Every Google account comes with 15 gigabytes of free cloud storage shared across Google Drive, Google Photos, and Gmail. But with videos of your kids, hi-res photos of your pets, and work files, that space doesn’t stretch far these days. Google One is the company’s subscription service, with several tiers to expand your cloud storage for a monthly fee. Storage can be shared with your family, but it’s just the start—there are other benefits to subscribing.
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100-GB Plan: For $2 per month or $20 per year, you get 100 gigabytes you can share with up to five family members, plus access to Google experts, Play Store credits, special editing features in Google Photos, discounts on Google hardware, and deals on select hotels.
200-GB Plan: For $3 per month or $30 per year, you get 200 GB with the same perks as above, plus 3 percent back on purchases from the Google Store.
2-TB Plan: For $10 per month or $100 per year, you get 2 terabytes with family sharing, the same perks as the first tier, 10 percent back on purchases from the Google Store, and a VPN for Android and iOS.
In the unlikely event that 2 TB is not enough, you can increase your storage, but the option to upgrade to an even larger plan is available only for current subscribers and in select countries. Here are the plans (no annual discount on the 10-, 20-, or 30-TB plans):
Google is working on equipping Android with the ability to assign a default note-taking app, which will give also you an option to add a shortcut for taking notes on the lock screen, and this feature will support input from a stylus as well. At the same time, the company is also working on making Google Keep compatible with the upcoming feature, allowing it to become a default note-taking app and take notes from the lock screen.
So far, when you enabled the upcoming feature in Android through developer options, set Google Keep as the default note-taking app, and then accessed the note-taking shortcut from the lock screen, Google Keep notified you that you had to update the app to use the functionality. Well, there’s been some change to that.
According to a new report from 9To5Google, when you update Google Keep to version 5.24 or later and access the note-taking option on the lock screen, the app now says “coming soon.” It hints that Google could very soon enable the functionality allowing Google Keep to take notes directly from the lock screen. The upcoming feature in Android and Google Keep could be very convenient for people who take notes frequently.
v5.23
v5.24
Now, here’s something very interesting. Samsung Galaxy Note series and S2X Ultra (from S21 Ultra) smartphones have been offering this feature for a long time. Samsung had to build a custom system to make that happen. Once Google brings the default note-taking option, Android will have a central API for it, and third-party developers and phone manufacturers can use it to offer the same functionality as Samsung’s phones.
Google has announced that Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets applications for Android now offer a sidebar containing formatting options on devices with large screens, such as tablets, which makes it easier for you to access formatting options.
The Docs, Slides, and Sheets apps for Android offer formatting options in a horizontal bar at the top of the screen. Since the bar is tiny and has to show many formatting options, it doesn’t show sub-options of a main option, which means that you have to tap multiple times on the screen to access a sub-option, which feels quite cumbersome.
With the update, the bar at the top of the screen will show you an option called Format that will bring all the formatting options to a card on the right-hand side of the display. Since the card is spread across a much larger than the bar, formatting options appear more clearer and informative. Plus, the card also shows granular options all the time, which, according to Google, “reduces the number of taps needed to navigate to formatting options, enabling you to more easily arrange text, tables, images and more.”
With the formatting sidebar, the experience of using Docs, Slides, and Sheets on Android tablets feels similar to using those platforms on a desktop. Google has started rolling out the new feature with an update to the three apps. So, update them from the Play Store to get it on your Galaxy Tab. According to Google, the latest feature is available to “all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.”
Finding your way around your Google Drive files could be about to get a lot easier: there’s evidence that you’ll soon be able to categorize your files into different groups, like banking and work, to keep them better organized.
This is according to hidden code spotted in the Google Drive app by TheSpAndroid (via Android Police). Apps often lay the coding groundwork for future features, before those features go live and are announced to users.
