If you’re using an Android phone, you’ve probably noticed that Google’s Gemini AI assistant seems to be popping up everywhere, the same way it’s been popping into Google Search, Docs, YouTube, etc. And this is true even if you aren’t using a Google-branded phone. Turns out, that’s no accident because Google is paying Samsung loads of money to make sure Gemini is front and center on its phones. The information comes from a predictable source: testimony in the ongoing and potentially disastrous Google antitrust case. (No, not that one, the other one. Google has lost two separate antitrust cases brought by the US federal government in the last year.) Bloomberg reports that Google is paying Samsung “an enormous sum of money” to put Gemini on its phones and integrate it into the One UI Android skin, according to Google platform and device partnership VP Peter Fitzgerald. The executive testified that the terms of the deal mean Google pays Samsung for every device that’s preloaded with Gemini and heavily featuring it in the system. Samsung also gets a cut of the advertising revenue generated from Gemini searches and other actions. The contract was set in place for at least two years, though the precise parameters (and how much an “enormous sum” amounts to) aren’t known. It makes sense for Samsung. The company has been pushing its latest Galaxy devices as chock-full of AI capabilities (with a skeptical-at-best response from the technology press), and of course it’s pretty rare for a giant company to turn down dump trucks full of money. And this is a familiar move from Google, who’s known to pay Apple billions every year to keep its search on the iPhone and other devices. Less straightforward transactions—like insisting that phone makers load up their devices with Google services like Docs, Maps, and YouTube in order to keep access to the de facto standard Google Play Store app platform—have gotten the company in regulatory trouble before. Users aren’t exactly thrilled with Gemini. As it fills up Google Search with answers of questionable utility and replaces long-term Google integrations like Google Assistant for smart device management, plenty of people are looking for alternatives. Apropos of nothing, did I tell you I really like the Vivaldi browser? It remains to be seen what’ll happen as a result of the antitrust verdicts. The US Department of Justice wants to force Google to divest itself of the Chrome browser, and the same might happen to Google’s advertising business. Either (or both) would be a crushing blow to the tech giant, possibly knocking it out of its leading category. But it’s far from certain whether these results will come about, and Google will exhaust appeals and every other option to keep them from happening. Read...

Google is having a bit of a moment. It’s not quite an Enron- or FTX-style “abandon ship” situation, but between two separate US antitrust rulings on its core search and advertising businesses, it’s a five-alarm fire. One of the possible outcomes is Google selling off the Chrome browser… and it looks like one possible buyer is OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT. OpenAI’s head of product for ChatGPT is named Nick Turley, and he testified at the remedy phase of the Department of Justice’s successful monopoly suit against Google. When asked if OpenAI would be interested in buying the Chrome browser from Google, Turley didn’t mince words. “Yes, we would,” he responded, “as would many other parties.” That’s according to The Information. The fact that plenty of other companies would be interested in relieving Google of the burden of Chrome isn’t surprising. It’s the most popular browser on the planet, and its open-source Chromium codebase powers most other browsers (including Microsoft’s Edge, Opera, plus smaller players like Brave, Vivaldi, and Arc). The only major players left on the market that don’t use Chromium are Firefox and Apple’s Safari. Divested of its deep ties to Google for search, advertising, and mobile integration on Android, Chrome would be less of a crowning jewel of web properties. But it would still be enormously beneficial, a potentially huge profit-maker all on its own. And more pertinently, it would be even more useful in a broader technology toolbox for a tech giant like Microsoft. They’ve been pretty desperate to gain back ground in the browser wars ever since Internet Explorer lost its dominance. But let’s examine this from the perspective of OpenAI. Despite being in its infancy, the popularity of ChatGPT and the broader rise of “AI” tools has propelled OpenAI to the forefront of the tech industry. OpenAI’s GPT underlies Microsoft’s Copilot system, and it’s integrated into more and more products and services every day (for better or worse). Meanwhile, CEO Sam Altman is rubbing shoulders with elites from industry and government. Even so, some critics have questioned OpenAI’s ability to continue on its current trajectory without some kind of giant technological leap. Despite a massive increase in profile and billions in revenue, the company has yet to turn a profit, and does not expect to for years at least. Suddenly, having the keys to the world’s most popular browser would change a lot of variables in that equation. It would, almost certainly, put ChatGPT and other generative AI tools front and center in the way most users experience the web. It would make OpenAI a direct competitor to companies like Apple and its current partner Microsoft. It would put it on the map for the same kind of advertising and user data tracking that got Google in trouble in the first place. And perhaps most importantly, it would give OpenAI a treasure trove of data from billions of users around the world, all the better to train its models. Most of this is educated guessing, albeit fairly obvious conclusions to draw. The DOJ wants Google to be forced to split off Chrome in some capacity, but we’ll have to see if the federal judge actually goes for that as a punitive option. And assuming that happens, Google will exhaust every legal possibility (and probably spend a small country’s GDP on lawyers in the process) to hold onto one of its most important business assets. If all that comes to pass and Chrome is still put up on the auction block, the buyer might be subject to yet more approval in the US and beyond. The situation is, in a word, complicated. And there’s not much we can do in the meantime but wait and see how it plays out. Read...

