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The name Google is synonymous with online searches, but over the years the company has grown beyond search and now builds multiple consumer products, including software like Gmail, Chrome, Maps, Android, and hardware like the Pixel smartphones, Google Home, and Chromebooks. Its name can also be found on internet services such as Google Fi, Flights, Checkout, and Google Fiber. Here is all of the latest news about one of the most influential tech companies in the world.

Google’s making game devs an offer they probably can’t refuse.

It’ll let them use their own payments alongside (or instead) of Google Play, starting this week.

If you do, it’ll only charge you 26 (or 27) percent of revenue instead of 30, or 11 (or 12) percent for subs instead of 15. What a savings! Never mind Google knows you’ll pay more than the discount to process payments yourself. Never mind that Spotify pays zero.

Play devs can also link to outside payment offers this week in the EU. Tim Sweeney’s calling that a “new Google Tax on web transactions,” but we don’t yet have details.


AI gadgets, bendy phones, and more from MWC

On The Vergecast: some big ideas about wearables, Android phones, and why your life might need a transparent laptop.

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Play Store developers can link to outside payment offers in the EU this week.

Google noted the change as part of an update on its compliance with the Digital Markets Act. The update highlights more options it’s already announced or rolled out, including new choice screens and data sharing options, plus changes to how Play Store developers can collect payments — all preparing for the deadline of March 6th.


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The Verge
Some details on Google’s Gemini scandal.

In case you missed the last issue of Command Line:

After talking to sources at Google, I’ve come to the conclusion that these bad Gemini responses slipped through testing because everyone felt rushed to ship. An illustrative example: the photo generation in the Gemini app is not actually powered by the Gemini model. It’s an older, text-to-photo model that was tacked onto the Gemini user-facing experience to get the feature out the door faster.

I’m told that there’s also a lack of alignment between Demis Hassabis’s research team building the underlying models and Prabhakar Raghavan’s search organization that’s putting them into user-facing products. Perhaps the coming “structural changes” Pichai hinted at in his memo to employees last week will address that.


A Google Maps test shows where building entrances are.

Android Police spotted the test in Google Maps version 11.17.0101, which could make it easier to find the entrances to large buildings. You can only see the entrances when you tap and zoom in on a building, but not every location — or device — has the feature yet.


An old Pixel Watch can learn new tricks.

On top of public transit directions (which are also available on any Wear OS 3 watch or later), as part of the March Pixel Feature Drop, the original Pixel Watch is getting the ability to auto track certain workouts, set goal paces within exercises, and heart rate zone training. It’s also getting the Relax app, which guides you through breathing exercises.

Most of these were already available on the Pixel Watch 2, but it's nice to see Google give the first-gen watch some love.


Guest host Hank Green makes Nilay Patel explain why websites have a future

On this special episode of Decoder, Complexly co-founder and YouTuber Hank Green turns the tables on Nilay Patel.

The Verge’s favorite smart home devices

We clean with low-end robovacs, use Stream Decks as light switches, and enjoy the luxury of smart beds.

Google’s morale crisis is about to get worse

The layoffs keep rolling, Gemini is in trouble, and now Google employees are bracing for lower raises.

The very best food stuff on the internet

Plus, in this week’s Installer: Dune is back, a new tech book, Teenage Engineering, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

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Google will face new antitrust allegations after a judge okays charges.

US District Judge Kevin Castel approved (PDF) a class action lawsuit by advertisers alleging that the company holds a monopoly in the ad market, Reuters reported yesterday.

Judge Castel dismissed some of the claims, though, including one that alleged that Google and Facebook conspired to give Facebook access to “enhanced proprietary data.”

Google is also preparing another advertising antitrust trial from the US DOJ.


VR / XR / AR shots fired.

Meta’s CTO says there are reasons Meta thumbed its nose at Google re: AndroidXR (something The Info reported this morning). He suggests Google’s talking shit about Meta behind its back and demanding “restrictive terms.”

I can see why Google might try: Oculus was once so willing to partner, it left Samsung and Xiaomi in charge of its mobile fate — and Google has a long, successful history of tying up partners with contracts in exchange for Google apps and a cut of search revenue. But does Meta need Google, or the other way round?


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More evidence that Google wants to ship a new Chromecast.

9to5Google APK sleuthing reveals Google is testing a new mystery Chromecast with Google TV. But it’s different than the last mystery Chromecast: “YTD” instead of “YTC”.

Google also appears to be working on a new remote with more buttons, including one with a star. It hasn’t replaced its flagship 4K Chromecast since 2020, though it’s still one of our top picks.


