Gemini 3 is now Google’s default model for AI Overviews

Google has begun rolling out two upgrades for Search. Starting today, Gemini 3 is the default model powering AI Overviews. When the company debuted its new family of AI systems last November, it first deployed Gemini 3 in AI Overviews through a router that was programmed to direct the most difficult questions to the new system. Now Google is making Gemini 3 the standard for all users globally. In practice, Gemini 3 should prove better at generating more credible and relevant summaries. 

As for that second upgrade, now you can jump into AI Mode conversation directly from an AI Overview. Google first previewed this feature late last year.

“In our testing, we’ve found that people prefer an experience that flows naturally into a conversation — and that asking follow-up questions while keeping the context from AI Overviews makes Search more helpful,” said Robby Stein, vice president of product for Google Search. “It’s one fluid experience with prominent links to continue exploring: a quick snapshot when you need it, and deeper conversation when you want it.”

If you’re using Google Search on a mobile device, you can jump directly into an AI Mode conversation from an AI Overview starting today. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-3-is-now-googles-default-model-for-ai-overviews-170000302.html?src=rss

Google Axion CPU Performance With The New Google Cloud N4A Instances

Back in 2024 Google rolled out their Axion in-house ARM processors with the Google Cloud C4A instance type. Today they are expanding their Axion offerings in Google Cloud with the N4A instances now out of preview. The Google Cloud N4A instances are designed for scale-out web servers and microservices, containerized applications, back-end application services, databases, data analytics, and cost-effective development/staging/testing environments.

The GNU C Library is moving from Sourceware

GNU C Library maintainer Carlos O’Donell has announced
that the project will be moving its core services away from Sourceware in favor of services hosted
at the Linux Foundation.

While it was clear to the GNU Toolchain leadership that
requirements were coming to improve the toolchain cyber-security
posture, these requirements were not clear to all project
developers. As part of receiving this feedback we have worked to
document and define a secure development policy for glibc and at a
higher level the GNU Toolchain. While Sourceware has started
making some critical technical changes, the GNU Toolchain still
faces serious, systemic concerns about securing a global, highly
available service and building a sustainable, diverse sponsorship
model.

This has been a long-running discussion; see this 2022 article for some background.

Amazon To Shut Down All Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh Stores

Amazon is closing all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores in a shift to focus on its online same-day delivery service and new big-box retail stores. From a report: The e-commerce giant said Tuesday that some of its shuttered Amazon-branded brick-and-mortar stores would be converted into Whole Foods Market locations. Amazon said its branded stores failed to deliver the right economic model and distinctive customer experience necessary for large-scale expansion.

Amazon’s same-day delivery service for groceries is currently available in more than 5,000 U.S. cities and towns. The company said it plans to expand the service to more communities in 2026 but didn’t specify where. Amazon said it planned to open over 100 new Whole Foods Market stores over the next few years.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

How to get NBC without Fubo ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics

After more than two months of contract disputes, NBCUniversal’s lineup of channels are still not being carried by Fubo, which is a bummer for anyone hoping to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics. Once again, NBC will be the primary place to watch the Winter Games, but Fubo subscribers will need to find alternate viewing methods if they want to watch events like figure skating, ice hockey, luge or skiing this year. The Olympics will also be broadcast on the USA Network and CNBC, and those channels are similarly blacked out on Fubo.

While the two media companies continue their negotiations, subscribers have had no choice but to sign up for other services — or at least test drive the ones that offer free trials — so if you’re a Fubo subscriber and you want to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics, here are some answers to your biggest questions, including which NBC channels are missing from the Fubo lineup, where to watch them, and when to tune in for Olympics coverage. 

Which channels are broadcasting the Olympics?

Olympics coverage will be broadcast daily on NBC, USA, and CNBC. NBC will be the main hub for all U.S. coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, showing daily live coverage of many popular events and a primetime broadcast each night spotlighting the top moments from competition.

How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics without Fubo

The Olympics officially run from Feb. 6-22 and and you’ll also be able to stream every single event live on Peacock. If you want to tune in to daily coverage on NBC, USA, and CNBC, you can also find those on platforms like DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV.

Which channels are no longer available on Fubo?

