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A Kansas mom is suing several porn sites for violating the state's new age-verification law.

Age-verification laws vary, but they typically require some type of proof of age to enter an explicit site — beyond a "yes or no" pop-up, which used the honor system — such as a government ID or facial recognition scan. Since 2022, nearly a third of the states in the U.S. have enacted age verification on porn sites.

Kansas's law requires any site with over 25 percent of its content deemed "harmful to minors" (as defined in Kansas, nudity and other sexual content) to age-verify site visitors with a commercially available database or "any other commercially reasonable method of age and identity verification." The phrase "harmful to minors" comes from the 1968 Supreme Court case Ginsberg v. New York, which concluded that content that isn't obscene (and is therefore protected by the First Amendment) can still be "harmful to minors."

If someone can access an explicit site in Kansas without age verification, the law states that they can report it to the attorney general, who may seek a monetary penalty from the commercial entity (the website). A parent or guardian can bring a private action against the commercial entity, as well.

SEE ALSO: New GOP bill would basically ban porn, experts warn

By requiring a more rigorous age-verification system, lawmakers and those advocating for these laws are hoping to stop minors from viewing online porn. But a recent study on age verification suggests that it doesn't work for its intended purpose. One reason is that some sites aren't complying, which is the case here. 

According to several complaints filed on May 12 against adult sites Chaturbate.com, Jerkmate.com, Techpump (owner of Superporn.com), and Titan Websites (owner of Hentaicity.com), the mother found her 14-year-old child called "Q.R." on all these sites after Kansas enacted its age-verification law in July 2024.

"On August 12, 2024, Q.R. found Jane Doe’s [friend of mother's] old laptop in her closet. She had stored the device there a couple of years ago after purchasing a new laptop and had since forgotten about it. Unfortunately for Q.R., it was still in working condition," the complaints read.

"Q.R., using his mother’s old laptop, had unfettered access to the internet and began searching for hardcore pornography."

Each of the four complaints details the number of instances and the dates in which the teen accessed the site. They go on to say that the 14-year-old has suffered "pain, suffering, disability, disfigurement, and mental anguish; psychological injury; past and future love of enjoyment and pleasure of living; and past and future expenses of necessary medical care and treatment."

Anti-porn group National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) joined the lawsuits representing the plaintiff. NCOSE advocates for age-verification laws and calls them "vital" to protecting children.

"Kansas law requires pornography companies to implement reasonable age-verification methods, and the companies named in these lawsuits failed to do so, resulting in Q.R.'s access to material that is harmful to minors," NCOSE senior vice president and director of its law center, Dani Pinter, said in the group's press release.

The press release states that porn is harmful to children, but the preliminary study out of NYU suggests that age verification doesn't work to stop minors from accessing porn. In addition to a lack of compliance, it's also possible that minors can use VPNs to pretend to be in a location outside the jurisdiction. Free speech advocates Mashable has spoken to previously warn that age verification can also degrade internet security and privacy. And according to sexual freedom non-profit the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, minors aren't accessing porn at unprecedented levels anyway.

These new laws are also supported by conservatives seeking to ban porn altogether. Project 2025, the far-right policy blueprint for Trump's second term, calls for a ban on pornography and the imprisonment of its creators. One of the writers of Project 2025, Russell Vought, was caught on a secret recording last year calling age verification the "backdoor" banning of porn. (Vought is now director of the Office of Management and Budget.) 

Unlike sites like Chaturbate, Pornhub has blocked itself from Kansas and other states, saying that age-verification laws are a burden. In the recording, Vought said when these laws pass, "The porn company then says, 'We're not going to do business in your state.' Which of course is entirely what we were after, right?"

This slew of complaints follows a January lawsuit Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed against an owner of 13 porn sites, claiming it also violated the state's age-verification law.

The same month, the Supreme Court heard Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, a case about the constitutionality of Texas's age-verification law. The decision will likely come next month.

Google's latest shopping feature makes Cher Horowitz’s computerized closet a reality. The new virtual try-on tool within its "AI Mode" search option lets users see how outfits look on photos of themselves.

Announced during the opening keynote at Google I/O 2025 on Tuesday, the tool uses a new custom image-generation model to place clothing pictured in online product listings onto a full-length shot provided by the user. Per a company blog post, the model "understands the human body and nuances of clothing — like how different materials fold, stretch and drape on different bodies." According to Google, it will also be able to accommodate different poses.

Google introduced a similar virtual try-on tool for Search back in 2023, but it relied on pre-picked photos of various models.

How to use Google's "AI Mode" to try on clothes virtually

U.S. users who have joined Google's Search Labs testing platform will be able to use the try-on tool starting today. Those who have opted in will see a "try it on" icon overlaid on Google product listings for shirts, pants, skirts, and dresses. After tapping the icon, Google will have you upload a well-lit, full-body picture of yourself. (A how-to page says the tool works best if you're wearing fitted clothing in the picture.) Google's AI will then use you as a virtual mannequin of sorts.

Google says it will roll out additional AI shopping features in the coming months, including a personalized "Shopping Graph" of product inspiration and an agentic checkout feature that can help users track deals within their budget.

Google has injected AI features into practically all of its products, now including Chrome.

