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Tech News
Google has released Gemini 3.5 Transcribe, a new speech-to-text model that converts raw audio into clean, formatted text while handling background noise, jargon, and disfluencies better than prior systems. It's available to developers via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, split into a real-time streaming option and a pre-recorded audio processing option.
A ZDNET piece revisits how Apple built its tightly controlled App Store ecosystem after CEO Tim Cook's 2014 jab at Android as a 'toxic hellstew of vulnerabilities.' The article argues that a decade later, the competitive and regulatory battles have shifted from app-store control to AI, with Apple's new Siri raising fresh concerns.
Google published a memo detailing enforcement of new per-app memory limits introduced with Android 17, first rolling out on Pixel devices. Apps that exceed the thresholds will be slowed down or terminated, and starting in February 2027, non-compliant apps could face reduced visibility and publishing restrictions on the Play Store.
Google announced two new Android app quality requirements in response to memory chip shortages fueled by AI data center demand. One mandates stricter thresholds on dynamic memory and bitmap usage along with code optimization to prevent crashes and slowdowns, while the other requires apps to automatically restore sign-in status when users switch devices, via the Zero Tap Sign-In standard. Developers have until February 2027 for the memory rules and April 2027 for sign-in compliance.
A longtime Apple user dug up his original 2011 iPhone 4 and found it still powers on using its old 30-pin dock connector, but its outdated hardware and software make it functionally useless today. The device runs only on 3G networks, has an 8GB capacity and slow A8 chip, and can no longer access iCloud, Safari or most apps due to modern security requirements. He concludes the phone's best remaining role is as a basic iPod, with recycling as the more practical option.
A GrapheneOS user reports that the PayPal app now fails to launch, throwing a RootDetectionSecurityException citing a security policy violation. The user suspects the crash may be tied to having enabled the PayPal card for contactless NFC payments, though this hasn't been confirmed as the sole trigger.
Apple has begun silently pushing App Store updates to fix Apple Watch apps that failed to launch under the watchOS 27 beta. The updates carry a note stating Apple itself repackaged the app for compatibility, with no new features added. Apple told developers this automated fix rollout will wrap up by August 31, ahead of watchOS 27's public release expected in mid-September.
A satirical account describes a user frustrated with her Pixel Watch's low sleep score of 71 after a camping trip, arguing the algorithm failed to account for noisy neighbors, a restless child, and a middle-of-the-night bathroom trip. The piece humorously frames the complaint as a courtroom trial defending the wearer's honor against her own sleep-tracking device.
Google announced that starting February 2027, Android apps and games on the Play Store must comply with new per-app memory limits based on a device's total RAM, with games given more lenient thresholds than apps. Titles that fail to meet these caps risk reduced visibility in the Play Store or being blocked from publication altogether. The rules build on per-app memory limits first tested on Pixel phones under Android 17, now expanding device-wide.
Multiple Pixel users are reporting on Reddit that apps like Google Photos, Spotify, and CapCut are randomly crashing or refusing to stay open, while music apps skip tracks. Reports span devices including the Pixel 9 and Pixel 11, suggesting the issue isn't limited to newer hardware. One user says joining Google's System Services beta and updating resolved the crashes on their device.
During the recent earthquake response in Venezuela, volunteer Anton Wenemoser used the offline app CoMaps to navigate a hard-hit zone with no cell coverage. He later shared it with an El Salvador rescue team that had been relying on a more limited navigation tool, and the app's detailed, community-mapped data proved essential for logistics and coordination in the field.
Bluesky now allows videos up to 10 minutes long, a major jump from the three-minute cap set just last year, and has raised the max file size to 300MB. The company says uploads will also be 2-3x faster, and because Bluesky runs on the decentralized AT Protocol, other apps like Bluescreen, Reelo, and Skylight will inherit the longer video support too.