Google is finally explaining what the heck happened with its AI Overviews.
For those who aren’t caught up, AI Overviews were introduced to Google’s search engine on May 14, taking the beta Search Generative Experience and making it live for everyone in the U.S. The feature was supposed to give an AI-powered answer at the top of almost every search, but it wasn’t long before it started suggesting that people put glue in their pizzas or follow potentially fatal health advice. While they’re technically still active, AI Overviews seem to have become less prominent on the site, with fewer and fewer searches from the Lifehacker team returning an answer from Google’s robots.
In a blog post yesterday, Google Search VP Liz Reid clarified that while the feature underwent testing, "there’s nothing quite like having millions of people using the feature with many novel searches.” The company acknowledged that AI Overviews hasn’t had the most stellar reputation (the blog is titled “About last week”), but it also said it discovered where the breakdowns happened and is working to fix them.
“AI Overviews work very differently than chatbots and other LLM products,” Reid said. “They’re not simply generating an output based on training data,” but instead running “traditional ‘search’ tasks” and providing information from “top web results.” Therefore, she doesn’t connect errors to hallucinations so much as the model misreading what’s already on the web.
“We saw AI Overviews that featured sarcastic or troll-y content from discussion forums," she continued. "Forums are often a great source of authentic, first-hand information, but in some cases can lead to less-than-helpful advice.” In other words, because the robot can’t distinguish between sarcasm and actual help, it can sometimes present the former for the latter.
Similarly, when there are “data voids” on certain topics, meaning not a lot has been written seriously about them, Reid said Overviews was accidentally pulling from satirical sources instead of legitimate ones. To combat these errors, the company has now supposedly made improvements to AI Overviews, saying:
We built better detection mechanisms for nonsensical queries that shouldn’t show an AI Overview, and limited the inclusion of satire and humor content.
We updated our systems to limit the use of user-generated content in responses that could offer misleading advice.
We added triggering restrictions for queries where AI Overviews were not proving to be as helpful.
For topics like news and health, we already have strong guardrails in place. For example, we aim to not show AI Overviews for hard news topics, where freshness and factuality are important. In the case of health, we launched additional triggering refinements to enhance our quality protections.
All these changes mean AI Overviews probably aren’t going anywhere soon, even as people keep finding new ways to remove Google AI from search. Despite social media buzz, the company said “user feedback shows that with AI Overviews, people have higher satisfaction with their search results,” going on to talk about how dedicated Google is to “strengthening [its] protections, including for edge cases."
That said, it looks like there’s still some disconnect between Google and users. Elsewhere in its posts, Google called out users for “nonsensical new searches, seemingly aimed at producing erroneous results.”
Specifically, the company questioned why someone would search for “How many rocks should I eat?” The idea was to break down where data voids might pop up, and while Google said these questions “highlighted some specific areas that we needed to improve,” the implication seems to be that problems mostly appear when people go looking for them.
Similarly, Google denied responsibility for several AI Overview answers, saying that “dangerous results for topics like leaving dogs in cars, smoking while pregnant, and depression” were faked.
There’s certainly a tone of defensiveness to the post, even as Google spends billions on AI engineers who are presumably paid to find these kinds of mistakes before they go live. Google says AI Overviews only “misinterpret language” in “a small number of cases,” but we do feel bad for anyone sincerely trying to up their workout routine who might have followed its "squat plug" advice.
Sometimes, the most expensive option isn’t the best one, and smartwatches are no exception. For the past two weeks, I’ve swapped out my typical Apple Watch SE for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and for the most part, I much prefer the $249 pick to the $799 one.
From an always-on display to an Action button, there’s a lot to love about the Apple Watch Ultra 2. But it’s a highly specialized device, with a lot of features included that most people won’t need. Even if cost wasn't a factor, I’d bet a good amount of folks would still prefer either an Apple Watch SE or Apple Watch Series 9.
Let’s break down the pros and cons of Apple’s most expensive and least expensive watches to help you find which one is right for you.
Why get a smart watch?
I didn’t start wearing a smartwatch until just after the pandemic, when I started commuting to work more often. I’m not much of an athlete, and I thought the whole thing was kind of silly, like wearing a “please mug me” sign. I suppose people once said the same thing about flip phones.
The Apple Watch SE is meant for someone like me. It’s small, lightweight, and does just enough to win me over. I like to think of it like an updated iPod Nano. It’s a tiny box I can use to control my media, use tap-to-pay, and occasionally track walks. That’s all I need, but it was convenient enough that I’ve grown to love the thing and how it lets me keep my phone in my bag while on the train.
Others, however, have bought into smartwatches since the beginning. They love the detailed sensors higher-end models come with, the luxury looks available with an upgrade, and feeling their hefty cases on their wrists. For these people, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a great choice.