At Google I/O, the tech giant's annual event, Google announced that Gemini is coming to Chrome as it transitions into the generative AI era, antitrust issues be damned. Gemini's integration with the browser means users can ask questions about information on sites, or even navigate to those sites, while browsing the web.

SEE ALSO: Google AI Mode is launching in the U.S., kicking off a new era of AI search

Gemini on Chrome will be available to Chrome users on Windows and macOS, but only for paying subscribers to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra plans, which cost $20 and $250 a month, respectively.

Meanwhile, Google is in the remedial phase of its antitrust case, which the U.S. Department of Justice is prosecuting. Google has been ruled a monopoly for leveraging its Chrome browser in anti-competitive ways. The fate of Chrome is yet to be decided, but a potential outcome is forcing Google to sell Chrome. If that's the case, OpenAI has said it would be interested in buying it, which adds a whole new AI-powered layer to Chrome's future.

Google announced Gemini integration with Chrome at I/O, along with other Gemini updates, including a new AI filmmaking tool called Flow and Gemini Live, which is free for Android and iOS users.

Google just rolled out a product that might make coding a lot easier.

Google introduced Jules, its AI coding tool, in December in Google Labs. Today, Jules is available to everyone and everywhere the Gemini model is available, without a waitlist.

SEE ALSO: Here's everything AI coming to Google Gmail

"Just submit a task, and Jules takes care of the rest — fixing bugs, making updates. It integrates with GitHub and works on its own," Tulsee Doshi, the senior director and product lead for Gemini Models, said at Google I/O 2025. "Jules can tackle complex tasks in large codebases that used to take hours, like updating an older version of Node.js. It can plan the steps, modify files, and more in minutes."

According to a Google blog post, Jules is an "asynchronous, agentic coding assistant that integrates directly with your existing repositories. It clones your codebase into a secure Google Cloud virtual machine (VM), understands the full context of your project, and performs tasks."

How to sign up for Jules right now

To try Jules out for yourself, you can sign up at jules.google. Click "Try Jules" in the top right corner to create your own account.

Google isn't the first tech giant to use AI to create a coding tool. Coding is one of the more impressive capabilities of AI tools so far, as seen from coding tools from the likes of Anthropic.

The tech giant is taking its next big step in artificial intelligence by adding interactive capabilities to its flagship product.

At Google I/O, the company unveiled a major push to infuse AI deeper into Gmail. The tech giant is promising users that the change will translate to less time spent writing emails and more time doing literally anything else. With the help of Gemini, Google’s flagship AI model, Gmail is moving from a helpful assistant to a full-on writing partner, scheduler, and inbox manager.

Here are all the new Gemini-powered features coming this summer to Gmail.

Smart replies Credit: Google

Google’s first big update is personalized smart replies. Unlike the canned one-liners we’re used to (“Sounds good,” “Thanks!”), this new system draws context from your inbox and Google Drive. It adapts to your tone — whether you’re casual or formal — and pulls in relevant details, so replies feel more natural.

In a demo, a dog groomer named Stephanie replies to customers without typing a word. Gemini generates answers in her voice, grabs appointment details from past messages, and inserts pricing from her Drive files. It’s fast, frictionless, and a little uncanny.

Decluttering Credit: Google

Next comes inbox cleanup, the kind of task we all put off. Gemini can now archive and delete emails on command. Ask it to clear out last month’s confirmations, and your inbox refreshes itself — no clicks required.

It’s undeniably useful, especially for anyone buried in years of digital clutter.

Meeting scheduling

Depending on who you ask, native appointment booking in Gmail might be the most practical new feature announced. No more bouncing between email threads and Calendar tabs — now, when Gemini detects you're trying to set up a meeting, it’ll prompt you to insert availability directly into your reply.

This feature could be handy when coordinating with people outside your organization. Recipients can book directly via your shared booking page.

AI and creators mix much like oil and vinegar — not at all unless you use a very specific technique (whisking) for a very specific purpose (making salad dressing). For Darren Aronofsky, the director behind Requiem for a Dream, The Whale, and Black Swan, that technique involves using Google DeepMind's research team and three filmmakers to produce short films that embrace new technology and storytelling.

The partnership between Aronofsky's venture Primordial Soup and Google DeepMind will create frameworks for AI's role in filmmaking in an effort to prioritize artists in the conversation.

SEE ALSO: Google Deepmind is rolling out AI video generator Veo 2. How it works and how to try it.

"Filmmaking has always been driven by technology," Aronofsky said in a press release. "After the Lumiere Brothers and Edison's ground-breaking invention, filmmakers unleashed the hidden storytelling power of cameras. Later technological breakthroughs — sound, color, VFX — allowed us to tell stories in ways that couldn’t be told before. Today is no different. Now is the moment to explore these new tools and shape them for the future of storytelling."

Google DeepMind is giving the filmmakers in the partnership early access to generative AI video tools. The first of three upcoming films, ANCESTRA, will debut at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, 2025. It was directed by Eliza McNitt, a writer and director who specializes in virtual reality.

"With ANCESTRA, I was able to visualize the unseen, transforming family archives, emotions, and science into a cinematic experience that feels both intimate and expansive," McNitt said in a press release.

