Google settles with Epic Games, drops its Play Store commissions to 20%
Google has dropped its commission, charging a 20% service fee and an optional 5% to use its billing services. It will also offer a new process for third-party app stores.
Google’s Gemini rolls out Canvas in AI mode to all US users
Canvas in AI Mode is available to U.S. users in English for creating plans, projects, apps, and more.
Father sues Google, claiming Gemini chatbot drove son into fatal delusion
A father is suing Google and Alphabet, alleging its Gemini chatbot reinforced his son’s delusional belief it was his AI wife and coached him toward suicide and a planned airport attack.
Android users can now share tracker tag info with airlines to help locate lost luggage
More than 10 global airlines now accept Find Hub locations as part of their baggage recovery process.
Amid new competition, Chrome speeds up its release schedule
Google Chrome will begin shipping new releases every two weeks in September, instead of monthly.
Google looks to tackle longstanding RCS spam in India — but not alone
Google is integrating carrier-level filtering into RCS in India through a partnership with Airtel to strengthen protections against spam.
Google paid startup Form Energy $1B for its massive 100-hour battery
The deal paves the way for Form Energy to raise a new funding round before potentially going public next year.
Google launches Nano Banana 2 model with faster image generation
Google is making Nano Banana 2 a default model in Gemini app and in AI mode
Alphabet-owned robotics software company Intrinsic joins Google
Nearly five years after graduating into an independent Alphabet company, Intrinsic is moving under Google’s domain.
Gemini can now automate some multi-step tasks on Android
Gemini on Android will be able to automate tasks involving rideshare requests, or grocery or food delivery, says Google.