Google I/O 2025 happened earlier this week, and while there was no new hardware to speak of, the company barraged developers with new AI announcements, search features and bafflingly pricy subscriptions.
First up is the new AI Mode chatbot in search. AI Mode handles more complex queries than traditional search, somewhere between striking up a chat with Gemini and barreling into a traditional Google search. You could, for example, compare multiple cars you’re considering buying or parse travel options for your next big vacation.
AI Mode can simulate how you might look in a new piece of clothing (you have to upload a photo of yourself first to do so), and Google can even track pricing in your size and preferred color.
AI Mode augments Google’s AI Overviews, powered by Gemini. You’ve probably seen them summarizing your search requests (and often getting things wrong, in my experience). When the Overviews do get things right, it means you never have to leave Google Search, which is great for Google but not for the places where Google got the answer. In fact, the News/Media Alliance says AI Mode is theft. President and CEO Danielle Coffey said, “Google just takes content by force and uses it with no return, the definition of theft.”
The most interesting announcement for me was Google’s latest upgrades to video generation and AI video creation tools.
It unveiled Veo 3, the first iteration of Google’s AI video generator that can make videos with sound slightly more realistic (less unhinged video). It’s joined by a new filmmaking app called Flow, which is based on the experimental VideoFX feature Google’s been working on for a few years.
With Flow, you can edit and extend existing shots, add and choose camera movement and perspective controls and even fold AI video content generated with Veo into projects.
But it still looks kinda weird.
— Mat Smith
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The news you might have missed
So far: laptops, speakers, cordless vacuums.
In years past, we’ve seen solid Memorial Day sales on many of our favorite tablets, headphones, charging accessories, robot vacuums and more. That’s on top of all the seasonal items that usually get discounted at this time, like smart grills, pizza ovens and outdoor tech. If you’re tempted but not entirely sold, here’s your reminder that Amazon Prime Day typically happens in July. Maybe you can wait.
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Got too much money?
Maybe you want access to the most impressive AI features Google revealed this week. Maybe you want to play around with Flow. Well, you need either AI Pro ($20 a month) or the insane $250 sub to AI Ultra for some of the most intriguing, creativity-threatening features. Don’t worry, though! AI Ultra has an introductory offer of $125 for the first three months! What. A. Deal.
Google is trying to justify its pricing by including YouTube Premium and 30TB of cloud storage.
But YouTube Premium is $14 per month — what about the other $200-plus?
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This week’s technology wildcard.
io
OpenAI is buying Jony Ive’s startup, io, for $6.5 billion. And to celebrate, it took a black and white photo on an iPhone. Ive and his design studio, LoveForm, will continue to work independently of OpenAI. However, the other cofounders will become OpenAI employees
alongside about 50 other engineers, designers and researchers. Does this mean physical OpenAI devices on the horizon? Apparently, it won’t be a phone or a wearable.
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With an optional retro date stamp.
Fujifilm
The latest trend-baiting camera from Fujifilm is, well, adorable. The X Half is an 18-megapixel digital compact camera, but it uses half of a 1-inch sensor to shoot 3:4 vertical photos. The name comes from half-frame cameras that use a 35mm film frame sawed in half, which were popular in the ’60s, like the famous Olympus Pen F. It was great for ’60s photographers, who could double-up the shots on a single roll of film — but that’s not really an issue in the digital era.
The X Half has the same 3:4 vertical ratio as Fuji’s Instax Mini instant cameras, so you can make prints using an Instax Mini printer. Fujifilm had a viral hit with the X100 VI, so the even more unique (and tiny!) X Half could appeal to a similar group of shooters. It’s now on pre-order for $850 (in black, charcoal silver and silver) with shipping set to start on June 12.
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Yeah, it’s using AI.
Netflix will roll out AI-generated ads in 2026, which will play in the middle of a show or whenever users hit pause in its ad-supported plans. Netflix has been steadily increasing subscription costs for its ad-free plans, so maybe 2026 will offer a final push to the pricier subscriptions.
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