As per the app, the categories you’ll be able to make use of are Auto, Banking, Expenses, Home, IDs, Insurance, Medical, Pets, School, Taxes, Travel, and Work. From this leak, it doesn’t seem as though custom labels will be allowed, but those 12 categories cover the business of modern life pretty well.
As Android Police points out, these categories are similar to the labeling system that companies can use in Google Workspace. However, this should be available to individual users too, across Android, iOS, and the web.
How it’ll work
How the upcoming feature might look (Image credit: TheSpAndroid)
Here’s how it’s going to work: From the Home tab in the Android app, you’ll be able to tap the three dots next to a file, then choose from the categories list. A file can be in multiple categories, potentially making the feature more useful than the current folders system.
We don’t get any indication here about when the switch might be flipped to give users access to file categories: the report on TheSpAndroid says “it won’t come very soon”, so presumably there’s still work to do before it’s ready for the public.
Given Google’s recent and very committed push into artificial intelligence features, it’s possible that some kind of AI processing might be involved as well, in categorizing files for you (or at least suggesting categories based on a file name or its contents). Suggested categories do appear in the screens produced by the hidden code.
We now know that Google I/O 2024 is getting underway on May 14 this year, so in between all the Android 15 and Pixel 8a news we might get an announcement or two regarding new Google Drive features – and of course we’ll bring you all the news from the event.
There’s been no let up in the tech news this week, but we’ve managed to (just about) keep up with everything that’s happened: from AI innovations to Apple laptops, from Android 15 to a new Porsche, there’s been a lot to process.
With that in mind, we can forgive you for having missed one or two of the biggest breaking stories of the week – which is where this ‘in case you missed it’ round-up comes in. You can get yourself back in the loop in just a few minutes.
We’ll see you same place, same time next week for another ICYMI. The tech news might have slowed down a little by then… but we doubt it.
8. TCL showed off its super-bright next-gen mini-LED TV
The new TCL X11H (Image credit: TCL)
The newly unveiled TCL X11H has certainly caught our attention – perhaps due to the incredible 6,500-nit maximum brightness level that it offers, as well as sizes of up to 98 inches and as many as 14,112 mini-LED dimming zones.
It’s an absolute monster of a television set, and despite all of that extra brightness, it’s actually more energy efficient than TVs using a regular mini-LED backlight. It’s also surprisingly thin, considering the tech packed into it.
For now, this TV is only available in China, so we don’t have any details on wider pricing or availability. However, expect to pay a substantial amount for the TCL X11H – and you’ll need a lot of wall space for it as well.
7. We learned about a key M3 MacBook Air upgrade
Apple’s latest MacBook Air (Image credit: Future)
One of the disappointments around the base model of M2 MacBook Air was the (relatively) sluggish SSD drive that came with it – but this seems to be an issue that Apple has fixed with the introduction of the M3 edition.
Based on some detailed benchmarks, it looks as though the SSD speeds are back up to where they should be on the entry-level M3 MacBook Air (the one with 256GB of storage). Perhaps unsurprisingly, Apple hasn’t mentioned the change.
We’ve been hugely impressed with everything that the M3 MacBook Air has to offer, and this just confirms our thinking that this is the best laptop upgrade for the majority of people right now. Read our full MacBook Air 13-inch M3 review for more.
6. We saw Keurig’s new plastic-free K-Rounds coffee pods
The new Keurig K-Rounds (Image credit: Future)
Single-serve coffee systems are distinctly unfriendly towards the environment – think of all those plastic throwaway K-cups – but Keurig is now ready to present the sustainable future of the industry with the introduction of K-Rounds.
These plastic and aluminum-free coffee pods are basically just coffee – held together with an ultra-thin layer of alginate, a plant-based material. All that’s left at the end is a squished coffee ground husk that can be composted.
We’ve seen the new K-Round coffee pods in action, as well as the Alta Brewer: a new machine custom-built to process the new bods. The hope is we can start making a dent in the half a billion metric tons of coffee capsule waste produced each year.
