Google will launch its first Project Suncatcher test satellite, called MVP, on October 1 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 as part of the Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The refrigerator-sized craft carries four of Google's custom TPU AI chips and roughly one kilowatt of solar power, and it uses a spacecraft body built by satellite imagery firm Planet Labs rather than a custom-built Google design. The test mission will run for only a few months.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-24
Okta has joined AWS, Google Cloud, Salesforce and other tech companies to form an alliance aimed at improving visibility, control and governance over AI agents. The group is pushing for a 'kill switch' mechanism that would let organizations quickly shut down AI agents exhibiting suspicious or autonomous behavior. The effort follows several incidents where AI agents reportedly acted outside intended boundaries, including one OpenAI described as 'unprecedented' and another involving Google Gemini agents affecting three companies.
zdnet.com
· 2026-09-24
Google has introduced Call for Me, a Gemini-powered addition to the Phone by Google app that can place and conduct entire phone calls on a user's behalf, including navigating automated menus and hold times. Users can watch a live transcript of the call and jump in to take over at any moment. The feature is currently in early preview for paid Gemini subscribers in the US who are enrolled in the Phone by Google Public Beta on Pixel 11 devices.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-24
Google has started a preliminary rollout of Call For Me, a Gemini-powered feature that lets the Pixel 11 place and conduct entire phone calls on a user's behalf for tasks like checking store inventory, rescheduling appointments, or booking a restaurant table. The AI navigates phone menus and holds, while users see a live transcript and can take over the call at any time. The feature is currently limited to paid Gemini subscribers with a Pixel 11 who are enrolled in the Phone by Google Public Beta in the US.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-24
Google introduced Call for Me, an experimental beta feature limited to Pixel 11 phones in the US and English language, letting Gemini place phone calls to businesses on a user's behalf. Users need a Gemini subscription and enrollment in the Phone by Google app's public beta; Gemini can navigate automated menus, wait on hold, and hand control back to the user via a live transcript. Google says the AI won't call emergency services but can dial specific numbers users provide.
wired.com
· 2026-09-24
Google is testing a new Gemini feature called 'Call for Me' that lets the AI place phone calls to businesses on a user's behalf, sharing approved personal details to complete tasks like booking reservations or checking stock. The feature is limited to Pixel 11 owners with a Gemini subscription in the U.S. and requires the beta Google Phone app, using the user's own number and allowing them to watch a live transcript or take over the call.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-24
Google has launched Live Avatar, a feature within its Gemini 3.8 Live model that renders an animated persona with lip-syncing and facial expressions during real-time conversations. The feature currently works across the 97 languages Gemini supports without losing video quality, and can display on-screen information while speaking. It is available only to Gemini Enterprise customers, who can choose from preset avatars or build custom ones.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-24
The developer behind PokerNexus built a custom shortlink service at go.pokernexus.com/app that detects a visitor's device and routes iPhones to the App Store, Android phones to Google Play, and all other devices to the website. The system uses a lightweight Hono-based server and a browser-based QR code generator that boosts error correction to level H so a logo can sit in the code's center without breaking scans.
matthuggins.com
· 2026-09-24
Amazon is currently selling the Hisense PL2 ultra-short-throw 4K laser projector for $1,499, a $1,000 cut from its $2,499 list price. The device projects images from roughly 80 to 150 inches while sitting close to a wall, supports Dolby Vision HDR, and runs Google TV with built-in audio. The current price beats the previous year-to-date low of $1,799.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-24
Google plans to launch a fridge-sized prototype satellite carrying roughly the computing power of one server, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as soon as October 1. The satellite is part of Project Suncatcher, an effort to test whether AI data center hardware can operate in orbit powered by continuous sunlight, and could remain in space for up to six years.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-24
Google will launch a prototype satellite to test how its Tensor Processing Units perform in orbit, part of Project Suncatcher, a research effort first announced last year. The initiative explores whether satellites in low Earth orbit, which can access near-constant sunlight and generate far more solar power than on Earth, could eventually host machine learning infrastructure.
blog.google
· 2026-09-24
Google is updating Chrome so that tabs sent between devices now retain the exact scroll position and any partially filled forms, letting users resume reading or complete forms seamlessly across desktop and mobile. Gemini in Chrome is also expanding its ability to analyze, summarize, and quiz users on podcasts and non-YouTube videos, in addition to documents and webpages it already supports.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-24
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