Robotics

Aleksandra Konoplia/Getty Images Linux isn’t the first platform most folks associate with gaming. Back in the day, Linux was lucky to get Frozen Bubble or Tux Racers. But then came Loki Games to prove gaming could be a real thing for the open-source operating system. (But then Loki folded, and that was that.) But there […] More

FangXiaNuo/Getty Images Those who like to fly American Airlines will soon get a long-awaited new perk. Starting in January 2026, the airline will offer free Wi-Fi to AAdvantage members courtesy of high-speed satellite connections. Touting the freebie in a news release published Tuesday, American explained how it would work. You’ll need to become an AAdvantage […] More

Jorg Greuel/Getty Images Following the launch of a brand new family of GPT-4.1 models, a new report from The Information claims OpenAI will soon release two new models capable of performing a task typically reserved for humans — coming up with scientific experiments.  The new models, dubbed o3 and o4-mini, would be additions to OpenAI’s existing line […] More

Artie Beaty / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETGemini integration is officially rolling out to Google Photos. The feature has been in beta testing for a while, but it is now available to most users.Also: You can ask Google Maps questions now, thanks to GeminiIf you open your Photos app, there is a good chance you will see that the classic search button on the bottom right is now a new “Ask” button. Tap on that button, and it opens Gemini. How Gemini works in Google PhotosAn official Google support page explains that you can ask Gemini to search for your face or other faces you have saved in Photos, the location or date you took a photo, or a description of what is in the photo. Also: The top 20 AI tools of 2025 – and the No. 1 thing to remember when you use themThose options work much like the classic Google Photos search, but it is how you can further those questions that makes this feature unique. Google offers several example prompts, including “What are some things we ate in Mexico City,” “What is my driver’s license number,” and “What themes have we had for my kid’s birthday parties?” Trying Gemini in Google PhotosTo test it out, I made a simple request first: “Show me recent selfies.” Gemini showed a dozen selfies I had taken, and while they were recent — all from 2025 — they were not my most recent. It selected a range from different ones this year. I followed up with a request of “Show me selfies I took in a museum.” The initial results were not great. Gemini picked a few dozen selfies, including a few I had taken inside museums, but it also included parks with my kids, a selfie with the New York City skyline from a recent trip, and a family selfie from a recent wedding. Also: Why Gemini Deep Research is my new favorite rabbit hole finder – and it’s freeGemini quickly narrowed those results down, though, and explained, “Here are a few selfies you have taken in museums, including one at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.” Attempting the same search in classic mode yielded no results at all. Asking “What did we eat in New York City?” returned not just a compilation of all my food photos, but a written list of items like “towering pastrami sandwiches,” “street food (gnocchi and a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant),” and “lobster mac and cheese in a traditional dining room at Fraunces Tavern.” It was pretty impressive that Gemini not only tracked down my food-related photos from my recent trip but was able to identify the foods each time.Also: This simple trick helps me tame my chaotic camera roll in just a few minutes More

Asus/ZDNETWhile Apple gets its blood pressure monitoring ducks in a row for the potential release of an Apple Watch Series 11 with BPM capabilities in September, Asus just introduced a smartwatch with those functionalities. Asus has unveiled its VivioWatch 6 Aero, the world’s first fitness tracker that can measure blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) at the touch of a finger.The watch instantly measures blood pressure and ECG (used to detect atrial fibrillation) through wristband sensors. Also: The best blood pressure watches you can buyPeople with hypertension (high blood pressure) or hypotension (low blood pressure) typically monitor their levels with a manual BPM or an ambulatory BPM. These devices wrap around a user’s arm to measure blood pressure and are fairly clunky and cumbersome. A smartwatch with these capabilities, like the VivioWatch 6 Aero, could make regular BPM measurements more seamless and convenient. The fitness tracker will weigh 27g, lighter than the already slim and light Fitbit Charge 6. Its AMOLED display is small and sleek, measuring about one inch. It performs the usual health-tracking, like monitoring SpO₂, heart rate, steps, calories, and sleep quality. The tracker comes with 5 ATM water resistance, one week of battery life, and a built-in GPS sensor, enhancing activity accuracy. More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETGoogle’s Imagen 3 is a powerful AI text-to-image generator that earned ZDNET’s pick as the best image generator — even against competitors like Midjourney and OpenAI. As a result, the release of its Veo 2 text-to-video image generator has been highly anticipated. Well, it’s finally here, and it comes with a surprise.Also: The top 20 AI tools of 2025 – and the #1 thing to remember when you use themHow to try Veo 2 in GeminiOn Tuesday, Google announced via a blog post that its state-of-the-art Veo 2 video generator is now available in Gemini. This feature allows users to create eight-second video clips at 720p resolution in a 16:9 landscape format using a simple text prompt. According to Google, Veo 2 was designed to produce high-quality videos that better understand real-world physics and human motion to create videos that have “lifelike scenes” and “fluid character movement.” To create these videos, users can be as detailed as they like, giving them as much control as they want. Also: 5 easy Gemini settings tweaks to protect your privacy from AIThe caveat? The experience is only rolling out to Gemini Advanced users worldwide on the web and mobile, part of the Google One AI Premium plan, which costs $20 per month. Even with the subscription, there is a monthly limit to the number of videos users can create. Google doesn’t specify the limit, but it says it will notify users when they are getting close. However, if $20 per month seems expensive, it’s the same cost required for OpenAI’s Sora access via ChatGPT Plus.Also: Gemini Pro 2.5 is a stunningly capable coding assistant – and a big threat to ChatGPTThe Google One AI Premium plan also comes with other perks, such as 2TB of storage, NotebookLM Plus with five-times higher usage limits and premium features, Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and more, and another feature unveiled today, Whisk Animate. Whisk Animate Whisk Animate is a new Google generative AI experiment powered by Veo 2. It builds on Whisk’s previous capabilities, which let users create new images from text and image prompts, and now lets them animate the images into eight-second videos. As mentioned above, this feature is also limited to Gemini Advanced users and can be accessed via Google Labs. More

Igor Ovsyannykov/Getty Images Have you ever wondered why some businesses thrive without spending a dime on ads? 🤔 Meanwhile, when you try the good old fashioned “build it, and they will come,” you’re as busy as a Chick-fil-A on a Sunday? 😖 Some business owners have figured out something most refuse to see. But in […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is available in four colors for $300. The AMOLED display is brilliant, the available activity functions are comprehensive, and the battery lasts 5-11 days. There is no altimeter, the 30 minute smart alarm interval is a bit long, and it’s a bit small for those with larger […] More