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Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Whether you’re assembling a PC, planning an epic Etsy crafts store, or just fixing a squeaky old chair, we found some handy tools that anyone can appreciate. The artificial intelligence revolution is cool and all, but some of us still like getting our hands dirty by diving into a pile of nuts, bolts, and screws. And with the holidays coming up, there’s bound to be something that needs building, fixing, or customizing. That’s why we’re drawing a hard line in front of rickety dime-a-dozen Allen keys and other cheap tools that will frustrate you to the point of exhaustion. Instead, we’re looking at the kind of high-class (but not necessarily high-price) helpers that will make any DIYer smile.

You’ll delight any tinkerer or builder in your life with the various gift ideas below, ranging from electric screwdrivers and 360-degree laser levelers to headache-free 3D printers and DIY fabric cutters. There are also lots of fun things to enjoy between hammering sessions, such as retro gaming handhelds, plus the cheapest and smallest DJI drone we’ve ever seen.
And that’s only scratching the surface (don’t worry, there’s a tool for that, too). Below, you’ll find gift ideas that can fit a variety of budgets and needs, whether you’re looking for a stocking stuffer or something more substantial that will steal the show — and your recipient’s heart.

Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Whether you’re assembling a PC, planning an epic Etsy crafts store, or just fixing a squeaky old chair, we found some handy tools that anyone can appreciate.

The artificial intelligence revolution is cool and all, but some of us still like getting our hands dirty by diving into a pile of nuts, bolts, and screws. And with the holidays coming up, there’s bound to be something that needs building, fixing, or customizing. That’s why we’re drawing a hard line in front of rickety dime-a-dozen Allen keys and other cheap tools that will frustrate you to the point of exhaustion. Instead, we’re looking at the kind of high-class (but not necessarily high-price) helpers that will make any DIYer smile.

You’ll delight any tinkerer or builder in your life with the various gift ideas below, ranging from electric screwdrivers and 360-degree laser levelers to headache-free 3D printers and DIY fabric cutters. There are also lots of fun things to enjoy between hammering sessions, such as retro gaming handhelds, plus the cheapest and smallest DJI drone we’ve ever seen.

And that’s only scratching the surface (don’t worry, there’s a tool for that, too). Below, you’ll find gift ideas that can fit a variety of budgets and needs, whether you’re looking for a stocking stuffer or something more substantial that will steal the show — and your recipient’s heart.

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

YouTube is taking a page out of the TikTok playbook by adding “jewels” you buy to exchange for gifts for your favorite creators during livestreams. The feature, announced in September’s Made on YouTube event, is rolling out in the US over the next few weeks for eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program.
The feature is reminiscent of TikTok’s livestream gifting, which essentially works the same way, except you buy “coins.” On YouTube, gifts you send to live streamers appear onscreen and add to their earnings called “rubies,” valued at one cent each. YouTube says there’s no fixed revenue share since the cost of jewels can change based on promotions, so the amount of rubies earned can vary. For the next three months, YouTube will give a bonus of 50 percent on earnings to eligible creators of up to an additional $1,000 per month.

GIF: YouTube

Creators can only receive gifts on vertical livestreams directly on YouTube or through third-party streaming software, and viewers can only gift items while using the YouTube mobile app. Once a creator enables gifts for their account, they can no longer receive YouTube’s Super Stickers from fans.
YouTube may have noticed the success of TikTok’s gifting feature, which can be addictive for viewers. For instance, one lady spent her inheritance gifting streamers; another stole $300,000 from her church and spent it on digital coins. YouTube is also testing something like TikTok’s endless video feed with a new swipe gesture on long-form videos.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

YouTube is taking a page out of the TikTok playbook by adding “jewels” you buy to exchange for gifts for your favorite creators during livestreams. The feature, announced in September’s Made on YouTube event, is rolling out in the US over the next few weeks for eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program.

The feature is reminiscent of TikTok’s livestream gifting, which essentially works the same way, except you buy “coins.” On YouTube, gifts you send to live streamers appear onscreen and add to their earnings called “rubies,” valued at one cent each. YouTube says there’s no fixed revenue share since the cost of jewels can change based on promotions, so the amount of rubies earned can vary. For the next three months, YouTube will give a bonus of 50 percent on earnings to eligible creators of up to an additional $1,000 per month.

