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After rolling out in March, the Gemini-powered Ask Maps chat in Google Maps is getting a number of big updates today, including a global launch.

Google Assistant has an official end-of-life date – September 4. While many have already made the jump to Gemini, a number of Android users are still holding on to Google Assistant. Why are you?

Good morning. Today I’m reading about just how sophisticated OpenAI’s Hugging Face hack really was, and how we may soon talk telepathically to our AI agents. I’m finishing up Silo season 3 and actively avoiding Ted Lasso season 4. I’m also trying out Ozlo’s new Sleepbuds 2, which apparently improve on the original’s sound quality and battery life.

As a reminder, Inbox is the tech newsletter you should be able to read in around 95 seconds. We cover the most important 9to5Google stories from the last couple of days along with a few highlights from around the web. We publish every Tuesday and Thursday, and if you like what you read, please subscribe.

Samsung says that, amid huge success for its Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, more Galaxy Z Flip owners are switching to the Fold this year – and it’s pretty easy to see why.

Since Samsung insists on a camera design that stacks instead of spans, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, like many Galaxy phones, is naturally incompatible with magnetic accessories. UAG fixed that with one simple design change.

As Samsung’s pre-order perks for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 come to an end, the company continues to advertise its new form factor as a perfect fit for “full-screen” video, which is a pretty big departure from the reality of using this new foldable.

Ahead of the Pixel 11 launch, Google Contacts for Android has gained strings detailing upcoming support for HiLight.

Yesterday Nothing’s CMF brand launched a new pair of pretty cool open-ear earbuds, but a big part of the online discussion is around the AI-generated images the company keeps posting.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced changes to the Google DeepMind team today, including a new role for Demis Hassabis.

You can finally watch Netflix content in 4K resolution through the Google Chrome browser, but it only works on one platform.

Google’s marketing images for the Pixel Watch 5 have sprouted up online, and they dive a little deeper into some of the specs we already knew, while outlining some new ones at the same time.

Following reports from the media, Samsung has officially confirmed the initial record-breaking sales numbers for its Galaxy Z Fold 8 right as pre-order deals are coming to their end.

Sudden life has been breathed into the iMessage for Android messaging app, Sunbird, after hanging out in a purgatorial beta for several years following security concerns.

As expected, Google Assistant is going away in 2026, and the company just provided a September 4 date for Android.

A weird issue floating around Google Chrome users for the past couple of months randomly signs users out of their accounts – have you run into this problem?

Google Home is working on a fix for broken Familiar Faces alerts on Walmart’s cheap Onn cameras that integrate similarly to Nest cameras.

Continuing the trend of Samsung’s “Fan Edition” series, the Galaxy S26 FE has just surfaced in new leaks with another evolution of “yep, that’s a Samsung phone” design.

WhatsApp is rolling out some new feature updates for group chats, including the ability to tag everyone in the chat with a single “@all” tag.

Another Googlebook has surfaced online just a day after images of a separate PC maker’s version made an appearance. This is the Asus Googlebook CX9406.

Google is rolling out the August 2026 security patch for Android 17 on the Pixel 8, 8 Pro, 8a, 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, 9a, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and Pixel 10a.