Latest news with #Veo3
Mint
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
I revived my dog's puppy days using Google Gemini AI – Here's how it went
My pet dog, Coco, is starting to get quite old now; he's almost 10. We got him in 2015, and at that time, while phones had decent cameras, I did not take many videos, primarily because they were not very good. This is why I have barely any videos of my dog when he was a tiny pug puppy, which is a big regret of mine. Now, when Google Gemini started to roll out the feature that allows you to convert photos into videos using, of course, Veo 3 AI, I immediately jumped at the opportunity and tried it out. To my surprise, it did a fairly accurate job. Here is how it went. Firstly, I opened the Gemini app on my iPhone (it also works on Android phones), and because I have access to the Google AI Pro plan, I have access to Google Veo 3 preview, which is the AI tool Google uses to make videos. Then, I submitted a photo of my pet dog, Coco, when he was a puppy, being held by my brother. And next, a prompt along with it that said, 'Make a video of my pug puppy from this photo and try to keep the details intact.' The AI-generated video Google Veo 3 made. (Converted to GIF) Gemini took around a minute or so before generating an eight-second-long video of my little Coco moving around in my brother's arms. It looks quite realistic, and I am beyond happy that I got something. While it is definitely not real, it is indeed satisfying to see a moving picture of my dog from his puppy days. Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel at large because this video isn't real. It's something that never actually happened. But maybe that's the point. It offers a glimpse of what could have been and perhaps, that in itself is comforting. This is possible with the Veo 3 preview only. It gives you 8-second videos. Veo 3 only launched in May, and Google is now shipping the preview for users. This capability is only for Gemini AI Pro and Gemini Ultra subscribers, which means you will have to pay roughly ₹ 2,000 to access Google Gemini (there's a free trial available). Google says people have been creating a wide range of content using Veo 3, including everything from ASMR videos to cutting through lava. Having said that, I also tried it with photos of myself when I was a kid, but it did not allow me. Google is also bundling in safety measures, including adding a visible watermark to show they are AI-generated and an invisible SynthID digital watermark. And, you can definitely use the Google Veo 3 preview to generate a wide range of content from making talking monkey vlogs set on the streets of Delhi to flying, talking giraffes climbing Mount Everest. The world is your oyster, though, of course, within the limits of Google's guardrails.
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Google Makes Surprise New Free Offer To Pixel 9 Pro Owners
Google Pixel 9 Pro now gets one free year of Google's AI Pro subscription. (Photo by Future ... More Publishing via Getty Images) After giving the Pixel 9 Pro XL its biggest discount yet and suddenly raising trade-in prices, which valued the Pixel 6a at $524, Google is now offering a year of Google AI Pro—for free—to Pixel 9 Pro owners. The offer coincides with the company's continued expansion of its AI video generation model, Veo 3, which now has image-to-video capabilities. The new video-generation tools are available through Google's AI Pro plan ($19.99 per month), or the AI Ultra ($124.99. per month) subscription. This offer only applies to the AI Pro subscription on the Pixel 9 Pro. It includes access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, filmmaking tool Flow, Gemini in Workspace apps and 2TB of storage, alongside other AI tools. To get the freebie, visit the Google One site, select the Google One tab, and sign up for the AI Pro plan. Let me know if it works. Google Beefs Up Circle To Search Again With More AI Tools AI Mode is coming to Circle To Search, which adds another AI toolset to the search feature's already long list of skills. AI Mode essentially brings Gemini's capabilities into Circle To Search. The idea is that after using Circle To Search, rather than just getting a short AI Overview summary of results, users will be able to quiz Gemini and dive deeper into their search without opening a new app. Circle To Search can now work while playing a mobile game, too. Samsung demonstrated this at a Galaxy Z Fold 7 briefing earlier this week and Google has now made it official. The idea is that if you're struggling to get past a boss or area in a mobile game, activating Circle To Search will launch an AI Overview window (over the game) with tips and advice. There's no need to exit the game, which will continue after the window is closed. Google says that Circle To Search, with a selection of these new tools, is available to more than 300 million Android devices. Because of its ubiquity, Google considers its visual search tool a vehicle for spreading AI tech to as many phones as possible. The feature isn't hardware-intensive and can run on virtually any phone. This is why we have seen repeated skill updates to Circle To Search. In the last year, Google added full-page text translations, QR code scanning, song identification, text translation, maths problem solving, AI Overview summaries and now deeper AI Mode research.
