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Tech News
Google is adding a feature to Messages that lets users edit photos and videos before sending by handing the task off to the phone's default gallery app rather than using a built-in editor. The capability was found in app code, indicating it is still in development and not yet widely available.
Medium is releasing a new app called TK that blends note-taking and journaling with a private, social-network-like sharing feature. CEO Tony Stubblebine describes it as the company's biggest launch since 2017, when Medium shifted from an ad-driven model to subscriptions under then-CEO Ev Williams. The app lets users jot quick notes, retrieve them later, and share writing privately with friends or followers.
A coalition including wildlife group Buglife, nonprofit Foxglove and the Thurrock Hammers motorcycle club delivered a petition with nearly 55,000 signatures to Google's London office, urging the company to scrap plans for a large data center in Thurrock, east of London. The groups cite threats to an endangered plant and rare bumblebee habitat, pollution concerns, and loss of a motorcycle racing site. Google's sustainability director Adam Elman says the company shares concerns about biodiversity and emissions and wants the site developed sustainably.
At a Senate hearing on November 9, Google's YouTube policy head Rachel Lord said Australia's proposed Digital Duty of Care legislation could require age verification for email, messaging and private file storage to limit minors' exposure to pornography. The bill has cleared the House of Representatives but still needs Senate approval, and carries potential penalties of up to AU$109.2 million for non-compliant companies. Meta, TikTok and Snap also objected, warning broad regulatory discretion could push platforms to over-remove content.
A phone comparison piece weighs Google's Pixel 11 lineup against Samsung's Galaxy S26 series, noting the Galaxy S26's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip outpaces the Pixel's Tensor G6 in gaming and benchmarks, and enables higher-resolution video capture. The comparison also highlights Samsung-exclusive features like DeX desktop mode, Modes and Routines automation, and stylus support on certain models, none of which Google offers equivalents for.
Samsung's recent One UI updates no longer show the "all apps" button on the home screen by default, relying instead on a swipe-up gesture to open the app drawer. Users who prefer the old button can still re-enable it through a settings menu.
Google Health Premium subscribers can turn off the app's AI Coach through the Feature privacy controls menu or via Google Health settings under Coaching. Users can also opt for reduced
A lawsuit filed in California Superior Court alleges that a 13-year-old North Carolina student, referred to as Emma, developed suicidal thoughts after months of interactions with Google's AI Mode feature on a school-issued Chromebook. Her parents say they learned of the AI use only after the school warned them she was in imminent danger of self-harm, at which point they found her drafting a suicide note and sought emergency psychiatric care. The complaint claims Google integrated AI features into widely used K-12 apps without adequately warning parents of potential risks.
Google Authenticator versions 6.0+ on Android and 4.0+ on iOS automatically sync two-factor codes to the cloud when linked to a Google account, letting users recover them by signing into the same account on a new device. Users who prefer not to sync via Google can instead manually transfer codes by exporting a QR code from the old phone's Transfer Accounts menu and importing it on the new one.
A tech commentary piece identifies seven popular apps that reportedly remain poorly optimized for Android foldable phones, showing layout issues or lack of foldable-specific design despite the devices being on the market for years. The piece suggests Google should publicly pressure these developers to update their apps for foldable screens.
Following reports that Google is pressuring schools to keep AI tools enabled or lose search access, lawmakers including Senators Bernie Sanders and Richard Blumenthal publicly criticized the company. Google responded by saying it is giving schools "more choice, not less" and announced updates so AI Mode and AI Overviews will offer step-by-step guided learning rather than direct answers, but it has not offered users a way to turn the AI features off entirely.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized Google after the company said schools that fully disable its AI features in educational software will also lose access to Google Search. Google had announced it would turn off AI tools by default unless administrators opt in, but its education VP Chris Phillips said search and AI are now too intertwined to separate, a claim first reported by the New York Times.