When you contribute, you gain points, and the more you contribute, the more you can level up as a Local Guide. All your points and badges are now prominently displayed on your profile. Google's also adding gold profiles for high-level contributors, so you know you're reading reviews from experienced users.

Google's new offline-first dictation app uses Gemma AI models to take on the apps like Wispr Flow.

Google is backing its wartime posture with $175–$185 billion in 2026 CapEx guidance (nearly double the $91.45 billion spent in FY2025), while Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership is locked in through 2032 with $250 billion in contracted Azure services—both placing massive bets on AI dominance.

Google’s first 2026 core update finished its 12-day rollout. You can now assess impact and adjust your content strategy.

Expanded chip agreements “put the spotlight back on Broadcom as a major winner” and could pave the way for earnings upside, analysts say.

The company’s A.I.-generated answers look authoritative, but they draw on an array of sources, from trustworthy sites to Facebook posts.

Google Photos adds AI Enhance and video speed controls on Android, bringing faster edits and more flexible playback, though rollout timing still varies across devices and regions

Rivals OpenAI, Anthropic PBC, and Alphabet Inc.’s Google have begun working together to try to clamp down on Chinese competitors extracting results from cutting-edge US artificial intelligence models to gain an edge in the global AI race.