A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, June 12 (game #831).
Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Track event
NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
MUSE
SLOG
ROPE
LIMES
SLIME
DIME
NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 7 letters
NYT Strands today (game #832) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: left, 4th row
Last side: right, 3rd row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Fortunately the spangram — KARAOKE — was very difficult to miss, so I didn’t have to work looking for shot put, discus and javelin. Instead, our quest was searching for musical words.
I have always avoided KARAOKE, both having to sing — which is a nightmare — and also the horror of people murdering some of the greatest songs of all time. It is quite hard to avoid in TV shows, though; recently I suffered my way through Alfred Molina attempting Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen in the otherwise enjoyable The Boroughs. At least I think it was Thunder Road. It’s the sort of thing that should come with a warning before you start watching.
Anyway, I digress… the game was an easy one, made all the easier by a couple of long game words in MICROPHONE and LOUDSPEAKER.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, June 12, game #831)
BODY
POINT
HOOK
TOPIC
PROBLEM
CONCLUSION
SPANGRAM: PARTSOFSPEECH
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.
June 13, 2026 from Latest from TechRadar US in Internet News https://ift.tt/zmiAENv
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It looks like Meta is having a rough Friday morning. Starting shortly before 10 AM ET, reports began to spike from users unable to access both Facebook and WhatsApp, with the number of complaints continuing to climb.
The initial issues appear to be concentrated on WhatsApp, where users were reporting that the app's main screen failed to load. Since then, though, Facebook has been the main brunt of Meta's issues this AM – I myself got something that went wrong, then just the classic logo, and then an empty feed that still hasn't loaded. Down Detector reports have quickly spiked to over 100,000 for Facebook issues.
So to track the ongoing disruptions affecting Facebook, WhatsApp, and potentially other Meta platforms, TechRadar is spinning up a live blog.
A look at Down Detector
It's clear that many of Meta's platforms are having some issues currently, as you can see at the top of Down Detector in the United States.
Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram are at the top of the list, with the first currently leading with over 120,000 reports.
(Image credit: Future)
Right now, I still can't get Facebook on the desktop to load; parts of the interface appear, like the main sidebars, but the actual content is missing. Now, I'm in New Jersey experiencing this, but my TechRadar colleagues in the UK are seeing a similar situation, with some posts appearing and then the feed appearing blank.
Let me know what you're seeing in the comments down below.
(Image credit: Future)
It does appear that Meta's engineers and other teams might have figured out the issue pretty quickly, though, as Facebook is again loading for a few of my colleagues, and reports on Down Detector are starting to drop for issues with Facebook and Messenger.
Facebook does appear to be recovering a bit. I was able to load the homepage and saw a few posts in the feed, but when I tried to click into one, I just saw the logo centered and Meta at the bottom, so it appears there might still be some issues with parts of the platform.
Let me know what you're seeing in the comments below.
(Image credit: Future)
On iOS, the Facebook app is still experiencing issues, mainly with the top story bar appearing empty and the feed serving older stories. For my colleague Josephine Watson in the UK, she's getting a 'Try Again' error at the top of her feed.
(Image credit: Future)
June 12, 2026 at 03:36PM from Latest from TechRadar US in Internet News https://ift.tt/vNcOrky
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A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, June 11 (game #1599).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1600) - hint #1 - Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #1600) - hint #2 - repeated letters
Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.
Quordle today (game #1600) - hint #3 - uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.
What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?
• T
• S
• J
• U
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1600) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #1600, are…
TENTH
SHOAL
JELLY
UNIFY
Gosh, this was a tricky game and another one where every word took ages to get, although I am pretty pleased that I only made one wrong guess (“belly” instead of JELLY).
I also wasted quite a while because I spelled SHOAL s-h-a-o-l and spent ages trying to think of other words that would fit.
Hope it was easier for you.
Daily Sequence today (game #1600) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1600, are…
First trailer for The Social Network sequel, The Social Reckoning, has been released
Stars Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison in leading roles
Movie explores the 2021 whistleblowing scandal, but release coincides with another whistleblower being 'silenced'
The first trailer for The Social Network sequel, The Social Reckoning, has been released (which you can catch up with below).
Starring Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison, the new movie is set to follow the 2021 Facebook internal document leak to the Securities and Exchange Commission and The Wall Street Journal by whistleblower, engineer Frances Haugen.
Described by Sony as a "spiritual successor" to The Social Network rather than a traditional sequel, The Social Reckoning will pick up 17 years after the first film ends with an entirely new cast and swaps director David Fincher for Aaron Sorkin (though Sorkin wrote the original screenplay for both).