What does each Apple Watch model come with?
Apple currently sells three Apple Watch models, and I’ve tested two. None are bad choices, but they each cater to a different audience, so there’s a lot to take into account even if money is no object.
The cheapest Apple Watch is the Apple Watch SE, which comes with the smallest size option and bare minimum specs. For $249, its aluminum body packs a 1,000 nit display, a battery that’s advertised to hold up to an 18 hour charge, the S8 chip (powering features like Siri and Find my iPhone), and an optical heart rate monitor. You’ll get water resistance up to a 164 feet depth, and for a $50 upcharge, you can add in the ability to connect a cellular plan.
The Apple Watch Series 9 is one step up and starts at $399 (cellular adds $100 to the price, and you can pay even more for a stainless steel case). For that extra money, you’ll get a 2,000 nit always-on display, the S9 chip (unlocking the double tap feature and upgrading Siri as well as Find my iPhone), a new ECG, temperature sensing, fast charging, and a low power mode for your battery that’s purported to last up to 36 hours.
Finally, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at $799 and only comes in one model, with additional upcharges being reserved for accessories. All Ultra 2 models have a titanium case, a 3,000 nit always-on display, the S9 chip, 328 feet of water resistance, an upgraded GPS, cellular compatibility, and a purported battery life of up to 36 hours in normal use and 72 hours in low power mode. There’s also an orange Action button on the side and additional sensors including a gyroscope and a depth gauge.
All Apple Watch models come with OLED screens, a digital crown, speakers (although they’re upgraded on the Ultra), and a menu button, but if we were to discuss everything that’s different about them, we’d be here all day. For more details, check Apple’s site, but even with everything I’ve already laid out, I’ve yet to touch on the most important difference.
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is too big and heavy for my wrist
Remember how I called the Apple Watch SE an updated iPod Nano? That wouldn’t fly with the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
The SE comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes (I have the 40), and weighs a max of 33g even on the larger model with cellular included. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 only comes in 49mm, and weighs 61.4g.
This thing is chonky, especially for a smaller wrist like mine, and feels less like wearing a control center for your iPhone—or perhaps a whole separate iPhone entirely. It’s cool for bragging rights, but less so for the type of everyday use that sold me on smartwatches in the first place.
Outside of its specialty use cases, the always-on display is about the only upgrade I actually enjoyed for most of my time using it. Everything else was just a burden.
If you’re like me, the Ultra 2 is just a bad pick, even if you can afford it and usually opt for top-of-the-line options like the M3 Max MacBook Pro. You’ll end up getting a lot you don’t use, and a worse experience with what you do, so do yourself a favor and cheap out.
When is the Apple Watch Ultra 2 worth it?
But that doesn’t mean the additions to the Ultra 2 are just back-of-the-box selling points that Apple is using to jack up the price. They’re genuinely useful for people who need it, i.e. outdoorsy folks.
The whole reason I started this comparison was to test out the updated Golfshot app, a golf course assistant for Android, iOS, and Apple Watch. Earlier this month, it got an update for Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 that was a genuine game changer, and could totally make the upgrade worth it for me if I were a big golfer.
On top of adding driving ranges to the app’s lineup of courses, the update makes use of the Apple Watch Ultra line’s extra sensors to track your swing in detail every time. SwingID allows the app to track factors like tempo, rhythm, backswing, and the like, and while it’s available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra can track your swing at 800hz, allowing it to detect exactly when you hit the ball.
In just a short few hours of play, I managed to use this data to see what was causing my shots to veer off to the right so frequently, and ended the session straightening them out.
It’s cases like this where Apple Watch shines. For instance, the extra waterproofing and Depth app makes it a diving companion, while the detailed watch face options, extra large battery, loud speakers, and cellular connectivity make it useful for keeping hikers both informed and safe.
I’m not likely to use these features anytime soon, but given that competing activity watches like Garmin’s Mk3 Dive Computer can reach into the thousands of dollars, the Apple Watch Ultra could be a fair replacement for more specialized equipment.
The large size also puts Apple Watch Ultra in greater competition with luxury watches. I tend not to pick my outfit for bragging rights, but there’s no arguing that the Ultra doesn’t look slick, especially if you add on one of Apple’s official Hermès bands.
Do I need Apple Watch Ultra if I’m just going to the gym?
I like to view Apple Watch Ultra best as a specialty activity companion, and while I did try wearing it to the gym, I didn’t get much out of it. My typical day at the gym involves about a half-hour of using the elliptical and ten minutes of weight lifting, and for this, the Ultra only really gave me one benefit: the Action button.
