We are specialists in quality batteries. We have batteries, chargers and accessories for everything you can think of. Low prices, big inventory, expert advice. Find your battery here!
Gemini Advanced’s Deep Research feature was first announced for users early this month for English language.
The feature is now being expanded to more languages and regions.
Deep Research allows users to explore complex topics and convert them to an easy-to-read report within minutes.
Google has rolled out impressive upgrades for its Gemini, and as part of the upgrade, it also announced a new tool dubbed Deep Research for Gemini Advanced users, which is now expanding to more countries and in additional new languages.
Deep Research is a personal AI research assistant tool for Gemini AI users, and it is now available in over 45 languages and across 100 countries worldwide, the company announced for Gemini Advanced users just before the holidays. Users can try it by selecting “Gemini 1.5 Pro with Deep Research” from the Gemini Advanced drop-down menu.
Deep Research aims to save hours of time by “deeply analyzing relevant information from across the web,” making the AI assistant even more helpful than it already is.
For instance, if you raise a question, Deep Research “creates a multi-step research plan for you to either revise or approve. Once you approve, it begins deeply analyzing relevant information from across the web on your behalf.”
The new feature will try to explore complex topics and convert them to a more comprehensive and easy-to-read report, which can further be exported to your Google Docs.
The organized report will also include links with original sources, relevant websites, or businesses if users want to dive in further for more details. Since it’s an AI assistant, users can further ask follow-up questions or ask it to refine, and it will generate reports within minutes.
The search giant began the Deep Research rollout early this month for Gemini Advanced users on Desktop and mobile web. While the initial rollout was for English-speaking users, the latest announcement adds languages and more countries as aforementioned. The Gemini mobile app users, however, can expect the feature rollout as early as next year, according to the announcement blog post.
This extra layer of security ensures no one can tamper with your sensitive data when you’re travelling.
Google’s Pixel line of smartphones is being regularly updated with new features, and theDecember 2024 Pixel feature dropexpanded the safety and security features of Pixel phones even further. Identity Check is a new beta feature that forces you to perform a biometric authentication whenever you make any sensitive action on a Pixel phone away from your home or workplace.
This can include actions like accessing saved passkeys or app passwords, changing the PIN, and so on. It’s a super-handy feature to have when traveling as it prevents unwanted people from compromising the security of your Pixel device, making thebest Android phoneseven better.
Since Identity Check is still in beta, it’s not available in the stable version ofAndroid 15. You’ll need toregisteryour Pixel device for the Android Beta for Pixel program, after which you’ll automatically get theAndroid 15 QPR2 Betaupdate on your phone.
2. TapGoogleand then theAll Servicesbutton below your email ID.
3. Scroll a bit till you seeTheft protectionunder thePersonal & device safetysub-menu. (Alternatively, you can navigate toSecurity & privacy > Device unlockto access Theft protection.)
4. Just below the animated image, you should seeIdentity Check.
5. The setup screen gives you some basic information about how it works and even how you can disable it if you choose to later. TapNext.
6. You’ll see a checklist of some of the prerequisites that are needed in order to enable Identity Check. If you’ve not done some, like set a screen lock or biometrics, you’ll be prompted to complete those steps.
7. You’ll also need toadd a few trusted placesthat you frequent. Identity Check should not kick in if you try to change a password in one of the trusted places.
8. Once you see check marks for all the requirements, tapDone.
9. On the final Identity Check screen, enable theUse Identity checktoggle.
Note:If you don’t want to install Android beta on your daily driver Pixel device, you’ll have to wait till Identity Check is out of beta and included in the stable version of Android 15 via a future update.
Pixels now have added security for your sensitive information when you travel
With features like Identity Check, Google is really doubling down on privacy and security for its Pixel devices. You can add any number of trusted places that you frequent to avoid unnecessary authentication steps before you can perform any sensitive actions. Google specifies that Identity Check will only work on devices that support Class 3 biometrics. If you don’t see that option under Theft Protection, then your device doesn’t support it.
Google has specified all the sensitive actions that would trigger Identity Check and require additional biometric authentication. They are as follows:
Access saved passwords and passkeys using Google Password Manager.
Autofill passwords in apps from Google Password Manager (except Chrome).
Change screen lock, PIN, pattern, and password.
Change Fingerprint or Face Unlock.
If you do a Factory reset.
Turn off Find My Device.
Turn off any theft protection features.
View trusted places.
Set up a new device with your current device.
Add or remove a Google Account.