The trailer has split fan opinion online, with some praising Strong for his "scarily accurate" portrayal of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, while others have dubbed it "unnecessary" and a "SNL sketch."
If you're somebody who has kept up with Facebook-related news over the first few years, you might have noticed that the timing of the trailer release is particularly interesting.
While it doesn't involve Haugen or anything we'll see in the new movie, another Facebook whistleblower, Sarah Wynn-Williams, has been "silenced" by the company mere days before The Social Reckoning debuted its first look.
The Social Reckoning trailer released days after Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams 'banned' from promoting Meta expose
Around the same time as The Social Reckoning is beginning to be promoted, Sarah Wynn-Williams, the former Director of Public Policy at Facebook, was 'banned' from promoting her Meta expose book, Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work, at the Hay-on-Wye literature and arts Festival on May 31.
Why? With Meta strongly disputing the book’s claims, the company obtained an arbitration ruling in the US ahead of the book’s publication based on an agreement Wynn-Williams signed upon leaving the company.
This means that the author is banned from promoting or publicly discussing the book, with failure to comply with the rules potentially resulting in penalties of up to $50,000 per breach. As a result, Wynn-Williams sat in silence during her entire panel discussion at the festival.
The situation was described by panel host Carole Cadwalladr as “an author in a hostage situation." Copies of the book were removed from sale during the festival over concerns its sale could be tied to Wynn-Williams’ promotion.
For those who cannot wait for The Social Reckoning's release date of October 9, Careless People is a fantastic starting point to begin to get insight into Facebook's whistleblowing scandals (and I'd recommend this as an audiobook on Spotify, Audible and more).
Sales have reportedly increased by 300% since the 'silencing.'
Featured whistleblower Haugen also has a memoir to tide us over while we wait, with The Power of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook being released in 2023.
June 11, 2026 at 04:39PM from Latest from TechRadar US in Internet News https://ift.tt/3fQuTw2
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Canada tables the The Safe Social Media Act in Bill C-34
It needs to be approved by both the House of Commons and the Senate
Under-16s would be banned from social media platforms
There's an increasing realization that social media isn't particularly healthy for younger children, and a growing number of governments are now taking legislative action in response, with Canada the latest country to move to ban access to social media platforms for under-16s.
This is being done via the The Safe Social Media Act (via Engadget), put forward by the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller. The Act describes "growing risks" for young people that are "real, measurable, and increasing" — including negative effects on mental health, cyberbullying, and sexual abuse.
The Act also flags up AI as driving changes in "how harmful content is created, amplified, and experienced online". The Canadian government posits that the algorithms and engagement-baiting of social media platforms, together with features like endless scroll and autoplaying videos, have exacerbated these problems.
Introduced under Bill C-34, the Act is now officially tabled in the Canadian Parliament, though there's a way to go yet before it's made law. It will need to be voted in by both the House of Commons and the Senate, before being approved by the Governor General, but the process is now well underway.
"We're failing our children," Miller told reporters including CBC. "Enough is enough. We need basic protection in place so every child in this country can be safe on platforms they use every day." The plan is to set up a watchdog commission to make sure the ban on access for under-16s is upheld.
AI not included
AI apps like ChatGPT would be exempt from the ban, for now (Image credit: Shutterstock/Alex Photo Stock)
The ban would apply to social media platforms, livestreaming services, and adult content services. Social media platforms and livestreaming services (but not adult content services) will be able to apply for exemptions, if they can prove "adequate safeguards" have been put in place for young people.
AI chatbots won't be included in the ban, though the bill does require that they take steps to reduce the risk of harmful content being generated in response to user prompts. Miller said that AI apps represented "an evolving playing field", and that authorities would "keep a close eye" on these services.
Exactly how this ban will be enforced hasn't been specified — Miller said there would be "a back and forth" with the social platforms on this — and CBC quotes concerns from Michael Geist, the University of Ottawa's Canada Research Chair, that any kind of age verification process would impinge on the privacy rights of all users, not just children.
A similar ban on social media for under-16s was put in place in Australia last year, though there's some debate over how effective it's being. Other countries, including the UK, are weighing up restrictions of their own, though difficulties with enforcement and verification are problems no matter what the location.
It's a little over 20 years since Facebook arrived, and social platforms are now facing a real reckoning: Meta and YouTube were ruled "negligent" by a Los Angeles court back in March, while just this week Apple devoted a large part of its WWDC 2026 presentation to improved protections for children on its devices.
June 11, 2026 at 03:57PM from Latest from TechRadar US in Internet News https://ift.tt/0X3GU9h
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A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, June 10 (game #829).
Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #830) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Oozing
NYT Strands today (game #830) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
SHIRE
BITES
HERO
ZOOM
SOUR
CHEST
NYT Strands today (game #830) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 9 letters
NYT Strands today (game #830) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: top, 3rd column
Last side: bottom, 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #830) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #830, are…
BLUES
FUSE
CHOOSE
BREWS
SCHMOOZE
SHOES
CRUISE
SPANGRAM: RHYMETIME
My rating: Hard
My score: 1 hint
It took me quite a while to understand today's theme, but after I noticed the first word I found (BLUE) and a hint word (FUSE) rhymed, it slowly dawned on me that we weren’t looking for things that oozed.
Well, this is a game you cannot lose so whatever I choose would give me clues that i can use to satisfy my muse…
Anyway I digress. From here it was just a case of finding the rhyming words of which SCHMOOZE took me ages to figure out, attempting ooze and, er, mooze, before finally getting there. Right, I think I need a snooze.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, June 10, game #829)
PHOTO
FILE
SOFTWARE
DOCUMENT
APPLICATION
SONG
SPANGRAM: DOWNLOAD
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.
June 11, 2026 from Latest from TechRadar US in Internet News https://ift.tt/yG9ZCTv
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A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, June 9 (game #828).
Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #829) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Something just clicked
NYT Strands today (game #829) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
RATE
CORE
PATH
CASUAL
COMA
WATER
NYT Strands today (game #829) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 8 letters
NYT Strands today (game #829) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: top, 3rd column
Last side: bottom, 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #829) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #829, are…
PHOTO
FILE
SOFTWARE
DOCUMENT
APPLICATION
SONG
SPANGRAM: DOWNLOAD
My rating: Hard
My score: 1 hint
My first thoughts around the theme “something just clicked” was either something to do with things with switches or maybe songs with finger clicks (Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie is my favorite).
Ultimately, though, it was all about mouse clicks and the many things we might DOWNLOAD onto our desktop.
It’s rare that we have a game word longer than the spangram and I’m struggling to work out how I completely failed to see the word APPLICATION.
Instead, I began with PHOTO, which kept me on a “things with switches and buttons” track before a hint gave me FILE and I changed my thinking.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, June 9, game #828)
SNACKS
WAVES
DECK
SEASICKNESS
DRINKS
DANCING
SPANGRAM: IMONABOAT
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.
June 10, 2026 from Latest from TechRadar US in Internet News https://ift.tt/YoWVdlr
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A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, June 8 (game #1596).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1597) - hint #1 - Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #1597) - hint #2 - repeated letters
Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.
Quordle today (game #1597) - hint #3 - uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.
Google I/O 2026 kicked off with a jam-packed opening keynote on Tuesday, and if you were worried that artificial intelligence (AI) was a passing craze, think again.
The software giant revealed incoming upgrades to Google Gemini, Gemini Live, Google Flow, YouTube, and even online shopping (yes, really), and we finally got our first look at Samsung's long-awaited Android XR smart glasses.
We were following along with the event as it happened, so check out the posts at the bottom of this page for a beat-by-beat breakdown. Otherwise, head to the 'key news' section for a roundup of the biggest stories from Google I/O 2026.
Google's I/O 2026 keynote kicked off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, or 3am AET on May 20, and you can re-watch the showcase via the above YouTube link.
Google I/O 2026 — key news
We don't know for sure what Google is cooking up for I/O 2026, but we can make some pretty confident predictions based on various leaks and rumors:
Welcome to our Google I/O 2026 live blog! Stick with us as we predict what to expect from today’s big software showcase, before reporting on the event as it happens.
As a reminder, Google's livestream kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (or 3am AET tomorrow if you're reading from Australia), and you can tune in via the video link above.
I/O keynotes tend to run for between one and two hours, so expect things to be wrapped up by 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST / 5am AET.
Is it Android XR time?
Google has been teasing its Android XR smart glasses for what seems like forever at this point, but might we finally see them unveiled at I/O 2026? We make our predictions in the video above.
Google-what?
(Image credit: Future)
The Googlebook was a real oddity of Google's The Android Show broadcast. Is it hardware? Is it software? Google's first Gemini-centric platform is, seemingly, a bit of both, but we're not entirely sure how it works just yet. Here's hoping we get a little more color on this new "intelligence system" at I/O 2026.
Google I/O is typically reserved for software announcements, so we're not expecting much in the way of hardware news from today's event. But if you are wondering about the company's latest physical products, Google recently launched a super slim screenless fitness tracker, the Fitbit Air.
