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Android’s redesigned QR code scanner is finally here with one-handed improvements

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-25 12:59:54

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR Google has finally started rolling out the design refresh for Android’s built-in QR code scanner, which we first spotted a year ago. The new interface brings all the buttons close to the bottom of the screen for easier one-handed use. The updated QR code scanner is not available widely, but should reach all users in the coming days. Android’s built-in QR code scanner is finally getting its long-overdue design refresh, a year after we first spotted it i

Topics: close code google qr scanner

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I tried Perplexity's Comet AI browser, and I like where it's going (but it's not there yet)

zdnet.com Steven Vaughan-Nichols 2026-01-25 12:20:00

solarseven/Getty Images Perplexity Comet isn't the first AI-powered web browser to arrive. That honor goes to Dia, but thanks to the popularity of Perplexity as an AI-enabled search engine and chatbot, it's getting a lot of attention. It deserves it. An agentic browser, Comet isn't just a web browser with AI glued to it, as are Chrome with Gemini and Edge with Copilot. It's designed from the ground up to use AI to automate tasks and improve your workflow. What Comet is aiming for Its archite

Topics: ai browser comet google perplexity

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Ready to ditch Google Maps? My new favorite map app won't track you or drain your battery - and it's free

zdnet.com Jack Wallen 2026-01-25 12:45:28

tovovan/Getty Every month, Google sends me a report about where I've been, and I have to say that I'm not a fan. In fact, the idea that Google is following me around, via Maps, disturbs me. That's not the only issue I have with the default Maps app. It seems every time I have to depend on the app, my Pixel 9 Pro battery gets drained faster than when using any other app. Those two issues alone are enough to make me question why I use such an app. That's why, when I heard about CoMaps, I immedi

Topics: app comaps google map maps

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Google TV on Android begins its Material 3 Expressive revamp in latest update

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-25 17:13:12

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR The latest Google TV app update brings some Material 3 Expressive design elements to users. The release introduces updates for the movie/TV show details page, including a larger banner, center-aligned header, updated buttons, and more. The update doesn’t include all the Material 3 Expressive changes we’ve seen in the past, which could roll out with a subsequent release. Google has started rolling out the Material 3 Expressive revamp for several of it

Topics: changes expressive google new tv

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Google exec says the company will unify Android and ChromeOS

engadget.com Unknown 2026-01-26 03:00:53

Google is taking another step toward unifying its ecosystem by merging Android and ChromeOS. Sameer Samat, the president of Google’s Android ecosystem, confirmed this shift in an interview with TechRadar . Samat was curious how the publication's Lance Ulanoff manages things across several Apple devices, namely a MacBook, iPhone and Apple Watch. "I asked because we’re going to be combining ChromeOS and Android into a single platform, and I am very interested in how people are using their laptops

Topics: android apple chromeos devices google

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Interview with Google's Android leader Sameer Samat

news.ycombinator.com Lance Ulanoff 2026-01-26 00:06:45

My conversation with Sameer Samat, Android’s daddy…er…the President of Android Ecosystem at Google, started with him quizzing me. Perhaps he noticed my MacBook Pro or the Apple Watch on my wrist. I did make sure to at least record the interview with the lovely new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 I’m testing, but Samat wanted to understand how and, maybe why, I’m using a Mac. I stammered, unprepared for the interrogation, but Samat wasn’t asking me why I don’t use Android. Instead, he’s curious about t

Topics: ai android gemini google samat

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I would use Google’s AI tools more if it fixed this glaring problem

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-26 12:00:38

Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority Ever since ChatGPT started gaining in popularity, every other tech company has been rushing to keep up with its advancements in generative AI. Although some might argue that OpenAI’s chatbot is still on top, the company that I believe has come closest to surpassing it is Google. After Google CEO Sundar Pichai issued a “code red” in December 2022 to meet the threat OpenAI represented, the company has created a powerful, robust, and wide-reaching set of AI-power

Topics: ai bar gemini google search

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Google Contacts could soon let you control clutter from third-party apps (Updated: Rolling out)

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-26 14:08:52

Adamya Sharma / Android Authority TL;DR Google Contacts could soon allow users to show or hide read-only contacts synced from connected apps. The new feature aims to help users troubleshoot issues like duplicated contacts by revealing otherwise hidden view-only entries. Most users likely won’t need this enabled, but the switch offers better visibility for those who occasionally need it. Update, July 14, 2025 (07:08 AM ET): The ability to show and hide read-only contacts is now rolling out to

Topics: apps authority contacts google users

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Google Contacts is making it easier to check when you last contacted someone (Updated: Rolling out)

