really new here is the dark green color with a stitched faux leather finish.
Last year’s Razr phones launched in June, but apparently this year’s models could arrive much sooner.
Android Authority shared images of what appear to be Google’s cases for the upcoming Pixel 9a, and their design tracks with renders showing the device without the Pixel’s distinctive camera bar. The Pixel 9a is expected to launch next month with a potential price increase for more storage.