Access Developer options.
This added layer of protection should give you peace of mind if someone tries to access some of your phone’s security settings when you’re traveling. It’s not just new features that are being added with Google’s update, though. TheDecember security patch for Pixelsincluded several fixes for audio stability and performance in some situations for Pixel 6 toPixel 9series devices. Other display and camera issues were also addressed with this update.
The great Google Maps Timeline switch deadline has been extended
It keeps Timeline data exclusively on your smartphone
Google gives you control over how long your data is saved for
Earlier this yearGoogle announcedthat itsGoogle MapsTimeline feature – which tracks where you go, over time – would be only available on phones in the future, with the web portal scheduled to be shut down near the end of 2024. Now it seems you’ve got a bit longer to switch over, if you want to keep your data.
As spotted by9to5Google,Android Police, and others, a significant number of users are getting emails and on-screen alerts mentioning a deadline of June 9, 2025. If you want to keep the Timeline data you’ve got stored in the cloud after that date, you need to move it to your Android or iOS phone before the deadline.
However, that revised date may not be the same for everyone: on my phone, I’m getting a message that sets a deadline of April 6, 2025. Previously,Google has saidthat users get “approximately six months” from their first notification about this to move over, so it may depend on if you’ve already been warned.
To be sure, load up Google Maps on your phone, tap your account picture (top right), then choose Your Timeline. If you do want to keep your data on your phone going forward, you’ll be taken step-by-step through the process. At the same time, you can select how long Timeline data is saved for.
For years, Google has offered an optional Location History feature that tracks your comings and goings via your phone. The Timeline – available via the Google Maps apps and website – has been the user-facing part of Location History, letting you go back in time to see visited places and trips taken for any specific day, week, or month.
While some users are understandably reticent to let Google keep that much information, Timeline appears to be pretty popular: people use it to relive vacations and road trips, find that coffee shop they really liked that they visited two years ago, and to make sure their travel expenses are in order, for example.
The changes now underway mean Timeline data won’t be stored in the cloud or available on the web any more – it’ll just be on your phone. Googlehasn’t said too muchabout the reasons why, but presumably privacy and data security are the main ones. In addition, Location History (including settings for deleting older data) is fully folding into Timeline.
While encrypted backups will still enable users to move Timeline data between devices in the future (for new phone upgrades, for example), the shift will be inconvenient for those who liked to explore their travel history through Google Maps on the web, or who had several different devices contributing to it.
Take a look back at what piqued your interest the most in 2024.
(Image credit: Google)
What you need to know
Google highlighted its “Year in 2024” data for what users searched for the most in Search and AI.
Circle to Search and Lens were used to “identify items,” shop, and translate items and users were the most curious about Benson Boone’s song “Beautiful Things.”
The top trending search in 2024 was Copa America while the most searched for movie was Disney’s Inside Out 2.
As the year winds down, Google is taking a look back at what users searched for the most across multiple categories.
In aKeyword post, the company highlighted various top trending searches for various user interests, like AI. Google highlighted what users searched for the most in since the arrival of Circle to Search, as well as Google Lens. The post states users used both tools to translate, shop, and “identify items” in 2024.
Moreover, the company adds that users usually combined a search with “how to use” when searching for an item visually.
Google Maps was tossed in, as the post states users looked up information about the Las Vegas Sphere and Italy’s Arena di Verona this year.
Circle to Searchlaunched earlier this year alongside the Galaxy S24 series and the Pixel 8 before hitting other phones. Additionally,Google Lensgrabbed some nifty upgrades like the ability for users to record videos.
Speaking of AI and Search, in Google’s main “Year in Search” overview, the company highlighted what songs users hummed to its engine the most.
Google’s main “Year in Search” overview for 2024 continues with the top pieces of news for 2024. According to Google, its data shows that people searched for (in order) the U.S. Election, Excessive Heat, Olympics, Hurricane Milton, and 台風 気象 情報 台風 第 10 号 (Typhoon No. 10 around Japan) the most this year.
When it came to “People,” Google states the top trending searches were Donald Trump, Catherine the Princess of Wales, Kamala Harris, Imane Khelif, and Joe Biden.
In “Sports,” the New York Yankees took the top spot, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Inter Miami CF, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and the Boston Celtics. And, lastly, in “Gaming,” the top trending searches were for Connections, Palworld, Infinite Craft, Sprunki, and Helldivers 2.
