➀ Google's datacentre electricity consumption surged to 30.8 million MWh in 2025, doubling since 2020, driving efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030;
➁ Investments include 200MW from fusion startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems, 500MW from fission firm Kairos Power, geothermal projects with Fervo Energy, and 1,300MW solar energy procurement;
➂ Partnerships and $20B investments in carbon-free power plants aim to meet 95.8% of Google’s energy demand sustainably.
➀ HP and Google collaborate on Dimension with Beam for 3D video conferencing without headsets/glasses;
➁ The AI-driven system evolves from "Project Starline", announced at InfoComm 2025;
➂ Aims to enhance virtual collaboration through immersive spatial communication technology.
➀ U.S. Department of Justice dismantled 29 North Korean 'laptop farms' across 16 states, uncovering IT workers who fraudulently obtained jobs at over 100 U.S. companies to fund nuclear programs;
➁ Operatives used VPNs, stolen identities, and U.S.-based collaborators to bypass sanctions, with some stealing $900,000 in cryptocurrency;
➂ Google Cloud reports expanded North Korean operations in Europe, while AI tools complicate detection of fraudulent job applicants.
➀ Google has rolled out Android 16, prioritizing Pixel devices and publishing its source code via AOSP.
➁ Key updates include enhanced security (e.g., against Intent redirection), Material 3 design enforcement, camera improvements, and predictive back navigation.
➂ A minor Q4 2025 update is planned, but non-Pixel devices will likely see delayed Android 16 adoption.
➀ Google Cloud announces G4 VMs with dual AMD EPYC 9005 Turin CPUs and eight NVIDIA RTX Pro 6000 GPUs, delivering 768GB GDDR7 memory and 384 vCPUs;
➁ The instances feature 400Gbps network bandwidth, NVIDIA MIG partitioning for up to 32 GPU partitions, and 1.4TB system memory;
➂ Targets cost-sensitive workloads with GDDR7 instead of HBM3E, offering flexibility for AI, rendering, and VDI applications.
➀ YouTube intensifies ad-blocking countermeasures, closing loopholes used by browsers like Firefox and ad-blocking extensions;
➁ Users now face blocked video playback unless allowing ads, sparking renewed privacy concerns and EU legal challenges;
➂ Regional inconsistencies persist in ad-blocker effectiveness, hinting at an ongoing cat-and-mouse game between Google and developers.
➀ Google Search's market share fell below 90% in late 2024 for the first time in a decade, with fluctuations persisting into 2025;
➁ Elon Musk claims AI tools like Grok will render traditional search engines obsolete, highlighting concerns about SEO manipulation and sponsored results in current search platforms;
➂ While AI-driven answers offer convenience, challenges include hallucination risks, monetization pressures, and unresolved intellectual property disputes that may undermine AI's long-term reliability.
➀ A lawsuit has been filed against Google for allegedly collecting personal data on students across the country using mandatory Chromebook usage in schools.
➁ The lawsuit claims that Google has been using the data to build student profiles for marketing purposes without consent.
➂ The case highlights concerns about the lack of parental consent and the potential constitutional violation of data acquisition.
➀ Wiz, a cybersecurity provider for cloud-based businesses, has been acquired by Google for $32 billion after rejecting a $23 billion offer last July.
➁ Wiz offers cloud-agnostic security solutions by supporting multiple cloud providers including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud.
➂ Wiz was founded by a team that previously sold a company, Adallom, to Microsoft for $320 million.
➀ Android 16 Beta 3 seems to address a long-standing Pixel limitation by keeping the fingerprint scanner active when the screen is off.
➁ Users no longer need to wake the screen first before unlocking their device with their fingers.
➂ The new setting can be enabled by navigating to Settings > Security & privacy > Device unlock > Face & Fingerprint Unlock > Fingerprint Unlock, and toggling Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock on.
➀ Achieving design rule compliance and optimal electrical performance in advanced semiconductor designs is crucial for minimizing design iterations and ensuring product reliability.
➁ Siemens Digital Industries Software's Calibre DesignEnhancer (DE) provides analysis-based EMIR solutions that enhance power integrity and reduce IR drop.
➂ Both Google and Intel utilized Calibre DE to address IR drop issues, demonstrating significant improvements in power grid robustness and electrical performance.
➀ Google has released the third beta version of Android 16 with new features like broadcast audio support, text outlining, and testing apps with LNP (Local Network Protection).
➁ This update is available only for developers on Pixel devices and is meant for early testing and feedback.
➂ The Android 16 system is scheduled for release in the second quarter of this year.
➀ The EC has charged Google with favoring its own services over rivals in its searches and ordered Apple to further open iOS to rivals’ connected devices.
➁ The EC argues that it is merely enforcing the terms of the 2022 Digital Markets Act.
➂ Many see this as the EC throwing down the gauntlet to the new US administration, which has threatened to impose tariffs on countries imposing fines on US digital services companies.
➀ Google's Pixel 9a has already received reviews and performance benchmarks before its official launch;
➁ The phone shows incremental improvements in design and performance while cutting costs;
➂ Reviewers were impressed with the fluidity and optimized feel of the 9a, along with the same Pixel camera magic.
➀ Google has released a fix for the issue with older Chromecast dongles that were bricked or deprecated.
➁ The issue affects both second generation Chromecast streaming devices and Chromecast Audio dongles released in 2015.
➂ Users received 'Untrusted device' error messages when attempting to cast.
➀ Google's second generation Chromecast owners are experiencing issues with casting;
➁ Error messages suggest firmware update or authentication issues;
➂ Google has not officially commented on the issue, but users are sharing workarounds.
➀ Despite concerns over AI-generated science, Google is confident in AI's role in scientific research and has unveiled an 'AI co-scientist' tool built on Gemini 2.0.
➁ The tool aims to address time constraints in scientific discoveries and work alongside human scientists, not as a substitute.
➂ The AI has shown promising results in solving antibiotic-resistant pathogens and identifying new drug uses for myeloid leukemia.
➀ Google has released the second beta of Android 16, its latest mobile operating system.
➁ The update includes camera enhancements, custom graphical effects, and motion capture.
➂ UltraHDR image support is added, with embedded gainmap similar to the existing UltraHDR JPEG format.
➀ A massive 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 monitor is on sale for $769.99 at Amazon (save $230). It features a 1000R curvature, 5120x1440 resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and HDR support.
➁ Dell S23422DWG, Samsung Odyssey G55C, and Apple Studio 5K Display are also on sale.
➂ Google Pixel 9 Pro family is available with $200 discounts, including the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL.
