Jess Weatherbed | The Verge

Google now lets you chat with Gmail, Docs, and Keep

2026-09-03T12:34:43-04:00

Google is rolling out AI-powered voice assistant modes for Gmail, Docs, and Keep that allow you to manage the apps by talking to them. The real time conversational capabilities are called Gmail Live, Docs Live, and Keep Live, and like the Gemini Live experience for Google’s chatbot, aim to make it easier to note down or find specific information when you’re on the move or unable to do so manually.

Gmail Live is primarily designed to surface details from your inbox without you having to dig through lengthy email threads using keywords or subject lines. For example, Google says that you can ask questions like “when is my kid’s next school event?,” and the voice assistant will pull that information from wherever it was sent to your Gmail inbox and feed a summarized version of it back to you verbally, while linking the email sources in the onscreen transcript. You can ask Gmail Live follow-up questions without starting a new conversation, and interrupt it mid-sentence if you need to pivot to something else.

Docs Live can help to format your ideas into structured documents based on conversational descriptions of what you need, such as you asking it to summarize longer documents or turn them into business proposals. If granted permission, it can also pull information from your

Gmail, Drive, Chat, and the web to better personalize its outputs. And for Keep Live, you can transcribe by talking naturally and Gemini will contextualize your notes without requiring specific words or explanations, such as asking it to add “ingredients for pesto” to your shopping list.

These features were previewed at Google I/O in May, but they’re now rolling out to mobile platforms globally in English starting today. Gmail Live is available on iOS and Android for users on Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra plans, Docs Live and Keep Live are coming to AI Pro and Ultra plans, but Keep Live is Android only, while Docs is available on both iOS and Android platforms. All three are “coming soon” for Workspace business customers, according to Google.

SwitchBot’s retrofit door lock offers 19 ways to unlock it

2026-09-03T10:50:56-04:00

Here you can see the Keypad Vision Pro (left) and the new Lock Ultra Max (right). | Image: SwitchBot

SwitchBot has launched a new retrofit smart lock that gives owners multiple ways to enter European homes without a traditional key. Announced at IFA today, the SwitchBot Lock Ultra Max Vision Pro Combo provides multi-user entry and up to 19 ways to unlock doors, including fingerprint scans, passcodes, NFC card access, contactless authentication via facial or palm vein recognition, and more options for remote, voice, smartwatch, and widget access via the SwitchBot App.

The combo costs €339.99 / £339.99 (about $395), and includes SwitchBot’s Keypad Vision Pro, Hub Mini Matter, and the new Lock Ultra Max. It’s pricier than the $249.99 Lock Ultra Vision that SwitchBot launched last year, which the company claims is also compatible with nearly all existing locks in Europe, but the new Max version appears to be even better tailored to the European market.

SwitchBot says it supports 99 percent of European locks, including common EU profile cylinders, knob cylinders, Swiss round cylinders, and UK oval cylinders, and there are additional adapters available for “less common installations.” The Lock Ultra Max also features a more powerful motor that provides more than 9 kilograms of turning force and reaches 160rpm — 3.2x the rotation speed of the older SwitchBot Lock Ultra.

Nvidia is buying Hugging Face for almost $13 billion

2026-09-03T09:16:18-04:00

Nvidia has agreed to buy Hugging Face for $12.93 billion, bringing one of the most popular hosting platforms for open-source AI models, datasets, and tools under the ownership of the world’s biggest AI chipmaker.

Hugging Face is an online platform founded in 2016 that gives AI developers a space to share their projects and data with other users and the general public. It’s often described as the “GitHub” for AI due to its browsable library of open-source machine learning models and emphasis on community collaboration features.

“Together, we will scale Hugging Face’s platform, strengthen its infrastructure and expand access to AI for developers and institutions worldwide,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in his announcement. “Hugging Face will remain an open platform for the entire AI ecosystem. Developers will choose the models they want, the frameworks they want, the clouds and inference service providers they want and the computing platforms they want. Nvidia compute will not be required to build on or deploy through Hugging Face.”