Mint
a day ago
- Mint
Google's Veo 3 brings the era of video on command
Dream up a scene. Any scene. A tube of toothpaste releases popcorn when squeezed. A jellyfish jumps onto a beach chair and turns into a beautiful woman. Mona Lisa leans out of her painting and offers a pizza slice. Be as creative as you like and don't hold back, as artificial intelligence (AI) won't care whether your visualization is logical or not. Now, describe what's in your mind very specifically to Google's Gemini assistant, after tapping the video tab. Describe the sound you want as well. Wait a minute or two. And watch as your video appears. That's how easy it has become to create a video out of thin air. No camera, no props, no people. DeepMind has refined its text-to-video tool to the point where it generates beautiful-looking slices of video, complete with sound. But, of course, there's a catch. Several, in fact. First, you need to be on the paid tiers of Gemini—Pro or Ultra. Pro costs ₹1,950 a month and gives you access to the Gemini app with 2.5 Pro, limited access to Veo 3, Flow, Whisk, NotebookLM Plus, Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Vids, and more, plus two terabytes (TB) of storage. The Gemini AI Ultra plan is over ₹21,000 a month and gives access to more products, plus fewer limits to using them. Veo 3, the video-generating tool, can be found in the Gemini app (or browser) if you have the Pro plan, but is limited to three videos a day, and an overall maximum limit as well. The videos are of eight seconds duration and output in 720p resolution at 24 frames per second in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Veo 3 is capable of producing 4K videos, depending on the platform, but the limits mentioned are what you get with the Pro tier. Whatever the technical details, the quality of the tiny videos you create with Veo 3 is very nice. The visual experience is rich. Vivid imagery, smooth movement, and best of all, clear sound. The earlier Veo 2 had not integrated sound, and now that it is part of the videos, it completes them in a way that shows you what could be possible, were all limits to be removed. The sound is good enough to be quite loud and clear. You won't miss the purring of a cat or the fizz of soda. You can even have people conversing, though they will need to hurry it up to fit into the eight-second slot. The audio is synchronized. You can also have music if you describe it well enough. There's a problem, too. The Veo 3 version available to Pro users—called Veo 3 Fast—is really like a teaser. You can't actually do much that's useful within Gemini without bumping into the limitations. One rather frustrating limit is that adherence to instructions or prompts is by no means flawless at this level. I've been playing with Veo from its previous version and have actually only once or twice managed to have a video created to my specifications. The rest have what you might call goof-ups that make them unusable. For example, with Veo 2, I had once requested a video of Tom and Jerry, from the beloved cartoons, in which Tom was chasing Jerry around a large piece of cheese at high speed. Jerry was to win, as he usually does, by tricking Tom, in this case by jumping on top of the cheese, leaving Tom running. There was no sound then, so I asked for text that said, 'Who moved my mouse". The result was hilarious. The cheese chased Tom, who in turn chased Jerry. The text said, 'Who who cheese?" I iterated many times with no better success. You will often find errors like the one I described. I asked for a girl swimming in clear blue water, doing the breaststroke. She appeared, swimming in the strangest manner possible. Her face was underwater and staring at the camera, her arms were pushing the water backwards, and there was no sign of the signature breaststroke movements. If she had, in fact, carried on in that vein, she would have shortly drowned. Compliance with prompts is stronger with the more professional platforms—and those aren't cheap. Industry insiders may opt for access and will know what to do with those videos. For the average user, Veo 3 Fast is a glance at what's to come, some day not far off. If you get the video right, through a combination of good luck and clever prompting, you could use the videos on social media to illustrate something to students, to send a message, such as a birthday wish. It can be fun if you get it as desired in three tries. All the same, whether Tom chases Jerry, Jerry chases Tom, or the cheese chases both of them, the democratization of video has truly arrived, and what we will have to cope with is figuring out whether seeing is believing. The New Normal: The world is at an inflexion point. Artificial Intelligence is set to be as massive a revolution as the Internet has been. The option to just stay away from AI will not be available to most people, as all the tech we use takes the AI route. This column series introduces AI to the non-techie in an easy and relatable way, aiming to demystify and help a user to actually put the technology to good use in everyday life. Mala Bhargava is most often described as a 'veteran' writer who has contributed to several publications in India since 1995. Her domain is personal tech, and she writes to simplify and demystify technology for a non-techie audience.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business Standard
Tech Wrap July 11: Samsung pre-order, Acer Aspire Go 14, Huawei FreeClips
Samsung's pre-orders for Galaxy Watch 8 series. Acer Aspire Go 14 launched. Huawei FreeClips launched. Veo 3 video generation. Acer Iconia Tab iM11 launched. Nothing Phone 3 drop event in India BS Tech New Delhi Samsung opens pre-orders for Galaxy Watch 8 series in India Samsung has started taking pre-orders for its latest Galaxy Watch 8 series in India. The range includes the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, both bringing notable improvements in design, health tracking, and AI features. For the first time, the Galaxy Watch lineup integrates Google's Gemini assistant. These smartwatches run on Wear OS 6, layered with Samsung's One UI 8 Watch. Acer has unveiled the Aspire Go 14 laptop in India, equipped with Intel Core Ultra 7 H-series processors and a dedicated Copilot key for quick access to Microsoft's AI assistant in Windows 11. The laptop targets students, casual users, and first-time buyers, and is built for tasks such as web browsing, studying, light editing, and media consumption. Huawei has released its FreeClips open-ear wireless earbuds