Google’s AI Mode Remakes Search Landscape Amid Fierce Digital Rivalry

May 2, 2025, 6:20 pm more...

Two articles report on Google’s transformative rollout of its new AI‐driven search mode. The initiative aims to replace the traditional search bar, igniting debates about the future of digital search as some humorously frame it as an all‐out digital war in the competitive search arena.

the-decoder.com / Google is now placing AdSense ads inside AI chatbot conversations

androidheadlines.com / AI Just Declared War on Google Search

androidheadlines.com / Google’s AI Mode Is Here to Kill the Old Search Bar

permalink / 3 stories from sources in 23 hours ago #ai #google #genai #technology +

Google Ad Tech Antitrust Trial Set to Begin This September

May 2, 2025, 1:20 pm more...

Google is bracing for a high-stakes antitrust trial over its ad tech practices, with proceedings scheduled to start in mid-September. The case could have major repercussions for the company’s advertising model, as regulators dig deep into its market behavior and potentially reshape the digital ad landscape.

techinasia.com / US Court sets trial over Google’s ad tech case on September

arstechnica.com / DOJ confirms it wants to break up Google’s ad business

winbuzzer.com / DOJ Signals Intent to Dismantle Google’s Ad Tech Empire; Schedules September Trial

www.ft.com/ / US to demand Google break up its online advertising business - Financial Times

permalink / 7 stories from sources in 28 hours ago #google #antitrust #doj #law +

Google Expands AI Mode to Enhance Search Capabilities

May 1, 2025, 12:20 pm more...

Google is upping its search game by expanding access to its AI Mode, an experimental feature that promises a more conversational and intuitive query experience reminiscent of ChatGPT. The rollout brings additional functionality and continuity between sessions, reflecting Google’s ongoing efforts to blend traditional search with modern AI innovations.

Bluesky: @chronosschiron.bsky.social, @arstechnica.com

macrumors.com / Google Rolling Out New AI Mode Tab for Search

siliconangle.com / Google’s AI Mode in search just got more useful and accessible

cnet.com / Google's AI Mode Expanding to Everyone: Here's What It Does

arstechnica.com / Google is quietly testing ads in AI chatbots

permalink / 8 stories from sources in 2 days ago #ai #google #aiethics +

Google Gemini Chatbot Update Introduces Image Editing Feature

April 30, 2025, 6:20 pm more...

Google’s Gemini chatbot has received a creative boost, now allowing users to edit both AI-generated and uploaded images directly through the app. This upgrade not only redefines visual content creation but also delivers a cheeky dig at competitors while keeping the innovation engine running at full throttle.

bgr.com / Gemini AI app can now edit all your photos, and you have to see how good it is

cnet.com / Gemini Live Gives You AI With Eyes, and It's Awesome

techinasia.com / Google, Apple near deal to integrate Gemini AI into Siri

bloomberg.com/technology / Google Places Ads Inside Chatbot Conversations With AI Startups - Bloomberg

techcrunch.com / Google’s Gemini chatbot gets upgraded image creation tools

permalink / 6 stories from sources in 2 days ago #ai #google #genai #apps +

Google Play Store Loses Nearly Half Its Apps

April 30, 2025, 4:20 pm more...

Google’s Play Store has undergone a drastic overhaul as its hosted app count plummeted by nearly 47 percent—from roughly 3.4 million to 1.8 million apps. This shocking cull, following a strict policy refresh, underscores Google’s attempt to clean house and bolster quality in its vast marketplace.

mobilesyrup.com / Google purged nearly half the apps on the Play Store

techspot.com / Google Play shrinks by 47 percent following policy overhaul

theverge.com / Google’s Play Store lost nearly half its apps

permalink / 3 stories from sources in 3 days ago #mobile #google #android #apps +

Google CEO Testifies on Antitrust Threats to Search Dominance

April 30, 2025, 12:20 pm more...

In a dramatic courtroom session, Google’s Sundar Pichai lambasted the DOJ’s proposal to break up the tech giant, warning that such drastic measures could effectively dismantle Google Search. His testimony carried a blend of gravitas and dry wit, highlighting the precarious balance between regulatory intervention and sustaining innovative market leadership.

Bluesky: @macrumors.bsky.social

winbuzzer.com / Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai Warns DOJ Antitrust Remedies Could Make Google Search ‘Unviable’

arstechnica.com / Sundar Pichai says DOJ demands are a “de facto” spin-off of Google search

macrumors.com / Google CEO Says Antitrust Remedies Would Cripple Google Search

wsj.com / Google CEO Criticizes DOJ’s ‘Extraordinary’ Proposal to Break Up Company

theverge.com / Sundar Pichai says the DOJ’s antitrust plan could kill Google Search

permalink / 5 stories from sources in 3 days ago #techpolicy #google #antitrust #law +

Google expands NotebookLM Audio Overviews with Gemini upgrade

April 30, 2025, 9:10 am more...

Google’s NotebookLM Audio Overviews feature has received a major language boost, now supporting up to 75 languages using Gemini technology. This update, expanding beyond the earlier 50-language rollout, reinforces Google’s commitment to broadening its AI reach globally with more inclusive, multilingual audio summaries.

the-decoder.com / Google expands "Audio Overviews" to 75 languages using Gemini-based audio production

winbuzzer.com / Google Expands NotebookLM Audio Overviews to Over 50 Languages

permalink / 2 stories from sources in 3 days ago #ai #google #genai #alphabet +