Author: n Ryan Whitwamn

TV-focused YouTube update brings AI upscaling, shopping QR codes

YouTube seeks a more couch-friendly experience.

YouTube has been streaming for 20 years, but it was only in the last couple that it came to dominate TV streaming. Google’s video platform attracts more TV viewers than Netflix, Disney+, and all the other apps, and Google is looking to further beef up its big-screen appeal with a new raft of features, including shopping, immersive channel surfing, and an official version of the AI upscaling that had creators miffed a few months back.

According to Google, YouTube’s growth has translated into higher payouts. The number of channels earning more than $100,000 annually is up 45 percent in 2025 versus 2024. YouTube is now giving creators some tools to boost their appeal (and hopefully their income) on TV screens. Those elaborate video thumbnails featuring surprised, angry, smiley hosts are about to get even prettier with the new 50MB file size limit. That’s up from a measly 2MB.

Video upscaling is also coming to YouTube, and creators will be opted in automatically. To start, YouTube will be upscaling lower-quality videos to 1080p. In the near future, Google plans to support “super resolution” up to 4K.

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The Android-powered Boox Palma 2 Pro fits in your pocket, but it’s not a phone

This e-reader has a color screen and 5G.

Digital reading devices like the Kindle have existed for almost 20 years, and the standard eReader form factor has hardly changed at all. Amazon, Boox, and a few other companies have offered larger E Ink screens, but how about something smaller? Boox has unveiled its second-generation Palma e-reader, which still fits in your pocket but adds a color screen and mobile data connectivity.

The first-gen Palma launched last year, earning fans who saw it as a way to read and access some apps without the full spate of distracting smartphone experiences. Boox e-readers are essentially Android tablets with E Ink screens and a few software quirks that arise from their unofficial Google Play implementation. The second-gen Palma might offer more opportunities for distraction because it’s almost a smartphone.

The Palma 2 Pro upgrades the 6.1-inch monochrome display from the original to a 6.13-inch color E Ink Kaleido display. That’s the same technology used in Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft. The Amazon reader is a bit larger with its 7-inch display and chunkier bezels. Of course, the Kindle isn’t trying to fit in your pocket like the Palma 2 Pro, which is roughly the size and shape of a phone.

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Samsung Galaxy XR is the first Android XR headset, now on sale for $1,800

It may not be as spendy as the Vision Pro, but $1,800 is still a lot.

The era of Android virtual reality is here… again. Google’s first two attempts at making Android fit for your face didn’t work out, but the AI era and a partnership with Samsung have enabled a third attempt, and maybe the third time’s the charm. Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy XR headset, the first and currently only device running Google’s new Android XR platform. It’s available for pre-order today, but it will not come cheap. The headset, which doesn’t come with controllers, retails for $1,800.

Galaxy XR is a fully enclosed headset with passthrough video. It looks similar to the Apple Vision Pro, right down to the battery pack at the end of a cable. It packs solid hardware, including 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 processor. That’s a slightly newer version of the chip powering Meta’s Quest 3 headset, featuring six CPU cores and an Adreno GPU that supports up to dual 4.3K displays.

The new headset has a pair of 3,552 x 3,840 Micro-OLED displays with a 109-degree field of view. That’s marginally more pixels than the Vision Pro and almost three times as many as the Quest 3. The displays can refresh at up to 90Hz, but the default is 72Hz to save power.

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YouTube’s likeness detection has arrived to help stop AI doppelgängers

Likeness detection will flag possible AI fakes, but Google doesn’t guarantee removal.

AI content has proliferated across the Internet over the past few years, but those early confabulations with mutated hands have evolved into synthetic images and videos that can be hard to differentiate from reality. Having helped to create this problem, Google has some responsibility to keep AI video in check on YouTube. To that end, the company has started rolling out its promised likeness detection system for creators.

Google’s powerful and freely available AI models have helped fuel the rise of AI content, some of which is aimed at spreading misinformation and harassing individuals. Creators and influencers fear their brands could be tainted by a flood of AI videos that show them saying and doing things that never happened—even lawmakers are fretting about this. Google has placed a large bet on the value of AI content, so banning AI from YouTube, as many want, simply isn’t happening.

Earlier this year, YouTube promised tools that would flag face-stealing AI content on the platform. The likeness detection tool, which is similar to the site’s copyright detection system, has now expanded beyond the initial small group of testers. YouTube says the first batch of eligible creators have been notified they can use likeness detection, but interested parties will need to hand Google even more personal information to get protection from AI fakes.

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Google Fi is getting enhanced web calls and messaging, AI bill summaries

Google’s MVNO gets better web support, clearer audio, and yes, more AI.

Google’s Fi cellular service is getting an upgrade, and since this is 2025, there’s plenty of AI involved. You’ll be able to ask Google AI questions about your bill, and a different variation of AI will improve call quality. AI haters need not despair—there are also some upgrades to connectivity and Fi web features.

As part of this update, a new Gemini-powered chatbot will soon be turned loose on your billing statements. The idea is that you can get bill summaries and ask specific questions of the robot without waiting for a real person. Google claims that testers have had positive experiences with the AI billing bot, so it’s rolling the feature out widely.

Next month, Google also plans to flip the switch on an AI audio enhancement. The new “optimized audio” will use AI to filter out background sounds like wind or crowd noise. If you’re using a Pixel, you already have a similar feature for your end of the call. However, this update will reduce background noise on the other end as well. Google’s MVNO has also added support for HD and HD+ calling on supported connections.

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Google reportedly searching for 15 Pixel “Superfans” to test unreleased phones

Selected testers will have to sign an NDA and use a disguised case.

It took awhile, but Google’s Pixel line of smartphones has established itself as a mainstay of Android after 10 generations. The company has long operated a “Superfans” group to help promote Pixels, but now members have a slim chance to get their hands on Google’s next phones ahead of time. Google is reportedly looking for some lucky Superfans to test and provide feedback on unreleased devices, but they’ll have to promise not to leak anything.

It’s not unheard of for companies to have loyal customers help test new products, but it’s not usually big companies like Google with well-established products like Pixel. Google usually keeps its circle of hardware testers small and limited to employees. According to Bloomberg, Google is running a contest among Superfans to find 15 non-employees suited to test in-development hardware. An official document reviewed by Bloomberg describes the program as a chance to “provide feedback and help shape a Pixel phone currently in development.”

To apply, interested Superfans have to prove they are more super than the rest. They must demonstrate deep knowledge of the Pixel product family and suggest ways the phones can be improved. However, Google is asking this of its biggest supporters—people who still care enough about their smartphones to seek out a group specifically to talk about how much they care about their phones. Is Google going to get gushing praise or constructive criticism?

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