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Google rolls out AI-powered business-calling feature, brings Gemini 2.5 Pro to AI Mode

Google is rolling out an agentic AI-powered business-calling feature to all users in the United States, the company announced on Wednesday. The tech giant is also enhancing Google Search’s AI Mode by bringing its Gemini 2.5 Pro model to the search experience and introducing deep research capabilities. The new business-calling feature uses AI to call local businesses on your behalf to collect information about availability and pricing. The idea behind the feature is to help you access informatio

The Galaxy Watch 8 gets a key battery health feature that more smartwatches need

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch 8 series introduces a “battery protection” feature designed to extend the device’s battery longevity. The feature works by stopping the charge at 90% and only resuming it when the battery level drops down to 85%. This prevents the battery from sitting at a full 100% charge, which reduces stress and helps slow long-term battery degradation. Most people don’t upgrade their smartwatch every year, opting to keep their device unt

Google’s AI can now make phone calls for you

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Google will now let everyone in the US call local businesses using AI. The feature, which is now available in Search, allows you to use AI for pricing or availability information without having to talk on the phone. Google first started testing this feature in January, and it’s still only available for certain kinds of businesses, like pet groomers

Google rolls out AI-powered business calling feature, brings Gemini 2.5 Pro to AI Mode

Google is rolling out an agentic AI-powered business calling feature to all users in the United States, the company announced on Wednesday. The tech giant is also enhancing Google Search’s AI Mode by bringing its Gemini 2.5 Pro model to the search experience and introducing deep research capabilities. The new business calling feature uses AI to call local businesses on your behalf to collect information about availability and pricing. The idea behind the feature is to help you access informatio

SonicWall SMA devices hacked with OVERSTEP rootkit tied to ransomware

A threat actor has been deploying a previously unseen malware called OVERSTEP that modifies the boot process of fully-patched but no longer supported SonicWall Secure Mobile Access appliances. The backdoor is a user-mode rootkit that allows hackers to hide malicious components, maintain persistent access on the device, and steal sensitive credentials. Researchers at Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) observed the rootkit in attacks that may have relied on “an unknown, zero-day remote code

This Android 16 feature finally saves me from notification overload - how to try it

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Have you ever been relaxing when, out of nowhere, your phone blows up with notifications? I've been there too many times, which led me to keep my phone on silent mode 24/7. Then Google teased a new feature in Android 15 called Notification Cooldown that promised to change everything. Notification Cooldown didn't exactly hit the mark in Android 15, but it has made a comeback in the latest iteration (Android 16) to ensure that it works exactly as expect

Whoop says FDA is 'overstepping its authority' with warning about blood pressure feature

The logo for the Food and Drug Administration is seen ahead of a news conference on removing synthetic dyes from America's food supply, at the Health and Human Services Headquarters in Washington, DC on April 22, 2025. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday published a warning letter addressed to the wrist wearable company Whoop, alleging it is marketing a new blood pressure feature without proper approvals. The letter centers around Whoop's Blood Pressure Insights (BPI) feature, whi

OpenAI's image model gets built-in style feature on ChatGPT

OpenAI's image gen model, which is available via ChatGPT for free, now lets you easily create AI images even if you're not familiar with trends or prompt engineering. Right now, if you want to create outstanding anime art, you need to come up with a very well-written prompt, and then ChatGPT will process your request. While prompt engineering is necessary, you might not always get the quality you're expecting from the AI. GPT Styles Source: BleepingComputer.com To help you easily create ima

Your Google Discover feed is about to get AI-ified

400tmax/Getty The next time you're browsing the Google app for a news story, you might not have to leave the search to find the information you're looking for. First spotted by 9to5Google, Google is testing AI-created news summaries on its Discover feed. The feature isn't available to everyone yet, but it's showing up on both Android and iOS. Also: I tried Perplexity's Comet AI browser, and I like where it's going (but it's not there yet) Under the old way, your Discover feed surfaces links

Uranus Leaks More Heat Than We Thought

When Voyager 2 flew past Uranus in 1986, the spacecraft detected a surprisingly low level of internal heat from the planet. Since then, scientists believed Uranus to be the odd one out in our solar system’s family of giant planets—the others being Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune—who all tend to emit more heat than they absorb from sunlight. Now, a new study suggests that scientists may have had the wrong idea about Voyager 2’s data: Uranus does have an internal heat source similar to its planetary

