This week's tech headlines span artificial intelligence, privacy, consumer electronics, and gadget mishaps. Google rolls out a more practical Gemini voice mode for smart homes, the FCC wants to strengthen robocall rules, and Fitbit officially becomes part of Google Health. Meanwhile, Amazon finally offers a year-long price history tool, Samsung prepares to challenge Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, and Apple patches a controversial iPhone exploit used by law enforcement. In less welcome news, Amazon is ending support for older Kindles, highlighting the illusory nature of 'forever' tech, and Casely is recalling power banks after a mid-flight explosion.

Gemini's 'Continued Conversation' Feature Makes Google's AI More Practical for Smart Homes

Google's Gemini AI assistant is gaining a 'continued conversation' mode that eliminates the need to repeatedly say 'Hey Google' during extended interactions. The feature, rolling out to Nest and other smart home devices, maintains context within a session so users can ask follow-up questions or give sequential commands naturally. For example, after asking for the weather, you can immediately say 'What about tomorrow?' without waking the assistant again. This makes Gemini far more practical for home automation, where multi-step tasks are common. Google hopes the update will help it compete with Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri, which have offered similar persistent conversation modes for years. The feature is rolling out to English-language users in the US initially, with other regions to follow.

FCC Proposes Tougher Robocall Rules, Raising New Privacy Questions

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed stricter rules targeting illegal robocalls and robotexts. The new framework would require telephone carriers to implement call authentication at the network level, block calls from unverified numbers, and impose stricter penalties on companies that originate spam calls. While consumer advocacy groups applaud the crackdown, privacy experts are raising concerns about the scope of data collection required to monitor and block billions of calls. The proposal also includes provisions for recording consent in a more auditable way, which could create new privacy risks if stored improperly. The FCC is accepting public comments until December, and final rules are expected by mid-2026.

Fitbit App Becomes Google Health as AI Coaching Takes Center Stage

After years of gradual integration, the Fitbit app is being fully rebranded as Google Health. The transition brings Google's AI algorithms to the forefront, offering personalized activity, sleep, and nutrition coaching powered by machine learning. Users can now set health goals and receive daily suggestions based on their biometric data, step count, and heart rate variability. Google says the AI coach will learn from your habits and adapt recommendations over time. However, the rebranding has also raised data privacy concerns—Fitbit had a long-standing commitment to not sharing health data for advertising, a promise that may be less clear under Google's corporate umbrella. Existing Fitbit devices will continue to work, but the new app replaces the old interface entirely.

Amazon Extends Price History Tool to One Year, Providing Much-Needed Transparency Around Deals

Amazon has expanded its price history tool to show a full year of price fluctuations for products sold directly by Amazon. Previously, only a 30-day history was visible. The change gives shoppers a much clearer picture of whether a 'deal' is actually a good price or just a temporary markdown from an inflated baseline. The tool appears on product detail pages as a small chart accessible via a 'Price History' link. Consumer advocates have long pushed for this, arguing that dynamic pricing and fake discounts deceive customers. Amazon says the feature is rolling out globally over the next few weeks and will also apply to products sold by third-party sellers who share pricing data.

Google's Gemini Car Rollout Brings AI to the Dashboard

Google is integrating Gemini AI into its Android Automotive operating system, bringing conversational assistance to car dashboards. Drivers can ask Gemini to change the climate, navigate to a specific address, play music based on mood, or even explain a dashboard warning light—all without reaching for the screen. The system works offline thanks to on-device machine learning, and has access to the car's sensors and controls. Google hopes this will reduce distracted driving while making in-car infotainment more useful. The rollout begins with select Volvo, Polestar, and General Motors models later this year, and will be expanded to more brands in 2026.

Samsung's Answer to Meta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Revealed in Leaked Images

Leaked renders and specifications suggest Samsung is developing smart glasses to compete directly with Meta's Ray-Ban Stories. The glasses, codenamed 'Halo', are said to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR chip, a 12MP camera with a 1080p video capture, and integrated bone-conduction audio. Unlike full AR headsets, they appear as normal eyeglasses with subtle sensors embedded in the frame. Samsung is reportedly partnering with a major eyewear brand (not yet named) for the frame design. Battery life is said to be around 6 hours of mixed use, and they will rely on a smartphone companion for processing heavy tasks. The leaked images show a minimalist design with touch controls along the temples.

Apple Patches iPhone Bug Exploited by Police to Recover Deleted Chats, But Privacy Questions Persist

Apple has released a security update for iPhones that fixes a vulnerability allowing forensic tools from companies like Cellebrite to recover deleted messages and call logs even after users had wiped their devices. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-4156, existed in the SQLite database that logs communication data. While Apple's patch prevents the exploit, questions remain about why it existed for years without detection. Privacy advocates argue that Apple should have been more transparent about the vulnerability and should provide a true 'secure erase' option rather than just marking data as deleted. Law enforcement groups have pushed back, saying such a feature would hinder legitimate investigations into crimes involving digital evidence.

Amazon Ending Support for Older Kindles Next Month, Showing the Hidden Cost of 'Forever' Tech

Amazon has announced that it will end Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity support for several older Kindle models beginning next month. Affected devices include the Kindle Keyboard (3rd gen), Kindle Touch (4th gen), and Kindle Paperwhite (1st and 2nd gen). After the cutoff, these devices will no longer be able to download new books from the Kindle Store, sync reading progress, or even access previously purchased content unless it is manually transferred via USB from a computer. The move has drawn criticism from e-reader fans who argue that the company is effectively bricking devices that are still functional. Amazon says the decision is based on outdated security protocols that are no longer safe to support, but critics counter that the company could offer a final firmware update to keep the devices usable in offline mode.

Casely Power Banks Recalled Again Following Mid-Flight Explosion

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of approximately 300,000 Casely power banks after a second incident involving a mid-flight explosion. The lithium-ion batteries in the affected units can overheat and ignite, posing fire and burn hazards. This is the third recall for the brand in two years. Casely is offering full refunds to owners and advises them to stop using the power banks immediately. The airline industry has renewed calls for stricter battery manufacturing regulations, especially for portable chargers commonly carried by passengers. The incident has also sparked discussions about whether airlines should ban non-OEM power banks in carry-on luggage.

Source: Techopedia News