Google's New AI 'Information Agents' Can Send You Alerts on Topics You Care About

Google's efforts to transform online search and the ways we find information on the web continue, and there's now a new feature available in AI Mode: information agents. This new feature will keep tabs on news for you and ping you when needed. (At least, that's the idea.)

The update was announced at Google I/O 2026 back in May, but it's now appearing for those with a Google AI Ultra subscription (that's the $99.99 or $199.99 per month one). Google's Robby Stein says that more people will be getting access in the summer.

Google hasn't been any more specific than that, but presumably this will filter down to the other paid plans in the next few months, and eventually to everyone. I'm making use of my Ultra subscription here to get these information agents running.

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Here's the idea: You look up, say, news on the next James Bond movie. Then AI Mode can keep tabs on the web and ping you whenever there's news on a casting decision, a release date, or a trailer. It saves you having to run multiple searches because the information comes to you (it's a bit like the old Google Alerts, if you remember those). These updates appear both in the AI Mode section of Google search and in the Google app on your phone. Or at least they're supposed to.

How my information agents worked (or didn't)

To set up your information agents, you can head to Google search on the web, then switch to AI Mode via the button in the search box. You then launch your search like you would if you were chatting to Gemini—something like "tell me who the main stars are in the upcoming Christopher Nolan film The Odyssey."

After you've got your answer, which is hopefully hallucination-free, you might get asked at the end if you want to set up an information agent to keep you updated on whatever it is you've searched for. If you don't get asked, you can put in the request anyway: Tell Google to "keep you updated" or words along those lines.

After some cajoling, I got my World Cup news. Credit: Lifehacker

You'll receive a confirmation message, and then whenever new information appears online, you'll get pinged about it. Updates appear as notifications in the Google app on mobile, and as new entries in the original AI Mode conversation—so if you delete the chat, you stop getting updates (you can access your previous chats via the AI Mode history button on the left.

Google doesn't say how often you'll get updates, but in my experience it was... not at all. I set up an information agent to keep me updated on the latest World Cup scores and group standings, which I thought was a fairly straightforward task, but my Google app stayed stubbornly silent and the AI Mode chats stayed static over a whole day as the goals went in and the matches went by.

Looking around the web, it seems that AI Mode information agents are working for other people, so this appears to be an isolated bug that may well get ironed out in a few days—but it's frustrating to have these features launch and then not work properly. I've had the same experience with Gemini Omni too, so maybe it's just me.

Thank you, AI Mode, for my updates. Credit: Lifehacker

What did work was telling the information agents to give me a daily summary at a specific time. When I did this, I did indeed get a delivery of the latest World Cup news and everything that had happened in the tournament over the past 24 hours, both in the Google app and as an update to my conversation with AI Mode.

In fact, this might be a better way to use this rather than expecting updates at random times throughout the day. I can definitely see myself using it for big news topics I'm interested in, and to pick up stories I might otherwise miss, though it doesn't seem to be set up for important breaking news.

This Is Why Your Ad Blocker No Longer Works on Chrome

Google has been phasing out popular ad blocking extensions on its Chrome browser for several years, and it appears that the kill switch might finally be flipped with an update coming this summer. As 9to5Google reports, Chrome 150 and 151 are expected to finalize the transition to Google's Manifest V3 extensions platform, effectively ending support and workarounds for continued use of MV2 extensions like uBlock Origin.

Reporting suggests that Chrome 150 is expected to be released on June 30, with Chrome 151 to follow sometime in July. If your ad blocking extension stops working entirely in the coming weeks, these updates are why.

Why Google is killing ad blockers

As we've written, this change has been in the works for Chrome since 2019. The move to Manifest V3 was intended to make extensions more secure, but it also severs access to the Web Request API that ad blockers use to block traffic to and from malicious sites. The resulting restrictions on developers are expected to make ad blockers' content filtering capacity worse on MV3 compared to MV2, which is why some users relied on workarounds to turn disabled extensions back on for as long as possible.

