Google Brings Ads to AI Overviews in Search

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Google Brings Ads to AI Overviews in Search

And Oura has a new ring

Tom Merritt

Oct 03, 2024

Transcript

Hey folks,

Lots of news this Thursday. Google has a bunch of search tweaks, and yes, ads are coming to AI overviews. You're saved from thinking ads won’t happen in AI overviews. Also, Oura has a new ring, and OpenAI has access to $10 billion in cash. I’m sure they will use it wisely.

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Cheers,

Tom

Big Story

"Google introduces new way to search by filming video" – BBC
"Google’s AI search summaries officially have ads" – The Verge
"Google stuffs more AI into search" – Engadget
"YouTube takes on TikTok with longer Shorts, templates, trends, and more" – TechCrunch
"Gemini Live will support more languages for its AI voice chat" – The Verge

Google announced several new features for search and AI Thursday.

AI search summaries can now include ads in the US on mobile. For example, if you ask about how to clean your kitchen counters, you'll get the normal generated response, plus suggestions for cleaning products to purchase under a "sponsored" header.

Cited sources will now appear more prominently on the right side of the generated summary.

And Google will use its generative models to organize some search pages related to recipes and meal ideas on mobile in the US. It will include summaries but also custom-arranged articles.

Globally in English on mobile, Search Labs users can use Google Lens to ask questions about moving images seen through the camera. You can also ask questions by voice while holding down the button to take a still image in the Google app on iOS and Android.

Circle to search will get the ability to identify a song playing without switching apps.

YouTube is getting the ability to do longer videos—up to three minutes as Shorts. Creators also get access to templates. You can tap on a Remix option from any Short and incorporate it into your own new video. Eventually, that will come to the Shorts camera as well, so you can add multiple videos. YouTube is also adding a trending page for Shorts on mobile.

And Google's conversational chatbot, "Google Live," is already available for free in English and is now rolling out in French, German, Portuguese, Hindi, and Spanish.

Briefs

"Oura Ring 4 smart ring announced for $349, releases Oct. 15" – CNBC
"The Oura Ring 4 has slimmer sensors, increased accuracy, and more sizes" – The Verge

Oura was the first smart ring to capture widespread attention, but others like Samsung have started to get into the area. Thursday, Oura announced the Oura Ring 4. It has a new design, claims to have improved sensors and algorithms for sleep, exercise, stress, and heart health measurements, and increased battery life to up to 8 days. The sensors now lay flatter to make the interior of the ring more comfortable to wear, and there are more of them for more accurate readings on different-shaped fingers. Along with the new model, all Oura ring users get a new app design with tabs for Today, Vitals, and My Health. Oura stats are available through a membership of $5.99 a month, and in the US, you can pay for the Oura Ring through a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account. It’s available for preorder for $349, shipping October 15.

"OpenAI raises $6.6B in new funding as it weighs shift to for-profit model" – Axios
"OpenAI gets $4 billion revolving credit line on top of latest funding" – CNBC
"OpenAI valuation surpasses every VC-backed IPO" – PitchBook

OpenAI just raised $6.6 billion from investors, valuing the company at $157 billion—bigger than even Meta was valued when it issued its first stock. Backers include Microsoft and Nvidia, with participation from Thrive Capital, Khosla Ventures, and others. OpenAI is rumored to be planning to transition to an uncapped profit entity, with some aggressive revenue projections—expected to jump from $3.6 billion this year to $11.6 billion next year. The company also opened a $4 billion line of revolving credit, giving it access to more than $10 billion in cash. Axios now reports its sources say OpenAI's investors have terms that say they can ask for their money back if the transition to uncapped profits has not been completed within two years,

"College students used Meta’s smart glasses to dox people in real time" – The Verge

Two Harvard students created a video showing them using Meta's Ray-Ban glasses to stream video live on Instagram and then analyze the live video by feeding it through the face search engine PimEyes to identify people. They pulled up publicly available information about the people in the live video in real-time. It demonstrates how much you can find out about people online, which may disturb those unfamiliar with tools like PimEyes. It could be done with any camera or any live stream. The students used the glasses to show it being easily done. Meta Ray-Bans use an LED light to indicate when it is recording or streaming, but not all people are familiar with that light, and it can sometimes be hard to see in bright conditions.