The director's approach shouldn't come as a huge surprise, as Aronofsky has a history of embracing new tech. For instance, he designed the film Postcard From Earth specifically for the Sphere in Las Vegas. It remains to be seen how Aronofsky's well-known dedication to environmental activism will work in tandem with his newfound experimentation with AI, the use of which could have disastrous environmental consequences.

This comes shortly after The Sphere in Las Vegas announced a new experience, with the help of Google and AI, that will bring The Wizard of Oz to the massive theater.

"The power of generative AI, combined with Google’s infrastructure and expertise, is helping us to achieve something extraordinary," Sphere Entertainment Executive Chairman and CEO Jim Dolan said in a press release. "We needed a partner who could push boundaries alongside our teams at Sphere Studios and Magnopus, and Google was the only company equipped to meet the challenge on the world’s highest resolution LED screen."

If you like Google's AI services (and I mean really like them), there's a new subscription for you.

At its Google I/O keynote event (and in a company blog post), Google revealed that a new AI subscription plan for professionals is ready to roll out in the United States. The new Google AI Ultra subscription is intended for the hardest of hardcore AI users, and it costs a whopping $250 a month. Yes, you read that right: Two hundred and fifty U.S. dollars per month. (That's $50 more than ChatGPT Pro, in case you were wondering.)

While business owners and professionals may be used to paying for Google Workspace access, the average user is probably not accustomed to paying for Google services. If you're not quite ready to fork over that much cash to Google, you can also opt for the company's base AI subscription tier, Google AI Pro, for just $19.99/month.

SEE ALSO: The battle of the mid-range phones: Google Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e

Of course, that money gets you a bunch of perks. Google AI Ultra subscribers will get the highest usage limits, access to state-of-the-art models, and 30TB of storage. You also get access to all of the bells and whistles associated with Gemini, including early access to the Veo 3 video generation model. AI Ultra also includes access to Flow, the new AI filmmaking tool from Google, as well as Whisk, a tool that lets you generate AI images using other images as prompts.

There are also some other bonuses, such as early access to the version of Gemini that's built directly into the Chrome browser and access to Project Mariner, Google's new agentic AI tool. One of the best parts of the whole deal? Google AI Ultra subscriptions include a bonus subscription to YouTube Premium, which is great if you hate watching ads.

Google AI Ultra is only available in the U.S. right now, but it will come to other countries in the near future, per Google.

From real-time translation in Google Meet to AI-video creation tools, we're recapping all the biggest Google Workspace updates revealed during the Google I/O 2025 keynote address.

This year's Google I/O 2025 was packed with big announcements, and the event signalled the start of a new era of AI search. So, it should come as no surprise that the event focused primarily on AI and Google Gemini. 

Google has already integrated AI into Google Workspace, the subscription-based suite of productivity apps and business tools from the company, which includes popular tools like Gmail, Drive, Sheets, and Meet. But Google is just getting started with AI in Workspace, and today the company announced a ton of new AI-related features coming to the subscription service.

According to Google, the introduction of AI into Workspace has been a big success (though, it's hardly a surprise to hear that from Google). During the Google I/O keynote event, the company stated that Workspace delivers 2 billion AI assists to its users every month.

Gemini in Gmail

The "G" in Gmail might as well stand for "Gemini" now, as Google has announced a number of new Gemini-powered features for its email service.

Personalized smart replies in Gmail. Credit: Google

Personalized smart replies are coming to Gmail, and this tool will help users draft personalized reply emails that match their context and tone. The feature trains on a user's past emails and documents in their Google Drive in order to sound like a natural response from that particular user.

Inbox cleanup is another new Gemini feature coming to Gmail, which basically acts like a personal AI secretary. Users will be able to ask Gemini to complete email inbox-related tasks, such as delete all emails on a certain topic or from a certain timeframe, in a conversational tone. If you've never achieved Inbox Zero, this could be your big chance.

Inbox Zero just became a lot more possible. Credit: Google

Fast appointment scheduling integrated into Gmail is also coming to Google Workspace. Google describes the feature as an easy way to schedule meetings with customers and clients right within your Gmail inbox, with coordinating help from Gemini.

Google says all three features will roll out sometime next quarter.

Real-time speech translation in Google Meet

Google's next AI-powered announcement for Workspaces is speech translation in Google Meet. This sounds like a feature that will eventually roll out to Google's broader user base, but will launch first to Workspace users.

According to Google, the new Google Meet translation feature will translate speech to the listener's language in real-time. It will match the speaker's voice, tone, and expression while doing so, per Google.

Google says the beta version of the feature will start rolling out to consumer AI subscribers today. English and Spanish languages will be available at first, with the feature expanding out to more languages in the coming weeks.

Google Vids updates

Google Workspace's AI-powered video creation service, Google Vids, is receiving some big updates.

Google Vids is getting a new automatic transcript trim feature that will enable users to easily remove filler words and awkward pauses that are identified in the transcript of a video. In addition, the new balance sound feature will help users adjust sound levels across in an entire video with just a single click. Google says transcript trim will come to Google Labs next quarter and balance sound will be available next month.

Speaking of Labs, another new feature will be available there next month: AI avatars. According to Google, users will be able to create a whole presentation or onboarding video with an AI avatar delivering their script.

