Google is expanding Gemini Live beyond casual conversation, adding features like Personal Intelligence, Daily Brief, hands-free Gmail management, and integration with Gemini Spark. The Spark integration lets users speak unstructured thoughts aloud, which Gemini Live then organizes into actionable, multi-step tasks such as meal planning or grocery lists. Some features, including Spark and Daily Brief, require paid Google AI Pro or Plus subscriptions.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-26
An APK teardown of Microsoft's Link to Windows Android app has uncovered hidden code for remotely shutting down, restarting, updating, or putting a paired Windows PC to sleep. The app currently only supports remotely locking a PC, and these new commands would extend that functionality with built-in warnings about lost work or disconnection.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-26
Google has clarified that the newly spotted 'Android Pulse' app is an official Google system service designed to monitor device health, rather than an unknown or suspicious background process. The company said a recent update caused Pulse to become visible in Google system service settings, explaining why users only just started noticing it despite it existing internally beforehand.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-26
TCL's Nxtpaper 11 Plus, an Android tablet with a 2.2K, 120Hz display, is currently discounted to $220 from its usual $280 price. The device can toggle between a full-color screen and an E-Ink-style mode, letting it function as both a tablet and an e-reader or digital notebook. A ZDNET reviewer reports using it alongside an iPad and Kindle without encountering crashes or performance issues, despite its lower-end specs compared to Apple's silicon.
zdnet.com
· 2026-08-26
Google has restored the ability to sideload APK files on Android after restricting it in 2025, but the process now requires users to confirm via a restart and a mandatory 24-hour waiting period before the sideloading option becomes active. The company calls this the 'Advanced Flow,' designed for power users who need to install apps outside the Play Store while adding friction meant to stop scam victims from being pressured into installing malware in the heat of the moment.
zdnet.com
· 2026-08-26
Researchers have identified that operators behind the BadBox click-fraud botnet are now targeting Android-powered vehicle head units, exploiting built-in update mechanisms to push malicious software onto the devices. This marks an expansion of the botnet's reach beyond streaming boxes and smart TVs into automotive infotainment systems.
darkreading.com
· 2026-08-26
Google unveiled Gemini 3.5 Transcribe, a new speech-to-text AI model that detects over 85 languages, strips filler words, and reformats casual speech into clean, structured text. It can also learn custom vocabulary, capture alphanumeric strings like order numbers, and assign dialogue to up to three speakers with timestamps from recorded audio.
engadget.com
· 2026-08-26
A Korean leaker claims Samsung built several Galaxy S27 Ultra prototypes, including one with a 7,000mAh battery and versions that dropped the S Pen to fit it. Samsung is said to have abandoned that extreme option, instead settling on a 5,700mAh to 6,000mAh target, possibly using silicon-carbon battery technology.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-26
Google has released Gemini Audio, a set of three new speech-focused AI models: Gemini 3.5 Live, 3.5 Live Experimental, and 3.5 Transcribe. These models are meant to handle real-time conversation and speech-to-text tasks and are rolling out across Search Live, Gemini Live, Docs, Keep, Gmail, the Gemini app, and Gboard. Notably, Gemini 3.5 Transcribe replaces Google's older Chirp 3 model and adds features like filler-word removal, auto-formatting, and voice editing.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-26
Android Auto users had been hit by a bug that showed a 'Spotify isn't responding' error message when trying to launch the app, with only exiting or waiting offered as options. Some drivers found workarounds like leaving the Android Auto beta or clearing the app's cache, but the issue kept recurring for others. Google confirmed to Android Authority that a fix started rolling out today.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-26
ATV Launcher Pro's version 0.1.40 update introduces a new layout editor that lets Android TV users add, move, hide, and restyle home screen sections directly on the screen with live previews. The update also brings 12 row styles, seven tile layouts, screen breaks, icon packs, video wallpapers, new widgets, focus effects, and support for Android 16.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-26
Android Authority released its weekly Wallpaper Wednesday collection, featuring nine free wallpapers—six submitted by readers and three created by the site's team. The images are available in JPG and PNG formats, optimized for both landscape and portrait screens, and can be downloaded without watermarks via a shared Drive link.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-26
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