In November, Google detailed itstop apps and gamesvia the Play Store for 2024. Partiful took the award for the “Best App of 2024” due to its reinvention of event planning. For mobile gaming, AFK Journey won “Best Game” while Max took the cake for “Best Multi-device App.”
Other worthy mentions include Hoyoverse’s Honkai: Star Rail for “Best Ongoing Game,” PBS Kids Video for “Best for Cars,” and Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu for “Favorite Fantasy” book in 2024.
The Pixel 6 can’t do much more than it already does.
Google hasadded two more years of software supportto thePixel 6 series, thePixel 7 series, and theoriginal Pixel Fold. That’s fantastic news for anyone using these phones; since they use aGoogle-designed Tensor chip, it’s what should have been promised all along.
It says a bit more about Android’s immediate future, even if it doesn’t spell it out: don’t expect the next killer feature(s) to be part of Android.
You’re right if you’re thinking that Google hasn’t said anything about Android 17 yet and really hasn’t told us much about Android 16. but it doesn’t need to because we now know that whatever it is, the Pixel 6 will (hopefully) be able to run it.
The Pixel 6 wasn’t a bad phone, but let’s be honest — its Tensor chip isn’t a powerhouse, and having “only” 8GB of RAM means it’s missing many on-device AI features. It was built before Pixel phones needed chips that could process AI even faster and the memory to power the features that came along with it. We quickly saw that just one year later.
Here’s the thing — none of that, or any of Google’s AI magic, is part of Android. It’s all proprietary Google property that it releases to select devices as it sees fit. Android has been like this for a while, with Google holding back many of the features you think come with it and deciding which phones from which companies can have them. If you ever get your hands on a device that runs the free and open version of Android, you’ll easily see how it is lacking.
I like to call this thePixel paywall. Google shows us a new feature, spends 30 minutes on a stage to tell us how great it is and why we should want it, then says you only get it if you buy a new Pixel phone.
This isn’t nothing new; every other tech company does the same thing. The difference is other tech companies don’t offer a “free” operating system that powers billions of smartphones.
We’re going to see this again withAndroid 16when Google debuts a new Pixel phone. All of the new features are going to be Google’s own and not freely available as part of Android, and a handful of them will only be available for thePixel 10. Don’t expect many (or any) of them for your Pixel 6. You won’t be disappointed that way.
There’s nothing wrong with this. I don’t like it, and I know other people who feel the same way, but nobody should expect a for-profit company to turn over its best software features or the secret algorithms that power them as free software, no matter how restrictive the licensing is. Google is doing what we should expect it to do.
Future versions of Android will have plenty of other changes under the hood, and those can be very important, especially in terms of stability, security, and privacy. Many of those “API changes” that don’t get much press do just that and are 100% necessary and important.
Things like camera tricks or fancy AI-powered home screen features are separate, the same way Samsung’s are for Samsung phones or Apple’s are for iPhones. Google realizes their value and knows it will entice a few people enough to buy a new Pixel phone even though their Pixel 6 is still supported and does everything it did when it was new and more.
It’s still great that Google realizes it has an obligation (yes, I said obligation) to support Tensor-powered devices as long as possible.Nvidia can tell them a thing or twoabout how having control over the brains of an Android device means you cansupport it for a decade. Or longer.
Now you’ve got one less thing you have to fish for in your pocket or purse at the airport. Starting today, Google Wallet can carry a digital copy of your US passport and use them at Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) checkpoints.
If you want toadd your passportto Google’s virtual wallet, first you’ll need to download the Google Wallet app and log into your account or create one. Check the prompt “create an ID pass with your US passport” and follow the instructions. The app will ask you to take a video selfie to verify your identity and scan the security chip in your passport. It should only take a few minutes for Google to confirm your identity.
Your digital passport won’t work at every airport. Currently, there are 27 states (and Puerto Rico) with at least one airport that accepts digital forms of identification.The TSA websitecan show you which states and airports accept digital IDs.
Google has been testingthe use and storage of digital passports in Google Wallet for some time. Several states have started accepting digital IDs just in the last few months.New Mexicois the newest state to accept digital IDs including driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.
More images of the incoming Google Pixel 9a have leaked
The rear camera bar doesn’t appear, suggesting a design shakeup
Expect to see a launch sometime in 2025
In ourGoogle Pixel 9 reviewwe describedGoogle’s latest flagship as “a fantastic phone”, and we may have been given an early glimpse at what Google’s next handset is going to look like when it shows up sometime in 2025.
