Week in Review: The top stories in phones, AI, entertainment, and more

Google's great AI leap forward, and a parade of new Pixels Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( August 16, 2024 CONNECT WITH TECH RADAR  [Facebook]( [X]( [Instagram]( [Youtube]( [Tech Radar]( [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE]( [] Welcome to the Week in Review [] Welcome Pardon me while I shake off a bit of this jet lag and recount a week that was full of Google showing why it may, ultimately, be the one to triumph in the intensifying AI wars. Ahem…. It seems like mere hours since I was sitting front-row at Made by Google in California to witness the rollout of four new phones, two smartwatches, and a set of earbuds, only to be confronted with 40 minutes of Generative AI. This was not a bad thing. Google Gemini on all those Pixel 9 phones (especially that awesome-looking Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold) is a good and possibly game-changing thing. I’ve never really had a conversation with an AI before where it didn’t mind me interrupting. Adding myself to group photos is, I found, a fun and useful idea, and I had no idea that all those screen shots that are filling up my phone could be turned into a trove of useful and accessible information. The road ahead for Google and Gemini sounds, well, impressive. Researching with Gemini will not be like conducting a query with ChatGPT, because Gemini gets to rely on Google’s vast and amazing search-knowledge graph. Gemini Research isn’t ready yet, but it’ll be here soon enough. It was almost enough to make me feel good about the future of AI and humanity, though I still have concerns, and I find that I’m not that good at explaining why we should all just chill out about it. The pace isn’t slowing down, and everyone is worried about us falling in love with our chatbots. I may send mine flowers, but love is not in my plans. The Paris Olympics wrapped up and Sunday, and I do wonder if Samsung is as sad as I am that the games are over – all those athletes holding all those Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 phones is the sort of marketing most brands can only dream of. As I think about a much-needed nap, I also wonder if Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which is finally streaming, will feel like a mashup of those just-ended Olympics and The Hunger Games. If it does, I am so here for it. Lance Ulanoff, Editor-at-Large [] The Week in Google [] [Can Apple respond to Google's big AI push?]( Apple has some work to do on its AI (Apple) [Can Apple respond to Google's big AI push?]( Google brought forward its Pixel launch this year to beat the iPhone 16 to market, and Gemini AI was front and center at the grand unveiling – which has us wondering if Apple Intelligence is going to be able to catch up in the coming months. [Read the full story]( [] - [Google's big August launch was always going to be about Gemini]( [] - [The future of Google is an AI assistant that does the googling for you]( [] - [Gemini Live is the first AI that almost encourages you to be rude]( [] [We go hands-on with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold]( We're impressed by the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Future) [We go hands-on with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold]( The TechRadar team has wasted no time in testing out the new gadgets Google unveiled this week, including its second foldable: the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is remarkably thin and light, rocks a large 8-inch display, and could be the best foldable we've seen yet. [Read the full story]( [] - [The Pixel 9 Pro Fold doesn't support a stylus, and that's a big miss]( [] - [Hands-on with the new Google Pixel 9 flagship phone]( [] - [The next official Fitbit smartwatch is... the Google Pixel Watch 3]( [] The week in AI [] [There's no escape from AI right now even at parties]( AI is a hot topic right now (Shutterstock) [There's no escape from AI right now – even at parties]( We're now at the stage where artificial intelligence might be one of those topics, like religion and politics, that are best avoided at social gatherings. As Lance Ulanoff reports, it's becoming a tricky subject to talk about without alarming people. [Read the full story]( [] - [OpenAI is worried that users are developing feelings for ChatGPT-4o]( [] - [ChatGPT gets a surprise update, we're not sure how it's better]( [] - [Grok-2 arrives on X with AI image creation and precious few guardrails]( [] Today's best deals, picked by TechRadar's experts [] - [The best preorder deals on all the new Google Pixel 9 phones]( [] - [Dell US laptop sale – these are the top deals for work, college, and gaming]( [] - [LG's 65-inch C3 OLED TV drops to a record-low price ahead of Labor Day]( [] - [The Ring Video Doorbell is back to its lowest-ever price at Amazon UK]( [] The Week in Phones [] [How the Galaxy Z Flip 6 had a starring role at the Olympics]( Olympic-level selfie-taking with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Samsung / Getty Images) [How the Galaxy Z Flip 6 had a starring role at the Olympics]( Every Olympian and Paralympian at the Paris games has been gifted a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, which has meant the flip foldable has been getting plenty of publicity – and it turns out that the handset is perfect for capturing those essential selfie shots. [Read the full story]( [] - [Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra tipped to be replaced by the Galaxy... Note 25?]( [] - [Huawei's slim tri-foldable phone has been spotted again]( [] - [Forget AI – I want Realme's new record-breaking fast-charging tech]( [] The week in entertainment [] [The best new movies and shows to stream this weekend]( Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.) [The best new movies and shows to stream this weekend]( It's a good time to be a streaming fan. From new movies like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Union, to the return of beloved shows like Emily in Paris, there's plenty to enjoy on the world's best streaming services this weekend. [Read the full story]( [] - [The final trailer for The Rings of Power season 2 features big teases]( [] - [Alien: Romulus wants everyone to hear you scream]( [] - [Leaked Thunderbolts trailer reveals first look at its paranoid thriller vibes]( [] More of this week's top stories [] - [Meta Quest 3S leak teases the VR headset's 'final design']( [] - [This leaked Meta Quest 3 rival is actually a more powerful device]( [] - [Huge DJI Neo leak reveals everything we didn't already know about it]( [] - [The Nintendo Switch 2 won't launch before April 2025 at the earliest]( [] - [GoPro Hero 13 Black leak gives us our first look at the action camera]( Sharing TechRadar with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. 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