Speculation regarding a potential Hugging Face acquisition started on August 23rd, after Business Insider reported that the startup was working with a bank to explore options for a $13 billion sale. By August 27th, Business Insider reported that Nvidia had been having acquisition conversations with Hugging Face over the previous week, though an earlier report by The Information said that a $12.9 billion deal between the companies had already been agreed upon.

While these reports couldn’t be independently verified at the time, Nvidia has now publicly declared its intentions to purchase the open-source AI repository. With open-source developers currently racing to catch up with closed AI systems, Nvidia stands to gain a strategic foothold to help preserve its AI hardware dominance now that closed-source AI providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google are attempting to produce their own AI chips.

The last official valuation Hugging Face had was $4.5 billion, off the back of a funding round in 2023 that Nvidia participated in. The Financial Times previously reported that Hugging Face rejected a $500 million investment offer from Nvidia last year that would have valued it at $7 billion, apparently expressing concerns over having a single, dominant investor.

The startup isn’t a significant money-maker, however. The Information reports that Hugging Face has recently been generating around $150 million in annualized revenue, barely a fraction of its purchase price. That said, as the world’s most valuable public company, Nvidia sure has a lot of money to throw around right now, and it seems happy to do so to protect the AI empire it’s been building.

NYC bans AI use for students until they reach high school

2026-09-02T18:58:03-04:00

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced a new policy today that will ban younger schoolchildren from using AI in classrooms. The one-year moratorium, effective in the 2026-2027 school year, will impact about 600,000 public school students in 2-K through eighth grade and is being introduced alongside additional limits on digital devices and a small pilot program for AI education tools.

The new rules being introduced by NYC’s Department of Education will bar teachers from using AI tools to grade assignments and keep students from using the technology in the classroom until they enter high school, with chatbots designed specifically for companionship and mental support reportedly being banned in all grades. High school-aged students will only be permitted to use AI in specific instances, and they’ll be offered AI literacy classes twice a year to help students “think critically” before they come to “rely on it.”

“Children need teachers and human connection in order to learn and grow. They need to develop skills alongside their peers, build relationships with educators, and wrestle with tough problems on their own,” Mamdani said in a statement. “The tech industry wants us to believe that AI-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary. We do not see it that way.”

Use of individual screens will be banned until third grade. The department is also issuing recommended screen time limitations, which include a maximum of 45 minutes per day for middle schoolers. Teachers will still be permitted to use AI for lesson planning, and exceptions may be granted for AI tools that help students with disabilities or multilingual students. Exceptions can also be granted for particular purposes, like computer science programs.

A “limited AI pilot” program will also be offered at up to five classes in a “small number” of high school classrooms, using tools that were vetted to meet safety and data privacy standards and “keeping students as the primary thinker.” Tools being piloted by this program have set time limits for usage, and include Quill for English language support, Edia for math, Brisk Teaching for guiding study practice, and Playlab and Intel AI-Ready Schools for multi-subject support.

These changes follow NYC’s public school system introducing a bell-to-bell ban on “personal internet-enabled electronic devices” (including smartphones) for the 2025-2026 school year. NYC district leaders say the new AI moratorium for classrooms is one of the most restrictive policies in the US, though some countries, like Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands, have implemented nationwide changes to address similar concerns about the impact that technology is having on developing minds.

‘Wordle in 1’ is the NYT’s new puzzle just for subscribers

2026-09-02T09:03:53-04:00

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The New York Times has prepared some exclusive goodies for its subscribers: a weekly drop of bonus puzzles based on the publication’s popular games. Five to six new puzzles will be released every Wednesday, each featuring “a twist” on games like Wordle, Strands, Connections, and Crossword that are designed to keep puzzleheads playing with fresh yet familiar experiences.