5. The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT was unveiled, with Apple’s help
Apple meets Porsche (Image credit: Porsche / Chris Hall)
The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is the most dynamic car in the series to date, and the Weissach version of the vehicle was shown breaking lap records to prove its credentials as a super-powered speedster.
There was something else of note in the promotional video that Porsche released: Porsche CEO Oliver Blume watching the Taycan Turbo GT in action in augmented reality, with the help of the Apple Vision Pro headset.
Cue lots of nice words from Porsche about Apple, and vice versa. It’s one of the best demonstrations of the cutting-edge tech in the Vision Pro that we’ve seen to date – and the car isn’t bad, either.
4. Another intriguing Rabbit R1 demo surfaced
The Rabbit R1 (Image credit: Rabbit)
The AI-powered Rabbit R1 is undoubtedly one of the gadgets of the year so far: it hasn’t actually shipped to customers yet, but it offers an intriguing AI twist on the idea of what a pocket-sized portable computer can be.
As we wait for preorders to ship, Rabbit founder and CEO Jesse Lyu has posted a video on social media, showing the R1 in action as it takes notes. Once the recording is done, you can get a full transcription and an AI-powered summary of what’s been said.
It looks as though there are still some rough edges to smooth out with the Rabbit R1, but even this short demo shows what the little orange box is capable of. We’re looking forward to giving it a try ourselves.
3. Wordle celebrated its 1,000th puzzle
(Image credit: New York Times)
The world’s favorite five-letter word game reached a landmark this week, when Wordle celebrated its 1,000th edition. The New York Times, which owns Wordle, marked the occasion by lighting up the Empire State Building in the game’s green, yellow and white colors, while millions of players around the world paid tribute by, um, completing the puzzle. (And if you need help on that front, check out our daily Wordle today hints page.)
Will it still be going strong at 2,000? We wouldn’t bet against it. For a game that launched with exactly zero fanfare in June 2021, Wordle’s journey has been little short of incredible, and we’ll certainly be playing for a long time yet.
2. Marvel reportedly abandoned three movie sequels
We might not see any more of this crew (Image credit: Disney/Marvel Studios)
It can’t be a whole lot of fun being a Marvel executive right now, as the once-lucrative business of superhero movies continues to dwindle. Perhaps most of us are just ready for something else to take over our screens, both small and large.
A new report this week suggests that sequels to Ant-Man, Captain Marvel, and Eternals have all been canned – which is perhaps not surprising, considering how poorly the most recent releases under those titles performed at the box office.
None of this is confirmed yet, but there’s been some disappointment expressed online by fans who were keen to see where these stories would go next – and how Harry Styles would get on as Eros in Eternals 2.
1. We found out when Google I/O 2024 will take place
I/O is back for another year (Image credit: Google)
Google I/O is always one of the biggest events of the tech calendar, and this year’s instalment will get underway on May 14 – that’s the day we’ll hear the keynote speeches about all the Google hardware and software heading our way through the rest of 2024.
It’s a certainty that we’re going to hear more about what’s in store with Android 15, while rumors (and past history) suggest we might also get a grand unveiling for the Pixel 8a, Google’s next mid-range Android handset.
Apart from that, expect AI – lots and lots of AI. Google isn’t going to want to fall behind its competitors in this area, so it’s likely that there will be plenty of announcements about new AI features and integrations. We’ll find out more in a couple of months.
Folks who like controlling aspects of their home using their voice or an app may be pleased to learn there’s a sale on Google Nest gear at Amazon ahead of the retailer’s Big Spring Sale. There are some solid discounts here, including one on the Google Nest Thermostat, which is down to $100. That’s $30 off the usual price. While that’s not the lowest price we’ve seen for the thermostat (it has dropped to $80 in the past), it’s still a solid deal.
Google
The Google Nest Thermostat is currently 23 percent off.
