Google Research and HHMI Janelia released MaleCNS v1.0, a dataset mapping over 166,000 neurons from a male fruit fly's brain and nervous system, built by converting millions of 2D images into 3D neural reconstructions. Developers quickly began using the model outside its intended scientific purpose, wiring its simulated neurons to control games like Doom and Super Mario 64, where sensory input from game frames drives neural activity that translates into player actions.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-09
Google announced plans to invest $15 billion in AI infrastructure in Finland, expanding its data center footprint in the country. The move adds to a wave of similar large-scale investments by U.S. tech companies aiming to grow AI computing capacity outside the United States.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-09
Users of Google's newly launched Pixel 11 lineup have flagged a handful of software problems, including devices getting stuck in boot loops and camera app malfunctions. It remains unclear how many units are affected or whether the issues stem from software or hardware causes.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple's standard iPhone 17 starts at $799, while the Google Pixel 11 and Samsung Galaxy S26 both launch at $899, a $100 gap that has flipped the usual value equation in the flagship smartphone market. Rising RAM and storage costs, plus heavier investment in on-device AI, are cited as reasons behind the higher pricing from Google and Samsung, and rumors suggest Apple may delay the iPhone 18 launch, potentially extending this pricing advantage.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-09
Google announced a 13 billion euro ($15.1 billion) investment to build out AI infrastructure in Finland, making it the company's largest single investment ever made in Europe. The move underscores Finland's growing appeal to hyperscalers seeking abundant land and power resources that are increasingly scarce elsewhere on the continent.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-09
Federico Felici and Jonas Buchli, former Google DeepMind researchers, have founded Fusionality in Lausanne to build standardized hardware and software for controlling fusion reactors. The company raised $3.7 million in pre-seed funding from Founderful and Playfair, with Felici as CEO and Buchli as CTO.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-09
Google Chat now saves unsent messages directly in the compose box, keeping them intact even after closing the app or restarting a device. These drafts sync across platforms, so a message started on the web can be finished later on Android or iOS, and a new Drafts shortcut collects all pending messages in one place, retained for up to 30 days.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-09
Google has expanded access to its Gemini Daily Brief feature, previously limited to Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers, to free-tier users in the US. The company confirmed the change via an X post and updated its support documentation to remove subscription requirements. The rollout is gradual, so not all eligible users may see the feature immediately.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-09
Google released security updates fixing 230 vulnerabilities, including a Chrome zero-day flaw that attackers are already exploiting in the wild. This marks the seventh Chrome zero-day patched by Google since the beginning of the year.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-09-09
On September 4, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to phase out the 16th-century Mercator map projection in favor of the Equal Earth projection, which more accurately represents the relative sizes of continents and countries. The Mercator map, created by Gerardus Mercator in 1569, has long been criticized for exaggerating the size of Northern Hemisphere landmasses like Canada and Russia while shrinking equatorial regions such as Africa.
nature.com
· 2026-09-09
Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis proposed training a large language model only on scientific knowledge available before 1911 to see if it could independently derive general relativity, calling it a meaningful test for artificial general intelligence. Several research teams, including one led by Ido Kaminer at Technion, have since built such 'vintage' AI models restricted to historical data, but early results have exposed shortcomings in current systems rather than demonstrating breakthrough reasoning.
nature.com
· 2026-09-09
Google has signaled it will scale back certain search functionality for European users rather than fully comply with EU antitrust rules, aiming to sidestep potential fines. The company frames this as a response to regulatory demands it considers overly burdensome or conflicting with its business model.
search.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-08
GoKawiil