The availability of bonus puzzles may vary each week, but here are some examples you can expect:

Wordle in 1: A version of Wordle with five rounds, where each round has a single clue and only one possible word solution. Players need to guess all five words to win the game.
Connections 3×3: Like the name suggests, this is Connections, but with three groups of three instead of four groups of four.
Colorful Strands: A “more visually-interesting, editorially-designed” variation of Strands that otherwise uses the same rules.
Mystery Mini: Similar to Colorful Strands, this is a variation of the Mini Crossword that uses the same rules, but features a “creative twist” to the presentation of the grid or clues.
Easy Mode Crossword: A version of the Friday Crossword with easier clues that will also be published in the Easy Mode Newsletter every Friday.
Special Crossword: A special themed version of the Crossword, published on the first day of each month. In some months, more than one Special Crossword may be published, and may be created in collaboration with celebrities, including Nick Offerman, Jeff Tweedy, Bianca Del Rio, and Gabby Windey.

“Bonus puzzles are an exciting addition to continue diversifying our portfolio, with each puzzle built on mechanics that our solvers already know and love, but with novelty to make them feel distinct from the daily puzzles,” Jonathan Knight, The New York Times gaming head said in the press announcement. “Designed for flexible, low-pressure play, the weekly drop gives solvers more ways to play with no daily obligations.”

Bonus puzzles are starting to roll out now and will be available to all Games and All Access subscribers (which start at $6 and $7.50 every four weeks, respectively) in the next few months. The new games launching today, however, include an introductory set of bonus puzzles that anyone can play without a subscription.

Google Pics is like Canva, but with even more AI

2026-09-01T11:32:51-04:00

Google wants Workspace users to edit and generate their business imagery with Pics. | Image: Google

Google has a new suite of creative design tools for Workspace users called Google Pics, which aims to make editing and generating “professional-grade” AI images less cumbersome for businesses. Built around Gemini and the Nano Banana generative AI model, Google Pics is designed to give more granular control over prompt-based image making and manipulation, allowing users to tap on specific objects or text, and describe what they want to change — features that may avoid the ugly results that chatbots are known to spit out for marketing imagery.

“While AI image generation has been a huge hit for personal use, it’s been a different story for business,” Google said in its announcement blog. “Teams have struggled to create professional-grade images for marketing campaigns, customer presentations, and product storytelling, facing inconsistent results, endless trial-and-error prompting, and cumbersome workflows across multiple apps.”

Google Pics is launching as both a standalone Workspace app, and as an integration for Google Docs and Slides, with plans to roll out to Drive “in the coming weeks.” For the integrations, Google says users can select an image in their document or slideshow to edit it with “Pics’ full suite of precision AI tools.”

Google Pics is integrated with Workspace apps like Slides, so users can edit images without using third-party design software. | GIF: Google" data-portal-copyright="GIF: Google" />

Those Pics tools allow users to generate images from scratch or select and edit individual objects within an image using descriptive prompts, which includes changing, reformatting, and translating text. Google Pics also lets users upscale images to 2K or 4K resolutions, quickly crop images into formats for web, social media, print, or digital, and collaborate on designs by sharing them with friends and teammates.

Similar features and AI tools are provided by dedicated creative platforms like Canva and Adobe Express. Given Google suggests that Pics can be used to design posters, flyers, and social media posts — alongside saying it can keep users from “feeling like you need to be a graphic designer to deliver a great image” — Google is likely hoping that Pics will prevent Workspace users from having to use third-party services for basic creative work.

After launching for testers following Google I/O in May, Google Pics is now starting to roll out for Workspace users on Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus plans, Google AI Pro and Ultra personal plans, and the Google AI Pro for Education plan.

JBL takes on Sonos with new multi-room Cove speakers

2026-09-01T08:05:47-04:00

From left to right, here’s a size comparison between the new Cove M1, Cove X1, and Cove P1 speakers. | Image: JBL

JBL is well known for its portable bluetooth and party speakers, but now it’s also stepping into the world of connected whole-home audio. The JBL Cove series of speakers introduced today can work independently, as a stereo pair, or linked together to form a multi-room sound system, placing the range in competition with Sonos and Bose’s new Lifestyle Ultra speakers.

