YouTube Adds AI Search Results Carousel for Premium Subs

YouTube is adding an AI-powered search results carousel that serves up video suggestions and topic descriptions. A search for “best beaches in Hawaii,” for example, could generate a carousel listing video clips and information on an assortment of snorkel spots and volcanic beaches. YouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S. can try the feature now on searches related to shopping, travel or location-based activities. The Google-owned platform is also expanding its test with conversational AI to some non-Premium users in the U.S. Premium members have been using it for search, recommendations and as a study aid. Continue reading YouTube Adds AI Search Results Carousel for Premium Subs

Google Launches Offerwall Ad Manager to Support Publishers

Google is launching Offerwall, which is designed to help publishers monetize by letting them offer their customers options as to how they would like to pay for content. “People might decide to watch a short ad, complete a quick survey or pay in micropayments,” Google explains, adding that “publishers can even add their own options, like newsletter sign-ups.” The choices aim to both empower audiences while supporting publishers to help ensure diverse content remains available to everyone. After testing Offerwall with more than 1,000 publishers, it is now available in Google Ad Manager. Continue reading Google Launches Offerwall Ad Manager to Support Publishers

Anthropic’s Claude Chatbot Is Now a No-Code App Developer

Anthropic has updated its Claude AI chatbot with the ability to build, host and share AI-powered apps directly in Claude. Launching in beta, the new function builds upon the Artifacts feature Anthropic introduced last year, allowing users to see and interact with what they asked Claude to create. “Now developers can iterate faster on their AI apps without worrying about the complexity and cost of scaling for a growing audience,” according to Anthropic. The San Francisco-based AI startup adds that millions people have already used Claude to create more than 500 million artifacts — from productivity tools to educational games. Continue reading Anthropic’s Claude Chatbot Is Now a No-Code App Developer

Google Bows Gemini Command Line Interface for Developers

In a move to attract more developers to Gemini, Google is releasing an open-source command line interface (CLI) that will be free for most developers. CLIs offer a means to communicate with operating systems, and can be used as alternatives or complementary to an integrated developer environment (IDE). Gemini CLI has agentic capabilities and can code and “so much more,” according to Google, which lists content generation, problem solving, deep research and task management among its uses. Gemini CLI provides “lightweight access to Gemini, giving you the most direct path from your prompt to our model.” Continue reading Google Bows Gemini Command Line Interface for Developers

Google Gemini Robotics On-Device Controls Robots Locally

Google DeepMind has released a new vision-language-action (VLA) model, Gemini Robotics On-Device, that can operate robots locally, controlling their movements without requiring an Internet connection or the cloud. Google says the software provides “general-purpose dexterity and fast task adaptation,” building on the March release of the first Gemini Robotics VLA model, which brought “Gemini 2.0’s multimodal reasoning and real-world understanding into the physical world.” Since the model operates independent of a data network, it’s useful for latency sensitive applications as well as low or no connectivity environments. Google is also releasing a Gemini Robotics SDK for developers. Continue reading Google Gemini Robotics On-Device Controls Robots Locally

Google Search Live Features Conversational Voice Capability

Google has launched Search Live with voice-input, a two-way conversational query function for exploring online resources. Presently available via the Google app for Android and iOS to U.S. users enrolled in Google Labs’ AI Mode experiment, Search Live is designed to handle complex, multi-part questions. Google suggests the new feature is “perfect for when you’re on the go or multitasking, like if you’re packing for a trip.” The discursive voice feature follows Google’s general rollout of AI Mode, recently launched to compete against products such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search and Perplexity AI. Continue reading Google Search Live Features Conversational Voice Capability

Google Adding AI Video Generator Veo 3 to YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts is getting a free Veo 3 upgrade that will let creators generate high-quality AI video clips using text prompts. The news was announced by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where it was positioned as a means for brands to transform how advertisements are produced. Veo 3 functionality will be integrated “later this summer,” according to Mohan. The Google DeepMind video generation model has been made available for use in YouTube Shorts starting with Veo 2. With Veo 3, the platform gets audio capability and what Mohan describes as “vastly improved” video quality. Continue reading Google Adding AI Video Generator Veo 3 to YouTube Shorts

Adobe Unveils Firefly Generative AI App for iOS and Android

The redesigned Firefly AI app Adobe released in April with third-party model support is now available on iOS and Android. Text-to-video and background editing are among the features included in the new mobile package, which Adobe claims will help users capture inspiration as it strikes with “the freedom to generate images and videos wherever you are.” Adobe says those of all skill levels will be able to use the app, which was designed “to complement the ways we already interact with our phones.” The company is also rolling out its AI-powered online moodboard creator — Firefly Boards — in public beta, now with video functionality. Continue reading Adobe Unveils Firefly Generative AI App for iOS and Android

