This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise summary of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines providing the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.
This week we talk about Bard rebranding to Gemini, Gemini heading to Canada, a pilot program to detect financial fraud apps, a feature that surprisingly appeared with the new Android Beta update, and a preview of a rumored Pixel. Fold 2.
Google abandons 'Bard'
Google decided to take advantage of the Gemini Era concept, ditching Bard and renaming its AI chatbot Gemini this week. When you access the Google chatbot via the web or through the new mobile app, you will see the new Gemini branding with the same UI below it. Google wants its AI capabilities to be comprehensive under one umbrella – Gemini.
The new mobile app will allow users to do much of what they can already do with Google Assistant, potentially signaling a shift in Google Assistant.
“Over the past year, Bard has been the best way for people to directly experiment and collaborate with our AI models,” said Sissie Hsiao, vice president of Experiences and Gemini Assistant at Google. “Gemini represents our most capable family of models. Therefore, to reflect the advanced technology at its core, Bard will now simply be called Gemini.”
Along with Gemini, the company is also launching Gemini Advanced, available with Ultra 1.0, starting today as part of a new Google One AI Premium subscription that costs US$20 per month.
Google is putting the 'Eh' in AI
Pun intended! After what felt like a century but was a year, Google is finally expanding its Gemini AI chatbot to Canada. Starting February 8, Gemini will be available in English and Quebecois French, along with 40 other languages worldwide, via the Gemini website. “So we know that Canadians have been waiting for this moment with anticipation, and I can tell you that we have been working really hard as a team to make this happen on a personal level,” said Jules Walker, product manager at Gemini Experiences. .
While we're not sure why it took Google so long to bring Gemini (formerly Bard) to Canada, several speculations suggest it may be due to the soured relationship between the company and the Canadian government as a consequence of the Online News Act (Bill Law C). -18).
Walker said addressing the issues related to Bill C-18 paved the way for Google to launch Gemini in Canada, as well as consulting with experts, legislators and regulators across different sectors.
While people in the US try out the Gemini app, Canadians have to wait a little longer.
New program to protect Android users from phishing
We see a lot of phishing scams circulating lately, whether it's an email link or an SMS asking you to make a payment to a certain website or app that stealthily steals your data and often exploits users.
Earlier this week, Google introduced a pilot program to combat financial fraud by preventing the sideloading of apps to address financial fraud issues affecting Android users. The security feature will be gradually introduced to Android users in Singapore over the next few weeks, and if all goes well, we can expect a wider rollout in the future.
Google, together with the Singapore Cybersecurity Agency, is trying to create an additional layer of protection against Android apps that ask for permissions, often exploited in phishing attacks. It will serve as a real-time check for four main permissions such as reading and receiving SMS messages, accessibility service, and notification listening service. This security update is part of Google Play Protect.
Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1 with a surprise AI trick
The new Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1 (build AP21.240119.009) was released to eligible devices on Wednesday, February 7th. With this update, beta testers can now check out the Circle to Search feature, recently rolled out to Google Pixel 8 users with the new feature update.
This circle-to-search feature remains exclusive to the Pixel 8 series. However, with the latest release of QPR, all eligible devices in the beta program will be able to test it. Users with Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Fold or Pixel Tablet are in for a surprise.
This update will be released in the next few days; however, if you want to try it out right now, you can join the Android Beta program and your Pixel settingsgo to Systemand tap System update to install it.
Pixel Fold 2 leak affects the device's appearance
This week we also saw what could be the first major Pixel Fold 2 leak. Android Authority has reportedly obtained a photo of the Pixel Fold 2, which shows changes to the phone's back panel. In the image, we notice that the device's camera shelf shows a square instead of a horizontal bar. The Fold 2's cameras are stacked in two small, pill-shaped rows, with its LED flash situated in the top right corner. Supposedly, the island can host four sensors: a primary wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, a periscopic telephoto lens, and an “unknown” fourth sensor. Speculation is that this fourth sensor could be the temperature sensor that the Pixel 8 Pro features.
An unnamed source told Android Authority that the device's “outer screen is narrower” and the aspect ratio of the inner screen “is closer to a square.”
Continuing internally, the source claims that the Pixel Fold 2 prototype unit features a “display cutout” in the top right corner of its screen for the camera. As it may seem, it was not detailed.
There has also been speculation about Google dropping the Tensor G3 for the Fold 2 in favor of a newer set of ships. However, only time will tell if any of these rumors are true.
