Posts tagged with "google"

Google and Epic Games’ Settlement Is Far from a Done Deal→

Last week, Epic and Google made a big show of settling their antitrust dispute. The only trouble is that they didn’t do so until after the judge in the case had entered a permanent injunction requiring Google to make changes to how it operates its Play Store, which were upheld on appeal. That makes it harder to settle, as the mobilegamer.biz reports today:

The agreement was framed by Epic and Google as a conclusion to the court battle between the two that has been rumbling on since 2020. But a report from Law360 quotes the Judge overseeing the case as saying the proposals do not go far enough to rectify Google’s behaviour. Judge Donato also wants another hearing in December or January to straighten it all out.

“My concern here is that these proposed modifications … [are] not providing an adequate remedy for Google’s wrongdoing,” said Judge Donato, according to Law360.

This sort of thing isn’t unheard of, especially when the dispute is over a legal issue that takes into account the effect on consumers along with the parties involved. The judge in the case has scheduled hearings for December and January to consider the proposed settlement, but it looks like this case could end up in the U.S. Supreme Court after all.

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Proposed Epic–Google Deal Would Expand Access to the Play Store→

Late yesterday, Epic Games and Google announced a settlement of their Google Play Store litigation that, subject to court approval, would open Google’s storefront more widely than ever before.

Like Apple’s revisions to its store in response to the European Commission, Google’s settlement is complex, but here are some of the highlights, as reported by Sean Hollister for The Verge:

  • Whereas the U.S. District Court’s injunction only applied to the U.S. Play Store, the settlement is global.
  • The settlement also runs through 2032, which extends beyond the three years ordered by the court.
  • Google has agreed to reduce its standard fee to 20%, and in some cases, 9% depending on the type of transaction.
  • Google will create a registration system to allow third-party storefronts.
  • Developer fees for using Play Billing, Google’s payment system, will be separated from the transaction fees.

As I said, though, there’s a lot more to the proposed settlement that you can read in full in the PDF linked in The Verge’s story, and it’s subject to court approval, but it does seem to reflect significant concessions by Google.

What does this mean for Apple and its App Store skirmishes with regulators around the world? Nothing technically; however, contextually, if the settlement is implemented, it should add to the pressure on Apple to open the App Store more widely in the U.S. and elsewhere.

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Google Brings Its NotebookLM Research Tool to iPhone and iPad

Google’s AI research tool NotebookLM dropped on the App Store for iOS and iPadOS a day earlier than expected. If you haven’t used NotebookLM before, it’s Google’s AI research tool. You feed it source materials like PDFs, text files, MP3s, and more. Once your sources are uploaded, you can use Google’s AI to query the sources, asking questions and creating materials that draw on your sources.

Of all the AI tools I’ve tried, NotebookLM’s web app is one of the best I’ve used, which is why I was excited to try it on the iPhone and iPad. I’ve only played with it for a short time, but so far, I like it a lot.

Just like the web app, you can create, edit and delete notebooks, add new sources using the native file picker, view existing sources, chat with your sources, create summaries, timelines, and use the Studio tab to generate a faux podcast of the materials you’ve added to the app. Notebooks can also be filtered and sorted by Recent, Shared, Title, and Downloaded. Unlike the web app, you won’t see predefined prompts for things like a study guide, a briefing document, or FAQs, but you can still generate those materials by asking for them from the Chat tab.

NotebookLM’s native iOS and iPadOS app is primarily focused on audio. The app lets you generate audio overviews from the Chats tab and ‘deep dive’ podcast-style conversations that draw from your sources. Also, the audio generated can be downloaded locally, allowing you to listen later whether or not you have an Internet connection. Playback controls are basic and include buttons to play and pause, skip forward and back by 10 seconds at a time, control playback speed, and share the audio with others.

Generating an audio overview of sources.

Generating an audio overview of sources.

What you won’t find is any integration with features tied to App Intents. That means notebooks don’t show up in Spotlight Search, and there are no widgets, Control Center controls, or Shortcuts actions. Still, for a 1.0, NotebookLM is an excellent addition to Google’s AI tools for the iPhone and iPad.

NotebookLM is available to download from the App Store for free. Some NotebookLM features are free, while others require a subscription that can be purchased as an In-App Purchase in the App Store or from Google directly. You can learn more about the differences between the free and paid versions of NotebookLM on Google’s blog.

Eddy Cue Causes a Stir for Google

2025 is shaping up to be the year of litigation for big tech. Apple’s been held in contempt and has an antitrust case on the horizon, Meta is in the midst of an antitrust trial, and Google is defending two antitrust lawsuits at once. Every one of these cases is a high-stakes challenge to the status quo, and collectively, they have the potential to reshape the tech industry for years to come.

The ultimate question for Google right now is whether it will be broken up. What will become of its ad tech business, and will it be forced to sell Chrome? That will be decided by the judges in those cases, but along the way, there are plenty of sideshow dramas worth keeping an eye on. This week, it was Google’s turn for a little litigation drama that was prompted not by a judge, but by none other than Apple’s SVP of Services Eddy Cue.

