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How the Senate's ban on state AI regulation imperils internet access

ANDREY DENISYUK/Getty The Trump administration's tax bill -- also called its "big, beautiful bill" -- which rounds up key pieces of the president's agenda, also includes a rule that would prevent states from enforcing their own AI legislation for 10 years, if passed. After an initial budget hiccup, Republican senators successfully amended the rule to comply with budgetary requirements by adding that states trying to enforce AI regulations would not receive federal broadband funding. Here's why

Google Sends Out Bizarre Email Saying AI Will Now Control Your Phone's Apps

One of the most powerful tech corporations on earth has a message for Android users: its AI will soon be taking control of your phone. Android users have begun receiving ominous emails warning that Gemini, Google's proprietary large language model (LLM), will soon be able to "help you" with apps like Phone, Messages, and WhatsApp. Crucially, the emails note that Gemini will be able to "help" users regardless of "whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off" — which prompted some understandab

NASA Is in Full Meltdown

Career NASA officials were seen looking mighty freaked out during a recent town hall event about the agency's dicey future. As Ars Technica's Stephen Clark reports based on a livestream of the town hall — which was not advertised and has since been taken down — acting NASA administrator and career agency official Janet Petro looked like a hostage as she answered questions from staff about the agency's dire standing under president Donald Trump. The hostage-taker in this scenario appears to be

Planned EV Battery Plant Is a ‘Death Sentence’ for Uncontacted Indonesian Tribe

On Sunday, June 29, Indonesia will break ground on a $6 billion electric vehicle (EV) battery plant on Halmahera, the largest of the Maluku islands. The facility will mine the island’s abundant nickel reserves and manufacture batteries on-site to reduce production costs in Indonesia, but a watchdog warns it could decimate an uncontacted tribe. The Hongana Manyawa—whose name means “people of the forest” in their language—are one of the last nomadic hunter-gatherer peoples in Indonesia, according

Breakthrough non-toxic method developed to extract gold from e-waste

Forward-looking: A team of Australian researchers has unveiled a breakthrough method for extracting gold that could dramatically reduce the environmental and health hazards long associated with mining and electronic waste recycling. The innovation, developed at Flinders University, offers a safer and more sustainable alternative to the use of toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide, which have historically dominated the gold recovery industry. Gold, prized for its rarity and versatility, is es

Gemini in Google Sheets now lets you type a prompt to tell it exactly what to do

Jaque Silva/NurPhoto /Getty If you use Google Sheets for work, Gemini is about to make your life a lot easier. Also: Google's new free AI agent brings Gemini right to your command line - here's how to try it Sheets already has the capability for Gemini to assist with creating tables and formulas, generating graphs and charts, and handling tasks like conditional formatting, sorting, and filtering. Now you can enter a prompt in a cell to tell Gemini what you want to do. Also: Google Earth jus

Core Scientific shares surge 33% on report of buyout talks with CoreWeave

Core Scientific shares surged 35% on Thursday following a report from The Wall Street Journal that artificial intelligence infrastructure vendor CoreWeave is in talks to acquire the bitcoin mining and hosting provider. The company's stock was briefly halted after the report, and then proceeded to have its second-sharpest rally since Core Scientific returned to the Nasdaq in January 2024 after completing a reorganization. Its biggest one-day gain came last June, when the shares popped 40% on new

Google's new free AI agent brings Gemini right to your command line - here's how to try it

CFOTO/Getty Images Google is bringing its proprietary AI more directly into coder workflows. On Wednesday, the company announced Gemini CLI, a free new agentic AI tool that integrates directly with a command line interface (CLI). Google positioned the agent as an immediate link between coders and Gemini 2.5 Pro, the latest iteration of Google's flagship AI model, saying it "provides lightweight access to Gemini, giving you the most direct path from your prompt to our model" in a blog post. Al

Amazon’s Choice Micro Pocket Mini PC Hits Its Lowest Price for Early Prime Day, Backed by 4.5-Star Reviews

You don’t need to let your desktop take up your entire, well, desktop! Save some crucial space buy downsizing to a small but powerful mini PC. The GMKtec Mini PC is perfect for school, business, or personal use and is right now heavily discounted at Amazon. Normally, it goes for $180 but for a limited time you can scoop one up for $138. That’s a savings of 23% equating to $42. See at Amazon Do It All Without Giving Up Desk Space The GMKtec is tiny — nearly pocket-sized. It measures in at just

