GoKawiil
Tech News
Android Authority released its latest 'Wallpaper Wednesday' collection, featuring six reader-submitted images and three from its own team. The wallpapers are free, watermark-free, and available in both landscape and portrait formats as JPG or PNG files via a shared Drive link.
The US government has launched America.gov, an AI-powered chatbot portal that draws on more than 29,000 official sources to answer questions about federal benefits, forms, fees, deadlines, and eligibility. Google serves as the technology partner behind the platform, which supports PDF uploads and voice input similar to Gemini. At launch the tool only provides information and guidance, with plans to support actual form filing, applications, and renewals starting in 2027.
Google's September software update extends its newer, more dimensional 3D emoji design to the Pixel Watch 2, 3, and 4, matching the look already shipped on the Pixel Watch 5 and on phones running Android 17. The redesign adds shading and depth to emoji faces and objects, replacing the flatter previous style, according to 9to5Google.
Google's new Pixel Search app, which expands the app drawer search bar to surface photos, emails and other content, ships preinstalled on the Pixel 11 series but isn't officially available for older Pixels. Android Authority found that the app can be manually sideloaded onto older Pixel devices, provided they are running the Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 update or newer; installation fails on stable Android 17 QPR1 builds.
An Android Authority writer who used the iPhone 17 for nearly a year switched to the Pixel 11 as their main phone for over a month and compared the two. They highlight the Pixel 11's 10.8MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, a feature the iPhone 17 lacks, as the standout advantage, praising its detail, natural colors and low noise, especially in portraits.
YouTube confirmed it has resolved an issue that caused missing thumbnails and blank gray or black spaces in Home, Subscriptions, and profile feeds on Android and iOS. The bug appeared over the weekend, following a separate freezing issue reported on Galaxy phones last week. YouTube says users still seeing blank gaps should force-quit and restart the app.
Android Authority highlights lesser-known Google Lens features, including identifying items for purchase by pointing a camera at them and returning direct shopping links, and decoding laundry care symbols on clothing tags. The tool also works for interpreting car dashboard icons, nutrition labels, and troubleshooting device issues, aided by its integration with Gemini for follow-up questions.
Google's Alexander Kuscher explained on the Android Faithful podcast how Magic Pointer, a Gemini-powered cursor feature for Googlebook laptops, processes screen content. Identifying interactive elements like emails or images happens locally on the device, while content is only sent to Google's cloud once a user selects it and asks Gemini to act on it.
Users report that Google Maps on desktop browsers returns a 'can't find restaurants' style error when searching broad, nonspecific terms, while specific searches like building names still work. The mobile app appears unaffected, and the issue is showing up across multiple browsers, not just Chrome. Google has not yet confirmed the cause.
Google is expanding access to its Gemini study notebooks feature to users of all ages, provided they sign in with a school- or work-issued Google account and their admin enables the Gemini app and Gemini Notebook. The tool builds personalized study plans, quizzes, and lessons from uploaded notes and course materials, and includes a dashboard tracking strengths and focus areas. The rollout has begun and may take up to 15 days to reach all eligible accounts, though it is not yet available in the European Economic Area.
Google has made the games category for Android Auto and Android Automotive OS generally available, ending its beta phase. Developers can now publish compatible titles directly through Google Play's open testing and production tracks, rather than relying on early-access programs.
Google is trialing a new Discover feature called 'Dive Deeper' that generates an AI summary of a topic instead of directing users to a publisher's article or video. The tool, similar to Search's AI Overviews, is currently being tested with video content, with more formats expected in coming weeks. It also surfaces links to related stories, community reactions, and original sources for users who want to dig further.