There are three models in the JBL Cove series, which come in a choice of black or white color options and will be available starting September 13th. There’s the compact $229.95 Cove M1, which includes three 0.75-inch tweeters and a single 4-inch woofer, but requires a wired power source. The larger $399.95 Cove P1 has Dolby Atmos support and the added convenience of being battery-powered, with up to 14 hours of playtime, according to JBL. The $449.95 Cove X1 is the flagship model, which also needs to be plugged into a power outlet, but features four 1.25-inch tweeters and dual 4-inch woofers alongside Dolby Atmos support.

The Cove speakers connect together through Wi-Fi and can be managed through the JBL One app for controlling music streams and room groupings. Notable features include automatic self-tuning, JBL’s “AI Sound Boost” technology to prevent audio distortion at high volumes, and a “Music Follows Me” feature that transfers audio to the room you’re in without resorting to a phone, by long-pressing the Moment button on the closest speaker.

In order from left to right, here’s what the JBL Cove M1, Cove X1, and Cove P1 speakers look like in white. | Image: JBL / The Verge" data-portal-copyright="Image: JBL / The Verge" />

Supported services include Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, and Roon Ready. US Alexa Plus subscribers can also access the Amazon assistant through Cove speakers, including voice-activated smart home controls. Each speaker also supports Bluetooth for a direct connection with phones and tablets, and can connect with JBL’s Bar Series MK2 soundbars for an expanded home theater experience.

TP-Link’s first Wi-Fi 8 router is almost here

2026-09-01T06:18:36-04:00

Here you can see the Archer 8 Ultra (bottom) and the Deco 8 Ultra (top). | Image: TP-Link

The Wi-Fi 8 standard is far from finalized, but TP-Link is almost ready to release its first hardware targeting the next-gen spec. It unveiled the Archer 8 Ultra tri-band router and Deco 8 Ultra mesh system at IFA 2026, which utilize the upcoming IEEE 802.11bn standard to “address the connectivity problems people actually notice” instead of focusing on speed upgrades, according to TP-Link’s announcement.

The Archer 8 Ultra features 18 internal antennas, and can deliver wireless speeds of up to 19Gbps and 10Gbps over wired connection. The Deco 8 Ultra mesh system provides up to 22Gbps over wireless and 10Gbps wired connectivity, according to TP-Link, with a three-pack covering up to 9,800 square feet and supporting more than 200 connected devices.

TP-Link hasn’t revealed any prices, but says the Archer 8 Ultra will be available for preorder in “select regions” starting on September 30th. Availability for the Deco 8 is planned for sometime in Q1 2027, with other Wi-Fi 8 products — including range extenders, adapters, and the Roam 8 travel router — to follow in Q2 2027.

The Wi-Fi 7 standard was only finalized in January 2024, so these new products are set to arrive before many people have had the chance to upgrade to the previous specification. Wi-Fi 8 also isn’t expected to receive a finalized certification until May 2028. TP-Link clearly wants to get ahead of the competition, however, and soothe any concerns regarding how its next-gen products will be impacted by the US ban on foreign-made routers — while TP-Link’s Wi-Fi 8 products use Broadcom, Qualcomm, and MediaTek chipsets, it says it’s using “US-led hardware and software engineering to deliver the most reliable Wi-Fi ever built.”

Plaud is launching AI earbuds

2026-08-28T05:09:07-04:00

Plaud has introduced a new AI wearable that’s designed to record, transcribe, and summarize your conversations, only this time it looks like earbuds instead of a pin. The Plaud One Explorer Edition can be worn like traditional earbuds or used through its standalone charging case, and the case includes built-in 4G to upload and process conversations without relying on your phone or Wi-Fi to stay connected.