Topics: gmktec mini need pc space

Gemini is getting ready to replace Google Assistant on Android

Android users will soon be able to let Gemini control device features and apps with fewer privacy concerns. In an email seen by Android Police, Google recently notified Gemini users that it will start rolling out an update on July 7th that allows the AI bot to “use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off.” Disabling the Gemini Apps Activity setting stops conversations with the chatbot from being used to “provide, improve, develop, a

Volkswagen's ID Buzz AD self-driving van is ready for mass production

In a nutshell: After years of testing, Volkswagen is now ready to bring its new all-electric vehicle to the US and European markets. The ID. Buzz AD isn't just a minivan for carrying passengers, it's part of a broader platform the German automaker hopes to sell to companies looking to launch their own autonomous transportation services. The self-driving, all-electric version of the ID. Buzz minivan is reportedly ready for mass production, according to the company's software subsidiary, Moia. Th

DOGE’d Federal Employees Are Getting Hit With Bills for Phantom Health Coverage

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has spent the last six months in turmoil, with the Trump administration drastically reducing the agency’s nationwide workforce. To make matters worse, the federal government is now demanding money from some former employees. Three ex-NOAA staffers who were fired, rehired, then fired again this spring received notices from the federal government stating they owed a debt for healthcare coverage. The letters, shared exclusively with NBC Ne

Can this $200 Windows mini PC replace my Linux system for a week? Here's the verdict

ZDNET's key takeaways The Minix Z97 mini PC is available on Amazon for $217. This tiny PC is a powerhouse that's well-suited for daily use. Running demanding tasks like local AI workloads puts a strain on its resources. $238.9 at Amazon Imagine having a PC that fits in your hand and performs well enough to get you through the day (with power to spare). Such computers exist, but not all of them are created equal. I've tested plenty of these tiny form-factor PCs, and a lot of them might be cut

Topics: linux mini pc windows z97

Google clears the air about that Gemini email, says ‘this update is good for users’

Google has clarified what Gemini’s upcoming July 7 update for Android devices really means and how it’ll affect Android users. The company responded to an email query from Android Authority, confirming that Gemini will soon be able to help with everyday tasks like sending messages, making phone calls, and setting timers, even if Gemini Apps Activity is turned off. This initially sparked confusion after Google sent out a vague email to users, stating that Gemini would soon be able to “help you u

New Gemini Live tricks make your calendar and notes easier to access

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Gemini Live can now interact with other Google apps during flowing conversations. It can add or edit entries in Calendar, Keep, and Tasks, and fetch live location in Maps. Captions in Gemini Live are also rolling out more widely. Gemini is inching closer to being the intelligent virtual assistant Google touts it to be. Google recently flipped the switch for a set of controls that allow Gemini to access information from other Google apps in real time.

This hidden Gemini trick has completely changed how I use Google Calendar

Joe Maring / Android Authority Keeping up with Gemini’s ever-growing list of capabilities is an impossible task. Between video generation tools like Veo 3, new features for Gemini Live, AI-powered web browsers, and more, Google’s doing so much with Gemini and so quickly that knowing what Gemini can and can’t do isn’t as easy as it should be. Not only does this make Gemini feel overwhelming at times, but it can also cause many features to be easily overlooked, especially the less flashy ones. F

How much do you trust Google with the data you provide it?

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority 🗣️ This is an open thread. We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below — your take might be featured in a future roundup. Google is a technology heavyweight — that’s just a fact. Despite this, it still needs our data for many of its services to function effectively. Whether we’re offering up our Gemini prompts, Google Photos, or Maps reviews, we’re contributing to the company’s growth little by little and the stea

Google clears the air on Gemini email, says ‘this update is good for users’

Google has clarified what Gemini’s upcoming July 7 update for Android devices really means and how it’ll affect Android users. The company responded to an email query from Android Authority, confirming that Gemini will soon be able to help with everyday tasks like sending messages, making phone calls, and setting timers, even if Gemini Apps Activity is turned off. This initially sparked confusion after Google sent out a vague email to users, stating that Gemini would soon be able to “help you u

You’re not alone: This email from Google’s Gemini team was concerning (Updated: Google statement)

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google recently notified users that, starting July 7, 2025, Gemini will be able to assist with apps like Phone, Messages, and WhatsApp, regardless of whether Gemini Apps Activity is turned on or off. The vague wording in the email raised privacy concerns, with users unclear if Gemini will still access these apps even after opting out. While the email said users can disable these features in the “App settings,” it does not offer specific steps for doin

What do Google's Gemini privacy changes actually mean?

