Key Points:
- Google enhances Gemini AI with new app integrations.
- School Time feature coming to Samsung Wear OS devices.
- Samsung Keyboard removes popular extensions.
Google Upgrades Gemini AI with Key App Integrations
Google’s Gemini AI assistant is receiving significant upgrades. It now integrates seamlessly with Google Calendar, Keep, and Tasks, allowing users to manage their schedules, notes, and to-do lists more efficiently. The official rollout is pending, but the updates are already visible in the app’s code, hinting at an imminent release.
Integration Details:
- Google Keep: Users can ask Gemini to create new notes and lists, add information, and modify existing entries.
- Google Tasks: Gemini can create new tasks, set reminders, and display current tasks along with their due dates.
- Google Calendar: Users can create and edit events, and view upcoming schedules.
Initially hinted at in May, these features are part of Google’s effort to replace Bard with Gemini AI, which offers on-device capabilities through models like Gemini Nano for Android smartphones.
School Time Feature Expands to Samsung Devices
Google’s School Time feature, which helps parents manage their children’s screen time, is expanding. Already available on Fitbit Ace LTE smartwatches, it will soon be accessible on selected Android devices and Samsung Wear OS smartwatches, including the Galaxy Watch series. School Time limits distractions by allowing parents to control which apps are accessible during school hours, ensuring that children can focus on their studies. Additionally, parents can supervise YouTube activities and manage app usage through Family Link.
Samsung Keyboard Removes Third-Party Extensions
In a quiet update, Samsung’s default keyboard has removed support for popular third-party extensions, including YouTube, Grammarly, and Spotify. This change, reported by SamMobile and supported by user posts on Reddit, indicates that these features were discontinued without much notice.
Previously, the Grammarly extension assisted with grammar corrections directly within the Samsung Keyboard app. The Spotify extension allowed users to search for and share music seamlessly, while the YouTube extension enabled quick searches and link sharing from within the keyboard. The reasons for their removal remain unclear, although there are speculations that safety concerns might have played a role.
Despite the removal of these extensions, the built-in “Writing Assistant” may serve as a replacement for Grammarly. However, its functionality appears limited on some devices. Samsung has yet to provide an official explanation for these changes.