The Nest Thermostat has been around for a few years now. It’s a more affordable version of the Nest Learning Thermostat, which usually costs $249 but is also on sale for $190. Both are designed to help save energy and cut down on heating and air conditioner costs. The Energy Star-certified Nest Thermostat can automatically adjust the temperature when you leave your home to avoid wasting energy on heating or cooling.
You can use the Nest app to adjust the settings remotely, so if you’re getting back earlier than usual or unexpectedly staying out late, the temperature will be just right. You can also control the thermostat using Google Assistant or another Matter-certified voice assistant (such as Alexa or Siri) as long as you have a compatible smart device. Meanwhile, the Savings Finder feature will offer you tips on how to adjust your temperature schedule to reduce costs even further.
Several Nest cameras are on sale too. The Indoor Nest Cam is down to $80, which is $20 off. If you’d prefer a camera for the exterior of your residence, the Outdoor Nest Cam has dropped from $180 to $140. Those looking for a smart doorbell, meanwhile, may want to consider the Nest Doorbell Wired. That’s $20 off at $150.
The big day has been set: Google I/O 2024 will kick off on Tuesday, May 14 at 10am PST (1pm ET / 6pm BST) and continue into the following day.
Assuming history repeats itself, the keynote will be hosted by CEO Sundar Pichai at the Shoreline Amphitheatre up in Mountain View, California. That’s where last year’s event took place and the year before that. It’ll be broadcast in front of a live studio audience, and of course everyone will be able to watch the event as it unfolds via livestream.
No one knows what will be revealed at Google I/O 2024. The tech giant suddenly dropped the news out of blue after posting an interactive puzzle game on its website. But despite the limited information, we can speculate about what we might see at the event, because the company has been dropping hints these past few months or so.
Potential Gemini updates
The most obvious pick here is artificial intelligence. Even though we’re only about a quarter in, 2024 has been a big year for Google AI. We saw the launch of the Gemini models, the brand’s very own LLM, as well as the rebranding of several other AIs under the Gemini moniker. Expect to see multiple demonstrations of what the tech will be able do in the near future. We could also find out more information on the mysterious Gemma, which is slated to be the open-source version of big brother Gemini.
It’s possible Pichar, or one of the hosts, will talk about improving their AI’s performance. If you’re not aware, Gemini has had some issues lately regarding, shall we say, inaccurate depictions of ethnic groups. Plus, hallucinations remain a problem.
(Image credit: Google)
New hardware and Android 15’s debut
When it comes to hardware, Google I/O 2024 will most likely see the debut of the midrange Pixel 8A. I/O 2023 saw the reveal of the Pixel 7a, so it makes sense that the company will repeat the trick with its successor.
We should also expect to see the full debut of Android 15. Mid-February saw the launch of the Android 15 developer preview, giving the world its first opportunity to get its hands on the upcoming OS. Very little is known about the OS, but we are expecting to see lock screen widgets make their long-awaited return plus the ability to save pairs of apps, among other things.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
We’re almost certain to see new AI developments, the Pixel 8a and Android 15 at Google I/O 2024, but elsewhere we’re very much in speculation territory.
For instance, we could see the reveal of new hardware like the Pixel Watch 3 or something, but don’t hold your breath. As our sister site Tom’s Guide points out, the Pixel Watch 2 wasn’t announced at I/O 2023; it was instead unveiled during the Made By Google event in October.
Same goes for the Pixel Tablet 2. The company is probably holding onto that for another day. If anything, I/O 2024 will feature smaller changes to other Google products. New Workspace tools, new Android 14 features, things of that nature. Nothing too crazy. It’s going to be Gemini’s day in the sun.
Online registration for the event is open and free for everyone. It lets you stay up-to-date on the schedule and what content will show up. Be aware that registering will require you to make a developer profile for Google, though.
There’s still two month away. In the meantime, check out TechRadar’s list of the best Pixel phones for 2024.