As part of Google’s search antitrust case, Cue testified yesterday that in April 2025, Google searches declined in Safari for the very first time. Cue’s testimony, which was reported on by Mark Gurman, Leah Nylen, and Stephanie Lai of Bloomberg, went on to explain that Apple is investigating AI search as an alternative to traditional search engines, noting that the company has had discussions with Perplexity.

Google’s stock immediately began to fall. By the close of trading, it was down around 7.5% and had caused enough concern internally at Google that the company felt compelled to release a one-paragraph statement on its blog, The Keyword, responding not to the testimony but to “press reports:”

Here’s our statement on this morning’s press reports about Search traffic.

We continue to see overall query growth in Search. That includes an increase in total queries coming from Apple’s devices and platforms. More generally, as we enhance Search with new features, people are seeing that Google Search is more useful for more of their queries — and they’re accessing it for new things and in new ways, whether from browsers or the Google app, using their voice or Google Lens. We’re excited to continue this innovation and look forward to sharing more at Google I/O.

It’s not news that Google Search is under threat from AI. However, Cue’s testimony under oath that Google searches in Safari are in decline is the first concrete evidence publicly shared that the threat is not just theoretical, which is a big deal.

Apple’s exploration of AI-based search is not terribly surprising either, but I do hope they cut a broader deal with Anthropic instead of Perplexity. I understand why Perplexity’s product is popular, but its CEO’s contempt for the open web and user privacy is something that I’d rather not see Apple perpetuate through a partnership.

Gemini for iOS Gets Lock Screen Widgets, Control Center Integration, Basic Shortcuts Actions

Gemini for iOS.

Gemini for iOS.

When I last wrote about Gemini for iOS, I noted the app’s lackluster integration with several system features. But since – unlike others in the AI space – the team at Google is actually shipping new stuff on a weekly basis, I’m not too surprised to see that the latest version of Gemini for iOS has brought extensive support for widgets.

Specifically, Gemini for iOS now offers a collection of Lock Screen widgets that also appear as controls in iOS 18’s Control Center, and there are barebones Shortcuts actions to go along with them. In both the Lock Screen’s widget gallery and Control Center, you’ll find Gemini widgets to:

  • type a prompt,
  • Talk Live,
  • open the microphone (for dictation),
  • open the camera,
  • share an image (with a Photos picker), and
  • share a document (with a Files picker).

It’s nice to see these integrations with Photos and Files; notably, Gemini now also has a share extension that lets you add the same media types – plus URLs from webpages – to a prompt from anywhere on iOS.

The Shortcuts integration is a little less exciting since Google implemented old-school actions that do not support customizable parameters. Instead, Gemini only offers actions to open the app in three modes: type, dictate, or Talk Live. That’s disappointing, and I would have preferred to see the ability to pass text or images from Shortcuts directly to Gemini.

While today’s updates are welcome, Google still has plenty of work left to do on Apple’s platforms. For starters, they don’t have an iPad version of the Gemini app. There are no Home Screen widgets yet. And the Shortcuts integration, as we’ve seen, could go much deeper. Still, the inclusion of controls, basic Shortcuts actions, and a share extension goes a long way toward making Gemini easier to access on iOS – that is, until the entire assistant is integrated as an extension for Apple Intelligence.

My Latest Mac Hacks Column: Using Google Gemini with Read-Later and Listen-Later Services for Research→

A Google Gemini report on the Sony PlayStation Portable.

A Google Gemini report on the Sony PlayStation Portable.

Yesterday, I published the latest installment of my Mac Hacks column, an exclusive perk of Club MacStories+ and Club Premier, covering how I use Google Gemini combined with read- and listen-later services to do preliminary research for projects.

What started as a way to reduce distractions when doing research with the help of Google Gemini quickly evolved into something more. As I explain in the conclusion:

The result of this workflow is that I can generate a Gemini report for an ongoing project and then read it at my leisure somewhere other than at my desk, whether I’m using my laptop, an iPad, or an e-ink device. I also have the option of heading out to my local coffee shop for a change of scenery and listening to a report as I walk. On a busy day, it’s a nice way to get some exercise and knock out some research at the same time. That flexibility, combined with fewer up-front distractions, has proven to be a great productivity boost.

Research is a universal task that touches every sort of project. It’s also a place where it’s easy to get bogged down. If you’re interested in streamlining the process, don’t miss the latest Mac Hacks.

Discounts are just one of the many Club MacStories perks.

Discounts are just one of the many Club MacStories perks.

Mac Hacks is just one of many perks that Club MacStories+ and Club Premier members enjoy, which also include:

  • weekly and monthly newsletters,
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  • bonus columns,
  • an early and ad-free version of MacStories Unwind, our Internet culture and media podcast,
  • a vibrant Discord community of smart app and automation fans who trade a wealth of tips and discoveries every day, and
  • live Discord audio events after Apple events and at other times of the year.

On top of that, Club Premier members get AppStories+, an extended, ad-free version of our flagship podcast that we deliver early every week in high-bitrate audio.