On the side of both Apple Watch Ultras is an orange Action button that can be set to trigger anything from a stopwatch to a flashlight (which turns the watch’s screen white and sets it to max brightness). Most available Action button functions are also available as features on the Apple Watch SE and Series 9, but require digging through menus, so being able to turn them on with a single button press is convenient. It's a similar experience to the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.
I set the Action button to start my workout, and I could press it again to pause workouts. I didn’t notice too much deviation in the recorded data on either watch, but because I usually just wait for my SE to detect when I’m working out before starting tracking, I was able to more accurately time my workout tracking on the Ultra 2. The SE, for all its lightweight convenience, can be a little slow to notice when I’m in the gym.
If you work out outside, there’s also the larger battery to take note of. I usually have to charge my SE every night, but I was able to get away with charging it every other night on the Ultra 2. You’ll still be set for hours either way, but you’re less likely to accidentally wear a dead watch with the more expensive model.
Aside from in-exercise tracking, there is also something to be said for the ECG and Cycle Tracking apps. While these are also available on the more modestly priced Series 9, the closest the SE offers is the ability to manually log cycles.
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
Which Apple Watch should I get?
The best Apple Watch for you may not be the one with the most bells and whistles. I prefer a small, lightweight device with a minimal interface that I can mostly use as a companion while commuting, so the SE isn’t just a budget compromise to me: It’s my favorite option.
The Ultra 2, meanwhile, is great for people who regularly dive, golf, hike, or engage in some other more intense outdoor hobby. Its extra sensors and more rugged design allow it to keep up with more expensive specialty equipment, and despite its bulk, it’s still capable of everyday use cases like tap-to-pay.
The Series 9 is a great compromise. Its smallest option is only a touch larger than the SE’s, it comes in more colors, and it has a few extra sensors without getting as big as the Ultra 2. It’s a good splurge pick, but be sure to look up whether you’ll actually use its extra sensors paying the extra $150 for it.
At its Google I/O keynote earlier this month, Google made big promises about AI in Search, saying that users would soon be able to “Let Google do the Googling for you.” That feature, called AI Overviews, launched earlier this month. The result? The search giant spent Memorial Day weekend scrubbing AI answers from the web.
Since Google AI search went live for everyone in the U.S. on May 14, AI Overviews have suggested users put glue in their pizza sauce, eat rocks, and use a “squat plug” while exercising (you can guess what that last one is referring to).
While some examples circulating on social media have clearly been photoshopped for a joke, others were confirmed by the Lifehacker team—Google suggested I specifically use Elmer’s glue in my pizza. Unfortunately, if you try to search for these answers now, you’re likely to see the “an AI overview is not available for this search” disclaimer instead.
What's causing these issues? Well, for some answers, it seems like Google’s AI can’t take a joke. Specifically, the AI isn’t capable of discerning a sarcastic post from a genuine one, and given it seems to love scanning Reddit for answers. If you’ve ever spent any time on Reddit, you can see what a bad combination that makes.
After some digging, users discovered the source of the AI’s “glue in pizza” advice was an 11-year-old post from a Reddit user who goes by the name “fucksmith.” Similarly, the use of “squat plugs” is an old joke on Reddit’s exercise forums (Lifehacker Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki breaks down that particular bit of unintentional misinformation here.)
These are just a few examples of problems with AI Overviews, and another one—the AI's tendency to cite satirical articles from The Onion as gospel (no, geologists actually don't recommend eating one small rock per day) illustrates the problem particularly well: The internet is littered with jokes that would make for extremely bad advice when repeated deadpan, and that's just what AI Overviews is doing.
Google's AI search results do at least explicitly source most of their claims (though discovering the origin of the glue-in-pizza advice took some digging). But unless you click through to read the complete article, you’ll have to take the AI’s word on their accuracy—which can be problematic if these claims are the first thing you see in Search, at the top of the results page and in big bold text. As you’ll notice in Beth’s examples, like with a bad middle school paper, the words “some say” are doing a lot of heavy lifting in these responses.
Google has attempted to avoid responsibility for any inaccuracies by tagging the end of its AI Overviews with “Generative AI is experimental” (in noticeably smaller text), although it’s unclear if that will hold up in court should anyone get hurt thanks to an AI Overview suggestion.
There are plenty more examples of AI Overview messing up circulating around the internet, fromAir Bud being confused for a true story to Barack Obama being referred to as Muslim, but suffice it to say that the first thing you see in Google Search is now even less reliable than it was when all you had to worry about was sponsored ads.