Nextdoor's Big Redesign Packages AI Advice Alongside Human Conversations

Nextdoor, the social media app for your neighborhood and local events, has launched a new redesign. The company says the changes are to "meet the evolving needs of neighbors everywhere" as the shift toward remote and hybrid work has resulted in people spending more time in their local communities. The redesign focuses on three core features that will help you navigate the goings-on of your neighborhood: Alerts, News and Faves. Here's how each of these features works, and how the service is inco

Forget passwords often? Android may soon let you disable Failed Authentication Lock (APK teardown)

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Android 15 and newer devices include a Failed Authentication Lock feature that locks the device screen after detecting multiple failed login attempts in apps or settings. Unlike other theft protection features, this feature is enabled by default on all devices, and there’s currently no way for users to turn it off. Google may soon add a new option to the theft protection settings that will allow users to turn off Failed Authentication Lock. In additio

Lucid will add hands-free driving options later this month

Lucid is about to roll out its first hands-free features. On July 30, Lucid Air sedan owners with the DreamDrive Pro add-on will get automated drive assist and lane-change features. If you have a Gravity SUV you'll have to wait until later this year. The features will arrive via an OTA update for vehicles with DreamDrive Pro hardware. The optional add-on has 32 sensors, including LiDAR, radar, ultrasonic sensors and cameras. DreamDrive Pro already supports semi-autonomous features like lane cha

Roblox creators can now make their own Stranger Things and Twilight games

is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Roblox is launching a new licensing platform that will make it easier for companies to offer their intellectual property (IP) to creators so they can build approved experiences. The platform includes a license manager that “equips rights holders with new self-serve IP management tools” and a licenses catalog that creators can browse and use to apply for “licensed use of IP,” a

Forget AirPods - these Beats headphones work just as well with iOS and Android

ZDNET's key takeaways The Beats Solo 4 headphones are available for $200 in Matte Black, Slate Blue, and Cloud Pink. Beats' best-selling headphones return with up-to-date features, signaling that the company used the product's long hiatus wisely. A tight fit and small ear cups may cut your listening experience shorter than you'd like. $129.95 at B&H Photo-Video I've spent a lot of time testing headphones, and I find a new favorite with every fresh release. But one pair of headphones will

My favorite accessory brand finally made a MagSafe wallet with FindMy built-in, and it's super sleek

ZDNET's key takeaways The Nomad Leather Mag Wallet is an $80 MagSafe wallet with built-in Apple Find My technology. It's sleek, holds up to four cards, is made of Horween leather, and is Qi rechargeable. It lacks storage for cash, and the four-card storage might not be enough for some. View now at Nomad Goods Here at ZDNET, we're no strangers to Nomad's top-notch accessories. The brand makes some of my favorite accessory products, including the Slim Sport Apple Watch Band, the Universal Cable

I replaced my Apple Watch with these heart-rate-monitoring earbuds from Beats (and they did some things better)

ZDNET's key takeaways The Powerbeats Pro 2 retail for $250 in vibrant Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple, and Electric Orange colorways. The earbuds can replace your smartwatch or fitness tracker, offering exercise and activity data via companion apps. The sound isn't very robust, delivering weak bass and hollow mids. View now at Apple I've tested dozens of earbuds over the past year, and even new releases can feel monotonous after a while. Most brands make product upgrades in small strides, kee

Praise and Addiction Fears: Musk’s AI Girlfriend Sparks Fierce Debate

How do you bury a controversy? If you’re Elon Musk, you drop an anime waifu into the middle of a scandal and watch the internet do the rest. Just days after xAI’s chatbot Grok sparked outrage for spouting anti-Semitic rhetoric and praising Adolf Hitler, the billionaire shifted the narrative by unveiling a new feature called Companions, which lets users interact with flirty, customizable AI avatars like Ani, a goth anime girl, and Rudy, a red panda. The feature went instantly viral. While xAI ha

What Tariffs? Smartphone Market Grows 1% as More Devices Incorporate AI

Looks like curiosity about AI may be boosting smartphone sales. Shipments of smartphones increased 1% year over year in the second quarter of 2025, despite tariff volatility and worldwide economic instability, according to new data released from the International Data Corporation. Much of the increase in sales is attributed to midrange devices like Samsung's Galaxy A36 and other smartphones that have started incorporating AI. The report blamed a drop in demand for lower-end devices, including

Facebook creators who steal and repost videos could lose their monetization

Facebook is cracking down on accounts that steal and repost content from other users in an effort to reduce spam in feeds. Meta announced on Monday that creators who repeatedly reuse someone else’s videos, photos, or text posts will lose access to Facebook monetization programs for “a period of time,” and see reduced distribution of their posts on the platform. “Too often the same meme or video pops up repeatedly — sometimes from accounts pretending to be the creator and other times from differ