Other Chromium-based browsers like Microsoft Edge and Opera have been expected to follow suit, as they run on the same underlying technology as Google Chrome. However, Opera representatives told Neowin that the platform intends to continue supporting MV2 extensions for "as long as it's technically reasonable," with the potential to phase out "less-used MV2 extensions" eventually while transitioning to MV3.

What to do if your Chrome ad-blocking extension dies

One possible solution: Switch to an updated version of an older ad blocker. Popular options with Manifest V3 versions include uBlock Origin Lite, Adblock, Adblock Plus, Adguard, and Ghostery. These may not meet everyone's needs, but you'll have to try them out to be sure.

Alternatively, you could leave Chrome (and Edge) altogether. Firefox, which has its own engine called Gecko, is a more privacy-focused browser that still allows extensions, though it's not without a few downsides. Brave, meanwhile, has a built-in ad blocker and other solid privacy features, and DuckDuckGo is a solid option too.

A reminder that while ad blockers have plenty of benefits, they're not perfect. In addition to cutting revenue for creators you might want to support, they can actually come with their own privacy concerns. To mitigate this, make sure you know what data is being collected by your chosen extension and how it is used.

These Nothing Earbuds With Built-In ChatGPT Are 33% Off Right Now

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These Nothing Ear (a) earbuds launched at $109, which always felt a little ambitious for a midrange pair trying to punch above its weight. But at their current sale price of $53.20 for Prime members right now—their lowest price to date, according to price trackers—they’re in a range where the design, sound quality, and software finally make sense for the money. For more details on this year's Prime Day deals and shopping tips, check out our Prime Day 2026 coverage.

Nothing Ear (a) Wireless Earbuds

ANC Earbuds With ChatGPT Integration

$53.20 at Amazon

$79.00 Save $25.80

$53.20 at Amazon

$79.00 Save $25.80

The Ear (a) look unmistakably Nothing, with a transparent shell that shows off the internals. They fit snugly without much fiddling, and the IP54 rating means sweat, dust, and light rain won’t be a problem. The case itself is only IPX2, so it can handle splashes but not much else.

Sound is where these earbuds mostly earn their keep. The 11mm dynamic drivers deliver a bass-forward presentation that still manages to stay relatively balanced. Low-end hits with real weight, especially at moderate to higher volumes, and doesn’t immediately swallow vocals or guitars, notes this PCMag review. You can tweak things further in the Nothing app, either by choosing preset EQ modes or manually adjusting bass, mids, and highs. Codec support is strong for the money, with AAC, SBC, and LDAC all on board over Bluetooth 5.3, plus multipoint for two devices at once. Noise cancellation is effective for the price, particularly on the default High setting. It reduces low-frequency rumble and busy background sounds well, though rivals from Sony or Bose still do more heavy lifting in this area.

The controls are stem-based pinches and feel consistent once you learn them. Playback, calls, track skipping, and noise modes are all handled without needing to pull out your phone, and the app lets you customize most gestures. There’s even a pinch-to-speak ChatGPT feature if you’re using a Nothing phone. Battery life lands around 9.5 hours with ANC off or 5.5 hours with it on, with the case extending that to roughly 33 or 19 hours, respectively. Those numbers will drop if you use higher-quality codecs or listen at a loud volume, but they’re competitive.

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I Tried the Upgraded Apple Photos 'Clean Up' Tool, and It's Actually Pretty Good Now

Along with the brand new Siri AI, Apple is introducing a number of new Apple Intelligence features—including a trio of new AI tools in the Photos app. We've been here before: Apple previously released AI-powered image editing features like Clean Up, which didn't necessarily hit the mark compared to similar tools from competitors like Google or Samsung. But this year appears to be a bit different: Apple's newest models, including those that work off-device, are improving existing features and powering new tools. For the most part, it seems to be a step in the right direction.

Apple’s Clean Up tool is much better

The new Clean Up tool is perhaps the most important update here. In iOS 26, Clean Up used Apple's on-device AI models to remove objects, but it was hit-or-miss. Clean Up was okay at basic tasks, but I found it couldn't remove surrounding shadows, nor could it replace an object with something that looked like it was originally part of the image.

