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Oops: DanaBot Malware Devs Infected Their Own PCs

The U.S. government today unsealed criminal charges against 16 individuals accused of operating and selling DanaBot, a prolific strain of information-stealing malware that has been sold on Russian cybercrime forums since 2018. The FBI says a newer version of DanaBot was used for espionage, and that many of the defendants exposed their real-life identities after…

Google updates the Gemini app with real-time AI video, Deep Research, and more

Google announced several updates to the Gemini AI chatbot app during Google I/O 2025, including more broadly available multimodal AI features, updated AI models, and deeper integrations with Google’s suite of products. Starting Tuesday, Google is rolling out Gemini Live’s camera and screen-sharing capabilities to all users on iOS and Android. The feature, powered by…

Google introduces Shop with AI Mode with price tracking, agentic checkout and virtual try-on

Google announced at Google IO 2025 that it is adding multiple AI-powered features for online shoppers, including a new visual panel in Google Search’s AI Mode, personalized price tracking notifications with agentic checkout, and virtual try-ons. The new shopping experience is rolling out in AI Mode, where shoppers can view product visuals and other AI-powered…

Google shows off Android XR-based glasses, announces Warby Parker team-up

Google is taking on Meta’s Ray-Ban Meta glasses by announcing new partnerships at Google I/O 2025 with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to create smart glasses based on Android XR. Google launched the Android XR platform with Qualcomm and Samsung last year. While it didn’t talk about specific devices then, the latest announcement indicates the…

Google brings a music-generating AI model to its API with Lyria RealTime

Google announced at Google I/O 2025 that it is making the AI model that powers its experimental music production app, MusicFX DJ, available via an API. The model, Lyria RealTime, is now in Google’s Gemini API and AI Studio platform. It can mix musical genres, change instruments, and alter the mood of AI-generated music, giving…

Imagen 4 is Google’s newest AI image generator

Google is rolling out a new image-generating AI model, Imagen 4, that the company claims delivers higher-quality results than its previous image generator, Imagen 3. Unveiled at Google I/O 2025 on Tuesday, Imagen 4 is capable of rendering “fine details” like fabrics, water droplets, and animal fur, Google says. The model can handle both photorealistic…

Google’s new SynthID Detector can help spot AI slop

Google is launching a way to quickly check whether an image, video, audio file, or snippet of text was created using one of its AI tools. SynthID Detector, announced Tuesday at Google I/O 2025, is a verification portal that uses Google’s SynthID watermarking technology to help identify AI-generated content. Users can upload a file, and…

Google’s 3D teleconferencing platform, now called Beam, will ship later in 2025

Google announced at Google I/O 2025 that it is rebranding Project Starline, its corporate-focused teleconferencing platform that uses 3D imaging, and recommitting to shipping it this year. Starline, now called Google Beam, will come to “early customers” like Deloitte, Salesforce, Citadel, NEC, and Duolingo later in 2025 via Google’s previously announced partnership with HP, Google…

Veo 3 can generate videos — and soundtracks to go along with them

Google’s latest video-generating AI model, Veo 3, can create audio to go along with the clips that it generates. On Tuesday during the Google I/O 2025 developer conference, Google unveiled Veo 3, which the company claims can generate sound effects, background noises, and even dialogue to accompany the videos it creates. Veo 3 also improves…

Android Studio adds ‘agentic AI’ with Journeys feature, Agent Mode

Android Studio, the integrated development environment (IDE) for Android app developers, is getting an AI upgrade, Google announced at its developer conference, Google I/O 2025, on Tuesday. In addition to the rollout of the latest Gemini 2.5 Pro model, Android Studio is gaining a new “agentic AI” capability called Journeys and will soon introduce an…

The AI Fix #51: Divorce by coffee grounds, and why AI robots need your brain

In episode 51 of The AI Fix, a Greek man’s marriage is destroyed after ChatGPT reads his coffee, a woman dumps her husband to marry an AI called Leo, and Graham wonders whether it’s time to upload his brain into a lunchbox-packing robot. Meanwhile, a humanoid robot goes full Michael Crawford in a Chinese factory,…

Google I/O 2025: What to expect, including updates to Gemini and Android 16

Google I/O, Google’s biggest developer conference of the year, is nearly upon us. Scheduled for May 20 to 21 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, I/O will showcase product announcements from across Google’s portfolio. Expect plenty of news relating to Android, Chrome, Google Search, YouTube, and — of course — Google’s AI-powered chatbot, Gemini. Earlier…

