Latest news with #AIupgrade
Forbes
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Google Photos Introduces New AI Tools: Fun, Free, And Very Limited
Google is adding new generative AI tools to Google Photos, shifting the app away from its original ... More purpose. Key Takeaways Google Photos could be at the start of a radical transformation. In a major update rolling out now, Google is introducing what could be the most significant Google Photos AI upgrade yet, allowing you to turn static images into animated video clips and stylized art with just a few taps. The tools are free and fun, but are deliberately and severely limited -- and in many ways, that's a good thing. Google's Remix feature turns still images into fun videos with AI. The Big Update: Photo To Video — Fun But Deliberately Nerfed As I previously reported, Google Photos is introducing a game-changing new feature that transforms still photos into short video clips with a single tap. It's a powerful, but significantly cut-down version of the photo-to-video features already available to paying Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in Gemini. You can select any picture in your Google Photos library, choose between the vague 'Subtle movement' or slot-machine-like 'I'm feeling lucky' options, and wait for about a minute for the video animation to generate. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Google's demos show once static people now celebrating by throwing handfuls of confetti in the air before it tumbles back down from above. These were both generated in 'I'm feeling lucky,' mode. I presume additional video effects will be available at launch and more added in the future. If you don't like the results, you can hit the Regenerate button to try again, but that's about it for user control. You can also tap on thumbs-up or thumbs-down icons to send feedback to Google. It would be great to see a few more preset options available, beyond just subtle movements or a random effect. Even adding just a few more emotions would make these clips useful as fun reactions for messaging apps, etc, in place of emojis or pre-made GIFs. The process takes up to a minute to complete, and you The focus here is clearly on fun rather than unbridled creativity. Where Gemini utilizes Google's powerful Veo3 video AI model to create animations of anything you want, Google Photos employs the older Veo 2 model, offering very little user control over what happens in the animation, except for repeatedly hitting the 'Regenerate' button. Furthermore, Veo 2 cannot generate audio, one of the standout features of Veo 3. Remix Your Photos — Too Little, Too Late? First discovered in May of this year, the new 'Remix' feature allows you to select a photo and transform it into a range of artistic styles, including cartoons, pencil sketches, and paintings. Google Photos Remix feature lets you transform photos into a range of artistic styles. As with the Photo to Video feature above, you can hit Regenerate to re-try any pictures you don't like and tap one of the thumb icons to provide feedback. Remix is clearly aimed at having fun and sharing moments in new ways, and there's nothing wrong with that. The results are Google's answer to the viral 'Ghliblified' images and action figure pictures you've probably seen taking over social media. However, unlike powerful tools like ChatGPT or Midjourney where you can simply type in any style imaginable, Remix forces you to pick from a small menu of pre-selected styles. The approach helps keep generated output safe for consumption, but also prevents any real creativity. Google will need to update the library of styles frequently or the novelty will wear off quickly. A New Direction For Google Photos — The Create Tab To make Google Photos' new generative tools easier to find, Google is introducing a new 'Create' tab, accessible by clicking an icon at the bottom of the app on both Android and iOS. Here, you'll be able to find all of Google Photos' creative tools gathered in one place, effectively separating the newer creative side of Google Photos from its original library functions. Google Photos introduces a new "Create" tab to house all of its new generative AI tools. This marks the beginning of a significant shift in purpose for Google Photos, as Google notes, it's now 'more than an archive, it's a canvas.' Personally, that's not what I want from Google Photos; I use it as a place to store and revisit memories rather than as a tool to create new content. The app's existing Animated slide shows and collages use AI to enhance memories, but these new tools alter them into something entirely new, creating video clips of events that never really happened. Google Photos Now Creates, But Is It Safe? Google appears to be exercising considerable caution with these new features, not least by severely limiting the scope of what can be created with these new Google Photos tools. However, the company acknowledges that the results may be 'inaccurate or unexpected' and displays a warning before use, along with a link to its GenAI prohibited use policy. Furthermore, all images and videos generated by Google Photos using AI contain invisible SynthID watermarks that reveal their synthetic origins. The Big Issue: US-Only Rollout Alienates Global Users Photo to Video and Remix are now rolling out on Android and iOS, but are currently only available in the US. The Create tab will then roll out in August, but once again, only in the US. This will be disappointing for international users, who may have to wait a considerable amount of time to access the new features. Remember, Google Photos users outside the US are still waiting for access to the AI-powered 'Ask Photos' feature nine months after launch. Google Photos has a massive worldwide user base, with billions of photos and videos uploaded each week, and runs the risk of frustrating a colossal number of customers if non-US customers remain excluded from its best features. Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram.
The Verge
15-07-2025
- The Verge
The OnePlus 13 gets an AI upgrade today.
Posted Jul 15, 2025 at 11:44 AM UTC The OnePlus 13 gets an AI upgrade today. A new update is rolling out Plus Mind, which uses AI to create calendar events or record important details from screenshots. It's coming to the 13 and 13R, and rolls out worldwide 'over the coming weeks.' Neither of those phones has the customizable Plus Key that activates the AI on phones like the new Nord 5, so you'll have to use a three-finger swipe to trigger it instead.