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-26 14:13:04

Adamya Sharma / Android Authority TL;DR Google Contacts could soon start displaying recent calls and texts on contact profiles. The feature will appear as a new “Recent activity” section on contact profiles, listing the last call and text with each contact. Update, July 14, 2025 (07:13 AM ET): Profile pages within the Contacts app now show Recent activity, with the feature rolling out with Google Contacts v4.58.27. Original article, April 30, 2025 (06:53 AM ET): Google Contacts‘ Single Contac

Topics: activity contact contacts google recent

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6 easy ways to identify a song using your Android phone

zdnet.com Artie Beaty 2026-01-26 11:49:20

filo/Getty Images You've probably been there before: there's a song stuck in your head and you can't remember the words, or you hear a song that you want to remember but don't know the name. Fortunately, it's never been easier to identify music around you if you have an Android phone. All but one of these features is tied to Google, but each one works differently, and one even works without you having to unlock your phone and works offline. Also: How to clear your Android phone cache (and why

Topics: android google phone search song

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Google exec: ‘We’re going to be combining ChromeOS and Android’

theverge.com Dominic Preston 2026-01-26 11:34:55

Google’s head of Android has said that the company plans to combine its mobile operating system with ChromeOS, the software that currently runs across Google’s Chromebook laptops. Sameer Samat, president of Google’s Android ecosystem, told TechRadar that “we’re going to be combining Chrome OS and Android into a single platform.” Samat, who’s responsible for Android’s implementation across mobile, wearables, XR, TV, and auto, added that he’s “interested in how people are using their laptops thes

Topics: android change chromeos google long

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Google confirms it’s ‘combining’ Chrome OS and Android into a single platform

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-26 14:01:06

We exclusively reported back in November that Google was working to merge Chrome OS into Android . Now, a Google executive has effectively confirmed the company’s intentions to combine the two platforms. Sameer Samat, president of Android ecosystem at Google, asked a TechRadar journalist why they were using an Apple Watch, iPhone, and MacBook: I asked because we’re going to be combining Chrome OS and Android into a single platform, and I am very interested in how people are using their laptops

Topics: android chrome executive google os

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Android’s new design is bouncy and I’m all for it

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-25 22:00:36

Joe Maring / Android Authority From blobs to bounce to bright colors, your phone is about to look and feel a lot different, with Google bringing more of an opinionated approach to its design than we’ve ever seen before. In the world of software design, many are used to looking to Apple for inspiration, but Google’s Material Design bucks that trend with its boldest and most daring design strategy yet. Is Google’s more playful approach going to be a hit and entice an entirely new type of consumer

Topics: android bounce design google new

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How Google Killed OpenAI’s $3 Billion Deal Without an Acquisition

gizmodo.com Ece Yildirim 2026-01-26 06:52:26

Google just dealt OpenAI a major blow by scuttling a potential $3 billion deal, and in doing so, solidified a rising trend in Silicon Valley’s AI arms race: the “non-acquisition acquisition.” Google announced on July 11 that it poached key talent from the rapidly rising AI startup Windsurf, which until then had a reported $3 billion acquisition deal with OpenAI that has now collapsed. Instead, Google is paying $2.4 billion to hire away top Windsurf employees, including the company’s CEO, and ta

Topics: ai google meta openai tech

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This is the best cross-platform 2FA app I’ve used — and you should try it too

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-26 03:30:49

Karandeep Singh / Android Authority When a sizeable chunk of online attacks involves weak passwords and unauthorized account access, second-factor authentication (2FA) is one of those magic bullets that can save your digital life from getting compromised. But they’re only usable if they don’t become an inconvenience themselves. Inconvenient — that’s exactly what a lot of 2FA apps have been for me. Some wanted to lock me down to their app, some had themselves been compromised, while others were

Topics: 2fa app auth ente google

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Google Gemini flaw hijacks email summaries for phishing

bleepingcomputer.com Unknown 2026-01-26 06:38:00

Google Gemini for Workspace can be exploited to generate email summaries that appear legitimate but include malicious instructions or warnings that direct users to phishing sites without using attachments or direct links. Such an attack leverages indirect prompt injections that are hidden inside an email and obeyed by Gemini when generating the message summary. Despite similar prompt attacks being reported since 2024 and safeguards being implemented to block misleading responses, the technique

Topics: attacks email gemini google malicious

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Cops say criminals use a Google Pixel with GrapheneOS — I say that’s freedom

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-25 22:00:13

Calvin Wankhede / Android Authority Police in Spain have reportedly started profiling people based on their phones; specifically, and surprisingly, those carrying Google Pixel devices. Law enforcement officials in Catalonia say they associate Pixels with crime because drug traffickers are increasingly turning to these phones. But it’s not Google’s secure Titan M2 chip that has criminals favoring the Pixel — instead, it’s GrapheneOS, a privacy-focused alternative to the default Pixel OS. As som

