Tag Archives: Technology & Electronics

Google Gemini can power a virtual AI teammate with its own Workspace account

Posted on by

Google's Gemini AI systems can do a lot, judging by today's I/O keynote. That includes the option to set up a virtual teammate with its own Workspace account. You can configure the teammate to carry out specific tasks, such as to monitor and track projects, organize information, provide context, pinpoint trends after analyzing data and to play a role in team collaboration.

In Google Chat, the teammate can join all relevant rooms and you can ask it questions based on all the conversation histories, Gmail threads and anything else it has access to. It can tell team members whether their projects are approved or if there might be an issue based on conflicting messages. 

It seems like the virtual teammate was just a tech demo for now, however. Aparna Pappu, vice president and GM of Workspace, said Google has "a lot of work to do to figure out how to bring these agentive experiences, like virtual teammates, into Workspace." That includes finding ways to let third parties make their own versions. 

While it doesn't seem like this virtual teammate will be available soon, it could eventually prove to be a serious timesaver — as long as you trust it to get everything right first time around.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-gemini-can-power-a-virtual-ai-teammate-with-its-own-workspace-account-182809274.html?src=rss

Google Gemini can power a virtual AI teammate with its own Workspace account

Posted on by

Google's Gemini AI systems can do a lot, judging by today's I/O keynote. That includes the option to set up a virtual teammate with its own Workspace account. You can configure the teammate to carry out specific tasks, such as to monitor and track projects, organize information, provide context, pinpoint trends after analyzing data and to play a role in team collaboration.

In Google Chat, the teammate can join all relevant rooms and you can ask it questions based on all the conversation histories, Gmail threads and anything else it has access to. It can tell team members whether their projects are approved or if there might be an issue based on conflicting messages. 

It seems like the virtual teammate was just a tech demo for now, however. Aparna Pappu, vice president and GM of Workspace, said Google has "a lot of work to do to figure out how to bring these agentive experiences, like virtual teammates, into Workspace." That includes finding ways to let third parties make their own versions. 

While it doesn't seem like this virtual teammate will be available soon, it could eventually prove to be a serious timesaver — as long as you trust it to get everything right first time around.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-gemini-can-power-a-virtual-ai-teammate-with-its-own-workspace-account-182809274.html?src=rss

Google announces new scam detection tools that provide real-time alerts during phone calls

Posted on by

Google just announced forthcoming scam detection tools coming to Android phones later this year, which is a good thing as these scammers keep getting better and better at parting people from their money. The toolset, revealed at Google I/O 2024, is still in the testing stages but uses AI to suss out fraudsters in the middle of a conversation.

You read that right. The AI will be constantly on the hunt for conversation patterns commonly associated with scams. Once detected, you’ll receive a real-time alert on the phone, putting to bed any worries that the person on the other end is actually heading over to deliver a court summons or whatever.

Google gives the example of a “bank representative” asking for personal information, like PINs and passwords. These are uncommon bank requests, so the AI would flag them and issue an alert. Everything happens on the device, so it stays private. This feature isn’t coming to Android 15 right away and the company says it’ll share more details later in the year. We do know that people will have to opt-in to use the tool. 

Google made a big move with Android 15, bringing its Gemini chatbot to actual devices instead of requiring a connection to the cloud. In addition to this scam detection tech, the addition of onboard AI will allow for many more features, like contextual awareness when using apps.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-announces-new-scam-detection-tools-that-provide-real-time-alerts-during-phone-calls-181442091.html?src=rss

Google announces new scam detection tools that provide real-time alerts during phone calls

Posted on by

Google just announced forthcoming scam detection tools coming to Android phones later this year, which is a good thing as these scammers keep getting better and better at parting people from their money. The toolset, revealed at Google I/O 2024, is still in the testing stages but uses AI to suss out fraudsters in the middle of a conversation.

You read that right. The AI will be constantly on the hunt for conversation patterns commonly associated with scams. Once detected, you’ll receive a real-time alert on the phone, putting to bed any worries that the person on the other end is actually heading over to deliver a court summons or whatever.

Google gives the example of a “bank representative” asking for personal information, like PINs and passwords. These are uncommon bank requests, so the AI would flag them and issue an alert. Everything happens on the device, so it stays private. This feature isn’t coming to Android 15 right away and the company says it’ll share more details later in the year. We do know that people will have to opt-in to use the tool. 

Google made a big move with Android 15, bringing its Gemini chatbot to actual devices instead of requiring a connection to the cloud. In addition to this scam detection tech, the addition of onboard AI will allow for many more features, like contextual awareness when using apps.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-announces-new-scam-detection-tools-that-provide-real-time-alerts-during-phone-calls-181442091.html?src=rss

Google’s Gemini Nano brings better image-description smarts to its TalkBack vision tool

Posted on by

The Google I/O event is here, and the company is announcing lots of great updates for your Android device. As we heard earlier, Gemini Nano is getting multimodal support, meaning your Android will still process text but with a better understanding of other factors like sights, sounds and spoken language. Now Google has shared that the new tool is also coming to it's TalkBack feature.