Google today announced that it is upgrading Google Safe Browsing with real-time URL protection to keep Chrome users safe from malicious websites. Safe Browsing is designed to protect against phishing attacks, malware, and unwanted software by checking URLs against a master list.
The Standard protection for Chrome previously used a list that is stored on device and updated every 30 to 60 minutes, but now websites will be checked against Google’s server-side list of known bad sites in real time. Google says it expects to block 25 percent more phishing attempts with the change.
Google is partnering with Fastly to operate an Oblivious HTTP privacy server between Chrome and Safe Browsing in order to preserve user privacy. Safe Browsing does not see the user’s IP address, and Safe Browsing checks are mixed with those sent from other Chrome users.
Chrome users can alternatively opt in to Enhanced Protection, a Safe Browsing mode that uses AI to block attacks and offers protection against malicious Chrome extensions.
Google also recently updated Password Checkup on iOS devices. In addition to making users aware of compromised passwords, it will flag weak and reused passwords as well.
Chrome is a free browser that is available as an alternative to Safari on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still around six months away from launching, there are already many rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of March 2024:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch…
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple’s flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple’s iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company’s more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%…
Apple appears to be internally testing iOS 17.4.1 for the iPhone, based on evidence of the software update in our website’s logs this week. Our logs have revealed the existence of several iOS 17 versions before Apple released them, ranging from iOS 17.0.3 to iOS 17.3.1. iOS 17.4.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear when…
Apple’s next-generation iPad Pro models are expected to be announced in a matter of weeks, so what can customers expect from the highly anticipated new machines? The 2022 iPad Pro was a minor update that added the M2 chip, Apple Pencil hover, and specification upgrades like Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. The iPad Pro as a whole has generally only seen relatively small updates in…
iOS 17.4 was released last week following over a month of beta testing, and the update includes many new features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 17.4 introduces major changes to the App Store, Safari, and Apple Pay in the EU, in response to the Digital Markets Act. Other new features include Apple Podcasts transcripts, an iMessage security upgrade, new emoji options, and more. Below, we…
Apple plans to release new iPad Pro and iPad Air models “around the end of March or in April,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. He also expects new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil accessories for iPads to launch simultaneously. Apple is expected to release a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air In his Power On newsletter on Sunday, Gurman reiterated that Apple is preparing a special build of the…
Apple today announced three further changes for developers in the European Union, allowing them to distribute apps directly from webpages, choose how to design in-app promotions, and more. Apple last week enabled alternative app stores in the EU in iOS 17.4, allowing third-party app stores to offer a catalog of other developers’ apps as well as the marketplace developer’s own apps. As of…
AirPods Pro will gain a new “hearing aid mode” with the release of iOS 18 later this year, according to the latest report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Writing in the subscriber edition of his regular Power On newsletter, Gurman claims that the “big news” for AirPods Pro in the near term will be support for a hearing aid-style function when iOS 18 drops in the fall. To be clear, this isn’t …
Google Calendar for Android lets you create an event, task, or an out-of-office entry (the last option is available only for Google Workspace accounts).
To add those entries, you have to click on the plus icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen, which will bring up three options: Event, Task, and Out of office. Once you select the type of entry, the app will bring up a fullscreen user interface with options for that type of entry. If you need to change the type of entry, you have to go back and re-select what you want. Well, Google is now making a slight change to this arrangement.
According to 9To5Google, the latest version of Google Calendar for Android (version 2024.07.0-608174112) shows you the Event, Task, and Out of office options on the fullscreen UI as well. So, now you can select the type of entry you want by clicking on the plus icon and also from the fullscreen UI. With the new layout, you can change the type of entry after selecting one by clicking on the plus icon, saving you from going back.
Old Layout
New Layout
Now that the fullscreen UI shows you the Event, Task, and Out of office options, there’s no point for Google Calendar to show those options when you click on the plus icon, and the publication suggests that Google might remove the pop-up menu showing those option when you click on the plus icon. Google had started testing this feature in the beta version of the app in December 2023. Now it has made its way to the stable version of the app.
