Nvidia revealed the next generation of gaming laptops powered by RTX 50 series GPUs at CES this year, and now we have a date. On February 25, manufacturers will open up preorders for laptops powered by RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090 GPUs.GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop pre-orders start Feb 25 from OEMs. Stay tuned for more details! pic.twitter.com/P3frtYPmSy NVIDIA GeForce (@NVIDIAGeForce) February 11, 2025According to CEO Jensen Huang, the RTX 5070 will deliver RTX 4090-level performance in a $1,299 laptop. In other words, hes promising that your new laptop GPU will run games as well as a flagship desktop GPU from just two years ago and its AI that makes this possible.Recommended VideosNvidia has been improving its Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) tech for years now, and it seems like the company is planning to do crazy things with it for these gaming laptops. With DLSS 4 and fifth-gen Tensor cores to power it, Huang promises boosts in both quality and efficiency. The GPU in your laptop will render and ray trace a much lower resolution version of a game, resulting in higher FPS, lower latency, and all-around better performance and then the neural model will generate the remaining pixels needed to achieve your desired resolution.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming The crazy part is that judging by Huangs claims, it seems that Nvidia has refined the tech enough now that it can achieve high-quality results even when upscaling from a very low resolution however low is needed to hit RTX 4090 levels of performance on a laptop. If that sounds utterly insane to you, youre not alone I cant wait to see if this really works as advertised.As for the more expensive GPU models in the lineup, Im not even sure what to expect from a $2,899 laptop with 1,850 AI TOPS. It will be super interesting to compare the performance of the RTX 5070 to the RTX 5090 and see just how much of a difference that extra AI power can make.In terms of specific models, plenty of manufacturers showed off their RTX 50 series gaming laptops at CES, including MSI, Acer, Alienware, Asus, Lenovo, and Razer.Editors Recommendations