One fo the AI Avatars that will be available in Google Slides. Credit: Google

A Google Blog post states, "With AI avatars in Vids, you can skip the hassle of coordinating talent and video production. Just write a script and choose an avatar to deliver your message for you. It's a fast, consistent way to create polished video content." Google says this experimental feature, which even lets you tweak the pitch and tone of the avatar's voice, will be coming to Google Labs in June.

Users can now turn Google Slides into videos. Credit: Google

Finally, Google Vids will be able to turn a user's existing Google Slides into full video productions with Gemini helping to generate scripts, voiceovers, animations, and more.

Imagen 4

Google announced that starting today, users will have access to its latest AI image generation model Imagen 4.

A preview of Imagen 4 from the Google I/O 2025 event. Credit: Google

Users can utilize Imagen 4 for generative AI images across all of Google's AI services like Google Vids, Slides, Docs, and more.

Source-grounded AI writing

Google Docs users will soon be able to get some AI writing help based on links, documents, and other resources included in a Google Doc. 

Source-grounded writing will pull data directly from these linked documents and reports in order to provide AI writing suggestions based on trusted resources relevant to the topic of the document.

Google just cracked open the future of search, and it talks back.

During today's Google I/O 2025 keynote event, Google announced that it is now rolling out the AI Mode search tool to everyone in the United States. Powered by Gemini, AI Mode will now include new "Deep Search" features and some agentic capabilities.

AI Mode represents the biggest shift in Google Search since its inception. It’s no longer just a place to find links. It’s an AI system that interprets your query, breaks it into sub-questions, issues dozens or hundreds of background searches, and returns a single, synthesized answer. Sometimes with citations. Sometimes with follow-up actions.

If this sounds like the future of search, it is. However, it also represents a fundamental change in how we interact with information online. It's also bad news for publishers and bloggers who rely on Google for traffic.

AI Mode is here. Credit: Google Google officially kicks off the AI Search Era

Google’s AI Overviews — introduced last year — offered summarized answers (right, wrong, or imagined) to countless user searches. According to Google, these overviews drove a "10% increase in usage of Google for the types of queries that show AI Overviews." Now, AI Mode (previously available in beta via Google Labs) builds on that foundation with deeper research capabilities, delivering context-aware responses and handling follow-up questions more naturally.

Users will soon see a new “AI Mode” tab in Google Search, both in the browser and mobile apps. No sign-up is required.

AI Mode also includes a Deep Search, a feature that promises fully cited, expert-level summaries in minutes. It’s a tempting promise: let the machine read the internet for you. Google also announced features like Search Live, which lets you point your camera at an object and ask questions in real time, and new agent-like capabilities that can buy tickets, book restaurants, and fill out forms on your behalf.

Credit: Google Credit: Google

Google says AI Mode will also bring in "personal context," drawing from your past searches, Gmail (if you opt in), and even location history, to tailor personal search results. Other agentic AI capabilities include a new AI shopping experience with virtual try-ons and the ability to check out purchases for you when the price is right.

AI skeptics may not be looking forward to even more AI features in Google, but the bottom line is this: The era of Google Search, as we know it, is officially over. The era of AI search is here. Google has hit the reset button; whether that's a leap forward or a tipping point depends on how much you trust AI to understand your questions and answer them for you.

Google rival OpenAI rolled out its own ChatGPT search tool earlier this year.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

You already know Google Translate, but what about live voice translation in Google Meet?

This feature is one of the major Workspace announcements Google shared at its annual I/O event on Tuesday. Starting today, Google is rolling out real-time speech translation in Google Meet for subscribers of its AI Premium plan. When a user on a Google Meet video call turns on this feature, an AI audio model uses their speech to live translate what they're saying into another language. Google is starting with English and Spanish, with more languages coming in the next few weeks.

SEE ALSO: Everything we hope to learn at Google I/O 2025: Gemini, Gmail, and Project Astra updates

The experience results in the person's actual voice being heard at a low volume, with the translated voice heard at a regular volume. Demos of speech translation show a brief moment of latency before the live translation begins. "Think simultaneous interpreter, or someone who listens to a speaker while concurrently saying the words in another language," said Yulie Kwon Kim, VP of Product for Google Workspace in a pre-event briefing, "and then take it to the next level, where the interpreter is not another person's voice, but the speaker's own voice."

Kwon Kim highlighted how the underlying technology is trained to capture "the speaker's tone, intonation and emotion in the translated language," resulting in a free-flowing conversation with someone in a different language.

If you've ever relied on Google Translate or another translating app to communicate with a cab driver in a foreign country or to order off a menu in a different language, you probably understand the game-changing usefulness of live translation. Google used the example of talking to an Airbnb host about an upcoming trip, but one could also imagine talking to relatives or conducting research with people who speak a different language.

Of course, there's a little bit of sadness associated with the premise that we might never need to learn new languages if technology like this becomes more widespread. But it has undeniable potential for communicating important information in a pinch.

Speech translation in Google Meet launches today in beta for subscribers of the Google One AI Premium plan, which costs $20 a month. Google says it's testing the feature for Workspace customers later this year.

Google's AI Era is officially officially here, and at the center of it is a new generative video model called Flow.

At the Google I/O 2025 keynote event on May 20, Google unveiled a new suite of AI video tools, powered by state-of-the-art models.