Topics: android apps google grapheneos pixel

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OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome

news.ycombinator.com Unknown 2026-01-26 03:14:01

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, at the Hope Global Forums annual meeting in Atlanta on Dec. 11, 2023. OpenAI is close to releasing an AI-powered web browser that will challenge Alphabet's market-dominating Google Chrome, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The browser is slated to launch in the coming weeks, three of the people said, and aims to use artificial intelligence to fundamentally change how consumers browse the web. It will give OpenAI more direct access to a cornerstone o

Topics: browser chrome google openai said

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Google hires Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, others in $2.4 billion AI talent deal

cnbc.com Jordan Novet 2026-01-26 06:31:36

Google on Friday made the latest a splash in the AI talent wars, announcing an agreement to bring in Varun Mohan, co-founder and CEO of artificial intelligence coding startup Windsurf. As part of the deal, Google will also hire other senior Windsurf research and development employees. Google is not investing in Windsurf, but the search giant will take a nonexclusive license to certain Windsurf technology, according to a person familiar with the matter. Windsurf remains free to license its techn

Topics: ai coding deal google windsurf

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Google hires Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, others in latest AI talent deal

cnbc.com Jordan Novet 2026-01-26 08:03:23

Google on Friday made the latest a splash in the AI talent wars, announcing an agreement to bring in Varun Mohan, co-founder and CEO of artificial intelligence coding startup Windsurf. As part of the deal, Google will also hire other senior Windsurf research and development employees. Google is not investing in Windsurf, but the search giant will take a nonexclusive license to certain Windsurf technology, according to a person familiar with the matter. Windsurf remains free to license its techn

Topics: ai coding google startup windsurf

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OpenAI’s Windsurf deal is off, and Windsurf’s CEO is going to Google

news.ycombinator.com Hayden Field 2026-01-26 11:35:31

is The Verge’s senior AI reporter. An AI beat reporter for more than five years, her work has also appeared in CNBC, MIT Technology Review, Wired UK, and other outlets. OpenAI’s deal to buy Windsurf is off, and Google will instead hire Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, cofounder Douglas Chen, and some of Windsurf’s R&D employees and bring them onto the Google DeepMind team, Google and Windsurf announced Friday. Mohan and the Windsurf employees will focus on agentic coding efforts at Google DeepMind an

Topics: deepmind excited google team windsurf

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Windsurf’s CEO goes to Google; OpenAI’s acquisition falls apart

techcrunch.com Maxwell Zeff 2026-01-26 12:21:51

OpenAI’s deal to acquire the viral AI coding startup Windsurf for $3 billion fell apart on Friday, according to The Verge. In a shocking twist, Google DeepMind is now hiring Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and some of the startup’s top researchers. A Google spokesperson confirmed the hiring of Windsurf’s leaders in a statement to TechCrunch. “We’re excited to welcome some top AI coding talent from Windsurf’s team to Google DeepMind to advance our work in agentic coding,” sai

Topics: ai coding deal google windsurf

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Google is working to bring album art to Now Playing on your Pixel’s lock screen (APK teardown)

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-26 17:09:51

Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Now Playing detects songs your phone hears in its vicinity and can identify them on your lock screen. Tapping on the detected song name currently takes you to your Now Playing history. Google is working on a new interface where that tap would instead display album art on the lock screen. Sometimes, when it rains, it pours. As we analyze Android app updates for evidence of in-development changes, it can really feel like it’s dealer’s (or should we say, de

Topics: android google lock playing screen

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I tried Perplexity's Comet AI browser - here's what you need to know

zdnet.com Steven Vaughan-Nichols 2026-01-26 17:48:37

Nazarii Neshcherenskyi/Getty Perplexity Comet isn't the first AI-powered web browser to arrive. That honor goes to Dia, but thanks to the popularity of Perplexity as an AI-enabled search engine and chatbot, it's getting a lot of attention. It deserves it. An agentic browser, Comet isn't just a web browser with AI glued to it, as are Chrome with Gemini and Edge with Copilot. It's designed from the ground up to use AI to automate tasks and improve your workflow. Also: Perplexity's Comet AI brow

Topics: ai browser comet google perplexity

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OpenAI’s Windsurf deal is off — and Windsurf’s CEO is going to Google

theverge.com Hayden Field 2026-01-26 17:22:07

is The Verge’s senior AI reporter. An AI beat reporter for more than five years, her work has also appeared in CNBC, MIT Technology Review, Wired UK, and other outlets. OpenAI’s deal to buy Windsurf is off, and Google will instead hire Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, cofounder Douglas Chen, and some of Windsurf’s R&D employees and bring them onto the Google DeepMind team, Google and Windsurf announced Friday. Mohan and the Windsurf employees will focus on agentic coding efforts at Google DeepMind an

