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A bug in Google Analytics for Firebase iOS caused widespread app crashes at launch, affecting thousands of apps that rely on Firebase for backend and analytics services. Google deployed a fix within a couple of hours, but caching meant some apps kept crashing for up to four hours afterward, with some seeing crash rates over 5,000 times normal levels.
WIRED's 2026 smartwatch guide picks the Apple Watch Series 12, priced at $399, as the best option for iPhone owners, and Google's $400 Pixel Watch 5 as the top choice for Android users. The review highlights the Series 12's new Health Sensing System, S11 chip, more frequent heart rate and HRV tracking, a new Readiness score, and faster charging, while noting battery life remains largely unchanged.
AI researcher Timnit Gebru, known for co-authoring Google's 'stochastic parrots' paper on bias in large language models, says she does not believe AI poses an existential threat to humanity. She argues that framing dominates industry debate at the expense of more immediate harms caused by AI systems, and has clashed with figures including an Anthropic cofounder over whether her earlier bias research still applies to current models.
Google Translate app teardown reveals an in-development "Auto-save transcript" toggle in Live Translate settings that would automatically store conversation transcripts on mobile without a manual save step. Code strings indicate this saving feature will be disabled entirely when the app is used through Android XR smart glasses. Separately, spotted UI changes would let users trigger translation on glasses via voice command and end sessions with a touchpad swipe.
Android Authority's Jerry Hildenbrand bought a Pixel 11 for $300 via Google Fi loyalty discounts but hit a boot loop during initial setup, taking nearly an hour to reach the home screen. He says the device then struggled to maintain a stable network connection, and a colleague reported similar boot loop problems on a Pixel 11 Pro roughly a month earlier.
Google is challenging in court two European Commission requirements issued in July: one forcing it to give rival AI assistants deeper access to Android, including voice-activation capability, and another requiring it to share Google Search data with competing search providers. The Android rule would require Google, within 12 months of the July decision, to let users set a non-Google AI assistant like ChatGPT as their default and invoke it by voice.
Google has quietly updated its Find Hub app with a new 'Remembered' tab that uses Gemini AI to help users track items that can't carry a physical Bluetooth tracker. Users can tag an item, add a note and photo, and later recall where they placed it. The feature was highlighted by an Android Authority writer who has been using it for several weeks.
Google confirmed via a support page that Gemini Skills, previously limited to AI Pro or Ultra subscribers, are now available to all personal Google account users aged 18 and up. The change comes as Google prepares to migrate Gems into Skills starting November 17, addressing concerns about free-tier access after the switch. Google also plans to add features to Skills, including file imports from Google Drive and Gemini Notebook, and the ability to share Skills with other users.
Google's Gboard keyboard includes native features like translation, clipboard history, quick text-case switching, and a personal dictionary that replicate functions previously requiring separate downloaded apps such as Google Translate. A writer at Android Authority describes replacing four apps entirely by using these built-in Gboard tools instead, accessible through the keyboard's toolbar menu.
Christina Weaver of Kodiak, Alaska turned herself in to a state wildlife officer after harvesting three Wilson's snipes in September, believing hunting season had opened based on a Google AI Overview stating snipe season began September 1. That date applies to some Alaska regions but not Kodiak, where the actual season runs from October 8 to January 22. The investigating officer confirmed his own search produced the same misleading result.
Google has begun phasing out Google Assistant on mobile devices, replacing it with Gemini. Users report that the 'Switch to Google Assistant' option has disappeared from the Gemini app's account menu, following a company email last month announcing the rollout would begin September 4.
Developer Chainfire has released version 2.0 of Sideload Launcher, a free third-party Android TV launcher that displays sideloaded, unofficial-source, and phone/tablet apps alongside standard ones. The update introduces a redesigned interface, a cleaner app list, and new customization and sorting options, while keeping the app free of ads and tracking and functional without internet access.