<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 with the Snapdragon X Plus processor is available now, starting at $749. It’s durable and reliable, runs cool, and features a comfortable keyboard and nice OLED display. However, it might not stand out in a market of similarly-specced devices that are lighter and cheaper. more buying choices […] More
DoorDash / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETYour late night DoorDash cravings might soon get a little harder to resist thanks to some new AI-powered tools rolling out for restaurant owners.Also: Why KFC and Taco Bell may be most Americans’ first taste of AI agentsThe food delivery app unveiled several new tools for merchants today, all aimed at helping them optimize menus, enhance customer service, and boost sales. What’s new with Doordash?AI menu descriptions: A good menu goes beyond the title of a dish, but what if you are struggling to put how good something is into words? Once you input the item name and photo, DoorDash’s new menu description tool lets you generate a description with the click of a button. Restaurants can get to this through the Business Manager App or the Merchant Portal. AI photo assistance: A large number of people use menu photos to help make their selection, and DoorDash wants to help restaurants take the most appealing photo possible. A new AI-powered camera can suggest good angles for a dish, give help with lighting, give real-time feedback on framing, and more to help create professional-looking photos. Also: 10 key reasons AI went mainstream overnight – and what happens nextOnce a photo is taken, AI can re-plate a dish (an example photo showed a change from a foam container to a ceramic plate) and enhance a photo’s background — all without changing the look of the food itself. In addition, DoorDash will use AI moderation to provide instant photo approval for images that meet guidelines, meaning a restaurant can update its menu in minutes. Also: The top 20 AI tools of 2025 – and the #1 thing to remember when you use themPhotos and descriptions are vitally important for an online menu. According to a DoorDash study, menus with item photos saw an uptick of up to 44% in monthly sales and those with item descriptions earned up to 18% more in sales. More
Reddit / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETFinding answers on Reddit is about to get a lot easier, thanks to Google Cloud.Also: Everyone can now try Gemini 2.5 Pro – for freeSince so many people are turning to Reddit as a search engine, the site is bringing the power of Google to Reddit. It debuted “Reddit Answers” a few months ago — an AI chatbot that lets you ask questions and receive curated responses with links to the relevant information from more than 100,000 communities. Reddit Answers will use GeminiTo help make its responses more accurate and useful, Reddit has partnered with Google Cloud to help power the service. With more than 400 million active weekly users, Reddit is one of the biggest sources of information on the internet. Instead of having to dig through dozens of posts to find what you’re looking for, you can simply ask Reddit Answers. The tool will use Gemini on Vertex AI to pull information from existing posts on the platform, the company says, ensuring answers are authentic and reflective of Reddit’s unique real-world insight. Also: The top 20 AI tools of 2025 – and the #1 thing to remember when you use themReddit Answers shows not just comments related to the topic and the post where the comment came from, but entire communities as well, hopefully leading the user to more context and more useful information beyond their query. You can ask follow-up questions or even have a conversation with the chatbot about the topic. Also: Can Digg’s return fix what ails social media today? Reddit’s cofounder is betting on itReddit first announced AI-powered search results in August of last year, saying that it would be using a combination of first- and third-party products. More
Google During its Google Cloud Next 25 event Wednesday, the search giant unveiled the latest version of its Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), the custom chip built to run artificial intelligence — with a twist. Also: Why Google Code Assist may finally be the programming power tool you need For the first time, Google is positioning the […] More
Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images Everyone and their dog is investing in AI, but Google has more reason than most to put serious effort into its offerings. As Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in an internal meeting before last year’s holidays: “In 2025, we need to be relentlessly focused on unlocking the benefits of [AI] […] More
NurPhoto/Getty ImagesThey Google Workspace, a cornerstone of many professionals’ everyday workflows, has been at the forefront of Google’s AI push. The company made the best of its AI offerings available across all Google Workspace commercial plans earlier this year. This release was well received, with Gemini providing business users with more than two billion AI […] More
Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images Security professionals tasked with protecting their organizations from cyberthreats often have to juggle a host of different programs, services, and products. That scattershot approach can make their work unnecessarily challenging. Now, Google has unveiled a new platform designed to unify and simplify the tools for dealing with the demands of […] More
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETSamsung’s Ballie might soon be the smartest thing rolling around your living room. The tech giant announced today that it’s partnering with Google to bring Google Cloud’s generative AI technology to its Ballie AI companion home robot.Also: The top 20 AI tools of 2025 – and the #1 thing to remember when you use themIf you’re not familiar, Ballie first rolled out at CES 2020. It’s like a souped-up Alexa on wheels — a small robot about the size of a basketball that rolls around your home. As it moves, Ballie can manage lights and temperature, interact with smart appliances, send video updates of pets or loved ones, project videos or websites on the wall, play music, answer phone calls, and more. [embedded content]ZDNET’s Senior Editor Sabrina Ortiz got an up-close look at Ballie last year, calling it “a serious attempt at making a robot assistant without being overly ambitious.” She said Ballie can essentially replace several pieces of smart equipment from your home, including a projector, a robot dog, a home security camera, a smart home hub, and more.Also: The best Android phones you can buy: Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and moreThe injection of Google AI means Ballie can engage in conversation, personalize your schedule, intelligently manage smart home devices, set reminders, and even greet you at your door. Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business, Yongjae Kim, said this partnership would allow Ballie to move with you, anticipate your needs, and interact dynamically. More
