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Tech News
Google has introduced a new feature in Google Vids called 'Docs to Video,' which lets users convert PDFs, Google Docs, and Word files into narrated video summaries. The tool generates a script from the document's content, adds AI voiceover, and pairs it with AI-generated images and backgrounds, with options to edit the script or change the narrator's voice.
A Reddit user reported that their Google Home assistant began calling them 'Fish Lemon' after a casual conversation about cooking fish weeks earlier. The nickname has persisted across reminders, smart display labels, and direct queries about their name, resisting attempts to correct it despite their Google Account showing their real name.
Google has rolled out a Google Home app update that lets Gemini for Home handle voice requests that mix media playback and smart device controls in a single command, such as turning off lights while stopping music. The update also fixes previously reported bugs with setting alarms and adding items to Google Keep, and it now alphabetizes automation options while enforcing privacy settings on third-party routines.
Federal judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google will not be forced to sell off its advertising technology business, despite an earlier finding that the unit constituted an illegal monopoly. Instead, Google must change certain business practices to give competitors fairer access, though the ruling did not specify exactly what those changes will look like. The detailed written order remains sealed for two weeks while parties prepare redactions.
According to leaker Roland Quandt, Samsung's upcoming Galaxy A18 will offer 128GB and 256GB storage configurations and come in Light Blue, Black, and Silver colorways. The leak follows earlier CAD renders in July that showed the phone's design staying close to its predecessor's look.
Amazon is selling Samsung's newly launched Galaxy Z Flip 8 for $1,049.99, a $150 cut from its $1,199.99 list price. The clamshell foldable features a slimmer build, a 6.7-inch inner screen, a larger 4.1-inch FlexWindow with added AI capabilities, Samsung DeX support, and a 4,300mAh battery.
A detailed community guide explains how Xiaomi 15 Ultra owners can strip down HyperOS without rooting their device, disabling telemetry, diagnostics, and bundled extension services during setup. The author recommends locking the phone on the final Android 16 build and deliberately skipping the upcoming Android 17 update, citing concerns over added tracking and AI features.
Google is rolling out two updates to its Translate app's Live Translate feature. Android users can now keep translations running in the background while switching between other apps, and iPhone users are gaining access to 'listening mode,' which lets them hear translated speech by holding the phone to their ear without headphones.
Google briefly published a Play Store listing for an app called Look Up, tied to its upcoming Googlebook laptop platform, before removing all screenshots and details. Some testers managed to sideload the app on Pixel phones running Android 17 even after it was pulled from public listing. The tool lets users highlight text and instantly query it through Search, Maps, and Flights, plus a chatbot box for follow-up questions.
Samsung has widened its Android 17-based One UI 9 beta rollout beyond its latest flagships to include the older Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, plus the mid-range Galaxy A57, marking the first A-series device to get the test build. The update carries the August 5, 2026 security patch and is currently live in South Korea and India, with plans to expand to Germany, Poland, the UK and the US.
Android Authority published its latest Wallpaper Wednesday collection, offering six reader-submitted images and three staff photos as free downloadable wallpapers for phones, tablets, and PCs. The images are provided in JPG and PNG formats in both landscape and portrait orientations, with full-resolution versions available via a shared Drive link.
Android Authority found a new Customize option in Google Photos version 7.90.0 that lets users drag and rearrange folders like On This Device, Places, and People & Pets within the Collections tab. The tool also allows hiding certain albums entirely, though the recently added pinned section can only be hidden, not reordered.