Author: TechBrunch

At the Android show ahead of Google I/O 2025, Google announced that with the release of Android 16 it will add new device-specific features to the Advanced Protection Program, which is designed to protect public figures such as politicians and journalists. New features include a new way to store device logs that are only accessible by users, protection from spam calls, and an automatic restart if the device is locked for a certain period of time. These features are intended to add an additional layer of security to public figures and to ensure that devices are not compromised. With the…

At the Android show on Tuesday leading up to Google I/O, Google announced that Gemini will lead you to wear an OS smartwatch and Google TV. The announcement is part of Google's plan to replace Google Assistant with Gemini on all devices and platforms. Tuesday's announcement is no surprise. Because users expect Google to wear OS smartwatches and Google TVs to their AI assistants. The tech giant says the expansion will allow AI assistants to access beyond the phone, allowing people to use it when they go on a run or relax on the couch. OS smartwatch users can access…

On Tuesday, Google unveiled its new Android design language, Material 3 Expressive, at the Android show ahead of Google I/O. The update is designed to make phones more customizable and fluid, Tech Giant says. Material 3 Expressive brings new, resilient animations that make Google feel more fluid. For example, rejecting a notification can remove the transition and feel a tactile rumble. You can feel the same kind of animation and haptics, such as dismissing apps on recent app screens, fiddling with the volume slider, and letting shades go. Additionally, the update provides a sense of depth by subtly blurring the…

Prior to Google I/O, at the Android show on Tuesday, Google announced new security and privacy features for Android. These new features include new protection for calls, screen sharing, messaging, device access and system-level access. With these features, Google aims to prevent users from falling into scams, keep details safe in the event that devices are stolen or taken over by an attacker, and to enhance device-level security for various attacks. Phone scammers often ask users to take actions such as tapping an unsafe link or downloading unknown apps. To protect users, Google has blocked several actions and warned of…

Amazon's audiobook service Audible announced Tuesday it is partnering with some publishers to convert print and e-books into AI Narrasing audiobooks. The initiative aims to rapidly expand the catalogue as it competes with Apple, Spotify and others in the rapidly growing audiobook market. Audible uses Amazon's AI capabilities to help publishers create audiobooks. Publishers can choose multiple accents and dialect options from over 100 AI-generated voices available in English, French, Spanish and Italian. The company plans to expand these options over time. Additionally, Audible plans, which will roll out a beta version of AI translation later this year, will offer…

The email notification system used by US federal and state government departments to alert residents of important information is used to send fraudulent emails, TechCrunch learned. US state of Indiana said Tuesday that it “recognizes fraudulent messages allegedly sent by state agencies.” After seeing one email message sent from the Indiana Government Department, TechCrunch claimed that the recipients had a good toll balance, and contained a disguised link redirected to a malicious site. An Indiana Institute of Technology statement said it was “working with the company that was used to deliver these messages to stop further communication.” Indiana said the…

Meet transcription is a hot commodity of all productivity suites. Companies like Clickup and Zoom have added transcriptions that include AI summaries to undertake this vertical other startup, such as Read AI, Zoom assistants, Circleback, Granola, and Otter. The latest participant in the race to build meeting transcription tools is concept. The company deploys AI-powered meeting note-taking capabilities to transcript meetings and provide a talk point overview later. You can also take notes while Notion's AI is transcribing the meeting. This is a very similar feature to Granola. This feature represents another step towards concepts that can compete with high-tech…

On Tuesday, Apple announced a range of accessibility features that will be coming to the devices later this year. The new Accessibility Nutrition Labels provides detailed information on App Store apps and games, while the new Braille access tool will turn your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro into Braille Notetakers. Additional enhancements include Accessibility Leader, a system-wide reading mode designed with accessibility in mind. New Apple TV Accessibility App, Support Access. Shareable accessibility settings. Live listening, background sounds, personal voices, and updated clues to vehicle movement. The upgrade arrives to allow Apple to partner with Startup Synchron to…

To make AI DJs feel more interactive, Spotify updates this feature to allow users to request music using music commands and change the mood of their playlists. The company is deploying this feature, initially supported in English only, but is supported in more than 60 markets with premium subscribers. Previously, users could only listen to AI DJ play songs with comments added between specific tracks. Now this feature is becoming more interactive. Users can instruct AI DJs to change mood and genre, or to play tracks from specific artists. Image credit: Spotify To use AI DJ, you can enter “DJ”…

To make AI DJs feel more interactive, Spotify updates this feature to allow users to request music using music commands and change the mood of their playlists. The company is deploying this feature, initially supported in English only, but is supported in more than 60 markets with premium subscribers. Previously, users could only listen to AI DJ play songs with comments added between specific tracks. Now this feature is becoming more interactive. Users can instruct AI DJs to change mood and genre, or to play tracks from specific artists. Image credit: Spotify To use AI DJ, you can enter “DJ”…