Clean Up now uses a hybrid approach. For simple tweaks, like removing a small object, it uses an on-device model, just like in iOS 26. But, for bigger, more complex tasks (like removing an obstruction around your face), it hands off the task to Apple’s powerful Foundation models hosted on Apple’s own Private Cloud Compute servers. These servers, according to Apple, are completely private and encrypted. Apple says it doesn’t have access to your photos, and it doesn’t use your data for training.

To find these new tools, tap Edit on a photo, then choose Tools at the end of the toolbar. Here, tap Clean Up. By default, the feature is in Auto mode, which is the hybrid approach discussed above. From here, you can also switch to High Quality to force Apple to use the cloud models.

Middle: Cleaning up using only the on-device Fast model (same as iOS 26). Right: Using Apple's new Cloud models in iOS 27. Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Then, it’s business as usual. Use your fingers to highlight the object or part of the image that you want to remove. If you’re using Fast, the on-device option, the cleanup process will begin instantly. If you’re using High Quality, you’ll need to tap Clean Up and wait until Apple’s models do their thing. In my experience, the wait time can even stretch to minutes if you’re asking for clear, large objects.

After using this feature for cleaning up multiple images, here's the best tip I can give you: always use High Quality. Fast is the same as last year's feature, and while it removes the image, its replacement is lacking, as you can see with the mismatched tabletop in the image above. Even if you are removing a distinct object from a table, High Quality does a better job of replicating the tabletop, as well as shadows falling from other objects.

Left and Middle: Clean up tool using on-device AI on iPhone 16 Pro. Right: Clean Up tool using Apple's cloud models on iPhone 16 Pro. Credit: Khamosh Pathak

The improvements continue when dealing with faces. The new iOS 27 feature can use generative AI and your own photos to recreate parts of your face that are obstructed. In my test (which you can see above), Clean Up on iOS 27 got rid of 99% of my coffee mug (though a border somehow still remains). On iOS 26, though, the result is just laughably bad: a soup of surrounding colors.

Extending photos in iOS 27 works like a charm

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Extend, as the name suggests, expands your photos. Let’s say you have an off-center shot, or just looks unbalanced. Tap Extend from the Tools menu, then pinch in and move the image around. As you do, the surroundings will begin to blur, indicating the areas that iOS will fill in using Apple’s generative AI models. Because Apple uses cloud models, this too might take some time. Tap Extend, and wait.

Overall, Apple’s generative AI for extending images and filling in details is quite good—with some limitations. That's not necessarily surprising, as it's trained on Gemini’s own models, which are excellent at image manipulation. I tested the feature by extending the frame in nature, and in indoor settings. It did a good job of guessing what was around me, and even gave me a hand and a leg that weren't in the original shot. That said, it completely overexposed the image, so while you get more in the frame, you lose the sky entirely. In a photo I took of a coffee shop, the Photos app took the coffee bags that were on the shelf and just repeated them in the extended shot. This is quite a smart way to make the extended image look more realistic.

I took this image at Bookatico Bookstore & Cafe in Vadodara, India. Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Apple's Reframe feature needs a bit of work

The Reframe tool lets you change the angle or the perspective of the photo. You might wish you had moved your phone just a bit to the right before taking that snap of your partner, and while the moment is gone, the angle might be saved. With Reframe, you can swipe around on the image to change the perspective, as if you were adjusting the angle when originally taking the photo. The app shows you a live preview of what things will look like (as this is just a preview, it will show some unnatural bending, but that won’t be in the final result). Then, tap Reframe, and let Apple’s cloud models do their thing. After some time, the reframed image will be ready.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

In my testing, I found this to be the most jarring tool. It does the job, but it struggles with faces quite a lot. It’s best to use it for slight angle changes, and not much else. To stress test, I pushed the angle as far as the Photos app would allow. The result was an image with a slanted face, that looked more 2D than 3D (I will save you the horror of looking at my face with the eyes scrambled). As Apple works on improving the cloud models, though, this can get better.

