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Google AI Mode Now Understands Your Photos: Ask Complex Questions About Images
Google is stepping up its AI-powered search game with a new feature that allows users to ask detailed questions about the images they upload or take with their camera. This update brings multimodal search to AI Mode, Google's experimental search experience that supports complex, multi-part queries and follow-up questions.
With this update, users can interact with photos just as easily as they would with text. Whether it’s a picture of a bookshelf, a product, or a room, AI Mode can now analyze the entire scene to provide intelligent, in-depth answers.
Smarter Searches with Photos
The new feature uses Google Lens’ advanced image recognition technology to understand not just what’s in a photo, but how everything in the image relates. It can detect colors, materials, object relationships, and more.
For example, if you take a picture of your bookshelf and ask, “If I enjoyed these, what are some similar books that are highly rated?” — AI Mode will identify the titles, understand your reading preferences, and suggest similar books. You can then follow up with something like, “Which of these is the shortest read?” to narrow things down even further.
This is made possible by a method called query fan-out, which breaks your question into multiple parts and explores each one to offer a more thorough response than a standard search.
Expanded Access
Until now, AI Mode was only available to Google One AI Premium subscribers. But starting this week, Google is expanding access to millions of users who are part of Google Labs, the company’s platform for testing experimental features.
AI Mode was introduced just last month and is already being compared to other advanced tools like Perplexity and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search. Google says it plans to continue improving the experience, focusing on making searches more natural, visual, and intuitive.
Conclusion
Google’s latest update to AI Mode is a big step forward in making search more interactive and intelligent. By allowing users to ask questions about what they see—not just what they type—Google is opening up new ways to explore the world around us.
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Google Introduces Canvas and Audio Overview for Enhanced Gemini Experience
Google has introduced two powerful new features for its Gemini chatbot: Canvas and Audio Overview. These additions aim to make Gemini a more versatile tool for writing, coding, and content creation.
What is Gemini Canvas?
Canvas offers an interactive workspace where users can draft, refine, and collaborate on writing and coding projects. Similar to OpenAI's Canvas for ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Artifacts, Gemini’s Canvas provides a dedicated space for creating and improving content.
According to Dave Citron, Gemini’s product director, Canvas is designed to support seamless collaboration and enhance productivity. Users can highlight text, adjust tone, improve clarity, or modify content length using dedicated tools. Once satisfied, they can export the content directly to Google Docs for further editing or sharing.
Canvas also brings coding capabilities, allowing users to generate and preview HTML, React code, and web app prototypes. For example, if you need an email subscription form, you can ask Gemini to generate the HTML code, preview it in Canvas, and request adjustments—all within the workspace.
Introducing Audio Overview
Alongside Canvas, Google is adding Audio Overview, a feature from its popular NotebookLM platform. This tool generates podcast-style audio summaries of documents, web pages, and other content. Users can upload files directly via Gemini’s prompt bar, and the tool will create an audio summary that can be downloaded or shared.
Availability
Both Canvas and Audio Overview are now available for free to Gemini users worldwide. While Canvas’ code preview feature is currently web-exclusive, Audio Overview is available only in English for now.
With these updates, Google is expanding Gemini’s capabilities to help users write better, code faster, and consume information more efficiently.
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Nvidia Unveils DGX Spark and DGX Station: Bringing AI Supercomputing to Your Desk
Nvidia recently unveiled two mighty AI-benchmarked machines at GTC 2025, which will transport supercomputer-grade performance to your desk. Say hello to the DGX Spark and DGX Station, engineered to perform arduous AI tasks seamlessly.
What Makes These Machines So Unique?
In his keynote address, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang referred to these new devices as the future computers. "This is what computers ought to look like, and this is what computers will run in the future," he clarified.
These are what distinguish them:
- DGX Spark — With Nvidia's GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip powering it, this device can handle as much as 1,000 trillion AI operations per second. It's ideal for prototyping, tuning, and executing AI models at the edge.
- DGX Station — Featuring the GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Desktop Superchip and a whopping 784GB of memory, this workstation is built to handle heavy-duty AI workloads with serious velocity and efficiency.
When Can You Get One?
- The DGX Spark is ready now for those willing to jump into AI development.