GIF: YouTube

Creators can only receive gifts on vertical livestreams directly on YouTube or through third-party streaming software, and viewers can only gift items while using the YouTube mobile app. Once a creator enables gifts for their account, they can no longer receive YouTube’s Super Stickers from fans.

YouTube may have noticed the success of TikTok’s gifting feature, which can be addictive for viewers. For instance, one lady spent her inheritance gifting streamers; another stole $300,000 from her church and spent it on digital coins. YouTube is also testing something like TikTok’s endless video feed with a new swipe gesture on long-form videos.

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Image: Nick Barclay / The Verge

Disney made money off its streaming business for the second time in a row. During Q4 2024, profit from Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus soared to $321 million, up from $47 million last quarter.
During an earnings call on Thursday, Disney CEO Bob Iger said around 60 percent of all new subscribers are choosing Disney Plus’s ad-supported plan. Meanwhile, 37 percent of total subscribers in the US are currently subscribed to the option, which has become a major revenue driver for streaming services.
“It’s not just about raising pricing,” Iger said. “It’s about moving consumers to the advertiser-supported side of the streaming platform… the pricing that we recently put into place, which is increased pricing, was actually designed to move more people in the AVOD [Advertising-based Video on Demand] direction.” Disney last raised prices across its streaming services in October.
More and more streaming services are breaking through the barrier of profitability — and staying there. For years, Netflix was the only streaming service that could reliably turn a profit, but now rivals are finally catching up. Along with Disney, Paramount Plus was recently profitable for the second consecutive quarter, while Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max continues to make money, too.

At the same time, Disney’s streaming business saw modest subscriber growth in the US and Canada, going from 54.8 million last quarter to 56 million. Additionally, Disney has plans to roll out password sharing more broadly, as CEO Bob Iger said during an earnings call that paid-sharing just started in Latin America this week. The company’s CFO Hugh Johnston didn’t rule out the possibility of price increases in the future, either.
We certainly look to continue to increase pricing in line with the value that we’re providing to consumers. A lot of the growth that we’re seeing right now is because of the exceptional content that’s coming out of both the movie and the TV studios that are that’s obviously our proprietary content, so that’ll certainly enable us to increase pricing over time.
The company has also announced that it will add an ESPN Plus tile to Disney Plus on December 4th, bringing “select” live games and studio programming to subscribers in the US. It brought Hulu to the Disney Plus app earlier this year.

Image: Nick Barclay / The Verge

Disney made money off its streaming business for the second time in a row. During Q4 2024, profit from Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus soared to $321 million, up from $47 million last quarter.

During an earnings call on Thursday, Disney CEO Bob Iger said around 60 percent of all new subscribers are choosing Disney Plus’s ad-supported plan. Meanwhile, 37 percent of total subscribers in the US are currently subscribed to the option, which has become a major revenue driver for streaming services.

“It’s not just about raising pricing,” Iger said. “It’s about moving consumers to the advertiser-supported side of the streaming platform… the pricing that we recently put into place, which is increased pricing, was actually designed to move more people in the AVOD [Advertising-based Video on Demand] direction.” Disney last raised prices across its streaming services in October.

More and more streaming services are breaking through the barrier of profitability — and staying there. For years, Netflix was the only streaming service that could reliably turn a profit, but now rivals are finally catching up. Along with Disney, Paramount Plus was recently profitable for the second consecutive quarter, while Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max continues to make money, too.

At the same time, Disney’s streaming business saw modest subscriber growth in the US and Canada, going from 54.8 million last quarter to 56 million. Additionally, Disney has plans to roll out password sharing more broadly, as CEO Bob Iger said during an earnings call that paid-sharing just started in Latin America this week. The company’s CFO Hugh Johnston didn’t rule out the possibility of price increases in the future, either.