A Google email about Gemini privacy is causing quite the stir. The alarm came from a change in what the chatbot can access when your history is turned off. However, the update's implications are far less sensational than initially feared. Here's the heart of the email that set off the hubbub in the otherwise sleepy summer tech press. "Gemini will soon be able to help you use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off." (Emphasis is ours

Today's NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, June 25: Is 1-Across Spelled Wrong?

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 took me a little bit longer than usual. 1-Across took me a little time to ponder, and so did 1-Down. In fact, guitarists on Reddit and other places are upset by the spelling of 1-Across, saying the guitar effect is spelled differently--with six let

Google unveils Gemini CLI, an open source AI tool for terminals

Google is launching a new agentic AI tool that will put its Gemini AI models closer to where developers are already coding. The company announced on Wednesday the launch of Gemini CLI, an agentic AI tool designed to run locally from your terminal. The new tool connects Google’s Gemini AI models to local codebases, and it allows developers to make natural language requests, such as asking Gemini CLI to explain confusing sections of code, write new features, debug code, or run commands. Gemini C

Google releases Gemini CLI with free Gemini 2.5 Pro

Google has released Gemini 2.5 Pro-powered Gemini CLI, which allows you to use Gemini inside your terminal, including Windows Terminal. Gemini CLI is written in Typecript and it works across all platforms, including Windows, macOS and Linux. If you're a developer, you can follow Gemini CLI's guidelines and plug it into scripts and extend capabilities of existing tools. Gemini CLI in Windows Terminal Source: BleepingComputer For example, if you use Cursor AI or Windsurf, you can integrate Ge

Forget about AI costs: Google just changed the game with open-source Gemini CLI that will be free for most developers

Join the event trusted by enterprise leaders for nearly two decades. VB Transform brings together the people building real enterprise AI strategy. Learn more For power users and many developers, the command line is the foundational interface for controlling a system and its applications. Also sometimes referred to as a terminal, the command line interface (CLI) is how users issue commands and build applications as an alternative, or as a complement, to an integrated developer environment (IDE)

Google unveils Gemini CLI, an open-source AI tool for terminals

Google is launching a new agentic AI tool that will put its Gemini AI models closer to where developers are already coding. The company announced on Wednesday the launch of Gemini CLI, an agentic AI tool designed to run locally from your terminal. The new tool connects Google’s Gemini AI models to local codebases, and it allows developers to make natural language requests, such as asking Gemini CLI to explain confusing sections of code, write new features, debug code, or run commands. Gemini C

Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI This repository contains the Gemini CLI, a command-line AI workflow tool that connects to your tools, understands your code and accelerates your workflows. With the Gemini CLI you can: Query and edit large codebases in and beyond Gemini's 1M token context window. Generate new apps from PDFs or sketches, using Gemini's multimodal capabilities. Automate operational tasks, like querying pull requests or handling complex rebases. Use tools and MCP servers to connect new capabilities

Topics: cli gemini google new use

Gemini CLI is a free, open source coding agent that brings AI to your terminal

Some developers prefer to live in the command line interface (CLI), eschewing the flashy graphics and file management features of IDEs. Google's latest AI tool is for those terminal lovers. It's called Gemini CLI, and it shares a lot with Gemini Code Assist, but it works in your terminal environment instead of integrating with an IDE. And perhaps best of all, it's free and open source. Gemini CLI plugs into Gemini 2.5 Pro, Google's most advanced model for coding and simulated reasoning. It can

Gemini Free Review: The Best Free AI Chatbot I've Used So Far

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 8.5 / 10 SCORE Gemini Free Review Pros Free Higher token limit than ChatGPT Free Faster image generation Largely accurate Can upload and examine large documents Cons Randomly hits token limit Illogical, frustrating image generation Image analysis is inaccurate Long documents can't be pasted directly Google Gemini has come a long way. From its forme

The Debrief: Power and energy

Yet in many ways right now the US seems to be forgetting those lessons. It is moving backward in terms of its clean-­energy strategy, especially when it comes to powering the grid, in ways that will affect the nation for decades to come—even as China and others are surging forward. And that retreat is taking place just as electricity demand and usage are growing again after being flat for nearly two decades. That growth, according to the US Energy Information Administration, is “coming from the

This Gemini feature in the YouTube app convinced me to finally ditch the Google Assistant

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Ever since Google announced that it would begin phasing out its Assistant for Gemini as the default voice assistant, I have found myself struggling to pick between the two. On one hand, I like the familiarity and reliability of the Assistant but on the other, Gemini is the only one still getting new features. The latter is exactly what finally pushed me to start using Gemini more seriously — despite the occasional hiccup and hallucination. In particular, I’ve