- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
- Lewandowski treble for leaders Barca as Atletico held
- Fresh Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Sucic stunner earns Real Sociedad draw against Atletico
- PSG draw with Nice, fail to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1
- Gudmundsson downs AC Milan after De Gea's penalty heroics for Fiorentina
- 'Yes' vote prevails in Kazakhstan nuclear plant vote: TV
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Lewandowski hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- 'Nothing gets in way of team,' says Celtics' MVP hopeful Tatum
- India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup
- 'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Florida braces for Milton, FEMA head slams 'dangerous' Helene misinformation
- Postecoglou slams 'unacceptable' Spurs after 'terrible' loss at Brighton
- Marmoush double denies Bayern outright Bundesliga top spot
- Rallies worldwide call for Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire
- Maresca hails Chelsea's 'fighting' spirit after draw with 10-man Forest
- New 'Joker' film, a dark musical, tops N.America box office
- Man Utd stalemate keeps Ten Hag in danger, Spurs rocked by Brighton
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
- Vikings hold off Jets in London to stay unbeaten
- Ahead of attack anniversary, Netanyahu says: 'We will win'
- West Indies cruise to T20 World Cup win over Scotland
- Arshdeep, Chakravarthy help India hammer Bangladesh in T20 opener
- Lewandowski's quickfire hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Man Utd fire another blank in Aston Villa stalemate
- Lewandowski treble powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
New Google Pixel 9 phones flaunt AI capabilities
Google on Tuesday unveiled new Pixel 9 smartphones packed with artificial intelligence features meant to compete with Apple's iPhone.
The Pixel easily weaves users more tightly into Google's online services, taking a page from Apple's strategy with the iPhone and App Store.
And it poses a direct challenge to the iPhone's "Apple Intelligence" AI as well as the company's alliance with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.
But it raises questions about how well Google is safeguarding personal data and how regulators will react to the tech giant's push to make users even more dependent on its platform.
A US judge last week handed Google a major legal blow, ruling in a landmark anti-trust case that it has maintained a monopoly with its dominant search engine.
The court decision against a "big tech" giant could alter how the sector operates in the future.
District Court Judge Amit Mehta found that Google had a monopoly for search and for text ads through exclusive distribution agreements that made it the "default" option that people were likely to use on devices.
- Android showcase -
Pixels account for a tiny sliver of the global smartphone market led by Samsung and Apple.
One of the phone's purposes, however, is to showcase capabilities of the Android operating system that powers most of the smartphones in the world.
Pixel 9 models optimize Google's Gemini AI capabilities and can help with daily tasks like booking appointments or finding old files in the mountain of data people tend to save, according to Pixel senior director of product management Shenaz Zack.
"With your permission, Gemini can offer unparalleled personalized help accessing information across your inbox, Gmail, your calendar and a lot more," Zack said during a briefing.
A Pixel might be used to take a photo of a concert poster, for example, then check whether that calendar date is open and draft a message inviting friends to join.
And conversations with Google's AI on Pixel will be more free flowing, allowing interruptions or sudden topic shifts.
New Pixels will also be able to take notes during phone calls, automatically notifying the other party first.
Google said it made a priority of privacy, from protecting data used by its AI to letting users create password-protected private spaces for apps and other content.
The Pixel 9's starting price is $899, with a new foldable model priced at $1,899.
Google has been racing against Microsoft, OpenAI and others to lead in AI since the 2022 release of ChatGPT ignited intense interest in the technology.
Meta has infused its AI into smart glasses, letting wearers ask questions about what they are looking at.
- AI gadgets galore -
Along with new Pixel smartphones, Google unveiled new Pixel ear bud and smart watch models boasting AI features and synched to work smoothly together.
Pixel watches will be able to access live feeds from Nest camera-equipped doorbells, letting wearers see who is at their homes and speak with them.
Google last week introduced an AI television streaming device designed to be the hub of a hyper-smart home.
A sleek Google TV Streamer enhanced with Gemini AI is set for release September 24 and will mark the end of a Chromecast line dating back more than a decade.
"We're using AI to evolve the future of Google Home and Nest experiences," senior director of product management Anish Kattukaran told AFP during a briefing.
Nest is Google's line of "smart" home gadgets including speakers, cameras, locks, thermostats and routers.
M.A.Colin--AMWN