Topics: deepmind excited google team windsurf

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Google’s latest Nest Learning Thermostat is more than $60 off for Prime Day

theverge.com Brandt Ranj 2026-01-26 17:30:00

Google’s fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat (the latest model) is one of the few smart home accessories I rely on every day, and it’s at an all-time low price of $218.99 ($61 off) at Amazon for Prime Day. Prime Day is almost over, but Best Buy and Google are also offering a $40 discount. This generation introduced greater compatibility with HVAC and smart home platforms, improvements to its Smart Scheduling feature, and a significant hardware redesign. Verge reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tu

Topics: google home smart temperature thermostat

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Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

news.ycombinator.com Unknown 2026-01-27 02:41:14

Google's Pixel phones have grown from a curiosity to become some of the best smartphones you can buy, featuring excellent cameras and lengthy support. Unfortunately, they are also gaining a reputation for battery defects. For the second time in a year, Google has announced that it will render some of its past phones almost unusable with a software update, and users don't have any choice in the matter. After nerfing the Pixel 4a's battery capacity earlier this year, Google has now confirmed a si

Topics: batteries battery choice energy google

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OpenAI Is About to Release an AI Web Browser

futurism.com Unknown 2026-01-27 16:08:36

OpenAI is on the verge of releasing its own AI-powered web browser, Reuters reports. Expected to launch in the coming weeks, the browser is being released with audacious ambitions. Per the reporting, it's meant to challenge Google Chrome's broad market dominance, with nearly two-thirds of internet users favoring the web browser, or about three billion people. That won't be easy, needless to say. But OpenAI has the prerequisites to at least put a sizable dent in Google's monopoly. Namely, the o

Topics: browser data google openai users

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A mess of its own making: Google nerfs second Pixel phone battery this year

arstechnica.com Unknown 2026-01-27 17:42:36

Google's Pixel phones have grown from a curiosity to become some of the best smartphones you can buy, featuring excellent cameras and lengthy support. Unfortunately, they are also gaining a reputation for battery defects. For the second time in a year, Google has announced that it will render some of its past phones almost unusable with a software update, and users don't have any choice in the matter. After nerfing the Pixel 4a's battery capacity earlier this year, Google has now confirmed a si

Topics: batteries battery choice energy google

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[Open Thread] Google bought Android 20 years ago, did it make it better or worse?

androidauthority.com Unknown 2026-01-28 08:31:42

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority It’s been 20 years to the day since Google made what you might consider its “best deal ever” by acquiring a small, unknown startup called Android, Inc. The founders, Andy Rubin and Chris White, had first set out to build an operating system for digital cameras, but when they failed to attract investors in 2004, they pivoted to creating a mobile operating system, and went pitching their new project looking for investor support. Google’s Larry Page saw the signs

Topics: android google mobile operating ve

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Latest Tech News

Android’s redesigned QR code scanner is finally here with one-handed improvements

I tried Perplexity's Comet AI browser, and I like where it's going (but it's not there yet)

Ready to ditch Google Maps? My new favorite map app won't track you or drain your battery - and it's free

Google TV on Android begins its Material 3 Expressive revamp in latest update

Google exec says the company will unify Android and ChromeOS

Interview with Google's Android leader Sameer Samat

I would use Google’s AI tools more if it fixed this glaring problem

Google Contacts could soon let you control clutter from third-party apps (Updated: Rolling out)

Google Contacts is making it easier to check when you last contacted someone (Updated: Rolling out)

6 easy ways to identify a song using your Android phone

Google exec: ‘We’re going to be combining ChromeOS and Android’

Google confirms it’s ‘combining’ Chrome OS and Android into a single platform

Android’s new design is bouncy and I’m all for it

How Google Killed OpenAI’s $3 Billion Deal Without an Acquisition

This is the best cross-platform 2FA app I’ve used — and you should try it too

Google Gemini flaw hijacks email summaries for phishing

Cops say criminals use a Google Pixel with GrapheneOS — I say that’s freedom

OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome

Google hires Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, others in $2.4 billion AI talent deal

Google hires Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, others in latest AI talent deal

OpenAI’s Windsurf deal is off, and Windsurf’s CEO is going to Google

Windsurf’s CEO goes to Google; OpenAI’s acquisition falls apart

Google is working to bring album art to Now Playing on your Pixel’s lock screen (APK teardown)

I tried Perplexity's Comet AI browser - here's what you need to know

OpenAI’s Windsurf deal is off — and Windsurf’s CEO is going to Google

Google’s latest Nest Learning Thermostat is more than $60 off for Prime Day

Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

OpenAI Is About to Release an AI Web Browser

A mess of its own making: Google nerfs second Pixel phone battery this year

[Open Thread] Google bought Android 20 years ago, did it make it better or worse?

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