ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from Google's impressive...
This week, Google wowed us with its new AI features – including the scarily good Veo 3 video generator – and a showcase of its Android XR efforts as it details the features coming to smart glasses and XR headsets in the coming years. To catch up on all this and more, scroll down for recaps of the week’s 7 biggest tech news stories.
Google AI Mode and Gemini Live
Google's annual I/O event took place this week, with the tech giant making several major announcements centered on AI. Among the most significant reveals were the rollout of AI Mode in the U.S., enabling users to converse with Google rather than solely using it as a search engine, and the release of Gemini Live for free on iOS and Android, allowing users to grant Gemini access to their camera and screen on an iPhone.
Another key talking point was introducing the video generation tool, Veo 3. This represents a significant improvement over previous video tools, notably by adding the capability to synchronize voice with the generated moving images.
Speaking of images, Imagen 4 was also unveiled, elevating image generation on Gemini to an entirely new level, allowing for the creation of impressive visuals in just a few seconds.
Google AI Ultra Subscription
Elsewhere, Google upgraded its models, showcasing the power of Gemini 2.5, and introduced a new ultra-premium subscription called Google AI Ultra. This subscription grants access to all the company's most advanced AI features for a whopping $250 a month.
Google Operating System for Android Headsets
The new Google operating system made for Android headsets and Android glasses has finally had its time in the spotlight thanks to Google I/O 2025. At its core is Google Gemini. The AI, in conjunction with your glasses’ cameras and display, can recommend a place to eat based on what you request and then give you directions to where to find it. It can perform live translation, and on a headset, it can use Google Maps' immersive view to virtually transport you anywhere in the world.
We know 5 brands are working on AR and AI glasses: Samsung, Warby Parker, Xreal, Kering Eyewear, and Gentle Monster, though no release dates or prices have been given yet.
Computex 2025 Highlights
The world's biggest computing tech show, Computex 2025, has been underway in Taiwan, and we attended to bring you all the latest news and opinions of the coolest new computing gadgets showcased there. Huawei gave us a foldable laptop that looks like it's ripped straight out of a Mission Impossible flick, MSI's new Nintendo Switch 2 rival was made official, and Intel gave us new Battlemage GPUs to maybe make budget 1440p gaming practical again.
Apple WWDC 2025 Expectations
Right before Google I/O kicked off, Apple formally sent out invites for the opening keynote of WWDC 2025 and shared more details about the week-long developer conference. As with past Apple special events, it’ll all kick off at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM UK on June 9, 2025. TechRadar will be on the ground, and the event will be live-streamed for all to watch.
It’ll be a big moment for Apple as well, marking a year since Apple Intelligence debuted and the expected reveal of its next generation of platforms. On the latter, we’re expecting the next generation of iOS – iOS 19, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, tvOS, and even visionOS for the Apple Vision Pro.