That handset is the Google Pixel 9a, and two pictures of what’s being described as a “prototype” have been posted by@feni_bookand@OnLeaks– though it’s not immediately clear where these images have come from.
These real world photos closely match leaked renders we sawback in Octoberand other imagesposted online in August. It seems Google is going to ditch the raised camera bar around the back of the phone, in favor of a flatter look.
Whether you like the raised camera bar or not, it is distinctly Pixel – so it’s a little strange that Google would abandon the established design for something that’s more ordinary and arguably less visually appealing.
(Google Pixel 9a leaked./Foto: feni_book)
These new images don’t tell us anything more about the Google Pixel 9a other than what it looks like, and that there’ll be a single selfie camera on the front and a dual-camera setup around the back of the handset.
Based on aprevious leak, we’re expecting the phone to measure 154.7mm x 73.2mm x 8.9mm, which makes it slightly bigger and wider than theGoogle Pixel 8a. It may be that the screen will be a touch larger than the 6.1-inch one on its predecessor.
That’s backed up by aseparate leakthat put the screen size of the Pixel 9a at 6.3 inches. The display will apparently jump from 60Hz to 120Hz in terms of refresh rate, while the same Tensor G4 from the Pixel 9 series is tipped to appear here too.
We might also have some color information too, with a few tweaks from the Pixel 8a that launched this year. As for pricing, the launch price of the Pixel 8a is expected to be matched next year: $499.
They were initially promised three, and now they’re getting five.
What you need to know
Google quietly updated a support document that now explains the Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series, and Pixel Fold will receive five full OS upgrades.
Originally, Google promised these devices would get three full Android OS upgrades, and five years of security updates.
The extension was rumored when the Pixel 6 series became eligible for the Android 16 developer preview, and it’s now official.
Google is retroactively providing an extra two years of full OS upgrades to the Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series, and Pixel Fold, it quietly detailed in anupdated support document. Additionally, the company says that during this extended window, these models “may” also get new features through Pixel Drops.
The change was first spotted byNail Sadykov on X(viaMishaal Rahman). It confirms what was originally suspected when Google released the first developer preview for Android 16 last month: the company plans to support the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel Fold beyond its initial promises. TheAndroid 16 Developer Preview 1updatesupported the Pixel 6, Pixel 6a, and Pixel 6 Pro, even though Android 15 should be its last OS upgrade according to Google’s three-year promise.
Now, the entire Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series — plus the original Pixel Fold — will get a total of five years of OS upgrades from the time they were first released. That’s two more years than Google initially promised, as its first guarantee was that each of these models would get three years of OS upgrades and five years of security update.
The change means that the Pixel 6, Pixel 6a, and Pixel 6 Pro should receive Android 16 and Android 17. Meanwhile, the Pixel 7, Pixel 7a, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel Fold should receive Android 16, Android 17, and Android 18.
Google has significantly expanded its guaranteed software support windows since it switched to its in-house Tensor processors, setting a new industry-standard with seven years of full OS upgrades on the Pixel 8 andPixel 9 series. However, competitors are catching up. Qualcomm recently announced theSnapdragon 8 Elite chipsetcould support up to eight years of major Android version updates.
The Google Pixel brand has grown of late,earning double-digit market share. It seems that Google is now showing some goodwill to Pixel owners by extending the support their existing devices will receive.
Expressive Captions add feelings and [gasp] emotions to Android’s Live Captions
Google Lookout gets new Gemini enhancements
Gemini on Pixel phones will now remember more information about you and your interests
Googlehas released a number of new AI features for most Android phones, plus a couple that work only on its Pixel range of devices.
Some of the new features work inGoogle Gemini, Google’s AI app, but most of them work throughout the whole Androidoperating system, which means there will be some big changes for Android users. Let’s break it down.
Here’s how the same football game looks with Expressive Captions turned off and on(Image credit: Google)
First up are Expressive Captions, which are a way of bringing more emotions into the rather dull and lifeless world of subtitles and captions. Google introducedLive Captionsto Android back in 2019, so if anything plays audio on your phone, it also has captions. They work much the same way that automatic subtitles do onYouTubevideos – your phone generates them live, based on what it interprets the person is saying.
Live Captions, however, remain rather lifeless. With Expressive Captions, Google is utilizing the power of AI to help you get more of the context of what’s happening. You’ll see comments in square brackets like [whispers] and [cheers and applause] appearing amongst captions, giving you a better understanding of the feelings and emotions being conveyed.