We certainly look to continue to increase pricing in line with the value that we’re providing to consumers. A lot of the growth that we’re seeing right now is because of the exceptional content that’s coming out of both the movie and the TV studios that are that’s obviously our proprietary content, so that’ll certainly enable us to increase pricing over time.

The company has also announced that it will add an ESPN Plus tile to Disney Plus on December 4th, bringing “select” live games and studio programming to subscribers in the US. It brought Hulu to the Disney Plus app earlier this year.

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Image: Amazon

Amazon is today introducing its latest Fire TV Omni TV series, and it’s the first to feature Mini LED backlighting for improved contrast, less blooming, and greater brightness than past models. The “Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series” features up to 1,344 dimming zones (depending on screen size) and delivers up to 1,400 nits of peak brightness. That’s respectable, but falls short of top Mini LED contenders like TCL’s QM8 and Hisense’s U8N, which can push all the way to 3,000 nits.
Still, Amazon’s TV is priced quite a bit lower than those models and includes Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10 Plus Adaptive, and Dolby Atmos audio. This also sounds like the first Fire TV Omni that’s truly cut out for gaming. It’s got AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certification, VRR, auto low latency mode, and a refresh rate that can reach 144Hz. There’s also Wi-Fi 6E on board.

GIF: Amazon
The Fire TV Omni Mini-LED adjusts its color and brightness settings based on your environment.

These TVs have an Intelligent Picture feature that image purists are likely to immediately turn off, but could prove useful for people who don’t want to fuss with settings. According to Amazon’s press release, it “combines artificial intelligence with the lineup’s new advanced light and color sensor to enhance picture quality by automatically identifying, analyzing, and optimizing scenes in real-time, fine-tuning picture details like landscapes, buildings, sports, and more.” These automatic picture adjustments are becoming increasingly common among TV makers, but you’re always free to calibrate things to your liking.
As with past Omni sets, the Mini LED series includes far-field microphones for hands-free voice commands or controlling Amazon’s Ambient Experience, which can display widgets or artwork when the TV is idle. There’s now a “high-fidelity radar” built into the latest Omni series:
The TV’s brand-new high-fidelity radar sensor powers an upcoming delightful new feature within the Ambient Experience which transforms motion into art. When Ambient Experience is active, customers can see colorful scenes come to life — like fluttering butterflies, swimming koi fish, and colorful tiles — that dynamically respond to movement in front of the TV.
More importantly, Amazon is continuing to expand its support for the Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids protocol with a new “dual audio” mode that will let “customers with ASHA-enabled hearing aids to get high-quality audio delivered directly to their hearing aids while others simultaneously listen through the TV’s speakers.” That’s pretty neat.
Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series will be available for purchase today, starting at $819.99.

55-inches: $819.99

65-inches: $1,089.99

75-inches: $1,499.99

85-inches: $2,099.99

To go along with the new, more impressive Fire TV Omni, Amazon is also announcing the Fire TV Soundbar Plus, a 3.1-channel all-in-one soundbar with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and DTS TruVolume, plus an all-important dialogue enhancer setting. The soundbar has four preset modes for Movie, Music, Sports, and Night listening (which presumably reduces the bass). The Fire TV Soundbar Plus is priced at $374.99 with an included wireless subwoofer.

Image: Amazon

Amazon is today introducing its latest Fire TV Omni TV series, and it’s the first to feature Mini LED backlighting for improved contrast, less blooming, and greater brightness than past models. The “Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series” features up to 1,344 dimming zones (depending on screen size) and delivers up to 1,400 nits of peak brightness. That’s respectable, but falls short of top Mini LED contenders like TCL’s QM8 and Hisense’s U8N, which can push all the way to 3,000 nits.

Still, Amazon’s TV is priced quite a bit lower than those models and includes Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10 Plus Adaptive, and Dolby Atmos audio. This also sounds like the first Fire TV Omni that’s truly cut out for gaming. It’s got AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certification, VRR, auto low latency mode, and a refresh rate that can reach 144Hz. There’s also Wi-Fi 6E on board.

GIF: Amazon
The Fire TV Omni Mini-LED adjusts its color and brightness settings based on your environment.