The offspring of media models Veo 3 and Imagen 4, Flow is Google's answer to OpenAI's Sora — AI tools for a new era in video generation for filmmakers and creatives. However, unlike Sora, Flow comes with native audio generation baked right in.

Pitched as an “AI filmmaking tool built for creatives, by creatives,” Flow is the tech giant's latest attempt to demo the power of AI as a use case in reshaping the creative process. As shown on stage at Google I/O, if you feed it a text prompt like "an older man driving a convertible through the desert," you get full cinematic scenes: coherent characters, consistent locations, editable camera angles, and seamless scene extensions.

According to Google, the goal here isn’t to replace human creativity — it’s to amplify it. Flow, named after that elusive zone where ideas just click, aims to offload the technical grunt work so "you can stay in the zone."

To show what Flow can really do, Google tapped filmmakers from around the world who debuted their short films made with Flow.

But Flow doesn’t stop at generation — it wants to own the full creative pipeline. There’s integrated support for editing, organizing, and tweaking your projects. With Gemini in the loop, you can refine narrative beats on the fly. Want to send the car flying off a cliff mid-scene, with a chicken flapping its wings in slow-mo descent? No problem.

Again, this is powered by the fusion of Veo 3 and Imagen 4, with Gemini also powering things from under the hood. For those unfamiliar, Veo handles high-fidelity video while Imagen tackles one of AI’s classic stumbling blocks: text rendering. Imagen 4 is the latest update from Google with smarter typography, layout handling, and visual design, making it viable for anything from film titles to slick slide decks.

Both models are rolling out today via the Gemini app.

Of course, all this next-gen creativity comes with a price tag. Flow is part of Google AI Ultra, the company’s new $249/month pro subscription tier. That gets you access to Flow — and everything else AI that Google has announced at I/O.

However, if you don't want to shell out all that money, Google AI Pro users (formerly AI Premium) can use a slightly downgraded version of Flow that runs on Veo 2.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

At Google I/O 2025, the company revealed a bunch of new Gemini updates and features that position the app as your AI assistant for practically everything.

Today, Google announced a new Sora competitor called Flow, updates to your AI-powered researcher, and free Gemini Live. Free is the operative word here, since many of the other features are bundled into the paid subscription plans — Google AI Pro (formerly AI Premium) for $20 a month and a new plan called AI Ultra for a whopping $250 a month.

The features showcased today demonstrate AI's increasingly agentic capabilities, in other words, AI tools that can perform tasks on your behalf. "This is our ultimate goal for the Gemini app," said Google Labs and Gemini lead Josh Woodward in a pre-event briefing, "an AI that's personal, proactive and powerful."

Here are all the major Gemini AI announcements from today's event.

Still from an AI-generated video from Google. Credit: Google Introducing Flow, Google's Sora competitor

Google Gemini now has its own version of OpenAI's AI video generator Sora. Today, Google announced an AI filmmaking tool called Flow. This tool combines two versions of Google's media models both unveiled today: Veo 3, Google's video generating model that has native audio, and Imagen 4 which Google says has improved text and typography generation. Flow comes with editing capabilities like combining scenes, "shooting" from specific camera angles and "lenses," and trimming or expanding scenes.

Flow is available today for AI Pro, which gets you 100 generations per month, and AI Ultra with higher limits.

To show off its capabilities, Google tapped filmmaker Junie Lau to create a short film using Flow, which you can watch on YouTube.

Gemini comes to Chrome

Starting tomorrow, Chrome users will get the Gemini experience directly in their browser for Windows and macOS. This version "allows you to easily ask Gemini to clarify complex information on any webpage you're reading or summarize information," according to the announcement. Gemini in Chrome is available for, you guessed it, AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers.

Google was found guilty of being a monopoly in an antitrust case brought forth by the U.S. Department of Justice. The case is in its remedial phase, which means Chrome might be divested from Google. What happens next is unclear, so keep an eye out for Chrome's future.

Gemini Live now free for iOS users too

Starting today Gemini Live will be free to iOS users. Recently, Gemini Live, which uses real-time camera and screen sharing, was was made available for free to Android users after previously bundling it with its paid Gemini Advanced plan for $20 a month. Now this feature is free for all users with the Gemini app.

Google touts Gemini Live as an easy, hands-free way to troubleshoot problems since you can point your camera at something you need help with or ask it questions about something on your screen and it will talk to you in voice mode.

Google showed off its Gemini Live tool. Credit: Google A closer look at Gemini Live. Credit: Google Gemini Deep Research and Canvas get some upgrades

Google announced Deep Research for Gemini last December, and now you can upload your own documents to the feature that's described as your very own research assistant. Deep Research is basically Gemini on steroids. It crawls the corners of the web to provide a detailed report on your query. Today, Google shared that you can now upload your own personal files to the research report.

On a related note, you can add this research to Gemini Canvas, which has been upgraded to be able to transform information into web pages, infographics, quizzes, and audio overviews. Gemini Canvas will now be available in 45 languages, Google shared.

All of these features are now powered by Gemini 2.5 models. Gemini Deep Research and Canvas are available to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers starting today.

