Now, Gemini on Google TV lets you edit images, create videos, and more

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 30, 2026 | Technology

Google has announced a set of updates for Google TV that bring artificial intelligence (AI) tools for creating images and videos, improve access to Google Photos, and add a new way to watch short-form videos from the home screen. The company said these features will roll out in phases, with several initially limited to Gemini-enabled devices in the US.

AI tools for images and videos

With the update, users will be able to generate images and videos directly on their TV using voice prompts. Google’s AI-powered image generation and editing tool, Nano Banana, allows users to edit or transform photos by describing changes. Its text-to-video model, Veo, can create short videos or animate existing images based on text input. With the update, these tools will be accessible on the TV through a dedicated Gemini tab. As for the availability, these features will roll out first on Gemini-enabled TCL Google TVs in the US.

Google Photos integration expands

Users will also be able to search their Google Photos library using voice commands, such as looking up specific trips or events.

Once located, images can be viewed in full screen or turned into slideshows. A new Remix option allows users to apply styles such as watercolour or oil painting directly on the TV.

Google Photos search and Remix will initially roll out on Gemini-enabled devices in the US.

Slideshow and home screen updates

When not streaming content, users can set Google Photos albums as dynamic slideshows. These display images in collage-style layouts with changing formats.

This feature will be available globally on eligible Google TV devices.

Google is also adding a “short videos for you” row on the home screen. This will surface a personalised feed of short-form content, starting with YouTube Shorts, allowing users to watch clips without opening a separate app.

The feature is expected to roll out to US devices later this summer.

Google Photos adds virtual wardrobe feature

Separately, Google is introducing a new AI-powered feature in Google Photos that organises a user’s photo library into a digital wardrobe.

The system identifies clothing items from existing images and categorises them into sections such as tops, bottoms and accessories. Users can mix and match outfits, create moodboards, and share them.

A virtual try-on option will allow users to preview how selected outfits might look, helping with planning for events or travel.

This feature will roll out in phases, starting with Android this summer, followed by iOS later.

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OnePlus merges with Realme as consolidation continues under BBK: Report

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 30, 2026 | Technology

OnePlus has reportedly undergone a major internal restructuring, with its operations now being merged with Realme. This follows an earlier report in which Realme told Reuters that it was being integrated into the Chinese consumer electronics company OPPO as a sub-brand. Now, according to 9To5Google, OnePlus has also joined this integration by merging with Realme. For the uninitiated, all of the aforementioned companies are part of the BBK Electronics conglomerate.

The report, citing Digital Chat Station on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, claims that OnePlus and Realme have been brought together under a new “sub-product centre,” covering both global and China operations. This restructuring is also said to extend to marketing and after-sales services, which will now be handled jointly across both brands.

The report added that the newly merged teams will operate under the leadership of Pete Lau, OPPO’s chief product officer and the founder of OnePlus. It further emphasised an increased focus on reusing product lines across brands, suggesting closer integration in product development going forward.

Where does OnePlus stand

Earlier in January, several reports claimed that OPPO was dismantling OnePlus. This was based on activities in the market that suggested that OnePlus was undergoing a controlled global scale-down, marked by declining shipments, reduced regional presence, and centralised decision-making in China. Android Headlines reported that the brand had shut its US headquarters in Dallas without public disclosure, scaled back marketing, reduced regional teams, and cancelled key products such as the Open 2 foldable and a compact flagship.

Following this report, OnePlus India CEO Robin Liu refuted the claims and clarified that business operations in India would continue as normal. Notably, this happened in January; however, by March, OnePlus India announced Liu’s exit from the company while reiterating that operations in the country would continue without disruption.

Following this, OnePlus reportedly pivoted towards a largely online-driven sales approach while reducing its presence in offline retail. At the same time, it expanded after-sales support by relying more heavily on OPPO’s service network.

According to a report by Moneycontrol, the company had begun a transition that could lead to most of its offline sales channels being phased out. Partner-operated exclusive stores across India were reportedly asked to shut down, with only three company-owned outlets in Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru expected to continue. Distributors in the general trade channel were also said to have been given a March 31 deadline for final billing, along with instructions to clear existing inventory without a transition window.

Now, with this merger with Realme in the picture, it appears that BBK Electronics is continuing its efforts to consolidate its portfolio globally.

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Google Photos will let you virtually try on outfit combinations using AI

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 30, 2026 | Technology

Google is introducing a new feature in Google Photos that uses AI to turn users’ existing photo library into a digital wardrobe. According to Google, the app will use AI to scan users’ existing photos, identify the clothes they have worn, and organise them into a virtual closet. The idea is to help users quickly see what they already own, mix and match outfits, and even preview how combinations might look without opening their physical wardrobe. The feature is expected to roll out in phases, starting this summer on Android devices, followed by iOS later.

Google Photos Wardrobe: How it works

According to the company, the feature relies on AI to automatically detect clothing items in images stored in Google Photos and group them into a dedicated “wardrobe” collection. Instead of manually uploading or tagging items, the system builds this collection from users’ past photos, giving them a visual inventory of their clothes. This means outfits users may have forgotten about or rarely used pieces can resurface.

Once the wardrobe is created, users can organise it further using filters. For example, they can sort items by categories such as tops, bottoms, or accessories like jewellery. This allows for a more structured view of clothing, similar to browsing sections in a retail app, but based entirely on what users already own.

Another key part of the feature is outfit creation. Users can mix and match different pieces from their digital wardrobe to plan looks for various occasions. These combinations can be saved in moodboards, which can be organised by themes such as travel, workwear, or events like weddings. The option to share these outfit ideas with friends is also included, adding a social element to the experience.