This is less than it appears from the headline if you ask me. You could do exactly this thing surreptitiously with a smartphone and look like you're just browsing social media, which would be even harder to detect. But I do think it's good that it is making more people aware of what's out there about them. I think it's more on the creepy than dangerous side for the time being, but it furthers the cause for coming up with better ways to handle private information so we can give it to tools we trust and want to use and withhold it from those we don't. I want glasses to be able to tell me who a person is and where they're from at a conference, but with proper safeguards and practices that can deter ill uses of that same tech. The students also provided information about how to request your information be removed from PimEyes and FacecheckID, though that won't remove everything about you from all databases, of course.

"WP Engine sues WordPress co-creator Mullenweg and Automattic, alleging abuse of power" – TechCrunch
"WordPress.org bans WP Engine, blocks it from accessing its resources" – TechCrunch
"WordPress.org temporarily lifts its ban on WP Engine" – TechCrunch

I too, am tired of the public spat between WP Engine and Automattic's Matt Mullenweg, but if you're keeping track, the latest move is that WP Engine is suing Automattic and Mullenweg for alleged extortion and abuse of power. WordPress.org, the foundation that administers the open-source WordPress project and is separate from Automattic, has blocked WP Engine from receiving automatic updates for WordPress, themes, and plugins. Those updates are freely available elsewhere, but the automatic delivery of them is something WordPress users rely on to save hours of time. And not all of WP Engine's customers have the expertise to do it.

"Why the World Wide Web Foundation is shutting down" – The Register

The World Wide Web Foundation is shutting down, but that appears to be good news. It was started in 2009 when just more than 20 percent of the world had access to the Web. Almost 70 percent of the world is now online, and several non-governmental organizations are working to make the Web available and affordable to the other 30 percent. So the foundation's co-founders, Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Rosemary Leith, feel the foundation's mission has been accomplished, and it's time to focus on new efforts that need more attention. Berners-Lee will use the extra time in his day to focus on the Solid Protocol, which he developed to create a way for users to have control over their personal information and be able to grant and revoke access to it at will.

"Amazon gives the Fire HD 8 a big RAM boost with newly launched models" – Android Authority
"Amazon is bringing AI-powered features to its tablets, and older models won't miss out" – TechRadar

Amazon has refreshed models of the Fire HD 8 tablets with 50% more RAM than previous models. Amazon announced the new tablets will support three new features, which will also come to select other Fire tablets. One is a wallpaper creator that uses generative models to create wallpaper based on your description. The second is a tool that can summarize web pages while using Amazon's Silk browser. And the third is a writing assistance tool for email, documents, and social media.

"Uber partners with ex-Yandex self-driving group for robotaxis and robot delivery" – The Verge

Uber is partnering with Avride, a company that makes six-wheeled sidewalk robots. Starting this week, customers in Austin can have Uber Eats deliveries brought to them by Avride robot. Later this year, that will expand to Dallas and Jersey City, New Jersey. And next year, customers in Dallas will get the opportunity to take rides in full-size autonomous vehicles from Avride booked through Uber. Uber adds Avride to deals with Waymo, Motional, and WeRide for autonomous passenger cars and Serve, Cartken, and Nuro for delivery robots.

And for those curious, Avride is owned by Nubius, which used to own Russia's Yandex but divested itself of all Russian business in February. So if you see Avride related to Yandex, that's why.

"Arrow Lake hotspot purportedly moves up compared to LGA 1700 — Der8auer preparing water blocks for Core Ultra 200 series" – Tom's Hardware

Master overclocker Der8auer posted on Overclock Forums that Intel Arrow Lake's new LGA 1851 form factor has a hot spot farther up than it was before. Probably not a big deal for most of you, but if you are in the overclocking world, you may want to read up on what that means for the design of ultra-high-performance water blocks and coolers.