Google Japan has revealed the Gboard Conveyor Belt Version, a novelty keyboard with four conveyor belts of 29 keys each that move toward the typist's fingers to reduce hand and arm movement. The design is part of Google Japan's annual October 1 tradition of releasing joke keyboard concepts, and the team says it may explore color variants, faster models, and a compact mobile version. Build plans, including 3D-printable STL files and KiCad schematics, have been published on GitHub.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-04
Samsung has ended OneDrive integration in its Gallery app as of September 30, 2026, removing the in-app 'Sync with OneDrive' option. In its place, Gallery now offers direct syncing with Google Photos, though only personal Google accounts are supported, not Workspace accounts. Existing OneDrive backups remain intact, and users can still back up to OneDrive manually through Microsoft's own app.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-04
A growing group of companies, including Google, SpaceX and Nvidia alongside several startups, are exploring placing AI data centers in space. The idea relies on continuous solar power and the vacuum of space for cooling, potentially easing the energy demands of AI computing on Earth.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-04
Battery capacity refers to the maximum energy a battery can store, measured in mAh for phones and power banks or Wh for laptops, while battery life describes how long a device runs on a charge, usually in hours. Battery health is a separate percentage figure showing how much of the original capacity remains after repeated charge cycles. Google's Pixel 8a and later models are rated to retain 80 percent capacity after 1,000 full charge cycles.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-03
Google will limit which Gemini models are available based on subscription tier beginning October 9. Free users will only get Flash-Lite, losing access to Flash and Pro, while AI Plus subscribers ($4.99/month) keep Flash-Lite and Flash but lose Pro access. AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers see no cutbacks and instead gain the Deep Think reasoning option previously reserved for pricier tiers.
9to5google.com
· 2026-10-03
Code spotted by TestingCatalog reveals a hidden 'Additional sandbox options' setting in Gemini's macOS desktop app that would let the AI read, create, modify or delete files anywhere on a Mac, not just in folders users have connected. The feature would also let Gemini interact with apps like Mail, Safari and Messages, and take some actions without asking permission each time. Google has not confirmed the feature, and it is not yet live.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-10-03
Security researcher David Buchanan demonstrated a technique to forge the Time Stamp Authority signature used in C2PA content provenance metadata, producing an image that appears cryptographically verified as existing hours before it actually was created. He used the trick to generate a fake photo showing winning lottery numbers displayed before the official draw, verifiable via Adobe's Content Authenticity tool. Buchanan says the stunt builds on an earlier finding that the underlying 'claim' signatures in C2PA, including those from flagship camera apps, can already be forged.
da.vidbuchanan.co.uk
· 2026-10-03
Google Docs offers dark mode on its mobile app but not on the web version, leaving a gap between platforms despite frequent feature updates including Gemini-powered AI tools. Users seeking a dark interface on desktop must rely on workarounds rather than a built-in setting.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-03
Google's payment app has gone through several rebrands since launching as Google Wallet in 2011, becoming Android Pay in 2015, then Google Pay in 2018, before reverting to the Google Wallet name in 2022. The two names now refer to distinct but related products, which has caused confusion among users about which app does what.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-03
Google updated its content guidelines to explicitly prohibit fake bylines and AI-generated headshots, stating it will no longer prioritize sites using these deceptive practices in Search and Google News. The change follows a Futurism investigation into Brown Brothers Media, a company that built an AI content farm using invented journalists with fabricated credentials, which drew tens of millions of monthly page views largely via Google traffic. Google had already suppressed Brown Brothers' sites after the investigation, and the company halted publication shortly after.
futurism.com
· 2026-10-03
Google suspended product vulnerability submissions to its Open Source Software Vulnerability Reward Program as of October 1, citing a surge of invalid, AI-generated reports. The company said supply chain reports and Google Cloud VRP submissions are unaffected, and it plans to provide an update on the program by early 2027 while it reworks the process.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-03
The Wall Street Journal reports that schools deploying AI chatbots like Google's Gemini have seen declines in student performance, with teachers and students describing weakened critical thinking and comprehension. Examples include a Pennsylvania eighth-grader who failed a math final after relying on AI, and a Miami teacher who saw grades drop after her district rolled out Gemini to all students.
futurism.com
· 2026-10-03
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