Google Was Busy This Week: Here’s What You Missed

Mar 24

Emerging Tech Roundup — March 21, 2025

The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.

This week in tech: Google is removing Assistant from most phones this year, Google's Find My Device app can now show your contacts’ real-time locations, Google brings a ‘canvas’ feature to Gemini, Stability AI’s new AI model turns photos into 3D scenes, the first new Pebble smartwatches are coming later this year, Google acquires cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion, and NVIDIA announces two ‘personal AI supercomputers’.

Google is Removing Assistant From Most Phones This Year

(Engadget, March 14)

Google is officially phasing out Google Assistant in favor of Gemini, making it the default AI assistant on Android devices and expanding its reach to tablets, cars, headphones, watches, and likely iOS. The transition will continue into 2025, with Gemini also set to power smart home devices like speakers and displays. Devices running Android 10 or higher with at least 2GB of RAM will be automatically upgraded, marking the end of Google Assistant for most users.

Google's Find My Device App Can Now Show Your Contacts’ Real-Time Locations

(Engadget, March 15)

Google has updated its Find My Device app with a new People tab, allowing Android users to see real-time locations of contacts who have shared their location. Announced in the March Pixel Drop, the update simplifies location tracking by displaying contacts’ positions, distances, and last update times in a streamlined interface. This enhancement brings Find My Device closer to Apple’s Find My app, making it easier for users to manage and track location sharing within Google’s ecosystem.

Google Brings a ‘Canvas’ Feature to Gemini, Plus Audio Overview

(Tech Crunch, March 18)

Google has introduced Canvas to its Gemini chatbot, an interactive workspace for users to create, refine, and share writing and coding projects. Similar to OpenAI’s Canvas and Anthropic’s Artifacts, this feature aims to enhance collaboration and transform AI chatbots into full-fledged productivity tools. By providing a dedicated workspace, Gemini Canvas allows for greater precision and real-time code previews, making AI-assisted workflows more seamless.

Stability AI’s New AI Model Turns Photos into 3D Scenes

(Tech Crunch, March 18)

Stability AI has launched Stable Virtual Camera, an AI model that converts 2D images into immersive videos with realistic depth and perspective. The tool enables users to generate dynamic camera movements like Spiral, Dolly Zoom, Move, and Pan from up to 32 input images, producing videos up to 1,000 frames long in various aspect ratios. Currently available as a research preview under a non-commercial license on Hugging Face, the model may struggle with artifacts in complex scenes — particularly those involving humans, animals, or dynamic textures.

The First New Pebble Smartwatches are Coming Later This Year

(The Verge, March 18)

The creator of Pebble is launching two new smartwatches under his new company, Core Devices, with the first model, Core 2 Duo, shipping in July for $149. Running the open-sourced Pebble OS and built with leftover Pebble watch parts, the Core 2 Duo retains the original E Ink display — while featuring improved battery life (30+ days vs. 7) and a built-in speaker for AI assistants. With only 10,000 units available, the release targets Pebble enthusiasts and developers eager for a modernized return to the beloved smartwatch experience.

Google Acquires Cybersecurity Firm Wiz for $32 Billion

(The Verge, March 18)

Alphabet has announced its largest-ever acquisition, striking a deal to buy cybersecurity firm Wiz and integrate it into Google Cloud, after a previous attempt stalled at $23 billion. Wiz, an Israeli-founded company working with Microsoft and Amazon, had been valued at $16 billion and was preparing for an IPO before the acquisition talks resumed. If approved, the deal will surpass Google’s $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility in 2012, with Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport calling the move a major accelerator for the company’s innovation.

NVIDIA Announces Two ‘Personal AI Supercomputers’

(MSN, March 18)

Nvidia announced a new lineup of “AI personal supercomputers”, powered by the company’s Grace Blackwell chip platform. The new machines, DGX Spark and DGX Station, were unveiled at GTC 2025. The computers will allow users to prototype, fine-tune, and run AI models, with DGX Spark available now and DGX Station to be released later this year.