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Google hides secret message in name list of 3,295 AI researchers

How many Google AI researchers does it take to screw in a lightbulb? A recent research paper detailing the technical core behind Google's Gemini AI assistant may suggest an answer, listing an eye-popping 3,295 authors. It's a number that recently caught the attention of machine learning researcher David Ha (known as "hardmaru" online), who revealed on X that the first 43 names also contain a hidden message. "There’s a secret code if you observe the authors’ first initials in the order of author

Is AI the New Android Bloatware? Why Phone-Makers Are Scrambling for Your Attention

If you've bought an Android phone in the past year, you've likely noticed that it's packed with AI features. Maybe you knew about them before you hit purchase, maybe you assumed (safely as it turns out) that there would be some kind of AI on your new phone, or maybe they took you totally by surprise. If you bought a Samsung Galaxy S25, for example, you'll have had Gemini, Circle to Search, Bixby and Galaxy AI at your fingertips -- all before you even thought about downloading the ChatGPT app. I

Why Android-Makers Should Focus on the Phone and Leave AI to Google

If you've bought an Android phone in the past year, you've likely noticed that it's packed with AI features. Maybe you knew about them before you hit purchase, maybe you assumed (safely as it turns out) that there would be some kind of AI on your new phone, or maybe they took you totally by surprise. If you bought a Samsung Galaxy S25, for example, you'll have had Gemini, Circle to Search, Bixby and Galaxy AI at your fingertips -- all before you even thought about downloading the ChatGPT app. I

Retro gaming YouTuber Once Were Nerd sued and raided by the Italian government

TL;DR Retro gaming YouTuber Once Were Nerd has been sued and raided by the Italian government. Consoles were seized and channels may be closed for promoting piracy of copyrighted material. Some of these devices ship with pre-loaded ROMs, which appears to be the source of the complaint. While gaming content continues to grow and thrive on video platforms like Twitch and YouTube, copyright remains a sticky issue. Most companies look the other way when it comes to game streaming, but emulation i

The Open 2025: TV Schedule Today, How to Watch, Stream All the PGA Tour Golf From Anywhere

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will be aiming to claim the iconic Claret Jug and his second major of the season this weekend as the world's top players gather in Northern Ireland's at Royal Portrush Golf Club for the 153rd Open Championship. Keep reading to find out the best live TV streaming services you can use to watch each day of the tournament live wherever you are in the world, and how to use a VPN if they're not available where you are. Scheffler enters the tournament as the favorite, bu

Here’s your first look at Google Translate’s Conversation mode redesign (APK teardown)

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Google is set to revamp the Google Translate app’s Conversation mode, featuring Gemini-based branding and smarter AI integration. Updates include clearer speaker identification, quick language-switch chips, inline translations, and visual tweaks across automatic and manual modes. Some settings, like toggling manual modes, are now hidden, reducing immediate accessibility. Google has been working on significant UI updates to the Translate app to better

This 9-inch tablet singlehandedly changed my mind about gaming on Android

ZDNET's key takeaways The RedMagic Astra gaming tablet is available on Amazon starting at $700. The tablet offers unmatched performance for an Android tablet. When the fan is in use on the Astra, the battery does drain a bit faster, and the price is up there for a tablet. $699 at Amazon As far as gaming is concerned, I'm not ashamed to say that I've done it all: consoles, PCs, handhelds, phones, and now, tablets. For the most part, I've found Android devices to offer less than stellar results

This 8-inch gaming tablet is the ultimate plane entertainment device (and on sale)

ZDNET's key takeaways The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is on sale now for $429. It features a gorgeous display, dual USB-C ports, and excellent performance with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. If you're looking for a big-screen tablet with a stylus, you'll likely find the eight-inch screen too small. $429.99 at Lenovo The Legion Tab Gen 3 joins Lenovo's gaming lineup as a slim and light eight-inch Android tablet with a brilliant 2.5K, 165Hz display, and 12GB of RAM. These specs, combined with

Call of Duty cheaters complain after Activision launches new wave of mass-bans

Several players of the popular first-person shooter Call of Duty complained last week that they were permanently banned from the game for using a well-known cheat. Video game streamer ItsHapa wrote on X last week that Call of Duty players using ArtificialAiming, a cheat provider of more than 19 years, were the targets of a “massive wave of permabans,” referring to bans that cannot be reversed, which prevents cheaters from creating new accounts. The streamer also posted a series of screenshots f