Meta and Oakley Target Athletes with AI Smart Glasses Line

Meta Platforms has debuted a new “performance AI” smart glasses line with Oakley, the sports brand owned by global eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica. The move builds on Meta’s existing partnership with Ray-Ban, another EL brand. Starting at $400, the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses are targeting athletes with 3K video recording for POV capture — kind of like the GoPro of eyewear. Promising eight hours of battery life, the glasses also play music and provide notifications. A limited-edition $400 version of the Oakley Meta HSTN is available for preorder on July 11 with the rest of the collection dropping “later this summer.” Continue reading Meta and Oakley Target Athletes with AI Smart Glasses Line

CineSearch Is a New AI Discovery Tool for Streaming Content

A little over a year since the beta release of its conversational AI search and discovery tool, Cineverse is making cineSearch commercially available to business customers. The Los Angeles startup says its AI-powered framework “solves” the content-hunt quandary for digital networks and streaming services, finding programming across all streaming platforms. Cineverse is making cineSearch available for commercial licensing to OEMs and streaming platforms via the company’s own sales team and through Google Cloud Marketplace. CineSearch was developed using Google’s AI ecosystem — specifically Vertex AI platform and the Gemini 2.0 Pro model. Continue reading CineSearch Is a New AI Discovery Tool for Streaming Content

Amazon Teams with Roku for Exclusive CTV Advertising Deal

Amazon Ads has entered into an exclusive deal with Roku that will provide “advertisers access to the largest authenticated CTV footprint in the U.S.” The offering will be powered by Amazon DSP — the company’s omnichannel marketing solution. The integration combines Amazon Fire TV users with Roku’s customers for logged-in reach to what Amazon estimates is 80 million Connected TV households, which equals just over 80 percent of CTV households, according to Comscore data. Addressability will also be enhanced across top streaming services integrated with the two operating systems. The deal was announced during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Continue reading Amazon Teams with Roku for Exclusive CTV Advertising Deal

Meta Platforms Is Gradually Bringing Advertising to WhatsApp

Meta Platforms is opening its WhatsApp messaging service to advertising. The company revealed that three ad modules will roll out gradually. The ads will be positioned under WhatsApp’s Updates tab, a section discreet from WhatsApp’s users’ message inboxes and private chats. The Updates tab is also the entry point to WhatsApp’s Status feature, which lets users share photos, videos and text that disappear after 24 hours, similar to Instagram Stories. Meta says the Updates tab gets 1.5 billion visitors per day. The company is also seeking to monetize WhatsApp’s Channels feature by offering paid subscriptions and promoted Channels. Continue reading Meta Platforms Is Gradually Bringing Advertising to WhatsApp

Google Is Testing ‘Hosted’ GenAI Audio Summaries in Search

Google is testing podcast-like audio search summaries generated by AI. Audio Overviews uses Google’s latest Gemini models to generate “quick, conversational audio overviews for certain search queries.” It can be enabled through Google Labs, the company’s public-facing portal to AI experiments. An Audio Overview “can help you get a lay of the land, offering a convenient, hands-free way to absorb information,” Google says, noting that the feature displays search results “right within the audio player” to make it easy to delve further. Google already had AI audio summaries in NotebookLM and Gemini. Like those, Search features AI discussion “hosts.” Continue reading Google Is Testing ‘Hosted’ GenAI Audio Summaries in Search

HP Debuts a 3D Videoconference Display with Google Beam

HP has unveiled the HP Dimension, a 65-inch display created for use with the 3D Google Beam videoconferencing system. The $25,000 light field display system features six high-speed cameras built into the bezel, delivering what HP calls “true-to-life” 3D video of callers. Formerly known as Project Starline, Google Beam was rebranded last month in anticipation of the enterprise rollout. Designed to bring “natural eye contact, spatial audio and adaptive lighting” in 3D to small- and medium-sized meeting spaces, HP’s retail price does not include the Google Beam software, which must be licensed separately. Continue reading HP Debuts a 3D Videoconference Display with Google Beam

Snap to Launch Specs Consumer Smart Glasses Line in 2026

Snap Inc. announced it will launch a “lightweight, immersible” consumer line of AR smart glasses called “Specs” in 2006 (breaking from its “Spectacles” branding). Announcing the sixth-generation of its glasses at the Augmented World Expo conference this week, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said the eyewear offers “an ultra-powerful wearable computer integrated into a lightweight pair of glasses with see-thru lenses.” Spiegel explained the glasses will be untethered, which suggests they may be powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 chip, also announced at AWE. Coming a decade after Snap’s first attempt at consumer AR glasses, Specs leverage a $3 billion investment in 11 years of R&D. Continue reading Snap to Launch Specs Consumer Smart Glasses Line in 2026