- The DGX Station will ship later this year via premier partners such as Asus, Boxx, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.
Why Does This Matter?
Huang thinks these machines are the key to AI's future. "AI agents will be everywhere. and we need a new line of computers for this new era," he said.
With the DGX Spark and DGX Station, Nvidia is providing developers and businesses with the capabilities they require to advance AI innovation further than ever before.
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TikTok Unveils 'Security Checkup' Tool for Enhanced Account Protection
TikTok has released a new 'Security Checkup' feature that will enable users to enhance their account protection. The feature allows users to check and adjust their security settings in one location, allowing them to stay safe easily.
Accessing TikTok's Security Checkup
To access this new feature:
- Head to your profile.
- Tap "Settings and privacy.".
- Click on "Security and permissions" to open the 'Security Checkup' feature.
Security Checkup Key Features
The feature provides a step-by-step process to make your account secure. With it, you can:
- Link Your Phone and Email: Both ensure you have alternative login methods in case you lose access to your account.
- Turn On Two-Step Verification: This provides an additional layer of security, particularly when logging in from unknown devices.
- Review Logged-In Devices: The app emphasizes logged-in devices to allow you to recognize and uninstall the ones you don't need or don't know.
- Enable Face ID or Touch Unlock: To facilitate quick and secure login, TikTok encourages users to activate biometric login options where possible.
Proactive Security Monitoring
TikTok also tracks accounts for abnormal behavior and alerts users to suspicious activity right in the "Security and permissions" category. This precautionary measure will assist users in detecting potential dangers before they can become a full-blown problem.
Why Now?
The addition of this feature arrives as TikTok experiences continued uncertainty in the United States. In spite of these issues, the company remains committed to user safety through ongoing updates. Recent additions include stronger teen safety features and an improved desktop experience to compete more effectively with sites like YouTube.
With the 'Security Checkup' feature, TikTok users now have an easier and more effective means of controlling their account's security.
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Google Unveils Exciting Updates for Gamers: New Tools, Games, and Features for PC and Mobile!
Google is stepping up its game—literally! Ahead of the Game Developers Conference (GDC), the tech giant announced a wave of new features designed to improve gaming experiences for both players and developers. From fresh game titles to powerful development tools, there's something for everyone.
Better Tools for Developers
Google is making it easier than ever for developers to bring their games to PC:
- New SDK for Native PC Games: This toolkit now includes in-app purchase integration, so developers can easily add monetization features to their PC games.
- Improved Play Console: Managing and distributing game builds for both PC and mobile is now more streamlined.
- Mobile Games on PC by Default: Google Play Games will now automatically make all mobile games available on PC unless developers choose to opt out. Optimized games will have a special badge, while others will feature a “playable” label after testing.
Better Compatibility and Performance
Google Play Games for PC is expanding its reach and improving performance:
- AMD Support: Players using AMD-based laptops and desktops can now join the action.
- Start Menu Integration: Launching Google Play Games directly from the Start Menu will make gaming even easier.
- Enhanced Graphics and Performance: With the new Vulkan Graphics API, games will run smoother with better visuals and improved frame rates. Plus, updates to the Android Dynamic Performance Framework (ADPF) will deliver more responsive gameplay.
More Opportunities for Developers
- User Acquisition Campaigns: Developers will soon be able to promote their mobile and PC games directly through Google Play Games on PC.
- Higher Earnings: Developers who bring their games to PC via the Google Play program can enjoy up to 15% more revenue.
Exciting New Game Titles
Get ready for fresh adventures with new PC-optimized titles like:
- "Game of Thrones: Kingsroad"
- "Sonic Rumble"
- "ODIN: VALHALLA RISING"
Plus, some popular mobile games are expanding to PC, including "Train Sim" and "Pet Shop Fever: Animal Hotel". Meanwhile, PC titles like "DREDGE" and "TABS Mobile" are coming to Google Play this month, with the hit mystery game "Disco Elysium" arriving later this year.
New Features for Gamers
Players can look forward to some handy new features:
- Custom Control Mapping: Gamers can now adjust controls to suit their preferences.
- Game Sidebar for Quick Access: This upcoming feature will make it easier to adjust settings on the fly and switch between multiple accounts.
