This deal sounds too good to be true — you can stop thinking about your phone bill until mid-2027, and you've got one of the best flagship Android phones with the Pixel 9 .

To put that in perspective, the Pixel 9 alone starts at $799 unlocked. For $80 less, you’re getting two full years of Mint’s unlimited talk, text, and high-speed 5G data — that’s typically a $720 value in service alone. It’s one of the best phone + plan bundles we’ve seen all year, saving you up to $800.

The Pixel 9 features a 6.3-inch OLED display, the Tensor G4 chip powering its Gemini AI features, and a dual rear camera setup with a 50MP main sensor and 48MP ultra-wide. You also get advanced Pixel software features, such as Magic Eraser, Live Translate, and Call Screen, along with the promise of 7 years of software and security updates.

And Mint Mobile is no slouch, either. It runs on T-Mobile’s fast and widespread 5G network, and your plan includes mobile hotspot support and free calling to Mexico and Canada.

Whether you’re due for a phone upgrade or just want to lock in two years of service, this deal is an absolute no-brainer. Not a Pixel fan? Head to the Mint Mobile deals page for similar savings on Samsung Galaxy S25 models. But don’t wait, this offer may not last long.

Today's best Google Pixel 9 deal

On July 7, Google’s Gemini assistant will be able to send a WhatsApp message, place a call, adjust your volume, or set a timer, even if you’ve told it not to track what you’re doing. And no, it’s not something you need to opt into, nor can you opt out of it; it’s the new norm.

That’s because Google is quietly rewriting the rules of how assistant AI works on your phone. If you thought turning off Gemini Apps Activity meant turning off Gemini’s reach into your personal life, think again. Gemini is going live in your apps whether you like it or not.

This is according to a notification email seen by Android Police, where Google says that it will roll out an update that allows Gemini to “use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off.”

What’s actually changing?

Here’s what matters: Before now, if you disabled Gemini Apps Activity, the setting that governs what Gemini remembers and uses to train future AI models, you were cut off from deeper integrations. Gemini couldn’t place calls or send texts because it wasn’t allowed to access that data.

That barrier is about to vanish. Starting July 7, Gemini will gain access to four key phone services: Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities (volume, flashlight, alarm, and media controls), regardless of whether you’ve turned activity tracking on.

This means Gemini will now handle everyday tasks that used to be blocked for privacy-conscious users. Want to say “text Alex on WhatsApp that I’m running late” with Apps Activity off? You’ll be able to. But it comes with a new kind of data compromise.

Google’s workaround: Access without memory

Google won’t save your assistant requests to your Gemini Activity page or use them to train its models if Apps Activity is disabled. But it will keep the data for up to 72 hours. Why? Google says this temporary window allows for “service reliability and safety checks,” which is corporate-speak for making sure things don’t break or misfire.

That data — the messages, call metadata, and voice prompts — lives in a kind of gray zone. You won’t see it in your history. You won’t be notified that it exists. And you can’t manually delete it before the 72-hour expiration.

If that feels a bit like having your privacy settings overruled, you’re not alone. What Gemini’s doing here is technically compliant with your preferences, but only because Google has quietly redefined what “off” means.

Can you stop it?

Yes and no. Gemini now has a second set of toggles buried in its settings menu. You can go to Profile → Apps inside the Gemini app and manually disable access to Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, or Utilities. But these are turned on by default, even if you’ve disabled tracking in the past.

There’s no upfront prompt. No opt-in. And unless you knew to look for them, or happened to read a very specific footnote in Google’s support pages, you’d never know those integrations were live. So, unless you go digging, Gemini now has deeper control of your device than the Assistant it’s replacing, and it’s not something you authorized.

More than an assistant

Sure, it’s easy to see this as a minor change, but it’s part of something much larger. Gemini isn’t just a voice assistant anymore. It’s being positioned as an “agent,” capable of understanding complex requests and acting across multiple apps. That’s a huge leap from the Google Assistant days of “Hey Google, set a timer.”

With cross-app prompts and generative suggestions rolling out across Android, Gemini is designed to handle multi-step tasks like “Find my next meeting and message the team I’ll be late.” The catch is that it needs deep integration into your personal apps to do that, and now it has it… even if you said no.

It’s not difficult to understand why this matters. Privacy isn’t just about what’s stored; it’s about what’s accessible. And Gemini is operating on a new model: Access-first, memory-later.

That might sound like a good compromise. After all, Google isn’t storing your requests forever or using them to train future models unless you explicitly allow it. But it also blurs the line between private and impermanent. Gemini doesn’t need to remember to function like it does. It just needs a few hours of access and your silence.

And that’s the problem. Because if you didn’t know about this, or didn’t check your app settings, you’re in a system that’s quietly opted you in, with no log, no prompt, and no accountability. Some may call that dystopian.

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Last Friday, we reported on an issue in Windows 11 where Google Chrome would simply refuse to launch. Chrome’s support manager, Ellen T., confirmed that the team had investigated the problem and pinned it on Microsoft's Family Safety feature, but users were provided with a quick workaround instead of an official fix.

The workaround? Either disable the “Filter inappropriate websites” option under Family Safety or, oddly enough, rename the Chrome.exe file to Chrome1.exe.

Microsoft still hasn’t rolled out an official fix, but it has finally acknowledged the issue while confirming another bug impacting Chrome users, too.

Chrome’s still the main target in Microsoft’s latest bug

As reported by Neowin, Microsoft confirmed one more issue affecting Google Chrome users on Windows via a new Microsoft Learn entry. The entry was opened on Tuesday, June 24, and it hasn’t been updated since.

The new bug Microsoft has identified also has to do with the Family Safety feature that caused the issue we reported on earlier. However, instead of the feature causing Chrome to crash entirely, the feature just… doesn’t work.

The Redmond-based giant explains that the Web Content Filtering system relies on a block list to prevent browsers from accessing inappropriate search results and websites.

Unless a browser version is added to the block list, it won’t be, well, blocked — even if content filtering is turned on for the account. Something that, in the Microsoft Learn entry, the tech giant admitted to not having done with the latest version of Chrome and several other browsers.

Due to this mistake on Microsoft’s end, the browsers not added to the list might temporarily appear unblocked. Thankfully, Microsoft confirmed that it’s currently working on updating the block list.

The Redmond-based giant also touched on the issue we’ve already talked about in our previous article, which is causing Google Chrome and “some browsers” to shut down unexpectedly. PCs with Parental Controls enabled typically receive a parental approval message: “You’ll need to ask to use this app.”

Once a parent approves, the child gains access to the browser. However, this bug is causing the browser to shut down immediately without the prompt even appearing. Microsoft has pinpointed that this issue is only observed when the Activity reporting feature is disabled.

The suggested workaround is to enable Activity reporting under Windows settings in Family Safety. Once the feature is enabled, parents will begin to receive approval requests as usual.

The issues discussed above are affecting Windows 10 version 22H2 and Windows 11 versions 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2.

Is this another sneaky push toward Microsoft Edge?

Microsoft’s confirmed that it’s actively working on resolving both the above issues, and will update the support document when it has more information. What’s great is that the tech giant has finally acknowledged the issue and provided a workaround to the Google Chrome crashing problem.

Considering Microsoft has had quite the rocky history with Google Chrome, it’s frankly a bit odd that both issues seem to primarily be affecting Chrome.

Microsoft has a history of targeting Chrome (the world's most popular web browser) directly in various ways, including publishing a guide on “how to uninstall Google Chrome,” displaying pop-up ads promoting Edge in the Chrome app, and interrupting users who search for Google Chrome using its Edge browser, just to name a few.

Are both bugs genuine, or are they simply another attempt by Microsoft to push users toward Edge instead of Chrome? In this instance, I guess we’ll never know.

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We’ve finally learned more about the upcoming Google Pixel 10 following yet another round of leaks. This time, they come from Android Headlines and paint a clearer picture of Google's next flagship. And while previous leaks of the renders by OnLeaks and Mystic Leaks confirm a familiar formula, together they raise a worrying question: Is Google coasting?

If you were hoping for a design shake-up, you might want to temper expectations. The base model Pixel 10 looks almost indistinguishable from its predecessor. Same horizontal camera bar. Same flat display. Same matte glass aesthetic.

We’re not saying it’s ugly. It’s arguably one of the cleanest designs on the Android side of mobiles. But in a year when all the big Android players are leaning into bold, AI-heavy, edge-to-edge reinvention, Google’s next phone feels like it’s stuck in 2022. Especially when the base models are missing what is quickly becoming a critical inclusion: A vapor chamber.

A safe bet, but perhaps too safe

According to the leak, the Pixel 10 will feature a 6.17-inch flat display, possibly OLED, with the same centrally aligned punch-hole selfie cam we’ve seen since the Pixel 6. Around back, the trademark camera visor houses what should be three lenses — wide, ultrawide, and telephoto — and a flash in a layout similar to the Pixel 9.

Measurements show it’s slightly taller and slimmer than its predecessor (152.8 x 71.9 x 8.5mm), with rounded corners and a new metal frame that could help with durability. But visual tweaks aside, this feels like more of a spec refresh than anything groundbreaking.

There’s no confirmed word on the chipset, but we’ll likely see a next-gen Google Tensor G5, manufactured by TSMC. Early whispers suggest modest gains in AI performance and battery efficiency, but no leap in raw power.

That’s going to sting when the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Apple A19 chipsets are reportedly doubling down on generative workloads with major gains in TOPS (trillions of operations per second).

Vapor chamber? Pro model only

Easily the most surprising and controversial takeaway from June 24’s Pixel 10 leak is what’s missing under the hood. According to Android Headlines, the base Pixel 10 does not include a vapor chamber cooling system.

This is a pretty big deal. We’re in 2025 now, and thermal design is table stakes. Even budget phones are shipping with copper heat pipes or vapor chambers to keep performance stable under load, particularly with AI processing and high-end gaming pushing mobile chips harder than ever. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and even OnePlus mid-rangers include advanced heat dissipation systems.

Segmentation seems to be the only viable reason Google would choose to do this. It would also explain why Google is leaving out Wi-Fi 7 and Ultra Res Zoom on the base model. By pulling key features from the vanilla Pixel 10, Google is drawing a sharper line between the base and Pro models. But that strategy risks alienating fans who don’t want to shell out $999 just to get modern cooling.

If the Tensor G5 chip is as efficient as leaks suggest, maybe this won't matter for most users. But for video capture or AI workloads, the lack of a vapor chamber could lead to thermal throttling, which is simply unacceptable.

Pixel vs. everyone

Let’s put all this in context. The Galaxy S25 Edge is 5.8mm thin, feather-light, and still packs a 200MP camera with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip. That’s the same silicon expected in many late-2025 Android flagships. Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max, meanwhile, is tipped to include an upgraded Neural Engine with on-device GPT-4-class processing and improved battery life from its new stacked cell tech.

Against that backdrop, the Pixel 10's rumored dual-lens setup and conservative redesign feel underwhelming, especially without a confirmed leap in AI compute or display technology. Even mid-range phones like the OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 Pro are starting to ship with periscope lenses and sub-4nm chipsets.

Despite all this, the Pixel 10 could still matter a lot. Pixel phones don’t win on brute force. They win on experience. Call Screen, Hold for Me, live translation, and Assistant at your fingertips. These are all features that turn Google’s phones into digital companions, not just pocket computers.

If the Pixel 10 tightens up the formula, enhances efficiency, and brings the next wave of Gemini-powered tools to a clean, stable phone? That’s a win for mainstream Android users. But if you were hoping for a radical Pixel Fold 2-style rethink? That’s not what the leaks are showing.

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Not too long ago, legendary ex-Apple designer Jony Ive and OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman broke the internet by announcing their mysterious new collaboration. Well, try searching for it now, and you’ll mostly hit a dead end.

Interestingly, this isn’t because the deal fell apart, or that either one of them woke up and decided to bail. Instead, it’s because a federal judge told them to pull the plug… for now, at least.

The “io” reveal is gone from OpenAI, but not from X

As reported by The Verge, OpenAI quietly scrubbed all mentions of Jony Ive’s startup, the AI giant it recently acquired for $6.5 billion, called io.

Any official mention of the project, including the announcement blog post and the nine-minute video where Jony Ive and Sam Altman confirmed they’re developing a new AI device, is no longer available.

When you search “OpenAI io,” one of the top results is still “Watch the film | Sam and Jony introduce io,” but clicking on it no longer displays the content that was once there.

Instead, it now reads: “This page is temporarily down due to a court order following a trademark complaint from iyO about our use of the name ‘io.’ We don’t agree with the complaint and are reviewing our options.”

Interestingly, Sam Altman’s original post on X (formerly Twitter) announcing the project is still up, along with the nine-minute video. At the time of writing, it currently has over 5.5 million views.

Could Altman have simply forgotten to take it down, or was the post left up intentionally?

OpenAI’s spokesperson, Kayla Wood, shared the exact same notice as above with The Verge when asked for comment. OpenAI also confirmed to The Verge that the deal is still happening.

“This is an utterly baseless complaint and we’ll fight it vigorously,” said a spokesperson for Jony Ive in a statement to Bloomberg.

The project is still on, but the name is in legal trouble

Essentially, what’s happening right now is that a U.S. federal judge has issued a temporary injunction preventing OpenAI, Jony Ive, and Sam Altman from using the name “io” or anything similar.

This is due to a trademark lawsuit initiated by iyO, a startup that develops AI-powered earbuds.

What’s ironic here is that iyO also works on AI-related tech and is, in some ways, chasing the same mission as OpenAI. Though iyO is now a standalone startup, it emerged from Google’s secretive X lab, which is also known as the Moonshot Factory.

Though many were quick to believe that the project had been quietly shelved or that something had gone terribly wrong behind the scenes, the court order only affects the use of the name “io.”

Best case scenario? They win the trademark dispute and keep the “io” name as planned initially. Worst-case scenario? If the court rules against Altman and Ive, they’ll be forced to ditch the “io” branding completely and rebrand the device ahead of its official launch.

So all this really is right now is a branding roadblock — not a development halt. Altman previously hinted that the device might even ship within a year, so it seems like it’s a race of lawyers and engineers now, while the rest of us quietly spectate.

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On Monday, Lenovo officially launched the Chromebook Plus 14, the first Chromebook powered by MediaTek’s new Kompanio Ultra 910 processor and the first Chromebook Plus to run on an ARM architecture. It is also the first ever device to use the Kompanio Ultra chip, delivering 50 trillion operations per second (TOPS) for AI acceleration.

The Chromebook Plus 14 is also the only model in its class with two exclusive on-device Gemini AI features: Smart Grouping, which suggests how to organize tabs and files based on active tasks, and on-device image editing in the Gallery app, including background removal and sticker creation. These features run entirely on the laptop's dedicated MediaTek NPU 890, enabling full AI functionality without relying on cloud processing.

Built for speed and silence

The Chromebook Plus 14 debuts with a 14-inch 2K OLED display rated for 100% DCI-P3 coverage, flanked by quad speakers tuned with Dolby Atmos. The chassis weighs just 2.58 pounds and uses an all-aluminum design with a fanless architecture and an optional fingerprint reader for secure login. Battery life is rated at up to 17 hours, with support for 65W USB-C charging.

Under the hood, it runs on up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of internal storage, with support for dual 4K displays via USB-C. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

The processor, a MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910, includes a custom Immortalis-G925 GPU and a built-in MediaTek NPU 890, delivering 50 trillion operations per second of AI acceleration. That’s more than enough for the suite of Gemini features preloaded on ChromeOS.

AI without the cloud

The big story here isn’t hardware but rather the laptop’s AI capabilities. ChromeOS now supports Gemini AI tasks on-device, and Lenovo’s model is the first to unlock every feature. That includes new functions like Select to Search via Lens, which allows users to take a screenshot and search Google based on the on-screen images or text. Text captured in this way can also be imported into Google Calendar or Workspace apps, such as documents and spreadsheets.

Other new Gemini features include a smart grouping tool that can organize your current tabs and documents based on what you’re working on, and image editing that’s built into the Gallery app for tasks like image background removal.

These new Gemini AI functions are handled on-device thanks to local inference, with some, such as image editing, not requiring an Internet connection. They’re also exclusive to Lenovo’s new Chromebook Plus 14 laptop, which launches today, June 23rd, alongside a suite of new Google tools.

Built for the future of ChromeOS

Lenovo is also offering the Chromebook Plus 14 in Chrome Enterprise Upgrade and Chrome Education Upgrade configurations. These SKUs are managed through the Google Admin console, enabling mass deployment, data controls, remote access management, and app provisioning. The company says the new model is aimed at institutions looking to roll out smart, low-maintenance workstations at scale.

The launch aligns with Google’s wider push to redefine what a Chromebook can be, with Chromebook Plus guaranteeing a minimum hardware spec and AI feature support. Lenovo’s model simply goes further by being the first to ship with the local Gemini stack fully functional.

All this echoes similar moves from Microsoft with its Copilot+ PC initiative, though its machine enters the market at a much lower price point. Where Windows Copilot+ devices begin around $999 and require cloud fallback for certain tasks, Lenovo’s Chromebook aims to do the same work without the same price or dependency.

Closing the gap with Copilot+ PCs

The timing of this release is notable as it's only been a year since Microsoft Copilot+ PCs debuted with Snapdragon X Elite chips and 45+ TOPS NPUs, but most are still over $999, and still rely on the cloud for advanced tasks.

Lenovo’s machine delivers comparable AI workflows for hundreds less, inside a lighter chassis with longer battery life and fewer moving parts. While it can’t match the raw multicore CPU performance of Qualcomm or Intel chips, the addition of local AI support makes this the first ChromeOS device to go head-to-head with Windows on AI productivity.

The Chromebook Plus 14 is available now, with two configurations: $649 for the 12GB RAM model, and $749 for the 16GB RAM version. Both include one year of the Google One AI Pro plan, valued at $240.

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Apple's record with AI hasn't been that great. What started off strong with a partnership with OpenAI has yet to really produce much for the iPhone maker.

The company introduced Apple Intelligence last year and said it was going to overhaul its digital assistant Siri by making it smarter and able to understand more tasks. Instead, the feature continues to be delayed, and AI was less of a focus for Apple at its big Worldwide Developers Conference, in contrast to Google’s annual I/O show, where it was all about AI.