in India. The earbuds feature a unique C-bridge design and are built for comfort and situational awareness. "With the self-adaptive left-right audio channels, each earbud can be worn on either ear," the company said, highlighting the flexibility in their design. Google has added a new feature to Gemini AI that transforms static images into eight-second video clips with audio, using the Veo 3 video generation model. The tool adds sound effects, ambient audio, and even dialogue. The feature is being gradually rolled out to Gemini Advanced Ultra and Pro subscribers in select areas, including India. Acer has introduced the Iconia Tab iM11 Android tablet in the Indian market. It features a MediaTek Helio G99 processor and an 11.45-inch IPS screen, along with a quad-speaker stereo setup. The tablet package also includes a keyboard, Active Stylus Pen, and a Smart Flip Cover. Nothing has announced an exclusive 'drop event' for its new Phone 3, taking place on July 12 at UB City in Bengaluru. The company stated that attendees will get a chance to purchase the Phone 3 ahead of its official sale. "The first 100 customers to buy the Phone 3 at the event will receive the new Nothing Headphone 1 at no extra cost," the brand confirmed. The event starts at 7 PM and will follow a first-come, first-served format. Sony has announced the upcoming release of Ghost of Yotei, an action-adventure samurai game exclusive to PlayStation 5, launching worldwide on October 2. Developed by Sucker Punch Productions—known for Ghost of Tsushima—this new installment introduces fresh characters and settings while retaining the cinematic combat and open-world elements fans appreciate. Apple's iOS 26 update will bring two new apps to the iPhone's Home Screen: Apple Games and Preview. Apple Games acts as a dedicated gaming hub, while Preview offers tools for handling PDFs and image files. Both apps aim to improve the way users interact with media and documents across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Microsoft is updating its Windows 11 interface by replacing the familiar Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) with a new black version. This redesign is part of a larger update that introduces a cleaner, more modern look, aligning with Windows 11's current design language. Apple is reportedly planning a broad refresh of its product lineup in early 2026. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that updates are expected across major categories including iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, with a new external display for Mac also in development. Google is reportedly preparing to offer a steep discount on its cloud services to the United States government. According to the Financial Times, the deal could be finalized soon and comes amid broader efforts by the U.S. administration to curb federal spending. India's data center sector is expected to see major expansion, with total capacity projected to reach 3 GW by 2030. The report, "A Multi-Year Growth Proxy on India's Data Explosion and Localisation Wave" by Avendus Capital, notes that annual investment in the sector is currently $1 -- 1.5 billion and likely to double soon. Elon Musk's AI startup xAI has launched Grok 4, just months after the previous version, reflecting the rapid pace of development. During a live demo, Musk said Grok 4 is "smarter than almost all graduate students, in all disciplines, simultaneously." The new version includes enhanced voice interaction and benchmarks that reportedly surpass competitors like OpenAI. A biotech company is working to bring back the South Island giant moa, a flightless bird once native to New Zealand. Standing over three metres tall, the moa was the tallest bird ever recorded. The effort aims to use modern genetic techniques to revive this extinct species, much like the concept in Jurassic Park.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Google expands creative AI tools in Pakistan with Veo 3, Flow
Google has introduced its video generation model, Veo 3, expanding access to Google AI Pro subscribers in over 150 countries, including Pakistan. This new capability allows users to transform their favorite photos into vivid eight-second video clips with sound through a powerful photo-to-video feature built on Veo 3, launched earlier this year, a statement said on Friday. Globally, users have already created over 40 million Veo 3 videos in just seven weeks — reimagining fairy tales, experimenting with ASMR, and pushing the boundaries of creativity. Pakistan's growing community of digital storytellers and content creators can look forward to exploring these possibilities. How photo-to-video brings images to life To turn photos into videos, select 'Videos' from the tool menu in the prompt box and upload a photo. Then, describe the scene and any audio instructions, and watch as the image transforms into a dynamic video. Google to invest fresh $1bn in OpenAI rival Anthropic, FT reports Now available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in select countries, this tool allows users to animate everything from personal moments to creative sketches. Simply upload a photo, describe the scene and any audio cues, and Gemini will generate a dynamic video to download or share. These capabilities are also available in Flow, Google's AI filmmaking tool. Expanding creative possibilities in Flow Users can also explore these features in Flow, Google's AI tool for filmmakers, which now allows adding speech to video clips alongside sound effects and background audio. (Audio generation in Flow is still experimental, so results may vary.) Frames to Video — which lets personal images become the starting point of dynamic clips — is also available on Veo 3 Fast, helping users get even more from their credits. Flow and Google AI Ultra are now available in over 140+ countries, expanding access to these cutting-edge creative tools. Ensuring trust and safety in AI Google says it is committed to responsible AI, and claims that all videos generated with Gemini include a visible watermark and an invisible SynthID digital marker to indicate they are AI-created. The company also conducts extensive 'red teaming' exercises to proactively test its systems, identify and address potential issues before they arise, and carries out thorough evaluations to understand how these tools might be used and how misuse can be prevented. Policies against unsafe content are continuously enforced, and user feedback is actively sought to further strengthen safety measures.