The following is a list of channels owned or licensed by NBC that are not currently available on Fubo, including NBC, USA, and CNBC:

Local Channels:

  • NBC Local Affiliates

  • Telemundo Local/National

Regional Sports Channels:

  • NBC Sports 4K

  • NBC Sports Bay Area

  • NBC Sports Bay Area Plus

  • NBC Sports Boston

  • NBC Sports California

  • NBC Sports California Plus

  • NBC Sports California Plus 3

  • NBC Sports Philadelphia

  • NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus

National Channels:

  • American Crimes

  • Bravo

  • Bravo Vault

  • Caso Cerrado

  • CNBC

  • CNBC World

  • Cozi

  • Dateline 24/7

  • E! Entertainment Television

  • E! Keeping Up

  • Golf Channel

  • GolfPass

  • LX Home

  • Million Dollar Listing Vault

  • MS NOW (formerly MSNBC)

  • NBC NOW

  • NBC Sports NOW

  • NBC Universo

  • True CRMZ

  • New England Cable News

  • Noticias Telemundo Ahora

  • Oxygen True Crime

  • Oxygen True Crime Archives

  • Real Housewives Vault

  • SNL Vault

  • Syfy

  • Telemundo Accion

  • Telemundo al Dia

  • The Golf Channel

  • Today All Day

  • Universal Movies

  • USA Network

Why are these NBC-owned channels currently unavailable?

Per Fubo, NBC channels were pulled from the platform because of a disagreement over their long-standing content distribution agreement that has yet to be resolved.

When will the missing channels return?

Negotiations between the companies are ongoing, and after more than two months, there is still no projected return date.

What are the best alternatives to watch the Olympics?

Peacock is the most comprehensive place to see every Olympic event, and you can even find discounts and deals on subscriptions now. Every channel necessary to watch the Olympics is available on DirecTV, and Hulu + Live TV, too. Here are some of your choices if you’re looking for another way to watch the 2026 Winter Games.

Watch NBC on Peacock

Get a deal on Peacock with Walmart+

Try DirecTV free for 5 days, and get $30 off your first three months

Try Hulu + Live TV for free

Other services to watch NBC

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/how-to-get-nbc-without-fubo-ahead-of-the-2026-winter-olympics-163805696.html?src=rss

Pinterest is conducting a massive round of layoffs to prioritize ‘AI-powered products and capabilities’

Pinterest is planning on laying off up to 15 percent of its workforce, according to a report by CNBC. The company has been posting stellar earnings reports these past few quarters, so why punish employees? You already know the answer. It’s AI.

The company said it’s “reallocating resources” to AI projects and prioritizing “AI-powered products and capabilities.” It’s also cutting down on office space, presumably because AI algorithms don’t require cubicles and the occasional low-grade snack.

Pinterest noted in a recent security filing that it expects these cuts to the workforce will be complete by the end of the third quarter in September. The company had 4,500 global employees as of April, so the layoffs should impact up to 675 people.

It will also be reshaping its sales and marketing strategies, likely to highlight new AI initiatives. To that end, Pinterest introduced an AI-powered shopping tool a few months back.

“Our investments in AI and product innovation are paying off,” Pinterest CEO Bill Ready said in November. “We’ve become a leader in visual search and have effectively turned our platform into an AI-powered shopping assistant for 600 million customers.”

Pinterest is finally giving the people what they want!!! Here’s how to filter out AI on Pinterest � pic.twitter.com/juTBCJLoa1

— Mashable (@mashable) January 22, 2026

Unfortunately, becoming a “leader in visual search” has created some headaches for end users. The platform has become overridden with AI-generated slop, leading the company to introduce a dial to reduce the prevalence of artificial content.

Pinterest is just the latest company to downsize in favor of AI. A consulting firm found that AI was the stated blame for around 55,000 layoffs in the US last year

This leads some to question the veracity of this reasoning, as some entities could be engaging in something called AI-washing. This is when companies exaggerate the use of AI and blame it for standard cost-cutting layoffs, leading investors to think “ooh, shiny.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/pinterest-is-conducting-a-massive-round-of-layoffs-to-prioritize-ai-powered-products-and-capabilities-163440004.html?src=rss

This Four-Pack of Eufy Security Cameras Is on Sale for $180

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Home security setups tend to get expensive fast, especially when you’re trying to cover more than just the front door. That’s what makes this current deal on the Eufy Security SoloCam S220 4-Camera Pack worth considering. It’s currently down to $179.99 on Amazon—a sharp drop from its usual $399.99, and its lowest price ever, according to price-trackers. At roughly $45 per camera, you’re getting full perimeter coverage for less than the cost of a single premium camera from some competitors, making this a solid value for anyone trying to keep an eye on multiple entry points.