SAP cyberattack widens, drawing Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon comparisons

Hundreds of victims are surfacing across the world from zero-day cyberattacks on Europe’s biggest software manufacturer and company, in a campaign that one leading cyber expert is comparing to the vast Chinese government-linked Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon breaches of critical infrastructure. The zero-days — vulnerabilities previously unknown to researchers or companies, but that malicious…

Google rolls out new AI and accessibility features to Android and Chrome

Google announced on Thursday that it’s rolling out new AI and accessibility features to Android and Chrome. Most notably, TalkBack, Android’s screen reader, now lets you ask Gemini about what’s in images and what’s on your screen. Last year, Google brought Gemini’s capabilities to TalkBack to give people who are blind or have low vision…

Warning to US Retail: ‘Scattered Spider’ Targets YOU (with DragonForce Ransomware)

Arachnid alarm: Three major British retailers recently attacked, resulting in huge damage. Now we see the self-same scum spotlighting stores in the States. The post Warning to US Retail: ‘Scattered Spider’ Targets YOU (with DragonForce Ransomware) appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Google adds suite of security features to Android 16

Google is rolling out new security features for Android devices as part of its latest operating system update, Android 16, reinforcing its ongoing efforts to guard users against ever-changing threats.  The measures target a spectrum of risks, from financial scams and impersonation attacks to theft protection and malware. One of the central advancements highlighted Tuesday…

Y Combinator says Google is a ‘monopolist’ that has ‘stunted’ the startup ecosystem

Fabled startup investor and accelerator Y Combinator has some choice words for Google in an amicus brief it just submitted in the U.S.’s monopoly case against the search giant. In the brief, YC charged that Google is a “monopolist” that has “stunted” the U.S. startup ecosystem by making VC firms like itself hesitate to fund…

Google is adding new device-level features for its Advanded Protection program

At the Android Show, ahead of Google I/O 2025, Google announced that it is adding new device-specific features to its Advanced Protection program, which is designed to protect public figures such as politicians or journalists from different digital threats, with the Android 16 release. The new features include a new way of storing device logs…

Google announces new security features for Android for protection against scam and theft

At the Android Show on Tuesday, ahead of Google I/O, Google announced new security and privacy features for Android. These new features include new protections for calls, screen sharing, messages, device access, and system-level permissions. With these features, Google aims to protect users from falling for a scam, keep their details secure in case a…

Google’s bringing Gemini to your car with Android Auto

Google is bringing Gemini, its generative AI, to all cars that support Android Auto in the next few months, the company announced at its Android Show ahead of the company’s 2025 I/O developer conference. The company says adding Gemini functionality to Android Auto and, later this year, to cars that run Google’s built-in operating system,…

Google unveils its new Android design language, Material 3 Expressive

Google on Tuesday unveiled its new Android design language, Material 3 Expressive, at the Android Show ahead of Google I/O. The update is designed to make your phone more customizable and fluid, the tech giant says. Material 3 Expressive brings new springy animations that Google says will make your phone feel more fluid. For example,…

Google will pay Texas $1.4 billion to settle privacy lawsuits

Google has agreed to pay the state of Texas $1.375 billion to settle two lawsuits accusing the company of tracking users’ personal location, incognito searches, and voice and facial data without their permission. The lawsuits were brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in 2022. Facebook’s parent company Meta agreed to pay a similar amount…

Google I/O 2025: What to expect, including updates to Gemini and Android 16

Google I/O, Google’s biggest developer conference of the year, is nearly upon us. Scheduled for May 20 to 21 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, I/O will showcase product announcements from across Google’s portfolio. Expect plenty of news relating to Android, Chrome, Google Search, YouTube, and — of course — Google’s AI-powered chatbot, Gemini. Here’s…

Google’s new ‘Simplify’ feature for iOS uses AI to make dense text easier to understand 

Google’s iOS app is getting a new “Simplify” feature that uses AI to make complex or technical text on the web easier to understand, all without leaving a web page. Simplify features a prompt refinement approach developed by Google Research, and uses Gemini to make complicated text more digestible, without losing key details. Google says…

US DoJ wants Google to sell two of its ad products

The U.S. Department of Justice is proposing that Google sell two of its advertising products to restore competition in the ad tech space, according to a new filing. The proposal comes after a judge found Google guilty of “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in the digital ad space last month. The DOJ’s filing notes…