It appears, however, Apple might do a workaround by buying one of the up-and-comers in AI, Perplexity AI.

Bloomberg reports on internal talks among Apple executives to potentially bid on Perplexity AI. Adrian Perica, Apple's VP of corporate development, reportedly discussed the idea with Eddy Cue, SVP of Services at the company, as well as other AI decision makers. The report claims that these are early talks, and no offer has been made to Perplexity.

"We have no knowledge of any current or future M&A discussions involving Perplexity,” a company spokesperson said via email.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple's AI troubles

Buying Perplexity and incorporating the company's AI search into Safari and other services would be a real boon for Apple. Last year, a Google antitrust lawsuit found that the company pays Apple approximately $20 billion to be the default search engine for Safari.

Google Search, however, has been trending downward thanks to the rise of AI models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's own Gemini, and Perplexity. Data suggests users are moving away from searching for answers on Google and instead using AI to save time and get answers efficiently, rather than having to review multiple pages to find them.

While iPhone users can find a workaround to have their own AI chatbot in the upcoming iOS 26, Apple still hasn't cracked the AI nut with Siri.

Apple reportedly continued to hit one snag after another when developing the smarter Siri. The pitch was for the digital assistant to have a better understanding of natural language and do more complex tasks by making use of data on the phone, such as making a calendar appointment based on a text rather than having to be told to create that appointment.

Apple's initial plan was to release the upgraded Siri in March, but that didn't happen. Instead, there was a leadership reshuffle within the company. Mike Rockwell, the creator of the Vision Pro for the company, ended up replacing John Giannandrea, who was in charge of the team handling the Siri upgrade.

The upcoming release of iOS 26 will incorporate some AI features in the Phone app, such as AI-powered call screening to automatically silence scam calls and voicemail summaries.

These AI features, however, are still far behind what Google is doing. During last month's I/O event, it laid out how Gemini will be integrated into its services, such as Gmail, Google Meet, and even be a key part of its future Android XR smart glasses.

Microsoft has a long and underhanded history of trying to gently subvert users away from Google Chrome on Windows.

In an effort to push the Edge web browser and its Bing search engine to Google's userbase (with all the tact of a used-car salesman), Microsoft has injected pop-up ads, tricked users with a fake Google Search page, flagged other browsers as errors that need to be fixed, and potentially broken a Chrome feature by blocking it through a system update. Oopsie.

However, after years of "coincidental" issues, "unintended" behaviors, and "accidental" bugs, Microsoft may have found a way to at least cut off the youth from being indoctrinated by Google's superior search and browser... By accidentally flagging it as unsuitable using Windows 11's Family Safety feature.

Too hot for Windows: Google Chrome no longer safe for small eyes on Microsoft's OS

In yet another unlikely turn of events that seems to benefit Microsoft's Edge browser and penalize Google's Chrome, Windows 11's Family Safety feature has been effectively blocking the world's most popular browser from opening for the better part of a month under the guise of a parental control measure.

The issue was first reported on June 3 to the r/Chrome subreddit by user Witty-Discount-2906, who claimed that following a crash, Chrome now "Just flashes quickly, unable to open with no error message."

Some time later, another Redditor suggested it was related to Windows' Parental Controls, stating, "I've had 9 students come see the IT Desk in the last hour saying Chrome won't open."

The issue was seemingly confirmed by Chrome support manager Ellen T, replying to a related post to the Google Chrome Help Community message board, stated: "Our team has investigated these reports and determined the cause of this behavior. For some users, Chrome is unable to run when Microsoft Family Safety is enabled."

According to a follow-up post, Microsoft advises that parents (or IT admins in the case of our previous Reddit sleuth) seeking a solution can use the Family Safety web portal or mobile app to select their Child's (or user's) account and choose to disable "Filter inappropriate websites" under the Edge tab.

However, while this will open up access to Chrome once more, it'll also open up access to all of the parts of the internet most parental controls seek to keep restricted.

Alternatively, admins or parents can navigate to Windows > Apps & Games, and unblock Chrome from there.

What's next

If this is a bug, it's an incredible on-brand one, and a genuine blessing. Typically, Microsoft would have to set aside engineers for weeks to plot and scheme ways to attempt to topple Chrome's popularity. This one would then have fallen into its lap for free.

According to Chromium's bug tracker, the problem persists for some, though reports have slowed. One team member shares: "We've not heard anything from MSFT about a fix being rolled out. They have provided guidance to users who contact them about how to get Chrome working again, but I wouldn't think that would have a large effect."

Narrowing down potentially affected users, the Chromium team member shares: "The set of Chrome users who are affected are those who turned on Web Safety under the Edge tab of the parental controls between roughly Nov 2024 and June 3rd."

Whether this is a fault with Chromium or with Windows 11's Family Safety feature remains to be seen. However, Microsoft will likely not see a situation that causes Edge to appear more attractive than the competition as a high-priority issue. So while we wait for a potential fix, I wouldn't blame Microsoft for dragging its heels.

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Gemini, Google's family of AI models, are often seen as playing second fiddle to OpenAI's GPT family, which powers ChatGPT — but they've come a long way since a bumpy launch, with Google's AI proving itself to be a great fit for those looking for anything from a speedy research aide to a solid smartphone assistant.

Unlike ChatGPT, Gemini is designed to run across a multitude of services, be it drafting messages in Gmail, transcribing calls in Google Meet, or acting as a second set of eyes and ears as the AI assistant for future Android XR smart glasses.

Now, Google has announced it is rolling out its latest upgrades to the models that make Gemini so powerful, pushing preview models like Gemini 2.5 Pro and Flash out of preview and into general availability — and making a new Flash-Lite model open for testing.

Here's what's new, and, more importantly, what it means for you.

Gemini 2.5: What's new, minus the jargon

If you're new to Gemini, or you're just a casual AI user, then talk of models, tokens, and benchmarks is likely to cause more confusion than clarity. So let's keep it simple: Google now offers three updated Gemini 2.5 models designed to tackle different kinds of tasks; Flash, Pro, and a newly introduced Flash-Lite.

• Flash is your everyday option. Think of it like OpenAI's GPT-4o, the model that powers most ChatGPT interactions. It's good for chat, but it can also help with brainstorming, writing, and even translating. It's the all-around model that strikes a balance between brain power and speed.
  
• Pro is, as the name might imply, a much more in-depth model, suited to taking on more demanding, professional tasks like coding, problem solving, data analysis, or more complex, multi-step prompts. It's slower in output, but it is Google's most intelligent model to date.
  
• Flash-Lite is the newest model to get an upgrade, now available for testing in Google AI Studio and Vertex AI, and it's best suited for developers and enterprises looking for a fast way to clear high-volume workloads that don't require too much power to solve.

For those already familiar with Google's models, the new Gemini 2.5 family is better at memory, reasoning, and responses, with improved performance and accuracy across the board.

All three models support multimodal inputs (text, images, and audio), tool use (like code execution), and have a massive 1 million token context window — ideal for handling large documents or specific and detailed prompts.

Both Gemini 2.5 Flash and 2.5 Pro also feature improved native audio output for more natural-sounding conversations, and enhanced reasoning with Deep Think.

For developers, Gemini 2.5 Flash now features rebalanced pricing, with slightly more expensive input tokens being met with cheaper output tokens.

Gemini 2.5 Flash and 2.5 Pro can now be accessed freely on the Gemini web portal and the Gemini mobile app by selecting your model of choice from the drop-down menu at the top of the conversation window.

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In the earlier days of the internet, the World Wide Web was awash with ways to wander its wares, but now we're all mostly content to rely on Google as our go-to guide for getting things done online.

It's easy, it's practical, and, most importantly, it works. But trawling through Search results to find the answer you want (presented in a way that's easy to digest) can sometimes be a nightmare — and we don't all have the spare time to risk falling down a rabbit hole of distractions that leads you from "What's a good idea for a casserole?" to "Is the moon hollow, and how worried should that make me?"

So what if there was a way to quickly do all of that, sans the monotony of manually dragging your eyeballs through countless web pages? Well, there is.

It's called Audio Overviews, and it's a new podcast-like feature found in Google Searches that can help explain complex topics, provide an engaging way to learn new things, and let you do other things while Google Gemini translates thousands of Search results into a bite-sized, custom podcast tailored to your questions.

If you've ever found yourself staring blankly at a science paper titled Spectral Dispersion and Atmospheric Optics after Googling your 3 a.m. thoughts of "Why isn't pink found in rainbows?" and desperately wishing there was an episode of HowStuffWorks you could fall back on for an answer, Audio Overviews is your answer, and you can start using it right now in Google Labs.

Audio Overviews: The best NotebookLM feature heads to Google Search

Since its launch in 1998, there have been several major changes to improve the Google Search experience, but it's largely stuck to the same process: you type in your search request, hit search, and browse through the results.

Audio overviews bring something fresh to that experience, saving you the effort of trawling through results by using generative AI to compile a ton of useful information into a podcast-like audio snippet presented by two virtual hosts.

It's a feature ripped straight from the playbook of my favorite AI tool, NotebookLM — another Google service that makes for an excellent research aide, able to compile multiple sources of information into one easy-to-absorb document, or a similar AI-generated podcast snippet.

It's thanks to NotebookLM that I was ever able to write about complex topics like Microsoft's Majora 1 quantum processor, with its inner workings being so alien and confusing to me that it stands as the only time in life that I've gained knowledge and felt ultimately more stupid afterwards.

NotebookLM's Audio Overview feature gave me a crash course in quantum computing, helped me decipher the qubit, and ultimately served as an example of how to better deliver a complex topic to a curious mind.

Better still, it did it through the casual conversation of two impressively engaging virtual podcast hosts, effortlessly dropping knowledge bombs and explainers in the background while I went about my workday as normal.

Since then, I've been using NotebookLM to help me do the heavy lifting on topics I just don't have time in the day to fully dive into, and it's become an invaluable tool in my quest to convince strangers that I'm smart enough to have finished high school.

Now, with Audio Overviews arriving on Google Search, even more of us can reap the benefits of Google's AI-generated learning aides, and all become a little better off for it, if not in smarts, at least in time spent searching for answers.

How to use Audio Overviews in Google Search

You can test Audio Overviews in Google Search today by opting in to the experiment through Google Labs. Note, this feature is still in testing, and access is limited to Google Account owners in the United States.

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Android malware remains a massive danger in 2025, with a June 5 mobile threat report from Kaspersky revealing that 12.1 million attacks were conducted on Android devices running Kaspersky software between January and March 2025.

Now, considering that number doesn't include the majority of the world's 3.3 billion Android OS devices that aren't using Kaspersky, you get an idea of the scale of this concern.

Trojans were the most common threat, accounting for 40% of the total malware infections. Trojans are viruses that trick you into installing them on your phone to steal data, gain access to your banking apps, spy on you, or drain cryptocurrency accounts, so they should not be taken lightly.

Let's examine the current malware landscape on Android and learn how to protect yourself against the most common threats.

The most vulnerable Android devices

Keeping your software and operating system up to date is one of the easiest ways to stay safe. Before delving deeper into the report's findings, it's worth noting that anyone running Android 12 (or earlier) on their device is particularly vulnerable. Google ended security updates for that version in March 2025. Since then, Google has patched 133 high-severity and four critical-severity threats.

Android 12 was launched in October 2021 and is currently installed on approximately 12% of all Android devices, according to Statcounter's May 2025 figures. That's nearly 400 million Android devices worldwide, including popular phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup (released in March 2019) and Google's Pixel 3 (released in October 2018).

So, if you are someone who likes to hang onto your phone for a long time, this is the moment to let that old phone go and make the upgrade. Devices without security software updates pose a significant threat to your safety. The good news is that it doesn't have to be that expensive. Check our best phone deals for options starting as low as $169.

Mamont banking Trojan was the biggest threat in early 2025

Mamont is off to a banner year in 2025, which is not something you want to hear when it comes to malware. Between January and March, it accounted for three of the top five mobile malware threats, an increase of more than 15 percent compared to October to December of 2024.

How is Mamont spreading so fast? Social engineering is the key, as these Trojans masquerade as legit apps to gain high-level permissions on the victims' devices.

Mamont is a threat to anyone who sideloads apps, so be particularly wary if you’ve done so lately. Double-check your permissions and keep one eye on your bank account. Mamont can pose as the Chrome app, a delivery tracking app, or a video file, among numerous alternatives.

Don't buy that off-brand Android phone

Motorola offers affordable Android phones for under $200, so please don't bite on extreme budget Android phones.

See also: The Trump Mobile T1 phone: A ridiculous claim may doom it to fail

Kaspersky has found several off-brand phones loaded with a backdoor Trojan called Triada so far this year. The Trojan is active from the moment a user powers on their phone.

It can replace browser links, steal your login data, steal cryptocurrency, or inject malicious code into apps without you realizing it. The people behind Triada have stolen over a quarter of a million dollars in crypto from victims.

Your phone is your most valuable possession

In 2025, your phone will undoubtedly be the most valuable thing you own, as it has access to virtually everything else.

Again, this means ensuring you don't skip the operating system updates that your phone is prompting you about. Stop putting them off and update now; it'll only take a few minutes.

Only download apps from the Play Store. Although there have been instances of malware infiltrating the Play Store, it is vastly safer than installing apps from the open web.

Go to Settings and search for Permission Manager to review the permissions you've granted to every app on your phone. Pay careful attention to any apps with Accessibility or Device Admin rights, as these are often critical for malware.

Use a mobile antivirus app to protect your phone from malware further. These apps can move faster against attackers than a software update from Google or Samsung, so it's a sound early defense system.

Finally, for any critical accounts, enable two-factor authentication, as this can potentially stop cybercriminals from gaining access to your accounts even if your device is infected with malware.

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Google Pixel Watch deals are everywhere this June — who would've thought? I certainly didn't expect any deep discounts to celebrate the start of summer, but hey, I'm not complaining.

In a way, it kind of makes sense. Now that the weather is getting warmer (too warm in some cases), I'm definitely spending more time outside, and nothing quite motivates me to get my 10,000 steps in as much as a step counter that reminds me when I fail to meet my goals. Gotta love accountability.

If you're like me and you're planning to stay less cooped up at home, a Google Pixel Watch makes for a great companion to all sorts of outdoors-y activities (and at-home workouts, too). Plus, with a lot of different health trackers, it's just a good watch to have.

The Pixel Watch 3 is available from the Google Store and from Amazon, and both sources offer discounts. The cheapest version starts at $299, and buying directly from Google gets you up to 2 years of free data. Depending on the exact model, you can save up to $70.

Want to go all out and get yourself decked out for the summer? You can get the Pixel Watch 3 45mm LTE with Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds in a bundle (was $728, now $618 at Amazon). At $110 less, it's as good a deal as we can ever hope for.

Fortunately, cheaper Pixels are also getting some sweet June discounts. The Pixel Watch 2 is now $100 cheaper (down to $149) at Amazon, and the first-gen Pixel Watch costs as little as $79.

It might be a while before we see better Google Pixel Watch deals, so check these out while they're still up for grabs.

Best Google Pixel Watch deals — Quick links

• Google Pixel Watch 3: from $299 @ Google Store or free w/trade-in
• Google Pixel Watch 3 LTE: from $299 @ Google Store + FREE data | $299 at Amazon
• Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm + Pixel Buds Pro 2: was $728, now $618 at Amazon
• Google Pixel Watch 2: was $249, now $149 at Amazon
• Google Pixel Watch 2 LTE: was $299, now $199 at Amazon
• Google Pixel Watch 1: $79 at Amazon

Best Pixel Watch deals

On Tuesday, Google announced on its Android developer blog that Android 16 started rolling out to supported Pixel devices, including several new features I've been itching to try on my Pixel 9a since they were announced on May 13 ahead of Google I/O 2025.

It may not be as exciting as a Google Pixel 10 announcement, but it means the Pixel phone (and more Android phones in the coming months) that you already own will be getting some enticing new upgrades. Google’s latest update offers a splash of fun additions, along with some upgrades that push Android even closer to becoming a potential laptop replacement for some users.

After digging through the announcements, here are the seven most exciting features in Android 16 that may get you to download it as soon as possible.

1. Desktop power with a connected display

Let's start with one of the most compelling features for us as laptop and mobile tech enthusiasts: the enhanced desktop experience when connected to an external display.

We've lived some form of this dream with Samsung Dex in recent years. In our Hot Swap series, one writer traded their laptop for a phone with Samsung Dex and a monitor, while another writer went even more mobile with a Samsung Dex phone and XR glasses.

Now, the rest of the Android world gets desktop-style performance when connecting your phone to a monitor or glasses via USB-C. This will now give you a taskbar, resizable windows, and the ability to run multiple apps side by side.

The phone display and monitor act independently, so you can also still pick up your phone when that's quicker than the desktop experience. Add a portable keyboard, such as the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2, and a small mouse, like the Targus ErgoFlip Ecosmart mouse, and you've got a complete laptop replacement that can fit in the smallest bags.

This feature is now in developer preview and coming in a general release later this year.

2. Material You is getting more expressive

Android 16 lays the groundwork for “Material 3 Expressive,” a fancier, more consistent version of Android’s visual design language. While the full changes are coming between July and September, early adopters will notice more polish in animations, layout spacing, and app transitions.

One important change: apps targeting Android 16 can no longer opt out of edge-to-edge layouts, meaning all apps will look more modern by default. It's not the massive visual refresh that Apple revealed with Liquid Glass at WWDC 2025 on Monday, but no one is going to be upset about a cleaner and more polished Android.

3. Creator camera upgrades

If your phone doubles as your camera rig, Android 16 is packed with perks. Night mode scene detection gets smarter, color temperature can now be fine-tuned, and motion photos are easier to capture with new built-in Intent actions.

Google also continues to push UltraHDR forward, adding support for HEIC encoding and integrating with professional video workflows thanks to the new Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec. Whether you are someone who knows what all of that means or not, the takeaway is that you'll have more tools to ensure your images look their best on Android.

4. Predictive back gestures

Back gestures are a pain point for a lot of people on Android, and they are getting smarter and more consistent. Android 16 introduces predictive back navigation by default, even for users who still prefer the classic three-button setup.