Intense vocalizations will be written in [ALL CAPS], while vocalizations like [sighing], [grunting] and [gasping] will also appear. Ambient background sounds will also be tagged. Because Live Captions are part of the operating system you’ll now get Expressive Captions with most things you watch, so look out for them.
Google Lookoutis an assisted-vision app that’s available on Android devices via thePlay Store. It uses AI to help people with low levels of vision, or sight loss, explore the world around them using their phone’s camera. You can use it for reading out text, scanning food labels, currency identification, and even scanning your surroundings to identify things like doors and windows and find out how far away they are.
Now Gemini AI is part of the Lookout app, which means it has much richer, more helpful descriptions. If you take a photo in the app you’ll now hear its description read aloud in a natural-sounding voice, and you can ask Loopout follow-up questions about it.
New Gemini extensions
The more extensions that Google Gemini has, the more apps it can bring its AI magic to. Now Gemini has a new Spotify extension, which means you can play your favorite songs or discover playlists from within Gemini.
Gemini will now also connect to your phone and messages app, meaning you can call contacts and send messages from within Gemini. Google says that “soon” you’ll be able to use Gemini to control your smart home devices. Finally, Gemini will now also connect to Maps, which means you’ll get more information about places.
More Android features
Pizza-themed sticker combos available in Emoji Kitchen.(Image credit: Google)
Also in the December update you’ll find new pizza-theme sticker combos that you can share with friends using Emoji Kitchen in Gboard, Google’s keyboard app. You can also use QR codes in Quick Share, which makes it easy to share pictures, videos and documents without having to add people as contacts or verify devices. Now you just generate a QR code for people to scan. Documents you scan using your phone will also now be improved, with better contrast and white balance.
Pixel-only features
Circle to search on a Pixel phone.(Image credit: Google)
If you’ve got a Google Pixel phone then you get some extra features in the December Android update. There are a lot of small updates to things like the camera and security settings, but the most important feature is Gemini Saved Info. This means you can ask Gemini to remember more about you, what you’re interested in, and what you like, so that it can tailor its responses to more of what you’ll be interested in.
Pixel users will also get some updates to the Pixel-exclusive app, Pixel Screenshots. Pixel Screenshots uses Gemini to analyze and recall the information embedded in your screenshots. Now you can use Pixel Screenshots to save things when you’re using Circle to Search with just one tap.
A new Pixel Troubleshooting app update brings the temperature check feature to Pixel 6 and above.
What you need to know
Google Pixel Troubleshooting update gets new Device Temperature check feature.
It allows Pixel 6, Pixel 7, Pixel 8, and Pixel 9 users to check their device temperatures whenever their devices seem warm to touch.
The temperature check feature involves relevant color schemes to accurately represent the device’s condition.
Some Pixel phones might have a nifty new feature that lets users identify how hot their devices are running directly from their handsets’ battery settings.
Google has apparently released a Pixel Troubleshooting app update for its devices, ranging from Pixel 6 to the latestPixel 9 series, notes9to5Google. The latest update brings a new “Device temperature” feature, which can be seen in the Battery section of the device Settings.
(Image credit: 9to5Google)
It sits under the battery diagnostics’ “Phone is very warm” section, which earlier showcased settings that keep the device battery optimized. Another way to access the new page is to directly search for “Device temperature” through the Settings app.
Under the Device temperature, users can now find four relevant colors, evidently dubbed Cold, Normal, Warm, and Elevated, indicating the current temperature state of the device.
The new page further indicates that the projected device temperature is according to various internal sensors that the aforementioned Pixel phones already ship with. 9to5 further notes that users can also witness other tips like “To cool down your phone, provide airflow to your phone if possible” and “Use only cases or covers made for your specific phone,” among others.
The live device temperature is being rolled out via the Pixel Troubleshooting app bearing the1.0.693922709version. Pixel phones include the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, Pixel 8, and the Pixel 9 series. It has not yet been rolled out to Pixel Tablet. As 9to5 notes, the update was seen running on the devices mentioned above, running on stableAndroid 15, which wasrecently rolled outto all compatible Pixel phones.
For the uninitiated, the Pixel Troubleshooting app was introduced last year, and the Pixel 8 was one of the first handsets to receive the feature. It helps users diagnose their battery and network issues, and the new temperature feature is indeed a valuable addition as it eliminates the need for installing third-party apps or devices to measure the device’s temperature.
Look out for an alert like this on your phone 