As pointed out by 9To5Google, the latest feature is a server-side change, and to activate the new layout, you have to open the app, force stop it from the device settings, and then open the app again. We tried this method and it worked for us on our Galaxy S23. Google might be rolling out the new feature in phases. So, not everyone might be able to see it even if they have the latest version of the app or follow the method to activate it.
has unveiled new research highlighting an AI agent that’s able to carry out a swath of tasks in 3D games it hasn’t seen before. The team has long been experimenting with AI models that can win in the likes of and chess, and even learn games . Now, for the first time, according to DeepMind, an AI agent has shown it’s able to understand a wide range of gaming worlds and carry out tasks within them based on natural-language instructions.
The researchers teamed up with studios and publishers such as Hello Games (), Tuxedo Labs () and Coffee Stain ( and ) to train the Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent (SIMA) on nine games. The team also used four research environments, including one built in Unity in which agents are instructed to form sculptures using building blocks. This gave SIMA, described as “a generalist AI agent for 3D virtual settings,” a range of environments and settings to learn from, with a variety of graphics styles and perspectives (first- and third-person).
“Each game in SIMA’s portfolio opens up a new interactive world, including a range of skills to learn, from simple navigation and menu use, to mining resources, flying a spaceship or crafting a helmet,” the researchers wrote in a blog post. Learning to follow directions for such tasks in video game worlds could lead to more useful AI agents in any environment, they noted.
Google DeepMind
The researchers recorded humans playing the games and noted the keyboard and mouse inputs used to carry out actions. They used this information to train SIMA, which has “precise image-language mapping and a video model that predicts what will happen next on-screen.” The AI is able to comprehend a range of environments and carry out tasks to accomplish a certain goal.
The researchers say SIMA doesn’t need a game’s source code or API access — it works on commercial versions of a game. It also needs just two inputs: what’s shown on screen and directions from the user. Since it uses the same keyboard and mouse input method as a human, DeepMind claims SIMA can operate in nearly any virtual environment.
The agent is evaluated on hundreds of basic skills that can be carried out within 10 seconds or so across several categories, including navigation (“turn right”), object interaction (“pick up mushrooms”) and menu-based tasks, such as opening a map or crafting an item. Eventually, DeepMind hopes to be able to order agents to carry out more complex and multi-stage tasks based on natural-language prompts, such as “find resources and build a camp.”
In terms of performance, SIMA fared well based on a number of training criteria. The researchers trained the agent in one game (let’s say Goat Simulator 3, for the sake of clarity) and got it to play that same title, using that as a baseline for performance. A SIMA agent that was trained on all nine games performed far better than an agent that trained on just Goat Simulator 3.
Google DeepMind
What’s especially interesting is that a version of SIMA that was trained in the eight other games then played the other one performed nearly as well on average as an agent that trained just on the latter. “This ability to function in brand new environments highlights SIMA’s ability to generalize beyond its training,” DeepMind said. “This is a promising initial result, however more research is required for SIMA to perform at human levels in both seen and unseen games.”
For SIMA to be truly successful, though, language input is required. In tests where an agent wasn’t provided with language training or instructions, it (for instance) carried out the common action of gathering resources instead of walking where it was told to. In such cases, SIMA “behaves in an appropriate but aimless manner,” the researchers said. So, it’s not just us mere mortals. Artificial intelligence models sometimes need a little nudge to get a job done properly too.
DeepMind notes that this is early-stage research and that the results “show the potential to develop a new wave of generalist, language-driven AI agents.” The team expects the AI to become more versatile and generalizable as it’s exposed to more training environments. The researchers hope future versions of the agent will improve on SIMA’s understanding and its ability to carry out more complex tasks. “Ultimately, our research is building towards more general AI systems and agents that can understand and safely carry out a wide range of tasks in a way that is helpful to people online and in the real world,” DeepMind said.
