Google

After the whole “BG3 players exploit children” thing, it seems Google got the message. Its bot is still spitting nonsense like “Prebuilts beat DIY builds” and it’s linking to unrelated stories instead of my scoop, but small victories, right?

As usual, Google is back with another set of the year’s top trending searches, as well as archived lists for previous years. Just don’t be too surprised when you see 2025 top spots taken up by Charlie Kirk, KPop Demon Hunters, or Arc Raiders.

The list is heavy on extensions that use AI like Monica and Sider that can summarize web pages and videos, Quillbot for proofing or generating text, and eJOY that can expand your vocabulary while surfing the web. But Google also gives a shoutout to the simple but powerful image editing tools in Adobe’s Photoshop extension.

The name Lepton appeared on Steam and SteamDB just a few weeks after Valve unveiled the Steam Frame headset, which will be able to run Android apps.

The feature was first piloted in the UK earlier this year, and works by automatically warning users when they launch eligible financial apps while screen sharing during calls with numbers that aren’t in the device’s contact list. The warning forces a 30-second pause period that aims to “break the spell of the scammers’ social engineering,” according to Google.

One of Google’s new Android updates is the beta for Call Reason, which allows callers to flag that it’s urgent. Sounds smart, but if you’re below the age of 40, “urgent” might be the only type of call you ever make.

In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that launching solar-powered satellites like Project Suncatcher into space in a bid to alleviate power consumption concerns will be viewed as “a more normal way” to build AI data centers within the next decade or so.

For everything from the Pixel 6 on up, there are a lot of bug fixes and improvements on the list for this month’s update, as well as two “Critical” severity security bugs patched.

After being added to the desktop version of the browser almost a decade ago, the mobile version of Chrome will soon let you pin tabs as part of Android 16’s new updates. Pinned tabs will be easily accessible at the front of your browser so they’re easier to find and can’t be accidentally closed.

First announced as part of the November Pixel Drop, the feature gives Google Maps a simplified black and white interface when you press the power button while navigating with your phone in portrait mode. Google says the feature can extend battery life up to 4 hours while still displaying basic directions including upcoming turns.

Android Police spotted that just opening the file send menu is enough to disconnect your phone from Wi-Fi following the new Quick Share update that lets Pixel 10 users send files to iPhones over AirDrop. Switching focus to another app is enough to reconnect though, so this bug feels harmless enough.

I admit, I have a British bias here, but like this commenter I was unreasonably pleased to see Google spell its upcoming Aluminium OS the right way.

The latest ads featuring Apple and Google’s mobile flagships could combine for a Nike football cleat and appeared within hours of each other today, before likely going into rotation over the holiday.

The company shared new details about its Pocket Vert this week. Its minimal controls mimic the Game Boy with a D-pad and action buttons, but the Android-based handheld also features a hidden multipurpose touchpad beneath its front glass panel that can be used as a thumbstick for playing 3D games.