Time is Running Out…

Android developers are protesting Google's new sideloading restrictions, which require identity registration, key uploads, and a $25 fee for non-Play Store app distribution. An "advanced flow" offers a cumbersome 24-hour waiting period for power users. Google claims these changes combat scams, but critics see it as betraying Android's open-source promise, potentially harming platforms like F-Droid. Cybersecurity firms, however, view it as a reasonable compromise. YouTube is testing "Ask YouTube," an AI-powered conversational search feature delivering multimedia itineraries for queries like planning a road trip. It's currently for US-based YouTube Premium subscribers over 18, with future expansion planned, though accuracy isn't guaranteed. The US Department of Commerce has halted shipments to Chinese chipmaker Huahong for aiding blacklisted Huawei in AI chip production. This escalates ongoing US-China tech tensions, despite previous agreements. China, however, claims to have produced its first exascale supercomputer with zero foreign components, indicating continued AI progress. Google's upcoming Tensor G6 chip for the Pixel 11 may feature a new CPU but an outdated 2021 GPU, potentially prioritizing thermals and AI efficiency over graphics performance. A Virginia bank robber is challenging geo-fence warrants in the Supreme Court, arguing they violate Fourth Amendment rights by allowing police to demand data from all phones within a crime scene. Google Translate celebrates its 20th birthday with AI pronunciation practice on Android for English, Spanish, and Hindi speakers in the US and India, offering instant feedback. Research shows 35% of new websites since ChatGPT's launch are AI-generated or assisted, with 17.6% fully AI-written, leading to more positive and semantically similar content. OpenAI's Codex system prompt includes a specific rule against discussing goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, and pigeons unless highly relevant, a rule a Google employee's OpenClaw agent repeatedly broke.