The best student discounts we found for 2025

You’re probably using Adobe products if you’re studying anything related to digital art or design. Adobe Creative Cloud is the industry standard in this space but the entire suite of programs is quite expensive at $70 per month. Thankfully, Adobe has education pricing for students that drops the entire creative suite to $30 per month for the first year. That includes the big programs like Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC along with Lightroom CC, Premiere Pro CC, Adobe XD and more. After your fir

Google Keep could finally add the search option you’ve wanted for years (APK teardown)

TL;DR Google Keep might finally let users search within a single note. The app currently allows finding content across all notes. With the new “Find in note” feature, users will be able to locate something specific within one particularly long or detailed note. For years, Google Keep users have been asking for a simple but much-needed feature, and it looks like their pleas are finally being answered. We’ve found strong evidence suggesting that Google’s note-taking app will soon give users the

Heat pump makers are ready for a rush: Will customers come?

Heat pump makers are ready for a rush: Will customers come? 1 hour ago Share Save Chris Baraniuk Technology Reporter Share Save Chris Baraniuk Octopus makes heat pumps at its factory in Northern Ireland On the day I visit Octopus Energy's heat pump factory in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, temperatures in London reached 29C. Some of the staff meeting me, who are usually based in the south of England, are beaming. It's wonderful to escape the heat, they say. And who can blame them. Climate chang

Want to be Seated for ‘The Odyssey?’ Some Showtimes Are Out Over a Year in Advance

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey opens in theaters one year from this Thursday—on July 17, 2026—and something big might be coming to celebrate. Showtimes (just showtimes, not a way to actually buy tickets) for select IMAX 70mm screenings of the film have begun to show up on ticketing websites, which is odd because a) It’s over a year in advance, b) Nolan is still making the movie, which means c) there isn’t a locked-in runtime yet. And yet, if you head over to a site like Fandango, there they ar

Meta says it's cracking down on Facebook creators who steal content

Meta is going after creators who rip off other users' content as part of a broader effort to fix Facebook's feed. In its latest update, the company laid out new steps it's taking to penalize accounts that lift work from others. In a blog post for creators, Meta says that accounts that "repeatedly" and "improperly" reuse other accounts' text posts, photos or videos will have their pages demonetized "for a period of time." Meta willa also throttle all of their posts, not just the ones with the of

Google adds featured notebooks on selected topics to NotebookLM

Google is adding what it calls "featured notebooks" to NotebookLM as a way to demo its AI-powered software and offer interactive, high-quality resources on everything from personal advice to William Shakespeare. The company tried something similar after its developer conference in May, when it created a NotebookLM notebook trained on everything that was announced at Google I/O 2025. The new featured notebooks have their own dedicated tab on the NotebookLM homepage and were created in partnershi

Here's why these simple midrange Bose headphones remain my daily drivers

ZDNET's key takeaways The Bose QuietComfort Headphones are available in seven colors for $349, and are often up to $100 off. They are true to the QuietComfort namesake, providing excellent noise cancellation and all-day comfort. However, like all of Bose's over-ear headphones, the QuietComfort have a short, 24-hour battery life. View now at Bose I have an arsenal of premium consumer headphones. The Sony XM6, Apple AirPods Max, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Beats Studio Pro, Sonos Ace, and more all

Too Hot to Stay in the Kitchen? 9 Ways to Stay Cool While Cooking This Summer

Summer is in full swing, and the heat waves have arrived. Already this summer we've seen massive heat domes that blanketed the Northeast, driving temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. When it's hot outside, the last thing you want to do is stand over an oven while trying to cook up a tasty dinner. However, just because it's hot outside doesn't mean your only option is takeout. There are a few easy ways to help keep your kitchen cool even when it's boiling outside. Read more: Best Foods for

Google’s curated AI ‘notebooks’ talk you through topics from parenting to Shakespeare

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Google is partnering with authors, researchers, and publications to launch “featured” notebooks within its AI notetaking app, NotebookLM. These notebooks come pre-filled with research, and let you interact with the app’s tools, including its AI podcast maker, to learn more about each topic. Google has released eight featured notebooks to start, inc

Google’s underrated AI tool just got a major upgrade with featured notebooks

Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Google is adding expert-curated featured notebooks to NotebookLM, expanding its role beyond personal research and note-taking. Topics include the complete works of Shakespeare, Yellowstone travel tips, and predictions from The Economist. The new feature is desktop-only for now and follows the recent rollout of public notebook sharing. NotebookLM was already doing a good job as anything from a personal research assistant to an advisor on your car maintena