The past year has been anything but positive for tech giant Intel. The company has suffered nightmarish processor woes, been eliminated from the dedicated graphics card market, and, to add insult to injury, laid off 15,000 employees last year. Unfortunately, those layoffs weren’t the end of it and more appear to be in store for the company. Bloomberg reports that Intel plans to lay off another 21,000 employees, or about 20 percent of its entire workforce. The company is expected to announce the layoffs later this week. Intel’s newly appointed CEO Lip-Bu Tan—who came on in March 2025, replacing Pat Gelsinger after he stepped down in December 2024—aims to streamline management and rebuild a work culture that’s focused on technology and engineering, according to Bloomberg. Tan said all the right things when he made his opening statements as Intel’s new chief executive last month, asking for “brutal honesty” while promising to “turn things around” and capping it all off with a bold claim: “I will make it perfect.” As devastating as it is for a company to slash a fifth of its workforce, we can only wait and see if this move is what Intel needs to re-establish itself and make a much-needed comeback. Read...

When just about every tech sector has been touched by AI – yes, even your run-of-the-mill thermal paste (I’m still not sure how, though) – it’s no surprise that VPN operators have found a way to integrate AI enhancements into their software too. In VPNs, AI is being used for everything from threat detection and response to the creation of personalized security profiles for users. You could say it’s changing the toolsets VPNs have to protect their users’ privacy and combat cyber threats online. But are AI-enhanced VPNs any better than traditional VPNs? Further reading: The best VPN services How AI-enhanced VPNs differ from traditional VPNs The quick answer to the above question is: Yes, they are better – because of the benefits that AI-driven VPNs bestow. The main difference between AI-enhanced VPNs and traditional VPNs is that the former incorporate AI-driven bots to manage the VPN connections and other processes, whereas traditional VPNs rely mostly on old-fashioned algorithms. These AI-driven bots are like smart assistants that continuously analyze network conditions and threats on the fly, thereby tightening the screws on network traffic and security and also analyzing your preferences for the most personalized experience possible. The biggest benefit is speed; AI-enhanced VPNs provide faster connectivity than traditional VPNs since they’re able to overcome the slow connectivity that traffic-monitoring and encryption by VPNs can cause. One way they do that is by dynamically monitoring server loads and then shifting connections to less congested servers. But they can also do things like optimize your connection based on your preferences or your browser search history, making your browsing far quicker and more tailored to your browsing needs. Say you’re gaming or streaming and need the quickest connection possible, your AI-driven VPN may pause all updates or background processes so that you get the smoothest data transfer speeds possible – that’s just one example of how it can work. Enhanced encryption is another big benefit of AI-enhanced VPNs. AI bots in these VPNs can quickly and efficiently pinpoint vulnerabilities in existing cryptographic profiles and adopt newer profiles without needing any human intervention, while traditional VPNs need operator input. That means they can adapt quicker to new threats from hackers and malware, thereby enhancing threat detection for their users. They can more easily suggest user-specific responses to threats too. NordVPN is just one VPN using AI tools.  