Lead phone cables Verizon beats lawsuit from utility worker who said lead cables made him sick Judge: It's not clear whether utility pole worker's symptoms were caused by lead. Jon Brodkin Feb 11, 2025 2:22 pm | 23 A Verizon store in New York on January 15, 2024. Credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg A Verizon store in New York on January 15, 2024. Credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreVerizon has defeated a lawsuit filed by a utility pole worker who claims that lead cables made him sick.A federal judge on Friday granted Verizon's motion to dismiss the complaint, which sought class action status on behalf of other utility pole workers. However, the judge said the plaintiff may have standing to bring his claims in state court instead of federal court.The lawsuit was filed in US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania in September 2023, about two months after a Wall Street Journal report said that at least 2,000 lead-covered telephone cables installed decades ago by multiple phone companies had not been removed.Plaintiff Mark Tiger, who previously worked for Figure 8 Communications and Duda Cable Construction, the latter of which is a Comcast contractor, "regularly worked around and came into direct contact with Verizon's lead-sheathed cables," US District Judge Nicholas Ranjan wrote in an opinion issued Friday. "His clothes and body regularly rubbed against the cables as he climbed up the utility poles, and he had to grab onto the cables while he worked. And then when he touched his face with his hands or used his hands to eat, he ingested and inhaled the lead. He was routinely sick while he worked with the cables and experienced mood changes, headaches, nausea, fatigue, irritability, muscle and joint pain, and constipation, which are symptoms associated with lead exposure. Because he did not have insurance, he did not see a doctor."Judge: Mere exposure to lead not enoughA November 2024 filing said that Tiger recently "left his job because of his concerns regarding the effect of continued exposure to Verizon's lead cables on his health." Tiger alleges that Verizon was negligent and sought class certification for all utility pole workers who were occupationally exposed to Verizon's lead-sheathed cables in Pennsylvania. He said Verizon should dispose of the cables and pay for medical monitoring because lead can be stored in the body for years or decades and symptoms may not occur immediately.However, Ranjan found that Tiger lacked standing to bring the lawsuit. It is not clear that Tiger's symptoms were caused by working with lead-covered cables, and everyone is exposed to lead to some degree, the ruling said."Given the naturally occurring lead levels in the environment and in our bodies, and the fact that individuals exposed to lead may not develop any lead-related conditions or symptoms at all, mere exposure to leadand the mere presence of lead in one's bodyisn't a concrete injury," Ranjan wrote.Verizon said in September 2023 that at sites described in the Wall Street Journal article, soil lead levels near Verizon cables were similar to lead levels in the surrounding area and did not pose a public health risk.Verizon is also seeking dismissal of a similar lawsuit filed in US District Court for the District of New Jersey. Verizon yesterday submitted a filing to the New Jersey federal court that cited the Pennsylvania ruling. Verizon said the plaintiffs in the two cases are represented by the same legal team and that the allegations are "virtually identical."Health claims not specific enoughRanjan's ruling said that "Tiger hasn't alleged the presence of elevated levels of lead in his body," and "has not taken any blood or bone testing to measure the amount of lead that is presently in his body. This is problematic because, as indicated by the articles cited to in the amended complaint, everyone is exposed to lead, due to its prevalence in the environment." Ranjan continued:Mr. Tiger might have a better argument if he had asserted conditions or non-common symptoms that are unique to or at least more consistent with elevated levels of lead in his body. But, despite his allegations that lead exposure can cause certain "catastrophic" health issues, such as reduced kidney function, neurological problems, cardiovascular problems, and cancer, he has not alleged that he suffers from these ailments or that they are even imminent.And, from the complaint, the Court cannot tell the amount or extent of Mr. Tiger's exposure to lead, e.g., whether, and the extent to which, the alleged exposure to Verizon's lead cables increased his risk of contracting an illness or condition, such that it posed an unacceptable risk to his health, and whether there is a dangerous amount of lead in his body. Simply put, the Court requires more concrete confirmation that Mr. Tiger has suffered an injuryor is at imminent and substantial risk of suffering an illnesslikely caused by exposure to lead.In summary, the judge decided that the "complaint fails to plead any cognizable injury-in-fact" and that the "theories of injury in the context of this specific case are too conjectural and speculative." Ranjan dismissed the complaint without prejudice and said in a footnote that "nothing in this opinion should be construed as a finding that Mr. Tiger lacks standing to bring any of his claims in state court."The similar lawsuit in New Jersey was filed by Greg Bostard, who worked for Comcast from 1990 to 2019. Bostard regularly climbed utility poles on which "Comcast shares space for its aerial cables with Verizon's lead-sheathed cables," his lawsuit said. Verizon's filing in New Jersey yesterday argued that the Bostard complaint suffers from the "same pleading deficiencies" that led to Tiger's complaint being dismissed.We contacted lawyers representing Tiger and Bostard and will update this article if we get a response.Jon BrodkinSenior IT ReporterJon BrodkinSenior IT Reporter Jon is a Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, Federal Communications Commission rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry. 23 Comments