Assuming you even see it: Anecdotally, and perhaps in response to the backlash, AI Overviews currently seem to be far less prominent in search results than they were last week. While writing this article, I tried searching for common advice and facts like “how to make banana pudding” or “name the last three U.S. presidents”—things AI Overviews had confidently answered for me on prior searches without error. For about two dozen queries, I saw no overviews, which struck me as suspicious given the email Google representative Meghann Farnsworth sent to The Verge that indicated the company is “taking swift action” to remove certain offending AI answers.
Google AI Overviews is broken in Search Labs
Perhaps Google is simply showing an abundance of caution, or perhaps the company is paying attention to how popular anti-AI hacks like clicking on Search’s new web filter or appending udm=14 to the end of the search URL have become.
Whatever the case, it does seem like something has changed. In the top-left (on mobile) or top-right (on desktop) corner of Search in your browser, you should now see what looks like a beaker. Click on it, and you’ll be taken to the Search Labs page, where you’ll see a prominent card advertising AI Overviews (if you don’t see the beaker, sign up for Search Labs at the above link). You can click on that card to see a toggle that can be swapped off, but since the toggle doesn’t actually affect search at large, what we care about is what’s underneath it.
Here, you’ll find a demo for AI Overviews with a big bright “Try an example” button that will display a few low-stakes answers that show the feature in its best light. Below that button are three more “try” buttons, except two of them now no longer lead to AI Overviews. I simply saw a normal page of search results when I clicked on them, with the example prompts added to my search bar but not answered by Gemini.
If even Google itself isn’t confident in its hand-picked AI Overview examples, that’s probably a good indication that they are, at the very least, not the first thing users should see when they ask Google a question.
Detractors might say that AI Overviews are simply the logical next step from the knowledge panels the company already uses, where Search directly quotes media without needing to take users to the sourced webpage—but knowledge panels are not without controversy themselves.
Is AI Feeling Lucky?
On May 14, the same day AI Overviews went live, Google Liaison Danny Sullivan proudly declared his advocacy for the web filter, another new feature that debuted alongside AI Overviews, to much less fanfare. The web filter disables both AI and knowledge panels, and is at the heart of the popular udm=14 hack. It turns out some users just want to see the classic ten blue links.
It’s all reminiscent of a debate from a little over a decade ago, when Google drastically reduced the presence of the “I’m feeling lucky” button. The quirky feature worked like a prototype for AI Overviews and knowledge panels, trusting so deeply in the algorithm’s first Google search result being correct that it would simply send users right to it, rather than letting them check the results themselves.
The opportunities for a search to be coopted by malware or misinformation were just as prevalent then, but the real factor behind I’m Feeling Lucky’s death was that nobody used it. Accounting for just 1% of searches, the button just wasn’t worth the millions of dollars in advertising revenue it was losing Google by directing users away from the search results page before they had a chance to see any ads. (You can still use “I’m Feeling Lucky,” but only on desktop, and only if you scroll down past your autocompleted search suggestions.)
It’s unlikely AI Overviews will go the way of I’m Feeling Lucky any time soon—the company has spent a lot of money on AI, and “I’m Feeling Lucky” took until 2010 to die. But at least for now, it seems to have about as much prominence on the site as Google’s most forgotten feature. That users aren’t responding to these AI-generated options suggests that you don't really want Google to do the Googling for you.
There’s new non-AI features as well, like a GIF recorder and a new Game Dashboard. These are available on standard Chromebooks, while most of the new AI features will be limited to Chromebook Plus models.
Taken together, all of these new features see Google fulfilling some of the promises it made alongside its first Chromebook Plus rollout in October of last year. But Google still seems to be deferring some rollouts to later in the year, as the company only previewed a selection of its more exciting AI developments—among them, a Microsoft Recall-like “Where Was I” screen that pops up every time you open your Chromebook.
There isn’t any brand new chip technology here, like there is with Copilot+ laptops or M-series MacBooks. But since competing devices can cost well above $1,000, Google’s promise to sell Chromebook Plus laptops starting at $349 provides a great look at what a low-cost AI computer might look like in 2024, and if it lives up to the hype.
What is a Chromebook Plus?
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
In October, Google announced a new certification program for Chromebooks called Chromebook Plus. While Google doesn’t make its own Chromebook hardware, Chromebook Plus guarantees a minimum spec loadout, and comes with some handy extra features.
For a device to be considered a Chromebook Plus, it must have at least an Intel Core i3 12th Generation or AMD Ryzen 3 5000 CPU, 8GB of RAM or more, 128GB of storage or more, a 1080p IPS display or above, and a 1080p or above webcam with temporal noise reduction (which makes videos appear clearer).
This guarantees a certain level of performance, which Google says enables it to turn on features like Magic Eraser, which debuted on Pixel phones. Chromebook Plus users can also blur their backgrounds in video calls or use audio noise cancellation on an OS-level, allowing them to tune up their video even in apps that don’t support it. These were the only AI features on Chromebook Plus devices at launch, which left a lot of promises to fulfill.
