Kalakshar US

Google is continuing to push its Gemini AI assistant into as many of its products as possible. The latest to get the treatment is Google TV Streamer, where Gemini for TV will begin rolling out today and over the coming weeks. The Google TV Streamer had a few minor AI features when we reviewed the hardware, but this new voice-controlled application of Google’s Gemini is more robust. It can offer suggestions for viewing based on the preferences of whoever is watching or provide additional context for the content playing. 

We knew from The Android Show this spring that Google was planning to bring Gemini to additional platforms, including televisions. A lot of those plans have been coming to fruition in the final quarter of 2025; for instance, last month Google opened early access to Gemini for Home, which brings a specially-designed AI assistant to its Google Home smart speaker hardware.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-for-tv-is-rolling-out-to-the-google-tv-streamer-220448361.html?src=rss 

Next year will see the end arrive for two of Facebook’s external social plugins. The platform’s Like button and Share button for third-party websites will be discontinued on February 10, 2026. The blog post from Meta explains that site admins shouldn’t have to take any additional steps as a result of the change, although they can choose to remove the plugins before the discontinue date. Any remaining plugins will “gracefully degrade,” which sounds much more dramatic than what will actually happen, which is that they’ll render as a 0x0 invisible element. 

Ending support for these features marks the end of an era for Meta and Facebook. External Like and Share buttons were introduced in 2013. The tools were promoted as ways for sites to generate more traffic through the social network, which was a major way that people shared and saw articles at that time. The company’s official line is that the plugins “reflect an earlier era of web development, and their usage has naturally declined as the digital landscape has evolved.” But Facebook also plays a much smaller role in the broader Meta business operation than it once did, and anecdotally, it’s less common to see sites running only integrations with a single social network.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-is-killing-off-the-external-facebook-like-button-205207354.html?src=rss 

Snap is offering Snapchat+ subscribers the chance to have 2D Bitmoji avatars once again. In the coming days, they’ll be able to activate a setting called Comic Bitmoji. Snap said this will revive “the charm of classic avatars, while keeping all the benefits of today’s 3D infrastructure.” If you turn on Comic Bitmoji, all Bitmoji avatars that you see in Snapchat will be rendered in 2D. You’ll also be able to send stickers to your friends in that style.

Snap switched from 2D to 3D avatars back in 2023. The company said the move allowed it to offer a larger array of customizations, including more body types, hairstyles and makeup looks.

However, many users yearned for a return to a 2D look. Nearly 100,000 of them signed a Change.org petition demanding the return of 2D Bitmoji, and Snap said it listened. CEO Evan Spiegel signed the petition too.

Snap says Comic Bitmoji effectively applies a filter to the 3D avatars. To make the animations and expressions work properly in the 2D format, the team had to make adjustments to proportions, shading and outlines, according to Fast Company. Snap said that more than 320 million people use Bitmoji every day, so getting the 2D renders right was important.

It’s a little disappointing that Snap is locking the the Comic Bitmoji setting behind a paywall. However, it seems like just the kind of feature that might prompt more users to sign up for a Snapchat+ subscription.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/snap-is-bringing-back-2d-bitmoji-for-snapchat-subscribers-202257144.html?src=rss 

US residents across 15 states could be in for a show tonight and throughout the week. Incoming coronal mass ejections may spark geomagnetic storms that blaze up the northern lights for all to see, according to a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Forecasters anticipate geomagnetic activity and aurora displays from November 10 until November 12 in states such as New York, Minnesota, Iowa and Alaska, among others. This is due to a trio of coronal mass ejections that began on November 7.

As previously stated, the latest NOAA aurora forecast map notes that 15 US states are fully or partially above the view line. This isn’t an exact science, as it’s entirely possible that those living below the view line could get a glimpse of something in the night sky. Auroras are fickle, so it’s also possible that the lightshow will be understated. A number of conditions have to align for the perfect display.

If you’re planning on heading out tonight for a look, here are some tips. Make sure to find a north-facing vantage point with a clear view of the horizon. You want to be as far from light pollution as possible, so head away from large cities. Use a mobile phone to scan the skies as the camera is actually better at picking up faint lights before being visible to the naked eye. This can help pinpoint where to focus attention.

The last truly powerful and widespread aurora event in the US took place last year. That geomagnetic storm was one of the strongest in the past two decades. It’s unlikely this week’s activity will be quite as striking.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/northern-lights-could-be-visible-in-15-states-this-week-180056871.html?src=rss