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Why does the Googlebook exist?

2026-05-13T09:56:06-04:00

Google announced its new Googlebook laptop platform yesterday, and so far I've been left asking, "Why?" Why is Google blowing up its Chromebook and ChromeOS platform for this?

I've been excited by the prospect of Android and ChromeOS unifying under the long-rumored Aluminium OS. The theory was that Aluminium might unite Android and ChromeOS under one house, simultaneously turning Android phones into portable Chromebook desktops, fixing the mess that is Android tablets, and broadening the scope of actual Chromebook laptops.

Instead, we've got the Googlebook; an awkwardly named line of laptops with no hardware details (aside from a glowing l …

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Android Auto is now one (screen) size fits all

2026-05-12T13:03:26-04:00

This week at I/O, Google rolled out a series of major updates for Android Auto that include better sizing for unconventionally shaped screens, video streaming through YouTube, widget support, and of course, more AI-powered Gemini features. The company also announced some updates for cars that run on Google's built-in native software, including the ability to ask Gemini questions that are specific to the car you're driving.

First off, it's screen size. It used to be that in-car screens all came in the same basic shape. But now the standard rectangle has evolved into a variety of curved, panoramic, swooping, and even circular displays. Google …

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Google announces its Chromebook successor: the Googlebook

2026-05-13T17:25:45-04:00

Google is announcing a new line of laptops coming in the fall called Googlebooks. Details are sparse for now, as the tease is just a small part of various Android announcements during Google's Android Show. But we do know this is a major new initiative in the laptop space for Google, seemingly designed to succeed Chromebooks with something more capable: a platform running a long-rumored new operating system based on a fusion of Android and ChromeOS.

That operating system, through various leaks, has been referred to as Aluminium OS. Google isn't announcing the OS's real name or giving many details about it just yet. "We'll have more to share …

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The 9 biggest new features in Android 17

2026-05-12T13:00:59-04:00

AI-generated widgets are among the features coming to Android this year. | Screenshot: Google

Would it shock you to hear that Android 17 is filled with new AI-enabled features, like improved dictation and vibe-coded widgets? Fortunately, that's not all. The platform is getting non-AI updates too, from an emoji overhaul to a new screentime tool that helps you avoid distracting apps.

Google has just revealed the biggest changes coming in its next OS update as part of its dedicated Android Show, ahead of next week's big I/O developer conference. The Android software updates came alongside a tease of upcoming Android-powered Googlebook laptops and a host of Android Auto updates. Here are all the new updates that matter and when you can …

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Gemini’s latest updates are all about controlling your phone

2026-05-12T14:07:37-04:00

Gemini Intelligence comes with a Liquid Glass-ish visual treatment. | Image: Google

It is, once again, Gemini season. Google is announcing a host of new Gemini features during its pre-I/O Android showcase, many of which aim to help use your phone for you. You'll find Gemini in more places, like Chrome on Android, in your autofill suggestions, and all up in your apps - if you want.

Google also has a new name for us to remember, because it just can't help itself: Gemini Intelligence. It "brings the very best of Gemini to our most advanced Android devices," according to Google's director of Android experiences, Ben Greenwood. Google is bundling some existing and new Gemini features under this name, and seems to be reserving t …

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Android Show 2026: all the news and announcements

2026-05-13T16:54:38-04:00

Google I/O is just days away, and that means it’s time for another Android Show event to unpack all the Android ecosystem highlights Google has in store.

The highlight of this year’s Android Show was Googlebooks, a new line of laptops running Android. They can cast apps from Android phones, pull files directly from a connected Android device, and offer contextual AI suggestions using the mouse pointer. Google says the first of these Chromebook successors are “coming this fall.”

Google also showed off some new features coming in Android 17, including 3D emoji, custom AI-generated widgets, expanded access to Quick Share/AirDrop, the “Rambler” AI transcription tool, and a new “Pause Point” feature for helping manage screen time. Plus, Android Auto got “the biggest update in its 10-year history,” with improved support for different screen sizes (and shapes), support for Material 3 Expressive and widgets, the ability to stream content from YouTube to your car’s screen, and more.

Google’s Aluminium OS revealed in 16-minute leaked video

2026-05-12T13:08:51-04:00

Mystic Leaks via Android Authority" data-portal-copyright="Image: Mystic Leaks via Android Authority" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/AluminiumOS-on-Mac-MysticLeaks-5-10-screenshot.webp?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />

Mystic Leaks’s video shows “Android” as the OS in the Settings app. | Image: Mystic Leaks via Android Authority

Aluminium OS, Google's upcoming version of Android for PC, may have just leaked a few hours before Google's Android Show presentation. As Android Authority reports, leaker Mystic Leaks shared a 16-minute video on their Telegram channel that appears to show a lengthy hands-on demo of the new operating system.

After a loading screen featuring the Android logo, the video shows the setup process for a new device. That process and the UI overall both look very similar to stock Android throughout, only resized to suit a laptop rather than a phone. The taskbar and app drawer are similar to what ChromeOS users will be familiar with, but the defaul …

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How to watch Google’s Android Show: I/O Edition today

2026-05-12T09:56:28-04:00

Google I/O is still a week away, but Google's big announcements kick off today with the "Android Show: I/O Edition," where it's expected to announce the major Android ecosystem highlights coming to its annual developer conference.

When the Android Show will happen and where you can watch it

Android Show: I/O Edition will be streaming live on YouTube and the Android website on Tuesday, May 12th at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Based on last year's Android Show, we can expect the highlights to include a look at the next major Android update along with announcements about Gemini features on Android and potentially teases of some more forward-facing proje …

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Apple brings encrypted RCS chats to iPhone

2026-05-11T13:57:56-04:00

Apple now lets you have encrypted RCS conversations with Android users through the Messages app on iOS. As part of iOS 26.5, which was released on Monday, Apple added support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging in beta, meaning that Apple and Google can't see your messages while they're sent.

With iOS 26.5, you'll see a lock icon and a small "Encrypted" message at the top of the chat to note when you're having an encrypted conversation with an Android user and are on a carrier that supports the feature. Apple says that encryption will be on by default and "will be automatically enabled over time for new and existing RCS conversations." …

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Google stopped a zero-day hack that it says was developed with AI

2026-05-11T12:28:15-04:00

For the first time, Google says it has spotted and stopped a zero-day exploit developed with AI. According to a report from Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG), "prominent cyber crime threat actors" were planning to use the vulnerability for a "mass exploitation event" that would have allowed them to bypass two-factor authentication on an unnamed "open-source, web-based system administration tool."

Google's researchers found hints in the Python script used for the exploit that indicated help from AI, like a "hallucinated CVSS score" and "structured, textbook" formatting consistent with LLM training data. The exploit takes advantage of …

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