- Play Points on PC: Earning and redeeming Play Points will become simpler, with up to 10x bonus points available for purchases.
With these updates, Google is giving both developers and gamers more ways to connect, create, and enjoy the best gaming experiences possible.
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ElevenLabs Unveils Scribe: A Smarter, More Accurate Speech-to-Text Model
ElevenLabs, known for its cutting-edge AI-generated audio, is making a bold move into the speech-to-text market with Scribe, its first stand-alone transcription model. Fresh off a $180 million funding round, the company—now valued at $3.3 billion—is taking on big names like OpenAI’s Whisper and Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash.
Smarter Transcriptions with Multilingual Support
Scribe has more than 99 language support and in more than 25 languages it has less than 5% word error rate (WER). This accuracy list is of very high rank such as English with 97% accuracy, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, and Spanish. Some of the languages lie in varying accuracies, e.g., 5%-10% WER (high accuracy), and 25%-50% WER (medium accuracy).
Early tests show that Scribe outperforms Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash and OpenAI’s Whisper Large V3 in FLEURS & Common Voice benchmark tests, proving it’s a strong contender in the market.
More Than Just Transcription
Scribe isn’t just about turning speech into text—it comes packed with smart features like:
- Speaker diarization – Knows who’s speaking and keeps track of different voices.
- Word-level timestamps – Make it easier to create accurate subtitles.
- Auto-tagging of audio events – Picks up background noises such as laughter from the audience.
Currently, Scribe is optimized for pre-recorded audio, so it's fantastic for video subtitling and content production. However, a real-time variant is in the pipeline, which would unlock live meetings and interview transcriptions.
Competitive Pricing, But Room to Grow
ElevenLabs is charging Scribe $0.40 per hour for audio transcription, which is very economical. Still, there are existing competitors offering cheaper rates with subtly different offerings.
Why ElevenLabs Is Betting Big on Speech Recognition
CEO Mati Staniszewski believes that existing speech-to-text models still have a long way to go, especially for less commonly spoken languages. “Many people assume speech-to-text is a solved problem, but accuracy still varies widely. We’re working to build better models with in-house annotation and rapid feedback loops,” he explained.
What’s Next for Scribe?
With a strong core in AI audio, ElevenLabs is now looking to break the mold of voice technology. As Scribe gets better and scales to real-time speech recognition, it may become the big kid in the block.
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Amazon Introduces Alexa+: A Smarter, More Personalized AI Assistant
Amazon has launched Alexa+, the advanced version of its virtual assistant based on generative AI. The new Alexa+ was unveiled during an event in New York and represents a dramatic improvement, with Amazon Devices and Services head Panos Panay describing it as a "complete re-architecture" of Alexa.
A More Intelligent and Personalized Experience
Alexa+ is meant to extend beyond simple voice commands. It can now comprehend personal habits, calendars, and smart home configurations, making interactions more natural. Users can inquire about things such as:
- "How many books have I read this year?"
- "When are new concert tickets released?"
- "What's the best pizza joint around here?"
Alexa+ brings new productivity features as well. Users can import documents and emails, enabling the assistant to scan for key information. If one asks, "Did I forward my work schedule?", Alexa+ can read the document and indicate significant events so it is simple to remain organized.
Increased Visual and Emotional Intelligence
One of the biggest improvements in Alexa+ is that it can process visual data. Using a device's camera, it can scan live video streams and react accordingly. This allows for:
- Summarizing Ring security footage and pointing out important moments
- Detecting objects or activities occurring in a scene
- Modifying responses based on tone and setting
Panay highlighted that Alexa+ has been trained in emotional intelligence, so conversations sound more natural. The assistant can recognize when a user appears nervous or frustrated and respond in a more comforting or helpful manner.
Seamless Integration with Amazon's Ecosystem
Alexa+ has a strong integration with Amazon's wider smart home ecosystem. It enables users to:
- Control smart home devices using a new personalized dashboard
- Play Amazon Music with just a voice command
- Control Fire TV content, such as skipping to a particular scene
The Next Step for AI Assistants
Amazon is marketing Alexa+ as an intelligent assistant that learns and improves over time. But with AI still sometimes making mistakes, its actual real-world performance will have to wait until it goes live later this year.
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