These are wire-free units powered by built-in solar panels, which means you don’t need to mess with wires or outlets. That said, if your mounting spots don’t get much sun, you might still need to charge them manually from time to time. Once they’re running, video is recorded at 2K resolution, which is sharp enough during the day, and holds up well at night with infrared. Motion alerts use onboard AI detection that can tell people from pets. You can also draw up to two activity zones per camera, which helps cut down on useless notifications. There’s two-way audio, so you can speak to someone at your door or driveway, and support for Alexa and Google Assistant, though Apple HomeKit isn’t supported.

These cameras each include 8 GB of onboard storage, which might last a week or two depending on how much activity they pick up. But if you want facial recognition or need longer backups, you’ll need to pick up the HomeBase 3 separately. Also worth noting: This system only works on 2.4GHz wifi, so if your router is overloaded or your signal strength varies, expect some hiccups. Still, for less than half the original price, this bundle checks most of the boxes for basic outdoor security without monthly fees or complicated installation.

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Zwift Update Version 1.106 (158210) Released

Zwift version 1.106 begins its phased rollout today. This is a minor update containing mostly bug fixes, but it also coincides with a broader rollout of the Personalized Recommendations feature. See details below…

Personalized Recommendations Rollout

Zwift rolled out the initial beta version of Personalized Recommendations to a small cohort in early November. This exciting new feature looks at your Zwift activities and any outdoor rides (if you’ve connected your Garmin, Wahoo, or Karoo account), then recommends a session for the day based on your habits, fitness, freshness, and in-game content.

Since the initial beta release, Zwift has made important changes to dial in (and dial up) features and functionality based on feedback and metrics. Personally, I’ve seen it evolve from a “5 out of 10” feature to, let’s say, a 7 out of 10. There are plenty of improvements still to be made, and lots of untapped potential, but it works quite well at this point.

So Zwift is doing a “Full English Rollout” of Personalized Recommendations this week. No, the feature isn’t being bundled with black pudding and baked beans. But if you have English set as your in-game language, you’ll see Personalized Recommendations on your homescreen by the end of the week. (As of Monday, January 26, approximately 30% of English users had the feature enabled.)

Not an English speaker? Zwift says Personalized Recommendations should be released for all other supported languages by the end of February. They’re just taking some extra time to make sure the translations are accurate.

Pairing Screen Changes

Today’s release includes some updates to the pairing screen UI. Icons now indicate how your devices are connected to Zwift: WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, ANT+, or Sensor Relay (through a trainer).

More Missing Socks

Zwift’s release notes say, “Fixed an issue that could potentially cause cycling socks to be at their minimum height, or missing. Seems we caught the triathlon bug.”

We reported that Zwift had stolen socks in the previous update, and since then, an inordinate number of sockless avatars have been spotted on Zwift’s roads. Does this update fix the problem? Well, maybe. But it makes things worse before it makes them better.

I had adjusted my socks back to roadie height after the v105 release took them away. But once today’s v106 release was installed, my socks were, once again, missing:

Zwift assures me that this is known behavior, and once you fix your socks in v106 they’ll be fixed for good. But I say fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…

New RoboPacer (Sofia) and Expanded RoboPacer Routes

There are two late additions to Zwift’s release notes for this update, both related to RoboPacers:

  • Introducing Sophia! Our 10th RoboPacer rides at 0.8 w/kg, ideal for new and lower-FTP Zwifters.
  • Expanded the route rotation for RoboPacers to include more pacer-friendly routes from our recent map expansions.

Read all the details in our dedicated post: Zwift Adds “Sofia” RoboPacer and Modifies RoboPacer Route Schedule.

