This Android smartwatch app is a godsend if your daily commute is tiring and sleepy

Sleep&Arrive is a new Wear OS transit alarm that wakes you by location, not time, giving sleepy commuters a smarter way to avoid missed stops, quiet their alerts, and rely less on shifting arrival estimates.

Google Home is getting plenty of upgrades to polish your interactions with Gemini

Google is addressing the frustration of getting cut off mid-sentence with the latest batch of Gemini for Home updates, along with a couple of helpful improvements.

Google’s Pixel 10A is a good midrange phone that’s $50 off
Google’s Pixel 10A is a good midrange phone that’s $50 off

If it’s time for you to upgrade your phone, it’s worth considering the Pixel 10A, Google’s latest midrange phone that has some (but not all) of the new software features of the pricier $599 Pixel 10. Every color of the 128GB 10A — including the alluring “berry” tone — is down to $449 ($50 off) […]

Android tap-to-share leak offers a first look at Google’s new sharing tool

A leaked Android interface shows Google working on tap-to-share file transfers, with phone overlap, NFC quirks, and Android 17 timing all pointing to a more direct answer to AirDrop-style sharing.

The smart home was supposed to be open, but it’s becoming a toll booth

The smart home promised seamless convenience. What it increasingly delivers is a polished system of gatekeeping, where screens, speakers, and dashboards shape what gets seen, what gets used, and what keeps charging after the hardware is already paid for.

The AI code wars are heating up
The AI code wars are heating up

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the AI coding and vibe-coding booms, follow David Pierce. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started Writing code was a killer app for AI […]

Google Messages gets a Trash folder for your unimportant chats to simmer in

Google Messages has added a Trash folder that gives deleted conversations a 30-day recovery window before they are permanently removed.

Just in case you missed it, YouTube Music Premium also got a hike

YouTube has raised Premium and Music subscription prices, adding to growing costs across streaming platforms.

Google says Polymarket bets showing up in News was an ‘error’
Google says Polymarket bets showing up in News was an ‘error’

Polymarket bets started popping up in Google News alongside legitimate news articles. But now those results aren’t showing, and Google says they were never supposed to. Spokesperson Ned Adriance told The Verge that “Google News is designed to show sources that create content about current issues, events, and important topics, and we have policies for […]