GoKawiil
Tech News
Meta released another firmware update aimed at preventing users from disabling or covering the LED light that signals when its smart glasses are recording. The update, announced by wearables chief Alex Himel, is meant to more reliably alert bystanders that photos or video are being captured, and Meta says similar updates will keep coming.
A Blink video doorbell owner found that ringing the doorbell only alerted phones and played a sound outside the door, making it useless for a spouse who doesn't carry her phone. To route the alert to existing Google Home mini speakers without paying for subscriptions or exposing a home server to the internet, he built a chain linking the Blink doorbell to an Alexa routine, a Samsung SmartThings virtual light bulb, webhooks, and a small server on a VPS.
Google has updated its Flow AI video studio with a new model, Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, that adds finer editing controls such as first- and last-frame interpolation and longer scene extensions of up to 40 seconds. The update also lets creators produce cheaper, faster 360p drafts before rendering final output in 1080p or 4K, with video references to help keep characters and visuals consistent.
An Entrepreneur contributor argues that most business owners misuse AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude by treating them as static software rather than trainable assistants. The piece proposes a five-step iterative coaching process—starting with a clear job brief, assigning real tasks, giving specific feedback, auditing changes, and repeating the cycle—to turn generic chatbots into reliable business tools.
Generative AI tools from companies like OpenAI, Google and Meta have made it far easier to produce convincing fake audio, video and images of public figures, fueling a rise in political deepfakes. Doppel's Bobby Ford describes the trend as driven by three factors: greater volume, faster velocity and more vectors such as video, audio and email being exploited by bad actors. The piece cites the 2024 New Hampshire robocall incident, where an AI-generated fake of Joe Biden's voice urged voters to stay home, as an early warning sign for what could happen in the 2026 midterms.
A user found that Google's Calendar app on Android has no way to subscribe to an events calendar from a URL, despite running the latest OS and app version. The workaround required switching to desktop mode in a mobile browser at calendar.google.com, where adding the same calendar link worked instantly and synced back to the app.
Google is letting eligible college students claim a full year of its $19.99-per-month AI Pro plan at no cost, provided they verify enrollment through SheerID. Buyers of certain hardware, including Chromebook Plus, standard Chromebooks, and the Pixel 11, also qualify for several months of free access, and some plans can be shared with others.
Google has issued new guidelines requiring Android app developers to reduce memory consumption, giving them until February 2027 to comply. The move responds to a global memory shortage that has pushed phone makers to cut RAM in entry-level devices, often dropping from 6-8GB to just 4GB. Apps exceeding Google's memory thresholds for dynamic RAM use, bitmap handling, and DEX code will be throttled or force-closed by the OS.
Google has added support for Apple's AirDrop protocol to newer Android phones, including Pixel and Galaxy models, letting users send photos, links, and files directly to iPhones without third-party apps. Setup involves enabling sharing settings on both devices—such as Quick Share on Samsung or AirDrop visibility on iOS—after which either device can initiate a transfer that the other must accept.
Google's Pixel 11 series replaces the Samsung-made Exynos modem used in earlier Pixels with a new MediaTek modem, paired with the Tensor G6 chip, which remains a 3nm design rather than the rumored 2nm jump. Early testing shows the new modem delivers faster download speeds and holds 5G connections better in weak-signal areas compared to the Pixel 10 Pro and older Pixel 9 hardware.
Marvell Technology's shares slid 8% in premarket trading even after the chipmaker beat second-quarter revenue expectations, posting $2.7 billion, up 37% year-over-year and $39 million above its own guidance. The company raised its fiscal 2028 revenue outlook to roughly $18 billion, about 50% growth, from a prior estimate of $16.5 billion, but offered scant detail on how it plans to get there.
Google has quietly updated its developer documentation to reveal that just seven Android phones currently support Gemini Nano 4: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8, Z Fold 8, and Z Fold 8 Ultra. These are the only devices officially equipped to run Google's latest on-device Gemini Intelligence features.