The new smartphone lineup from Chinese manufacturer Honor will include AI image-to-video capabilities developed in partnership with Google Cloud. The Honor 400 series will let users generate videos from static photos, according to the company. Google recently added support for Veo 2, which generates videos at up to 4K, for Gemini Advanced subscribers, and Honor says its new phones will have Veo 2 baked into the operating system, beating Google’s own Pixel phone to the punch. The Huawei spin-off is set to launch the 400 series May 22. Continue reading Google Veo 2 Video Generator Coming to New Honor Phones

Google is adding a “Simplify” feature for iOS users that uses AI to translate complex or technical text into language that aims to be easy to understand. Simplify leverages what Google calls “a novel prompt refinement approach developed by Google Research,” drawing on the company’s proprietary AI, Gemini, to make complicated writing “digestible — without losing key details.” Google’s research indicates people find Simplify’s plainspeak “significantly more helpful than the original complex text” and improved retention. “Simplify uses AI to make dense text on the web easier to understand — without leaving a web page,” Google explains. Continue reading Google Simplify App Makes Tough Text Easier to Understand

Pinterest has added more AI options for visual search, hoping to drive discovery. The idea is to make it easier to segment elements in Pin image searches, building databases of relevant or personally associated products. When users view a Pin, they’ll now also see AI-generated words that can be used to learn more about elements of an image that interest them, including informationally and to facilitate shopping. “We’re breaking down and decoding images so users can quickly search and shop for the details of an outfit — whether it’s an aesthetic, color palette, fit or product category,” according to Pinterest. Continue reading Pinterest Aims to Improve Discovery with Its AI Search Tools

Netflix is testing a short-form video feature for mobile to compete for the attention of those spending time on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. The news came out of the company’s inaugural product and tech event where it also shared plans for an OpenAI-powered search tool that lets users describe their desired content conversationally. Netflix plans to introduce improved real-time recommendations and a redesigned TV homepage, rolling out globally in the coming weeks and months, according to Chief Product Officer Eunice Kim, who presided over the event with Chief Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone. Continue reading Netflix Highlights Original Shows in New Vertical Shorts Feed

Design software startup Figma is rolling out new products and AI upgrades that aim to make the company a one-stop creative ecosystem for taking projects from concept to execution without any third-party apps. At its flagship Figma Config event in San Francisco, the company introduced new products for branded marketing, digital illustration, website building and AI coding, all designed to compete with leaders in the field. “In a world where software is growing exponentially, design is a differentiator that will make great companies and products stand out,” said Figma CEO and co-founder Dylan Field. Continue reading Figma Intros AI-Powered Web Building App, Marketing Tools

Lightricks, the company behind the Facetune and Videoleap apps, has released a new video model called LTX Video, or LTXV, that generates what the company describes as high-quality AI video at speeds up to 30 times faster than competing products, and does it using consumer-grade hardware. The open-source, 13-billion parameter model achieves such efficiency by utilizing an approach called multiscale rendering, which generates video in progressively detailed layers. The program can run on high-end laptops and standard desktop computers, opening up generative video to an audience beyond those who have access to enterprise equipment. Continue reading Lightricks LTXV Makes Video Generation Faster and Cheaper

Microsoft has announced two hew ultra-thin Copilot+ PCs, the Surface Laptop 13-inch and Surface Pro 12-inch, designed with AI experiences and portability in mind. Both are powered by the Snapdragon X Plus processor for speed and long battery life. The Surface Laptop 13 is the “lightest, most portable Surface Laptop ever,” weighing just 2.7 pounds — nearly a pound lighter than last year’s model — making it light and small enough to be comfortably transportable in a backpack. The 2-in-1 Surface Pro is only 1.5 pounds without a keyboard. Continue reading Microsoft Unveils Two New Lightweight Surface Copilot+ PCs

Microsoft is adding new features to the Windows 11 Start menu beginning this month, rolling the changes out first to Windows Insiders using Snapdragon X Copilot+ PCs, including the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop devices. The new Start menu is said to be roomier, with easier all-apps scrollable viewing and the ability to organize categories. The restyled Windows 11 Start menu will also offer a new phone companion panel that provides quick access to frequently used contacts, recent messages and calls, and more on synced Android or iPhone devices. Continue reading Windows 11 Will Feature an Updated Start Menu This Month

