Category: Google

I’m already obsessed

It seems likeGoogleLabsis launching anew AI toolnearly every week, and this week is no different. Google just launchedDoppl, a free experimental app (currently U.S. only) that takes shopping to the next level by letting users see virtually how the clothes will fit.

Gone are the days of browsing static model images, that may or may not resemble your own body. Now you upload a full-body photo and see how clothes fit on you and — get this — even move, on you. And it’s all powered by AI.

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How Doppl works

(Image credit: Google Labs)

Shopping online and see something you like? Just open the app and follow these steps:

Upload or snap: Choose a photo of yourself. A full body shot is recommended. Then, pick out an outfit fromInstagram, a website, or even an online thrift store catalog, and Doppl overlays the garment onto an animated version of you.

Motion simulation: What makes Doppl different is that, instead of a flat image of you “wearing” the outfit, the app creates a short AI-generated video that shows how the clothes might drape and move as you walk or turn

Save and share: Still deciding if you want to buy? Save your favorite virtual looks or send the AI-generated clips to friends via social media

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How it compares to Google’s “Try On” in Search

Google already offers a “Try On” feature in AI Mode Search, but that shows clothing on a static image of yourself and only works within the browser.

Doppl gives users a more realistic preview because you get both the visual accuracy and the added realism of clothing movement—making it feel more like an in-store fit.

Doppl is better than guessing as animated previews help users assess fit, style and flow before buying. Designed for today’s shopper who loves sharing on social media and discovering thrift finds, there’s now no need for users to track brand listings.

Plus, it’s fun and free to use. Now available in the U.S. on iOS or Android, no subscription is required.

How to try it

DownloadDopplfrom the U.S. App Store or Google Play. Upload a full-body photo or use the built-in AI model. Upload outfit images from your gallery or screenshots. Preview the animated look—and save or share your favorites.

Remember, as with any experimental AI app, it’s not perfect. Google warns that fit and visual details might not always be accurate.

Google has mentioned that it intends to expand it internationally, and future updates will likely include more fashion categories, better movement fidelity and refined image-processing algorithms.

Ironing out some wrinkles

Doppl is still in experimental mode, so don’t be surprised if things don’t run smoothly. Some examples of problems I ran into included lagging, glitching or not completing the request at all.

New users may encounter bugs; even uploading a photo of yourself can sometimes trigger an error message.

To improve your experience, try uploading multiple full-body images to give the app more to work with. It also helps to have a few screenshots of outfits ready when you start, so you can jump right into trying things on without delays.

What about privacy?

To power its virtual try-on features, Doppl uses your photos, which may raise eyebrows for some users.

According to Google, the app collects and uses this data to improve its services while applying privacy safeguards to protect user information.

While Google says your data is handled responsibly, it’s worth noting thatany app requiring photo uploadsshould be approached with awareness, especially when personal images are involved.

The takeaway

If you’ve ever wanted to see how a thrifted jacket or an influencer’s outfit might look on you, Doppl’s AI-powered videos offer a surprisingly realistic solution.

It’s a smarter, more personal spin on Google’s Search ‘Try On’ feature — and all you need is your smartphone and perhaps a sense of humor, because it might not always look perfect.

Discover the pros and cons of the Chromebook Plus format

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Khosro / Acer / Asus / Samsung)

If you’re currently a student, or about to head off for high school or college for the first time, there’s a good chance you’re considering getting one of thebest Chromebooks. These Google-powered laptops are a great choice for learners on a budget, offering a sleek and easy-to-use OS at a sensible price point.

But now there’s also the Chromebook Plus lineup: a new tier of ChromeOS laptops that lays down baseline performance and design standards to deliver a more premium-feeling Google laptop experience. And there’s no denying that these new Plus laptops sit among thebest laptops for studentsright now.

Naturally, Chromebook Plus models are more expensive than conventional Chromebooks. So, considering how cheap some Chromebooks can be, is it really worth spending extra for the hardware upgrade, especially if you’re on a budget? In this article, I’ll dig into the pros and cons of the Plus format and hopefully help some budding students find the perfect laptop for them.

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Chromebook vs Chromebook Plus: Performance

As you might expect, the Chromebook Plus standard has certain minimum hardware specs to meet Google’s requirements. That translates to better performance on average against ‘regular’ Chromebooks – but there’s an important catch here.

See, ChromeOS is designed to run with a permanent internet connection and offloads a lot of its processes to the cloud. For example, instead of usingMicrosoftWord and saving files directly to your laptop’s local storage, you’ll be using Google Docs and saving them in the cloud with Google Drive.

This is a double-edged sword. The lightweight nature of ChromeOS allows Chromebooks to be made with less powerful (and more affordable) components, but it also reduces the effective performance upgrade headroom and ties your performance to the speed of your internet connection. If you don’t have high-speed Wi-Fi, bear in mind that paying extra for a more powerful Chromebook, like theAcer Chromebook Plus 514, won’t necessarily translate to significantly faster performance.

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 exemplifies what a Chromebook should be, and it’s much better value than a Windows laptop or MacBook, too.

