Google

Samsung’s three-panel foldable phone won’t be officially available in the US until next year, but it’s already hit the YouTuber’s durability test table. Its thin frame (that’s different sizes across all three sections) doesn’t deal well with being bent the wrong way, even if Samsung’s hinge technology is pretty resilient, but... it didn’t explode.

In addition to an update for its power outage problem, Waymo is also working on an AI Ride Assistant. That’s according to security researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who found details on the bot’s system prompt from Waymo’s mobile app code.

When a substation fire cut off electricity across the city, Waymo SUVs stuck at malfunctioning stoplights quickly became another headache, and now the company is explaining it as an issue of too many remote operator assistance requests:

Google’s parent company will acquire Intersect for $4.75 billion to “enable more data center and generation capacity to come online, faster, while accelerating energy development and innovation,” according to a press release. Intersect will “remain separate from Alphabet and Google.”

Through December 31st, Google is offering 40 percent off its Pixel 10 lineup to some YouTube Premium subscribers. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a promo code in your inbox. This brings the Pixel 10 down to $479.40 ($319.60 off), which is the biggest discount we’ve seen yet.

I saw someone on Threads the other day say, basically, “I know GChat is technically still a thing, but does anyone actually use it?” Google sure hopes you do — and it’s turning it into something much more like Slack. The new thing is that you can pipe RSS feeds into Chat, where they can appear in real time in whatever group you want. It’s a good idea! We have a bunch of RSS feeds funneling into our Slack. But I’d rather just have Google Reader back.

The Mous Pixel Watch Charger, available through Google’s online store for $50, is the first third-party charger that works with the Pixel Watch 4’s side-mounted charging pins. It’s larger and potentially more stable than Google’s $30 Pixel Watch Quick Charge Dock, and can connect to other Mous charging pads.

Google’s high-end wireless earbuds are among the best you can buy if you value having great active noise cancellation, a clear transparency mode, and detailed sound quality. Even better: they’re now cheaper than they were on Black Friday, with prices starting at $164.79 (about $64 off) at multiple retailers.

The tool, which lets you have voice conversations in AI Mode in the Google app, now uses Google’s newest Gemini model for native audio, which means that responses are “more fluid and expressive than ever before,” the company says. You can hear an example in this video.

As reported by the Washington Post, an investigation by the Tech Transparency Project found apps on both platforms that were owned by sanctioned organizations, including Russian banks and a Chinese paramilitary group.