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Google now lets you explore the web side-by-side with AI Mode: Details

Google now lets you explore the web side-by-side with AI Mode: Details

by | Apr 17, 2026 | Technology


AI Mode in Chrome update (Image: Google)

2 min read Last Updated : Apr 17 2026 | 12:51 PM IST


Google has introduced a new way to browse the web with AI Mode in Chrome. According to Google, the latest update allows users to explore websites and interact with AI simultaneously without switching between tabs. The new features include the ability to open web pages side-by-side with the AI Mode interface, as well as the option to include multiple tabs, images and files in queries.


AI Mode in Chrome


With the updated AI Mode in Chrome, users can now open web pages side-by-side with the AI interface. This means when you click on a link, it appears next to AI Mode instead of replacing your current view. As a result, users can read content, compare information and ask follow-up questions without losing their original context.

 
 


For example, if someone is searching for a coffee maker, they can describe their needs in AI Mode and get suggestions. When they open a product page, it appears alongside the AI Mode chat, allowing them to ask questions like how easy it is to clean or whether it fits their requirements. The AI uses both the webpage and broader web data to provide answers, helping users make quicker decisions.


Search across tabs and files

Google is also adding the ability to search across multiple open tabs. Users can select tabs, images or files like PDFs and include them in their AI queries. This allows for more context-aware responses without needing to manually switch between sources. For instance, someone researching hiking trails can add several open tabs and ask for recommendations based on them. Students can also combine lecture notes, slides and study material to get clearer explanations or additional examples for difficult topics. 

 


Google said that early testers say that this feature reduces the need for constant tab switching and helps users stay focused. By combining search and browsing into one view, Google said that it is aiming to make information discovery more efficient and easier to manage within Chrome.

 

First Published: Apr 17 2026 | 12:51 PM IST



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OpenAI updates Codex with memory, automation, plugins and more: What's new

OpenAI updates Codex with memory, automation, plugins and more: What's new

by | Apr 17, 2026 | Technology



OpenAI has announced a major update to Codex, expanding its role beyond coding into a more active assistant across the entire software development cycle. The update introduces features such as computer control, memory, automation and deeper integrations with developer tools to help users handle tasks from start to finish. It also brings over 90 new plugins that combine skills, app integrations and MCP servers, allowing Codex to gather context and take actions across a wider range of tools.


Codex update: What’s new


According to the latest update, Codex is no longer limited to writing code. It can now operate a user’s computer by seeing, clicking and typing using its own cursor. Multiple agents can run tasks in parallel without interrupting ongoing work, which can be useful for testing apps or making frontend changes in tools that don’t offer APIs.

 
 


The app also includes an in-app browser, allowing users to interact directly with web pages and give instructions. This feature is currently useful for frontend and game development and is expected to expand further over time.

 


Improved tools and integrations

 


Codex now supports image generation using a built-in model, making it easier to create visuals, mockups and design elements within the same workflow. Codex uses GPT-image-1.5 to generate and refine images alongside code and screenshots. Additionally, more than 90 new plugins have been introduced, enabling integration with tools such as JIRA, GitLab, Microsoft apps and other developer platforms.

 

The app also adds features such as reviewing pull requests, managing multiple terminal tabs, connecting to remote systems via SSH and previewing files such as PDFs and spreadsheets. It also offers a summary panel that helps track ongoing tasks, sources and outputs in one place. 

 


Automation and memory

 


Codex now supports automation for long-term tasks, allowing it to reuse past conversations, schedule work and continue tasks over time. Its automation features can retain previously built context from existing threads, helping workflows stay consistent. It can also schedule tasks in advance and automatically resume ongoing work, even across days or weeks. The blog mentioned that the teams use these automations to handle tasks such as closing open pull requests, following up on work and tracking conversations across tools like Slack, Gmail and Notion.

 

Codex is also introducing a preview of memory, allowing it to retain useful context such as preferences, corrections and past inputs to improve future tasks. It can now also suggest next steps by using context from projects, plugins and previous activity, helping users pick up where they left off with a prioritised list of actions. For example, it may highlight pending tasks from documents or messages and present a prioritised list of actions. 