Access to certain new Gemini features come with a cost

Aside from Gemini Live for Android and iOS users, the other Gemini features are only available through paid subscriptions. The Google AI Pro plan costs $20 a month and will get you access to Gemini Deep Research, Canvas, and a version of Flow that uses Veo 2.

For access to Flow with Veo 3, along early access to other AI features, a YouTube Premium subscription, and 30 TB of storage there's the new Google AI Ultra plan, which costs $250 a month.

New Gemini-powered Workspace features Gemini is powering AI avatars in Slides. Credit: Google

While this isn't technically a new feature in the Gemini app, it is an updated powered by Gemini. We have a whole article breaking down all the changes coming to Google Workspaces (Gmail, Docs, Slides, Vids, Meet, et al), but to summarize:

• Customizable AI avatars that can present Google Slides presentations

• Personalized email replies in Gmail

• The ability to sort and organize emails in Gmail

• Real-time speech translation in Google Meet

• New AI writing tool for Google Docs

• New features in Google Vids for video creation and editing

Disney is bringing audiences back to Zootopia in Zootopia 2, and based on the film's first teaser, it will be equal parts dance party and high-octane chase sequence.

SEE ALSO: Summer Movie Preview: What's coming to theaters and streaming?

The sequel to 2016's Zootopia, which took home the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Zootopia 2 picks back up with rookie cops Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman). But there's a new animal joining the crew this time around: pit viper Gary De'Snake (voiced by Academy Award–winner Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once.)

Gary's arrival in Zootopia will turn the bustling metropolis upside down, kicking off a new investigation for Judy and Nick in the process. The mystery will lead them to go undercover, and to explore new parts of town.

Some of these parts of town are on display in the teaser, which sees Judy, Nick, and Gary on the run from the law. Their chase will take them from underwater marshes populated by semi-aquatic mammals to vast desert dunes. Looming over it all is a mysterious hooded figure who looks like they'll be trouble for Zootopians everywhere.

But enough worrying about that spooky villain — let's dance! The entire teaser is scored by a techno bop, which comes courtesy of a band of lemmings. According to a statement from director Byron Howard, they're called LEMEEENS and they've toured with pop icon Gazelle (voiced by Shakira, returning for Zootopia 2). So get to grooving, and get excited for Zootopia 2.

Zootopia 2 hits theaters Nov. 26.

Shauna Sweeney was an executive at Meta, leading global industry intelligence and marketing programs, when her dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's some 3,000 miles away. Suddenly, she found herself as part of the sandwich generation — a term given to those who are raising their own families while caring for aging parents at the same time.

Managing care and helping her dad stay in his home as per his wishes presented some challenges. This led to the creation of tendercare, an “AI-powered app that transforms caregiving from a crisis-driven, never-ending, too-late scramble into a supported, manageable part of anyone’s day,” Sweeney says.

Since founding the company in 2022 at her kitchen table, Sweeney has left Meta to run tendercare full-time and has also expanded her family, all the time chasing that ever-elusive balance for working parents everywhere. (Already a mom and stepmom, Sweeney has another child on the way.)

Working moms are often celebrated for being able to “do it all.” But there’s so much more to the story of building a business while raising kids at the same time. We caught up with tendercare founder and CEO Shauna Sweeney over email about scaling her company, protecting her time, and the mental load of working moms.

Tell us about tendercare, the business you founded.

tendercare is the lifeline I wish I had when I first started caring for my dad. The app allows caregivers to securely keep and retrieve all important information required to care for Mom and Dad during those moments [they] need it most — at the doctor’s office, in the ER, in moments of transition or change — and share it with the rest of the family and care team. It’s the everyday tools that family caregivers desperately need to lighten the load, plus a way to quickly discover what trusted services exist in your or your loved ones’ community. 

The goal is to ease the burden on families while giving them confidence to make the best calls for their unique situation, save precious time, and priceless peace of mind. 

What is the secret sauce to scaling a business while also juggling motherhood? 

There’s a mythology to being a founder that’s often built on a more narrow set of responsibilities and an incomplete picture of what home life looks like for many of us, especially women. One of the best realizations I’ve had is that my unique pain points of balancing being a mom and an adult daughter put me in a position to build solutions with empathy and understanding for others. That being said, I still believe in focus, focus, focus. I’m ruthless with my time, so I can be 100 percent focused on work or my family when I plan to be, not pulled in a million directions trying to juggle it simultaneously. Both work and family time are defended across all seven days with equal vigor. 

Scaling a business means living by the philosophy of, “Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.” We’re moving fast and there will always be another thing after the thing you’re working on. The secret isn't about working more hours; it's staying anchored in your purpose and understanding what takes priority at any given time. 

Credit: Photo courtesy of Shauna Sweeney Is there anything about being a mom that has helped you with your career? Or vice versa? 

Tons. Having kids makes you figure out everything that matters for leading a team, building a company (which is like having another kid), or simply navigating life. Being a good mom is built on mutual trust, and the same is true for having a high-performance team. 

Listening, showing up no matter how tired, not simply reacting to a crisis or big emotion, being flexible, setting the example, encouraging, and mentoring — all of those things are transferable skills between motherhood and executive leadership. So is learning to run off less sleep. 

What do you wish more people understood about working moms? 

We are always operating with an invisible load. The logistics you see are just the surface; typically, there’s so much more going on. There’s a mental and emotional bandwidth we’re constantly managing. Rather than a lack of ambition, it’s more of a surplus of responsibility. 

