Google is rolling out Gemini Personal Intelligence on Android Auto, letting the Gemini assistant draw on a user's Gmail, Calendar, Photos and other Google services to tailor in-car responses. The feature is opt-in and off by default, and users can choose which apps and services to permit. The article reports no vulnerability, attack or in…
Google announced Universal Cart and the When to Buy Guide, two consumer shopping features ahead of the holiday season. Universal Cart saves products from multiple retailers via AI Mode in Search or the Gemini app. It tracks price drops and restocks using the Shopping Graph (60+ billion product listings). It is built on Google Wallet, inte…
Google announced that anyone with a standard Google account can now build personal Android apps in Google AI Studio by describing them in a prompt. The apps run on the creator's own device, are launched from a private section of Google Play, and are not listed in the public Play Store. The feature extends the existing AI Studio app creato…
A ZDNET consumer how-to article describes how to make Waze the default mapping app on a Google Pixel phone. The author says the August Android update removed the option to choose a default mapping app from the Default apps settings. The article describes no security incident, vulnerability or threat activity, and has no direct defender re…
Amazon announced three Android-based Alexa Tablets (Tablet 8 from $230, Tablet 11 from $330, Tablet 12 Pro from $500) built around the Alexa+ AI assistant, with shipping set to start on October 14. They are the first of Amazon's newer tablets to support Google Play in addition to Amazon's own app store. Amazon also launched two Kids Table…
Microsoft announced changes to its Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium and Pro subscriptions, replacing per-member 1 TB OneDrive allowances with a single shared storage pool and shared AI usage credits. Family and Premium plans drop from up to 6 TB of total storage to 2 TB, and the new Microsoft 365 Pro plan offers 5 TB at about $100 …
Apple announced the HomeView smart home hub on Oct. 13, with preorders open and general availability on Nov. 13. The device combines a touchscreen, smart speaker, Siri AI and a security camera dashboard, and competes with the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub. This is consumer product news with no vulnerability, incident or threat acti…
On October 13, Apple held a small, non-livestreamed "Welcome Home" event and announced seven smart home products (zdnet.com). They are the HomeView smart panel, the HomePod mini 2, a new Apple TV 4K and a Home Collection of accessories built with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric (zdnet.com). This is product news only. The sources des…
Google has announced the Fitbit Edge, a $180 slim smartwatch positioned between the screenless Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 5. The article is a consumer product preview with no security, vulnerability or threat content. The Edge is 11.5 mm thick, has a hybrid OLED touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and adds a side button for star…
MapQuest announced on Bluesky that its navigation app now has a surveillance layer showing the locations of license plate reading cameras from Flock and other companies. Cameras appear as small red eye icons with a vision cone showing the direction each one faces. The app does not yet offer routing that avoids the cameras. MapQuest has no…
CNET Group is launching TechPulse, a free iOS and Android app that combines articles and videos from ZDNET, CNET, PCMag, Mashable, Lifehacker and ExtremeTech into a single feed. Users can choose which publications appear, and the feed is described as algorithm-free. No subscription is required. The article is product news with no security…