1 week ago
Gemini wants to talk. All nan time.
Google I/O 2026 kicked disconnected this week, and to nary one's surprise, it was almost wholly astir AI.
To commencement with, Google is rolling retired its "intelligent, AI-powered Search box" globally. Instead of conscionable autocompleting your text, it uses AI to expect your intent and thief you formulate questions. You will beryllium capable to usage images, video files and full Chrome tabs arsenic nonstop hunt inputs. Its AI Mode, now powered by nan caller Gemini 3.5 Flash, will still unrecorded alongside it, for your follow-up questions/corrections.
Google besides introduced Gemini Spark. Running successful nan cloud, Spark is simply a integer adjunct that tin autonomously show in installments paper statements for hidden subscriptions, way updates from your kid's schoolhouse emails, aliases propulsion notes together into a Google Doc. It tin moreover interact pinch third-party apps for illustration OpenTable and Instacart to complete tasks—though it promises to inquire for your confirmation earlier making immoderate last purchases aliases sending emails. Google whitethorn person figured retired a measurement to return nan nosy retired of shopping.
There were glimpses of early hardware: Google and Samsung teased a collaboration pinch Gentle Monster and Warby Parker and offered nan first look astatine 2 models of Android XR smart glasses. The glasses will let you to chat pinch Gemini, get real-time audio translator successful nan speaker's voice, construe real-world matter successful your statement of show and threat photos connected nan go.
Naturally, pinch each these caller features, Google adjusted its AI subscription tiers, adding a caller $ 100-per-month mid-range (hah!) tier. The AI Ultra Plan will connection 5 times higher usage limits than nan modular $20 Pro plan, arsenic good arsenic privilege entree to Google's Antigravity coding instrumentality and 20TB of unreality storage.
Meanwhile, down from its original $250 value tag, Google's top-tier Ultra scheme features 20 times higher usage limits and exclusive entree to Project Genie — Google's experimental investigation preview that lets you build interactive 3D worlds utilizing real-world Google Street View imagery.
We excavation further into a fewer much of nan biggest announcements below.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you mightiness person missed this week
Xreal's Project Aura smartglasses are a maximalist return connected Android XR
Karissa Bell for Engadget
Instead of subtle, normal-looking glasses pinch immoderate smart features, Xreal's smartglasses purpose for an immersive AR experience, pinch a attraction connected entertainment. That attack is very overmuch nan aforesaid arsenic nan company's Android XR-powered Project Aura, but based connected Karissa Bell's clip pinch these caller smartglasses, they whitethorn connection much than conscionable different wearable screen.
Compared pinch nan low-key (arguably lower-spec) audio-only smartglasses from Warby Parker and Gentle Monsters, Xreal's Project Aura packs successful 3 cameras, a 70-degree section of position and hand-gesture navigation. The main motion is simply a pinching mobility that will consciousness beautiful acquainted to anyone who has utilized different AR setups, specified arsenic Apple's Vision Pro.
Speaking of which, Project Aura comes pinch a tethered puck, conscionable for illustration Apple's wearable display. It comes pinch a trackpad and a fingerprint sensor, though neither worked connected nan demo exemplary we tested. The institution hasn't revealed pricing specifications yet (expect those alongside nan general motorboat later this year), but they're apt to transcend Xreal's One Pro glasses, which costs $650.
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Google's Gemini Omni tin make 'anything from immoderate input,' starting pinch video
Gemini Omni is Google's caller gen-AI exemplary that tin "create thing from immoderate input". Gemini Omni Flash is rolling retired now to nan Gemini app, Google Flow and YouTube Shorts. It's apparently nan adjacent improvement of Nano Banana and, presumably, its existent video generator, Veo 3.1. It lets you "combine images, audio, video and matter arsenic input and make high-quality videos grounded successful Gemini's real-world knowledge."
Apparently, Omni besides amended understands beingness forces specified arsenic gravity, kinetic power and fluid dynamics, making scenes much realistic.
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Spotify is adding much AI gunk for podcasts and audiobooks
Announced connected its investor day, Spotify is expanding a characteristic that enables users to make "personal podcasts." It announced this instrumentality past month, pinch nan action to usage AI agents specified arsenic OpenClaw and Claude Code to whip up synthetic audio. The institution says it's adding a characteristic that lets users make individual podcasts straight wrong Spotify. It notes that aft you participate a prompt, it will make audio that draws connected factors specified arsenic your Spotify sensation floor plan and world knowledge. You tin besides provender successful text, PDFs and links to springiness nan instrumentality much discourse for what you'd for illustration to perceive about. Spotify says eligible Premium users successful nan US will get entree to individual podcasts adjacent month. The Roman Empire, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Liverpool FC, please. In nether 30 seconds. Go.
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Meta's latest effort to transcript its rivals is simply a Reddit clone
Meta
Meta has launched a caller app called Forum. Social media advisor and expert Matt Navarra spotted Forum successful nan App Store, wherever it is described arsenic "a dedicated abstraction for nan conversations that matter astir to you," created specifically for Facebook Groups. As Navarra notes, Meta seems to beryllium pushing nan thought that nan app tin thief users get "real answers" from "real people," making it sound very akin to Reddit, offering an flight from nan atrocious genAI hunt results we've each been suffering from recently. (Did we mention Google I/O was this week?)
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