Google's Nest Audio Smart Speaker is discounted to $49.99 shipped, a 50% drop from its regular price of $100. The deal applies to Chalk and Charcoal colorways and is available at multiple retailers, including Walmart. The smart speaker features a fabric-wrapped design and can be controlled with voice commands.

Source: https://9to5mac.com/

Chrome for Android is introducing the ability to color-code Tab Groups, with nine color options available. This feature is part of a server-side update with Chrome 127 for Android. Additionally, Chrome is working on allowing Android users to access their saved Tab Groups from the desktop browser.

Source: https://9to5mac.com/

Google Lens is rolling out to desktop Chrome and Chromebooks, allowing users to access it through various methods such as tapping the address bar, using the Ctrl/Command + F shortcut, or accessing it through the three-dot overflow menu. The feature was initially announced in early August and is now widely available with Chrome version 127 after a browser restart.

Source: https://9to5mac.com/

A new feature called delayed destruction has been introduced, which performs a soft-delete on a secret version when a destroy action is taken. The version is moved to a disabled state and remains in an archival period for a configurable number of days, during which an administrator can revive it. After the delay period expires, the secret version is permanently destroyed. A Pub/Sub notification has been added to inform administrators and SecOps specialists about attempts to destroy a secret version.

Source: https://cloud.google.com/blog/

Google Cloud Functions has been rebranded as Cloud Run functions, offering developers access to all of Cloud Run's capabilities, including GPU support for Python developers using Hugging Face models. Cloud Run's scale-to-zero and fast startup capabilities are ideal for developers starting with AI using Hugging Face models. Existing Cloud Functions 2nd gen functions will be automatically converted to Cloud Run functions, with continued support for existing APIs, gcloud commands, and Terraform modules.

Source: https://cloud.google.com/blog/

Google is updating its Help me write feature in Gmail with a new 'Polish' draft feature, available on Android, iOS, and the web. This feature can turn rough notes into a formal draft with one click, and also allows users to refine their emails with options to formalize, elaborate, or shorten their content.

Source: https://9to5google.com/

Google is simplifying access to Google Account data in Chrome for Android and desktop by replacing the Chrome Sync system with a standard sign-in approach. This change will allow users to access saved passwords, payment info, and addresses, as well as bookmarks, reading list, and settings on Android. The new system will also enable users to sync their tabs and history to their Google Account. This change reflects the increasing expectation of users to sign in to access their data.

Source: https://9to5google.com/

BigQuery introduces TreeAH index, an optimized vector index for large queries, building on its AI-ready data platform capabilities. This new index type uses Google's research and innovation in approximate nearest neighbor algorithms. The TreeAH index is part of BigQuery's efforts to empower customers to build pipelines and applications, such as semantic search and LLM-based retrieval-augmented generation.

Source: https://cloud.google.com/blog/

Google has achieved its goal of making all Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest device packaging 100% plastic-free, ahead of the 2025 target. The company has developed new materials, including stronger and more stretchable paper, molded fiber pulp from recycled newspaper, and peelable closure labels, to replace plastic components.

Source: https://blog.google/

Google TV has introduced over 800 free live TV channels in the United States, available directly on the homescreen. The channels include 77 built-in channels that require no app installations or extra accounts, and are accessible through the 'Live' tab. The free channels stream a variety of content, including news, movies, and more.

Source: https://9to5mac.com/