That is Android Central’s Information Weekly, your go-to supply for a concise roundup of the week’s most important tech tales. That is the place we delve into the highest headlines that present the newest developments and improvements contributing to the digital panorama.
This week, we speak about Google rebranding Bard to Gemini, Gemini making its solution to Canada, a pilot program to detect monetary fraud apps, a characteristic that confirmed up surprisingly with the brand new Android Beta replace, and a sneak-peek at an alleged Pixel Fold 2.
Google ditches ‘Bard’
Google has determined to take advantage of the Gemini Period idea by letting go of Bard and rebranding its AI chatbot as Gemini this week. While you entry Google’s chatbot from the net or via the brand new cell app, you may see new Gemini branding with the identical UI beneath it. Google needs its AI options to be all-encompassing beneath one umbrella — Gemini.
The brand new cell app will enable customers to do a lot of what they will already do with Google Assistant, probably signaling a shift away from Google Assistant.
“For the previous yr, Bard has been the greatest approach for folks to straight expertise and collaborate with our AI fashions,” mentioned Sissie Hsiao, Google’s vp of Gemini Experiences and Assistant. “Gemini represents our most succesful household of fashions. So, to mirror the superior expertise at its core, Bard will now merely be known as Gemini.”
Together with Gemini, the corporate can also be launching Gemini Superior, obtainable with Extremely 1.0, beginning at the moment as a part of a brand new Google One AI Premium subscription costing $20 a month.
Google’s placing the ‘Eh’ in AI
Pun meant! After what felt like a century however was a yr, Google is lastly increasing its AI chatbot Gemini to Canada. Beginning February 8, Gemini might be obtainable in English and Quebecois French, together with 40 different languages worldwide, through the Gemini web site. “So we all know that Canadians have been ready for this second with anticipation, and I can let you know that we have been working actually exhausting as a workforce to make it occur on a private stage,” mentioned Jules Walker, product supervisor for Gemini Experiences.
Whereas we’re not positive why Google took so lengthy to convey Gemini (previously Bard) to Canada, a number of speculations counsel that this could possibly be as a result of soured relationship between the corporate and the Canadian Authorities as a consequence of the On-line Information Act (Invoice C-18).
Walker mentioned that addressing the problems concerning the C-18 invoice has paved the best way for Google to launch Gemini in Canada, along with consulting consultants, policymakers, and regulators throughout the totally different sectors.
Whereas of us within the U.S. get to check out the Gemini app, Canadians have to attend a bit extra.
New program to protect Android customers from Phishing
We see loads of phishing scams doing the rounds these days, be it an electronic mail hyperlink or an SMS asking you to make a fee to a sure web site or apps that sneakily take your information and sometimes exploit the customers.
Earlier this week, Google launched a pilot program to fight monetary fraud by stopping the sideloading of apps to deal with monetary fraud points affecting Android customers. The safety characteristic might be regularly launched to Android customers in Singapore within the coming weeks, and if all goes nicely, we will count on a wider rollout afterward.
Google, together with Singapore’s Cyber Safety Company, is making an attempt to create an added layer of safety from Android apps that ask for permissions, usually exploited in phishing assaults. It should function a real-time examine on 4 key permissions, resembling studying and receiving SMS messages, accessibility service, and notification listening service. This safety improve comes as part of Google Play Shield.
Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1 with a shock AI trick
The brand new Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1 (construct AP21.240119.009) rolled out to eligible units on Wednesday, February 7. With this replace, beta testers can now try the Circle to Search characteristic, not too long ago launched for Google Pixel 8 customers with the brand new characteristic replace.
This circle-to-search characteristic stays unique to the Pixel 8 collection. Nevertheless, with the newest QPR launch, all eligible units within the beta program will get to check it out. Customers with a Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Professional, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Professional, Pixel 7a, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Professional, Pixel Fold, or Pixel Pill are in for a shock.
This replace will roll out within the subsequent few days; nevertheless, if you wish to check it out proper now, you possibly can be a part of the Android Beta Program, and in your Pixel’s Settings, head over to System, then faucet System replace to put in it.
Pixel Fold 2 leak spilled the beans on the gadget’s seems
This week additionally noticed what will be the first main Pixel Fold 2 leak. Android Authority has allegedly obtained a photograph of the Pixel Fold 2, which exhibits adjustments to the telephone’s rear panel. Within the picture, we seen that the gadget’s digicam shelf exhibits a sq. as an alternative of a horizontal bar. The Fold 2’s cameras are stacked in two small pill-shaped rows, with its LED flash nestled on the prime proper. Allegedly, the island could host 4 sensors: a main wide-angle lens, an ultrawide lens, a periscope telephoto lens, and an “unknown” fourth sensor. The hypothesis is that this fourth sensor could possibly be the temperature sensor the Pixel 8 Professional options.
An unnamed supply instructed Android Authority that the gadget’s “cowl display screen is narrower” and the inner show’s side ratio “is nearer to a sq..”
Persevering with internally, the supply states the Pixel Fold 2’s prototype unit incorporates a “show cutout” within the prime proper nook of its show for the digicam. The way it could look wasn’t detailed.
There have additionally been speculations about Google giving up the Tensor G3 for the Fold 2 in favor of a more moderen shipset. Nevertheless, solely time will inform if any of those rumors maintain true.
These are a few of the largest tales from this week. In the meantime, listed below are another tales from which might be price catching up on:
