Tag: google

Google Chrome for Android Gets a ‘Listen to This Page’ Text-to-Speech Feature: How to Use

Google Chrome for Android is getting a new feature dubbed Listen to this Page, which will let the browser read any text-heavy webpage aloud. The text-to-speech (TTS) feature is being integrated into the Android app, and users will be able to access it from the three-dotted menu icon. The feature opens a miniplayer that comes with play/pause, a progress bar, playback speed options, and more. Users can also listen to a webpage in multiple voices and different languages as well.

Google Chrome’s Listen to This Page feature

According to a dedicated support page for the feature, it can be used to read the text on a website while using an Android device. The feature can play the audio while the user switches to a different tab. The audio can also play while the screen is locked. While the feature has begun rolling out to users, a wider release may take a few weeks. The feature is being rolled out with the Google Chrome version 125. Gadgets 360 staff were able to find this new feature on the latest version of Chrome for Android.

Google Chrome’s Listen to this page feature supports several languages including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Further, several voice types are also available for users to choose from. The TTS feature has Ruby (mid-pitch, warm), River (mid-pitch, calm), Field (low-pitch, bright), and Moss (low-pitch, peaceful) voice options in English (US). It offers Cloud (mid-pitch, soothing) and Dale (low-pitch, calm) in English (UK), and Lake (mid-pitch, calm) in English (India) languages.

Once the feature is turned on, users will find a miniplayer at the bottom of the screen which comes with play/pause, a progress bar, a 10-second fast forward/rewind, and playback speed options. The overflow menu also auto-scrolls as the voice reads the text. Once the app is closed, the voice is paused. Google Chrome remembers where it was paused and upon reopening the app, it can start playing from where it left off.

How to Use Google Chrome’s Listen to This Page Feature

  1. Open the Google Chrome app on your Android device.
  2. Open a webpage with text. The page should be text-heavy.
  3. Once the page fully loads, tap the icon on the top right with three vertical dots.
  4. Look for Listen to this page. Tap on it.
  5. To change the playback speed: Tap on the miniplayer.
  6. In the player window, tab the three horizontal dots on the bottom right.
  7. Tap on Playback Speed.
  8. To change the voice, tap on Voice. Tap Preview to try out the voice.
  9. Tap Highlight text and auto-scroll to enable the feature.

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YouTube Reportedly Testing New Method to Disrupt Ad Blockers Amid Ongoing Crackdown

YouTube is reportedly developing another way to crack down on third-party ad blockers, as the video streaming platform looks to increase revenue from users who don’t have a YouTube Premium subscription. It is speculated that this change may combine the video and ad streams, preventing popular browser plugins from blocking these ads from being displayed. This development comes weeks after users reported about videos automatically skipping to the end when using third-party ad blockers on the Alphabet-owned video streaming service.

YouTube reportedly combining video and ad streams

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), SponsorBlock a plugin that skips past sponsored sections of YouTube videos claims that YouTube is merging ads directly to the video stream. At present, videos and ads are said to be two separate elements. The player automatically pauses the video to display the ads at specified timestamps.

With this change, the video stream is a continuous one, meaning third-party ad blockers may not be able to block them anymore, according to SponsorBlock. The open-source browser extension said that it may not be able to function properly if server-side ads are introduced, as “all timestamps are offset by the ad times.”

YouTube’s crackdown on ad blockers continues

Users with ad blockers enabled reported last month that they were facing another issue – videos have started to automatically skip to the end. In the YouTube subreddit, a user reported that they were unable to watch videos when an ad blocker is turned on. The user also allegedly tried to skip to certain sections of the video, but it appears to fast-forward to the end automatically.

In some cases where some users were able to circumvent this issue, the audio playback disappeared. This meant while they were able to watch the video, the audio was missing.

This crackdown is speculated to be part of YouTube’s “global effort” taking on ad blockers. As per the video-streaming platform, these programs, often presented as browser plugins, violate its API services’ terms of service.

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Infinix Note 40 5G India Launch Date Set for June 21; Design, Colour Options, Key Features Revealed



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Google Pixel 8 Price in India Dropped on Flipkart; Pricing Now Starts at Rs. 61,999

Google Pixel 8 was launched in October last year alongside the Pixel 8 Pro. Less than a year after its debut, the price of the flagship smartphone has been slashed in India. The e-commerce website is providing additional discounts for purchases made through select bank cards and EMI transactions. The Pixel 8 runs on Google’s Tensor G3 processor and packs up to 256GB of storage. It has a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and is backed by a 5,050mAh battery.

Google Pixel 8 discounted price, offers

Launched in India with a starting price tag of Rs. 75,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model, the Pixel 8 is now priced at Rs. 61,999, a Rs. 14,000 price cut from the original price. The 256GB storage model is listed for Rs. 71,999, instead of the launch price of Rs. Rs. 82,999.

Pixel 8 on Flipkart
Photo Credit: Flipkart

 

Additionally, Flipkart is offering hefty trade-in discounts of up to Rs. 60,500 on the Pixel 8. A cashback offer worth up to Rs. 8,000 can also be availed by customers purchasing the handset using ICICI bank cards and EMI transactions, effectively brining the starting price to Rs. 53,999.

There’s also a 5 percent cashback on Flipkart Axis bank card payments. Buyers can also avail of 12 months of Spotify Premium for just Rs. 699. No-cost EMI options start at 3,445 per month.

Google Pixel 8 specifications

Google’s Pixel 8 smartphone runs on Android 14 and sports a 6.2-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a Google’s Tensor G3 chipset under the hood, alongside Titan M2 security chip and 12GB of RAM.

The Pixel 8 has a dual rear camera unit, comprising a 50-megapixel Samsung GN2 sensor and a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera. On the front, it has a 10.5-megapixel front camera. It is equipped with a 4,575mAh battery with support for 27W wired charging.

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Google Messages Reportedly Developing a Quicker Way to Have Conversations With Gemini: Report

Google Messages may reportedly introduce a quicker way for you to have conversations with Gemini – the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. While a similar functionality currently exists in the messaging app, it takes quite a few actions before you can start conversing. This development was reportedly found in a beta version of the app. With this feature, Google is reported to streamline the process via a new floating action button (FAB) that might be available in the Messages app.

Gemini FAB in Google Messages

Android Authority, in collaboration with tipster Assemble Debug, reported that the new FAB for Gemini was spotted in the APK teardown of the Google Messages app version messages.android_20240610_01_RC00. A floating button reportedly appears above the start chat option.

Gemini FAB in Google Messages
Photo Credit: AssembleDebug/Android Authority

To bring up the Gemini conversation window right now, users need to start a new chat and then select the ‘Gemini’ option. This feature is not available in India, according to Google. With the FAB in development, it may eliminate an extra step required to bring up the AI chatbot. Instead, users may be able to tap on the Gemini option and have conversations straightaway.

The integration of Gemini with Google Messages was first reported in March but only started to become available in more regions last month. Regions such as India, the UK, Switzerland, and the European Economic Area (EEA) were excluded from the update.

The report speculates that this feature is not available to even beta testers yet and there is no information about its rollout timeline. Notably, features spotted in APK teardowns are usually only for testing and it is possible that they do not make it to the final build of the app.

Edit RCS Messages

On May 30, Google announced seven new features for Android, including the ability to edit RCS (Rich Communication Services) messages. This feature is said to be available via Google Messages.

Google said users can tap and hold on a sent RCS message to edit it. A new edit icon will be displayed on the top banner. Messages sent can be edited for up to 15 minutes, the company added.

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Google Pixel 9, Pixel Fold 2 Alleged Case Renders Hint at Design; Suggest Pixel 9 Pro XL Variant

Google Pixel 9 family is expected to go official in October. We are still months away from the anticipated launch timeline, but phone case manufacturers seem to have started keeping their products ready for the next flagships. Most recently, alleged case renders for the Pixel 9 and Pixel Fold 2 have surfaced on the Web. The transparent protective cases that emerged from a known case manufacturer suggest multiple variants for the Pixel 9. The case for the Pixel Fold 2 indicates a similar design language to that of the Pixel Fold. The upcoming foldable phone is likely to get larger screens compared to its predecessor.

Google Pixel 9, Pixel Fold 2 design (expected)

Case maker Thinborne has published renders of Google Pixel 9 and Pixel Fold 2 cases. They are said to be made of 600D Aramid Fibre material and have MagSafe compatibility. The listings on the Thinborne website indicate that Google intends to announce a Pixel 9 Pro XL model along with its Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro variants this year. This corroborates with past leaks. The XL model is expected to come with a larger screen.

The case renders of Pixel Fold 2 suggest a familiar design language to Pixel Fold. It seems to have large cover and inner displays. The cases feature flat sides and cutout for the Pixel camera bar. The case maker seems to have used designs that have been already leaked on the Web previously. However, the designs may change before the final launch of the handsets, therefore these details should be considered with a pinch of salt.

Google is expected to announce the Pixel 9 series and Pixel Fold 2 in October. The handsets could ship with Android 15 and Tensor G4 SoC.

The vanilla Pixel 9 is said to get a 6.24-inch display while the Pro and XL models could feature 6.24-inch and 6.73-inch screens, respectively. They panels are said to be of AMOLED variety with 120Hz refresh rate.

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Apple Planning AI Integrations With Google Gemini and Other AI Models in the Future: Report

Apple surprised many when it announced the integration of OpenAI’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT across its upcoming operating systems during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 keynote session. This is the first time the tech giant has given a third-party systemwide access to its platform. However, this is just the beginning, if a new report is to be believed. The company is reportedly ready to open its platform for further AI integrations with Google’s Gemini and other leading AI models.

Apple reportedly open for AI integration with Google Gemini

According to a report by 9to5Mac, Apple shared its future AI plans in a post-WWDC keynote discussion. During the session that was moderated by YouTuber iJustine, Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Apple hinted that Gemini could also be integrated with Apple platforms in the future.

“And so we may look forward to doing integrations with different models like Google Gemini in the future. I mean, nothing to announce right now, but that’s our direction,” Federighi was quoted as saying.

Reportedly, Federighi’s mention of Google Gemini was in context to Apple’s intentions of bringing multiple AI models to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and other operating systems. He highlighted that the company wanted to give users a preference in using an AI model of their choosing as different large language models (LLMs) could be adept in different tasks.

He also added that the decision to onboard ChatGPT first was taken as the tech giant wanted to “start with the best,” as per the publication.

Apple integrates ChatGPT across operating systems

During the WWDC 2024 keynote session, Apple announced that it was integrating ChatGPT access within its upcoming operating systems for iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. The chatbot will bring various AI features across text and images. Siri will also be able to tap into ChatGPT’s knowledge base to bring answers to various user queries. However, users will have to opt-in before Siri can share the query and any photo or document with the chatbot.

ChatGPT’s capabilities will also be available for users via the systemwide Writing Tools. The Compose feature will also allow users to generate images using the chatbot. Notably, Apple is leveraging GPT-4o-powered ChatGPT for its AI features.

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Google NotebookLM Gets Upgraded to Gemini 1.5 Pro, Rolls Out in India and Other Markets: How It Works

Google’s NotebookLM received several new features and was expanded to more than 200 countries and regions on Thursday. The AI-powered research and writing assistant was initially introduced at last year’s Google I/O event as Project Tailwind and was later rolled out to a limited number of users in the US. Now, the platform is available to users in India and other countries with features such as web URLs and Google Slides as sources, inline citations, and more. It is also powered by the Gemini 1.5 Pro AI model.

NotebookLM gets new features

After the integration with Gemini 1.5 Pro, the AI model that powers Gemini Advanced, NotebookLM now has multimodal capabilities. What this means is that users can add pictures, charts, and diagrams in sources and the platform will answer questions about them. Earlier, it could only read and analyse the text.

NotebookLM platform
Photo Credit: Google

 

Another useful new feature is the inclusion of Google Slides and website URLs as sources. With this, users can upload a link to a website or a Google Slides file and have the AI chatbot organise and answer questions on it. The Gemini 1.5 Pro model is again useful here as it lets the chatbot go through the slides. Other than that, users can upload sources from Google Drive, PDF files, Text files, and copied text.

Further, the platform now shows inline citations for its generated responses. Hovering over the citation will open the supporting passage from the source for easy fact-checking. Users can also click the passage to dive deeper into the original text. Additionally, the NotebookLM also has a deeper level of understanding of the sources, and it can generate frequently asked questions (FAQs), briefing documents, and study guides when prompted.

During a media briefing, Raiza Martin, Senior Product Manager at Google Labs, told Gadgets 360 that the AI model will not be trained on the user’s data or the sources in any capacity. Further, journalists were told that since NotebookLM is a closed system, it does not run a web search to answer any question and only relies on the information present in the sources.

How to use NotebookLM

  1. Go to the NotebookLM website by clicking here.
  2. Tap on Try NotebookLM.
  3. Look for the Sources icon on the left margin.
  4. There should be a plus icon next to it. Click it.
  5. Choose your preferred mode of uploading source.
  6. Choose the file or URL you want to use.
  7. Now, you can type your query in the text field at the bottom.
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra US Variant Allegedly Spotted on IMEI Website


Realme GT 7 Pro Key Specifications Leak Again; Tipped to Feature 50-Megapixel Periscope Camera



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Gmail for Android Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With Email Summarisation, Other Gemini-Powered Capabilities

Gmail for Android app is likely to be upgraded with new features powered by its artificial intelligence (AI) model Gemini, according to a report. It is tipped to bring a dedicated Gemini button to the Android app which may offer more functionality beyond generating summaries of emails, with the ability to handle “non-email queries”. These additions are reportedly part of an update that only limited users have access to right now and could eventually be expanded to all users.

for AI Features

Android Authority reports that the features were spotted in the Gmail for Android app version 2024.05.26.638440827 and were activated after enabling some flags. The update brings notable AI capabilities via the Gemini button, which was already available to Workspace users but recently arrived on another beta version of Gmail for Android.

It reportedly introduces three new quick prompts: Summarize this email, List the next steps, and Suggest a reply. Tapping any of the above-mentioned options opens up a conversation with the AI chatbot.

The Gemini button can also be used to generate replies for emails and tweak them for different tones., according to the publication. It can also access content from previous emails but on a “limited” scale.

Notably, Google reportedly introduced the Gemini button in Gmail for Android beta app version 2024.05.19.635289964. It is said to appear as a star-shaped icon on the top banner, preceding the archive option.

Gemini on Google Messages

Google has also reportedly rolled out the Gemini integration in Google Messages. This feature was first showcased at Google I/O 2024 and can execute message-related tasks such as drafting, rephrasing and rewriting them with different tones. Additionally, users can also have conversations and ask it to fetch information from the internet.

However, it cannot be used in group conversations or group chats on WhatsApp. It does not have access to voice messages either, the report suggests. Google has reportedly introduced this feature in most regions except India, the UK, Switzerland, and the EEA region comprised of the 27 EU countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

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OpenAI, Google DeepMind Employees Warn of AI Risks, Demand Better Whistleblower Protection Policies

OpenAI and Google DeepMind are among the top tech companies at the forefront of building artificial intelligence (AI) systems and capabilities. However, several current and former employees of these organisations have now signed an open letter claiming that there is little to no oversight in building these systems and that not enough attention is being paid toward major risks posed by this technology. The open letter is endorsed by two of the three ‘godfathers’ of AI, Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio and seeks better whistleblower protection policies from their employers.

OpenAI, Google DeepMind Employees Demand Right to Warn about AI

The open letter states that it was written by current and former employees at major AI companies who believe in the potential of AI to deliver unprecedented benefits to humanity. It also points towards the risks posed by the technology which include strengthening societal inequalities, spreading misinformation and manipulation, and even losing control over AI systems that could lead to human extinction.

The open letter highlights that the self-governance structure implemented by these tech giants is ineffective in ensuring scrutiny of these risks. It also claimed that “strong financial incentives” further incentivise companies to overlook the potential danger AI systems can cause.

Claiming that AI companies are already aware of AI’s capabilities, limitations, and risk levels of different kinds of harm, the open letter questions their intention to take corrective measures. “They currently have only weak obligations to share some of this information with governments, and none with civil society. We do not think they can all be relied upon to share it voluntarily,” it states.

The open letter has made four demands from their employers. First, the employees want companies to not enter into or enforce any agreement that prohibits their criticism for risk-related concerns. Second, they have asked for a verifiably anonymous process for current and former employees to raise risk-related concerns to the company’s board, to regulators, and to an appropriate independent organisation.

The employees also urge the organisations to develop a culture of open criticism. Finally, the open letter highlights that employers should not retaliate against existing and former employees who publicly share risk-related confidential information after other processes have failed.

A total of 13 former and current employees of OpenAI and Google DeepMind have signed the letter. Aside from the two ‘godfathers’ of AI, British computer scientist Stuart Russell has also endorsed this move.

Former OpenAI Employee Speaks on AI Risks

One of the former employees of OpenAI who signed the open letter, Daniel Kokotajlo, also made a series of posts on X (formerly known as Twitter), highlighting his experience at the company and the risks of AI. He claimed that when he resigned from the company, he was asked to sign a nondisparagement clause to prevent him from saying anything critical of the company. He also claimed that the company threatened Kokotajlo with taking away his vested equity for refusing to sign the agreement.

Kokotajlo claimed that the neural nets of AI systems are rapidly growing from the large datasets being fed to them. Further, he added that there were no adequate measures in place to monitor the risks.

“There is a lot we don’t understand about how these systems work and whether they will remain aligned to human interests as they get smarter and possibly surpass human-level intelligence in all arenas,” he added.

Notably, OpenAI is building Model Spec, a document through which it aims to better guide the company in building ethical AI technology. Recently, it also created a Safety and Security Committee. Kokotajlo applauded these promises in one of the posts.

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Google Keep Might Reportedly Allow Users to Resize App Window on Android

Google Keep may soon get a new setting that lets users resize the app’s window on their smartphone. This development comes a few days after Google announced that it would bring new functionality to its note-taking app on Wear OS with customisable tiles that can be pinned, a feature that began to roll out as part of the latest Android Feature Drop. The resizable windows functionality on Google Keep was reportedly spotted during an APK teardown of the Android app.

Google Keep to Gain Support for Resizable Windows

An Android Authority report, in collaboration with tipster Assemble Debug, states that Google may soon allow users to change the size of Google Keep windows on Android. At present, Google Keep windows can either be maximised or resized to preset dimensions.

The ability to resize windows at will was spotted by the publication as part of an APK teardown of the Google Keep app version 5.24.222.01.90, and was activated after “activating a flag”.

It will reportedly be accessible via a new sliding pane layout which can be used to customise windows without any fixed ratios. However, not all smartphones could support the feature.

Devices with a pixel density higher than 600ppi may gain support for resizable Google Keep windows, according to the report. There’s currently no word from the company on plans to roll out support for resizing Google Keep on Android.

Google Keep Gets New Tiles on Wear OS

Last week, Google announced that it is introducing tiles for the Google Keep app on Wear OS. The feature was announced at its developer conference, Google I/O on May 14 but its rollout commenced only last week.

It now allows users to add multiple tiles, which are customisable. Google says they can also be pinned notes or to-do lists. To use it, Google says, “ Simply swipe through your tiles and find your pinned note (like a shopping list) to stay on top of things.”

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iQoo 13 Tipped to Get 2K Display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC, More; Might Ditch Pro Variant



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