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.
CarPlay users in the US can now use Gemini to chat with Google Maps.
Say goodbye to those aux cables. Spotify’s new in-car app is here, and it’s rolling out to Audi vehicles today.
Some Android users are reporting receiving a Google Play system update dated “1 January 2027,” which really seems to be getting ahead of itself. Sadly, all my Android phones are still stuck on September 2026, which now feels entirely old fashioned.
[Android Police]
As announced last year, Chrome will now show a warning when you visit public websites without an encrypted HTTPS connection. The new warnings will appear the first time you visit a site without a secure connection. If you continue to the site, Google won’t present the warning for another two weeks.
The Wall Street Journal published a big profile of the Google DeepMind co-founder, who says his timeline for the arrival of artificial general intelligence (AGI) is becoming “nearer and nearer.”
He adds that “winning” the AI race “means helping humanity steward AGI into the world safely and securely for the benefit of everyone.”
[The Wall Street Journal]
Google says “a power event” created an outage for some of its cloud servers this morning. The power problem has now been resolved, and services should be coming back online. That’s good news for Revolut and other services that were impacted by the Google Cloud problems.
[Google Cloud]
The Android laptops shipped with the tracking app, but it was quickly removed. Now Google has told Android Authority why, blaming laptop sleep settings. It sounds like a better optimized version might come in the future. Mind fixing any other apps while you’re at it?
Because the majority of laptop tracking occurs when the device is closed and asleep, we determined that a standard mobile app installation does not yet deliver the optimized, form-fitting experience we demand for Googlebook users.
The AI note-taking app will use your sources to suggest topics for a slide deck or video, while allowing you to confirm decisions on formatting, visual style, and scope before it starts creating. You can also turn on a new “Review” toggle that lets you look over a final outline before Gemini Notebook’s final rendering.
The big problem with smart TVs is that they start to slow down, stutter, and generally suck pretty quickly. Ansub Khan figured out a way to get Claude to clean up the mess and make his old Android TV feel new again. Best part: he lays out step-by-step how to do it on your own TV. Though, as with anything involving AI, proceed cautiously.
Google’s worldwide phone-powered earthquake alert system now covers even more of the planet. After launching in California in 2021 and eventually expanding to 98 countries and regions including Greece and New Zealand, the system is now available in over 200 regions with Panama, Guatemala, and more joining the list.
A Reddit user spotted the fake “Chrome” app as a sponsored suggestion above the real version. As Android Authority reports, the app was originally added to the Play Store as a “Ball Bounce” game before the developer reskinned it as a Chrome dupe.
Former Boston Dynamics CTO Aaron Saunders, who joined Google in 2025, announced the project on LinkedIn. “We’re creating a first-class lab to house this team and take robotics to the next level,” he said. It comes as Google pushes deeper into robotics, including with Gemini Robotics AI models and absorbing Alphabet robotics moonshot Intrinsic.
That’s according to Redditor u/mawitime, who says they used “a cursed AI agent from hell” to get the OS onto an Asus Chromebook. It doesn’t sound perfect, with issues around Wi-Fi, sound, and phone integration, but they reckon it’s “not going to slow down existing machines at all” when Google eventually transitions Chromebooks to the new OS.
The app already lets you lock your Windows computer, but a beta version has a new Power menu with options to lock, sleep, shut down, or restart your PC, Android Authority reports. Could be handy if you need to power your computer down while you’re away from it.
[Android Authority]
Alongside its big Argon 4 launch, Google has announced that it’s embedding Antigravity’s agentic coding interface directly into the Gemini app. Antigravity is only available in the Gemini app with an AI Ultra subscription.
In light of the news that a new Apple TV 4K is coming soon, I wanted to share praise for Conduit, an Android app that closely mirrors the built-in remote app for iPhones and iPads. It’s free and ad-free, but paying $1 unlocks a bunch of features, including letting it control multiple Apple TVs, touchpad controls, volume control with my phone’s volume rocker, playback controls from the pull-down menu, and other customization options.
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A new “Game finder” feature is rolling out to English language users in the US today that explains why a Play Store game is being recommended to you, based on reviews and your gameplay habits. App recommendations are also coming to Gemini Live, and the Ask Play chatbot can now generate side-by-side app comparisons within search results.
We’ve seen the Google-powered glasses twice before, designed in collaboration with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. But now SammyGuru has published what it claims are leaked images of every design and color, plus core specs. The glasses are rumored to launch next month. Here are a few frames, head to SammyGuru for the rest.
As an Android devotee, I want to love Googlebooks — but they don’t make it easy.
Users who sideloaded outdated builds of the Fitbit app to avoid being forced to switch to Google Health have found it no longer works. Android Authority reports that a new prompt is appearing for some users that can’t be bypassed without updating the Fitbit app, which forces moving to Google Health anyway.
When Googlebooks launched last week, Galaxy phones couldn’t use features linking the laptops to Android 17 phones. Mishaal Rahman confirmed on Reddit that an update is rolling out now adding support. Read our first Googlebook impressions here, and look out for my detailed thoughts on the Android side of things later today.
The new, narrower model has microphones on the actual device, presence sensing, a faster processor, additional storage, and an updated remote with two more shortcut buttons, 9to5Google reports. It’s unclear when the new model might launch.
The original TV Streamer launched in September 2024, and we gave it a 9 on our review scale. However, it recently got a $50 price hike, taking its price up to $149.
It’s been a whirlwind time of coming to grips with Google’s new laptops, and we’ve got feelings about Googlebook OS.
Android Authority cites a report from the Korean outlet Money Today, which says Samsung could decrease smartphone production by up to 30 percent in the fourth quarter. An unnamed source tells Money Today that Samsung’s smartphone sales currently aren’t yielding profit due to skyrocketing memory prices.
The feature, called Connected Camera, lets you capture video from multiple angles by linking your Pixel phone camera to another Pixel device or GoPro. Google first launched the feature with support for social platforms like YouTube and Instagram, but now Android Authority reports that it’s expanding to communication apps including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, Google Meet, Slack, and Facebook Messenger.
[Android Authority]
