Hardware, storefront and ecosystem news for Google.
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How to de-Gemini your Google apps
This guide explains how to disable Google's Gemini AI integration within personal and professional Google Workspace accounts. Users can turn off smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet, though disabling Workspace smart features also removes basic functionalities like grammar and spelling corrections. For professional accounts, administrators have more control over Gemini's presence across applications like Docs and Sheets.
YouTube Is Now Letting Those Outside Of The US Donate Gifts On Livestreams
YouTube is expanding its 'Gifts' creator monetization tool to allow mobile viewers outside of the United States to send gifts during livestreams. This update aims to increase creator earnings by removing the previous limitation of only being able to donate via desktop. The feature is rolling out to markets including Canada, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand, with more countries to follow.
Amazon Luna rips out game stores, game purchases and third-party subscriptions
Amazon Luna is removing direct game purchases, third-party subscriptions like Ubisoft+, and third-party game stores from its cloud gaming service. While previously purchased games will remain playable until June 10, 2026, no refunds will be issued. This shift consolidates the service's offerings to a curated catalog controlled by Amazon, similar to the direction taken after the retirement of the Prime Gaming brand.
The US government wants Reddit to snitch on one of its users through a grand jury
The US government, through Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has issued a grand jury subpoena to Reddit, demanding the identification of a user who allegedly criticized the agency. Reddit's attorneys argue that user anonymity and free speech are protected under the First Amendment, calling the subpoena an "escalation." This incident follows a pattern of government agencies requesting user data from various online platforms.
Amazon Luna Pulls the Plug: Cloud Gaming Service Shuts Down Store, Leaving Families in Gaming Limbo
Amazon Luna is shutting down its game store on April 10, 2026, and all purchased games will become unavailable by June 10, 2026. This decision impacts families who relied on the service for shared gaming experiences, raising concerns about digital ownership and the future of cloud gaming. Amazon is pivoting to a new initiative called GameNight, but the closure has eroded trust within the gaming community.
Rockstar Games has confirmed it was hit by third-party data breach
Rockstar Games has confirmed a third-party data breach affecting company servers, though they state no player data was compromised. A hacking group known as ShinyHunters claimed responsibility and threatened to leak data if demands were not met. This incident follows a previous major leak of Grand Theft Auto VI assets in 2022.
Google Removes Doki Doki Literature Club from Play Store Without Explanation
Google has removed the critically acclaimed indie game Doki Doki Literature Club from the Google Play Store without providing a specific explanation to developer Team Salvato, citing a Terms of Service violation. The removal has sparked community backlash, with many criticizing the lack of human review and transparency in the decision-making process, especially given the game's themes of digital manipulation and loss of agency.
Evening Mobilization
Google has removed the visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club from its Play Store. The reason for the removal has not been officially disclosed by Google.
Garmin may be working on a Whoop competitor
Garmin may be developing a competitor to the screen-free Whoop fitness tracker, according to a trademark filing for a device named 'CIRQA'. This potential new wearable would focus on granular health and recovery metrics, similar to Whoop's approach. The move follows Fitbit's own tease of a similar device and reflects a growing market interest in health optimization wearables.
Doki Doki Literature Club Suddenly Removed From Google Play Store
Doki Doki Literature Club has been removed from the Google Play Store. Google cited a violation of its terms of service as the reason for the removal.
Doki Doki Literature Club Removed from the Google Play Store Four Months After Its Launch
Doki Doki Literature Club has been removed from the Google Play Store due to alleged violations of Google's Terms of Service regarding sensitive topics like depression and suicide. Developers Serenity Forge and creator Dan Salvato disagree with the removal, stating the game's intent is to explore these themes constructively. The game remains available on other platforms, and the team is seeking ways to bring it back to Android without censoring its content.
Google adds E2E to Gmail for iOS and Android enterprise users
Google is rolling out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for Gmail on Android and iOS to its enterprise users. This feature allows eligible users to compose and read encrypted emails directly within the Gmail app, enhancing privacy and data security for businesses. The functionality requires admin enablement and is available for users with specific add-ons like Assured Controls.
Google has reportedly started to add Polymarket data to News results
Google has reportedly begun integrating data from the prediction market Polymarket into its Google News results. These integrations appear as large blocks with links to Polymarket, sometimes surfacing as top results for trending topics. While Google announced a partnership with Polymarket and Kalshi for its finance platform in November, the integration into Google News was not explicitly stated.
Doki Doki Literature Club removed from Google Play over depiction of sensitive themes
Doki Doki Literature Club has been removed from the Google Play Store due to alleged violations of Google's Terms of Service concerning the depiction of sensitive themes, specifically mental health issues. Publisher Serenity Forge and developer Dan Salvato are working to have the game reinstated and are exploring alternative Android distribution methods. The game remains available on iOS.
Metal Gear Solid movie adaptation finds new directors
Sony's Metal Gear Solid film adaptation has new directors, Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, replacing Jordan Vogt-Roberts. The project, first announced by Hideo Kojima in 2006, aims to bring the iconic game characters to life. Separately, Google removed the visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club from its Play Store for alleged violations of terms of service regarding sensitive themes.
After 9 years of acclaim for its depiction of sensitive themes, Google delists Doki Doki Literature Club for its…
Google has removed the visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club from its Play Store, citing a violation of terms of service due to its depiction of sensitive themes. Lead developer Dan Salvato and publisher Serenity Forge are working to get the game reinstated and are exploring alternative distribution methods for Android devices. The game, celebrated for its handling of mental health topics, remains available on PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox.
Google removes Doki Doki Literature Club from Play Store
Google has removed the visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club from its Play Store, citing violations of its terms of service regarding sensitive themes. Creator Dan Salvato and publisher Serenity Forge are working to get the game reinstated on the platform and exploring alternative Android distribution methods.
Google removes Doki Doki Literature Club! from the Play Store
Google has removed the psychological horror visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club! from the Play Store, citing violations of its Terms of Service regarding sensitive themes. Developers Dan Salvato and Serenity Forge are working to get the game reinstated and are exploring alternative Android distribution methods. The game remains available on Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and iOS.
YouTube Premium's New Price Hike Is Bad News For Gamers Already Drowning In Subscriptions
Google is increasing the monthly subscription prices for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music in the US. The individual YouTube Premium plan will rise from $14 to $16, and the family plan from $23 to $26. These price hikes are attributed to providing a high-quality experience that supports creators and artists on the platform.
Nine-year-old cult visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club has been abruptly pulled from Android for its 'depiction…
Google has removed the cult visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club from the Android Play Store, citing violations of its Terms of Service related to the depiction of self-harm. The game, developed by Dan Salvato and published by Serenity Forge, remains available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and iOS. The publisher is seeking to have the game reinstated and exploring alternative Android distribution methods.