The minimum requirements for Chromebook Plus devices hasn’t changed now, which means today’s update is mostly a feature drop. But there are also several new or updated devices on the way, including convertibles (laptops that become tablets). Some of these go above and beyond Google’s minimums, but perhaps the biggest news here is the cheapest option is now $349, which drops the starting price for Chromebook Plus devices down from $399.
I’ll be focusing on ChromeOS updates for most of this article, but all of my testing was done on the new HP Chromebook Plus x360, a $429 convertible laptop with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, an Intel Core i3 processor, and a 14-inch 1080p touchscreen.
Gemini on Chromebook Plus
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
The most prominent addition to Chromebook Plus is Gemini integration, both in the app shelf (Google’s name for the taskbar) and when you right click. Unfortunately, like with Gemini on the Pixel 8a, it’s somewhat of a parlor trick. Clicking the Gemini icon in the app shelf simply opens a Chrome tab for Gemini’s web app, and won’t work without an internet connection. Once in the web app, Gemini will function as usual, meaning it won’t be able to help you adjust your Chromebook’s settings, like Microsoft Copilot can with Windows.
To help alleviate any disappointment, and probably to sell future subscriptions, Google is giving all new Chromebook Plus owners a year of the Google One AI Premium plan free with their purchases, meaning they’ll be able to use Gemini Advanced to access the chatbot’s latest large language models.
There is one substantial feature here that genuinely changes how you use Gemini, but it’s pretty limited for now. “Help me write” allows users to select text, right-click it, and choose to have Gemini shorten, elaborate on, insert emojis into, or rewrite it using a specific prompt. It’s nothing the chatbot couldn’t do before, but the convenience of putting these options on a right-click makes it feel like the next evolution of copy-paste. That catch is that it only works on social media sites for now. While I was able to get writing help on X (formerly Twitter) or LinkedIn, the option wouldn’t show up on Gmail or Google Docs. It’s unclear whether that will change in the future, but Google says that “websites that offer a separate right-click menu” are not compatible with Help me write.
None of the AI here works on-device, so you’ll need to be connected to the internet to try it out.
Magic Editor on Chromebook Plus
An unedited photo of a car (left) vs. the same photo after being edited with Magic Editor (right)Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
Less prominent but more useful than Chromebook Plus’ current Gemini integration is full Magic Editor access, something that Google promised would come when it initially launched the Chromebook Plus program. You’ll actually need to install this to use it, but getting it set up is as simple as opening an image in Google Photos and clicking the glowing magic editor button.
Installation doesn’t take long, and the resulting process is about as smooth as on a Pixel phone. You’ll back up your image, then be prompted to tap, brush, or circle the parts of the photo you want to edit. Once selected, you can delete, resize, or move your selected element, and generative AI will fill in any gaps you leave in the process.
Unfortunately, the results are about as good as on Pixel phones, too. Backgrounds are blurry and generated elements might blend together with little rhyme or reason. It’s fun for a gag, or maybe if you really hate an ex and want them out of your selfie, but it’s not going to replace Photoshop anytime soon. And while it’s a unique function that isn’t just a shortcut to the web, it also needs an internet connection to work.
Generative AI wallpaper and video call backgrounds
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
Another promise Google made upon launching Chromebook Plus was the ability to create custom, AI-generated wallpapers and video call backgrounds. This is finally here, but the implementation is seriously limited compared to expectations.
When I demoed a pre-release version of the feature at a Google event last year, I was able to generate imagery using any prompt I wanted. The results weren’t always beautiful, but the freedom was fun, and gave Google’s generative AI a unique edge over just picking something off Google Images.
Now, users can only make prompts by selecting from a list of pre-approved words. For instance, if you want to make a wallpaper with a fruit theme, you could pick a color, a fruit, and a background color from a list, but you couldn’t ask for a background of “three bananas with googly eyes wearing astronaut helmets.”
The results are now more consistent, but also so constrained and typical that there’s little reason to use these backgrounds over more traditional, handcrafted ones. The reason I even suggested a “fruit theme” above is that more imaginative options are off-limits. If you’re planning to use an AI background, I hope you like landscapes, letters, and foodstuff.
Like Magic Eraser and Gemini, you’ll need internet access for this as well.
More Chromebook AI to come
Credit: Google
Again, Google has big plans for Chromebook Plus down the line. The company says it’s working on a “Help me read” feature that will allow Gemini to summarize text for web pages or PDFs on a right-click, and answer follow-up questions. Again, this is nothing the chatbot can’t do now, but putting it on a right-click could be a great way to get people to actually use the AI, as it’ll be integrated into their current workflows.