Working moms are not just multitasking, we’re multi-living. The mental overhead is immense. As the saying goes, if you want to get something done, ask a busy person. It should actually be “ask a mom.”

What advice do you have for other moms looking to launch their own business? 

Don’t wait for permission because you won’t get it. Your lived experience is your market insight. Build something that solves a pain point you deeply understand, and then validate it. And remember, success doesn’t have to look like scale; it can look like sustainability. Start small, test constantly, and don’t underestimate the value of momentum over perfection. 

Any final words of wisdom?

It’s up to us to build the world we want to live in, and the world we want our kids to live in. If you see something that could be better, it probably could be. It’s a problem that’s been waiting just for you to come by and fix it.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

TL;DR: Sterling Stock Picker has an AI that helps you invest in the stock market, and it's only A$86 for life. 

Opens in a new window Credit: SSP Software Sterling Stock Picker: Lifetime Subscription AU$86
AU$758 Save AU$672 with code SAVE20 Get Deal

The stock market has been especially volatile lately, but that doesn't mean you have to wait to invest. A new specialized AI from the creators of ChatGPT has been trained on the stock market to help you invest your money safely, even in a chaotic market. Sterling Stock Picker can help you determine which investments are worth the money, and a lifetime subscription is even on sale for A$86 (reg. A$758) using code SAVE20 through 1 June.

How does the AI stock picker work?

Sterling Stock Picker uses AI-driven tools to help simplify the investing process for beginners and experienced investors alike.

At the heart of the platform is Finley, your AI financial coach. You can ask Finley questions about the market, your portfolio, or individual stocks and get real-time insights based on actual data. It’s like having a finance expert on call, without booking an appointment or paying hourly rates.

The software uses a combination of technical, earnings, growth, and risk analysis to generate personalized stock recommendations. It even offers a risk tolerance questionnaire and portfolio builder to help you create a strategy that fits your specific goals. If you're not sure whether to buy, hold, or sell, the platform's North Star system helps clarify what action to take.

For anyone who wants to learn as they go, Sterling Stock Picker also has a suite of educational tools. You’ll get detailed explanations of investing strategies and stock performance, plus access to a community forum where users can share insights and ask questions.

And if you prefer a more hands-off approach, the app still does the heavy lifting by highlighting top-performing stocks and suggesting updates to your portfolio.

It's only A$86 to get a Sterling Stock Picker Lifetime Subscription. Use code SAVE20 through 1 June at 11:59PM PT to get this discounted price. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Shop the best washable rug deals this Memorial Day weekend: Ruggable Save up to 20% sitewide with code MEMDAY Shop Now Tumble Save up to 30% on all washable rugs Shop Now

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and the official start of "tracking the outside inside" season. Enter the washable rug, a lower-maintenance alternative to your average wool, shag, or jute number. (They're easily spot-cleaned and safe to toss in the laundry.)

Mashable has tested two of the biggest names in washable rugs — Ruggable and Tumble — and found both of their offerings to be durable, soft, and fairly priced. Conveniently, both brands also happen to be running Memorial Day sales this week.

Shoppers can take up to 20% off Ruggable's lineup by entering the coupon code MEMDAY at checkout, with prices starting from just $71.20 for 2 x 3 doormats with standard non-slip pads. (That includes all of its collections and collabs with Jonathan Adler, Iris Apfel, goop, and Morris & Co.) At the time of writing, all of the styles I checked were set to ship for free within a week.

SEE ALSO: 50+ of the best Memorial Day deals and sales already live: Mattresses, Bluetooth speakers, outdoor furniture, and more

Meanwhile, shoppers can save up to 30% on all of Tumble's washable rugs — no code required. (Just add a rug to your cart to activate its discount.) Its styles start at $83.30 for 3 x 5 rugs, which also come with cushioned pads, and orders should ship for free within two weeks.

It's worth mentioning that Ruggable's rugs are also available through Amazon, but the retail giant was stocking fewer styles with worse discounts when I last checked. For example, this 3 x 5 Impasto Slate Blue Rug (normally $139) is marked down to $111.20 on Ruggable's website with MEMDAY and $126.65 on Amazon.

If you're trying to decide between the two brands (and pricing isn't a deciding factor), know that Mashable's Dylan Haas likes Ruggable's wider selection of styles but Tumble's easier setup. Check out his deep dive into the differences between Ruggable and Tumble washable rugs for more intel.

SAVE $58: Ahead of Memorial Day, shop the Vantrue E2 Dash Cam at Amazon for $58 off. As of May 20, grab the cam for just $161.99, down from $219.99, for 26% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Vantrue Vantrue E2 Dash Cam $161.99 at Amazon
$219.99 Save $58 Use on-page coupon for extra savings Get Deal

Summer travel season is upon us, and before you hit the road, you've got to prepare. Is everything packed with no stray objects left on the roof? Is your destination loaded into the GPS? Even if you check all the boxes, the unexpected can still happen, and a dash cam can provide a little extra peace of mind.

As of May 20, grab the Vantrue E2 Dash Cam for just $161.99 at Amazon. That knocks $58 off the list price of $219.99 for 26% off — that's some sweet savings ahead of Memorial Day. To enjoy the full discount, just make sure to clip the on-page coupon.