Pexels: Stefan Coders Which VPNs are using AI? Most well-known VPNs have already integrated some kind of AI technology into their software and servers – but some use it more than others. ExpressVPN, for example, uses an AI-powered system that adjusts its encryption methods based on the type of data being transmitted by users. This is especially useful for remote workers, since it provides them with an extra layer of security against hackers. ExpressVPN also uses AI to suggest the quickest server locations. Another popular VPN, Avast SecureLine VPN, uses AI to enhance its threat-detection capabilities – which enables it to more easily identify and block unauthorized login attempts to user accounts. Then there are VPNs that excel at using AI to prevent phishing scams. One of these, Symlex VPN, claims to be the first VPN to use AI to prevent location-based phishing attempts that rely on a users’ geographical location. NordVPN, too, uses an AI-enabled browser extension it calls Sonar to spot potential phishing scams, which are increasingly becoming harder for users to identify. mentioned in this article NordVPN Best Prices Today: $3.39 at NordVPN (Monthly) Are there any limitations to AI-enhanced VPNs? Like other forms of AI, the AI technologies incorporated into VPNs do have their limitations. One problem VPN operators currently have to deal with is when their AI bots make false positive identifications of threats, making it more difficult for users to access legitimate data or communications. Another concern is the fact that AI algorithms require access to considerable amounts of user data to be trained, which could jeopardize user privacy. Although, you could argue that since VPNs are in the business of safeguarding user privacy, some level of trust is required on the part of the user. These are challenges that need to be further addressed, and I’m sure they will be as companies continue to develop and finesse their use of AI technologies in VPNs into the future. Further reading: 5 VPN features you need to start using today Read...

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Intel is allegedly releasing a “free” overclocking tool called “200S Boost” for Intel Core Ultra 200 Series processors, which could lift performance by about 7 percent without voiding your warranty. Intel has yet to formally announce the technology, but the company’s announcement was spoiled by its partners, including Gigabyte, and by Tom’s Hardware, who obtained leaked firmware to test the new tool. According to Hot Hardware, the 200S Boost technology requires a Core Ultra 9 285K, a Core Ultra 7 265K or 265KF, or a 245K/KF chip; a qualified motherboard with an Intel Z890 chipset; and 8,000 MT/s RAM with an XMP profile. Although Hot Hardware suggests that all Z890 motherboards should be able to take advantage of the 200S Boost feature, not all will include the necessary optimizations to do so. What the new Core 200S Boost feature does is simply overclock the chip’s memory and fabric speeds rather than adjust the clock speeds or power settings, Tom’s Hardware reports. Specifically, the NGU/SA fabric is now clocked at 3.2 GHz (up from 2.6 GHz) and the die-to-die communication fabric is now also clocked at 3.2 GHz (up from 2.1 GHz). The fact that Intel is doing this while still preserving its warranty coverage is somewhat remarkable. Whether or not you’ll be able to get Intel’s Core 200S Boost technology, however, is up to your motherboard manufacturer. When (if) they release a BIOS update for your board to include the new feature, you’ll need to go to any overclocking options provided by the BIOS and enable the new 200S Boost overclocking upgrade. MSI, for example, offered this configuration guide below: Intel’s Arrow Lake-S desktop processors emphasized lower power, but at “parity” performance for games and an overall geomean that was expected to be lower than Intel’s 14th-gen parts. A “free” boost might not be able to make up that lack, but it’s an improvement. Read...