There’s also accessibility utilities in the works that could prove to be a genuine game changer for those who need them, and possibly even those who don’t. The idea is to bake Project Gameface, which is currently available on Android, directly into ChromeOS. Chromebook users, whether on a Plus or a standard model, could then control their mouse, keyboard, and other input devices by smiling, blinking, or performing other gestures. It all sounds very cool, but it’s a bit disappointing that we’re this far out on the Chromebook Plus launch and most of the promised AI utility that’s meant to help bridge the gap between a Chromebook and a more traditional laptop are still just novelties.
What might help Google is the eventual launch of “Where Was I,” which sounds like a stripped down version of Microsoft’s new Recall feature. It’d be great to see this go live now, to help more directly compete with Microsoft, because it seems like a genuine compromise between Recall’s promises and its security concerns. Like Recall, Where Was I will remind users what they were up to upon returning to their Chromebook Plus, and even give them buttons to resume certain tasks. Unlike Recall, it won’t take a screenshot every few seconds. Instead, the computer will simply take a note of which tabs and programs you had open when it goes to sleep, and can even port over suggestions from connected phones, like articles you might have started reading on mobile.
For some users, this will just be another screen to dismiss before getting started on work, but for others, it will provide some useful shortcuts that, while not as powerful as Recall, provide much less of a security risk.
Google says these updates will roll out “in the coming year,” but dedicated users might eventually be able to test them out early via Chrome flags (I couldn’t access them in my testing period).
Non-AI features
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
Given the limited nature of what’s going live today and the somewhat shaky reputation Google AI has earned since being widely implemented into search, Chromebook’s non-AI upgrades might be the most exciting announcements to come out of today’s news, even if they’re not front-and-center in Google’s messaging. The best part? They’re on all Chromebooks, not just Chromebook Plus models.
Maybe the most convenient of these is the ability to record a GIF when using the screen capture tool. Simply press the screen capture button (or use the Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows or Ctrl + Shift + F5 shortcuts), click the video icon, then select “Record GIF” from the dropdown menu.
Depending on the file size, the compression might not always be great—I tested the feature out on about 10 seconds of anime footage and got plenty of strange artifacts—but for shorter and more casual social media reactions, it should prove more convenient than capturing a video file and converting it to a GIF.
Also convenient is the new Game Dashboard, which gives users access to typical screenshot functions, but also comes with a key mapper for touch-based Android games. This will make it far easier to play games like Genshin Impact on a Chromebook, since you’ll be able to assign the game’s touch controls to keyboard buttons and mouse inputs. Chromebook Plus users will also be able to capture videos of their gameplay with the included face-cam of themselves, although oddly enough, the only way to disable the face-cam is to turn off webcam input altogether.
In a move towards seamlessness, you’ll also now be able to set up your Chromebook using a QR code and an Android phone, which definitely made the process simpler for me, since my Google password is on the long end. Similarly, you can now access your Google Tasks right from the date display in your Chromebook’s bottom-right corner.
Is Chromebook Plus worth it now?
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
With a price drop and a few extra AI conveniences, Google’s updated Chromebook Plus program does a decent job using the cloud to make up for lower hardware performance. But as a proper AI computer, Chromebook Plus is clearly still developing. The AI features here aren’t anything that you couldn’t get elsewhere, largely for free, so there’s not a good incentive to upgrade, especially if you already own a regular Chromebook. In fact, it’s pretty disappointing that Google is locking so many features behind its Chromebook Plus banner. With so much being powered by the cloud, any device with an internet connection could conceivably run them. For the most part, they even still can; they’ll just need to navigate to the Gemini web page first, instead of having AI on a right click.
That AI on a right click promise is tantalizing, though, which means Chromebook Plus is worth paying attention to as Google develops its Help me write and Help me read features. If AI is to take off, it needs to work its way into regular consumer habits, and seeing it readily available when you go to copy and paste is a smart move on Google’s part.
New Chromebook Plus models
Alongside Google's feature announcements, a number of updated Chromebook Plus models are now joining the market, including the following:
$699: Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714, with a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200 convertible touchscreen, an Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage
$649: Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE, with a 16-inch 2,560 x 1,600 120Hz screen, an Intel Core 5 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage
$499: Asus Chromebook Plus CX24, with a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,080 screen, a 13th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage
$429: HP Chromebook Plus x360, with a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,080 convertible touchscreen, a 13th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage
$350: Acer Chromebook Plus 514, with a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,080 screen, a 13th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB RAM, 512GB storage
Since the launch of Android in 2008, Apple’s iOS has lagged significantly behind its Google-powered competition in one respect: retro gaming. While some companies, particularly Final Fantasy creator Square Enix, regularly bring their older games to the App Store via official mobile ports, the best fans of Sonic or Mario used to be able to get through the App Store were freemium games like Sonic Dash or Super Mario Run.