These TVs have an Intelligent Picture feature that image purists are likely to immediately turn off, but could prove useful for people who don’t want to fuss with settings. According to Amazon’s press release, it “combines artificial intelligence with the lineup’s new advanced light and color sensor to enhance picture quality by automatically identifying, analyzing, and optimizing scenes in real-time, fine-tuning picture details like landscapes, buildings, sports, and more.” These automatic picture adjustments are becoming increasingly common among TV makers, but you’re always free to calibrate things to your liking.

As with past Omni sets, the Mini LED series includes far-field microphones for hands-free voice commands or controlling Amazon’s Ambient Experience, which can display widgets or artwork when the TV is idle. There’s now a “high-fidelity radar” built into the latest Omni series:

The TV’s brand-new high-fidelity radar sensor powers an upcoming delightful new feature within the Ambient Experience which transforms motion into art. When Ambient Experience is active, customers can see colorful scenes come to life — like fluttering butterflies, swimming koi fish, and colorful tiles — that dynamically respond to movement in front of the TV.

More importantly, Amazon is continuing to expand its support for the Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids protocol with a new “dual audio” mode that will let “customers with ASHA-enabled hearing aids to get high-quality audio delivered directly to their hearing aids while others simultaneously listen through the TV’s speakers.” That’s pretty neat.

Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series will be available for purchase today, starting at $819.99.

55-inches: $819.99

65-inches: $1,089.99

75-inches: $1,499.99

85-inches: $2,099.99

To go along with the new, more impressive Fire TV Omni, Amazon is also announcing the Fire TV Soundbar Plus, a 3.1-channel all-in-one soundbar with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and DTS TruVolume, plus an all-important dialogue enhancer setting. The soundbar has four preset modes for Movie, Music, Sports, and Night listening (which presumably reduces the bass). The Fire TV Soundbar Plus is priced at $374.99 with an included wireless subwoofer.

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Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Wordle’s success has caused an explosion in newspaper-style puzzle games, and now Words With Friends is getting in on the action. The long-running word game is adding four solo modes that can be played daily, and they’ll sound familiar to those who use The New York Times’ gaming app.
The new games include a mini crossword puzzle; a word search; Word Wheel, which is about connecting letters to create words; and a word guessing game called Guess Word. You can see what they all look like in the gallery below:

Zynga, which owns Words With Friends, says that each of the games will have new puzzles daily and can be played either solo or in multiplayer. “Our players asked if they could do even more, so we’ve added a whole new layer of personally fulfilling solo mini-games where you can disconnect from the world and play word games, with or without friends,” Yaron Leyvand, Zynga’s executive vice president of mobile games, said in a statement.
The news comes as plenty of different outlets are trying to replicate or build on Wordle’s breakout success. The New York Times continues to test new games, including a sports-themed take on Connections and a puzzler called Zorse, while the Hearst-owned Puzzmo is steadily building out an impressive library of games including recent releases like a weather-based version of sudoku. Meanwhile, Netflix is about to launch its own daily word game, and even LinkedIn has launched its own collection of puzzles.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Wordle’s success has caused an explosion in newspaper-style puzzle games, and now Words With Friends is getting in on the action. The long-running word game is adding four solo modes that can be played daily, and they’ll sound familiar to those who use The New York Times’ gaming app.

The new games include a mini crossword puzzle; a word search; Word Wheel, which is about connecting letters to create words; and a word guessing game called Guess Word. You can see what they all look like in the gallery below:

Zynga, which owns Words With Friends, says that each of the games will have new puzzles daily and can be played either solo or in multiplayer. “Our players asked if they could do even more, so we’ve added a whole new layer of personally fulfilling solo mini-games where you can disconnect from the world and play word games, with or without friends,” Yaron Leyvand, Zynga’s executive vice president of mobile games, said in a statement.

The news comes as plenty of different outlets are trying to replicate or build on Wordle’s breakout success. The New York Times continues to test new games, including a sports-themed take on Connections and a puzzler called Zorse, while the Hearst-owned Puzzmo is steadily building out an impressive library of games including recent releases like a weather-based version of sudoku. Meanwhile, Netflix is about to launch its own daily word game, and even LinkedIn has launched its own collection of puzzles.