Remember: All of these features are currently in beta testing. Apple may continue to improve the experience with subsequent betas and with iOS 27's official release in the fall.

This Five-Camera Blink Camera Bundle Is 65% Off Right Now

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Blink’s Outdoor 4 five-camera bundle with Sync Module Core is currently selling for $104.99 on Amazon, down from its regular $299.99 price—its lowest recorded price, according to price trackers. That works out to about $21 per camera, making it one of the cheapest ways to cover multiple areas around a property. This deal arrives as Amazon begins rolling out early Prime Day discounts ahead of its June sales event.

Blink Outdoor 4 (five-camera system)

$104.99 at Amazon

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PCMag gave the Blink Outdoor 4 an "excellent" rating—while our own reviewer found it to be a solid option for anyone who wants a simple, affordable security setup without dealing with wires or complicated installation. They record in 1080p and provide a wide 143-degree view, meaning video quality is sharp enough for everyday home monitoring, and a single camera covers a broad area. After sunset, infrared night vision takes over automatically, while its built-in two-way audio lets you communicate with visitors through the Blink app. You'll also receive motion alerts directly on your phone when activity is detected, and Alexa integration makes it easy to check live feeds on supported smart displays and Fire TVs.

The included Sync Module Core serves as the system's hub, connecting cameras to your home network while helping extend battery life through low-power communication. It can manage up to 10 Blink devices at once, making it useful if you plan to expand the system later. Unlike Blink's Sync Module 2 and Sync Module XR, the Core model does not support local storage (via a microSD card)or clip backups. After the included 30-day trial expires, extended video history and other advanced features (including person detection) require a paid plan, which starts at $40 per year for one device or $120 annually for unlimited cameras. The system also lacks support for Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit. Still, for anyone looking to cover multiple parts of a property on a relatively modest budget, this bundle delivers far more coverage than most camera deals in the same price range.

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The Out-of-Touch Adults' Guide to Kid Culture: What Does 'Dah Bih Gah' Mean?

The meme of the summer of 2026 has appeared: "Dah bih gah" has taken over the online world over the past couple of weeks and is being repeated with the kind of enthusiasm we haven't seen since the glory days of 6-7. This week's Out-of-Touch guide is fully devoted to explaining the meaning, origin, and fallout of the phenomenon.

What does "Dah Bih Gah" and "Dah Bih Tah" mean?

If you've encountered anyone under the age of 20 lately, I'm sure they've said "dah bih gah" or "dah bih tah" about 100 times every minute. If you wonder what it means, there's a simple explanation and a more complex one. The first, easy, answer: "dah bih gah" and "dah bih tah" are both slang for "that is good" or "that tastes good."

The more complex answer unfolds like an origami crane, illuminating different aspects of youth culture as each delicate paper petal is unfurled. I've broken down the explanation of these phrases in three sections: The viral video that started it, the trend that inspired the video, and the origin of each of the three syllables in "dah bih gah" and "dah bih tah."

Viral video of the week: Dah Bih Gah

The popularity of saying "dah bih gah" stems from a video posted on a now-deleted Instagram account belonging to Brayden "Bubba" Harrelson, a member of Generation Alpha. Here's a re-post of the video, from what seems to be Bubba's new, official account.

View this post on Instagram

Those 12 seconds swung the whole internet. Braden's generational swagger—the hair, the clothes, the phrase—caught people's imaginations, and the video was shared widely, racking up tens of millions of views.

People reenacted it. They AI'd it. They made brainrot remixes galore:

But what about the kid behind the memes? Braden is a generational icon, like a living embodiment of the "Mason 6-7 kid" mentioned here before. Since the video went viral, Bubba and his family have visited Los Angeles, presumably to meet with potential agents and managers. And that's where things stand. How much money the family can get out of the meme is up in the air, but the answer is probably "more than you'd expect." (Bubba is really young, and the whole thing is really weird.)

As for the video itself: As you can see, Braden opens a jar and says "dah bih tah" then takes a bite of something red and drippy and declares, "dah bih gah," i.e.: "that tastes good," to an unseen person offscreen. But what culinary concoction inspired Braden's poetic response? A Kool-Aid pineapple.

