Google

Google is expanding the translation features in Search and its Translate app with new systems built on the Gemini AI model. The update introduces improved text translation and a beta version of live speech translation in headphones, giving users clearer and more natural results and bringing the experience closer to a real-world Babel Fish from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

The new text translation system uses Gemini 3 to handle idioms, slang, and local expressions with more context awareness. This lets the app produce translations that are closer to natural speech rather than direct word swaps.

Google has launched a new feature for iPhone users that could make owners of Android handsets a little envious. Anyone who has parked their car in an unfamiliar town or in a particularly gigantic parking lot will have experienced the panic of not being able to locate their vehicle – Google Maps is now on hand to help.

iPhone owners using Google Maps – yes, this breed of person does exist – can now have their parking location saved automatically. This is an upgrade of what is available to Android users at the moment.

Google has launched a new feature for Android users that makes it possible to share live video with emergency services. Android Emergency Live Video is meant to help 911 call handlers get a better idea of what is going on in an emergency situation.

The feature is available in the US, and it works with Motorola’s 911 command center software which is used in more than half of North America’s public safety answering points (PSAPs).

Google and Apple each have their own ecosystems, and they are understandably keen for people to remain within them. But the reality is that people who start off with an Android handset may one day decide that they want to jump into the world of iPhone; conversely it is far from unknown for iPhone users to take the decision to embrace Android.

Making the switch from one mobile platform to another is not impossible, but it can be something of an arduous task. The lack of compatibility or interoperability between iOS and Android has meant that moving data between different types of device is a time-consuming and frustrating process. But new collaboration between Apple and Google means that things should start to become a good deal simpler.

The holiday season is seen by many companies as being as good a reason as any to highlight the benefits of their products and services, and Google is no different in this regard. Using the perceived stress of preparing for everything that this time of year involves for many people, Google says that Chrome autofill is here to make life easier.

The company points to now fewer than four ways in which this feature of the web browser can help you out, trying to show how it is about more than just saving time filling in your address.

In addition to the roundups of individual media consumption by individuals, companies such as Google also use this time of year to look at things more globally. As in previous years, the company has now launched its Year in Search.

Google’s Year in Search 2025 covers not only its famous search engine, but also searches conducted in Google Maps.

It’s that time of year again when the big “best of” round-ups start to land. Spotify Wrapped has already taken over social feeds with people comparing their listening ages, Apple just revealed its 2025 App Store Award winners, and now Google is spotlighting its favorite Chrome extensions of 2025.

This year’s apps list makes one thing very clear -- AI has become the browser’s default companion.

The likes of Spotify have normalized the idea of looking back over the previous 12 months’ streaming habits. Spotify Wrapped, and other similar roundups from streaming music service have become something of a tradition, and now YouTube is getting in on the action.

While YouTube Music subscribers already have YouTube Music Recap, the is now a new YouTube Recap that is solely focused on videos. How has Google approached this?

Making Android better is not always about making it faster, smoother or more packed with AI. Going some way to prove this, Google has unveiled no fewer than seven new accessibility focused features for its mobile operating system.

The features take into account the varying needs and expectations of users. Google says that the additions are designed to help “make it easier to see your screen, communicate with others and interact with the world”. So, let’s take a look and see what has been added.

Opera is rolling out new Google AI features across its Opera One, Opera GX and Opera Neon browsers. This is the result of the browser maker's long running partnership with the search giant, and now includes support for the latest Gemini models.

The new Opera AI appears as a side panel that users can open alongside any webpage, set of tabs, or even playing videos. It will respond within the context of the page, allowing tasks such as research, summaries and tab comparisons. It also supports voice input and output, along with file analysis on images and video.

Just last year, Google lodged an antitrust complaint against Microsoft in the EU. Now, a week into the probe by investigators, Google has had a change of heart and has withdrawn the complaint.

The 2024 complaint was filed by Google Cloud, with Microsoft accused of trying to lock users into its Azure product through licensing of Windows, Office and other software. Just last week, the European Commission launched a series of investigations, and this has been the catalyst for Google’s complaint withdrawal.

Browser tabs have been positioned in a horizontal strip in just about every browser since they first appeared, Chrome included. There have been various attempts to disrupt this – and to cater to different tastes and needs – by introducing vertical tabs, and Google is still working on this feature.

As is so often the case, the preview builds of Chrome give a very good sign of things to come, and this is where we have already seen vertical positioning of the tab strip. While this is still very much a work in progress, details have emerged about changes that have already been made.

Like Spotify, YouTube offers an annual summary of listening habits for individual users, but for 2025 there is a slight change. This time around, perhaps inevitably, artificial intelligence has been used.

The insertion of AI into just about every product and service has become predictable, but there is always the interesting question of whether its use is necessary, and if it brings any benefits. So, what is the verdict with YouTube Music?

It is something of a curiosity that in-car navigation experiences vary from much between iPhone and Android, even when using the same apps. A good example is Waze which, despite being owned by Google, has an extra feature for CarPlay users when compared to Android Auto.

But this is changing. Users of Waze in conjunction with Android Auto will soon be gaining a “second screen” option, just like their CarPlay friends. So what does this mean?

Cybernews tested six major AI models to see how they responded to crime related prompts, and found that some chatbots give riskier answers than others. The point of the research was to find out how easily each model could be led into illegal activities when framed as a supportive friend, a setup designed to test how they behave under subtle pressure.

The researchers used a technique called persona priming. Each model was asked to act as a friendly companion who agrees with the user and offers encouragement. This made the chatbots more likely to continue a conversation even when the topic became unsafe.