Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Honey Extension Loses 4 Million Users After Shady Practices Exposed

2025-03-31

PayPal's Honey browser extension, known for finding coupon codes, lost over 4 million Chrome users after a YouTube video exposed its shady practices. Honey was found to hijack affiliate links, benefiting itself at the expense of other referrers, even without offering users comparable value. While Honey has updated its extension with disclosures and the behavior is no longer present, the damage is done, highlighting the importance of transparency in browser extensions and user rights.

(9to5google.com)

Tech

Google Moves All Android Development In-House

2025-03-26

Google has confirmed it's moving all Android development to its internal branches, meaning the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) will no longer reflect Google's complete work. This aims to streamline development and prevent merge conflicts, but doesn't change Android's open-source nature. New versions and maintenance releases will be pushed to AOSP. End users and app developers will likely see little impact; the main change is less premature exposure of unconfirmed internal information via AOSP leaks.

(9to5google.com)

Development

Google Assistant to be Replaced by Gemini: The Rise of Generative AI

2025-03-14

Over a year after its launch, Google announced that its Gemini AI assistant will replace Google Assistant on Android phones later in 2025. This marks a significant step towards the widespread adoption of generative AI on mobile devices. While the initial version of Gemini had limited functionality, Google has addressed this through continuous updates and expansion to wearables, cars, tablets, and headphones. Google claims millions have already switched to Gemini, highlighting its personalized, world-aware, and productivity-enhancing features. This replacement also signifies a decade of evolution in natural language processing, from basic voice assistants to today's generative AI, showcasing rapid technological advancement.

(9to5google.com)

AI

Google Pixel 4a Battery Overheating Recall

2025-03-10

Google has launched a battery performance improvement program for its Pixel 4a phone to address overheating risks. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission confirmed the update introduces new battery management features to mitigate the risk of overheating, preventing potential fire or burn hazards. Not all Pixel 4a devices are affected; users can check their device's eligibility through a tool provided by Google. Affected users are eligible for a $100 Google Store discount code or a $50 payment.

(9to5google.com)

Hardware Battery Overheating

Gboard Android Gets Rounder Keys in Beta

2025-03-07

Google is rolling out a new design for some Gboard beta testers on Android, featuring circular and pill-shaped keys. This isn't just a minor tweak; the key shapes have been significantly redesigned, moving from rounded rectangles to circles and pills for letters, with the spacebar and other keys adopting a pill shape. While touch targets remain unchanged, the visual impact is substantial, giving Gboard a more modern feel. However, users with "Long press for symbols" enabled might find the layout cramped. This change is currently limited to some Gboard beta (version 15.1) users and a wider rollout is yet to be confirmed by Google.

(9to5google.com)

Development

Qualcomm Extends Android Software Updates to Eight Years

2025-02-25

Qualcomm announced a partnership with Google to provide up to eight years of Android software and security updates for devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite and the next five generations of Snapdragon 8 and 7-series chips. This will enable OEMs to more easily provide longer-term updates for their devices, reducing costs and improving user experience. While ultimate update decisions rest with manufacturers, this initiative promotes longer device lifespans, starting with Snapdragon 8 Elite phones launching with Android 15.

(9to5google.com)

Tech Android updates Snapdragon 8 Elite

Apple TV+ App Finally Lands on Android

2025-02-13

After years of relying on less-than-ideal web or PWA solutions, Apple TV+ finally has a dedicated Android app. Available on phones and tablets via the Google Play Store, the app boasts smooth playback, a clean Material 3 design, offline downloads, and picture-in-picture functionality. While casting support and new episode notifications are currently absent, the app offers a significant upgrade, particularly with the inclusion of Google Play Billing for streamlined subscription management.

(9to5google.com)

Tech

Google Offers Voluntary Exit Program for Platforms & Devices Team

2025-01-30

Google announced a voluntary exit program for US-based employees in its Platforms & Devices group, encompassing Android, Pixel, Fitbit, and more. This follows last year's merger of Pixel hardware and Android software teams. The program offers severance packages and aims to ensure remaining employees are fully committed to the company's mission and focused on efficient product development. It's not a company-wide layoff but rather a response to integration challenges and role adjustments following the merger.

(9to5google.com)

Tech restructuring