(Image credit: Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
As for where Google I/O is taking place, it'll kick off — like always— at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. That's basically Google's version of the Steve Jobs Theater, which, by the way, is just a 16-minute drive away. Keep an eye out for Apple CEO John Ternus peeking over the fence.
Just
30 mins to go!
*Siren noise* Google I/O 2026 kicks off in half an hour. As a reminder, you can tune into the event live via Google's YouTube channel or follow along with us here (if you do hop over to YouTube, you'll be greeted by some rather upbeat, jellyfish-inspired 'jellectronica', which is certainly a choice on Google's part).
It looks like Google CEO Sundar Pichai and co. are ready to rumble...
We’re ready, are you? pic.twitter.com/XbApW3fttiMay 19, 2026
OK, so while we wait for the main I/O stream to kick off, it looks like we're watching... Pokimane play Infinite Scaler? That's not a sentence I thought I'd be writing this morning.
And we're off! Cue the emotive montage...
Sundar Pichai takes to the stage...
(Image credit: Google)
Sundar opens with a run-through of all the ways Gemini has helped to advance fields such as science, education, health, and more in the last year.
Did Sundar just say 'tokenmaxxing'? Yes, yes I think he did.
(Image credit: Google)
Google now has 13 products with over a billion users each. Five of those products have over 3 billion users, and AI overviews now have 2.5 billion monthly users. Talk about big numbers.
(Image credit: Google)
Here's our first big feature announcement of the day: Ask YouTube.
With Ask YouTube, rather than searching for a specific video the old-fashioned way, you can ask complex and lengthy questions, and Gemini will serve up specific videos that it thinks best answer your query. Helpfully, you'll be sent directly to the relevant part of the videos in question, too, rather than having to skim through them.
Did Google just turn YouTube into a chatbot?
"How my brother inspired me to be a software engineer" feels like a distinctly Google phrase.
(Image credit: Google)
That quote came as part of the Docs Live announcement. Rolling out for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, Docs Live will essentially let you speak documents into existence. I'm not worried for my job, you are...
(Image credit: Google)
We're now getting a look at the incredible speed of Google's new TPU 8 chips.
(Image credit: Google)
Yes, you can now build 8-bit games in about 8 seconds.
(Image credit: Google)
Damis Hassabis is now on stage to talk about advancements in Google's AI models. "Artificial general intelligence is just a few years away," he says. As a reminder, that's a theoretical form of AI that can successfully learn, reason, and perform any intellectual task a human can.
(Image credit: Google)
Gemini Omni is Google's new AI model. It can simulate complex concepts like kinetic energy and gravity, and translate complex scientific ideas into digestible videos.
(Image credit: Google)
The first model in the Omni family is Omni Flash. It's available today in the Gemini app, Google Flow, and on YouTube Shorts.
(Image credit: Google)
Google is rolling out SynthID and C2PA verification to Search and Chrome, so users can more easily identify AI-generated imagery.
(Image credit: Google)
Next up: Gemini 3.5 Flash. "When compared to 3.1 Pro, Flash is better across the board. It's made huge progress in coding," Sundar says. "It's 4x faster than other frontier models."
Google is supposedly processing more than three trillion tokens a day internally using Gemini 3.5 Flash. Yes, three trillion.
(Image credit: Google)
Antigravity CLI, Antigravity SDK, and Native Voice Support are available globally starting today.
Google also announces its Antigravity 2.0 desktop application. It's "unabashedly agent-first," and is supported by Gemini 3.5 Flash.
(Image credit: Google)
I'll be honest, guys, I'm not 100% sure what's going on here — Google just name-dropped about seven acronyms in 30 seconds — but I think we're seeing whether Antigravity 2.0 can run Doom.
(Image credit: Google)
OK, good news: Antigravity 2.0 is available globally, for everyone, starting today.
(Image credit: Google)
This feels big: Google just announced Gemini Spark. This is a personal AI agent that helps you navigate your digital life, taking action on your behalf. It's works 24/7, even when your laptop is closed. Spark is powered by Gemini Flash 3.5 and the Antigravity harness.
(Image credit: Google)
We're now getting a Gemini Spark demo (in a redesigned Gemini interface, by the way). The host has tasked Spark with drawing up a complex block party plan involving schedules, planning permissions, and calendar integrations.
(Image credit: Google)
Hang on, is that an iPhone?!
(Image credit: Google)
Google launches a new AI Ultra plan starting at $100 per month.
(Image credit: Google)
Here's Liz Reid now to talk about AI overviews, which have doubled every quarter since last summer. Yikes.