Now, when you swipe or press the back button, you’ll get a visual preview of where it’s going to take you, reducing the chances of accidentally quitting your app. On the developer side, they also have new system callbacks to fine-tune how their apps handle backpresses. This is one of those features that doesn't sound like a big deal, but it fixes an irritating problem.

5. Progress notification progress

While Android often beats the iPhone to punch on features, this is one where Google is playing catchup. Ever wonder how long your Uber is going to take or if your food’s still on the way? Android 16 introduces a new framework for building smarter, more visually clear progress notifications.

Developers can now use segments and milestones to show real-time updates for tasks like deliveries or navigation. It’s a sneak peek into Android’s upcoming “Live Updates” feature, and it should make your status bar a lot more informative.

6. Android apps adapting

As Android spreads across more form factors — foldables, tablets, and now desktop displays — it needs to get better at adapting apps to any screen size or orientation.

Android 16 solves this problem by removing aspect ratio restrictions on devices with large displays (600dpi and up), meaning apps will automatically stretch to fill the screen — even if they weren’t originally designed to. It also adds better support for resizability, portrait/landscape switching, and dynamic display changes. If you are a longtime Android tablet user like me that has felt the pain of clunky looking Android tablet apps, this should be a game-changing upgrade.

7. Under-the-hood tune-up

It's not all about new features; Android 16 adds better CPU and GPU usage tracking for games and demanding apps, smarter job scheduling for background tasks, and system-triggered performance profiling.

On the privacy side, users can now limit access to shared media for apps on an individual basis. Accessibility also gets a big win with new outline text for higher contrast and expanded support for hearing aids via Auracast.

What's next?

Android 16 isn’t a flashy overhaul, but it’s a smart and focused update that improves the Android experience and solves a few long-standing pain points for users on traditional phones, foldables, and tablets.

If you own a supported Pixel device, you should be seeing the update soon. And if you own a Samsung, OnePlus, Motorola, or other Android phone, you'll likely see the update in the coming months.

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Google made it clear that AI is a big part of its business at the company's I/O event last month. Its Gemini AI model was the star of the show, and the tech giant plans to inject the AI into all of its devices and services, including its upcoming smart glasses, Google Search results, and Gmail.

In the big AI race, Google is usually in second place behind OpenAI's ChatGPT, but a new update for Gemini could give it a big lead over the competition.

With its latest update, Google Gemini can now act more as an AI assistant, a common goal for the different tech companies. Gemini Pro and Ultra users can now have the AI do scheduled actions by asking it to perform a task at a certain time or make a recurring action.

"Now you can wake up with a summary of your calendar and unread emails, or get a creative boost by having Gemini write five ideas for your blog every Monday," Dave Citron, senior director, product management for the Gemini app, said in a blog post. "Stay informed by getting updates on your favorite sports team, or schedule a one-off task like asking Gemini to give you a summary of an award show the day after it happens. Just tell Gemini what you need and when, and it will take care of the rest."

The Gemini update is already live for those with Gemini Pro and Ultra subscriptions, along with individuals using qualifying Google Workspace business and education plans.

The race for an AI agent

All the big tech companies are trying to get their AI model to be the

The company that is still behind with its AI agent is Apple. It could be said that Siri was the first agent out of the gate when it came out in 2011, but its usefulness continues to lag behind when compared to the likes of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Apple did plan to release an overhauled Siri this year. The company announced this change last year when it revealed its Apple Intelligence feature, but turmoil within the company has been setting back the reveal of the new Siri. Apple reportedly changed leadership of the team handling the new Siri, but it's unlikely to make its debut this year.

AI, in general, has been a sore spot for Apple. Although it has a partnership with OpenAI and makes use of ChatGPT for its AI services, it has been rumored that Apple won't have much AI to talk about at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference that starts on Monday.

Google was all about AI at its annual I/O event last week. The tech giant wants its Gemini AI model everywhere and plans to put it in all of its devices.

It also plans on bringing its AI into more of its services. One of those services getting the AI upgrade is Gmail.

Over the course of the upcoming weeks, Gmail users will begin seeing AI summaries of their email, according to a blog post from Google. This summary will provide bullet points of what was in the email as well as any follow-up replies to make sure you're up to date.

This feature will only be available on emails in English. Those who don't care for AI summarizing their correspondence can opt out of the feature, but it will be enabled by default.

Google began instituting AI features into Gmail last year by having Gemini provide instant replies that no longer sounded generic.

Google's problems with AI

At the same time, Google is implementing new AI features, but some people have found the company's AI is far from perfect.

A post on Reddit went viral earlier in the week when a screenshot of an interaction with an AI summary on Google Search was unable to determine what the current year was.

In the screenshot, the individual did a Google search asking, "Is it 2025?" The AI summary they received apparently had issues with the question saying, "It is not 2025. The current year is 2024." Other people on X posted similar results.

Wired did multiple tests over this prompt and confirmed the issue. In one case, the AI summary reiterated that it was 2024, but said that in parts of New Zealand and Russia, it was 2025. It even went on to contradict itself, saying that it was 2025 after claiming it was 2024.

A Google spokesperson says it was working on the problem.

“As with all Search features, we rigorously make improvements and use examples like this to update our systems. The vast majority of AI Overviews provide helpful, factual information, and we're actively working on an update to address this type of issue,” Meghann Farnsworth, a Google spokesperson, told Wired.

As of the publication of this article, Googling "is it 2025" returns with an AI summary saying, "Yes, according to the provided information, the current year is 2025." It remains to be seen if this problem will happen again in 2026.

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If you needed more fuel for that dinner party conversation about AI becoming sentient and taking over the world, Google co-founder Sergey Brin is here to help.

Speaking this month on a panel in Miami, Brin said if you bully your AI when asking it questions, it will “do better.”

“You know it's a weird thing,” Brin observed, leaning back into a couch on stage as a glass of white wine sat on the table in front of him. “We don't circulate this too much in the AI community, but not just [Google AI] models, but all models tend to do better if you threaten them.”

“If you threaten them?” asked the moderator.

“Like, with physical violence,” Brin responded.

“People feel weird about [threatening an AI], so we don't really talk about that. Historically, you say, 'I'm going to kidnap you if you don't do blah-blah-blah.'"

Being awful to an AI will bleed over into the real world, eventually

The idea of threatening your AI with physical violence obviously has some concerning implications for the non-digital world.

Suppose you threaten your Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or other large-language AI model all day with angry queries. What are the odds that you will eventually use that language in your interactions with real people?

Although slightly different in nature, chatbots have long been the subject of abuse that, when viewed in the aggregate, is nothing short of disturbing.

For instance, the emergence of the “companion app” Replika — which enabled users to engage with “AI girlfriends” — revealed that male users were more likely to use abusive language toward them, according to an article published by the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at Harvard's Kennedy School.

A 2021 study in the journal Psychology & Marketing found that chatbots that were gendered as customers preferred females because they were perceived as more human among test subjects.

“Women are said to be transformed into objects in AI, but injecting women's humanity into AI objects makes these objects seem more human and acceptable,” the researchers concluded.

"How will spending time engaging with AI affect the way we relate to other humans?" wonders Megan Fritts, a University of Arkansas Little Rock philosophy professor, in a 2022 article published by the Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University.

Being mean to AI is costly and wastes energy

There’s another practical concern about using extra, violent language with your AI. It costs a literal fortune and is bad for the environment.

As Laptop Mag reported recently, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the extra processing cost could be as high as "tens of millions of dollars."

The electricity used to say “thank you” — or, if you take Brin's advice to the extreme, “f--- you” — to your AI also has a negative environmental impact when considered on a global scale.

Let’s hope AI has a short memory

AI is advancing rapidly, and tech titans are creating an all-new news cycle solely about predictions for AI. Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicted AI would write most of the code for Meta services — Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram — in 18 months. That’s October 2026. Elon Musk has been making dire predictions about AI for years.

“It’s amazing,” Brin, the Google co-founder, said this month during the same panel, about the surprising intelligence of AI. “All of us had these experiences where you suddenly decide, ‘I’ll just throw this at the AI, I don’t really expect it to work,’ and then you’re like, ‘Whoa, that actually worked.’”

Let’s hope the abused AI models have short memories. They might be sentient one day soon.

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On Wednesday, Google pushed an update to all users of its Chrome web browser that aimed to patch two critical security flaws. There aren’t many details about the flaws available, nor what part of Chrome could be at risk, but it’s recommended that all users update their browser as quickly as possible to avoid any potential issues.

Google keeps mum on details

In a statement, security engineers on the Chrome team are quoted, somewhat vaguely, as saying that “access to bug details and links may be kept restricted until a majority of users are updated with a fix.

"We will also retain restrictions if the bug exists in a third party library that other projects similarly depend on, but haven’t yet fixed.”

The new high- and medium-severity fixes are as follows:

High CVE-2025-5063: Use after free in Compositing.

High CVE-2025-5280: Out of bounds write in V8.

Medium CVE-2025-5064: Inappropriate implementation in Background Fetch API.

Medium CVE-2025-5065: Inappropriate implementation in FileSystemAccess API.

Medium CVE-2025-5066: Inappropriate implementation in Messages.

Medium CVE-2025-5281: Inappropriate implementation in BFCache.

Medium CVE-2025-5283: Use after free in libvpx.

Earlier in May, Google issued an update to all two billion Chrome users to address another vulnerability. If left unchecked, this vulnerability could potentially lead to account takeovers if the query parameter is stolen.

This vulnerability was first reported on X by user @slonser_ and is so significant that America’s Cyber Defense Agency has issued a mandatory warning that all federal staff must update their browsers or stop using Chrome by June 5.

Because the information surrounding this vulnerability is now in the public domain, any hacker or pentester who wants to penetrate the security walls of an out-of-date Chrome build will be able to do so easily.

How do I update Google Chrome?

Luckily, updating is the easy part. Even though this set of vulnerabilities is quite serious, the process of getting your Chrome build current is anything but.

If you want to update your Google Chrome build to the latest version, simply open up the Settings menu, and navigate to the About Chrome section from the left-hand tab, seen here:

Once you open the About Chrome page, your browser will automatically update to the latest version.

After downloading and installing the update, you’ll be prompted with a Relaunch button in the same section. Click that, and you’re good to go!

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As the buzz around Google’s momentous 2025 I/O conference begins to wind down, much of the web is taking stock of what the word “web” will even mean soon as AI, chatbots, and search continue to converge.

But though AI and chatbots have been some of the fastest-growing tech categories in the past ten years, usage for old stalwarts like traditional web search from Google and Bing remains at an all-time high.

Will the “AI revolution” really kill search, or is it just another tool in our growing online kit?

Google AI Mode changes Search for good

At Google I/O 2025, the company unveiled its plan for the future of its Search product family. With what the company calls “AI Mode” now included in every search bar and Chrome installation, Google sees its new Search as a conversational, back-and-forth process that happens completely within the confines of a Google product.

Rather than searching for an answer, scrolling to a page to find it, and clicking through to get it, Google’s AI Mode retrieves and summarizes all the necessary information in one place.

This isn’t unlike OpenAI’s ChatGPT using search mode or how Google’s chatbot, Gemini, operates. However, the difference is that, unlike those options, which are separate products that take new tabs to access, Google’s AI Mode is an omnipresent addition to any Google search you’re already making with the press of a button.

Could this change lead to the end of search as we know it? Industry analysts aren’t so sure.

Search outranks AI by up to 34x

In a recent look at the past 24 months of available web traffic data, collected via the SEO reporting service SEMRush and relayed by OneLittleWeb, analysts have seen that while chatbot usage is growing exponentially, it’s still completely dwarfed by the totality of search traffic.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has exploded in users over the past two years, but overall, chatbots still trail total search volume by a factor of nearly 34x.

To put this figure into context, the top 10 search engines globally generated 1.8 trillion page views between April 2024 and March 2025, while the top 10 chatbots collectively generated a comparatively moderate 55.2 billion.

Not all pageviews are built equally

Now, for what it’s worth, pageviews aren’t as reliable a metric as they were in years past.

For example, let’s say you want to find a pet groomer in your town. Before chatbots and AI solutions, your first page on Google Search might be “pet groomer”, but the results are too broad. You then go back to the search bar and type “dog groomer” to whittle things down further.

Each of these individual searches counts as a pageview.

Meanwhile, chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini are a one-window, one-pageview solution. You open up the interface once, and then have a conversation with the chatbot that reaches your eventual answer; somewhat similar to the multiple searches mentioned above.

The difference is that these interactions are structured so that SEO services like SEMRush can only see metrics from the top of the funnel and not anything else that came after it.

This is to say that we would take evaluations like this with a grain of salt. Chatbots are fundamentally rewriting the way people interface with the web. As a result, more traditional methods of evaluating traffic, popularity, and growth aren’t as applicable as they used to be.

Knowing this, it could be argued that the best metric to determine how much chatbots are actually growing would be time on page rather than straight pageviews.

We haven’t found any analysis that approaches the problem from this angle, rather than a sheer numbers game of how often users visited a search or chatbot.

It remains to be seen whether chatbots will destroy search as we know it in the next decade, but LaptopMag will be keeping an eye on Google, OpenAI, and more as the landscape continues to evolve!

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At this year's Google I/O conference, the company introduced a series of products that promise to radically shift the way people interface with the web, starting today.

As a part of its broader plan to make AI, and specifically its own AI, Gemini, the center of your world, the company shared more about what it’s calling “AI Mode” for Google Search.

AI Mode, first shown to journalists and other insiders in early March, aims to transform the way you interact with the broader web and fundamentally change how the search engine company views the act of searching itself.

What is AI Mode, and how does it change Google Search?

For starters, it helps to discern between two different Google features with almost confusingly similar names: Google AI Overview and Google AI Mode.

AI Overview was introduced to the public last year in May of 2024, with often hilariously off-base and sometimes even dangerous results. Powered by the now comparatively ancient PaLM 2 LLM, AI Overview is basically a “summarizer” AI that pulls the information you’re searching for from a few of the top pages and then combines them into several summarized paragraphs ahead of the rest of the results.

Meanwhile, the new AI Mode is powered by the Gemini 2.5 model and can be accessed through an optional tab that launched for all Google users on Tuesday.

AI Mode includes AI Overview (now backed by Gemini instead of PaLM 2) and a slew of other features, including Deep Search, Search Live, and agentic capabilities via the company’s Project Mariner effort.

With all these features combined, Google wants to completely change how you interface with the broader web going forward. With the ability to buy tickets to a game or make reservations at a restaurant in your name with one request, AI Mode could forever usurp the passive, manual process of using the web.

Google can get me in at a restaurant now?

During its presentation, Google showed off several of AI Mode's agentic capabilities, including getting tickets to a game and reserving a table at a restaurant afterwards, all in one request.

The company didn't demo the full extent of this feature, but having toyed with it myself today, I can say it's surprising how good it is at running off and getting things done for you in a way you always expected AI should.

With a more conversational approach to the Google Search experience, AI Mode gathers information from across the web. It condenses everything you might need from a long-chain request into a single window.

You can then take from the returned results and refine things even further, bouncing from one search to the next in natural language that remembers what you searched for last.

Also, if you use the broader Google suite of products, including Docs and Gmail, AI Mode can further personalize results based on your data history.

Once you’ve found the restaurant you want to order from or the game you want to attend, you tell Google to set it up, and AI Mode handles the rest.

The company wasn’t done there, though. It also showed new data visualization and analysis tools, where AI Mode can take in, contextualize, and even visualize larger amounts of data compared to a traditional Google Search.

Then, the presenter took a beat to unveil Deep Search, a part of AI Mode that can take in several instructions at once and contextualize long-chain requests in a single search.

Lastly, like many types of Google Search these days, AI Mode is multimodal. This means users can ask questions via text or voice or even upload images and videos.

Combined, this all adds up to a new kind of Google Search that can understand complex queries, perform multi-faceted research, and synthesize responses in real time that consider all aspects of a user’s interactions.

How does Google’s AI Mode change the business of the web?

For those not in the online publishing industry, there are a few different ways that the people and businesses who write, edit, and shoot content make a profit. These include affiliate deals, selling ads, and sponsored content.

Two out of three of those revenue streams rely on people, or “clicks,” as you’ll hear them referred to in our meetings, coming to the site and interacting with the content. The more eyes on the content, the more ads you can sell and the more you can sustain the costs of running the site.

While many publishers have already reported diminished clicks in the wake of AI Overview, AI Mode turns the traditional search and SEO model on its head.

In essence, AI Mode operates as a chat window designed to Hoover up and repackage broad scopes of information from what otherwise may have been 20-100 different open tabs.

For example, when planning your kids' summer camps using traditional Google Search, every unopened tab is a lost click, meaning less money for the sites that Google uses to mine for information.

In one of Google’s examples during the keynote, a mock user is trying to find summer camp reservations for their kids. The user speaks in complete sentences and natural language as you would with any other LLM, and gives the agent follow-up questions after the first results return.

Google will encourage this back-and-forth going forward, as it keeps users in the company’s ecosystem for far longer than they used to for a simple search.

The longer you’re staring at a Google product, ultimately the more ads they’ll be able to serve, and the easier it will be to justify the massive datacenter costs required to keep all these AI Mode search plates spinning.

But if Google’s next big version of search ultimately kills revenue streams for the websites that Gemini depends on to train itself, what will be left for it to learn?

When does AI Mode release, and how can you try it for yourself?

As per Google’s product page and presentation, AI Mode is rolling out to all users for free today, May 20, 2025.

You can activate the feature yourself by opening up a fresh Google tab and clicking the "AI Mode" feature, highlighted above.

More from Laptop Mag

• Google makes a bold pitch for an all-encompassing AI: "Project Astra"
• Google and XREAL announce Project Aura, XR smart glasses for Android
• "It’s been sinking for a long time": Why a revamped Siri is a no-show at WWDC

During Tuesday's Google I/O conference at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, company leaders showcased a series of new products, including AI Mode for Google Search and Android XR.

The AI assistant Project Astra, which first appeared last year at I/O, is by far the most fascinating and/or scary, depending on your views on AI. MIT Technology Review has written that Project Astra "could be generative AI’s killer app."