Google is also introducing a virtual try-on option. With this, users can select clothing items and preview how an outfit might look on them before actually wearing it. This could help in planning outfits or deciding what to pack for trips.

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Google Gemini can now generate PDFs, Docs and more from chat: What's new

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 30, 2026 | Technology

Google has introduced a new update for its AI chatbot, Gemini, that lets users generate complete, downloadable files directly within the app, including PDFs and various other file formats. According to Google, the feature removes the need to copy and paste content into other tools or manually format documents. With this update, Gemini can convert a simple prompt into ready-to-use outputs, including PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, and more, in a single step.

Generate files in Gemini: Details

According to Google, the idea behind this update is to remove the extra steps that usually come after brainstorming with AI. Earlier, users had to copy text from the chat, paste it into apps like Word or Excel, and then format it properly. With this change, Gemini handles that process itself. Users can ask it to create a structured document, and it will generate a file that is already formatted and ready to download or share.

The feature supports a wide range of formats. These include Google Workspace files such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides, along with common file types like PDF, DOCX, XLSX, and CSV. It also works with more specialised formats like LaTeX, Markdown (MD), Rich Text Format (RTF), and plain text (TXT). Once created, users can either download the file to their device or export it directly to Google Drive.

Google said that it can be useful in several real-world scenarios. For example, a user can turn a budget plan into an Excel spreadsheet, convert rough notes into a structured document, or compile long discussions into a concise PDF report. Users can also upload lecture notes and ask Gemini to generate a detailed study guide in PDF format, complete with visuals, graphs, and equations.

Other changes

Google is also expanding its existing personalisation and chat transfer tools to more regions. “Memories,” which allows Gemini to remember important details and preferences that users have previously shared, as well as a chat history import tool that adds the ability to import chats from other AI apps, are now rolling out in the UK and other European countries.

These features were introduced earlier this year and are already available in several regions, including India.

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White House opposes Anthropic plan to expand Mythos AI technology access

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 30, 2026 | Technology

By Hadriana Lowenkron and Mark Anderson

The White House opposes a plan by Anthropic PBC to expand access to its Mythos AI model, an administration official said Wednesday night.

Members of President Donald Trump’s administration have told Anthropic that they don’t agree with the company’s plan to grant access to its Mythos technology to roughly 70 companies and organizations, according to the official, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The misgivings regarding Mythos, a technology that the company says is powerful enough to enable dangerous cyberattacks, were reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal.

US officials are worried that Anthropic doesn’t have enough computing power to serve more Mythos users without affecting the government’s ability to use it effectively, according to the Journal, which cited unnamed sources.

A White House official told the newspaper that the administration was balancing innovation and security while cooperating with the private sector to ensure that artificial intelligence models are rolled out safely.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday night. Anthropic declined to comment.

Unveiled in early April, Mythos is purportedly able to detect and exploit vulnerabilities in a wide range of critical software.

Anthropic deemed it to be too dangerous for wide release and has instead let a limited group of companies begin testing it on their own systems. However, the model has been accessed by a small group of unauthorized users, Bloomberg News has reported.

The risk was underscored when a small group of unauthorized users in a private online forum gained access to Mythos on the same day that Anthropic first announced its limited release plan, according to a person familiar with the matter and documentation viewed by Bloomberg News.

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Anthropic weighs funding offers at over $900 billion valuation, tops OpenAI

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 30, 2026 | Technology

By Shirin Ghaffary, Natasha Mascarenhas and Ed Ludlow

Anthropic PBC has begun weighing a fresh funding round that would value the artificial intelligence developer at more than $900 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, potentially leapfrogging its longtime rival OpenAI as the world’s most valuable AI startup.

The Claude maker is entertaining offers from investors that would more than double its current valuation, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the information is not public. The considerations are at a very early stage and the company has yet to accept any offers, the people said.

Anthropic had previously resisted several inbound proposals from investors for a new round at a valuation of $800 billion or more, Bloomberg News has reported.

The new discussions, which have not been reported, coincide with a push by Anthropic to ramp up fundraising amid the breakout success of its AI software. Anthropic, which Bloomberg has reported is considering an initial public offering as soon as October, has been on the hunt for more infrastructure to meet growing demand for its products.

Anthropic declined to comment.

Google recently committed to invest $10 billion in Anthropic at a $350 billion valuation, the same amount it was valued at in a funding round in February. The Alphabet Inc.-owned company plans to invest up to another $30 billion in Anthropic if the startup hits certain performance targets.

Amazon.com Inc. is also investing $5 billion in Anthropic at a $350 billion valuation, with plans to inject $20 billion more over time. It’s unclear whether those two firms will be part of the upcoming funding round.

Founded in 2021 by a group of former OpenAI employees, Anthropic has since emerged as a leader in the AI sector. Anthropic has developed a series of AI tools aimed at overhauling the way businesses handle tasks from coding to cybersecurity.

In early April, the company unveiled a new model called Mythos that is purportedly able to detect and exploit vulnerabilities in a wide range of critical software. Anthropic deemed it to be too dangerous for wide release and has instead let a limited group of companies begin testing it on their own systems. However, the model has been accessed by a small group of unauthorized users, Bloomberg News has reported.

As Anthropic has gained momentum, it’s put new pressure on OpenAI, which is also widely expected to go public as soon as this year. The ChatGPT maker has reportedly missed some of its own targets for revenue and user growth as it contends with competition from Anthropic and Google.

OpenAI has taken steps to streamline its sprawling product portfolio to focus on AI agents and a new model. The company was most recently valued at $852 billion in a funding round completed in March.

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