Zawya
27-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Google Search is getting powered by AI
Last year, I said Google Search may be replaced by generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI). In fact, you may refer to and read the complete article that was published last year under the heading 'Will Google Soon Be Replaced by Gen AI?' In it, I also stated that unless Google fastens its seat belt and gets in the AI race, then the Gen AI heavyweights of the likes of OpenAI (creators of the popular ChatGPT), Deepseek (the China version), Adobe, etc will surely take over. Today, I would like to report an update of a massive upgrade to Google Search, which would get it surely back on track as soon as it gets released to the public (here in Oman too, as a practical relevance). So you plan to buy a new car, but your budget is about RO 8,500. You also want to gift the car to your son, who just graduated with outstanding results from college, and you also want ideas on the best place to send the car for packaging (with flowers, ribbons, chocolates, etc.). You also want to prepare a family dinner at home as a celebration but are wondering what to cook or where to order from. All that is now possible to ask as an input to the familiar Google search bar – thanks to Google's new AI mode (only available as a test in the US but soon to be released to all the other markets). The output would not just be a basic raw list of hyperlinks to websites. No, the output would be more of the human-like answers, similar to what you are experiencing today with other Gen AI apps, but of course utilising its massive database of pictures, videos and text too as responsive content. The new Google AI mode will turn your traditional search experience into a smart, human, conversational-style response. You will not need to ask several questions (or inputs per se) on the familiar search bar. You will also not be required to repeat a question you asked previously (as the engine will remember what you're talking about), as it does today with ChatGPT. Everything can be asked at one go and at the same time. What Google will do in the back end is break your question into smaller chunks/parts, search each one behind the scenes, and then merge the results into a smart, clear and cohesive answer. You may also upload a picture for the model to analyse and provide a response/output. Of course this is all powered by Google's Gen AI (Gemini) – the new version 2.0. _ The new feature would cost about RO 8 per month to use. It is now, however, available for free to try via the Google Search Labs. How different it would be compared to other existing search engines! Obviously, faster, smarter, conversational and very AI-driven (powered). Google won't only utilise its massive database, user base and its underlying technology infrastructure, but it would also couple it with its AI model, the Gemini (upgraded to 2.0). Think of putting ChatGPT and almost all of its features in a Google search bar – that's what to expect at the very minimum. Like many, I have replaced much of my traditional online search activities with Gen AI-related apps over the past months. Nevertheless, I'm keen to see the new Google search upgrade become mainstream, where search would feel more human as opposed to a basic robotic-style response, where faster and much smarter output would be generated. Until then, let's keep our fingers crossed. AI continues to get exciting and scary too. 2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Bloomberg
20-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Asus Co-CEO on Tariffs Impact, AI
Asus Co-CEO Samson Hu says the company anticipates raising prices by 5-10% due to US tariff policy and the costs of supply chain diversification. Speaking with Bloomberg News' Annabelle Droulers on the sidelines of Computex Taipei 2025, Hu also stated that he foresees it will be another one to two years before AI driven upgrade cycle will take hold. (Source: Bloomberg)
CNET
19-05-2025
- CNET
I'm Still Waiting for Amazon's Big Alexa AI Upgrade: Here's What to Know About the Delay
We attended Amazon's February announcement of a massive Alexa AI upgrade with great interest. The new service, called Alexa Plus, promised us conversational AI to set reservations, learn what we like, analyze home video for us and control our smart entertainment on the fly -- even if it came with a wee bit of privacy loss. The enhanced Alexa was supposed to be ready to try in March. Now it's the middle of May and we're still waiting. I wish I could say I was surprised. Here's what's happening and why Echo users should practice their patience. Read more: Amazon Alexa Just Changed Its Privacy Settings. CNET Survey Reveals 73% of Device Users Were Already Worried Alexa Plus stalls out: We've seen this before Alexa Plus promised a lot. Reports indicate it's simply not ready yet. Amazon So, where's the AI? For now, it's still in early access, and that early access period appears to be limited. Even the few who have tried out Alexa Plus have been quiet about it. Those who've spoken up have said the AI is lacking critical features that were mentioned at the announcement, including ordering food on Grubhub with a conversation, entering into a story mode with kids, visually identifying family members during conversations, brainstorming ideas in a casual conversation mode, and using Alexa Plus on the Web. In other words, it's just not ready yet. Read more: The Best Smart Displays for 2025 I've seen this before, very recently, with Apple's announcement that it will be delaying Siri's big AI upgrade, not only for a year after WWDC 2024, but then again in 2025 and possibly for as long as until 2027 according to our latest info. It's possible Amazon watched the fallout from these delay announcements plus leaked employee complaints, and decided to be much quieter about the Alexa Plus rollout. Either way, it could be months before the average consumer sees an option to upgrade to Alexa Plus, and with staggered rollouts, some Amazon customers could be waiting quite some time for the chatty new Alexa. No one at CNET has gotten an early access look at Alexa Plus yet, but the testing period is still ongoing, so we're hopeful to get our hands on it very soon. Waiting for the Show The Amazon Alexa upgrades were announced on Feb. 26. Corin Cesaric/CNET We're ready with Amazon Echos, Echo Shows, home cameras, smart gadgets and more to test out just what's changed with Alexa Plus and what features have actually arrived (and what we still can't do). But for now, it looks like we're waiting for our own wake word -- and I wouldn't be surprised if Alexa Plus is on a similar trajectory to Siri's AI delays, sans the troubling announcements and exposes we saw with Apple. If you're desperate to see what Amazon is doing with the latest Alexa AI technology, there is a way to get to the front of the line. Amazon has mentioned that during the early access period, it will focus on releasing Alexa Plus for Echo Shows. If you have an Echo Show 8, Show 10, Show 15 or Show 21, you're more likely to see an offer for Alexa Plus if you sign up for the program. Otherwise, we'll keep you updated. Check out our AI Atlas to get the latest on Siri, Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Grok and, yes, Alexa Plus as we learn more and test out new capabilities. Read more: The Best Smart Speakers for 2025 (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