It’s never easy to decide what to pack for a trip. Whether you’re packing light for some quick business or heading out on the next big family vacation, it’s important to bring the right tech. Here at PCWorld we’re continually testing the latest gadgets to sort the good from the bad. This means we’ve had the opportunity to find the best tech gear and accessories built for travel. From voltage converters to noise-cancelling headphones, we’ve curated a list of the very best tech gear to optimize your next travel experience. The items below are worthy of any packing list and will help you prepare for anything you may encounter on the road—or in the sky. Manage electrical needs with a voltage converter BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter 220V to 110V Bestek, Mapambo When you’re traveling from the U.S. to Europe, for instance, you don’t just need a different type of plug for your chargers and gadgets, but also a voltage converter because Europe runs on different settings. The Bestek Universal Travel Adapter will convert 220V outlets to U.S.-standard 110V, thus ensuring that your devices don’t burn out. It’s not only affordable, but it has three AC outlets and four USB ports. Plus, the product comes with a couple of extra plug adapters. If a more compact version is all you need, then the Mapambo converter will work just fine with one AC plug, two type-C, and two type-A ports. Buy the BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter at Amazon Buy the Mapambo 220V to 110V Voltage Converter at Amazon Take control of tangled cords Rolling Square inCharge 6 Portable Keychain Charger Cable Rolling Square If you’re like most travelers, you bring multiple electronics to make the most of your experience—we’re talking camera, phone, laptop, headphones, etc. But along with all of these items, you’ll need to carry all of their charging cables. That can take up space and lead to a tangled web of cords in your bag if you’re not careful. With the Rolling Square inCharge 6 Portable Charger Cable on Amazon, you have the option of USB-C or USB-A inputs and Micro USB or USB-C outputs all in a cable that is small enough for your keychain. Buy the Rolling Square Portable Charger Cable at Amazon Keep your devices charged with a portable power bank Anker GaN Prime Power Bank 2-in-1 10,000mAh portable power bank with wall charger Anker Traveling is always fun, but ending up with a depleted phone battery in an unknown place can be terrifying. This Anker Prime power bank takes up two roles in one. On one hand, it can plug into a wall outlet and give you the recharge you need while you’re at your hotel, for instance, but it can also act as a power bank when you’re out and about exploring. 10,000mAh is enough to charge your phone twice over (or close to that). There are three ports on this Anker hybrid charger, two of which are type-C that can reach 65W charging. It’s available for $110, but you can often find it closer to $70 when on sale. Buy the Anker GaN Prime Power Bank 2-in-1 Charger at Amazon Never lose your valuables again Apple AirTag, Tile Pro, Samsung SmartThings, Tile Slim Apple, Tile, Samsung We’ve all been there. You arrive at your destination and you’re waiting for your checked bag to show up on the carousel, but it never does. Baggage handling is at it again. With a Bluetooth tracker you can easily keep tabs on where your bag is and maybe even help TSA locate it, should it be lost. There are quite a few Bluetooth trackers on the market that you can get. Apple users should look into the AirTag, while Android users can choose Samsung’s SmartTag2. Anyone can go for the Tile Pro. If you’re more worried about your wallet, Tile’s Slim tracker will neatly fit in there. These are all around $30 a piece, but you can quite often get them for less or in bundles, thus lowering the price even more. Buy the Apple AirTag at Amazon Buy the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 at Amazon Buy the Tile Pro at Amazon Buy the TIle Slim at Amazon Enjoy an in-flight movie without annoying headphone cables Twelve South AirFly Pro or Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver Ugreen, Twelve South Twelve South’s AirFly Pro Bluetooth wireless audio transmitter for $54.99 on Amazon (although it’s frequently on sale) allows you to turn any audio jack into a wireless Bluetooth transmitter. Simply plug in the device to the headphone jack on the back of the airplane seat and connect your wireless headphones. Then sit back and relax while you enjoy the in-flight entertainment on your sweet noise-canceling headphones. Alternatively, you can also go for the more affordable Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver, which is $36.99 but often drops below $30. Either will allow you to connect up to two earbuds or headphones. Buy the Twelve South AirFly Pro at Amazon Buy the Ugreen Airplane Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver at Amazon Drown out noise with noise-canceling earbuds AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 Apple, Bose Flying on an airplane is loud. Engines roar, babies cry, passengers