Calvin Wankhede / Android Authority TL;DR Google is making it mandatory to have Play Services for its next-generation reCAPTCHA system on Android. Your phone will need to be running Play Services version 25.41.30 or greater when the system asks you to scan a QR code for verification. This hurdle means that de-Googled phones will fail … Read More “Google’s next-gen reCAPTCHA system could spell trouble for de-Googled phones” »
The Fitbit Air is one of the most interesting new wearables we’ve seen from Google/Fitbit in a while. The screen-less design is gunning right for WHOOP, the Pixel Watch tie-in is intriguing, and the $100 price tag is fantastic. For Fitbit enthusiasts, the Air looks pretty compelling right out of the gate. However, with Google … Read More “As an Oura Ring user, I’m glad the Fitbit Air isn’t a smart ring” »
TL;DR Google has officially launched the “Google Fitbit Air,” confirming months of rumors about its new screenless fitness tracker. The fitness tracker offers passive wellness tracking with a suite of health sensors, automatic workout detection, and up to seven days of battery life. It is now available for preorder, priced at $99 and includes three … Read More “A $99 screenless tracker with WHOOP vibes” »
I remember when the Chromecast with Google TV first came out. My immediate thought was, “This is a game-changer.” While I’d been a Chromecast user since the original model, I increasingly desired the deeper functionality of a full remote and UI, as you’d get from Fire TV sticks and Roku. Since then, I’ve used multiple … Read More “I don’t want a new Google TV Streamer, I just want a new Chromecast” »
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority TL;DR Google has reopened the Android Auto beta program and is currently accepting new testers. The beta program is usually full because Google keeps a strict limit on the number of participants. Interested users should hurry, as available spots are likely to disappear quickly. Google has quietly reopened the Android … Read More “Android Auto beta is open again, but you’ll need to be quick” »
Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR Google has updated AI Mode and AI Overviews in Gemini-powered Search with new features that provide more context about topics being searched about. AI Overviews has five updates, including links directly within AI responses, previews of linked websites, links to sources highlighted as subscriptions, links to in-depth articles for … Read More “Google adds more deep-dive potential to AI Overviews- Android Authority” »
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority TL;DR Google recently acknowledged a critical memory leak affecting Galaxy XR headsets. The company has now rolled out a patch (version I610UEU2AZD8) that promises to fix the issue. To download and install the patch, you’ll need to go to Settings > Software Update. Things have not been going smoothly over … Read More “Google finally has a fix for the Galaxy XR’s memory leak bug” »
TL;DR Fitbit has teased a new wearable announcement for tomorrow, May 7. The teaser image appears to show the rumored Fitbit Air, a screenless fitness band. Previous leaks suggest it could cost around $99 and undercut WHOOP’s entry-level pricing. Fitbit has been pretty quiet on the hardware front lately, but it looks like that silence … Read More “The Fitbit Air may finally be ready for its big reveal” »
Megan Ellis / Android Authority TL;DR By default, Chrome downloads a multi-gigabyte file called weights.bin on desktop computers. This file is the Gemini Nano model that powers on-device AI features. Google says it’s rolling out an option to easily delete weights.bin from Chrome settings. Earlier today, we wrote about Chrome automatically downloading a large, poorly … Read More “Google addresses Chrome’s chunky weights.bin file download” »
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google is quietly developing AI Ultra Lite as a new subscription option for Gemini. The price for AI Ultra Lite, codenamed “Neon”, may fall somewhere between the $20 and $250 range offered by AI Pro and AI Ultra. Google is also working on adding a new AI usage limit … Read More “Google appears to have ‘AI Ultra Lite’ plan in the works” »