Google addresses 1 actively exploited vulnerability in May’s Android security update

Google addressed 47 vulnerabilities affecting Android devices in its May security update, including an actively exploited software defect that was first disclosed in March. Google said the high-severity vulnerability, CVE-2025-27363, “may be under limited, targeted exploitation.” The out-of-bounds write defect in FreeType versions 2.13.0 and below may result in arbitrary code execution, Facebook said in…

Google accidentally reveals details about its new Android design language, Material 3 Expressive

Google will unveil a new version of its Android design language at its upcoming Google I/O developer conference, according to an event schedule posted to its website as well as an accidentally published Google blog post. The I/O session title hints at significant changes in store for Android’s design system, which will evolve from “Material…

Google’s Gemini has beaten Pokémon Blue (with a little help)

Google’s most expensive AI model seems to have crossed a major milestone: Beating a 29-year-old video game. Last night, Google CEO Sundar Pichai posted triumphantly on X, “What a finish! Gemini 2.5 Pro just completed Pokémon Blue!” To be clear, the Gemini Plays Pokemon livestream was created by (in his own words) “a 30 year…

Amazon, CrowdStrike, Google and Palo Alto Networks claim no change to threat intel sharing under Trump

SAN FRANCISCO — Threat intelligence sharing is flowing between the private sector and federal government and remains unimpeded thus far by job losses and budget cuts across federal agencies that support the cyber mission, according to executives at major security firms. Top brass at Amazon, CrowdStrike, Google and Palo Alto Networks said there’s been no…

Google is reportedly showing ads in chats with some third-party AI chatbots

Google’s AdSense advertising network started supporting ads inside users’ chats with some third-party AI chatbots earlier this year, Bloomberg reported. The company is rolling out the feature following tests with AI search startups iAsk and Liner, the report said, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. “AdSense for Search is available for websites that want…

Google’s NotebookLM expands its AI podcast feature to more languages

Google’s AI-based note-taking and research assistant NotebookLM is making its Audio Overviews feature available in 76 new languages, the company announced on Tuesday. Audio Overviews launched last year to give users the ability to generate a podcast with AI virtual hosts based on documents they have shared with NotebookLM, such as course readings or legal…

YouTube support affected by European power outages, too

YouTube’s support team is experiencing an outage, too. The company says the widespread power outages in Spain and Portugal have knocked some of YouTube’s customer support team offline, including those who offer support in related European languages. The company did not share how many employees are unable to work because of the outages, or how…

Google shifts Android news to a virtual event ahead of its I/O developer conference

News about Android is being relegated to a side show at Google’s annual developer conference, Google I/O, next month. On Monday, the company announced it would share information about the latest updates coming to the Android ecosystem at an upcoming virtual event called “The Android Show: I/O Edition,” airing on May 13. The decision to…

Google’s DeepMind UK team reportedly seeks to unionize

Around 300 London-based members of Google’s AI-focused DeepMind team are seeking to unionize with the Communication Workers Union, according to a Financial Times report that cites three people involved with the unionization effort. These DeepMind employees are reportedly unhappy about Google’s decision to remove a pledge not to use AI for weapons or surveillance from…

Google’s AI search numbers are growing, and that’s by design

Google started testing AI-summarized results in Google Search, AI Overviews, two years ago, and continues to expand the feature to new regions and languages. By the company’s estimation, it’s been a big success. AI Overviews is now used by more than 1.5 billion users monthly across over 100 countries. AI Overviews compiles results from around…

The AI Fix #47: An AI is the best computer programmer in the world

In episode 47 of The AI Fix, o3 becomes the best competitive programmer in the world, hacked California crosswalks speak with the voice of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, Meta introduces a herd of Llamas, Graham explains what a “lollipop lady” is, and Google talks to some dolphins. Graham discovers an AI that’s just a…

Google’s latest AI model report lacks key safety details, experts say

On Thursday, weeks after launching its most powerful AI model yet, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Google published a technical report showing the results of its internal safety evaluations. However, the report is light on the details, experts say, making it difficult to determine which risks the model might pose. Technical reports provide useful — and unflattering,…

Judge rules Google illegally monopolized ad tech, opening door to potential breakup 

A federal judge has found that Google has violated antitrust laws by “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in the advertising technology market, rounding out a two-year saga after the U.S. and eight states filed its initial complaints against the Alphabet-owned company. The court will set a briefing schedule and hearing date to determine appropriate…