What are "Kool-Aid pineapples"?

Kool-Aid pineapples are a snack trending across TikTok and the rest of the young-people Internet. Like the name suggests, they're made by getting a jar of sliced pineapple spears, emptying the pineapple juice into a different container, adding powdered Kool-Aid (and often more sugar or candy for some reason) to the juice, pouring the mixture back into the pineapple jar, letting it sit in the fridge for a couple hours or a couple days, then eating it. Yeah, for real. Here's an instructional video:

The trend started in Florida, where some food truck owners added the dish to their offerings. It then spread to online entrepreneurs selling their own versions to anyone who wants to buy. I'm not sure if he was the person who invented them, but an Instagrammer named Silly Willy is among the earlier and most popular online purveyors of the treat. He apparently sells Kool-Aid pineapples from the trunk of his car. Don't worry if you don't live in Florida though; check your local Facebook marketplace. I'm sure you can find some entrepreneur selling them in your area.

There's a potential problem here: There's a lot of sugar in this snack. Medical professionals are generally against the sugary treat, pointing out there are as many as 300 grams of sugar in the concoction. There's also the potential for food poisoning. Bacteria love sugar, and whether the person you're buying from has taken steps to guard against cross-contamination in their trunk-pineapples can't be determined in any way other than eating them and hoping for the best. Still, I can't find any evidence of anyone having been hospitalized with food poisoning from the pineapples, and as for the sugar—what are ya gonna do? Kids like candy. It sounds disgusting to me, but younger me would have been into it, I'm sure.

What does "gas" mean in slang?

Getting back to the original meme: Bubba says "dah bih gah" and each syllable is a shortened or changed word. Translated, Braden's "dah bih gah" and "dah bih tah" mean, respectively, "that bitch gas," and "that bitch tough." Gas, in slang, means good. Tough also means good.

(For more youth slang, check out Lifehacker's glossary of Gen Z and Gen A slang.)

Where does dah bih gah go from here?

There's no way of predicting the resonance of slang words, but it seems to me that dah bih gah won't last as long as 6-7. It's specific, where 6-7 is enigmatic. There's no mystery to it, and once parents and businesses start using it (which is already happening), it will cool down and disappear. As for Bubba, I hope whatever cash he gets is put into a college fund.

This Philips Keyless Entry Electronic Deadbolt Is on Sale for Just $68 Right Now

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The Philips 1000 Series Touchscreen Key-free Electronic Deadbolt is currently on sale for just $67.99 on StackSocial, offering a fairly straightforward take on keyless home entry. Instead of leaning into app integrations or smart home connectivity, Philips has focused this model on simple PIN-based access and everyday convenience. The lock features a backlit touchscreen keypad and supports up to 20 user PINs, as well as unlimited one-time guest codes for temporary access. That makes it useful for households with multiple family members, rental properties, or anyone who regularly needs to let guests or service workers in, all without handing over physical keys.

Setting it up is relatively simple, since there’s no wifi, Bluetooth, or separate hub involved—the lock installs in place of a standard deadbolt with basic tools and doesn’t require any wiring. Philips includes the required AA batteries in the box, which can last up to a year depending on how often the lock is used. You’ll also get a few practical features that make day-to-day use easier. Auto-lock automatically secures the door after you leave, while one-touch locking lets you lock it with a quick tap instead of reaching for keys every time. It’s the kind of thing that helps cut down on those small moments of second-guessing when you’re already halfway down the driveway, wondering if you locked the door.

That said, this is closer to an electronic deadbolt than a full smart lock, so you won’t get remote access, phone controls, activity history, or integrations with platforms like Alexa or Google Home. Depending on what you want from a lock, that could either feel limiting or the reason to buy it, since not everyone wants another app sending notifications or another device connected to their home network. Still, for under $70, the Philips 1000 Series covers the basics well and makes the most sense for people who want the convenience of keyless entry without adding another app, subscription, or overly complicated setup process to their routine.

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