A reader poll of more than 1,200 respondents found over 60% believe Google Gemini's performance has declined in recent months, with complaints of misunderstandings and degraded output. Excluding non-users, nearly two-thirds of respondents reported dissatisfaction, while about 20% said they saw no decline and 14.6% were unsure. Commenters described Gemini as frustrating and said rival assistants now outperform it for everyday tasks.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-03
YouTube said over the weekend that it had fixed the 'Server Error 400' bug affecting Android users, but has since reversed that claim. Google confirmed in an updated support thread that some Android users are still hitting the error when opening the app or loading videos, and gave no new timeline for a fix.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-03
Investigators uncovered a network of more than 400 apps and websites distributed through the App Store and Play Store that pose as ordinary tools—language tutors, pet photo editors, workout coaches—but secretly contain deepfake nudity generators. The apps display a normal interface after download but contact a remote server that decides whether to unlock the explicit feature, with the operators also running Meta ads showcasing explicit deepfake content to drive installs.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-03
Google has updated its Vids video editor to let users generate a custom AI avatar from a single uploaded photo, rather than requiring the longer face-scanning and voice-recording process previously needed through Gemini's likeness tool. Users can access this by starting a new AI video project, selecting the Avatar option, and choosing 'Design a custom avatar' to upload an image, which the tool then processes and enhances. Those who use the photo-upload method must still pick from Google's existing preset voice options rather than cloning their own voice.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-03
Google confirmed to Android Authority that a fix for the severe Pixel Watch battery drain issue is rolling out over the next few days. The bug had cut battery life to about 12 hours on largely idle devices across multiple Pixel Watch generations. Users can apply the fix immediately by manually updating their apps through the Play Store on the watch.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-03
Google has added a new top-tier payout to its Cloud Vulnerability Reward Program, offering $250,000 for bugs that let attackers gain full administrative control over arbitrary Google Cloud organizations or projects without prior access. Qualifying flaws include tenant-isolation bypasses and complex cross-service logic errors, and reports showing remote code execution on Google's internal Borg infrastructure will also be reviewed for eligibility under this top reward tier.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-11-03
Google says it has severed its relationship with Videostrong Technology, the OEM/ODM behind MECOOL Android TV boxes, after finding the company built a backdoor called XCPE into its devices. Google says the backdoor turned over 1.3 million TV boxes into a botnet, which Videostrong allegedly sold access to for ad fraud, data exfiltration and enrolling devices into residential proxy networks.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-03
Google's November 2026 System Services release notes confirm a new Android Family Hub, described as a dedicated space for family management tools within Android Settings. The feature rolls out with Google Play services version 26.43, following earlier sightings of the tool in testing on Pixel 11 phones.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-03
Google's November 2026 System Services release notes confirm a feature that automatically backs up photos and videos from Android phones to Windows PCs using Quick Share, shipping with Google Play services v26.43. The update is rolling out gradually, and earlier teardowns indicated Samsung phones and PCs would initially be excluded from support.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-03
AI strategist Peter Gostev sparked discussion by declaring presentation software dead, pointing to AI tools like Anthropic's Claude Design that generate interactive web-based decks from a prompt, exportable as HTML or PowerPoint files. Microsoft counters by embedding AI editing features directly into PowerPoint, reporting a 36% jump in new-user retention, while some business owners and coaches are already building presentations as websites using AI coding tools.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-11-03
Google has launched its experimental Dreambeans app in India, its first international market, adding support for 13 languages including Hindi, Tamil and Bengali. The app, which pulls data from Gmail, Photos, Calendar, Search and YouTube to auto-generate illustrated personal stories, debuted in the U.S. in June and opened to all eligible adult users there in September.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-11-03
Google's Threat Intelligence Group worked with industry partners to take down a botnet, dubbed XCPE, built from more than 1.3 million Android TV set-top boxes. Investigators traced the malware to Videostrong Technology Co., a Chinese manufacturer accused of preloading devices with backdoors that resold users' internet connections through residential proxy services and enabled advertising fraud. Google took legal action to seize the domains and servers used to control the botnet.
krebsonsecurity.com
· 2026-11-03
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