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Even though Google still has its Made by Google event scheduled for later in the evening, the company still went ahead and announced what it has in store for its Pixel 11 launch. The livestream itself will serve as a more hands-on, celebrity-sponsored event, mostly as a showcase of what Gemini AI can bring to the hardware itself. In the meantime, if you're curious about exactly what you'll see tonight, we've compiled all the announcements Google revealed at its Pixel 11 launch event. SEE ALSO: Pixel 11’s Gemini translated my videos and took photos for me Headlined by a new chip, a reworked camera bar with an ambient light feature, and a heavier-than-usual push into AI-driven "do it for me" tools. Here's a full rundown of what Google announced: The Pixel 11 Lineup, Overall Google introduced four new phones — the Pixel 11 , Pixel 11 Pro , Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold — all built around a red...

Facebook wants to help creators spend less time deciphering analytics and more time making content. Its solution is, naturally, another app. On Aug. 12, the company officially rolled out its revamped Creator Studio , a stand-alone app that uses AI to help creators understand their performance, plan their next posts, and respond to followers. The launch follows a limited test that began in June. Meta describes the new iPhone app as an " AI-powered daily companion for Facebook creators ." Its pitch boils down to three tasks: mapping out a creator’s daily priorities, offering personalized tips to grow, and helping them reply to fans with AI. The app is now available on iOS to Facebook creators in the United States and Canada. An Android version is expected later. What can creators expect from Creator Studio? Creator Studio is designed as an integrated workspace for people who manage their accounts through Facebook but inevitably get pulled into Reels, messages, and the feed....

In the first half of 2026, customers spent $50.3 billion globally on TikTok Shop, according to a report by Tabcut and Momentum Works — a whopping 92 percent increase over the same period last year. The U.S. and Southeast Asia were the largest markets, with the former spending $11.8 billion, around double the total from last year. The U.S. has 1.35 million stores and 20 million influencers on TikTok Shop. SEE ALSO: TikTok quickly pauses dating live chat test Tabcut and Momentum Works estimate that the global gross merchandise value (GMV) will surpass $100 billion for the first time this year and reach $123.5 billion by the end of 2026. But, as What's Trending reported, the data might be more complicated than it looks. In a May 2026 Harris Poll, 63 percent of Gen Zers said they stopped buying from TikTok Shop . EMARKETER, which published the data, stated that it might be because of increasing dissatisfaction with the mark...

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Google returns to New York on Wednesday, Aug. 12, for its annual Made by Google hardware event, and this year the show arrives with an unusually thin veil of secrecy. Between official teasers and a steady drip of leaks, most of the headline details about the Pixel 11 lineup are already circulating — leaving the live keynote to mostly confirm what's already known. This year's event also comes with a notable format shift. Comedian and former Daily Show host Trevor Noah is set to emcee the show, joined by a sprawling guest list that includes Stephen Curry, Alex Cooper, Shubman Gill, Peggy Gou, Jesser, JuJu Watkins, Chari Hawkins, and PinkPantheress, according to Android Authority. That's a departure from last year , when Made by Google was presented as a non-canon Tonight Show segment with Jimmy Fallon rather than a standalone keynote. Here's a breakdown of what to expect. When and how to watch The keynote streams live on the Made by Google YouTube channel , with a mir...

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you like buying fresh fruits and vegetables. Strands , the New York Times ' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections . If you're feeling stuck or just don't h...

Reference Image could be a new way to prove provenance in the wake of generative AI. from Engadget - Technology News & Expert Reviews https://ift.tt/XpKt0M3 via IFTTT

There’s a new robotaxi in town — Amazon's Zoox . Paid rides on Zoox became available for the first time ever, with service launching in Las Vegas on Monday (Aug. 10). The Sin City service follows Zoox's recent availability as a free option for select San Francisco riders.  While Alphabet's autonomous Waymo cars are also available in Vegas , Zoox has some distinct differences, most notably its carriage-style seating made possible by the absence of a steering wheel and gas pedal. Zoox vehicles also lack a formal front or rear, allowing them to drive in either direction seamlessly. Riders adjust temperature and music choices on screens in the cabin. On July 30, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that Zoox could temporarily offer paid service .  "This temporary exemption will allow the commercial deployment of up to 2,500 vehicles annually for two years, subject to an enhanced...