Use the buttons below to learn more and sign up for Club MacStories+ or Club Premier.

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Chrome for iOS Adds ‘Circle to Search’ Feature

Circle to Search in Chrome for iOS.

Circle to Search in Chrome for iOS.

Jess Weatherbed, writing for The Verge:

Google is rolling out new search gestures that allow iPhone users to highlight anything on their screen to quickly search for it. The Lens screen-searching feature is available on iOS in both the Google app and Chrome browser and provides a similar experience to Android’s Circle to Search, which isn’t supported on iPhones.
[…]
To use the new Lens gestures, iPhone users need to open the three-dot menu within the Google or Chrome apps and select “Search Screen with Google Lens.” You can then use “any gesture that feels natural” to highlight what you want to search. Google says a new Lens icon for quickly accessing the feature will also be added to the address bar “in the coming months.”

This is a nifty addition to Chrome for iOS, albeit a far cry from how the same integration works on modern Pixel phones, where you can long-press the navigation handle to activate Circle to Search system-wide. In my tests, it worked pretty well on iPhone, and I especially appreciate the haptic feedback you get when circling something. Given the platform constraints, it’s pretty well done.1

I’ve been using Chrome a bit more lately, and while it has a handful of advantages over Safari2, it lacks a series of foundational features that I consider table stakes in a modern browser for iOS and iPadOS. On iPad, for whatever reason, Chrome does not support pinned tabs and can’t display the favorites bar at all times, both of which are downright nonsensical decisions. Also, despite the existence of Gemini, Chrome for iOS and iPadOS cannot summarize webpages, nor does it offer any integration with Gemini in the first place. I shouldn’t be surprised that Chrome for iOS doesn’t offer any Shortcuts actions, either, but that’s worth pointing out.

Chrome makes sense as an option for people who want to use the same browser across multiple platforms, but there’s something to be said for the productivity gains of Safari on iOS and iPadOS. While Google is still shipping a baby version of Chrome, UI- and interaction-wise, Safari is – despite its flaws – a mature browser that takes the iPhone and iPad seriously.

  1. Speaking of which, I think holding the navigation handle to summon a system-wide feature is a great gesture on Android. Currently, Apple uses a double-tap gesture on the Home indicator to summon Type to Siri; I wouldn’t be surprised if iOS 19 brings an Android-like holding gesture to do something with Apple Intelligence. ↩︎
  2. For starters, it’s available everywhere, whereas Safari is nowhere to be found on Windows (sigh) or Android. Plus, Chrome for iOS has an excellent widget to quickly search from the Home Screen, and I prefer its tab group UI with colorful folders displayed in the tab switcher. ↩︎

NotebookLM Plus Is Now Available to Google One AI Premium Subscribers

In this week’s extended post-show for AppStories+ subscribers, Federico and I covered the AI tools we use. NotebookLM is one we have in common because it’s such a powerful research tool. The service allows you to upload documents and other files to a notebook and then query what you’ve collected. It’s better than a traditional search tool because you can ask complex questions, discover connections between topics, and generate materials like timelines and summaries.

Yesterday, Google announced that NotebookLM Plus is now available to Google One AI Premium subscribers, significantly expanding its reach. Previously, the extended functionality was only available as an add-on for Google Workspace subscribers.

The Plus version of NotebookLM increases the number of notebooks, sources, and audio overviews available, allows users to customize the tone of their notebooks, and lets users share notebooks with others. Google One AI Premium also includes access to Gemini Advanced and Gemini integration with Gmail, Docs, and other Google services, plus 2 TB of Google Drive cloud storage.

My DMA notebook.

My DMA notebook.

I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what is possible with NotebookLM and am currently moving my notebook setup from one Google account to another, but it’s already proven to be a valuable research tool. Examples of the types of materials I’ve collected for querying include:

  • legislative material and articles about Apple’s DMA compliance,
  • my past macOS reviews,
  • summaries of and links to stories published on MacStories and Club MacStories,
  • video hardware research materials, and
  • manuals for home appliances and gadgets.

Having already collected and read these materials, I find navigating them with NotebookLM to be far faster than repeatedly skimming through them to pull out details. I also appreciate the ability to create materials like timelines for topics that span months or years.

Google One AI Premium is available from Google for $19.99 per month.

Gemini 2.0 and LLMs Integrated with Apps

Busy day at Google today: the company rolled out version 2.0 of its Gemini AI assistant (previously announced in December) with a variety of new and updated models to more users. From the Google blog:

Today, we’re making the updated Gemini 2.0 Flash generally available via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and Vertex AI. Developers can now build production applications with 2.0 Flash.

We’re also releasing an experimental version of Gemini 2.0 Pro, our best model yet for coding performance and complex prompts. It is available in Google AI Studio and Vertex AI, and in the Gemini app for Gemini Advanced users.

We’re releasing a new model, Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite, our most cost-efficient model yet, in public preview in Google AI Studio and Vertex AI.

Finally, 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental will be available to Gemini app users in the model dropdown on desktop and mobile.

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