Still, Plus models have other advantages. More RAM means you’ll be able to multitask more effectively, so if you tend to keep 20+ browser tabs open at once or multiple programs running simultaneously, it’s a worthwhile upgrade. You also get at least 128GB (often more) of drive space with a Chromebook Plus. This isn’t always needed, due to the cloud-based nature of ChromeOS, but will come in handy for users who want to install lots of programs.

Lastly, Chromebook Plus laptops are designed with Google Gemini in mind. In other words, these laptops are a bit better suited for running AI features, although, again, a lot of this functionality is offloaded to cloud computing, so don’t expect to see a tremendous difference.

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Chromebook vs Chromebook Plus: Design

There’s no escaping the fact that some Chromebooks do simply look and feel cheap. If you’re picking up a super-budget model for under $300 / £300 / AU$500, chances are it’s not going to look anything like a premium device.

That’s not the case for Chromebook Plus laptops; the higher price does mean you’re getting a product that feels a bit higher-end. Sure, they might not look quite as fancy as thebest ultrabooks, but it’s a noticeable upgrade.

Then again, it’s a hill I’ll die on that people shouldn’t be concerned with how their hardwarelooks– that’s how you end up with overpriced tech. What’s important is how itfeels,and a Chromebook Plus is invariably going to feel a bit better to use than a budget Chromebook. The specifics of this may vary. A more comfortable keyboard, a more robust and sensitive trackpad, a sturdier outer chassis, or an improved port selection; there are lots of possible improvements to be found here.

A Chromebook Plus is guaranteed to have a Full HD webcam – great for remote learning, or video calls with family while you’re away at college.

There are two key factors mandated by Google for a laptop to receive the Plus badge: display and webcam. The screen must be a minimum of Full HD 1080p resolution, and the webcam must capture video in 1080p.

While 1080p is widely considered to be the ‘baseline’ for Windows laptops, you’ll find plenty of cheap Chromebooks out there still rocking a lower resolution (most commonly ‘HD Ready’ 720p). Considering that most entertainment media these days is available in Full HD (or better!), it’s worth considering a Chromebook Plus for its superior display if you like to kick back and watch Netflix on your laptop after a day of studying. The boosted webcam resolution is also a nice addition for students who have remote classes using software like Zoom.

When not to pick a Chromebook

I think Chromebooks are an excellent alternative to a Windows or macOS laptop for any user who wants good value for money, but there’s an important caveat to bear in mind here: software compatibility.

Simply put, not everything you can run on a traditional Windows laptop will be available on ChromeOS. You do get a decent selection of native apps, and Google has also made the AndroidGoogle Play Storecompatible with Chromebooks. Still, some software may not be compatible, so if you plan to use specific programs, be sure to check in advance whether they’re available on ChromeOS.

As great as Chromebooks are, ChromeOS does have some limitations when it comes to software compatibility.

It’s also important to consider the topic you’re studying. Some courses will be better served by a more powerful laptop capable of handling more intensive local workloads. For example, if you’re in a creative discipline like 3D digital art or video editing, you might be better off with a laptop that has a dedicated GPU fromNvidiaorAMD, which is something that Chromebooks universally lack. If you’re taking literature or business studies, though, a Chromebook should suit you just fine.

If you decide that a Chromebook isn’t right for you, be sure to check out our list of thebest student laptops. Some of theseareChromebooks, but you’ve got some excellent alternative options like theDell Plus 14.

Chromebook vs Chromebook Plus: Closing thoughts

At the end of the day, thebest student Chromebookwill be a little different for everyone, depending on your needs and budget.

But having tested a large number of Chromebooks (both Plus and non-Plus) over the years, I feel quite comfortable saying that if your budget can stretch a little further, the upgrade is worth it. Having a faster processor and a better display is a worthwhile upgrade, and several Chromebook Plus models on the market cost less than $500 / £500 / AU$750 – a great deal considering how expensive modern Windows laptops can be, even just in the mid-range space.

Nonetheless, you shouldn’t be discouraged about buying a super-cheap Chromebook if you’re working with an extremely tight budget. I’d advise looking for a model with at least 8GB of RAM, but even with that criterion in place, you should be able to find something reasonably priced, like theLenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook. Whatever you choose, you can rely on TechRadar’s recommended product pages, as we never recommend hardware that we wouldn’t use ourselves.

While manyAI services aim to replace appswith all-in-one solutions, the Google Play Store remains home tothousands of appson Android. While the Play Store offers easy access to free and paid apps, manyusers have accidentally purchasedpaid apps — especially with kids around. Google is now tweaking the purchase process on Android to reduce accidental purchases.

As spotted by9to5Google, Google is rolling out a change to the Play Store where purchasing apps now requires a “slide-to-buy” gesture to complete the transaction. Until now, the Play Store used a single “1-tap buy” button, which sometimes led to unintended purchases. This has now been replaced with a Slide to Buy pill.