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Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

Apple is facing a £3 billion (about $3.75 billion) lawsuit from a consumer group that alleges the iPhone maker violated UK competition law by “forcing” customers to use its iCloud service.
In its press release, UK consumer watchdog Which? says that Apple gave its iCloud storage service preferential treatment and encouraged users to use the service to store photos, videos, and other data while making it difficult to use alternative providers.
“We believe Apple customers are owed nearly £3 billion as a result of the tech giant forcing its iCloud services on customers and cutting off competition from rival services,” Which? said in its announcement. The group alleges that Apple’s monopoly allowed the company to overcharge users for iCloud subscriptions, and says it’s taken legal action to seek damages for 40 million Apple users in the UK who were “locked in” to using the service since October 2015.

Apple does not allow users to back up their data via third-party storage providers. Apple users receive 5GB of free iCloud storage — which hasn’t increased since the service was introduced in 2011 — and are required to pay monthly fees starting at 99p ($0.99 in the US) if they need more. iPhone users can manually back up their devices by transferring data to a computer, however.
“iOS has a monopoly and is in control of Apple’s operating systems and it is incumbent on Apple not to use that dominance to gain an unfair advantage in related markets, like the cloud storage market. But that is exactly what has happened.” Which? said.“Taking this legal action means we can help consumers to get the redress that they are owed, deter similar behaviour in the future and create a better, more competitive market.”
Apple is facing similar legal action in the US, with the Department of Justice accusing the iPhone maker of unlawfully monopolizing the market for cloud storage. In August, Apple asked a federal judge to dismiss the case and described the iPhone as “one of the most innovative and consumer-friendly products ever made.”
“Our users are not required to use iCloud, and many rely on a wide range of third-party alternatives for data storage,” Apple said in a statement for Forbes responding to the Which? lawsuit. “We reject any suggestion that our iCloud practices are anti-competitive and will vigorously defend against any legal claim otherwise.”

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

Apple is facing a £3 billion (about $3.75 billion) lawsuit from a consumer group that alleges the iPhone maker violated UK competition law by “forcing” customers to use its iCloud service.

In its press release, UK consumer watchdog Which? says that Apple gave its iCloud storage service preferential treatment and encouraged users to use the service to store photos, videos, and other data while making it difficult to use alternative providers.

“We believe Apple customers are owed nearly £3 billion as a result of the tech giant forcing its iCloud services on customers and cutting off competition from rival services,” Which? said in its announcement. The group alleges that Apple’s monopoly allowed the company to overcharge users for iCloud subscriptions, and says it’s taken legal action to seek damages for 40 million Apple users in the UK who were “locked in” to using the service since October 2015.

Apple does not allow users to back up their data via third-party storage providers. Apple users receive 5GB of free iCloud storage — which hasn’t increased since the service was introduced in 2011 — and are required to pay monthly fees starting at 99p ($0.99 in the US) if they need more. iPhone users can manually back up their devices by transferring data to a computer, however.

“iOS has a monopoly and is in control of Apple’s operating systems and it is incumbent on Apple not to use that dominance to gain an unfair advantage in related markets, like the cloud storage market. But that is exactly what has happened.” Which? said.“Taking this legal action means we can help consumers to get the redress that they are owed, deter similar behaviour in the future and create a better, more competitive market.”

Apple is facing similar legal action in the US, with the Department of Justice accusing the iPhone maker of unlawfully monopolizing the market for cloud storage. In August, Apple asked a federal judge to dismiss the case and described the iPhone as “one of the most innovative and consumer-friendly products ever made.”

“Our users are not required to use iCloud, and many rely on a wide range of third-party alternatives for data storage,” Apple said in a statement for Forbes responding to the Which? lawsuit. “We reject any suggestion that our iCloud practices are anti-competitive and will vigorously defend against any legal claim otherwise.”

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Once known only for its self-destructing pics, in recent years Snapchat has sneakily evolved into a location-oriented social media app. It’s now leaning further than ever into that identity with a new real-time location sharing feature that allows family members to share their live locations with each other. The feature will roll out alongside other new location and privacy tools in the coming weeks.