Set to compete directly with Apple’s Apple Intelligence, the celestial-named Astra represents a constellation of different products and platforms, including Google Gemini AI, AndroidXR, and what the company is calling Action Intelligence.

These tools are designed to provide a seamless experience between you and the information you want on the web.

What is Project Astra, and how does it work?

During the two-hour presentation, in another entry to the growing category of “my hands are full and I need to use the internet right now” promotional materials, we were introduced to a character working on a bike.

The scenario — watch it in full — is that he needs to know how to replace a part, but his hands are covered in chain grease! (All of these spots so far can’t seem to escape the As Seen on TV black-and-white “does this ever happen to you” vibe.)

Given this common, everyday predicament, he asks Gemini to search the web for a user manual instead of picking up his phone.

After finding the manual, Gemini offers to read through the PDF file and find the information our amateur bike mechanic was on the hunt for. After that, he asks Gemini to call a local bike shop for him and order a part for pickup. Finally, after the mechanic runs into a stripped screw, he asks Gemini to find and open a YouTube video that tells him how to fix it.

In all of these scenarios, Gemini and Action Intelligence showcase complex use cases that have baffled most large action models (or LAMs, not to be confused with LLMs), including Apple Intelligence.

These actions include reading and interfacing with web pages, automated calling, and content retrieval.

How is Action Intelligence different from Apple Intelligence or Microsoft Copilot?

Though Apple beat Google to the punch with the launch of Apple Intelligence in October of last year, many users have been disappointed with the feature so far.

While the commercials make it seem like a supercharged Siri, in practice, many people haven’t found it useful for much more than summarizing emails and getting queries to ChatGPT a little bit faster.

Microsoft Copilot and Copilot+, the AI services that can be your generative AI assistant on Windows laptops or on your phone, integrate into Microsoft 365 applications, remembering how you use them. Still, Google's Project Astra seemed several levels beyond and more deeply integrated into everything you do online.

If Copilot is your copilot as you fly through your life, it seems Project Astra wants to be the sun in your personal solar system.

It's difficult to see how the presentation wasn't a pitch for the biggest AI transformation that a company has ever made to consumers.

Meanwhile, Google's Action Intelligence finally brings the promise of a fully-powered AI assistant made for years by various companies. This includes startups like Teenage Engineering, makers of the Rabbit R1, which never came close to releasing a functional product, and giants like Apple, which seem to be making incremental, rather than revolutionary, gains toward the goal.

If Google’s Action Intelligence works as reported, it could represent a sea change in this market. An AI that can recognize web pages, use apps, and control every aspect of your phone with just a prompt could be a game-changer.

Astra + AndroidXR = A data hoarder’s dream

Also announced during Tuesday's keynote was Google’s upcoming integration with a prototype pair of mixed reality glasses, the XREAL Ones, using its new AndroidXR platform. It's called Project Aura.

Before you get flashbacks, just know this ain’t your grandma’s Google Glass. Google showed off the capabilities of its new glasses in a live — and therefore not without the expected jank — tech demo, which included issuing a series of voice commands while Gemini and Action Intelligence handled the heavy lifting.

Perhaps as a response to Meta’s recent reveal of its prototype Project Orion mixed-reality glasses, Google wasn’t to be outdone.

While Mark Zuckerberg showed off a series of interesting use cases and games for its glasses during a keynote last year, Android XR was the first time we saw a full-fledged mixed reality, well, reality.

This included visual confirmation of sent texts, asking Gemini to recognize bands from some pictures on the wall, and controlling a music app. The glasses also displayed full heads-up maps and directions in real time.

The full integration of Android XR showed Google’s intent that, much like a smartwatch, they want you on your phone less and present in the world more.

But don’t mistake this utopian XR dream for altruism. Like Meta’s play into the VR market and its push of RayBan Meta Wayfarer sunglasses with integrated cameras and microphones, what will likely be a costly piece of hardware will likely be subsidized by collecting more user data.

With a camera and a pair of microphones on your head all day long, Google may finally be freed from the confines of your pocket or a purse. All the time your camera used to spend in the dark, not gathering data, will now be spent examining every aspect of your natural life as Google’s backend figures out how to use the gathered information to sell products back to you.

When does Project Astra launch?

Google hasn’t confirmed a launch date for Astra nor indicated which phones in the Android ecosystem would support the feature. For now, a loose date of sometime in 2025 has been established, and the company says Astra will be rolling it out in waves to select Android users over time.

As for the XREAL smart glasses and AndroidXR’s integration with Astra, the “Prototype Only” stuck to the bottom of today’s stream should tell you all you need to know there. Neither the glasses nor the Android XR platform has any solid release dates.

Given the many glitches we saw during the tech demo, Google likely still has a way to go before it is confident in establishing a release schedule.

Ultimately, what Google presented today is the company’s vision for an all-encompassing AI future. One where any part of the web, whether in a PDF or a YouTube video, is accessible with voice requests alone. Where your interaction with the online world is a conversation had out loud, you never pull out your phone again, and your thumbs can finally take a well-earned rest.

But, whether Astra works as Google promises out of the box—or we’re just in for another series of Apple Intelligence-level shortfalls—remains to be seen.

More from Laptop Mag

• Google and XREAL announce Project Aura, XR smart glasses for Android
• An exclusive look at Google's NotebookLM app on Android and iOS
• Could AI replace Google in Safari? Apple executive suggests it’s possible.

After months of waiting, Google began rolling out the stand-alone NotebookLM app on the App Store and Google Play on Monday.

Though the app is officially available to everyone, Laptop Mag got an exclusive first look over the past several weeks. Since its release two years ago, the only way to use the AI-powered note-taking tool was via NotebookLM's website. This was a major complaint among users, since it meant you couldn’t easily access your notes on the go.

The AI-powered note-taking tool began as an experiment under the “Project Tailwind" codename and debuted at Google I/O in 2023. Two years later, ahead of Google I/O 2025 this week, NotebookLM still stands out from the competition for one reason: It’s a self-contained model.

Though AI powers it, NotebookLM doesn’t scrape the web or fabricate answers just to tell you what you want to hear. Instead, NotebookLM relies only on the sources you’ve uploaded and references them to answer any queries you may have.

Ultimately, this makes NotebookLM a much more reliable tool for students and researchers and reduces the time one needs to manually verify the AI's information.

"We're incredibly excited that the official NotebookLM app is now available," Biao Wang, Product Manager on NotebookLM, tells Laptop Mag.

"This first version of the app includes many of the core features of NotebookLM, and we’ll continue to add more functionality. It's designed to make it much easier to curate and understand information that matters to you on the go, bringing the power of NotebookLM wherever you are. "

NotebookLM’s mobile app is more than just a web wrapper

NotebookLM’s mobile app is now available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and can be installed on mobile and tablet devices. A few companies have a habit of releasing apps that are just web wrappers to rush things out the door, but NotebookLM’s app doesn't appear to be that; it's optimized for phones and tablets.

Once you launch the app and log in with your Google account, you’ll notice something right away: To use any of NotebookLM’s features, you must create a notebook and populate it with sources you’d like the tool to reference.

I’m a university freshman and rely heavily on the AI-powered note-taking tool for exam prep. Naturally, I already have a couple of notebooks populated with multiple sources. So instead of creating a new notebook every time I need to study a different topic in a course, I locate the one I’ve already made and upload the latest source to it.

NotebookLM doesn’t save your responses unless you manually do so. Ultimately, part of me was worried that my existing notebooks wouldn’t carry over to the mobile app, but that isn’t the case here.

All my previously created notebooks were synced and ready to go when I logged in. You can also create new notebooks and upload sources directly in the app by hitting the + Create New button.

The iconic Audio Overviews feature is fully integrated into NotebookLM’s mobile app

NotebookLM went viral last year when it debuted Audio Overviews, which can convert your uploaded sources into AI-generated discussions within minutes.

Though NotebookLM isn’t the only tool that can generate AI podcasts, I’ve tried nearly all of them and noticed the same issue: The podcasts aren’t entertaining to listen to. This isn’t the case with NotebookLM.

See also: This Google experiment can turn any link, article, or document into a professional podcast — try it yourself for free

Instead of an Audio Overview discussing your sources in a monotonous tone, two AI hosts discuss your sources in an engaging and lively manner. It’s hard to tell that the podcasts are generated by AI, since they have an element of natural conversation.

The hosts occasionally include fun jokes to keep the conversation and mood light. This makes the experience more enjoyable and helps transform a relatively boring topic like “Two-Dimensional Motion and Projections” into something fun to listen to.

Thankfully, the Audio Overview feature is integrated within the mobile app. When you open a notebook in the app, you’ll notice three tabs at the bottom: Sources, Chat, and Studio. You can generate an Audio Overview by switching to the Studio tab and hitting the Generate button.

A few months after launching Audio Overviews, Google improved it by adding an Interactive mode that lets you interrupt the hosts and hop into the conversation instead of just passively listening.

This allows you to share any opinions you may have with the hosts, ask questions about your sources, and even steer the discussion in a direction that’s most helpful for your learning. In the same Studio tab, you only need to tap the “Interactive - BETA” button, then hit “Join” to join the conversation. I noticed that the Interactive mode isn’t available in notebooks with only a few sources.

The mobile app still feels like a work-in-progress

Though NotebookLM’s mobile app gets the basic premise of the app right and includes its most iconic Audio Overview feature, the app is clearly still a work in progress. Other than Audio Overviews, it seems like you can currently only ask the AI tool questions about your sources and nothing else.

On the other hand, NotebookLM’s web version has several features, like the ability to convert your sources into Mind Maps to see how different ideas connect. You can also turn your sources into a Study Guide, Briefing Doc, FAQ, or Timeline. You can find all of these options within the Studio panel on NotebookLM’s web version.

The mobile app’s Studio panel currently only offers the Audio Overview option and nothing else. This isn’t all that surprising, since it’s just the first version of the app and is bound to get updated over time.

More from Laptop Mag

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Google may have just given us its biggest hint yet about a pair of Android smart glasses that could make an apperance at Google I/O next week.

It's been a couple of years since Google finally shuttered its ill-fated Google Glass AR glasses, but it looks like Google isn't giving up yet.

An Android Show video streamed Tuesday on the Android YouTube channel may have included a sneaky tease of Google's rumored Android-powered smart glasses.

Here's a look at what we know so far about Google's potential return to smart glasses and the pitfall Google will need to watch out for this time.

See also: Best phone deals in May 2025

Google teases Android smart glasses ahead of Google I/O

The live stream unpacked some recent Android updates, but the most interesting part of the show came near its end.

Sameer Samat, Android Ecosystem President, closed things out with a short promo for Google I/O, stating:

"Join us for an exciting Google I/O in just a few days. We'll have deep dives from developers, the latest on Google Gemini, and maybe even a few more really cool Android demos. See you on May 20."

As Samat says, "A few more really cool Android demos," he slips on a pair of black sunglasses. The frames are chunky black plastic, and there appear to be circular indents on each side — in the exact spots where cameras would be on a pair of smart glasses.

This couldn't have been a more obvious hint if Samat had ended by winking directly into the camera.

The implication is clear: one of the "really cool Android demos" coming up at Google I/O could very well be a pair of Android-powered smart glasses.

This hint comes after rumors of a private Google smart glasses demo last month, and as Google's rival Meta goes all-in on smart glasses.

There is a smart glasses showdown brewing. Google's potential return to the smart glasses market is no coincidence. Meta is pouring attention into its Ray-Ban AI smart glasses, which are expected to get a big refresh later this year. At the same time, there are rumors that Apple is developing a chip for a pair of smart glasses.

Can Google learn from Meta's experiences with user privacy?

It's no surprise that Google is returning to smart glasses despite its failure with Google Glass. The glasses Samat briefly wore in the most recent Android Show Livestream certainly look strikingly similar to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses.

While it's nothing exciting, the design is definitely a step up from the blocky Matrix-like look of Google Glass. The question is, what else has Google changed this time around?

Considering we got this sneak peek on the Android Show, it seems likely that this pair of smart glasses will be running on Android, or some sort of modified version of it.

Additionally, I hope Google is paying attention to the controversy surrounding privacy on Meta's Ray-Ban glasses. Privacy is a natural concern when you're walking around wearing a device that can record audio and video at the sound of a simple activation phrase.

Meta took things a step further recently by tweaking its privacy policy to require users to allow Meta to store certain audio and video data in the cloud to improve and train its AI.

While Google isn't exactly a paragon of data privacy, hopefully, they'll pay attention to the concerns over Meta's move with its smart glasses.

If Google commits to respecting user privacy and allowing them to control where and how data from their glasses is stored, it could give Google's new Android-powered smart glasses an edge on Meta.

Either way, we'll soon find out exactly what Google envisions for its Android smart glasses at Google I/O, which will kick off on May 20.

More from Laptop Mag

• The best smart glasses you can buy just got a lot creepier
• Google drops a surprise preview of its first smart glasses since Google Glass
• Looks like Apple isn't giving up on smart glasses after all

Apple's AI efforts have been a stumbling block for the company. Last year, it made a big deal about its Apple Intelligence reveal, but seven months later, the feature has yet to be fully implemented.

Couple that with the constantly delayed, overhauled Siri. Apple planned to make the assistant smarter with the help of AI. The rollout was such a debacle that the company shuffled team leaders in order to get the project completed this year.

While AI might not be working out for Apple, one company executive says there will be a big AI shift coming.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, says the company is "actively looking at" using AI-powered search in its Safari web browser, according to a Bloomberg report. Cue said this while testifying in the antitrust trial in the U.S. Department of Justice's case against Google, which was found to have a monopoly and is in the process of determining what business should be broken off from the company.

Cue pointed out that AI companies such as OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic will eventually replace Google Search.

“We will add them to the list — they probably won’t be the default,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “Prior to AI, my feeling around this was, none of the others were valid choices. I think today there is much greater potential because there are new entrants attacking the problem in a different way.”

Apple and Google's $20 billion relationship.

The DOJ's antitrust case against Google has revealed a wealth of backdoor dealings between the two tech giants. Most notable was the annual $20 billion Google pays Apple to be the default search engine for Safari. It does make business sense for Google to pay for this exclusivity, as Safari is the second most-used web browser, right behind Google Chrome.

Cue says Google should still be the default for Safari, but added how he has lost sleep over possibly losing the revenue from the two companies' agreement, Bloomberg reported.

AI searches make up a tiny yet growing number as more people begin regularly using AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini.

A report from SparkToro found that in 2024, there were more than 14 billion Google searches per day, while ChatGPT had far fewer, with 37.5 million. The number of AI searches will continue to grow steadily as more people begin using AI agents on a regular basis.

Mother's Day weekend is nearly here and last-minute deals on Mother's Day gift ideas are available this week. For instance, Google's beloved Pixel Buds are on sale starting from $59 — and just in time for Mother's Day.

The deal I recommend based on my personal experience is the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for $189 ($40 off) at Amazon. As far as headphone deals go, this is one of the best spring savings I've seen.

You can get them directly from the Google Store for the same price.

I switched from the Sony WF-700N to the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 six months ago, and I have no regrets. Media playback and call quality are excellent, and I like their secure fit and instant connectivity with my other Pixel devices.

Don't get me wrong, my Sony earbuds are still in my rotation. It's just satisfying to accessorize my Pixel Buds with my other Google gadgets.

In the words of the late, great John Witherspoon, "You've got to coordinate."

Launched in September 2024, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are Google's best earbuds yet. They improve the series with enhanced sound, improved active noise cancellation (ANC), and better durability.

Although I don't use hands-free Gemini AI, it's nice to know it's there if I ever want to call on Google's virtual assistant using my voice.

At just under $190, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are worth it if you want to snap up some new earbuds for yourself or mom.

For more budget-friendly options, see my recommended discounts below.

Today's best Pixel Buds deals from $59

Google's AI Overview search feature is generating hilarious results again, but this time, it's explanations for fake idioms instead of recipes for glue pizza.

When it first launched last year, Google's AI Overview made headlines for giving incorrect answers to (mostly) legitimate questions. What happens when you ask Google's AI about things that don't exist, though?

Users all over the internet are finding out right now by Googling completely made-up sayings, and the results are pretty hysterical.

See also: Best phone deals in April 2025

Google's AI is hallucinating entire histories for fake idioms

"A salamander can't laugh in the rain." "Never let your horse play Pokemon." "Short grass doesn't pay the bills."

I entered those wise words in a Google search today, hoping for a ridiculous answer to my nonsense colloquialisms, and that's what I got. Google's AI Overview is spinning meanings and backstories out of fictional and illogical idioms like those, leading to some pretty funny search results, like this one:

As enlightening as this information about salamanders was (who knew they're not always in the rain?), things got even weirder when I moved on to the age-old saying, "never let your horse play Pokemon."

This led to Google repeatedly reminding me to "keep things in their proper context and avoid misusing or misinterpreting the behavior of different species."

If you're reluctant to mow the lawn this weekend, you might appreciate Google's wise take on the classic colloquialism, "short grass doesn't pay the bills."

The results for this one actually had some nearly coherent advice, suggesting, "The saying emphasizes the importance of focusing on tasks that actually produce financial benefits, such as working, investing, or pursuing other income-generating activities."

How to try Google's AI fake idioms yourself

If you want a laugh, try making up your own fake idiom and plugging it into a Google search. It helps to stick "meaning," "explanation," or "backstory" at the end.

You can also start with a real idiom and put some absurd spin on it. For instance, you could take the saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" and turn it into "When life gives you cats, make pasta" and see what Google's AI Overview comes up with.

While this bug (or feature, depending on how you look at it) is goofy and relatively harmless, it's also a good reminder that AI-generated content can't always be trusted. As Sam Altman famously said, AI is still "incredibly dumb" and has a habit of hallucinating and generating nonsense results, like those above while making them look like legitimate results or info.

So, if you're trying to do research or find concrete information, AI Overview might not always be your best bet. But if you're looking for a sage explanation for why salamanders never laugh in the rain? AI's your new best friend.

More from Laptop Mag

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Phishing attacks are not new, especially with Gmail. There are constant warnings from email companies about what to watch out for when receiving a weird email.