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You’ll have to slide instead of tap to buy apps on the Play Store now

Source: 9to5Google

Old vs. new app purchase UI in Google Play Store

The new pill features a circular button with two arrows pointing right, signaling users to swipe right to confirm the purchase. According to the report, there’s also a bounce animation to guide first-time users through this updated process.

Previously, users had to press two separate buttons to complete aPlay Storepurchase. Now, the added swipe action introduces slightly more friction to further prevent accidental purchases. The update is rolling out with version 46.5.19-31 of the Play Store, although I haven’t seen the change yet. Like many Google updates, this could be a server-side rollout that takes a few weeks to reach everyone.

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In addition, Google appears to be testing several other changes on the Play Store. Just earlier today, the company was seen testing the new Material 3 Expressive design, and it recently rolled out the “Ask Play about this app” feature, which uses Gemini to answer user questions about an app.

The Pixel Watch 3 will be in line for the new feature

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• Android earthquake alerts are expanding to Wear OS
• The feature is supported on phones in 98 countries
• It’s included in the latest Google Play services update

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For several years now, Android phones have beenable to warn youabout an imminent earthquake, so you’ve got a few minutes to prepare yourself and those around you – and the feature is finally expanding to Wear OS smartwatches as well.

As per theJune 2025 release notesforGoogle Playservices (viaAndroid Authority), you’ll now receive “alerts on Wear when an earthquake is expected to cause shaking”. Google Play services is a separate update to Android, and should be applied to your phone and wearable automatically in the coming days.

It makes earthquake warnings much more useful for Wear OS owners, especially those who like to leave their phones in pockets and bags (or who have watches with cellular connections, and leave their phones behind completely).

Google hasn’t said anything else officially about the new feature, but presumably every smartwatch currently getting Wear OS updates is going to be eligible to get the early earthquake warning functionality as well.

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How it works

How earthquake alerts appear on Android phones(Image credit: Google)

We don’t know exactly how this will look on thebest Android watches, but we know how it works on phones. Google gets its data from seismic sensor reports, as well as anonymous accelerometer measurements frombillions of Android phones.

Expected earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.5 or greater trigger an alert: you’ll be given the estimated magnitude and the distance to the epicenter, which pop up on screen, and you can tap on the alert for more information.

If significant shaking is expected, the alert will ignore any volume and Do Not Disturb settings on your phone, and play a loud sound. You’ll be given advice on screen about how to best protect yourself against the coming quake.The Android Earthquake Alerts System is currently active in 98 different countries around the world, and you can check the list here. On Pixel phones, the alerts settings can be found under Safety and emergency in Settings.

It will also show you their location, weather and more.

Google

Google is officially letting you prioritize certain people in your life. The company has launched Pixel VIPs, an update that allowsGoogle Pixelowners to “stay connected to the people who matter most and never miss a moment from them.” It expands on Google’s existing favorite contacts option,9To5Google reports.

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Tapping from the homescreen widget or inside Contacts takes you to a fullscreen feed. You get their profile image and contact options (calling, messaging, and WhatsApp). A card notes any upcoming birthdays, while there’s also:

• Last connectionthat lets you “see your last call and message with them”
• TheLocation updatessection offers a map with “their real-time location, as well as weather and time 
• You can make one-offNoteswith a card-based UI like Google Keep
• Finally, there’sThings to do togetherwith “activity suggestions”
  • “Tell us what you like to do together: Get better activity suggestions by adding your preferences”

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Pixel VIPs includes features such as placing your “VIPs” at the top of your contact list and letting them bypass your device’s do not disturb. If you click on a specific person then you can see their real-time location, weather and time. It also shows the last time you two connected. Plus, Google will suggest things for the two of you to do together based on your preferences.

You also have the option of adding notes to their contact page. These tidbits might include their new dog’s name, when they’re traveling or a reminder of your plans together.

The possibility that Google was working on this update first arose last summer under the name “besties,” rather than “VIP.”Reports from9To5Googleshowed it replacing thefavorite contactsoption but didn’t reveal much else.

There are 8 different cars to choose from

When you’re driving around on Google Maps, whether you’re an Android or iPhone user, you’ll always be represented on the map with the boring default arrow icon.

But what if I told you that it doesn’t have to be that way? Because you can change the look of your avatar, and Google’s just released a bunch of new options.

In the past Google only offered 3 alternate options, 3 colorful vehicles to mix up your navigation screen. Now, though, Google’s updated Google Maps to offer 5 more options — each available in one of 8 colors. Though it isn’t quite so easy to figure out how.

Here’s how to customize your car icon in Google Maps on Android and iOS.

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1. Start navigation to anywhere

The first thing you need to do is start navigation. It doesn’t matter where to, or if you even plan to go, just find a location with the search bar, thentapStart.

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2. Tap your existing user icon

The arrow icon in the center of the screen is your user icon, and the next step is totap it.It may sometimes appear as a large white dot with a blue center

3. Pick a new car icon

You’ll then see a pop-up menu showing off different icons you can use — including the arrow and a bunch of different cars.

Simply scroll left and right until you find the avatar you like, andtap it.

4. Pick your favorite color