Once you have the update, you’ll see an option in the Family Center that lets parents request their teen’s locations, and vice versa. The hub will also allow parents to view their child’s location-sharing settings alongside existing privacy settings to ensure they’re using the app safely and responsibly. If that’s not enough, Snap is allowing family members to send automatic travel notifications, which will ping them when you’ve arrived to or left from three designated locations, such as home or school.

Image by Snap Inc.

The timing of of these features’ arrival feels a bit unfortunate for Snap, considering its app’s controversial appearance in the news of late related to privacy and safety concerns. An ongoing lawsuit from New Mexico’s attorney general Raúl Torrez alleges that Snapchat knowingly ignored warnings and evidence that the platform is being used to target and exploit minors with soliciting tactics for “sextortion” and “sexploitation” activities.
It also calls out other questionable uses such as sales of illegal weaponry and substances, though that is hardly exclusive to Snapchat. Torrez cited the fleeting nature of the platform’s “Snaps” — temporary messages, photos, and videos that are permanently erased after a set time — as a feature that directly conflicts with the general responsibility to keep its users safe.
With the added potential dangers posed by location sharing, we’re naturally curious to learn how Snap plans to assuage mounting fears while maintaining the original spirit of its platform. For now, it’s toeing the line carefully by making location features accessible only by opting in, limiting location sharing strictly to friends and family, and constantly reminding users to review their privacy and sharing preferences whenever they add someone new.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Once known only for its self-destructing pics, in recent years Snapchat has sneakily evolved into a location-oriented social media app. It’s now leaning further than ever into that identity with a new real-time location sharing feature that allows family members to share their live locations with each other. The feature will roll out alongside other new location and privacy tools in the coming weeks.

Once you have the update, you’ll see an option in the Family Center that lets parents request their teen’s locations, and vice versa. The hub will also allow parents to view their child’s location-sharing settings alongside existing privacy settings to ensure they’re using the app safely and responsibly. If that’s not enough, Snap is allowing family members to send automatic travel notifications, which will ping them when you’ve arrived to or left from three designated locations, such as home or school.

Image by Snap Inc.

The timing of of these features’ arrival feels a bit unfortunate for Snap, considering its app’s controversial appearance in the news of late related to privacy and safety concerns. An ongoing lawsuit from New Mexico’s attorney general Raúl Torrez alleges that Snapchat knowingly ignored warnings and evidence that the platform is being used to target and exploit minors with soliciting tactics for “sextortion” and “sexploitation” activities.

It also calls out other questionable uses such as sales of illegal weaponry and substances, though that is hardly exclusive to Snapchat. Torrez cited the fleeting nature of the platform’s “Snaps” — temporary messages, photos, and videos that are permanently erased after a set time — as a feature that directly conflicts with the general responsibility to keep its users safe.

With the added potential dangers posed by location sharing, we’re naturally curious to learn how Snap plans to assuage mounting fears while maintaining the original spirit of its platform. For now, it’s toeing the line carefully by making location features accessible only by opting in, limiting location sharing strictly to friends and family, and constantly reminding users to review their privacy and sharing preferences whenever they add someone new.