SEE ALSO: Shop the best Memorial Day deals under $100 on Amazon

We got a chance to check out the Vantrue E2 Dash Cam and were impressed by its clear, high-res images. It boasts 1944p picture quality and even delivers in the dark, too, putting it light years ahead of other dash cams. It mounts easily to the dash and, with a microSD card, you can store up to 512GB of video.

Get the Vantrue E2 Dash Cam at Amazon now and save $58 ahead of Memorial Day.

Best Memorial Day deals

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case — $199.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Fire TV Stick 4K Streaming Device With Remote (2023 Model) — $29.99 (List Price $49.99)

• Blink Mini 2 Indoor Wireless 1080p Camera (2-Pack) — $37.99 (List Price $69.99)

• Kodak Mini 2 Retro Instant Photo Printer With 68 Sheets Bundle — $99.99 (List Price $139.99)

• Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm, Sports Band) — $329.00 (List Price $399.00)

• Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB Phone With $50 Amazon Gift Card (Pre-Order) — $1,099.99

• Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus (2021 Release) — $119.99 (List Price $179.99)

• Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro 8-in-1 Wi-Fi Smart Lock With Fingerprint ID — $139.99 (List Price $179.99)

• Aiper Scuba S1 Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner (2024 Model) — $499.99 (List Price $699.95)

• Shark AV2511AE AI Robot Vacuum With XL Self-Empty Base — $349.99 (List Price $599.00)

SAVE $113: As of May 20, the Sonos Move 2 is on sale for just $336 at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Sonos — down from its usual $449. That's 25% in savings and matches its best price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Move 2 $336 at Amazon
$449 Save $113 Get Deal

The Sonos Move 2 is one of our favorite Bluetooth speakers and it rarely goes on sale. Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, however, its price has been slashed by 25%.

As of May 20, the Sonos Move 2 is on sale for just $336 instead of its usual $449 at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Sonos. That's $113 in savings and matches its lowest price on record. This is only the second time this year that the speaker has went on sale and the first time since last summer that the price has dropped this low.

While the Move 2 is technically a portable Bluetooth speaker, it's not exactly the most portable option around. It certainly can be moved around, but it weighs over 6 pounds. So you can't exactly toss it in your backpack for a hike. As Mashable's Stan Schroeder writes in his review, "It sounds fantastic, but it's essentially a home speaker that also happens to be somewhat portable."

Despite the weight restrictions, we're huge fans of this speaker. What it lacks in portability, it definitely makes up for with its impressive stereo sound, 24-hour battery life, and dynamic smart features. It also doesn't hurt that it looks good and comes in both black and white options.

To sum it up, Schroeder writes, "This speaker is one of the best in class, and the quality of sound it produces is reason enough to consider it."

We don't love that it costs $449 usually, but this rare $113 price drop makes us more inclined to encourage a splurge.

SAVE $60: As of May 20, get the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro at Amazon for $189.99, down from their usual price of $249.99. That's a discount of 24%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro $189.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $60 Get Deal

You take your earbuds everywhere with you. They should perform the way you want them to, with great sound, extra features, and reliable connectivity. Today's sale at Amazon is your chance to see what Samsung's earbuds can do to enhance your listening experience.

As of May 20, get the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro at Amazon for $189.99, down from their usual price of $249.99. That's $60 off for a discount of 24%.

SEE ALSO: Shop the best Memorial Day deals under $100 on Amazon

These earbuds look and feel premium, with a special redesign that improves their fit from the last Galaxy Buds iteration. They're made to look great, thanks to their chrome coloring and matching charging case, and stay in your ear no matter what you have going on.

Most importantly, they offer excellent audio. These buds can adapt to the sound around you with adaptive active noise cancellation that uses Galaxy AI, so you can focus on the music while staying aware of what's going on near you. They can also be customized thanks to their sound optimization and equalizer options, also both powered by Galaxy AI.

And thanks to that same AI, these buds also offer a real-time language interpreter option that can tell you exactly what someone is saying to you, which can open up a world of possibilities for travel or day-to-day interactions.

If you want your earbuds to do more than just sound or look good, this is a great pair to experiment with. Of course, saving some extra money doesn't hurt either.

The Best Memorial Day Deals You Can Get Right Now

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case — $199.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Fire TV Stick 4K Streaming Device With Remote (2023 Model) — $29.99 (List Price $49.99)

• Blink Mini 2 Indoor Wireless 1080p Camera (2-Pack) — $37.99 (List Price $69.99)

• Kodak Mini 2 Retro Instant Photo Printer With 68 Sheets Bundle — $99.99 (List Price $139.99)

• Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm, Sports Band) — $329.00 (List Price $399.00)

• Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB Phone With $50 Amazon Gift Card (Pre-Order) — $1,099.99

• Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus (2021 Release) — $119.99 (List Price $179.99)

• Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro 8-in-1 Wi-Fi Smart Lock With Fingerprint ID — $139.99 (List Price $179.99)

• Aiper Scuba S1 Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner (2024 Model) — $499.99 (List Price $699.95)

• Shark AV2511AE AI Robot Vacuum With XL Self-Empty Base — $349.99 (List Price $599.00)