That still doesn't stop hackers. Some do keep with the painfully obvious phishing attacks using emails supposedly from Apple, Amazon, and Facebook, yet use random email handles to send the fake messages. Others, however, have gotten smarter and sneakier with their attacks, so now, it's close to impossible to tell if an email is fake or not.

Software developer Nick Johnson created a thread on X about a new kind of phishing attack. He received an email from an attacker that said Google had been served with a subpoena and that he needed to provide a copy of his Google account content.

An email like this would seemingly be easy to dismiss simply by looking at who sent it. In this case, the email did come from a valid, signed Google email account, no-reply@google.com. This email also passed a DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) check, which reaffirms it is legit, and in Gmail, this email sorted itself with other Google security alerts within the inbox.

Clicking on the link also led to a legit-looking Google sign-in page with the subtle difference that the URL was "sites.google.com" instead of "accounts.google.com." Johnson didn't proceed further as he believed that would have been where the hackers would have harvested his data.

So how did these hackers create an email that appears to be a completely valid email from Google and create a fake site that is still a Google website? Johnson came up with a theory.

The first task was to create a site using an old Google product.

"The fake portal is fairly straightforward. http://sites.google.com is a legacy product from before Google got serious about security; it allows users to host content on a http://google.com subdomain, and crucially it supports arbitrary scrips and embeds," Johnson tweeted.

After this fake page is made, they create a Google account using a fake domain that is registered. Johnson used the email of "me@domain."

They can create a Google OAuth application, which, for a knowledgeable developer, can be done in mere minutes. The application is given the name of the phishing message with all the spacing and wording found on a Google email, including a line for "Google Legal Support" in Johnson's case.

From here, they grant OAuth app access to the Google account they created, "me@domain," in the case of Johnson's example. This then causes a "Security Alert" message from Google to be generated, which has all the phishing wording in it. The attacker then forwards that email to the victim, and it passes a DKIM check, appears to come from a legitimate Google email, and has a link to the fake site.

Google is on it.

At the end of his thread, Johnson said he sent this issue to Google, and their response wasn't ideal.

"I've submitted a bug report to Google about this; unfortunately they closed it as 'Working as Intended' and explained that they don't consider it a security bug. Obviously I disagree - but until they change their mind, be on the lookout for deceptive security alerts from Google," Johnson wrote.

He later posted another message saying the company changed its stance.

"Outstanding news: Google has reconsidered and will be fixing the oauth bug," he tweeted.

Google confirmed it is working on a solution with Newsweek.

"We're aware of this class of targeted attack from the threat actor, Rockfoils, and have been rolling out protections for the past week. These protections will soon be fully deployed, which will shut down this avenue for abuse," the company told Newsweek. "In the meantime, we encourage users to adopt two-factor authentication and passkeys, which provide strong protection against these kinds of phishing campaigns."

Fresh off its April 10 launch last week, the $500 Google Pixel 9a packs flagship phone features into an affordable package. Even better, you can get Google's new budget phone for the low, low price of free with no trade-in required.

Currently, Verizon is offering the Google Pixel 9a for free to new and existing customers. To qualify for this deal, you must activate the Pixel 9a under Verizon's Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plan.

Browse: Verizon's phone deals

This is the Pixel 9a's lowest price ever from a postpaid carrier and puts $500 back into your pocket. If spending upwards of $1,000 is not an option, this is one of the best cheap phone deals you can get.

Google has a similar offer in which you free Pixel 9a from Google when you join Google Fi.

Featuring an ultra bright display, versatile camera, and nifty Google AI features, the Pixel 9a is best budget Android phone you can get.

We didn't test it, however, the Pixel 9a earned a solid 4.5 out of 5-star review rating from our sister brand, Tom's Guide. They praised the phone's sub-$500 price point, bright display, versatile camera, and handy Google AI features.

Though they wanted to see more razzle-dazzle from the Pixel 9a's design, they named it the Editor's Choice budget Android phone.

If you're long overdue for an upgrade or want an extra phone for a family member, you can't go wrong with the Pixel 9a.

Today's best Google Pixel 9a deal

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• Best phone deals in April 2025
• Pixel 9a verdicts are in: Here’s why reviewers say it’s worth $500
• 5 reasons Google's Pixel 9a is a victory lap around the iPhone 16e

The Google Pixel 9a appears to be, once again, the best bang for your buck if your bucks total up to $500.

Google's affordable smartphone launched on April 10, and so far, it looks to be another hit for Google. Tech sites have posted their reviews of the latest phone from Google, and they're all loving it.

If you've been waiting for a sign to get a new phone that won't break the bank, the Google Pixel 9a seems to be the best bet.

Here are some of the best features that the tech press have been crowing about with the Google Pixel 9a, making it one of the best phones released so far in 2025.

Low-priced speed demon

One of the big surprises mentioned in the reviews is how fast the Google Pixel 9a is.

For the Pixel 9a, Google added a Tensor G4 processor to the phone, the same chip used in the Pixel 9 series. Ars Technica says there was no feeling of slowdown or the phone heating up when using mutiple apps. According to 9to5Google: "In day-to-day usage, app launches and loading speeds feel on par with the Pixel 9 Pro."

Tom's Guide says it runs much smoother than Apple's affordable phone, the iPhone 16e, on basic tasks, but it can't compare to the lower-priced iPhone on more advanced tasks like gaming and video editing.

Small body, big battery

Another big improvement with the Pixel 9a is the battery life. The affordable phone comes with a 5,100-mAh battery, which is a jump from the Pixel 8a's 4,492-mAh capacity.

Wired's review of the Pixel 9a noted that while you're not going to get two days of use out of the battery, regular users will still have a chunk of battery leftover, in the 30-40% range. PCMag's test of the Pixel 9a showed it lasting just over 13 hours streaming 1080p video over Wi-Fi with full brightness on, which was an hour longer than the Pixel 8a and 90 minutes longer than the Pixel 9.

Affordable intelligence.

One cool new feature the Pixel 9a has is out-of-the-box AI.

Gemini comes on the Pixel 9a, replacing Google Assistant, and CNET noted the phone runs 2.0 Flash, 2.0 Flash Thinking, 2.5 Pro, Deep Research and Personalization. The phone also makes use of Gemini Live where the AI can see your surroundings via the camera and tell you about them. The reviewer for CNET mentioned how he was using the feature around his office, and when looking for his coffee, he asked Gemini, which told him where his coffee was hiding.

One thing to note is that the Gemini Live requires a Gemini Advanced subscription, which costs $19.99 a month, although Google gives Pixel 9a buyers a month free.

A picture worth $500

All the reviewers mentioned how good the Pixel 9a camera was for the price. The 48MP camera at f/1.7 is a bit of a downgrade from the 64MP at f/1.89 camera found on the Pixel 8a, but the PCMag review mentioned the new phone's camera has a larger aperture to let in more light.

It's a good camera, but just not great. The Verge's review said the 9a produced "most intensely flat and over-processed photos of high-contrast scenes," and pictures lose information when exported from the phone.

Looks boring for the money.

One con about the phone agreed on was how the 9a didn't look special. The Tom's Guide review mentions how the redesign of the phone makes it "more uniform" and doesn't give it much of a unique look from other budget phones. Wired called the phone's design "stale."

The screen for the 9a does have the same bright 6.3-inch display found on the Pixel 9 series, which was a welcome improvement to the budget phone.

The Pixel 9a is hard to beat for a $500 phone. It does everything most users will want from their phone and looks good while doing it. But don't get it twisted, it is very clear that this phone is a budget phone when comparing it to other flagship phones.

Two years after Google discontinued its ill-fated Google Glass AR glasses, the company is back in the smartglasses game with a mysterious new prototype that could help it compete with Meta.

At the TED2025 conference in Vancouver this week, Shahram Izadi, Google's VP and general manager of XR, showed off a pair of unnamed mixed reality, AI-powered smartglasses in development at Google.

The prototype glasses may put Google back on the map in a market that's beginning to heat up.

The question is, if Google is returning to smartglasses, does it still stand a chance of competing with Meta's cutting-edge Orion glasses?

See also: Best laptop deals April 2025

Google returns to smartglasses with XR glasses prototype

During session 3 of TED2025 on Tuesday, Google offered a sneak preview of its new Android XR operating system alongside a mysteriously unnamed pair of smartglasses.

Both are clear indicators that Google will make a return to the world of smartglasses, apparently undeterred by the failure of Google Glass, which spawned the term "glasshole" precisely a decade ago.

During his TED Talk, Izadi wore a pair of inconspicuous smartglasses, using them to display and read off his notes. According to Izadi, the glasses have an in-lens camera, which is a clever design addition, but the demo of it only lasted a few seconds, so it's difficult to gauge image quality.

The prototype glasses also had a speaker, microphone, and built-in Google Gemini connectivity. During the demo, Gemini was able to use the camera in the glasses to translate text and use visual input for context for tasks and questions.

It's unclear if Google ever plans to offer this version of the glasses to consumers or if they're simply a proof-of-concept. Google certainly seems to be ramping up its smartglasses development, though, including recent negotiations to acquire a company that makes AR eye-tracking software. Between that acquisition and this overall impressive demo, Google is trying to get back in the game.

Is it too late for Google to catch up to the Meta Ray-Bans?

Can Google Glass 2.0 compete with Meta's Orion glasses?

There is a growing number of brands competing to rule the smartglasses market, like VITURE with its Pro XR glasses or the Meta-powered Ray-Bans. The current leader is Meta, though, which stunned us last year with the first look at its Orion smartglasses.

The Orion glasses could be the most advanced mixed reality smartglasses to date, but they aren't publicly available yet. They feature much more advanced displays and controls than most currently available smartglasses, meaning Orion could be an instant hit once Meta launches them for the public.

So, it's no coincidence that Google is trying to return to the ring to challenge Meta in the smartglasses market, especially since Apple, another big rival, seemingly abandoned its smartglasses plans earlier this year.

Google's unnamed prototype glasses don't appear to be quite as advanced as Meta's Orion glasses, but both are demo products, so a lot could change by the time either launches. Price and design are also important considerations, as well as AI capabilities.

If Google can deliver less expensive or more streamlined glasses — or integrate Gemini more effectively than Meta with its Meta AI — Google glasses could stand a chance against Orion even if they aren't quite as advanced.

Of course, it's also possible that the demo glasses Google showed off this week were just that, a demo.

Google may be prioritizing developing its Android XR operating system and betting on partners like Samsung to build the hardware.

In January, Youtuber Marques Brownlee tested out an Android XR headset with Gemini, made by Samsung, as the video above shows.

Either way, this is another exciting turning point in what's shaping up to be a major year for smartglasses and mixed reality tech.

More from Laptop Mag

• Meta is hell-bent on making 2025 the year of smartglasses — and I've never been more ready
• Meta's Orion smartglasses are a glimmer of our mixed-reality future
• Why Apple's scrapped smartglasses are a bad omen for the Vision Pro

If you're setting up a new Windows 11 laptop or desktop or switching browsers to Google Chrome right now, you may have run into this persistent blue pop-up error stating that Chrome isn't supported on your PC:

"This app can't run on your PC."

Don't panic, you're not the only one.

Laptop Mag has identified an issue with Chrome installation on Windows and corroborated the bug on multiple devices. As it turns out, other Windows users are aware of the issue and not happy about it either.

Laptop Mag reached out to Microsoft and Google about this bug. A representative for Google tells Laptop Mag that the company is aware of the situation and has updated the installer so it is now compatible with Windows machines.

In the meantime, here's what we know about the Google Chrome installer issue, plus the official fix and our original workaround.

Affected systems

Laptop Mag's testing lab was able to confirm that the issue is specific to Windows devices. We replicated the error on four systems and then came across Reddit users with similar troubles.

"Just re-installed Windows and I can't install Google Chrome," reads one Reddit post.

"It's not just you. Something is going on with the installer," comments another user faced with the same problem.

In our research, macOS systems were able to download and install Chrome the usual way.

Our lab also attempted to install Chrome on a Windows 10 machine, which brought up the same app incompatibility pop-up error as Windows 11.

If you already have Chrome installed, you won't have any issues with loss of service. This is specifically impacting new Chrome installations.

We do not currently know what's causing the installer error. Due to the timing, it doesn't appear related to the March 21 Google Chrome update, nor was there a Windows 11 or Windows 10 system update that could have caused compatibility issues.

How to get a working Chrome installer

The compatibility error appears to be caused by a version of the general Chrome installer, ChromeSetup.exe. This is the Installer file you find at the top of the Google Chrome download page.

Google has now updated that installer with a compatible version of the ChromeSetup.exe executable. So you may need to refresh your browser or clear your cache to get the correct installer.

Alternatively, you can get the Windows 10/11 64-bit specific installation file, ChromeStandaloneSetup64.exe, otherwise known as the offline installer.

The bad news is that the offline installer is no longer available through the typical Google Chrome download page.

The good news is that the Windows 64-bit offline installer is available for download from Google, but you need a specific web address to access it. To get the offline Chrome installer:

1. Go to http://google.com/intl/en/chrome/?standalone=1
2. Click "Download Chrome"
3. Download and install the app

Both the Offline Installer and General Installer are working on the systems Laptop Mag used for testing.

If you have a saved version of an older Chrome Installer, versions of the installer prior to 3/25 appear to be working.

As of our update on 3/25 at 4:33 pm Eastern, all versions of the ChromeInstaller currently available on Google's pages are compatible with Windows systems.

More from Laptop Mag

• Windows-on-Arm woes: Amazon warns customers about Surface laptop returns
• Microsoft recommends a drastic move for Windows 11 upgrade, report says
• 5 reasons Google's Pixel 9a is a victory lap around the iPhone 16e

Project Moohan, Samsung's upcoming mixed-reality headset following in the footsteps of the Apple Vision Pro, is a real spatial computing supergroup moment for the virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality market. But is it destined for the same fate as Apple's highfalutin headset — impressive, expensive, and quick to fade from memory?

Moohan is the result of a collaboration between industry giants Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm, each bringing their own portion of expertise to the table through hardware or software.

The headset will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2+ Gen 2 chipset, a follow-up to the XR2 Gen 2 chip found within Meta's Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets, with new rumors (via 9to5Google) suggesting it packs some premier 4K display tech to secure the edge over Apple's mixed reality visor.

However, all that comes at a cost — both in price and the risk of burying Moohan's best feature, Google's new HorizonOS and VisionOS competitor and mixed-reality platform: Android XR.

Project Moohan: The more expensive they are, the harder they fall

Despite all evidence pointing to the contrary, companies like Apple and Samsung seem convinced that what the spatial computing market really needs is a headset of such incredible value that it's to be exclusively worn on the head of bankers like a high-tech crown rather than an actual product.

The Vision Pro, with its baffling $3,500 price tag, offered some impressive specs but appeared to have no idea who it was for when it launched in February 2024.

While insiders claimed that this was more of a developer-focused introduction of the tech, Apple's own ads pushed the illusion that this was a device for the average Joe or Jane as they virtually tippy-tapped their way through immersive home movies and engaged with putty-faced digital avatars over FaceTime.

Ultimately, Apple's headset has managed to impress with a pocketful of cool features but hasn't quite lived up to the potential suggested by its price tag. It's a warning you'd expect a company like Samsung to have observed and learned from.

However, Project Moohan looks to be heading in much of the same direction, with Korean outlet The Elec reporting that Samsung is aiming to incorporate some expensive display tech to push its headset beyond the Vision Pro's specs. This includes 1.3-inch OLEDOS panels that offer a pixel density of 3,800 PPI (Pixels-per-inch), over three times that of the Meta Quest 3 (1,200 PPI) and topping that of the Vision Pro (3,400 PPI).

Samsung's desire to produce the best headset with components like this may also lead to its being the most expensive. While Samsung may be able to shave some of the costs by not selling at a 100% markup (as Apple does), that won't stop it from becoming the kind of enterprise-only headset that flags for DOGE investigations when someone tries to expense it.

Android XR: How Moohan risks burying the lead

Meanwhile, Moohan's best feature risks being buried by its ballooning spec sheet. If Samsung truly wanted to make an impact, it would be by pushing Google's new spatial computing platform, Android XR, to the forefront — and into the hands of as many as possible.

Android XR has the potential to do for VR/AR/MX systems what Android did for smartphones. It offers an open ecosystem that breaks free from Apple and Meta's walled gardens, promoting a platform that all developers can take advantage of and that users of many different products within this market may benefit from.

However, if Samsung instead opts to chase what's flash for cash, Android XR's grand introduction may feel like a behind-closed-doors event, exclusive to the members of a big club, that most people aren't in or invited to.

The Vision Pro made mixed reality feel like an exclusive piece of tech far out of the reach of many. Meta's Quest headsets have gone some way to reversing that opinion, with much of that owed to the Quest 3S' impeccable $299 price tag. Samsung's Moohan looks to drag things back in the polar opposite direction. when what the spatial computing world needs right now, is a product everyone can get excited for.

Mixed reality needs momentum, not another overpriced executive tech demo. Moohan may be a move that costs Samsung the chance of leading this market but it could be a great opportunity for others to take the ball and run with it.

More from Laptop Mag

• Here's a brief look at Samsung's new XR headset
• One crucial feature could give Samsung an early victory over Apple in the headset wars
• Samsung's Moohan mixed reality headset eyes the Vision Pro, but should be targeting Meta Quest 3 and 3S

Launched in May 2023, the Google Pixel Tablet with Charging Speaker Dock is one of our favorite multiuse devices. For the first time in months, this fantastic duo is seeing a significant price drop.

Currently, Amazon offers the Pixel Tablet with Charging Speaker Dock for $479. That's $120 off its regular retail price of $599 and the lowest price I've seen for this tablet with speaker dock in a while.

For context, it hit an all-time low price of $400 at Amazon on November 3 of last year. I keep a close eye on tablet deals daily and this is one of the best I've seen all month.

Browse: Amazon's entire sale

You may also grab this deal at Best Buy or the Google Store for the same price or less via trade-in offers.

If you want to expand your gadget collection, the Google Pixel Tablet with Charging Speaker Dock is a multipurpose device. It works as a Google Home device when you're not using it to get things done or consume content. It serves as a mini laptop when paired with a wireless keyboard and mouse.