Google Search will now run on Gemini 3.5, and Google is launching an entirely new Search box. Search will "help you formulate your question," and field follow-up queries in a dedicated, chatbot-style box underneath your initial results.
(Image credit: Google)
Google's new Search tool can also act like an AI agent. You can ask super complex questions and have it update you outside of Search as the answer to that question changes. Reid gives the example of, "Keep me updated when my favorite athletes drop new sneakers."
"Whether you want to find it, buy it, or book it, Search will help you get it done."
(Image credit: Google)
Well, this is pretty mad. Search can also now build custom graphics to help you visualize complex problems. It's called "Generative UI for Search", and it'll be free for everyone starting from summer this year.
(Image credit: Google)
If I'm understanding this correctly, you can essentially build mini-apps with Generative UI in Search. The host is giving the example, 'Build a weekend planner to automate my family's weekend plans,' and Search is seemingly building a whole darn app in real-time. This is impressive.
(Image credit: Getty Images / NurPhoto (left) / Google (right))
Here's a bit more color on that Ask YouTube feature Google announced earlier.
One query example given by Google was, “How to teach my 3-year-old how to ride a pedal bike, they already know how to ride a balance bike?”
As you can see in the video below, Gemini delivered written answers like a typical AI chatbot, but these were accompanied by relevant YouTube videos, so you can both read and watch to get the answers you’re looking for.
You can read more about Ask YouTube elsewhere on TechRadar.
(Image credit: Google)
Onto shopping (yay!). Google has partnered with the likes of Amazon, Shopify, and Walmart on the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), which is an open standard designed by Google to unify digital commerce.
Previously, AI assistants had to work with hard-coded integrations for each merchant's unique API, but the UCP levels the playing field to make AI-powered shopping easier.
(Image credit: Google)
If that last part was too boring for you, here's something more interesting: the Universal Cart.
This is Google's “new agentic hub for shopping across Google” and “a truly intelligent shopping cart." It comes with AI features powered by the company's Gemini AI model that could help you score a discount or avoid mistakes with the items you’re purchasing.
(Image credit: Google)
And here's that big Gemini app redesign. It's called Neural Expressive, and features new colors, animations, and a completely repositioned Gemini Live icon.
(Image credit: Google)
Remember that block party prompt Google mentioned earlier? Gemini Spark has just served up the result, and it looks... much better than something I'd be able to produce myself in 30 minutes.
Is Gemini the new GOAT?
(Image credit: Google)
Here's a roundup of the many, many Gemini upgrades we just heard in that section.
There was the Gemini on macOS update, the Neural Expressive redesign, the new Omni model, the new 3.5 Flash model, the Daily Brief upgrade, and of course, Gemini Spark.
All of these features bring Gemini one step closer to being "the ultimate personal assistant," as Google describes it.
(Image credit: Google)
We're moving away from Gemini now, and look away, graphic designers: Google Pics and Stitch are two new creative tools that make Canva look as advanced as black-and-white television.
(Image credit: Google)
Google Flow is also being upgraded with Gemini Omni, new agentic tools, and music-making capabilities. We're seeing an example of a user-generated piano riff being turned into an R&B track. It's not my cup of tea, but you've got to respect the technology.
(Image credit: Samsung)
It's finally Android XR time: Google's first audio glasses will arrive this fall.
These glasses will deliver information directly to your ears, rather than displaying it on your screen, and offer various assistive features, including navigation, summarized notification readouts, real-time audio translation, and the ability to translate text on signs, among other AI tools. You can also use them to capture first-person photos and videos.
(Image credit: Google)
Google and Samsung are showing off two glasses designs on stage at I/O, but we'll supposedly get more when the full range launches later this year.
(Image credit: Google)
We're now getting a live demo of the glasses in action. They're being used to order a coffee, summarize messages, and add events to the wearer's calendar.
They'll also come with Nano Banana capabilities — so essentially, you can take pictures with the glasses, and tell the on-board AI how you want those pictures to be edited. It's all pretty neat.
(Image credit: Google)
Here's some refreshingly positive AI-related news: Gemini for Science will bring together powerful AI tools to assist with research and help scientists model complex concepts.
"This technology will be a force multiplier for human ingenuity and usher in a new age of progress."
(Image credit: Google)
And that's a wrap! If you managed to keep up with everything announced in that nearly two-hour showcase, kudos to you — if not, I'll be checking back over my notes to bring you a roundup of the key news imminently.
June 8, 2026 at 10:22AM from Latest from TechRadar US in Internet News https://ift.tt/KARJPY4
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