snore. That’s why you need noise-canceling headphones, which have become essential tools in making your flight as easy as possible. And because you’re traveling and bag space is a premium, your headphones need to be small. Not just for iPhone users, but for anyone who needs good headphones, the AirPods Pro 2 for $225.00 on Amazon continue to be the best choice due to their convenient size and noise-canceling capability. If you’re an Android user, you may want to look into the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, which deliver something our buddies at TechAdvisor have called “astonishing noise cancellation” on top of superb sound quality and a secure fit. Get the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) at Amazon Buy the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 at Amazon Or get some noise-canceling headphones Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Max Apple, Sony If earbuds aren’t for you, then perhaps a pair of proper headphones will do the trick. The Sony WH-1000XM5 are easily some of the best noise-canceling headphones out there (as our friends at TechAdvisor attested with a 5-star review), delivering phenomenal audio and a comfortable build. Apple fans may want to look into the AirPods Max that are also known for what our friends at MacWorld call “industry leading active noise cancelling”. Buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 at Amazon Buy the Apple AirPods Max at Amazon Capture and print your favorite memories Fuji Instax Mini 12 instant camera Fujifilm Sure, you could bring a giant SLR camera with multiple lenses and an extra special carry-on bag to store everything. Or for those who aren’t professionals, you can opt for a small, retro instant camera such as the Fuji Instax Mini 12 for $143.95 on Amazon. Just like an old-school Polaroid, you can take a picture and instantly print it out to capture the moment. Just be aware that you’ll need to purchase and carry the film separately. Buy the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 at Amazon Keep your wires from getting crossed Bellroy Tech Kit Bellroy Bellroy is known for making great tech cases and kits, and the Bellroy Tech Kit for $59.00 on Amazon is our favorite. This well designed, travel-friendly bag allows you to keep all of your cables and small peripherals stored and organized with ease. The folio style means that you can open the entire kit out flat for easy access to everything stored inside. Plus, the fabric is waterproof so you shouldn’t have to worry about a little liquid spilling on your precious gear. Buy the Bellroy Tech Kit at Amazon Game in-route to your destination Steam Deck, Switch OLED, or Backbone One Backbone, Nintendo, Valve The Steam Deck for $399 on the Steam store is a great handheld gaming system that allows you to play your favorite PC games on the go. It wasn’t so long ago that the Steam Deck was sold out everywhere and people were clamoring to get one. Thankfully, Valve has increased its supply and it’s easier than ever to get your hands on this excellent gaming portable. Play games from your Steam library on the go or load up on new titles for your next vacation. Gaming makes those long-haul flights a breeze. If you’d rather go for a different platform, the Switch OLED is an absolutely fantastic gaming console. And yes, we know the Switch 2 is en route, but good luck getting your hands on one of those anytime soon. If you’d really just play on your phone, but have an upgraded experience, the Backbone One will mold to your phone, whether that’s an Android or iPhone model, and will help you play anything you want, including titles in your Xbox, PlayStation, or Steam libraries. Buy the Steam Deck at Steam Store Buy the Nintedo Switch OLED at Amazon Buy the Backbone One at Amazon Keep your hands and wrists happy while typing Logitech MX Keys Mini Logitech Laptop keyboards are cramped and can lead to some serious wrist pain if you type on them for long enough. Save yourself the carpal tunnel and grab a wireless keyboard like the Logitech MX Keys Mini. This compact keyboard is not only easy to travel with, but offers convenient features such as a semi-customizable layout, multi-device switching, and more. And the most important part is that it offers a great typing experience with comfortable and quiet keys that won’t bother your fellow travelers. The MX Keys Mini is currently $99.99 on Amazon. Buy the Logitech MX Keys Mini at Amazon Carry a library everywhere you go Kindle Paperwhite Amazon Books are a great thing to have around on vacation, but they’re heavy and they take up precious space in your luggage. Instead opt for an e-reader like the Kindle Paperwhite for $159.99 on Amazon and bring an entire library worth of books in this lightweight tablet. Plus the Paperwhite version comes with an anti-glare screen and adjustable brightness settings making it perfect for a bright beach or dark airplane. Not sure which Kindle to buy? Check out our handy Kindle buying guide to help you make the right choice. Buy the Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon Grab a mobile hotspot to