One of the best tablets to buy, the Pixel Tablet earned our Editor's Choice for its slick, stylish design, snappy performance, and 12-hour battery life.

I use mine with the Logitech Slim Keyboard and Mouse Combo, and it's like a mini Chromebook. This is handy when I want to get things done and not be tethered to my desktop.

Simply put, if you prioritize snappy performance, long battery life, great sound, and versatility, the Pixel Tablet with Charging Speaker Dock is a solid buy — especially at this stellar price.

Best Google Pixel Tablet with Charging Speaker Dock deal

Super Bowl commercials are just as anticipated as the game itself. In some years, a common theme emerges in the ads, particularly in tech. This year, AI made its existence known with a commercial from the biggest name in the AI game.

OpenAI's ChatGPT received its first Super Bowl commercial on Sunday. Called "The Intelligence Age," the minute-long ad went through some of the most significant tech advances in the history of humanity including the wheel, the light bulb, and the internet. The commercial ends with the line, "All progress has a starting point."

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on X after the commercial aired saying, "An ode to the history of technology, and human potential."

The ChatGPT Super Bowl commercial cost OpenAI $17 million, according to The Verge. OpenAI's CMO Kate Rouch says the ad was intended to introduce ChatGPT to the millions watching who weren't familiar with the technology.

"We want the message to feel relevant to the audience that is watching the Super Bowl, which includes tens of millions of people who have no familiarity with AI,” Rouch told The Verge. “This is a celebration of human creativity and an extension of human creativity.”

Rouch also confirmed that no AI-generated content was used in the final production of the commercial. OpenAI's text-to-video model, Sora, was used to develop the concept for the ad.

One of OpenAI's competitors, Google, had a couple of its own commercials during the Big Game. The ads promoted the company's Gemini AI, and one commercial shows a father practicing a job interview with the AI, which is available on the Google Pixel 9.

Google also announced it would air 50 different local commercials during the Super Bowl, one for each state, promoting how its AI helps local businesses. One ad, however, appeared to have an issue, which some say could be the AI hallucinating.

In the ad for Wisconsin, a Gemini result asking for "a description of Smoked Gouda that would appeal to cheese lovers" came back with a result saying the cheese accounts for "50 to 60 percent of the world's cheese consumption." One user on X said this stat can't be possibly true and that Gemini provided no source.

Jerry Dischler, President of Cloud Applications at Google, replied to the post saying it wasn't a hallucination.

"Hey Nate - not a hallucination, Gemini is grounded in the Web - and users can always check the results and references, Dischler said. "In this case, multiple sites across the web include the 50-60% stat."

It appears the final commercial was changed. Now, the response from Gemini leaves out the "50 to 60 percent" stat from the answer.

Google Search has become so synonymous with finding information online that to Google something has become a widely recognized verb. Pre-2002, there were several popular search engines to choose from, including Yahoo, AOL, and Ask Jeeves. However, not long after, Google emerged as a clear and dominant winner of "The Search Engine Wars," and to this day is seen as the gold standard for internet searches (sorry Bing).

Or is it?

AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Perplexity are changing the way many search online and make for a compelling change of scenery following twenty-some years of Google Search dominance. Asking LLMs like these what the best Sci-Fi movie of 2024 is replaces Google's wall of blue links and blurbs with something more akin to asking somebody who collects Star Wars figurines what's on their Netflix watchlist.

While completely impersonal, this way of searching the net at least feels impressively so, with answers tailored to whatever additional context you present. Is this the future of online searches? Maybe.

Admittedly, Google has entered the realm of AI searches itself with the new AI overview feature. However, its appearance is currently limited to more simple queries, effectively replacing the "top box" of results with something not always that much more helpful.

So, if you're yet to give these AI-powered alternatives a try, here are a few compelling reasons to give ChatGPT Search a spin, starting off with something timely and topical:

3. ChatGPT Search is free and no longer requires an account to use

One of the luxuries of Google Search is that you can simply load up the Google homepage and get straight to work, if not by launching straight into a search query directly from the address bar.

Well, here's some good news: from today, you can access ChatGPT Search with a similar level of ease by heading to ChatGPT.com, through desktop or mobile apps, for log-in-free access to OpenAI's new way of surfing the information superhighway without cost or subscription. You can even adopt ChatGPT Search as your go-to search engine from the address bar using this handy Chrome extension.

2. You can search for answers, not for options

Certain Google Search results are often little more than SEO (search engine optimization) leaderboards that websites will perpetually refine and tweak to appease the Google bots that crawl them for keywords more than the people that read them for information.

AI search options like ChatGPT Search cut the fat, and the click-bait, returning with an actual answer to whatever it is you find yourself in need of — or quickly highlighting the absence of one, saving you time spent scouring article after article for information that may not yet be available.

1. Diving deeper into topics is made easy

"Googling" something paints the image of simply rapping your fingers along the right keyboard inputs and hitting enter, only to be immediately presented with the exact information you need and being on your way. However, in the real world, we're all well aware that Googling something is actually a process of refinement and elimination as you juggle between comparing product A to product B, or following a slow daisy chain of information down an endless rabbit hole in search of a specific query.

Don't get me wrong, it does the job (eventually). However, AI options like ChatGPT Search just get you there faster. Thanks to the natural language interface of LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity, searching is like having a conversation with the internet at large. Comparing two things is as easy as simply asking the question, and more complex queries are often solved on the first prompt, leading to fewer hours spent digging through the comments of long-dead Reddit threads in an attempt to diagnose that weird computer hitch.

It's great, but it's not perfect.

While AI search options clearly have their benefits, Google still reigns supreme when it comes to things like image searches or Google Maps navigation. And if you're on the hunt for your next purchase, then AI searches will often be better suited to supplemental information rather than direct recommendations.

While AI hallucinations are still haunting the wider stretches of LLMs like ChatGPT, newer and more powerful models reduce these risks, and it's not like Google hasn't had hallucinatory issues of its own, with the Search Overview feature originally launching under some controversy after offering (since fixed) recommendations that its users eat glue or turn their washing machines into chlorine gas chambers.

Still, this new frontier of Search is an impressive one, and it's well worth checking out if you haven't already. While we've highlighted ChatGPT Search in particular, Perplexity stands as another fantastic all-around option. For those who want to take things a step further, Arc Search offers AI search built directly into their mobile web browser for a simpler and more natural way to search with AI while browsing the internet.

More from Laptop Mag

• "Truly magical" ChatGPT feature comes to Microsoft Copilot — and it's completely free
• DeepSeek: The best ChatGPT alternative or a hotbed of dubious claims?
• Google's $75 billion bet on AI is more than most nation's GDP — but investors aren't impressed

On Tuesday, Google's Q4 2024 earnings call revealed much about how the company plans to spend its megabucks in the year ahead. And few ambitions of expenditure stood as lofty as pouring approximately $75 billion into capital expenditures, much of which was earmarked to greatly improve AI infrastructure.

That's over twice what Google spent in 2023, and rivals the projected GDP of entire countries like Panama, Uruguay, or the African nation of Ghana.

However, while not all of Google's capex will be poured into investment in AI, CFO Anat Ashkenazi was clear that a "majority of that is going to go toward our technical infrastructure, which includes servers and data centers." According to Ashkenazi, "approximately $16 billion to $18 billion" of its total capex investment would take place "in the first quarter" of 2025.

Spend big, win big?

CEO Sundar Pichai noted that Google's sizeable investment in technical infrastructure was a necessary cost, citing increasing demands for the company's cloud AI services, stating, "Cloud customers consume more than eight times the compute capacity for training and inferencing compared to 18 months ago."

This investment would not only ensure Google's ability to meet an increase in customer demand but also maintain the company's infrastructure efficiency, which, according to Pichai, is among the world's most efficient of its kind — delivering "nearly four times more computing power per unit of electricity compared to just five years ago."

It's likely that these improvements will help accommodate the training and wider rollout of more advanced models such as the Gemini 2.0 Flash 'thinking model,' which will become generally available for developers and customers today, joining a spate of recently launched reasoning models including the o1-powered Think Deeper for Copilot and DeepSeek-R1.

The latter of which was directly referenced by Pichai, who stated that the "tremendous team" behind the Chinese startup had done "very, very good work," when fielding a query from Goldman Sachs analyst Eric Sheridan on investors raising questions about the long-term cost curve for AI.

DeepSeek made shockwaves in January after revealing it had trained one of its latest V3 models for less than $6 million, and revealed some of the most competitive API pricing seen to date, costing only 55 cents per million tokens — some 96% less than the $15 per million tokens charged by OpenAI while providing similar levels of performance and accuracy.

However, despite DeekSeek's impact on of the AI market last month (which effectively saw almost $600 billion knocked off of Nvidia's valuation overnight), Pichai insists that not only is Google's AI "more efficient" in cost, latency, and performance, but that a return on the investment in AI could pay off as the company explores "very good ideas for native ad concepts" and making AI tools more accessible for business in an effort to sell AI-driven efficiencies to companies at scale.

Google's big spend spurs investor skepticism

That said, Pichai's optimism that its capex investment would be "directly driving revenue" doesn't seem to have landed.

Following the earnings call, Bloomberg reported that shares for Google's parent company Alphabet dipped by roughly 7% in premarket trading on Wednesday, effectively eliminating much of its 9% gain in 2025 — despite cloud services contributing $11.4 billion to the company's $96.5 billion revenue total for Q4.

While Alphabet insists its capex investment is necessary to hold the lead in Search and AI, a stock drop like this suggests that Wall Street isn't convinced. The company wants Google to spend big, but markets reward those who spend smart.

DeepSeek's arrival onto (and major upset of) the AI scene has raised a question Alphabet may already be feeling the impact of, as investors ask whether endless scaling in compute truly is the only path forward, as companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have claimed.

More from Laptop Mag

• DeepSeek: The best ChatGPT alternative or a hotbed of dubious claims?
• DeepSeek vs. ChatGPT: Here's what critics are saying
• "Truly magical" ChatGPT feature comes to Microsoft Copilot — and it's completely free

It's mid-January 2025 and the best time to upgrade your phone thanks to new year's discounts. Currently, every Google Pixel 9 phone is on sale at Amazon starting from $647.

Save up to $300 starting from the entry model 6.3-inch Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro to the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL, to the Editor's Choice Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

The most powerful Pixel series yet Google's latest phones are all powered by Google's Tensor G4 processor alongside 16GB of RAM and feature advanced AI. With a Pixel 9 phone as your daily driver, you'll effortlessly search, browse, text, call, and schedule your daily routines smarter.

I've been daily driving with the Pixel 9 Pro XL for 90 days and have zero complaints. It has a stunning display, and phenomenal speakers, and navigation is snappy and responsive. And I still can't get over how fast it charges.

What's more, advanced AI enhances the Pixel 9's camera so taking stunning photos and videos is virtually fool-proof.

Interestingly enough, these Pixel 9 discounts happen to arrive just days before Samsung's expected Galaxy S25 series launch. Coincidence or a strategic plan to take some of the shine off of Samsung? Either way, you're saving up to $300 on one of the best Android phones around.

As the interwebs keep the timbers of the Pixel 10 rumor mill going, the whole Pixel 9 series is on discount.

Whether you're upgrading from an older model Pixel phone, or switching from a OnePlus, Motorola, Samsung, or perhaps an iPhone, here are 5 Pixel 9 deals to consider.

Today's best Pixel 9 deals

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As internet usage started to reach critical mass in the early 2000s, long before smartphones effortlessly connected us to fast wireless networks, several companies sought to create or augment devices that would allow web browsing without a PC, so-called “internet appliances.” In the consumer market, the most successful of these was WebTV, which survived as MSN TV until 2013. But there were plenty of swings and misses from startups and giants alike, including the Virgin Webplayer, 3Com’s Audrey, Sony’s eVilla, and Microsoft’s Web Companions. In the commercial market, Oracle spinout Network Computer, Inc. attracted the most attention, but its product was slow and came to market as PC prices were in freefall.

The rise and fall of cheap and easy internet connected devices

In 2008, TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington floated the idea for a cheap, open-source web tablet that would come to be known as the CrunchPad. But a few weeks before it was set to launch, his design partner claimed it as their own, ultimately releasing it as the disappointing JooJoo. Meanwhile, a small Boston startup called Litl shipped a more polished netbook-class device, the thoughtfully designed Webbook. Priced at $700, it made little headway. But it set the stage for the first broadly successful web-centric device class: the Chromebook. Leveraging Google’s market-leading browser (now targeted for divestment by the U.S. Department of Justice), Chromebooks were cheap yet familiar, highly compatible with websites, fast, and secure. They quickly became a hit in education and earned a place in the product lines of major PC companies that had seen little success with Android. (In fact, Google itself is one of the few companies that has left the Chromebook market.) Connectivity was viewed as so important that the first Chromebook, Google’s own Cr48 aimed at developers, came with a few gigabytes of free Verizon wireless internet access if a hotspot wasn’t available.

Over the years, though, Chrome OS has lost much of its less-is-more differentiation. The big move came in 2019 when Chrome OS began supporting Android apps. Chromebooks can also now run Linux distributions (albeit mostly for developers). And, while its implementation is still far from perfect, Google has improved its tablet interface to the point where it is now best-in-class at accommodating both desktop and touchscreen interfaces. Regardless of whether rumors that Google is looking to fold Chrome OS into Android hold true, Chrome OS as an expression of “browser as operating system” is long dead.

Can Microsoft pick up where Google left off?

Curiously, as Google has been pushing Chrome OS away from cloud-centricity, Microsoft has become more aggressive on the opposite path, at least in education and enterprises. At the launch of the Surface Laptop, the company positioned inexpensive third-party Windows notebooks, aka “Cloudbooks,” as answers to Chromebooks. In November 2021, it waded into the low-cost laptop waters with an education-exclusive Surface Laptop SE featuring a stripped-down version of Windows 11 that didn’t allow downloading of any apps, even from the Microsoft store. That was also the year it launched Windows 365 for enterprises.

Now, Microsoft has unveiled Windows 365 Link, a thin client that can connect only to Windows 365. Microsoft says that Link is the first Windows 365 client that it intends to develop both in-house and with third parties. The paradox in the consumer market is that while Microsoft and others have pushed the performance limits of broadband with cloud gaming platforms, there’s never been much momentum behind a cloud PC service aimed at consumers. That’s in large part because most other traditional consumer PC applications, e.g., word processing, email, and even file managers like OneDrive and Google Drive, are already available there as web apps. Meanwhile, with the 2024 debut of CoPilot+ PCs on a rejuvenated Qualcomm platform and their push across x86 processor architectures in 2025, local PCs aren’t going anywhere.

What's next for cloud computing?

Still, those early internet appliance advocates have been partially vindicated. While the Chromebook as a pure web play is dead, it may soon play host to an enhanced version of Android, one of the two smartphone/tablet OSes that offer a simpler interface than desktop OSes. And AI-imbued smart glasses are progressing toward a world where “computing” involves little more than statements or stares.

If you're looking for a Pixel 9 wireless charging stand at a reasonable price, fret not. Given that Google is no longer selling its $79 Pixel Stand 2, cheaper alternatives are getting are selling like hot cakes.

Let's face it, who wants spend that much on a single device wireless charging stand?

That said, the iOttie iON Wireless Duo Charging Stand and Pad for $49 from the Google Store is the better value. By comparison, it's $4 cheaper than Amazon's current price for the same 2-in-1 charging stand.

Browse: Google Pixel 9 accessories

The iON Wireless Duo is 15W capable and lets you wirelessly fast-charge your Pixel 9 and Pixel Buds simulataneously. What's more, you can view your phone in portrait or landscape mode while it charges at a 65-degree tilt. That's a nifty feature to have for those times when you're on a video call, streaming music, or following step-by-step recipes on YouTube.

This luxurious-looking Qi wireless charging stand's fabric wrapped design serves as a non-slip resting pad and stylish accent to any room. The iON Wireless Duo works the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and just about any other Qi-wireless endabled device.

Looking for a single device fast-charging stand for your Pixel 9? I recommend the Belkin 15W Wireless Charging Stand for $26 ($19 off) at Amazon. Apply the on-page coupon secure this deal price at checkout.

Belkin is known to manurfacturer some of the industry's best mobile charging accessories. Its 15W Wireless Charging Stand for the Pixel 9 ships with a 24W quick-charge power supply and is 15W fast charging capable.

Besides Pixel phones, the Belkin Wireless Charging Stand works with Qi-enabled iPhones, and Galaxy phones.

Save your money and check out my recommended Pixel 9 wireless charging stands below.

Today's best Pixel 9 charging stand deals

In September, OpenAI rolled out its o1-preview for ChatGPT, a new series of models designed with strong reasoning capabilities to deliver more thoughtful answers rather than speedy answers. Since then, multiple companies have rolled out their own reasoning AI models, like the DeepSeek-R1 model and Alibaba's QwQ-32B-Preview model.

Now, it's Google's turn at bat.

The new reasoning AI model from Google is called Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, and according to Jeff Dean, Chief Scientist for Google DeepMind, it's "an experimental model that explicitly shows its thoughts." Dean goes on to say, "this model is trained to use thoughts to strengthen its reasoning," an exciting prospect for those weary of how AI is forming its answers.

Google's new Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking model is a step in the right direction

Because a reasoning AI model is designed to show its thoughts as it forms an answer, it's a lot easier for the AI to realize when it's made a mistake and correct itself. That said, TechCrunch tested out Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental and got lackluster results on one question. The site asked how many R's were in the word strawberry and received an incorrect answer of "two."

This is still an experimental version of the AI model, and it's entirely possible it could be more equipped to tackle complex queries compared to simple ones. In the example below, Jeff Dean shows Google's new AI model solving a physics problem and explaining its thoughts as it goes.

Google product lead Logan Kilpatrick also took to X to share an exciting example of Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking solving "a challenging puzzle involving both visual and textual clues." In the shared video, you can see the AI model's entire thought process from start to finish.

Kilpatrick drives home the point that this is "still an early version" of the model, but seeing the model in action is quite impressive. Rather than solely seeing the answer an AI model lands on, you can get a full, in-depth look at how the model started to approach the question and exactly how it arrived at its final answer.