Read More 

In the AI chatbot world, ubiquity is everything. Companies have raced to build desktop and mobile apps for their bots, in order to both give them new capabilities but also to make sure they’re right in front of your face as often as possible.
There’s no better example of that than Google’s new Gemini app for iPhone, which quietly hit the App Store around the world this week. The free app is simple and straightforward: it’s just a chat window and a list of your previous chats. You can query the bot with text, voice, or your camera, and it’ll give you answers. It’s effectively identical to the Gemini section of the Google app, or what you’d get by opening a browser and going to the Gemini website.
The Gemini app does have one newish feature: access to Gemini Live, the bot’s more interactive and conversational chat mode that is similar to ChatGPT’s voice mode. Gemini Live has been available on Android for a few weeks, but this is the first place it has been usable for iPhone owners. In my short tests so far it works really well, and when you’re using Live it shows up both in the iPhone’s Dynamic Island and on your lockscreen.
But Live will eventually be everywhere. Whenever the next version of Gemini comes out, that will be too. The whole point of the Gemini app is to put the icon on your homescreen, and give you something to assign to the Action Button or one of the other quick-access spots on your phone. With one tap and half a second, you can be chatting with the bot. That access, and the muscle memory it helps build, are crucial for any company that wants users to make a habit out of chatting with bots.
Like all the other non-Siri chatbots, Gemini has some big limitations on your phone. It can’t change settings or access other apps. But it can access other Google apps, which continues to be Gemini’s big advantage. You can ask Gemini to play music, and it’ll fire up YouTube Music. You can ask it for directions and it’ll send you to Google Maps. It’s a tiny glimpse of what Gemini hopes to be on Android, and what Apple’s trying to do with Siri: use AI to make everything on your phone a littler more interactive and accessible. But none of that matters if people don’t use the bots — and so the race for your homescreen is on.

In the AI chatbot world, ubiquity is everything. Companies have raced to build desktop and mobile apps for their bots, in order to both give them new capabilities but also to make sure they’re right in front of your face as often as possible.

There’s no better example of that than Google’s new Gemini app for iPhone, which quietly hit the App Store around the world this week. The free app is simple and straightforward: it’s just a chat window and a list of your previous chats. You can query the bot with text, voice, or your camera, and it’ll give you answers. It’s effectively identical to the Gemini section of the Google app, or what you’d get by opening a browser and going to the Gemini website.

The Gemini app does have one newish feature: access to Gemini Live, the bot’s more interactive and conversational chat mode that is similar to ChatGPT’s voice mode. Gemini Live has been available on Android for a few weeks, but this is the first place it has been usable for iPhone owners. In my short tests so far it works really well, and when you’re using Live it shows up both in the iPhone’s Dynamic Island and on your lockscreen.

But Live will eventually be everywhere. Whenever the next version of Gemini comes out, that will be too. The whole point of the Gemini app is to put the icon on your homescreen, and give you something to assign to the Action Button or one of the other quick-access spots on your phone. With one tap and half a second, you can be chatting with the bot. That access, and the muscle memory it helps build, are crucial for any company that wants users to make a habit out of chatting with bots.

Like all the other non-Siri chatbots, Gemini has some big limitations on your phone. It can’t change settings or access other apps. But it can access other Google apps, which continues to be Gemini’s big advantage. You can ask Gemini to play music, and it’ll fire up YouTube Music. You can ask it for directions and it’ll send you to Google Maps. It’s a tiny glimpse of what Gemini hopes to be on Android, and what Apple’s trying to do with Siri: use AI to make everything on your phone a littler more interactive and accessible. But none of that matters if people don’t use the bots — and so the race for your homescreen is on.

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The Verge

Google has added some new travel and shopping features to Maps that aim to make it easier to find local products and stay on time during busy periods. Starting today, Maps now allows users to search for items like home goods, clothing, and electronics, and find stores nearby that sell them — a useful feature to have for any last-minute holiday shopping.
The search results in Maps will display individual product listings alongside locations where generic examples of desired items can be found (showing nearby stores that sell “holiday sweaters,” for example). The product listings are presented similarly to products in Google Shopping, only with useful information like store distance and if the item is currently in stock.

Gif: Google
The update effectively adds Google Shopping listings directly into Maps, but with stock information, so you can run out and buy it in person.

The update also makes it easier to plan travel and avoid road traffic and delays in transit systems. Maps will now tell you the best and worst times to visit local locations like stores, airports, and salons by telling you what time and days are busiest, and allow users to check and report weather disruptions like flooded roads or unplowed snow. Users and local transit agencies can also report any delays on bus or train routes to keep riders up to date and limit the impact on travel arrangements.

Image: Google
Here’s an example of what will be displayed on location listings to help Maps users avoid busier periods.

EV drivers who have vehicles with Google built-in can plan trips on their phone and send it directly to their car. This includes charging stops, and Maps can inform users which charging stations are compatible with their vehicle’s plug type by referencing the car make and model. And for users that will be hauling larger items in trailers, Maps now lets users add cargo dimensions into the in-vehicle app to show trailer-friendly routes that avoid low bridges and tunnels.

