Latest news with #AndroidRedesign
CNET
16-05-2025
- CNET
Google Can Put Siri to Shame and Fix the Biggest Problem with Voice Assistants
This week, Google introduced one of the biggest redesigns to Android, which includes a wild new concept for giving voice commands: just talk normally — even if it's a multi-layered request that involves translations, texting and emoji. The Gemini AI programming, as it stretches across multiple Android devices like phones, watches and car systems, promises to solve what I feel is one of the biggest problems now in using voice assistants. We've been required to talk in a particular, choppy way — starting off with the right wake word, using the keyword that triggers the proper command, being careful to not get too casual. I am doing a delicate word-salad dance with Siri every time I try to ask it to play a certain Apple Music playlist. And yet, even simple commands don't always give the results you want. But with AI, can we finally have computers that get it our requests right? Apple made these promises to us before, with a AI-infused Siri that hasn't launched yet that is supposed to give more personal help and also dig into our messages and emails. So when I see the Android team tell us that it will happen soon across Google devices, I'm skeptical if this can really work as advertised. In this week's episode of One More Thing, which you can watch embedded above, I explain what makes the new Gemini AI pitch so impressive. But when on-screen disclaimers warn that the results might not be accurate, what use is it to have an assistant you cannot trust? If you're looking for more One More Thing, subscribe to our YouTube page to catch Bridget Carey breaking down the latest Apple news and issues every Friday.
Phone Arena
09-05-2025
- Phone Arena
Hotspot #30: The Android redesign is its best chance for a win
Android's redesign is its chance for a win Google's inability to keep a secret was proven once again as the company Google's inability to keep a secret was proven once again as the company leaked its own redesign of the Android interface. Called Material 3 Expressive, the new look leverages color, shape, size, and motion to make the software 'more usable.' In a now-deleted blog post, Google claimed it developed the new design through 46 rounds of research focused on how various visual elements affect user attention. The goal was to make the design more interesting for younger users while also simplifying usability for older ones, leveling the playing field so everyone can quickly spot interface elements. While a redesign alone won't lure users out of Apple's walled garden, giving Android such a distinctive interface is the right step forward. Copying Apple clearly hasn't worked, so creating something completely different from the iPhone experience is refreshing, if nothing else. Given that everyone complains Apple can't innovate anymore, Google's new approach might pay off in the long run. Subscribe to receive the weekly Hotspot newsletter By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy AI is the death of social media Researchers from the University of Zurich Researchers from the University of Zurich secretly used AI-powered bots on the popular debate subreddit r/changemymind to test whether AI could change people's opinions on contentious topics. They discovered that AI is a great manipulator and more persuasive than humans. Setting aside the ethical failure of the study, it's another sign we're not prepared for the age of AI. Without effective tools to detect AI, such bots could be exploited by bad actors for even more effective disinformation campaigns than the ones we've already witnessed. The best-case scenario would be that the AI slop pushes people away from social media, encouraging us to reconnect in real life. The more likely outcome is the proliferation of AI-generated echo chambers amplifying the worst characteristics of social media and the internet. Either way, big social media companies will suffer. It would be a good idea for them to stop playing carelessly with AI and start working on ways to limit its harmful influence over their apps before it gets too late. Google is cooked Apple is exploring the implementation of AI-powered search tools in Safari. Eddy Cue, the company's VP of services, said he believes AI will eventually replace today's search engines. He also noted Apple will likely offer products similar to OpenAI's and Perplexity's search, although 'they probably won't be the default.' These statements were part of Cue's testimony in the DOJ's antitrust case against Google, which is just one of the search giant's significant challenges. If Apple truly considers replacing Google with AI-powered search, then the end of web search as we know it could be closer than we imagined. Regulatory pressure might impact Google's future, but that will pale compared to the consequences of 2 billion iPhones shifting toward ChatGPT or Claude-powered search. Such a massive change won't happen overnight, which is probably Google's only comfort. People's habits change slowly, giving Google time to devise a survival strategy. One we can only hope includes a drastically better search experience, with or without AI. Further reading Welcome to Hotspot, your weekly newsletter with three takes on the most important news of the week, which you can read in 3 minutes. If you want to receive Hotspot in your inbox, you can subscribe for it here.
Phone Arena
08-05-2025
- Phone Arena
A deleted blog post just revealed Google's next big move for Android
Google has leaked its Material 3 Expressive design, a new, fresh look for Android. Google is not known for its secrecy or protection against leaks - after all, Google's newest phone, the Pixel 9a, basically got revealed before its official launch just by leaks alone. This time, Google is taking it up a notch - it itself is leaking the next big thing. The next big Android redesign, Material 3 Expressive, was leaked by Google itself in a now-deleted blog post. The blog post was first spotted by 9to5Google. The design was said to be the "most researched" update yet, with an interface aimed at looking more appealing and easier to use. The archived version of the deleted webpage is still visible on the Wayback Machine (you know, once on the internet, always on the internet). In the post, Google said it developed Material 3 Expressive with 46 rounds of design and research over 18,000 participants. The new look takes advantage of color, shape, size, and motion to provide a more "usable" product. We will likely see and hear a lot of it during Google I/O later this month. Apparently, Google studied how research participants focused their attention in a design, what their reactions were to different looks, and how quickly they were able to understand an interface. According to the post, the company also evaluated individual elements with specific aims to determine the progress indicator look that makes time feel like it's passing faster. Or the ideal size of a button to improve the tap time. According to the post, the new Material 3 Expressive design made it easier for people to find key elements in the interface up to four times faster when compared to the existing Material 3 design. Also, it's apparently suitable for users of all ages, and people over 45 years old found interface elements just as fast as younger users. Apparently, Google says the expressive design, if applied correctly, is preferred over a non-expressive one following "iOS Human Interface Guidelines.'Earlier reports have indicated that Google is looking to roll out changes across the entire Android user interface. We've heard about redesigned status bar icons, a new clock font, and a new settings menu. Meanwhile, Apple is also working on iOS 19. According to reputable insiders, iOS 19 may be Apple's "most significant update" for years. It seems maybe 2025 will be the year of new, exciting takes on our well-known mobile operating systems. And I'm here for it.