The one downside? It'll take a bit longer to get your answer. Because the AI model has to write out its thoughts rather than simply "think" them, coming to a conclusion can take longer than it would for a non-reasoning AI model.

In the physics problem shown by Jeff Dean above, for example, it took just over 37 seconds for the AI model to complete its thinking process. But the end result seems incredibly worth it. For someone who turns to AI to help with a coding, physics, or math problem, being able to see the model's thought process will be able to help explain where you potentially got tripped up, which concept you failed to consider, etc.

There's clearly still a long way to go before reasoning AI models are where we'd like them to be (like recognizing three R's in strawberry instead of two), but the short steps companies are making feels like positive progress.

It was a sunny afternoon in Mountain View, California on May 14, 2024, when Google changed the course of the Internet forever.

Google's Liz Reid, Vice President and Head of Google Search, took the stage a little over 40 minutes into the keynote presentation at Google I/O to unveil one of the most controversial search updates Google has ever launched.

"With each of these platform shifts, we haven't just adapted. We've expanded what's possible with Google search. And now, with generative AI, search will do more for you than you ever imagined."

Reid was referring to AI Overview, formerly "Search Generative Experience" or SGE, which launched in the U.S. that same day. At first glance, the feature seems fairly tame: a specialized version of Google's Gemini AI model generates summaries of search queries based on the top results for that query.

Unfortunately for Google (and the rest of us), AI Overview had a rocky start, to say the least. It was immediately caught generating odd, inaccurate, and unsafe summaries and pulling from strange sources like ancient Reddit threads.

The slew of fumbles shared across social media quickly turned AI Overview into a meme, but generative AI's role in the future of search is anything but a joke.

"Google will do the Googling for you" ... or maybe not

Reid kicked off her demo of AI Overviews by trying to reassure the audience: "Whatever's on your mind and whatever you need to get done, just ask and Google will do the Googling for you."

The idea of Google taking care of the trouble of Googling might sound nice, but it turns out Gemini isn't very good at taking over Search, or at least it wasn't at first. In the week after the feature's launch, users spotted a slew of strange AI-generated results and wasted no time sharing them all over the Internet.

The most infamous example suggested baking pizza with glue. Another recommended cleaning your washing machine with chlorine gas. Other results ranged from eating rocks to cooking spaghetti with gasoline.

Long story short, AI Overview went viral — for all the wrong reasons.

On May 30, 2024, just a couple of weeks after Google I/O, Liz Reid shared an update on AI Overview explaining that Google was working to address the problematic results and prevent more from popping up.

Reid clarified that some of the strangest results were emerging from "sarcastic or troll-y content from discussion forums," such as the glue pizza result. She also pointed out that some of the screenshots of nonsensical AI Overview results were connected to queries no one would reasonably ask to begin with, such as "How many rocks shall I eat."

After that initial turbulent start, Google manually removed some AI Overview results and added more guardrails to prevent other problematic summaries from appearing.

Even so, many users were still bothered by the new feature, especially after they realized there was no way to turn it off. At the time of writing, the only way to remove AI Overview from search results is through workarounds like browser extensions.

For better or worse, Google seems to be charging full-steam ahead on integrating generative AI into Search. The question, or "query" as Google might say, is whether or not generative AI is truly capable of replacing Search as we know it.

Can generative AI replace search engines?

Many of us (myself included) got a good laugh out of Google's unhinged AI-generated results. However, memes are all well and good but as the saying goes, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

Most people would have the common sense not to try many of the nonsense recommendations mentioned above, but there are still plenty of cases where AI Overview might generate something false, misleading, or dangerous that isn't immediately obvious as an error.

There are many potential pitfalls to replacing traditional search engines with generative AI. Perhaps the most worrying one is the fact that we haven't fixed AI's lack of accuracy yet.

Countless research studies have shown generative AI is riddled with bias and inaccuracies, although they are often not immediately obvious. When generative AI is advertised as a replacement for traditional search, many people may make the mistake of never double-checking the "information" they get from AI models like Gemini or ChatGPT.

AI is so good at replicating realistic language that it can make completely fabricated information seem legitimate. That's how we end up with situations like lawyers citing fictional legal cases generated by ChatGPT or AI-generated scientific research papers appearing on Google Scholar.

Is there potential for generative AI to replace web searching as we know it? Possibly, with much more development and far better accuracy guardrails. However, Google is not waiting to launch this technology. It's already here, for better or worse.

So, before searching with ChatGPT or blindly trusting AI Overviews, do your own Googling first.

If you're anything from an AI enthusiast to the average AI tinkerer (or simply seeking out some of the additional features offered through Windows Copilot+ PCs or Apple Intelligence on Macs), then you'll need a powerful and performative laptop to keep up to speed with your needs.

At Laptop Mag, we review laptops year-round to ensure we're giving you expert-backed and up-to-date recommendations on which notebook is right for you. When it comes to the best AI PC category, our top picks are the excellent Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) for Windows users and the impressive Apple Macbook Air M3 for those running macOS.

So, if you're shopping for a new laptop and looking to invest in an AI PC (or just a great laptop in general), check out our current top-tier picks below.

Google's Android XR was only announced last week, but the mixed reality platform is already making a splash, securing software and hardware partners right out of the gate and impressively throwing down the gauntlet to Meta's Horizon OS.

While Meta's operating system has a clear head start, Google's promise of an open, unified platform (similar to the Android OS that powers smartphones, tablets, TVs, smartwatches, and even cars) offers a bright future for the consumer and enterprise XR market by delivering a true standard for all to benefit from.

As Resolution Games, the developer behind the impressive digital tabletop RPG Demeo — one of the first games expected to arrive on Android XR through Samsung's Project Moohan headset, CTO Johan Gastrin tells Laptop Mag: "Android XR has the potential to speed up standardization in the XR space."

Android XR may be the rising tide that raises all boats, granting hardware manufacturers and software developers an even foothold from which to build. In turn, they're free to build customized experiences backed by a dependable library of tools and frameworks tailored to various devices.

Gastrin tells Laptop Mag, "Android XR has the potential to bring XR to a wide variety of XR devices, ranging from immersive VR headsets to AR glasses, all using the same ecosystem."

It's an enticing promise, and it's one that's already attracted the attention of developers like Resolution Games, not to mention potential hardware partners in Samsung, Sony, Lynx, and XREAL.

Android XR: An open challenge to Meta's monopoly

Announced on December 12, the Android XR operating system is poised to fuse mixed reality and artificial intelligence to power a new generation of VR headsets and smart glasses — in direct competition with Horizon OS, which powers Meta's impressive Quest headsets.

It's a bold challenge to Meta's dominance in this space, but Google has a wealth of experience and a vast ecosystem in its corner heading into this fight. Resolution Games' Johan Gastrin tells Laptop Mag, "Sharing a common ecosystem across devices from multiple manufacturers is great for both developers and consumers."

In speaking of that ecosystem, Gastrin continues: "Android XR also has the benefit of having an existing portfolio of games and applications that will make the platform vibrant from the get-go."

Following Android XR's announcement, Resolution Games became one of the first developers in the XR space to announce it would be porting its most popular title to the platform.

While the impressive Demeo may be among the first games to join Google's new platform, we wouldn't expect it to be the last. Highlighting the ease at which developers can shift from a Meta-familiar landscape to Android XR, Gastrin tells Laptop Mag, "Both Android XR and Horizon OS adhere to OpenXR. That, plus us using Unity for the majority of our titles, makes the development process very similar."

That's good news for gaming hopefuls when it comes to Google's new platform. Aside from Demeo, many of Meta's most popular games are built using the Unity game engine, including Beat Saber, Bonelab, Walkabout Mini Golf, LEGO Bricktales, and even Batman: Arkham Shadow.

The latter of those games is unlikely to make the switch due to it being a Meta Quest exclusive title, something that Android XR has yet to claim. When asked whether Resolution Games would be interested in developing exclusively for the platform, Gastrin tells Laptop Mag, "Right now we are focusing on taking Demeo to as many players as possible on whatever platforms they wish to play."

"We will continue to support as many XR platforms as possible, and the support for the OpenXR open standard from all major vendors have greatly improved our ability to do so."

Backed by hardware heavyweights

Clearly, Google's Android XR has an excellent opportunity when it comes to delivering great software. However, from what we know so far, Google won't be bringing Android XR to users through its own dedicated hardware — something Meta can rely on in pairing its Horizon OS platform with its Quest headsets.

However, while Google won't be supplying its own headsets or smart glasses, Android XR isn't short of interest from manufacturers looking to adopt the platform for their own devices.

As part of the Android XR announcement, Google revealed that Lynx, Sony, and AR smart glasses maker XREAL are all interested in making use of the platform to power future devices. one of which may be the XR head-mounted display showcased by Sony in January.

Meta also has plans to open Horizon OS for third parties, with Asus, Lenovo, and Microsoft all interested in adopting the platform, but little has been heard of this since its announcement in April.

Outlook

Having only been announced last week, already being lined up to appear on Samsung's future headset, and with many parties interested in bringing the platform to other devices, Android XR is off to a great start out of the gate.

It serves as an excellent expansion of the Android ecosystem and brings AI to the forefront of Google's vision for a mixed-reality future.

Whether the Android XR platform outpaces Meta's remains to be seen, but each provides the other with the necessary element to see innovation thrive: competition.

More from Laptop Mag

• Samsung's Moohan mixed reality headset eyes the Vision Pro, but should be targeting Meta Quest 3 and 3S
• Don't cry for HoloLens, Meta keeps spatial computing alive on Windows 11 with new Quest 3 update
• New XREAL One 3DoF AR glasses show that while Meta talks, XREAL walks

Ask most people what their favorite AI tool or app was in 2024 and they're likely to respond with ChatGPT. In fact, if you had asked me that question prior to September, I'd likely have said the same. As it stands, my favorite AI tool of 2024 is actually Google's NotebookLM.

For those unaware, NotebookLM is a free, web-based, AI-powered tool made by Google Labs to help with research and note-taking. Originally released in July 2023, Google's tool showed potential but lacked something to make it stand out in a growing pool of alternatives.

In September, that certain something finally came about when a new update saw the Gemini 1.5 Pro-powered tool outfitted with an audio overview option. It's that feature, which generates impressive podcast-like segments between two virtual hosts, that has elevated this tool to my favorite of the year.

Not only because of how impressive the end results are, but also because of how easily digestible, if not entertaining, the outcome is.

The problem: too much stuff, not enough time

My days are pretty packed, which means keeping up to speed with the ever-shifting landscapes of my work and personal interests can be quite demanding.

Lest I confine myself to reading a never-ending list of articles every waking hour of my day, I subscribe to the "white noise" approach of soaking in as much information as I can. That typically means listening to a lot of podcasts or media in the background while I'm busying myself with other tasks, jobs, or hobbies.

That's not an entirely uncommon thing either. There's a reason that a lot of long-form videos on YouTube fall short on the visual medium front. They're designed to be soaked up in the background while we browse around in other tabs, read comments, play games, or craft a tesla coil out of otherwise innocent household scraps.

The problem is that when there's no podcast or long-form content covering the topics I want to hear more about, I have to sacrifice what time I have free to soak things up the old-fashioned way.

The solution: Google's NotebookLM

NotebookLM is my solution in those moments, and it has been doing an outstanding job at the tail end of 2024 in keeping me up to speed with everything going on in my circle of interests.

Its audio overview feature lets me compile all of the information I'm looking to great a breakdown of into a single media file, where I can rack it up as part of a playlist, or stream online while I'm busying myself with other things.

The hosts of each NotebookLM overview are practically a stroke of genius, and they lend a hint of that easy-listening morning show slash all-too-happy-to-be-talking-about-true-crime vibe to the results.

Creating audio overviews takes a few minutes at a time, but most of which is waiting on the audio generation, and it tends to be worth the wait with the virtual personalities tasked with delivering your chosen piece of content back to you often being engaging, entertaining, and occasionally even amusing.

To anyone, like myself, who loves to soak information in from a background source, it's the podcast of your dreams, with every episode tailored to your own interests and desire to learn more.

Outlook

As impressive as NotebookLM is, Google is still finding ways to make it even better.

Only last week, Google announced a new wave of updates to NotebookLM that looks to improve the user interface, a new premium tier of service with more control over the generated audio (included within your Google One AI Premium membership), and the option to further interact with the virtual hosts of your AI-generated overviews by "joining" the conversation using your voice to direct the duo in expanding on topics to give more details, take alternate approaches to explaining something, or answer any questions you may have about the topic.

Admittedly, you could get an app like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, etc. to pull off a similar feat, but you don't have the unique dual-host angle on things, nor do you have the same level of interaction, customization, or audio extraction as NotebookLM offers.

So, if you're anything like me, and I mean that solely in your preferred manner of learning new things or catching up with recent news or events, give NotebookLM a try.

You can even make use of the tool to generate podcasts of your own, letting the virtual hosts take center stage to share a topic you've done the research and preparation on beforehand.

What Google Labs has developed is both impressive and incredibly useful, and while something like ChatGPT is a far more capable and direct way to use AI, NotebookLM stands as one of my favorite ways to learn using AI.

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It's an exciting time to be a VR nerd.

You have all sorts of things to hope for. Meta is driving the price of headsets down while still delivering a complete XR experience. Apple is pushing the boundaries of fidelity and UI, and companies like Xreal are giving us a template for what honest-to-God AR glasses might look like.

And now, right on schedule, Samsung and Google are entering an increasingly crowded XR arena, making the most exciting space in consumer tech (at least in my opinion) even more exciting.

Samsung and Google's XR ambitions

If a pair of Samsung smart glasses weren't enough to get you going then a recent teaser should do the trick.

On Thursday, Google and Samsung took the wraps off their joint ambitions in XR, which includes a platform based on Android but also real, tangible hardware to go along with it.

Introducing: the Vision Pr — I mean... Project Moohan.

The first thing you'll probably notice about Project Moohan is that its shape and overall exterior design resemble Apple's Vision Pro. According to Bloomberg, which got a preview of the device, the similarities don't stop there.

Bloomberg says Project Moohan, like the Vision Pro, also connects to an external battery pack, uses premium display technology, and can switch between full VR modes and mixed reality, which combines your surroundings with a digital overlay using external cameras.

Sound familiar?

While Project Moohan shares many similarities with the Vision Pro, a few key differences have me legitimately excited. The number one difference that has me hopeful is Project Moohan's weight.

The Vision Pro might be an almost unparalleled consumer headset in terms of display and compute power, but all of that high-end hardware comes at a financial and physical cost. Honestly, Apple's Vision Pro is way too heavy.

Weight is a problem with a headset you are meant to wear on your face for long periods. According to reports from media members who have seen Project Moohan, Samsung and Google's headset headsets doob of lightening the load.

To make matters even scarier for Apple, Bloomberg says Samsung's headset also advances comfortability, a large cushion on the back of the device's strap, and an adjustable strap that reportedly distributes the weight more evenly.

Project Moohan may also challenge Vision Pro on another front: UI. Reports have highlighted that Samsung and Google's headsets focus on AI, which could aid computer vision tasks like identifying objects in the environment or supercharging a voice assistant and enable it to carry out more complex tasks.

Samsung and Google have even gone as far as to copy the Vision Pro's unique input method, which involves a mixture of hand and eye tracking and is easily the best, most intuitive input system I've used in a headset yet.

And I know what you're thinking: if it looks like a Vision Pro and works like a Vision Pro, it will cost as much as one... right?

A more affordable Vision Pro competitor

The most enticing aspect of Project Moohan is that it promises to do much of what the Vision Pro does but for less than $3,500.

That's obviously a low benchmark in many ways — $3,500 for an XR headset is eye-watering — but if Samsung and Google manage to undercut that Apple premium, they could have a real contender.

As I've said, price is a considerable barrier for headsets, mainly since they are expensive toys. It's hard to say what most people's price threshold is for a gadget that they don't particularly, but if Samsung and Google can hit the $1,500 mark I'd say they have a shot at, actually selling a few of these.

There's still a lot we don't know about Project Moohan, including when exactly it will be unveiled or released. Still, for the first time, the Vision Pro seems to have a competitor with specs and abilities that match those of the headset.

Yesterday, the partnership between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm finally broke its silence, revealing the fruits of its labor: a brand-new mixed reality headset from Samsung (referred to as Project Moohan), powered by an as-of-yet unidentified chipset from Qualcomm, and running on Google's debut Android XR platform.

Talk about a trifecta.

Individually, all three of these parts make for an impressive grab of the headlines, but combined? Samsung's hardware, Qualcomm's silicon, and Google's software expertise are the Big Tech equivalent of a musical supergroup — the technological embodiment of the wall of sound produced by Them Crooked Vultures, Velvet Revolver, or Cream.

Perhaps even more impressive is that, unlike Meta's recently unveiled Orion glasses, we won't have to wait until the end of the decade to see this tech placed in consumer's hands. While some of the more technical details surrounding Project Moohan are still under wraps, Samsung's headset is expected to arrive in 2025, locked and loaded and ready to challenge the... Apple Vision Pro?

Moohan should take the market, not the benchmark crown

If Samsung's goal with Project Moohan is to make a big splash in mixed reality, then it's a little puzzling that the company would choose to lock horns with Apple's Vision Pro — a headset whose $3,499 price tag sees it placed in the ultra-premium (and scarcely populated) corner of the market.

That's how it appears to be positioning itself, anyway. The headset by no means looks inexpensive, let's agree to that much at least.

There's no arguing that the Vision Pro is a top-tier contender in the space. Its on-paper specs alone prove as much. However, it's hardly what you'd call a market leader, let alone anything approaching a mass-market must-buy. With its towering asking price, Apple's Vision Pro feels more like a public-facing dev kit than a ready-for-consumer product. A concept alluding to a much more accessible and affordable headset released a few years down the line.

Instead of facing off against the Vision Pro, Samsung should have taken the fight to the headsets that actually dominate the mixed reality space, the Meta Quest 3 and 3S.

Moohan's Quest for glory

Sure, there's an argument to be made that Meta's Quest headsets are primarily game consoles, while Apple and Samsung might be catering their headsets toward spatial computing. But, in all honesty, I'm beginning to wonder if that excuse isn't just marketing speak for "We don't have any games."

