Google

OpenAI gave up on Sora last week, but in a post about Google’s new “cost efficient” Veo 3.1 Lite AI video model, DeepMind staffer Logan Kilpatrick says that “video’s here to stay.” And in a blog post about the model, the authors discuss Google’s “commitment to making video generation more available to developers.”

In addition to bringing the refurbished Pixel 8A to its online store, Google also announced that it’s listing its entire used phone lineup on Amazon, which includes the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 7A, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro.

If you choose the option, you’ll be able to share your precise location until you close an app, which might be a good choice if you just need to give your location to an app to quickly check one thing.

Aptoide’s AppArena is now available in Japan as an Apple Store alternative. It comes after regulators required Apple and Google to support third-party app marketplaces and payment systems. AppArena features AI-assisted discovery of apps and games, cashback rewards, and 15-minute game trials.

“We’re bringing Maps’ AI-powered EV charging features to over 350 car models with Android Auto,” the company writes. It should predict where, when, and how long you’ll need to charge — after you punch in charge level manually. Google doesn’t mention battery preconditioning, though both Apple and Google are pursuing that vehicle-by-vehicle.

Android Authority has found references to an expanded AirDrop-like system in Android 17 beta and Canary builds called “Tap to share” that uses NFC to help transfer files between phones brought close together. As it sits at the OS level, the feature could be coming to all Android devices.

In a class action lawsuit, an unnamed plaintiff who says she’s a survivor of sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein says the Trump administration and Google have wrongfully disclosed survivors’ personal data. “Google has failed and refuses to remove, de-index, or block access to the offending materials,“ the complaint says.

The bubbles are live in the third Android 17 beta, alongside Wi-Fi and mobile data being separated under the Quick Settings menu, a new option to hide app labels on your home screen, granular audio controls for hearing devices, and a redesigned screen recording toolbar.

The compression algorithm works by shrinking the data stored by large language models, with Google’s research finding that it can reduce memory usage by at least six times “with zero accuracy loss.”

As part of a deal announced in January, Apple reportedly has ‘complete access’ to Gemini in its data centers, according to The Information. That includes the option to use Gemini to train “student” AI models via distillation that could be specially-tuned for Apple’s devices and require less computing power.

There could be a sticky situation if jurors don’t reach a verdict today on day nine of deliberations, independent journalist Meghann Cuniff reports. One juror is set to leave on a prepaid vacation tomorrow, and the judge hasn’t yet said what would happen if they go before a verdict.

Alongside more visual responses from Gemini and the narrated “deep dives” on educational topics that were announced at CES 2026, yesterday Google TV also started rolling out a new feature called sports briefs; narrated overviews of in-season sports leagues that include game summaries and player news from the NBA, MLB, NHL, and more.

Project Wing launched as a part of Google X more than a decade ago, and now, in 2026, the Alphabet subsidiary Wing is announcing drone delivery service will be available in the Bay Area soon. It hasn’t announced partners or other details yet, but says interested residents can sign up for updates here.

There are some complex pros and cons to Google’s new “advanced flow” for sideloading unverified Android apps, which may well protect some users from scammers. But it would sure be nice if I could just install the apps I want on the computer I own.

Just open a conversation, tap Attachment, and then Real-time location. You can let friends and family know where you are for specific durations or until you disable the feature. It comes almost a decade after WhatsApp, iMessage, and Facebook Messenger introduced live location sharing, but better late than never, right?

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has the scoop. Should Google release the app publicly, it will compete with other macOS AI chatbot apps like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude.

In a post announcing some updates coming to Stitch, Google’s AI coding tool for UI design, the company is encouraging users to “vibe design,” including with new voice capabilities. I’m so tired of vibing.

Creators can now upload video thumbnails up to 50MB instead of just 2MB, according to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Bring on the hi-res YouTube Face.

The GFiber unit is combining with Astound Broadband to form a new independent fiber provider. Google will hold a minority stake, with the majority owned by investment firm Stonepeak. GFiber CEO Dinni Jain said the partnership “is the next step in our decade-long mission to redefine what customers can expect from their internet provider.”