TalkBack is an existing tool that reads aloud a description of an image, whether it's one you captured or from the internet. Gemini Nano's multimodal support should provide a more detailed understanding of the image. According to Google, TalkBack users encounter about 90 images each day that don't have a label. Gemini Nano should be able to provide missing information, such as what an item of clothing looks like or the details of a new photo sent by a friend. 

Gemini Nano works directly on a person's device, meaning it should still function properly without any network connection. While we don't yet have an exact date for when it will arrive, Google says TalkBack will get Gemini Nano's updated features later this year.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-gemini-nano-brings-better-image-description-smarts-to-its-talkback-vision-tool-180759598.html?src=rss

Google’s Gemini Nano brings better image-description smarts to its TalkBack vision tool

Posted on by

The Google I/O event is here, and the company is announcing lots of great updates for your Android device. As we heard earlier, Gemini Nano is getting multimodal support, meaning your Android will still process text but with a better understanding of other factors like sights, sounds and spoken language. Now Google has shared that the new tool is also coming to it's TalkBack feature.

TalkBack is an existing tool that reads aloud a description of an image, whether it's one you captured or from the internet. Gemini Nano's multimodal support should provide a more detailed understanding of the image. According to Google, TalkBack users encounter about 90 images each day that don't have a label. Gemini Nano should be able to provide missing information, such as what an item of clothing looks like or the details of a new photo sent by a friend. 

Gemini Nano works directly on a person's device, meaning it should still function properly without any network connection. While we don't yet have an exact date for when it will arrive, Google says TalkBack will get Gemini Nano's updated features later this year.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-gemini-nano-brings-better-image-description-smarts-to-its-talkback-vision-tool-180759598.html?src=rss

Google builds Gemini right into Android, adding contextual awareness within apps

Posted on by

Google just announced some nifty improvements to its Gemini AI chatbot for Android devices as part of the company’s I/O 2024 event. The AI is now part of the Android operating system, allowing it to integrate in a more comprehensive way.

The coolest new feature wouldn’t be possible without that integration with the underlying OS. Gemini is now much better at understanding context as you control apps on the smartphone. What does this mean exactly? Once the tool officially launches as part of Android 15, you’ll be able to bring up a Gemini overlay that rests on top of the app you’re using. This will allow for context-specific actions and queries.

Google gives the example of quickly dropping generated images into Gmail and Google Messages, though you may want to steer clear of historical images for now. The company also teased a feature called “Ask This Video” that lets users pose questions about a particular YouTube video, which the chatbot should be able to answer. Google says this should work with "billions" of videos. There's a similar tool coming for PDFs. 

Using YouTube.
Google

It’s easy to see where this tech is going. Once Gemini has access to the lion’s share of your app library, it should be able to actually deliver on some of those lofty promises made by rival AI companies like Humane and Rabbit. Google says it's “just getting started with how on-device AI can change what your phone can do” so we imagine future integration with apps like Uber and Doordash, at the very least.

Circle to Search is also getting a boost thanks to on-board AI. Users will be able to circle just about anything on their phone and receive relevant information. Google says people will be able to do this without having to switch apps. This even extends to math and physics problems, just circle for the answer, which is likely to please students and frustrate teachers.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-builds-gemini-right-into-android-adding-contextual-awareness-within-apps-180413356.html?src=rss

Google builds Gemini right into Android, adding contextual awareness within apps

Posted on by

Google just announced some nifty improvements to its Gemini AI chatbot for Android devices as part of the company’s I/O 2024 event. The AI is now part of the Android operating system, allowing it to integrate in a more comprehensive way.

The coolest new feature wouldn’t be possible without that integration with the underlying OS. Gemini is now much better at understanding context as you control apps on the smartphone. What does this mean exactly? Once the tool officially launches as part of Android 15, you’ll be able to bring up a Gemini overlay that rests on top of the app you’re using. This will allow for context-specific actions and queries.

Google gives the example of quickly dropping generated images into Gmail and Google Messages, though you may want to steer clear of historical images for now. The company also teased a feature called “Ask This Video” that lets users pose questions about a particular YouTube video, which the chatbot should be able to answer. Google says this should work with "billions" of videos. There's a similar tool coming for PDFs. 

Using YouTube.
Google

It’s easy to see where this tech is going. Once Gemini has access to the lion’s share of your app library, it should be able to actually deliver on some of those lofty promises made by rival AI companies like Humane and Rabbit. Google says it's “just getting started with how on-device AI can change what your phone can do” so we imagine future integration with apps like Uber and Doordash, at the very least.