Yes, gaming on Quest headsets is probably the major selling point, and taking a look at the Steam Hardware Survey for November shows that of all active users enjoying PCVR content through that platform, over 55% are Quest headset owners.

Meta's platform is also beginning to blossom with exclusive titles like Batman: Arkham Shadow that flex the hardware's potential as a major console competitor. However, there's far more to the third generation of Quest headsets than gaming.

With every update that arrives on the Quest's Horizon OS platform, spatial computing on Quest headsets gets stronger and stronger. The most recent v72 update added Remote Desktop access to Windows 11 computers just by looking at them. The link is fast and smooth, and the experience can be spread across three sizable virtual displays in augmented reality.

This only adds to the Quest headset's current offerings, which include Meta AI integration and a suite of productivity and light entertainment-focused apps.

There's no doubt that Samsung coming out of the gates and gunning for the market's high-spec status symbol will make a statement, but targeting the affordable, expanding, and versatile line of Quest headsets may have resulted in more of an impact.

Outlook

Still, a lot of this is still up in the air. While Samsung's Project Moohan does look like a high-end headset ready to take on Apple's Vision Pro, it may do so by being more affordable. Whether it could be as affordable as the $299 Meta Quest 3S is perhaps a stretch, but thanks to the Android XR platform that Moohan runs on, there's no ruling out another piece of hardware adding some competition to the more affordable end of mixed reality headsets.

Google's Android platform has been powering some of the best budget smartphones on the market for over a decade, and you have to wonder if the release of Android XR might do the same within the mixed reality space.

Hardware is just one part of the issue when developers enter this world. Software is a major hurdle that sees many a company stumble and fall to its doom. If we look at the AR glasses market, only now are the companies responsible for incredible pieces of hardware like the XREAL Air 2 or Viture Pro XR glasses truly making the most of their products after painstakingly developing better software integration.

If a platform such as Google's Android XR were available to these companies on day one, who knows the heights their hardware may have already risen to?

Android XR perhaps stands as the real competitor to Meta from yesterday's reveals. Horizon OS has long been the best VR/AR platform to use by a long shot, and Google's presence may shake things up to a large degree, especially if it can power devices that are equally as affordable.

More from Laptop Mag

• Best VR-ready laptops 2024: 6 best laptops for VR tested and reviewed
• Don't cry for HoloLens, Meta keeps spatial computing alive on Windows 11 with new Quest 3 update
• New XREAL One 3DoF AR glasses show that while Meta talks, XREAL walks

AI has been growing at an unbelievable pace over the past few years, but 2024 was the biggest year yet of the AI boom. There's little doubt AI will play a critical role in shaping the future of tech and the world at large. For all the good it may bring, it also presents a fresh set of problems.

While the possibilities for innovation are exciting, there's also the very real risk that people in vulnerable and underserved communities will get left behind amidst the rapid explosion in AI development.

That's an outcome Google is trying to prevent with its AI Opportunity Initiative Fund, a program that debuted in February. In Europe alone, Google believes AI has the potential to expand the economy by 1.2 trillion Euros and save the average worker over 70 hours a year. Its fund seeks to deliver on this potential, and, as Google sees it, the initiative is already off to a successful start.

Andréa Willis, a Communications Manager at Google, tells Laptop Mag: "The [AI Opportunity Initiative] Fund builds on Google’s work to ensure the opportunities created by technology are truly available to everyone. To date, Google has trained over 100 million people on digital skills globally."

Google's AI Opportunity Initiative makes the future of tech accessible to all

Google's AI Opportunity Initiative is one of the first programs of its kind worldwide and certainly among the most extensive. It provides funding for AI training and skills for people worldwide, especially those in underserved and vulnerable communities.

The program initially launched in Europe but has since expanded to Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and the United States. The AI Opportunity Initiative marks a major step forward in ensuring everyone has the chance to learn about AI and pursue careers in this rapidly developing industry.

Willis highlighted the Initiative's progress so far, explaining, "To date, Google has committed $120M to our Global AI Opportunity Funds. This funding makes AI education and training available in communities around the world."

To further AI education, Google broadened its Grow With Google AI foundational courses, making them available in more languages. The self-paced foundational course is available to individuals, teens, educators, and businesses, and introduces core AI concepts while showing learners how they can already use AI through applications to enhance productivity and simplify daily tasks.

Aside from online courses, Google is also working with existing local non-profits and NGOs to help provide tailored support to communities by those that understand them best, using local languages and even providing childcare to further remove learning barriers.

The newer initiative isn't just about individuals, as Google also introduced Google for Startups Growth Academies — equity-free programs available to startups looking to use AI to tackle societal issues in health, education, and cybersecurity. Google provides guidance on scaling their business, expanding user bases, and even helps with accessing global markets through the use of Google's infostructure.

The individual funds for each region of the world have unique goals and partners tailored to that region. However, the program has an overarching theme of empowering people to benefit from the economic opportunities AI is creating by equipping them with technical skills that might otherwise be difficult, or even impossible, to access.

Ensuring the AI boom is a wave that lifts all boats

As AI increasingly makes its way into our daily lives and the tech we rely on, it becomes a treasure trove of economic opportunity. The AI boom could have a monumental positive impact on countless people's lives, not just through its application but the tech jobs it can create (and those it could consume). That's why funding for AI education is incredibly powerful right now.

Google's AI Opportunity Initiative doesn't pretend to be a one-stop solution for global AI training, but it provides a critical requirement for it to blossom: funding. It demonstrates that Google recognizes the value of education in transforming people's lives through tech.

This is also just the beginning, and I am certain we will see many more funding programs like Google's AI Opportunity Initiative spring up in the future. The Dot Com bubble sparked a wave of interest in learning about tech and the Internet, to the point that as of 2023, over 57% of U.S. high schools offer computer science classes.

We could easily see a similar explosion in the growth of AI education. What makes Google's program stand out is its aim: to make sure everyone is included in the opportunities AI has to offer. After all, the more people who have a hand in shaping this technology, the better it will be able to serve us all in the years to come.

As Google noted in a February press release, "For AI to benefit everyone, it must be built by — and accessible to — everyone."

If you're anything from an AI enthusiast to the average AI tinkerer (or simply seeking out some of the additional features offered through Windows Copilot+ PCs or Apple Intelligence on Macs), then you'll need a powerful and performative laptop to keep up to speed with your needs.

At Laptop Mag, we review laptops year-round to ensure we're giving you expert-backed and up-to-date recommendations on which notebook is right for you. When it comes to the best AI PC category, our top picks are the excellent Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) for Windows users and the impressive Apple Macbook Air M3 for those running macOS.

So, if you're shopping for a new laptop and looking to invest in an AI PC (or just a great laptop in general), check out our current top-tier picks below.

Shopping for a Google Pixel Tablet for the holidays? Well if you were worried you missed the best deals, cast those concerns aside as this deal remains on the best tablet I've ever owned, dropping it to a stellar price.

Today, you can get the excellent Google Pixel Tablet for $279; It normally costs $399, so you're saving $120, and this top-rated Android tablet for its cheapest price ever.

We reviewed the Pixel Tablet and gave it our Editor's Choice for its slick, stylish design, snappy performance, and 12-hour battery life. I'm a proud Pixel Tablet owner, and I agree.

The Pixel Tablet offers a true Android experience and even does double duty as a laptop. I pair mine with the Logitech Slim Keyboard and Mouse Combo, and it's like a mini Pixelbook Go. This comes in handy for times when I want to get things done and not be tethered to my desktop.

Overall, the Pixel Tablet is a wise choice if snappy performance, long battery life, great sound, and versatility are important to you.

What about that deal hack? Well, if you want the charging dock to go with the Pixel Tablet, which converts it into a Google Home device with an audio boost and a quick and easy charging method, then you can add that on for $129 at Amazon or Best Buy and for a total of $408 you are still coming in for less than the $444 you'd paid to buy them in a single package.

This is one of those deals that's so good you'll feel like you should be looking for the fine print that you're also signing up to work for the company for free or that a camera crew will pop out and tell you it's a prank and Mint is really just selling you a photo of a Google Pixel 9 with a SIM card, but no you can really get a brand new Pixel 9 along with a year of unlimited 5G service for just $479. This is the best price we've seen on this phone unlocked period, even if you ignore the year of unlimited service. Run, do not walk, to buy this deal before its gone.

The Pixel 9 boasts a stunning 6.3-inch OLED display, an impressive camera setup with a 50-megapixel main rear camera, a 48MP ultra-wide rear camera, and great AI features powered by the latest Tensor G4 chipset from Google. Pair this top-notch phone with a Mint Mobile plan — which comes with unlimited talk and text, high-speed 5G/4G LTE data, and a free mobile hotspot — and you've got one of the best Cyber Monday phone deals available today.

Don't wait; there's no chance this deal gets any better.

Today's best Google Pixel 9 deal

A recent leak purporting to reveal specs for an upcoming pair of Samsung smart glasses points to a direct competitor to the popular Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

Unlike previous reports of mixed-reality headsets or glasses, these new frames appear to be focused on providing a wearable AI assistant in smart glasses form, and less of a visual experience.

See also: Samsung Smart Glasses in January 2025? Here's everything we know so far

Samsung's "Galaxy Glasses": An AI wearable following in the footsteps of Meta's popular smart glasses

The leaked specs alluding to Samsung's take on smart glasses come from a post on X by user Jukanlosreve, sourcing a Wellsen XR Research out of China. While lacking in any information about the design of the frames, the specifications shared are enough to paint a general image of what we can expect.

Featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 processor, a 12-megapixel Sony IMX681 camera sensor, a 155 mAh battery, and a weighing 50 grams, the leaked specs almost perfectly mirror those found in the current Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses — a pair of glasses featuring a camera and an AI assistant which have proved to be an impressive success for Meta.

However, Samsung's frames will differ from Meta's by swapping Meta AI for Gemini, likely harnessing the potential of Google's AI, shown in a recent Project Astra demo. Astra uses the multimodal capabilities of Gemini to act as an AI assistant for smartphones and smart glasses using audio and visual prompts.

There's no indication of which generation of Qualcomm processor Samsung's glasses are rumored to use, with user Jukanlosreve only suggesting that it will be part of the Snapdragon AR1 family.

Qualcomm has yet to announce the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 2, but an improved chipset could improve efficiency and make the most of the wearable's smaller battery life.

Samsung's wider vision for wearables

Samsung's February 2023 Galaxy Unpacked event saw the South Korean tech giants announced a partnership with both Google and Qualcomm to create a new mixed-reality platform, which many suspect to be an upcoming headset similar to the Apple Vision Pro.

However, during a September CNBC interview, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon revealed that the trio is also developing a pair of mixed-reality glasses. There aren't many more details to share surrounding this future product, but AR glasses have long been on Samsung's radar with a 2001 leak revealing its early vision through the Samsung Glasses Lite.

Should this most recent Samsung smart glasses leak prove accurate, it would suggest that the company is currently working on at least three separate vision-based products — a much wider line of wearables than previously expected.

This would also see Samsung face off against Meta on three fronts, directly competing against the Meta Quest 3, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and potentially the future Orion AR glasses.

Outlook

Samsung has already shown its willingness to expand its wearable catalog, diving into a new market with the release of the Galaxy Ring in July.

We've known about the company's mixed-reality ambitions for some time now, and it would appear that the company is willing to diversify its initial goals to find success in the market.

While the mixed-reality headset market will be a tough fight for Samsung to take to Meta, especially after its release of the ultra-affordable $299 Meta Quest 3S, the popularity of the Ray-Ban Meta's and the interest shown in Meta's upcoming Orion there's plenty of space for more options.

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We've loved Google's "Quick Insert" feature since it launched back in early October on Chromebook Plus models, and now it's available for all Chromebooks.

Google on Thursday updated the ChromeOS operating system with the M130 update, which brings several new features to all Chromebooks, including Focus, Welcome Recap, and the "Quick Insert" function.

So now that you know you can get Quick Insert on any Chromebook, let's get into the details.

What is "Quick Insert"?

Google's "Quick Insert" feature is a simple, sensible operating system update we can easily get behind. It's a one or two-button feature for adding emojis, GIFs, Google Drive links, simple calculations, and unit conversions to your emails, notes, and messages without needing to open other windows.

Quick Insert can also be used with Google's Gemini AI to generate "help me write" text, add AI-generated images, or offer quick summaries with "help me read."

While it may not sound groundbreaking, it's an elegant solution for Chromebook users that streamlines everything they do on their devices with the touch of a button.

That will fundamentally change how you use your Chromebook. It's the sort of update that allows you to respond quicker to work or school emails and can turn you into a Gemini AI power user so you can get the most out of your Chromebook.

How to get "Quick Insert" on your Chromebook

To activate the Quick Insert feature on your Chromebook, navigate to its settings, select "About ChromeOS," and hit "Check for updates." Allow your Chromebook to download the update, then restart it to finish the installation process.

Once you've got ChromeOS version 130, use the keyboard shortcut "Launcher" + "F" to open the Quick Insert menu and you're good to start adding all the reaction GIFs and emojis your heart desires. And with Gemini Advanced in the Google One AI Premium plan, you can utilize multiple generative AI features.

To customize your Quick Insert keybind, you can go to Chromebook Settings, select Device, choose "view keyboard shortcuts," then select "Text" and scroll down to "Quick Insert." You can set any key or combination of keys to function as the "Quick Insert' shortcut.

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus already has a dedicated Quick Insert key, and future Chromebooks will have the same updated keyboard layout. But for all other current Chromebook users, a keyboard shortcut will be needed.

What else is new with ChromeOS M130?

The ChromeOS M130 update also brings the Focus feature, which lets you set a focus timer and task list to ensure you finish your work. You can even select a soundtrack from YouTube Music for the ideal background noise. You can enter Focus mode by navigating to Quick Settings and selecting Focus.

The Welcome Recap feature has also arrived for all Chromebooks optional feature will help you jump back in where you left off the last time you used your Chromebook with a recap of your recent activity. To turn on this feature, select Settings, choose System Preferences, navigate down to Startup, and finally enable Welcome Recap. Once you've toggled on the feature, make sure 'Ask every time' is chosen for your device.

ChromeOS M130 also includes new Tote suggestions, enhanced Google Drive access, studio-style mic tuning for video calls, an AI-powered recorder app for better audio transcription, additional appearance effects, and more privacy controls. You can find all the changes in ChromeOS version 130 on the Google blog.

Many of the ChromeOS M130 features were announced in early October alongside the release of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 (Gen 9) and Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus.

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There's a disconnect between how big generative AI is in the tech world and how big it is in the real world — you know, the one you and I both live in.

ChatGPT may have an impressive 200 million users since its release in 2022, but it's not quite the crucial utility to people's day-to-day lives that tech companies envision — at least not yet.

If AI — like Google's Gemini, for example — will rise from the level of "wow, that's pretty cool" to "I don't know how to live without it," it will have to make itself useful — very useful. But before it skyrockets to ubiquity, it will have to make itself quick.

A quick introduction to Quick Insert

For anyone who may have missed it, Google's Quick Insert key is a new addition to its latest generation of Chromebook laptops.

The key, which replaced the Launcher key, does many things. According to Google, it can add links, search the web, and attach files to an email with a simple keystroke. The concept is enticing. Who doesn't want to spend less time clicking, after all?

Quick Insert can do all of those things, but in my experience using the key on Samsung's new Galaxy Chromebook Plus, one thing it loves to do is refer me to Gemini.

If there's an opportunity to generate or alter some kind of text, you best believe Quick Insert will give it a go. While writing an email, for example, tapping the Quick Insert button brings up a host of options, and featured prominently on that list is "Help me write."

As you might've guessed, the "Help me write" option summons Gemini for a number of text-based writing tasks. You can enter a prompt and have Gemini write something from scratch; you can have it edit something that's already been written; you can even have something you wrote assessed for grammar.

The "Help me write" option does precisely what you think an AI writing tool might do, and though I don't use AI to write or edit, using the Quick Insert key basically foisted the idea into my head — so I obliged.

As expected, Gemini did what it was designed to do — it wrote me a theoretical email declining an invitation to a birthday party and helped me make it sound "more professional."

It even told me why I should be using Quick Insert in the first place. From Gemini itself: "The Quick Insert key lets you quickly access frequently used emoji, stickers, and GIFs. It's a time-saver and makes your messages more expressive."

And it's true: Quick Insert can save you time. For instance, when switching between searching for products and writing emails, ChromeOS and Quick Insert intuitively knew I might want to carry a link over to my draft.

One second I was searching kettles and then next I was using Quick Insert to past the link to the kettle I had searched into an email. It's a small amount of time saved, to be sure, but it just made everything feel a lot smoother.

Functionally, Google's Quick Insert key does pretty much everything as promised, but it's not what the key does now that I find interesting, it's what it could do.

A fast-pass to AI

One of the biggest challenges AI faces in its infancy has nothing to do with the technology itself but has everything to do with its messaging.

Even if Gemini (or any chatbot, for that matter) could do everything it promised with 100% reliability, Google still has the added obstacle of convincing people to use it in the first place.

A part of that process is figuring out how to inject AI into the products it's promising to revolutionize. For Microsoft, that's taken the form of a whole Copilot app that stands alongside everything you do on your computer and can generate text, read emails, and pull things from the web.

For its part, Google has also found subtle ways of injecting Gemini into its most popular products. A shortcut in Chrome, for example, allows you to query @Gemini by typing @Gemini in the address bar.

Quick Insert takes that thinking one step further and integrates Gemini at both a hardware and software level. Not everything you can do with Quick Insert is powered by Gemini, of course, but the fact that features like "Help me write" are featured so prominently in Quick Inert's list of abilities says a lot. Quick Insert isn't quite a Gemini button, but it's not, not one either.

And to that end, it's fairly effective. Forcing myself to use Quick Insert definitely made me more familiar with Gemini, and once I was in the cadence of using the button to insert links or add emoji, I was also in the cadence of pondering Gemini as a writing tool.

It's going to take a lot more than a button to make Gemini catch on, but Quick Insert is a solid start at making AI feel easy.