Each earbud features 16MB of local storage (for a total of 32MB) and three microphones that can record at a distance of up to two meters. They can record for up to six hours according to Plaud, which is also the maximum estimated battery life. The earbuds also include noise cancellation features and force-activated sensor controls on the stem. The charging case includes four microphones with a five-meter recording range, a built-in speaker, 512MB of storage, and provides a combined battery life of up to 36 hours, which can be recharged via USB-C.

Plaud On’s AI transcription and summarization capabilities use Plaud Intelligence, which the company says is designed to “understand and execute on human intent.” An AI button on the Plaud One charging case can be used to activate “Plaud Agent,” which natively integrates with tools like Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion, and Slack, to prevent users from having to switch between various platforms.

Here’s what the charging case looks like. | Image: Plaud" data-portal-copyright="Image: Plaud" />

The Plaud One costs $249.99 and is available to preorder “in selected markets” starting today, with shipping expected to start in Q4, 2026.

Correction, August 28th: Plaud previously shared press materials with The Verge that said shipping would start in late September, but has since clarified that it will start in Q4.

Of course Samsung made a 1,100Hz gaming monitor

2026-08-27T07:38:10-04:00

Samsung announced its upcoming lineup of Odyssey gaming monitors today at Gamescom, and says that several will feature “world-first innovations” across display speeds and design. This includes the 27-inch Odyssey G6 it initially unveiled in December, which now features a 1,100Hz refresh rate, alongside new OLED Odyssey G9, G8, and G7 updates for 2027.

The Odyssey G6 G60H’s upgraded 1,100Hz final launch specification is a smidge faster than the already ridiculous 1,040Hz refresh rate that Samsung announced it would have at CES 2026. Little has changed otherwise, so this is still a dual-mode gaming monitor with an IPS-based display and a 1ms response time. That also means the ultra-fast refresh rate can only be achieved at 1080p, though switching to the native 1440p mode still delivers 600Hz.

The real-world practicality of overkill refresh rates is hotly debated. I can’t quite fathom why Samsung would bother giving the G6 another 60Hz bump in the first place, but perhaps the company believes you’ll actually see a difference. That, or 1,100Hz just sounds braggier compared against LG’s 1,000Hz UltraGear gaming monitor that’s expected to ship in September. Samsung hasn’t specified a price or date for the Odyssey G6 launch, but says it’ll be globally available by the end of 2026.

Samsung is even still using the same background display for the Odyssey G6 G60H in its marketing imagery. | Image: Samsung" data-portal-copyright="Image: Samsung" />

Samsung also introduced the new Odyssey OLED G9, and says it’s the “world’s first 49-inch DQHD gaming monitor with a 360Hz refresh rate.” While the previous model could only reach up to 240Hz, this new G9 ultra-wide has two options: 360Hz at 5120 x 1440, or an even faster 720Hz when switched to the 2560 x 720 dual HD mode. Other notable specs include a 0.03ms response time, and a peak brightness of up to 1,300 nits.

Why have three separate monitors when you can have a super wide one? | Image: Samsung" data-portal-copyright="Image: Samsung" /> The new Odyssey G9 also comes with a round light ring on the back if you’re into the gamer lighting vibe. | Image: Samsung" data-portal-copyright="Image: Samsung" />

Rounding off the new announcements is the 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8, which allows users to switch between UHD at 360Hz, QHD at 520Hz, and FHD at 680Hz, and the Odyssey OLED G7, which is the “world’s first 42-inch 16:9 curved OLED gaming monitor,” according to Samsung. The latter features a 4K resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, and 1000R curvature, while being larger than the previous 32-inch G7 model.

Not much else to say about these, so here’s a closer look at the upcoming Odyssey OLED G7… | Image: Samsung" data-portal-copyright="Image: Samsung" /> …and the Odyssey OLED G8. | Image: Samsung" data-portal-copyright="Image: Samsung" />

Samsung hasn’t announced any prices or launch dates for the 2027 Odyssey lineup yet, but says that availability will vary by market.