Circle to Search is also getting a boost thanks to on-board AI. Users will be able to circle just about anything on their phone and receive relevant information. Google says people will be able to do this without having to switch apps. This even extends to math and physics problems, just circle for the answer, which is likely to please students and frustrate teachers.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-builds-gemini-right-into-android-adding-contextual-awareness-within-apps-180413356.html?src=rss

Android’s Circle to Search can now help students solve math and physics homework

Posted on by

Google has introduced another capability for its Circle to Search feature at the company's annual I/O developer conference, and it's something that could help students better understand potentially difficult class topics. The feature will now be able to show them step-by-step instructions for a "range of physics and math word problems." They just have to activate the feature by long-pressing the home button or navigation bar and then circling the problem that's got them stumped, though some math problems will require users to be signed up for Google's experimental Search Labs feature.

The company says Circle to Search's new capability was made possible by its new family of AI models called LearnLM that was specifically created and fine-tuned for learning. It's also planning to make adjustments to this particular capability and to roll out an upgraded version later this year that could solve even more complex problems "involving symbolic formulas, diagrams, graphs and more." Google launched Circle to Search earlier this year at a Samsung Unpacked event, because the feature was initially available on Galaxy 24, as well as on Pixel 8 devices. It's now also out for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S22, Z Fold, Z Flip, Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 devices, and it'll likely make its way to more hardware in the future. 

In addition to the new Circle to Search capability, Google has also revealed that devices that can support the Gemini for Android chatbot assistant will now be able to bring it up as an overlay on top of the application that's currently open. Users can then drag and drop images straight from the overlay into apps like Gmail, for instance, or use the overlay to look up information without having to swipe away from whatever they're doing. They can tap "Ask this video" to find specific information within a YouTube video that's open, and if they have access to Gemini Advanced, they can use the "Ask this PDF" option to find information from within lengthy documents. 

Google is also rolling out multimodal capabilities to Nano, the smallest model in the Gemini family that can process information on-device. The updated Gemini Nano, which will be able to process sights, sounds and spoken language, is coming to Google's TalkBack screen reader later this year. Gemini Nano will enable TalkBack to describe images onscreen more quickly and even without an internet connection. Finally, Google is currently testing a Gemini Nano feature that can alert users while a call is ongoing if it detects common conversation patterns associated with scams. Users will be alerted, for instance, if they're talking to someone asking them for their PINs or passwords or to someone asking them to buy gift cards. 

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/androids-circle-to-search-can-now-help-students-solve-math-and-physics-homework-180223229.html?src=rss

Android’s Circle to Search can now help students solve math and physics homework

Posted on by

Google has introduced another capability for its Circle to Search feature at the company's annual I/O developer conference, and it's something that could help students better understand potentially difficult class topics. The feature will now be able to show them step-by-step instructions for a "range of physics and math word problems." They just have to activate the feature by long-pressing the home button or navigation bar and then circling the problem that's got them stumped, though some math problems will require users to be signed up for Google's experimental Search Labs feature.

The company says Circle to Search's new capability was made possible by its new family of AI models called LearnLM that was specifically created and fine-tuned for learning. It's also planning to make adjustments to this particular capability and to roll out an upgraded version later this year that could solve even more complex problems "involving symbolic formulas, diagrams, graphs and more." Google launched Circle to Search earlier this year at a Samsung Unpacked event, because the feature was initially available on Galaxy 24, as well as on Pixel 8 devices. It's now also out for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S22, Z Fold, Z Flip, Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 devices, and it'll likely make its way to more hardware in the future. 

In addition to the new Circle to Search capability, Google has also revealed that devices that can support the Gemini for Android chatbot assistant will now be able to bring it up as an overlay on top of the application that's currently open. Users can then drag and drop images straight from the overlay into apps like Gmail, for instance, or use the overlay to look up information without having to swipe away from whatever they're doing. They can tap "Ask this video" to find specific information within a YouTube video that's open, and if they have access to Gemini Advanced, they can use the "Ask this PDF" option to find information from within lengthy documents. 

Google is also rolling out multimodal capabilities to Nano, the smallest model in the Gemini family that can process information on-device. The updated Gemini Nano, which will be able to process sights, sounds and spoken language, is coming to Google's TalkBack screen reader later this year. Gemini Nano will enable TalkBack to describe images onscreen more quickly and even without an internet connection. Finally, Google is currently testing a Gemini Nano feature that can alert users while a call is ongoing if it detects common conversation patterns associated with scams. Users will be alerted, for instance, if they're talking to someone asking them for their PINs or passwords or to someone asking them to buy gift cards. 

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/androids-circle-to-search-can-now-help-students-solve-math-and-physics-homework-180223229.html?src=rss