Instructors at the University of Baltimore's writing program are moving away from surveillance-style tracking of student edits in Google Docs toward assignments that deliberately incorporate generative AI. Using the university's BoodleBox platform, faculty built chatbots with personas like the 'Confrontational Parent' for students to debate in simulated scenarios, such as a mock school board meeting on book bans. New assignments now require transcripts of chatbot conversations, handwritten outlines, and video reflections alongside traditional writing.
news.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-07
TechCrunch has published a living glossary of AI terminology aimed at demystifying jargon used across the industry, from AGI to AI agents. The piece highlights 'opaque recurrence,' a reasoning technique reportedly used in OpenAI's new Astra model that has unsettled AI safety researchers, alongside more familiar terms like LLMs, RAG, and RLHF.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-07
Google's 2025 DORA report finds 90% of developers now use AI daily, but the tool mainly magnifies existing habits rather than automatically improving output quality. Separate data shows 66% of developers spend extra time fixing AI-generated code that's 'almost correct,' while GitClear found an eightfold rise in code duplication since AI adoption became widespread. The piece argues that cheaper development means weak feature ideas can ship as fast as good ones unless teams deliberately slow down to validate problems first.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-07
Google is shortening the grace period for deleted photos backed up to Google Photos from 60 days down to 30 days, matching the retention limit already used for locally stored images. The company has updated its support documentation and started notifying Android users within the app about the change.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-07
Multiple Reddit users say their Google Home devices, running the older Assistant-based system, are refusing to answer simple questions like recipe requests or holiday facts, instead returning generic error messages. Basic functions such as timers and sports scores reportedly still work fine, suggesting the issue is limited to certain query types rather than a total system failure.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-07
With the Pixel 11 lineup now priced from $899 to $1,900, Google is offering notably better trade-in credit for old phones than competing retailers. A 2024 Pixel 9 Pro XL that fetches only $255-$310 at Apple, Amazon or Best Buy can earn several hundred dollars more through Google's own trade-in program.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-07
xAI's Grok Build is a terminal-based AI coding assistant that supports mouse clicks for navigation but requires an external editor like Visual Studio Code for direct code edits, unlike rivals such as Google's Antigravity that bundle a full IDE. Users can prompt it to explain a codebase, install dependencies, run a web app, or build one from scratch and get deployment guidance, then iterate with further prompts. Access depends on a Grok plan, with free users hitting token limits quickly and paid SuperGrok tiers ($30 to $300 monthly) offering higher weekly caps.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-07
Snapseed version 4.1.6 for Android now includes a Color Grade tool that lets users adjust tones and colors for specific artistic effects, along with a dedicated search bar to help locate editing tools among the app's many options. The update also swaps the app's old googly-eyed loading animation for a new leaf fan spinner design.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-07
GrapheneOS is rebuilding its Messaging app with a new Android Compose interface, along with numerous fixes and improvements. The project also confirmed plans to implement RCS messaging natively, eventually letting users message over RCS without depending on Google Messages, and it's developing a secure paste feature to stop apps from reading clipboard data left by other apps.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-07
Google is extending its Sensitive Content Warning system, currently used in Google Messages, into the native Android Photo Picker. The feature relies on Android System SafetyCore, which analyzes images and videos on-device to flag likely nudity before a user shares them through any app that adopts the Photo Picker.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-07
A Reddit demo shows the Pixel 11's American Sign Language translation feature converting continuous signing into English text within Gboard, confirming it works as advertised beyond Google's official showcase. The tool, powered by Google's SL2T model, analyzes hand, arm, torso, head and facial movements to interpret meaning rather than requiring manual input.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-07
Android Authority found evidence within Play Store version 53.0 of an unreleased interface specifically for paid games. The redesign uses a larger, more immersive banner image with ratings, age rating, and device compatibility info layered at the bottom, alongside the recently spotted Ask Play question-chip feature.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-07
GoKawiil