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Tech News
Google is rolling out the ability to upload files directly into the Gemini side panel in Chrome, through a new Add attachments option. Users can attach a document, such as a PDF, and ask Gemini to summarize it, extract details, or clarify sections without leaving the browser. The feature was first spotted by an X user and confirmed working in Chrome by Android Authority.
A group of climbers attempting Mount Shasta in Siskiyou County, California used Google's Gemini chatbot to plan their route, food and water needs, and were told the climb would take eight hours and that they should pack simple carbs instead of fats. The estimate proved drastically wrong: the ascent alone took 16 hours, leaving them descending in darkness, off-route, and with a dead phone after their AllTrails navigation app failed, ultimately requiring a nearly 24-hour rescue operation by search and rescue teams.
Anthropic has launched a developer blueprint that provides pre-built harnesses, patterns and guardrails for creating AI shopping and merchant agents using Claude. The kit includes reference implementations for retail, travel, telecom and ticketing use cases, plus a Claude Code plugin, and deploys across Claude API, Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Cloud Vertex AI. Partners such as Accenture, Mastercard and Visa are collaborating to help merchants adopt the framework ahead of the holiday shopping season.
An Android Authority contributor describes a personal effort to reduce dependence on Google after growing frustrated with the company's push to inject Gemini AI features across its products. The writer began by testing search alternatives like DuckDuckGo and Startpage before settling on the paid search engine Kagi, while acknowledging some Google products remain hard to replace and older hardware will stay in use.
Fairphone has launched the Gen 6 Plus, an Android phone stripped of manufacturer bloat and carrier apps, shipping only with Google-mandated software and a companion tool called My Fairphone. The device also supports an easy switch to /e/OS, an open-source Android fork that removes Google services entirely for users wanting maximum data privacy.
Belkin has introduced its UltraCharge Pro lineup of power banks, featuring semi-solid-state battery technology that allows thinner designs and longer lifespans. The range includes a 5,000mAh magnetic model just 8.8mm thick priced at $64.99, and a 10,000mAh version with a status display and 60W output for $79.99. Alongside these, Belkin also revealed cross-platform SureFind trackers and a magnetic ring stand compatible with Pixel 9 and 10 phones.
According to The Elec, Google is expected to adopt a dual ultra-thin glass (UTG) screen structure for the Pixel 12 Pro Fold's inner display, following a similar approach reportedly used in Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone. OPPO and vivo are also said to be moving toward this same structure for their next foldable devices.
Security researcher Jose Rodriguez found that on some Android phones, WhatsApp's video call feature can let anyone view your entire photo gallery without unlocking the device. The flaw is triggered by answering a video call, opening the effects panel, selecting AI-generated backgrounds, and choosing to edit an existing photo, which opens the gallery directly. Rodriguez says the bug affects OPPO and vivo phones but not Samsung, and has reported it to Meta and Google.
Anthropic has updated Claude so it can perform computer-use tasks in the background while users keep working on the same machine. If Claude must take over the screen entirely, it asks permission once per session and waits until the user stops typing before grabbing keyboard control. The feature is in beta for Pro and Max subscribers on the Mac Claude app, enabled via Settings > General > Computer use.
Three 16-year-old students from Cork County, Ireland—Émer Hickey, Ciara Judge, and Sophie Healy-Thow—discovered that treating cereal seeds with rhizobia bacteria, normally associated with legumes, sped up germination by 50 percent and increased barley and oat yields by up to 70 percent. Their research, which began as a school geography project on global food shortages, earned them the top prize at the 2014 Google Science Fair.
Google has introduced a new feature in Google Vids called 'Docs to Video,' which lets users convert PDFs, Google Docs, and Word files into narrated video summaries. The tool generates a script from the document's content, adds AI voiceover, and pairs it with AI-generated images and backgrounds, with options to edit the script or change the narrator's voice.
Awol Vision unveiled the LuxVision, an ultra-short throw projector that uses optical lens shift rather than digital keystone correction to preserve image detail. The device can produce a 6000-lumen, 120-inch 4K image at 120Hz from just 7.5 inches away from the wall, and includes gaming-friendly features like Dolby Vision Gaming HDR, VRR, and roughly 1ms input lag. It launches around October for $5,999, with preorder discounts starting September 5th.