Google Search’s new feature lets AI call businesses for you

TL;DR Google is bringing Gemini 2.5 Pro to AI Mode in Search. Deep Research is also coming to AI Mode. All Search users can now use AI to call businesses without picking up a phone. Following last month’s announcement of Gemini 2.5 Pro going stable, Google’s most intelligent AI model is heading to Search. It also looks like Search is getting a couple of new features to help out with research and obtaining information from businesses. In a blog post, Google revealed that it is rolling out Gem

Topics: ai gemini mode pro search

How to Watch Norway vs. Italy From Anywhere for Free: Stream UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Soccer

The first quarterfinal of the 2025 Women's Euros sees a repeat of the 1993 final, as Norway face off against Italy in Geneva. Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch this match as it happens, wherever you are in the world, and how to use a VPN if the game isn't available where you are. The Norwegians navigated the group stage in impressive style, with Gemma Grainger's team winning all three of their games against Switzerland, Finland and Iceland. Italy's route

Google AI Mode adds 2.5 Pro & Deep Search for subscribers, agentic AI calling for all

Following the announcement at I/O 2025 in May, Google is rolling out Deep Search to AI Mode, as well as letting subscribers access 2.5 Pro. Free users will get access to AI calling in Google Search. Google AI Pro and AI Ultra members in the US can now access Gemini 2.5 Pro in AI Mode for more complex “Reasoning, math & code” queries. There will be a new model picker to switch between the “Default” model, which is a custom version in the Gemini 2 family that’s meant for “fast, all-around assista

How to turn off Gemini in your Gmail, Docs, Photos, and more - it's easy to opt out

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Are you frustrated by Google's insistence on injecting Gemini into everything? There's a way out. Also: Your Gmail inbox now includes Gemini summaries by default - how to stop them While some users enjoy Google's AI features that seem to roll out every week, others would rather have things the way they were before Gemini. Google somewhat sneakily buries Gemini under a setting called "Smart features," but if you know where to look, there's an option to completely t

I finally found a Windows mini PC powerful enough to replace my desktop (and it's on sale)

ZDNET's key takeaways The Minisforum AI370 EliteMini with the Ryzen AI 9 and 64GB of RAM normally retails for $1,249, but is currently on sale for less. It's a powerful mini PC with plenty of ports, support for an 8K display, and runs cool and quiet. You'll still need to supply your own peripherals, and it's best to purchase them while on sale. $999.9 at Amazon Amazon is offering coupons for multiple Minisforum AI370 EliteMini configurations. The base model can be purchased at a $230 discount

Struggling With Hair Loss? This First-Ever Prescription Gummy May Help

You've tried the serums, the vitamins and the topical solutions? How about a prescription gummy for hair loss? Hers, a telehealth company that provides online healthcare services and products for women, announced the launch of its Biotin-plus-Minoxidil Gummy, the first-of-its-kind prescription gummy formulated to support hair regrowth. Available through forhers.com, this gummy combines prescription-strength minoxidil, the only FDA-approved ingredient for female hair loss, with biotin, a popular

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

Forget copyright strikes, a retro gaming YouTuber faces possible jail time for reviewing gaming handhelds

TL;DR Retro gaming YouTuber Once Were Nerd has been sued and raided by the Italian government. Consoles were seized and channels may be closed for promoting piracy of copyrighted material. Some of these devices ship with pre-loaded ROMs, which appears to be the source of the complaint. While gaming content continues to grow and thrive on video platforms like Twitch and YouTube, copyright remains a sticky issue. Most companies look the other way when it comes to game streaming, but emulation i

Razer Freyja Review: A Haptic Gaming Cushion for Better Immersion

I remember the first time I played a first-person shooter. It was Star Wars: Battlefront 2, the 2005 version, on the Playstation 2 in my friend’s basement, when I was a kid. I felt like I was right there. The frigid winds of Hoth ripped across my face, and the chatter of comms was right up against my ear. I felt the heat of blaster bolts zipping through the air, and heard them crackling as they shot past my face. I brought the scope up to my eye, aimed, steadied my breath, and pulled the trigger

