Google’s Phone by Google app has entered beta version 246, featuring a refreshed gradient icon that enlarges the handset slightly and removes the darker blue shade. The new design uses lighter gradients for the earpiece and mouthpiece, giving the icon a crisper, flatter appearance that aligns with the modern aesthetic of Google’s ecosystem. No functional changes accompany the update, and the stable release is expected in the coming weeks. Users can opt into the beta via the [...]

DuckDuckGo is courting K‑12 schools after Google announced it would disable its Gemini AI tools but warned that turning off all AI features would also remove Google Search. The move opens a niche for the search engine, which promotes an AI‑free experience. Google’s ecosystem powers roughly 50 million Chromebooks and serves over 150 million Classroom users, giving it a foothold. DuckDuckGo’s CEO Gabriel Weinberg posted instructions for schools to set the company’s engine as the default, while chief Kamyl [...]

Henry Cavill has created a 16‑bit video game called Mustache Protocol on Googlebook, a new platform by Google. The game, styled after Mission: Impossible – Fallout, tasks players with stopping CGI artists from erasing all mustaches worldwide. Cavill used Google Antigravity and other AI tools on the HP Googlebook 14 to convert natural language prompts into game mechanics. While the game is not yet released, Google will donate $11 per play in November to Movember, contributing up [...]

Google Messages has introduced a new home‑screen layout that places pinned conversations in a dedicated, larger area above the regular message list, resembling iMessage’s design. The change, currently in beta, expands pinned chat visibility but pushes recent messages further down, requiring more scrolling. Early testers report mixed reactions: some praise the clearer pin placement, while others find the interface cluttered and note issues such as an empty placeholder when few chats are pinned. Google is also testing [...]

Google announced it will release a software update to correct a Daylight Savings Time glitch affecting certain Nest Hub and Nest Thermostat units in Canada. The bug caused incorrect time displays, late alarms, disrupted automations, and altered schedules after the country’s daylight‑saving policy change. The issue is limited to provinces that no longer observe the shift, leaving some devices out of sync. Google confirmed awareness of the problem, apologized, and is actively working on a fix, though [...]

Google Maps updated to version 26.44.4 to support Apple’s new iPhone Duo, enabling the app to occupy both displays fully. The outer screen now shows a centered map, while the inner screen expands the interface, allowing menus and search to sit beside a full‑screen map or satellite view. Street View occupies the left side by default, with an option to fill the entire screen, mirroring Apple Maps’ Look Around. The update delivers immediate usability improvements for existing [...]

Google announced that K‑12 schools using its education suite will lose access to Google Search unless they opt in to its AI tools, including Gemini and Gemini Notebook. Vice president Chris Phillips said Search and AI are “deeply integrated,” so schools that block AI will see a message indicating Search is unavailable. The policy sparked immediate criticism from politicians and regulators: Senator Bernie Sanders called it “extortion,” Senator Richard Blumenthal warned it forces AI adoption, and former [...]