 


Availability and rollout

 


The update is rolling out to Codex desktop app users signed in with ChatGPT. Personalisation features, including context-aware suggestions and memory, will roll out to Enterprise, Edu and EU and UK users soon. Initially, computer control is available on macOS, with wider availability planned.

 



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Netflix iPhone app may get vertical video feed by April-end: Know more

Netflix iPhone app may get vertical video feed by April-end: Know more

by | Apr 17, 2026 | Technology



Netflix could soon offer a vertical video feed on its iPhone app. According to a report by 9To5Google, Netflix announced the update in a letter to its shareholders following its latest earnings call. As per the report, this feed could start rolling out to users before the end of April and will let users scroll through clips and previews that can help with content discovery.


Netflix iPhone app update: Details


The report said that Netflix highlighted an interface redesign for its app on iOS. It added that the new interface will include a vertical video feed, allowing users to scroll through clips and previews more dynamically. The company also reportedly confirmed that the redesigned app, including the vertical video feature, will be available before the end of April. 

 

“In addition to continued innovation on our new TV UI, after a period of testing and iteration, we are launching an updated mobile experience at the end of the month that includes a vertical video discovery feed,” Netflix said, as per the report.

 
This move signals Netflix’s attempt to align with evolving user habits, especially as vertical scrolling formats have become increasingly popular across platforms. By integrating this feature, Netflix aims to simplify content discovery and make browsing more interactive on mobile devices.


 
Meanwhile, Netflix has also been expanding its offerings beyond traditional streaming. Earlier this month, the company introduced a new app called Netflix Playground, which features mini-games and is included with a regular subscription. The app is aimed at younger users and is positioned to compete with platforms like Apple Arcade.



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Apple marketing executive for watch, AirPods, home and health retires

Apple marketing executive for watch, AirPods, home and health retires

by | Apr 17, 2026 | Technology



By Mark Gurman

 


Apple Inc.’s marketing executive in charge of the Apple Watch, AirPods, health and smart home initiatives said he’s retiring, marking a changing of the guard for a series of key product lines.

 


Stan Ng, who has worked at Apple for 31 years, said Thursday that he is leaving the company. In his role, he helped devise the original Apple Watch and has overseen the development of subsequent versions of the device along with other notable accessories.

 


His claim to fame at the company was helping launch the original iPod and serving as a key marketing executive for that product line. He also participated in product launch videos for major releases, including the iPod touch in 2007. 

 
 


“After 31 years at Apple, today was my last day,” Ng wrote on LinkedIn. “It was a joy to work at Apple and I truly loved what I did.” Ng started at Apple as a system engineer in 1995, predating the return of Steve Jobs. 

 


Apple’s latest stock unit vesting date was Wednesday, and many employees who retire or leave choose to do so around this time. John Giannandrea, Apple’s longtime artificial intelligence chief, is also leaving, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday. 

 


Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Ng’s exit.

 


Ng’s departure adds to a list of major figures stepping away, spanning both the Jobs era and current Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook’s tenure. Last year, operations chief Jeff Williams retired, while former hardware engineering leader Dan Riccio exited the year prior.

 


Apple’s head of environment and government affairs, Lisa Jackson, retired earlier this year, while its longtime general counsel — and now Jackson’s replacement as head of government affairs — is set to leave later in 2026. Its head of user interface design, Alan Dye, left for Meta Platforms Inc. at the end of 2025.

 


Ng is the third major executive tied to the company’s smartwatch, health and fitness efforts to leave recently. Williams ran those groups until his retirement, while Jay Blahnik, the company’s head of Fitness+, is leaving after an investigation and lawsuit related to allegations about his behavior. 

 


Ng’s exit is also significant for Apple’s marketing organization, which is run by senior vice president Greg Joswiak. Ng reported to Bob Borchers, who oversees product marketing under Joswiak. Marketing leaders at Apple go beyond advertising and help lead product development. 

 


The company maintains separate marketing leads for the iPhone, software, enterprise initiatives, the iPad and Mac, and Vision Pro — all reporting to Borchers — while its head of developer marketing reports directly to Joswiak. Apple recently appointed its first head of marketing for AI, also under Joswiak.

 


Part of Ng’s role has been assumed by Erik Treski, who was referenced in last month’s AirPods Max update announcement. He oversees marketing for audio and home products. 