Google has quietly launched a film and television production initiative called “100 Zeroes” to fund projects (initially from respected indie studios) that are positive about tech and could help promote a positive take on Google’s own products and services. Google is teaming with talent management and production company Range Media Partners on the initiative. While product placement is expected to be one element (for example: a movie character uses an Android device rather than an iPhone), Google is reportedly more focused on a broader plan to promote a general positive view on technology, especially to younger demographics such as Gen Z. Continue reading Google Launches Initiative for Positive Film, TV Views on Tech

Apple has teamed with Anthropic on a “vibe coding” AI platform that will write, edit and test software for developers. The system is essentially an update on Xcode, Apple’s free integrated development environment (IDE) that will be powered by Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet model, according to reports. Apple’s plan is said to be introducing the software internally then deciding later whether to launch it publicly. Apple developed the proprietary Xcode suite of tools and began using it in 2003 to code, debug, test and vet submissions to the App Store for software that runs on all of its operating systems, from iOS to visionOS. Continue reading Apple Reportedly Using Anthropic’s Claude for AI Code Tool

Artificial intelligence is making big inroads in shopping, with Visa, Mastercard and PayPal all announcing AI-enhanced purchasing. Unveiled at the Visa Global Product Drop event, Visa Intelligent Commerce enables AI “to find, shop and buy for consumers based on their pre-selected preferences,” Chief Product and Strategy Officer Jack Forestell said, noting “each consumer sets the limits, and Visa helps manage the rest.” That news came a day after Mastercard introduced Mastercard Agent Pay and PayPal emphasized agentic efforts at its Dev Days event last week. Agentic commerce is the use of AI to transact on behalf of a customer or business. Continue reading Visa, Mastercard and PayPal Embrace AI Agentic Commerce

Meta Platforms revenue for Q1 was $42.3 billion, up 16 percent year-over-year and besting Wall Street estimates of $41.3 billion. Profits were up 35 percent to $16.6 billion, hurtling past analyst estimates of $13.6 billion. Advertising, up nearly 15 percent for the quarter compared to last year, comfortably passed $41 billion, driving the revenue performance. Meta began Q2 by launching its anticipated standalone Meta AI app. Built with natively multimodal Llama 4 models, the company is positioning the Meta AI app as “a personal AI designed around voice conversations,” according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Continue reading Meta Touts 35 Percent Q1 Profit Jump, ‘Personalized’ AI App

Microsoft has “tapped on the brakes” of its spending on artificial intelligence, reducing capital expenses by more than $1 billion in the first three months of 2025. But after 10 straight quarters of increased AI outlay, momentum continues to propel the sector forward with new data center commitments in 16 countries and the expansion of the Phi small language family with the debut of Phi-4 (that supports text, visual and voice inputs). The moves come on the heels of $70 billion in sales for the first three months of 2025, when profits were up 18 percent to $25.8 billion. Continue reading Microsoft Reduces Spending on AI but Momentum Continues

OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT’s shopping capabilities, adding product recommendations to help users discover products and brands. The chatbot’s results for shopping queries will now automatically include things like prices, images and ratings, much like searches using Amazon or Google Shopping. The company says that products it features in shopping search results “are chosen independently and are not ads.” With the company under pressure to turn a profit, a challenge for many AI startups, that could of course change. The company is reportedly already working with partners to ensure pricing is up to date. Continue reading OpenAI Improves ChatGPT for Shopping with Built-In Pricing

China’s Huawei Technologies is getting ready to test its newest AI processor, which the company believes is powerful enough to replace high-end chips from U.S. rival Nvidia, whose top-tier products are prohibited from export to China due to a trade embargo. Huawei’s AI ambitions suggest a superpower competition over semiconductors gearing up despite the U.S. government’s attempt to stymie Beijing. Huawei expects to receive its first samples of its latest AI processor, the Ascend 910D, as early as next month, and is reportedly casting about for tech firms capable of testing it out. Continue reading Huawei’s Processor Could Chip Away at Nvidia Market Share