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.
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The biggest findings in the Google Search leak
A set of 2,500 internal documents, including some related to search, call into question past statements made by the company.
Google Zero is here — now what?
Search is an invisible platform that shaped the entire web. And it’s changing.
Google’s Pixel 8A is a midrange phone that might actually go the distance
It’s still $499, but this time, it comes with seven years of software updates.
Every smart home device that works with Matter
All the Matter-compatible devices you can buy, plus the latest on the Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung-backed smart home standard.
Per Android Headlines, the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL will launch on August 22nd, while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be available on September 4th. Also, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 will apparently follow later, on September 26th.
[Android Headlines]
Android Authority details Google’s G4 Tensor chip with seemingly minor changes from the previous generation, along with the addition of Samsung’s Exynos 5400 modem that could enable satellite connectivity for Pixel 9 phones.
It looks like the upcoming lineup may start with 128GB of storage as well, with options for up to 1TB on the pricier Pixel 9 Pro, according to Android Headlines.
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Pixel 8 and 8 Pro review: in Google we trust?
These might just be the Pixel phones we’ve been waiting for, but it all depends on how much trust you’re willing to put into Google.
The Android feature now includes a new “About this image” tab that can instantly pull up an image’s metadata, source, and whether a Google AI watermark is present to help determine its legitimacy.
It could be helpful against weird out-of-context political images on social media. The feature is rolling out now on the latest Pixel and Samsung phones, tablets, and foldables.
A new option spotted in the Chrome 128 beta lets you search with Google Lens by clicking and dragging a box around the area of a website you want more information about. Google will then pull up search results based on the image or text you’ve highlighted — sort of like Circle to Search.
The people who ruined the internet
SEO experts got very rich filling the web full of garbage. But are they to blame, or is Google?
This teardown of the new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a similar feel to Allison’s Z Fold 6 review — things inside are mostly the same as the previous generation. There are bigger batteries and other tweaks, but the similar layouts show how Samsung is iterating on the existing design, so hopefully, you think it’s already good enough.
The AI race’s biggest shift yet
With open source driving the cost of AI models down, attention is turning to the products they power.
According to IDC research, the rise of domestic smartphone brands has knocked Apple out of the top five spot. Apple, which now sits in sixth place, saw a 3.1 percent year-on-year decline even as the Chinese market grew by 8.9 percent. At least it’s doing better than Samsung which doesn’t even get a mention, despite dominating sales in the region a decade ago.