The Verge

Google has added some new travel and shopping features to Maps that aim to make it easier to find local products and stay on time during busy periods. Starting today, Maps now allows users to search for items like home goods, clothing, and electronics, and find stores nearby that sell them — a useful feature to have for any last-minute holiday shopping.

The search results in Maps will display individual product listings alongside locations where generic examples of desired items can be found (showing nearby stores that sell “holiday sweaters,” for example). The product listings are presented similarly to products in Google Shopping, only with useful information like store distance and if the item is currently in stock.

Gif: Google
The update effectively adds Google Shopping listings directly into Maps, but with stock information, so you can run out and buy it in person.

The update also makes it easier to plan travel and avoid road traffic and delays in transit systems. Maps will now tell you the best and worst times to visit local locations like stores, airports, and salons by telling you what time and days are busiest, and allow users to check and report weather disruptions like flooded roads or unplowed snow. Users and local transit agencies can also report any delays on bus or train routes to keep riders up to date and limit the impact on travel arrangements.

Image: Google
Here’s an example of what will be displayed on location listings to help Maps users avoid busier periods.

EV drivers who have vehicles with Google built-in can plan trips on their phone and send it directly to their car. This includes charging stops, and Maps can inform users which charging stations are compatible with their vehicle’s plug type by referencing the car make and model. And for users that will be hauling larger items in trailers, Maps now lets users add cargo dimensions into the in-vehicle app to show trailer-friendly routes that avoid low bridges and tunnels.

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PayPal is making it easier to collectively pool together funds on the platform. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images

PayPal is introducing a new money-pooling feature that aims to make it easier to collect and pay for things as a group. The feature is free and allows PayPal users to create a pool online or via the platform’s app, invite friends and family to contribute, track contributed funds, and transfer that cash to their own PayPal balance.
Provided you trust the pool organizer who will hold the power to spend or withdraw those funds, the pooling feature should provide a simple way to gather cash for things like gifts and group traveling collectively. Pool organizers can share pool joining links via “text, email, WhatsApp, and more” to people regardless of whether they have a PayPal account or not. Contributions can be made using a PayPal balance or bank account, and organizers can also set a pool name, description, target date, and funding goal amount.

Image: PayPal
Here’s what the setup process looks like in the PayPal app.

The money pooling feature is rolling out today across the US, UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Users in those regions can access it by selecting “Pool Money” from either the PayPal app menu, or in the “More Options” menu within the “Send/Request” tab.
Other apps like Settle Up are already available that directly focus on tracking and pooling group expenses. Venmo also introduced a similar feature last year called “Groups” with a notable distinction — the responsibility is entirely shared, which may be a better solution if you don’t want a single individual in charge of the group.

PayPal is making it easier to collectively pool together funds on the platform. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images

PayPal is introducing a new money-pooling feature that aims to make it easier to collect and pay for things as a group. The feature is free and allows PayPal users to create a pool online or via the platform’s app, invite friends and family to contribute, track contributed funds, and transfer that cash to their own PayPal balance.

Provided you trust the pool organizer who will hold the power to spend or withdraw those funds, the pooling feature should provide a simple way to gather cash for things like gifts and group traveling collectively. Pool organizers can share pool joining links via “text, email, WhatsApp, and more” to people regardless of whether they have a PayPal account or not. Contributions can be made using a PayPal balance or bank account, and organizers can also set a pool name, description, target date, and funding goal amount.

Image: PayPal
Here’s what the setup process looks like in the PayPal app.

The money pooling feature is rolling out today across the US, UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Users in those regions can access it by selecting “Pool Money” from either the PayPal app menu, or in the “More Options” menu within the “Send/Request” tab.

Other apps like Settle Up are already available that directly focus on tracking and pooling group expenses. Venmo also introduced a similar feature last year called “Groups” with a notable distinction — the responsibility is entirely shared, which may be a better solution if you don’t want a single individual in charge of the group.

Read More