Peter Thiel just bought a big stake in Tom Lee's ether company and the shares are surging

Peter Thiel, president and founder of Clarium Capital Management LLC, holds hundred dollars bills as he speaks during the Bitcoin 2022 conference in Miami, Florida, U.S., on Thursday, April 7, 2022. Shares of the ether treasury company Bitmine Immersion Technologies surged Wednesday after tech billionaire Peter Thiel disclosed a 9% stake in the firm through his venture capital firm Founders Fund. The stock was last higher by 12% but rallied as much as 20% at one point. Companies with a similar

Rough road to “energy dominance” after GOP kneecaps wind and solar

As the One Big Beautiful Bill Act squeaked its way through Congress earlier this month, its supporters heralded what they described as a new era for American energy and echoed what has become a familiar phrase among President Donald Trump’s supporters. “Congress has taken decisive action to advance President Trump’s energy dominance agenda,” said American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers in a statement after the House passed the bill. Republicans concurred, with legislators r

The live-action Legend of Zelda movie has cast its princess and hero

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth must be really good at saying 'hup' over and over. Nintendo has revealed the two lead actors for its live-action The Legend of Zelda movie. Bo Bragason is playing the title character, Princess Zelda, while Benjamin Evan Ainsworth is taking on the role of Link, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto announced on X. The performers are around the right ages for their parts — Bragason was born in 2004 while Ainsworth is 16. These are by far the biggest roles to date for both actor

Best AV Receiver for 2025

AV receivers are notoriously complex, with reams of features and confusing technical specifications. (For example, what's 4K/120Hz anyway?) Yet, what are the things that really matter when buying a new model? I'm going to sum up the most important ones right here. HDMI inputs With most TVs and set-top boxes supporting HDMI, you should buy a receiver that has as many of these HDMI input ports and outputs as possible. Front-mounted HDMI ports are kind of like a human appendix -- unneeded, becaus

iOS 26 Will Finally Let Us Get Rid of the Dreadful 9-Minute Snooze

In 2007, Apple launched the iPhone, a monumental device that became synonymous with the advancement of mobile technology. At the time, the iPhone included the 9-minute snooze, a dreadful and outdated alarm feature. While the latest iPhones are bezel-free, can shoot 4K videos in slow-motion and have face recognition, the 9-minute snooze persists -- until iOS 26. The tech giant announced the next iPhone update at its Worldwide Developers Conference 2025, and the software upgrade will bring a lot

Google is blessing older Wear OS watches with Gemini, check if your smartwatch is eligible

Tushar Mehta / Android Authority TL;DR Following Galaxy Watch 8 and Pixel Watch, Gemini is rolling out to more Wear OS smartwatches. As Google announced last week, Gemini is coming to all watches running Wear OS 4 or higher from brands including OnePlus, OPPO, and Xiaomi. Once Gemini is installed, Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on your smartwatch. Gemini is set to fully replace Google Assistant this year, and the transition is not limited to just Android phones or tablets. Goo

This solar GPS tracker lasts forever - and brings me peace of mind off-grid

ZDNET's key takeaways The Garmin eTrex Solar is available now for $228, while the eTrex SE without solar sells for $149. It has the potential for unlimited battery life, extensive GNSS support, features a rugged build, and is very accurate. However, it has a small monochrome display, and no turn-by-turn directions of TopoActive maps. $228.14 at Amazon Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I gained a deep affection for the outdoors. The forest is my happy place. I have a good sense of direction

Today's NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, July 16

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today's Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's Mini Crossword was pretty loopy, and it took me longer than usual. I was clueless about the Harry Potter clue for 1-Down. Need some help with today's Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Cross

NIST ion clock sets new record for most accurate clock

(From left to right) Mason Marshall, David Hume, Willa Arthur-Dworschack and Daniel Rodriguez Castillo stand in front of the aluminum ion clock at NIST. With its recent improvements, the clock can pave the way for the campaign to redefine the second as well as explore new ideas in physics. Credit: R. Jacobson/NIST There’s a new record holder for the most accurate clock in the world. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have improved their atomic clock based o