Google used AI to suspend over 39M ad accounts suspected of fraud

Google on Wednesday said it suspended 39.2 million advertiser accounts on its platform in 2024 — more than triple the number from the previous year — in its latest crackdown on ad fraud. By leveraging large language models (LLMs) and using signals such as business impersonation and illegitimate payment details, the search giant said it could suspend…

Google’s Veo 2 video generating model comes to Gemini

Google is bringing its Veo 2 video-generating AI model to users who pay for Gemini Advanced, the company’s premium AI plan. The expansion comes as Google looks to deliver an answer to OpenAI’s Sora video generation platform, and as competition in the space grows fiercer. Two weeks ago, one of the more formidable synthetic media…

Notion releases an AI-powered email client for Gmail

Notion released Notion Mail, an AI-powered email client for Gmail that integrates with the rest of Notion’s workflow management platform, on Tuesday. Notion Mail connects to Notion users’ Gmail accounts and uses AI to help users organize their emails, draft responses, schedule meetings, and search across messages. Any Notion user can sign up, and Notion…

The AI Fix #46: AI can read minds now, and is your co-host a clone?

In episode 46 of The AI Fix, China trolls US tariffs, a microscopic pogoing flea-bot makes a tiny leap forward for robotics, Google unveils the Agent2Agent protocol, a robot dog is so cute it ruins Graham’s entire day, and Europe commits €20 billion and all of its buzzwords to five moonshot AI gigafactories. Graham brings…

Google’s newest AI model is designed to help study dolphin ‘speech’

Google’s AI research lab, Google DeepMind, says that it has created an AI model that can help decipher dolphin vocalizations, supporting research efforts to better understand how dolphins communicate. The model, called DolphinGemma, was trained using data from the Wild Dolphin Project (WDP), a nonprofit that studies Atlantic spotted dolphins and their behaviors. Built on…

Google Classroom gives teachers an AI feature for quiz questions

Google Classroom introduced a new AI-powered feature designed to help teachers generate questions. Launched on Monday, this tool lets educators create a list of questions based on specific text input. Using this text-dependent question generation tool, which utilizes Gemini, teachers can either upload files from Google Drive or manually enter text for the AI to…

Chipolo’s newest AirTag competitor works with both Apple and Google’s finding networks

Chipolo, the maker of AirTag-like devices, on Monday introduced the latest version of its product. Now, instead of offering models that only work with either Apple or Google’s lost-item finding technology, the new Chipolo POP devices work with both companies’ finding networks out of the box. By combining these different functionalities into one device, Chipolo…

Gemini Code Assist, Google’s AI coding assistant, gets ‘agentic’ abilities

Gemini Code Assist, Google’s AI coding assistant, is gaining new “agentic” capabilities in preview. During its Cloud Next conference on Wednesday, Google said Code Assist can now deploy new AI “agents” that can take multiple steps to accomplish complex programming tasks. These agents can create applications from product specifications in Google Docs, for example, or…

Google’s enterprise cloud gets a music-generating AI model

On Wednesday, Google rolled out updates to several of its first-party media-generating AI models available through its Vertex AI cloud platform. Lyria, Google’s text-to-music model, is now available in preview for select customers, and the company’s Veo 2 video creation model has been enhanced with new editing and visual effects customization options. The company has…

Google Workspace gets automation flows, podcast-style summaries

Google is upgrading Workspace, its suite of cloud-based productivity tools, with new AI capabilities. The suite is gaining Workspace Flows, a tool designed to automate multi-step processes such as updating spreadsheets and digging through documents for information. Flows can tap Gems, Google’s brand of custom AI-powered chatbots, to handle specialized tasks, and it can also…

Google’s newest Gemini AI model focuses on efficiency

Google is releasing a new AI model designed to deliver strong performance with a focus on efficiency. The model, Gemini 2.5 Flash, will soon launch in Vertex AI, Google’s AI development platform. The company says it offers “dynamic and controllable” computing, allowing developers to adjust processing time based on the complexity of queries. “[You can…

Samsung adds Google’s Gemini to its home robot Ballie

Samsung said on Wednesday that it’s adding Google’s Gemini AI to its home robot Ballie through a partnership with Google Cloud. Users will be able to ask the robot different queries to get answers from Gemini, said the companies. Samsung aims to tap into Gemini’s multimodal capabilities for its robot. The Korean tech giant said…