Google has 'paused' the Ask Photos rollout
If you're still waiting on access to Google's AI-driven Ask Photos feature, you'll need to hold tight a little longer. Jamie Aspinall, a product manager for Google Photos, chimed in to a conversation on X to address some complaints about the feature. "Ask Photos isn't where it needs to be, in terms of latency, quality and ux," Aspinall wrote . He said the rollout was being paused "at very small numbers" and that a new version of Ask Photos is slated to ship in about two weeks. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.
I hear you both. Ask Photos isn't where it needs to be, in terms of latency, quality and ux. Rollout has been paused at very small numbers while we address these issues. In ~2 weeks we'll ship an improved version that brings back the speed and recall of the original search
— Jamieasp (@jamieasp) June 3, 2025
Ask Photos was introduced at last year's I/O conference and began select early access availability in September. The feature uses the Gemini AI chatbot to find images from a photo library based on natural language queries.
As with so many tech giants, Google's implementation of AI-powered features to its services has hit several snags. The AI Overviews feature in search had a notoriously bad introduction to users and its image-generation tool offered some baffling results at launch. Google has also seen critiques from former leaders and current employees about its approach to artificial intelligence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
20 minutes ago
- Forbes
Never Answer These Calls On Your Smartphone, Google Warns
Beware the UNC6040 smartphone threat. Google's Threat Intelligence Group has issued a new warning about a dangerous cyberattack group known only as UNC6040, which is succeeding in stealing data, including your credentials, by getting victims to answer a call on their smartphone. There are no vulnerabilities to exploit, unless you include yourself: these attackers 'abuse end-user trust,' a Google spokesperson said, adding that the UNC6040 campaign 'began months ago and remains active.' Here's what you need to know and do. TL;DR: Don't answer that call, and if you do, don't act upon it. If you still need me to warn you about the growing threat from AI-powered cyberattacks, particularly those involving calls to your smartphone — regardless of whether it's an Android or iPhone — then you really haven't been paying attention. It's this lack of attention, on the broadest global cross-industry scale, that has left attackers emboldened and allowed the 'vishing' threat to evolve and become ever-increasingly more dangerous. If you won't listen to me, perhaps you'll take notice of the cybersecurity and hacking experts who form the Google Threat Intelligence Group. A June 4 posting by GTIG, which has a motto of providing visibility and context on the threats that matter most, has detailed how it's been tracking a threat group known only as UNC6040. This group is financially motivated and very dangerous indeed. 'UNC6040's operators impersonate IT support via phone,' the GTIG report stated, 'tricking employees into installing modified (not authorized by Salesforce) Salesforce connected apps, often Data Loader variants.' The payload? Access to sensitive data and onward lateral movement to other cloud services beyond the original intrusion for the UNC67040 hackers. Google's threat intelligence analysts have designated UNC6040 as opportunistic attackers, and the broad spectrum of that opportunity has been seen across hospitality, retail and education in the U.S. and Europe. One thought is that the original attackers are working in conjunction with a second group that acts to monetize the infiltrated networks and stolen data, as the extortion itself often doesn't start for some months following the initial intrusion itself. To mitigate the UNC6040 attack risk, GITG said that organisations should consider the following steps: And, of course, as Google has advised in previous scam warnings, don't answer those phone calls from unknown sources. If you do, and it's someone claiming to be an IT support person, hang up and use the established methods within your organization to contact them for verification.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Apple's App Store generated nearly $1.3 trillion in sales in 2024
Apple's (AAPL) App Store facilitated almost $1.3 trillion in sales and billings in 2024, the company announced Thursday. The findings, part of a report commissioned by Apple and performed by Analysis Group's Jessica Burley and Boston University professor Andrey Fradkin, show that App Store sales across both physical and digital goods have exploded over the last 5 years, climbing from $514 billion in 2019 to $1.29 trillion last year. Some 78% of sales, $1.01 trillion worth, came via the sale of physical goods and services, which includes categories like general retail, travel, food delivery, and ride hailing. Another 10% came from digital goods and services like in-app purchases for games. The final 12% came from in-app advertising revenue. The US accounted for the majority of sales and billings related to both in-app purchase and in-app advertising, coming in at $53 billion, and $75 billion, respectively. China accounted for the largest market for physical goods and services by far, hitting $484 billion compared to the US's $277 billion. The study notes that Apple collected less than 10% of the $1.3 trillion via commissions. Apple collects a 30% commission on the sale of digital goods and services purchased through the App Store. Developers that made up to $1 million in the previous year pay a reduced 15% commission as part of Apple's Small Business Program. For subscriptions, the company collects an initial 30% commission, which then drops to 15% for each subsequent year. Governments around the world are scrutinizing Apple's App Store practices. South Korea requires Apple and rival Google to offer alternative in-app payment methods in the country, while the European Union and Japan require the companies to give users the ability to access third-party app stores. In the US, Apple is facing off against 'Fortnite' developer Epic Games as part of the duo's ongoing antitrust suit. At the heart of the matter is whether Epic should be able to circumvent Apple's in-app payment system, thereby avoiding Apple's App Store commissions. Epic initially accused Apple of violating antitrust laws by requiring developers to use the company's in-app payment systems. Ultimately, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found that Apple didn't hold a monopoly over the market for 'digital mobile gaming transactions,' but did violate California's antitrust laws via anti-steering provisions in its App Store rules. As part of the ruling, Apple was supposed to allow developers to offer payment options outside of the App Store. Apple did, however, also collect a 27% commission on those payments. Last month, Gonzalez Rogers hit back at Apple saying CEO Tim Cook 'chose poorly,' in the move and ordered the company to remove the 27% commission. The healthy increase in App Store sales over the last 5 years could help ease some of investors' concerns around Apple's Services business. Apple currently collects roughly $20 billion a year in fees from Google as part of an agreement that requires Apple to make Google the default search engine for its Safari web browser. But that deal could be on the chopping block as part of Google's antitrust battle with the Justice Department. Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@ Follow him on X/Twitter at @DanielHowley.