stay in range of Wi-Fi range Solis Lite 4G LTE WiFi Mobile Hotspot Solis Those who travel a lot know that Wi-Fi is essential. From being able to work online while on the road or just looking up restaurant recommendations in another country, it’s an invaluable tool to get the most out of your travel experience. There are quite a few services nowadays offering pocket Wi-Fi for travelers, but Solis is one of the best with reliable global coverage across 135 countries. Plus, it has flexible plans depending upon your needs. You’ll need to purchase the Solis Lite Mobile Hotspot for $159.99 on Amazon before registering for a Wi-Fi plan, but it’s only a one-time fee and you can then use it on all of your future trips. Buy the Solis Lite Mobile Hotspot at Amazon Never worry about safe tap water again Philips Water GoZero self-cleaning water bottle Philips No matter if you’re traveling to a new city or going camping, making sure that you have access to clean and potable water is a necessity. The Philips Water GoZero bottles bring in some smart technology to ensure the water is safe to drink. Available for $73.89 at Amazon (or lower when on sale), the bottle uses UV technology to eliminate up to 99.999 percent of bacteria and 99.9 percent of viruses in just a few minutes. Even when empty, the cap can disinfect your bottle and remove odors. Made out of stainless steel and double-walled, the bottle won’t just purify your water, it will also keep your drinks hot for up to 12 hours or cold for 24 hours. Buy the Philips Water GoZero water bottle at Amazon Mount your smartphone on anything Universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount Perilogics This Universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount for $13.97 on Amazon allows you to easily clip your phone onto an airplane seat for hands-free convenience. Maybe you loaded up that latest season of your favorite show or have a game to occupy that long-haul flight. Either way, holding your phone with a craned neck for hours and hours is bound to give you a strain. Just hook this bad boy up to the back of the seat in front of you on the airplane then sit back, relax, and enjoy. Buy the Universal in flight phone holder at Amazon Travel with an ultraportable laptop Asus ZenBook S 14 Thomas Rau If you’re going to get a super-light laptop, the Zenbook S 14 is a fantastic pick because it weighs just 2.65 pounds, which make sit lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air. We gave this one a 4.5-star rating and our Editors’ Choice award, appreciating the fantastic battery life and lovely large OLED screen. Plus, the laptop has an Ultra 7 processor, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. You can also check out our other best ultraportables or our best laptop roundup for even more options. Buy the Asus ZenBook S 14 at Best Buy Or opt for a 2-in-1 for even more versatility HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 IDG / Josh Hendrickson If you want a more versatile laptop, then a 2-in-1 model will do like our very favorite HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. The 360-degree hinge will make it easy for you to turn this laptop into a tablet and into a Netflix-watching tent in a blink. The 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touch display is absolutely gorgeous and the 500 nits make it perfect to use everywhere you go. Buy the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 at Amazon Increase your screen real-estate with a travel monitor Azorpa A1 Gamut Matt Smith Sometimes you just need a second monitor, even when you’re traveling. The extra screen really helps productivity for business travelers and it makes for a great way to play your portable games on a larger screen while on the road. We really like the Azorpa A1 Gamut which delivers good image quality for an extremely budget friendly price—the A1 Gamut is usually about $70 on Amazon. It also comes with useful connectivity options and a solid build quality that will stand up the rigors of travel.  Buy the Arzopa A1 at Amazon Grab some extra storage Crucial X9 Pro IDG If you plan on taking about a million pictures and videos and you want to have a safe way to back them up without relying on random hotel Wi-Fi, then you can also grab a portable SSD. The Crucial X9 Pro is the best external SSD for most folks because it’s not only affordable but also super fast. We gave the X9 Pro a near-perfect score and our Editors’ Choice award, utterly impressed with the 10Gbps performance and the small form factor. Buy the Crucial X9 Pro at Amazon Stream content in your hotel room Amazon Fire TV Stick HD Amazon If you’re going to travel, you may as well keep up with your shows. The Amazon Fire TV Stick HD makes it super easy to bring all your favorite shows with you anywhere you go. You’ll just need to pop this thing in the TV, connect it to the hotel’s Wi-Fi (or the hotspot you set up), and just have fun. It’s also super affordable, available for $35 (although it’s frequently on sale for $20 or less). Buy now at Amazon Read...

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