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Google is testing a feature that lets some Indian users buy Flipkart products directly within Gemini and AI Mode, using a 'Buy' button that leads to Flipkart's checkout without leaving the AI interface. The trial currently covers a limited set of items like smartphones and accessories, and Google plans a wider rollout in October ahead of the festive shopping season.
Google confirmed to Engadget it has stopped manufacturing the Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers, following the launch of a new smart speaker earlier this year, but will keep providing software updates and support. Factory resets on these devices require physical button presses rather than voice commands or the Google Home app, with slightly different steps for the 1st-gen Home Mini, 2nd-gen Nest Mini, and Nest Hub displays.
Home Assistant is open-source software that can run on an old laptop to unify smart home devices from different brands, including Philips Hue, Google Nest, Ring, Sonos and Ecobee. It supports automations, scenes and scripts, letting users link devices together, such as starting a coffee maker with an alarm dismissal or dimming lights when a movie starts.
A third-party app called Merge Watch lets users pair an Apple Watch with an Android device after initial setup with an iPhone. Users install the app on both the Apple Watch and an Android phone, grant Bluetooth, health, notification and battery permissions, then pair via a six-digit code. Health data syncs to Google Fit, though it can take time to appear after setup.
Conversations, the federated Android messaging app launched in 2014 by its solo developer, is ending its paid Google Play Store distribution model. The developer says Play Store sales had served as a steady, dependable income stream for over a decade, supplementing project-based development contracts, consulting work and grants.
An Android Authority reviewer highlights Face Unlock on the Pixel 11 Pro, noting it can authenticate not just the lock screen but also sensitive apps and mobile payments, thanks to security processing on Google's Tensor chip. This capability has existed since the Pixel 8 series in 2023 and remains largely unchanged, while competitors like Samsung and Motorola limit face unlock to lock-screen access only.
A tech enthusiast tested whether an eight-year-old Google Pixel 3 XL could be reused as a home security camera and as an Android TV replacement instead of being discarded. Using the AlfredCamera app paired with a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 as viewer, the Pixel served as a low-latency camera node with motion detection and two-way audio. The author found the security camera use case worked well, while the Android TV box conversion was less successful, though specific limitations of that experiment weren't detailed.
Google Health version 5.09 is rolling out on Android and iOS, bringing the newly announced Pixel Watch Health Guardian features—blood pressure tracking, insulin resistance trend charts, and sleep breathing quality data—to Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 owners. The update also lets Garmin and Apple Watch users sync workouts into Cardio Load calculations, adds new activity-logging options, fixes a step streak display bug, and improves how custom food items handle serving units and meal times.
Google began taking pre-orders this week for Googlebooks, a new laptop line running a combined ChromeOS-Android operating system, and the devices reportedly sold out quickly on its US store. However, searching "Googlebooks" on Google Search returns results dominated by Google Books, the company's existing digital library of scanned books and magazines, including in the AI Overview.
Security firm Netskope found Google ads pushing a browser-locking scam across hundreds of legitimate websites, including maps, weather and sports sites, from August 31 to September 14. The fake alerts freeze the screen, hide the cursor and disable exit keys to pressure victims into calling a bogus support number, where scammers demand fees, remote access or personal data; Netskope says it blocked the attempts for the 619 client organizations it monitored, over 60 percent of them in the US.
Google is rolling out a redesigned Messages interface that lets users swipe left on a chat to reveal timestamps and encryption status for all messages at once, rather than tapping each one individually. Swiping right now triggers a quick reply, while tapping a message simply shows its delivery status. The change was first spotted in development nearly two years ago and is now appearing in version 20260910_03_RC02, according to 9to5Google.
Google is rolling out a Calendar update that allows users to configure up to three time zones simultaneously, shown side-by-side on the main grid, up from the previous limit of two. Users can also assign custom labels to each time zone, such as 'NYC' or 'LA,' and the three zones will appear when scheduling events using the 'Find a Time' feature. The rollout began today and Google says it may take up to 15 days to reach all users across Workspace, Workspace Individual, and personal Google accounts.