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Brave brings its AI browser assistant to Android.

The privacy-focused Brave browser launched its AI assistant, Leo, last year on the desktop, and now it’s available for Android, following other mobile AI-connected browsers like Edge and Arc (only on iOS).

Leo promises summaries, transcriptions, translations, coding, and more (while acknowledging that LLMs may “hallucinate” erroneous info). As for privacy, Brave claims, “Inputs are always submitted anonymously through a reverse-proxy and are not retained or used for training.”


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Google Cloud links up with Stack Overflow for more coding suggestions on Gemini.

The partnership also lets developers on Gemini for Google Cloud (not to be mistaken for Gemini the chatbot) access Stack Overflow directly. The new features will be available in the first half of 2024.

Stack Overflow, which laid off 28 percent of its staff last year amid the boom in AI coding, will be able to use Google’s AI services to help “accelerate content approval process and further optimize forum engagement experiences.”


32 media companies hit Google with $2.3 billion lawsuit.

The news organizations, including media giant Axel Springer, from 17 countries in Europe are suing the search giant over heavy losses they allegedly incurred as a “direct result of Google’s misconduct” in digital advertising.

“Without Google’s abuse of its dominant position, the media companies would have received significantly higher revenues from advertising and paid lower fees for ad tech services,” a statement from lawyers representing the media companies.


That 10-year-old family group chat on WhatsApp just got easier to navigate on Android.

The messaging app’s “search by date” function is now rolling out to Android users. Already available on iOS, WhatsApp Web, and Mac desktops, the feature lets users jump to messages sent during a specific day.

To use it, click into any chat (or group chat), select “Search,” and then tap on the calendar icon on the bottom right.


A screenshot of the new “search by date” function on WhatsApp.
The new “search by date” function on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp

What a bunch of A-list celebs taught me about how to use my phone

Nobody has to think more carefully about their technological lives than celebrities. And a few of them have figured out the answer.

Google TV’s new look starts rolling out.

The “Your apps” row is getting a refresh with rounded app icons and more of them as well as a new shortcut to free channels and quick access to reorder apps and add more.

Google says the tweaks are rolling out starting today and coming to all devices over the “next few months.”


Look! A new Your apps design.
Look! A new Your apps design.
Image: Google
Google Maps is finally rolling out glanceable directions.

The feature enables Maps users to track their journey via the lock screen, or in the app via the route overview provided before hitting “start.” It’s now rolling out widely to both iOS and Android devices over a year since Google first announced it, according to Android Police.

The toggle to enable glanceable directions is located under Navigation settings, within the main Google Maps Settings menu.


A GIF demonstrating the new glanceable directions feature in Google Maps.
Track your journey right from your route overview screen without clicking start.
GIF: Google
The Phone 2A makes a guest appearance at Nothing’s MWC event.

It’s not due to launch until March 5th, but Nothing couldn’t help teasing its first budget handset, yet again, in Barcelona.

As you can see, the light-up glyphs are back, but we’ll need a few more days before we get a better look at this device.


<em>Nothing Phone (2a) at MWC 2024</em>

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Nothing Phone (2a) at MWC 2024
Photo by Jon Porter / The Verge
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Google is paying small news outlets to use an AI article writing tool.

Under the agreement, publishers produce three articles a day, one newsletter a week and one marketing campaign a month using AI. In exchange, outlets get “a five-figure sum” over the course of 12 months.

First off, that figure seems like a steal for Google. And the service relies on articles from other publishers — who reportedly haven’t consented to their work being used:

To produce articles, publishers first compile a list of external websites that regularly produce news and reports relevant to their readership. ...

When any of these indexed websites produce a new article ... the publisher can then apply the gen AI tool to summarize the article, altering the language and style of the report to read like a news story. 


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Google is giving advertisers more control over where their ads go.

Last year, a report from Adalytics found that Google had been placing search ads on questionable websites (something Google refutes). But now, it seems like Google is responding to these concerns.

In a statement to The Verge, Google spokesperson Farrell Sklerov says the company “decided to unify our brand suitability preferences so that account level placement exclusions will apply to the Search partner network, in addition to YouTube and Display” ads. That means advertisers should get the ability to exclude certain websites from search ad campaigns.


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The Verge
Gemini’s photo generator ‘will be back in a few weeks.’

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, in a keynote during the Mobile World Congress, acknowledged the model applied a range of people for images “too bluntly.” Hassabis said Gemini’s photo generation feature, which was paused last week, is being fixed to offer a more narrow range of people for historical accuracy.