Release Notes

Zwift supplied the following additional release notes:

  • The Empire Elevation route in New York is now available for free rides and meet-ups. Go get that badge!
  • Minor refinements to draft indicator behavior.
  • Fixed an issue that could make workout arch pulses difficult to see.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause Tour de Zwift reward previews to display incorrectly when a handcycle is equipped.
  • Improved readability of bike frame description text in the Garage.
  • Various visual improvements in Richmond and New York.
  • Apple TV: Fixed a crash that could potentially occur in the Pairing screen.
  • Windows: Fixed a crash that could potentially occur when saving or discarding an activity.

Discuss this update in Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!

Volvo invented the seat belt 67 years ago; now it has improved it

With the launch of its all-new, all-electric EX60, Volvo has put lessons learned from the EX30 and EX90 to use. The EX60 is built on Volvo’s new SPA3 platform, made only for battery-electric vehicles. It boasts up to 400 miles (643 km) of range, with fast-charging capabilities Volvo says add 173 miles (278 km) in 10 minutes. Mega casting reduces the number of parts of the rear floor from 100-plus to one piece crafted of aluminum alloy, reducing complexities and weld points.

Inside the cabin, however, the real achievement is Volvo’s new multi-adaptive safety belt. Volvo has a history with the modern three-point safety belt, which was perfected by in-house engineer Nils Bohlin in 1959 before the patent was shared with the world. Today at the Volvo Cars Safety Center lab, at least one brand-new Volvo is crashed every day in the name of science. The goal: to test not just how well its vehicles are protecting passengers but what the next frontier is in safety technology.

Senior Safety Technical Leader Mikael Ljung Aust is a driving behavior specialist with 20 years under his belt at Volvo. He says it’s easy to optimize testing toward one person or one test point and come up with a good result. However, both from the behavioral perspective and from physics, people are different. What’s not different, he points out, is how people drive.

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OpenAI’s Science Chief Says LLMs Aren’t Ready For Novel Discoveries and That’s Fine

OpenAI launched a dedicated team in October called OpenAI for Science, led by vice president Kevin Weil, that aims to make scientists more productive — but Weil admitted in an interview with MIT Technology Review that the LLM cannot yet produce novel discoveries and says that’s not currently the mission.

UC Berkeley statistician Nikita Zhivotovskiy, who has used LLMs since the first ChatGPT, told the publication: “So far, they seem to mainly combine existing results, sometimes incorrectly, rather than produce genuinely new approaches.”

“I don’t think models are there yet,” Weil admitted. “Maybe they’ll get there. I’m optimistic that they will.” The models excel at surfacing forgotten solutions and finding connections across fields, but Weil says the bar for accelerating science doesn’t require “Einstein-level reimagining of an entire field.”

GPT-5 has read substantially every paper written in the last 30 years, he says, and can bring together analogies from unrelated disciplines. That accumulation of existing knowledge — helping scientists avoid struggling on problems already solved — is itself an acceleration.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Webb’s Most Detailed Dark Matter Map Yet Shows 800K Galaxies In Stunning Clarity

Webb's Most Detailed Dark Matter Map Yet Shows 800K Galaxies In Stunning Clarity
Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have been able to compile the most detailed map of dark matter ever produced, exposing the ghostly scaffolding that has guided the growth of our universe for billions of years.

With JWST, astronomers have produced one of the most detailed maps to date of dark matter. The overlaid

Apple patches ancient iOS versions to keep iMessage, FaceTime, other services working

When Apple stops supporting older iPhones and iPads with the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, it usually isn’t the end of the line—Apple keeps releasing new security-only patches for those devices for another year or two, keeping them usable while their hardware is still reasonably capable.

Once those updates dry up, it’s rare for Apple to revisit those older operating systems, but the company does sometimes make exceptions. That was the case yesterday, when the company released a batch of updates for long-retired iOS and iPadOS versions that otherwise hadn’t seen a new patch in months or years. Those updates include iOS 12.5.8, available for devices as old as 2013’s iPhone 5S and 2014’s iPhone 6; iOS 15.8.6, available for devices like the iPhone 6S, iPhone 7, and iPad Air 2; and iOS 16.7.13, available for devices like the iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

Both iOS 15 and iOS 16 were last patched in mid-2025, but iOS 12’s last patch was released in January of 2023.

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