Sometimes, you want something a little meatier. And Android fans would agree—since the platform’s launch, it’s been open to game emulators, which can mimic old consoles using software to play games from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and in some cases the ‘00s and beyond.
As Apple gears up the iPhone to be a modern gaming powerhouse with fully functional versions of games like Resident Evil Village, it seems like the company is finally ready to address this blind spot. Emulators can be tricky for relations with game publishers, even if they’re technically legal, but in an update on April 5, Apple finally changed its rules to allow them on the App Store, provided they don’t distribute copyright-infringing material.
Since then, a small but dedicated group of developers has stepped up to bring retro gaming to the most popular mobile platform in the US. Here are the best game emulators for iPhone—and best of all, they’re all free.
RetroArch is the most powerful emulation program on the App Store, but technically, it’s not an emulator at all. Instead, it’s a front end for running various emulation "cores" distributed by other developers. Think of RetroArch like a menu, where each core is a different console you can pick off the menu and then customize to your liking.
Because of all these options, it can be a little confusing to navigate. RetroArch’s interface is bare-bones, and while it can be dressed up with various themes, it will still sometimes dump dozens of concepts on a page at once while doing little to explain them.
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt/Lifehacker
The upside is that, right from when you download it off the App Store, you’ll be able to play games from a list of 70+ consoles, including popular mainstays like the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation 1. Most will work out of the box, but some might require a BIOS (or operating system) file, or at least suggest adding one or two for added compatibility.
That’s the rub with emulators: They can’t distribute information protected by copyright, so you’ll need to provide it yourself. Emulation enthusiasts assure that making backup files of games you own is legal according to U.S. law, although the practice has yet to face much legal scrutiny.
But RetroArch makes it more difficult to load up your own files than most competing programs. Rather than picking from a list of games, all displayed with pretty box art, the general process is to Open RetroArch, select Load Core, pick the system you want to play (there might be multiple cores for each system, with varying levels of performance and accuracy to original hardware between them), click Load Content, then click Open and select your game from your file browser.
That’s a lot to do every time you want to play a game, and might require you to do some research beforehand about which core to use. And there’s more—once you get into a game, there’s dozens of settings to tweak, including “Frame Throttle” and “Latency.”
For the most part, you can ignore these, but while you can mitigate the pain with features like Favorites and Playlists, it can still be a little overwhelming.
Enthusiasts are sure to love the granular control, though, as setting can even be set on a per-core basis. Everyone else can at least be assured that there’s easy access to basics like touch controls and save states (which can save a game anywhere, separate from its in-game save function) while you’re playing, which you can do in either portrait or landscape mode.
RetroArch is the best choice to get the most tweaks and consoles at your fingertips, and is worth a download just as a backup, since it might be the only way to play certain games. But if you’re looking for something more user-friendly, there are other options.
Delta was the first emulator to really take off on the App Store, and functions like a stripped-down but more user-friendly version of RetroArch. It also supports a number of cores, but only one for each console, and for just a select number of mostly older systems.
These include the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo, the Nintendo 64, the Game Boy Color, the Game Boy Advance, and the Sega Genesis. Again, you’ll need to provide game files yourself, and in the case of the DS, BIOS files.
But once you’ve gone through those steps, setup is much simpler than in RetroArch. You simply need to add a game to Delta’s main menu once, through a + icon in the top-right corner that will let you browse either iTunes or your files, and Delta will add it to a menu for the appropriate console, complete with box art.
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt/Lifehacker
From there, just click on the game’s icon and it’ll boot up. You’ll see touch controls that will work in both portrait and landscape mode, and have access to basic functions like save states and a “hold button,” which can keep a specific button continually held down when you play (useful for games like Super Mario World).
In the app’s settings menu, you’ll also be able to add cheat codes, change the opacity of the touch controls, and even connect to a DropBox or Google Drive folder to load games from there.
It’s generally a smoother experience, and frankly, it's also cuter. Delta has a very Gamecube-purple color across all its menus, and the touch controls for each system come with great theming, which you can also swap out for custom options if you want.
If all you want to do is play old Nintendo games, Delta might be your best bet, as it’s similar to Retroarch but doesn’t require a computer engineering degree to use.
PPSSPP is actually available in Retroarch as a core, but if all you want to do is play PSP games, it’s your best bet.
That’s because it’ll give you everything Retroarch does, but like Delta, comes with an interface that’s simpler to navigate.
The catch is that it only works in landscape mode, but since PSP games are widescreen anyway, that’s probably want you’ll want to use regardless.