CNET
30 minutes ago
- CNET
How to Use AI in Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets
I'm not the most Excel-savvy person. So I had a real need to find an easier way to navigate spreadsheet software and I was hopeful artificial intelligence could lighten the workload. Reducing mundane busywork is what AI is supposed to be best at, right? My search led me to GPT Excel (after three failed attempts to integrate ChatGPT for Microsoft Excel, including clearing my cache and cookies), an AI chatbot and virtual assistant with more than 500,000 users, built specifically for Excel and Google Sheets. With free and paid ($7 a month) versions available, GPT Excel's features include AI Chat, Generate and Understand Formulas, Task Automation Generator, SQL, Data Validation and Filtering and the ability to generate table templates. While this isn't a sophisticated tool, what it lacks in flashy add-ons, it makes up for in simple and succinct tools -- which for something as robust as data (and its algorithms) makes sense. Because I was intent on summarizing and understanding the data from the Excel sheet, I focused on the Formulas page of the platform where your data can be input, then generated or explained. How to use AI to summarize spreadsheet data This was my approach when attempting to use AI to summarize the data from my spreadsheet: Create an account using your email or Google account. This will activate the free version of the platform. Once you're on your account's homepage, navigate to and click on Formulas. Select Microsoft Excel from the drop-down menu, then toggle over to the Explained tab on the top of the page. This will cause the copy-and-paste box's text below to change. This will generate your result in the text box below. You can choose to reset the copy and input new data or copy and paste this data back into the Excel sheet. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and be sure to check out the Best Practices tab for 12 do's and don'ts to help ensure the best outcome during the data input process. Screenshot by CNET Who should use GPT Excel? Artificial intelligence is a hot topic right now. Its rapid growth speaks to its popularity and success but consequently, it also speaks to the reality of over-saturation. I can't dismiss the feeling that while AI-generated organizational tools were made to reduce repetitive tasks and problem-solving time, you may spend just as much time navigating between the incredibly niche aspects of each product to find the best one for you. While articles -- like the one you're reading -- are here to help answer upfront questions, word of mouth doesn't trump experience. Tools, whether literal or digital, will always be up to individual preference and opinion. My personal thoughts on GPT Excel come down to three things: Familiarity Microsoft Excel launched in 1982 (under the name Multiplan) as a basic, though reliable, spreadsheet software program -- that's steadily evolved to meet its consumers' needs. So when I found myself sifting through various Excel-focused AI tools more than 40 years later, I naturally gravitated toward the tool with the word "Excel" in it. My artificial intelligence preference is the one with fewer gimmicks and a simpler, streamlined approach. Simplicity GPT Excel has six tool functions laid out on its landing page, including an AI Chat button to assist with any spreadsheet question. I turned to the Formulas tab for generating and understanding data. The typography and user design were laid out simply. Learning design integrations adds to the time spent using the tool -- which again, defeats the purpose of the tool itself. Cost GPT Excel's only difference between the free and paid plans is priority access to customer service and the AI chatbot. I read this as the ability to be in dialogue with someone/thing. Because I accessed the tool solely to summarize my data, I was comfortable with this trade-off. The GPT Excel's free version provides enough without the need to add another subscription service to your list. GPT Excel's AI functions Screenshot by CNET More AI tools to summarize spreadsheets While my initial attempt at ChatGPT for Excel failed, I found so many alternatives in the process -- some that are incredibly intentional and articulate about the problem they aim to solve. Numerous artificial intelligence-powered apps can summarize your data, and below are some of the others I found. While I eventually turned to ChatGPT to have my Excel data summarized, these tools claim to provide the same services for their target audience, which in some cases is the same as ChatGPT. Wherever you end up on your summarizing data journey, I hope your spreadsheet hassles are a bit easier to handle. Knowt With student and teacher plans available, Knowt is education focused. It has the ability to turn your Excel sheet data into notes and flashcards and will also test you on the information you input -- all in less than 30 seconds. Knowt has a free seven-day trial and monthly plans range from $2 to $13 a month. Ajelix BI Ajelix BI positions itself as an all-in-one platform with 15 productivity tools -- 10 of those being Excel AI tools. Its target audience is for "busy people," which includes small business owners, non-technical teams and Mac and Windows users. The platform claims to reduce problem-solving time by 50% to reveal smarter insights about data, faster. Ajelix BI has a limited access free plan, up to an unlimited $200 per month Business Plus plan. Julius AI Julius AI is an AI tool made for dense populations of data. It can turn your data into visualizations, provide answers about your data, perform forecasting, problem solve across math, physics and chemistry and, of course, create analyses and summaries. Julius AI comes in free and upgraded plan versions. Rows The Rows app presents itself as your "personal data analyst," with a focus on analyzing, summarizing and transforming data. Its website states that Row contains the power of ChatGPT without scripts, add-ons or code. It also says it has the ability to provide insights, classify and tag text, translate text to any language and execute the beginning stages of marketing campaigns. Rows' pricing plans range from free to $30 per month, billed monthly or annually.
