Author: TechBrunch

On Tuesday, WhatsApp won a big victory over the NSO group, with ju-deciding to order the infamous spyware maker to pay more than $167 million in damages to the meta-owned company. The ruling concluded a legal battle that lasted over five years. This began in October 2019 when WhatsApp accused NSO groups of hacking over 1,400 users by exploiting a vulnerability in the audio call feature of chat apps. The verdict came after a week of ju trial featuring several testimonies, including NSO group CEO Yaron Shohat and WhatsApp employees who investigated in response to the case. Even before the…

As part of a wider app update, Airbnb introduced new features on Tuesday that allow travelers to book services and experiences, including massages, haircuts, chef-prepared meals and participating in activities. These new products can be added to your stay, but you can also book independently, Airbnb says. For example, you can book tours in the city you travel to, but the company suggests that it is a place you have chosen to stay elsewhere. This is not the first time Airbnb has tried this feature. We paused the experience for the early version of 2023 to improve our stay core…

Tiktok has launched AI capabilities from first image to video, the company announced Tuesday. This new feature is called “Tiktok Ai Alive” and allows users to turn static photos into videos within Tiktok Stories. This feature is only accessible via Tiktok's story camera, and uses AI to create short form videos with “movement, atmosphere and creative effects,” says Tiktok. For example, if a static photo has sky, clouds, or sea, Tiktok gradually changes the photo, clouds begin to drift, and the sound of waves crashes. Alternatively, you can animate group selfies that emphasize gestures and expressions. A few years after…

Google has more ways for Android users to find devices and other items. Google announced it on Tuesday at the Android show a week before Google I/O 2025. The company will become known as the “hub” as it finds my device features that allow Android users to find lost phones and other devices and finds more partners, Airline Partnerships, Airline Partnerships support. First introduced in 2013 as an Android-based alternative to Apple's Find My Service, Find My Device was expanded over a year ago, and introduced a crowdsourced discovery network that allows you to find your personal belongings via third-party…

At the Android show leading up to Google I/O, Google provided a brief update on the adoption of the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol on Tuesday. This is an upgrade to SMS that offers high-resolution photos and videos, typing indicators, receipt reading, group chat improvements and more. The company shared that messaging standards support over 1 billion messages per day in the US. The metric is based on the average over the last 28 days, Google noted. As Google fought for years to adopt RCS support on iOS, the statistics were notable, allowing better communication between Android devices and Apple…

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…