Google has opened a beta Connected Apps Platform that lets any developer or business submit their app to work within Google Search and Gemini. Developers integrate via a cloud-hosted MCP server or Android MCP using AppFunctions APIs, then register and test apps through the Google Connected Console, choosing whether the app appears in Search, Gemini, or both. The beta is currently limited to developers in the U.S., and includes tools for tracking traffic, latency, error rates, and maintaining verified branding.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-28
Google Photos' latest update lets users customize the Collections tab by pinning favorite destinations—such as Favorites, Screenshots, and Trash—to the top of the screen. A new Reorder button also allows users to rearrange or hide other collection strips, which get grouped into an 'Other Collections' section.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-28
Android Authority's poll of 1,144 readers found the floating Gemini button in Google Messages to be the most unpopular feature, drawing 48.6% of votes among five options. Respondents cited its prominent placement near the 'Start a new chat' button, which makes it easy to tap by accident, and its redundancy given Google's standalone Gemini app.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-28
Alphabet reports third-quarter earnings after market close, with analysts polled by LSEG expecting EPS of $3.02 and revenue of $128.2 billion, up 25% year-over-year. Capital expenditures are projected to jump 130% to $55.2 billion, continuing a trend that has already pushed free cash flow negative for the first time, while cloud revenue is expected to grow 90% to $28.7 billion.
cnbc.com
· 2026-10-28
Alphabet reported Q3 earnings showing consolidated revenue of $127.6 billion, up 25% year-over-year, with Google Search & other revenue rising 12%. CEO Sundar Pichai said AI investments are driving query growth, including commercial queries, at the fastest rate in five years. Google Cloud revenue jumped 103% to $30.7 billion, and YouTube Music and Premium subscriptions topped 150 million including trials.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-28
Google announced Gemini 4 Carbon, a new AI model it says delivers major improvements in coding, long-running agentic tasks, and cybersecurity defense compared to its predecessor Argon, released earlier this month. The model tops the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index v5.0 and leads rival models from Anthropic and OpenAI on two security-focused benchmarks, SEC-bench Pro and ExploitGym. Access is currently limited to select cybersecurity defense firms through Google's Fairwind Program, with wider partner access planned later.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-28
South Korea's Korea Media and Communications Commission fined Google 42.9 billion won and Apple 20.8 billion won, totaling about $47.6 million, for violating a 2021 law requiring app stores to allow alternative payment systems. The regulator said both companies effectively forced developers to use their own payment systems by charging a 26% commission and withholding features from third-party options, and also delayed app reviews without explanation. Apple was additionally accused of overcharging Korean developers compared with developers elsewhere between 2015 and January 2023.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-28
DuckDuckGo publicly criticized Samsung for embedding a non-removable Google search bar on One UI 9 home screens, even for users who prefer other search engines. The bar, unlike a typical widget, cannot be long-pressed or dragged away, though Samsung does allow users to turn it off entirely through Home screen settings. The change builds on Android 17's revamped search widget system, which Motorola has also adopted.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-28
Google has begun certifying registered app stores that distribute Android applications outside its own Play Store. The certification process is intended to let alternative app marketplaces meet a set of standards defined by Google before being recognized as approved distributors.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-28
Google and Xreal have launched the Aura smart glasses in the US, Canada and South Korea at $1,099 for the 12GB/256GB model, down from the $1,279 preorder price announced last month. A 16GB/512GB version costs $1,299, with shipping expected mid-November and a Japan launch set for November 2nd; customers who already preordered at the higher price will get an automatic refund of the difference.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-28
Android Authority released its latest Wallpaper Wednesday collection, featuring six reader-submitted images and three from its own team, available in landscape and portrait formats for phones, tablets and PCs. The free, watermark-free wallpapers can be downloaded in full resolution via a shared Google Drive link, with past weeks' images also archived there.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-28
Google Maps is now displaying trees in red, orange, and yellow hues along navigation routes in select US metro areas, replacing the usual green foliage. The company confirmed via X that this seasonal visual update will remain active through November 30, appearing within its Immersive Navigation interface for Android Auto.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-28
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