GoKawiil
Tech News
A writer describes discovering that Google's AI produced a false claim, which required manual fact-checking to disprove. The episode is used to argue that AI-generated answers should be treated with the same skepticism given to unreliable human sources.
Google's latest Android feature drop lets users ask Gemini to remember where they placed rarely-used items like passports, complete with an optional photo, without needing a physical tracker attached. The saved location can later be retrieved by asking Gemini directly or checking a new 'remembered items' tab inside Find Hub. This works on Android 16 devices in regions supporting both Gemini and Find Hub.
A Reddit user shared screenshots showing Google's new advanced sideloading flow now live on their Android device, requiring a restart and a mandatory 24-hour wait before installing apps outside the Play Store. The interface warns users about scammers who pressure victims into enabling sideloading, and once the waiting period ends, users can permit sideloading for either seven days or indefinitely.
President Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as 'Lake America,' prompting the Seneca Nation's president to argue the move breaches a treaty dating back 232 years. The dispute has spilled onto social media, where users are also criticizing mapping services like Google Maps for potentially adopting the new name.
Google switched the Pixel 11 series from Samsung's Exynos modem to a MediaTek chip to fix years of connectivity complaints, but a subset of owners are now reporting 5G icons with no data, Wi-Fi dropouts, slow speeds, and network switching issues shortly after purchase. Reports have surfaced on Reddit from multiple Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro XL owners, though many other buyers say their devices work fine.
Android Authority found a new floating button in the Google app's Gemini Daily Brief labeled 'Talk through your brief,' which opens Gemini Live and reads the briefing aloud. The audio works, but the accompanying UI is unfinished, currently just showing generic intro text like 'Here's what's on your plate today.' The feature was spotted in Google app version 17.54.10.
Google is trialing a new Quick Settings panel inside Android Auto's beta version 17.6.663424, accessible from the notification shade at the top of the screen. So far only a single Do Not Disturb tile has appeared, letting drivers silence phone notifications without opening the full settings menu. The feature arrives alongside a new app icon and a raccoon-themed weather animation spotted in the same beta build.
Federal investigators say Daejon Labrayae Love, posing as an injured San Francisco 49ers receiver or a wealthy Swiss developer, and 18-year-old accomplice Taylor Jamie Chan, who claimed to be his financial advisor, met victims on dating apps and convinced them to invest in fake opportunities. The FBI alleges the two swindled at least 26 women across four states out of roughly $1.3 million, with some victims taking out loans to fund the fake investments. When suspicious victims searched online, Google's AI Overviews reportedly echoed Love's fabricated social media claims, lending false credibility to his identity.
A hidden feature in Android Auto beta version 17.6.66 shows a small animated raccoon, internally named 'Jimothy' after the viral social media character, hopping across the music player interface to display weather information. The widget also shows rain, clouds, or sun icons depending on local conditions, and currently only appears after manually switching the device theme in settings. Google has not confirmed a timeline or plans for a wider public rollout.
Google Street View publicly displays detailed exterior shots of homes, including house numbers, parked cars, and yard layouts, accessible to anyone who searches an address. Google has long allowed users to request blurring of this imagery, but the feature is hidden deep within Google Maps and rarely used because most people don't know it exists.
Google introduced Google Pics, a new design tool for Workspace users that combines Gemini with its Nano Banana image model to generate and edit 'professional-grade' visuals. It launches as both a standalone app and an integration inside Docs and Slides, with Drive support coming soon, letting users select objects or text within images and edit them via prompts.
Samsung's $2,100 Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra pairs an 8-inch inner display with a 200-megapixel camera system, while the $1,200 Z Flip8 becomes the world's lightest and thinnest flip phone with a 4.1-inch cover screen. Motorola's first book-style foldable, the $1,900 Razr Fold, offers an 8.1-inch inner display and a 6,000-mAh battery lasting nearly three days, though it lacks a flagship chipset.