The UI here isn’t as clean as Delta's, but it still offers a simpler basic process than RetroArch (and the menu is cute too, since it resembles an actual PSP menu). To play a game, just open the app, click Load, and browse your files for your game. PPSSPP will add it to the Games menu, and after playing it, it will show up in the Recent menu for later use.
Once in a game, click the ^ arrow at the top of the screen for save states as well as more advanced options that you can set per game. Like with RetroArch, there’s some real vocab here, like “Disable culling” and “Skip GPU Readbacks,” but you can generally ignore these, and experts will like the extra options.
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt/Lifehacker
The only real flaw with the app is that it’s not as powerful as on other systems, since Apple’s coding restrictions have prevented developer Henrik Rydgård from adding in features like RetroAchievements and Vulkan graphics support. In a blog post, Rydgård said he was working on bringing these back, but that performance might always lag behind the version of the app on other systems, as Apple doesn’t allow the Just-in-Time recompilers that can help retranslate code for smoother play.
Still, given the power behind modern Apple devices, this shouldn’t be a problem for most. The biggest problem I had when playing Mega Man Maverick Hunter X was the touch controls, but as with all other emulators on this list, you can use an external controller instead if you wish.
Note that you will eventually see a paid version of PPSSPP on the App Store, but if it’s like past PPSSPP releases, it won’t come with any extra features. Instead, buying it is just a way to support Rydgård’s work.
Gamma is a hard sell, but if you really don’t want to deal with RetroArch, it might be a good choice for you. It’s another single purpose emulator, this time for PS1 games, and it generally works like Delta. In fact, while talking to The Verge, Delta developer Riley Testut said Gamma is based on his work, with permission.
It should be a slam dunk, with a similar easy setup process that just involves pressing a + in the top right corner, adding the game file, and automatically having it populate a list with included box art. There’s even a service for linking to a Dropbox or Google Drive folder, plus the ability to use various skins with the touch controller. Gamma can also play without a BIOS, though adding one can improve performance.
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt/Lifehacker
The problem is the ads. When booting a game and while idling on the main menu, Gamma will play ads that can last up to a minute, and it just completely kills momentum. The app will also ask to track your activity when you first load it up, which can be a little frightening.
There’s a way around this, which requires turning off wifi and network data while using Gamma. But that’s a lot to do just to play games from the ‘90s.
What emulators aren’t on iOS?
Even with these four options, iOS still lags behind Android when it comes to emulation. RetroArch, as complicated as it may be, covers most bases, but systems like PS2, Gamecube, Wii and even Nintendo Switch are still unrepresented on the device, even as they’re playable elsewhere.
We might never see these systems come to iPhone, thanks to the limitations pointed out by Rydgård, but with general support up to PSP, alongside ports of modern AAA games like Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, the iPhone is in stronger contention to be the best gaming phone than ever before.
Cars with screens aren’t going away anytime soon. Even as scientists bemoan their distractions, companies are embracing them for their adaptability. Case in point: Google is adding even more apps to cars with Android Auto (which runs off a phone) or Google built-in (which is powered by the car itself). Plus, devs are going to have a much easier time bringing their own games and streaming apps to cars in the future.
The news follows Google’s I/O keynote yesterday, and is one of the company’s bigger drops outside of the realms of AI or mobile phones. The best part? Google doesn’t have to do much to make it work, and neither do developers.
Essentially, Google will now bring existing Android apps to cars “without the need for new development or a new release to be created,” Google product managers Vivek Radhakrishnan and Seung Nam said in a press release. This means the Android Auto and Google built-in ecosystems are potentially about to get much larger, all while relying on work that already exists.
Any app that already works with a large screen could soon naturally also work in the car, with a new tiered system that differentiates Android apps between those built specifically for auto, those with special features on auto, and those made for tablet or phone that just happen to also work on auto. Developers looking to get in on that final tier, “Car ready mobile apps,” can request a review to participate soon, but Google will also start automatically distributing existing Android apps it considers car ready “in the coming months.”
Those concerned about safety can breathe a sigh of relief for now. While Google says it will be starting with categories like gaming apps, video apps, and web browsers, these will only work while the car is parked. There are plans to “expand to other app categories in the future,” so we have yet to see whether any car ready mobile apps will actually be available while driving.
In the meantime, Google is proactively adding a few apps to auto as well, though only to cars with Google built-in. These include Max and Peacock, as well as a version of Angry Birds. Customers with compatible Rivian cars will also soon be able to cast video content to their vehicle, a first for the famously mirroring-prone brand. Other brands are set to follow suit, though again, only those with Google built-in. Again, all of these apps will need your car to be parked for them to work.
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