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Gucci may launch Android XR-powered smart glasses in 2027: What to expect

Gucci may launch Android XR-powered smart glasses in 2027: What to expect

by | Apr 17, 2026 | Technology



Gucci is planning to enter the smart glasses segment in partnership with Google, according to a report by Reuters. Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering — the French conglomerate that owns Gucci — said the company is targeting a 2027 launch timeline, speaking on the sidelines of the group’s capital markets day in Florence, Italy. Google has not commented on the development.


Gucci Smart Glasses: What we know


Details about the product remain limited, but the report suggests that the glasses will be developed in partnership with Google and will likely use the company’s Android XR platform. 


The planned launch would place Gucci in direct competition with existing smart eyewear products such as Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which are developed by EssilorLuxottica in collaboration with Meta.

 


 
It should also be noted that Google has already announced partnerships with other eyewear brands such as Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, which are expected to collaborate with Samsung for their anticipated Galaxy Glasses. 


While there is no word on what the glasses will look like or what features they will offer, they could deliver a similar experience to Meta’s co-branded smart glasses, with a built-in camera for imaging and recording, as well as providing visual context to the AI assistant. The glasses may also include built-in speakers and microphones, enabling calls, music playback and interaction with the assistant.


Other smart glasses in development


Both Samsung and Apple are said to be working on smart glasses to rival Meta’s offerings. These are not expected to feature built-in displays, instead relying on cameras, microphones and speakers. Samsung’s smart glasses are expected to be powered by a Qualcomm chip and could function as a standalone device, while Apple’s version may rely on a connected iPhone for processing.


 
Snap has also announced the creation of Specs Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary that will oversee its smart glasses development. The company said it plans to launch its augmented reality (AR) glasses, called ‘Specs’, this year. 


The British consumer electronics brand Nothing is also said to be exploring AI-powered smart glasses that could launch in 2027, according to a Bloomberg report.



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Govt forms high-level inter-ministerial body to steer AI governance plan

Govt forms high-level inter-ministerial body to steer AI governance plan

by | Apr 16, 2026 | Technology



A high-level inter-ministerial body, AI Governance and Economic Group, headed by Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, has been constituted to steer the country’s national AI governance strategy, an official statement said on Thursday.


AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG) will coordinate policy across ministries, departments and sectoral regulators and oversee cross-sectoral governance issues.


“The AIGEG will operate as the apex inter-ministerial body within India’s AI governance institutional framework. It will be supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee (TPEC), which will offer expert advisory to the AIGEG on global developments, emerging technologies, risks, regulation and other evolving priorities relating to AI policy and governance,” the statement said.

 


The inter-ministerial body will be chaired by the union electronics and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw whose portfolio spans railways and Information and Broadcasting.


Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada will serve as vice chairperson of AIGEG. The membership brings together senior stakeholders from the government across policy development, science and technology, security and economic affairs.Besides several tasks for AI governance, AIGEG will assess the labour market impacts of AI adoption in advance, and develop mitigation strategies and transition plans that account for informality, skill diversity and regional variations.


AIGEG will work with industry and other stakeholders to develop a roadmap for Al deployment over the next decade, including assessment of job profiles affected, geographical concentration ofimpacts. and the extent of automation and augmentation.


It will classify AI use cases into categories such as “deploy”, “pilot” and “defer” based on readiness in terms of data availability, skills, legal frameworks and capacity for labour adjustment.


AIGEG will review existing mechanisms and issue guidelines to ensure that firms are held accountable for compliance with local laws, oversee national initiatives on AI governance across the public and private sector, promote responsible AI innovation and beneficial deployment of AI in key sectors, study the emerging risks of AI, regulatory gaps and the need for legal amendments.


The terms of reference of AIGEG also include development and overseeing India’s position and strategy on Al governance.


“The constitution of the AIGEG gives formal effect to institutional recommendations made in India’s AI Governance Guidelines and the Economic Survey,” the statement said.


India’s AI Governance Guidelines recommend the establishment of an inter-ministerial body to steer a whole-of-government approach to AI governance, with a view to aligning the actions of ministries, departments, regulators and advisory bodies around a coherent national strategy.


The Economic Survey had mentioned the need for a coordinating authority capable of aligning AI deployment with labour realities and social stability priorities.



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