Google Chrome security Google Chrome may soon use AI to replace compromised passwords Rather than just warn you, Chrome will guide you to making a better password. Kevin Purdy Feb 11, 2025 2:01 pm | 19 Credit: Google Credit: Google Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreGoogle's Chrome browser might soon get a useful security upgrade: detecting passwords used in data breaches and then generating and storing a better replacement. Google's preliminary copy suggests it's an "AI innovation," though exactly how is unclear.Noted software digger Leopeva64 on X found a new offering in the AI settings of a very early build of Chrome. The option, "Automated password Change" (so, early stagesas to not yet get a copyedit), is described as, "When Chrome finds one of your passwords in a data breach, it can offer to change your password for you when you sign in."Chrome already has a feature that warns users if the passwords they enter have been identified in a breach and will prompt them to change it. As noted by Windows Report, the change is that now Google will offer to change it for you on the spot rather than simply prompting you to handle that elsewhere. The password is automatically saved in Google's Password Managerand "is encrypted and never seen by anyone," the settings page claims.If you want to see how this works, you need to download a Canary version of Chrome. In the flags settings (navigate to "chrome://flags" in the address bar), you'll need to enable two features: "Improved password change service" and "Mark all credential as leaked," the latter to force the change notification because, presumably, it's not hooked up to actual leaked password databases yet. Go to almost any non-Google site, enter in any user/password combination to try to log in, and after it fails or you navigate elsewhere, a prompt will ask you to consider changing your password. The prompt that comes up when you enter a password found in a data breach, inside the experimental feature now in Chrome's Canary version. Kevin Purdy The prompt that comes up when you enter a password found in a data breach, inside the experimental feature now in Chrome's Canary version. Kevin Purdy Clicking the info button at bottom left provides a bit more context. Kevin Purdy Clicking the info button at bottom left provides a bit more context. Kevin Purdy You are pushed directly into a prompt for Google Password Manager to re-save a better version of your password. Kevin Purdy You are pushed directly into a prompt for Google Password Manager to re-save a better version of your password. Kevin Purdy Clicking the info button at bottom left provides a bit more context. Kevin Purdy You are pushed directly into a prompt for Google Password Manager to re-save a better version of your password. Kevin Purdy It's unclear from Leopeva64's images, or subsequent blog reports, how exactly this feature is one of Chrome's "AI innovations," as it is labeled in the settings menu. As noted, Chrome was already detecting the presence of passwords in repositories of leaked passwords, like Have I Been Pwned. The handoff from that prompt to creating a new password in Google's Password Manager wouldn't seem to require "AI" to generate something new and secure and save it with encryption; that is something password managers have long been able to do.Smart algorithms that existed long before the current AI boom are coming forward with new labels, and this might be one of them. Perhaps Google's AI is doing a better job of creating a secure password. Regardless of whether it's a bit of oversellingand whether that description changes in the final release, if that release occursit's a net good to nudge people toward better, non-reused passwords.Kevin PurdySenior Technology ReporterKevin PurdySenior Technology Reporter Kevin is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering open-source software, PC gaming, home automation, repairability, e-bikes, and tech history. He has previously worked at Lifehacker, Wirecutter, iFixit, and Carbon Switch. 19 Comments

Elon Musk heads the Trump administrations government efficiency task force, DOGEKen Cedeno/UPI/ShutterstockCybersecurity experts are racing to preserve vital documents produced by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a government agency charged with developing standards for a range of fields including quantum-proof encryption, after fears they could be lost as part of Elon Musks government efficiency drive.Musk heads a task force called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is not a government department but was created by an executive order from US President Donald Trump with the stated aim of modernizing Federal technology

MindThe debate over when consciousness arises has been revitalised by new tests of awareness in infants raising the possibility that it emerges just before birth 11 February 2025 Peter ReynoldsMy first memory is of my family moving house when I was 3 years old. I can picture the removal van at the gate with my brother in the front seat, and I remember worrying about how his pet rabbit would fare on the journey.Before this moment, my autobiography is a blank page. At some point between my conception and that morning we moved house, I must have gained the ability to think, with an awareness of my body and its surroundings all knitted together into something we loosely call consciousness but I have no idea when that occurred.Most parents would assume that their newborn is conscious from the moment they hold them in their arms, but how do we really know? It is a problem that has been troubling philosophers for decades. Theres this general issue of, when did we begin? When did this stream of consciousness first emerge, if I cant remember it? says Tim Bayne at Monash University, Australia.The answers, however, havent been forthcoming, with some researchers claiming it is already present at birth and others arguing it arises after our first year or later. Now, improvements to infant brain imaging are bringing clarity to the debate suggesting an early origin of consciousness, perhaps even emerging just before birth.Besides helping us imagine what life is like during those first moments of infant awareness, these insights help us to understand what consciousness is. If you know when consciousness emerges, you can know what type of brain structures are necessary and sufficient, says Claudia

Tubi's Super Bowl stream reached 13.6 million viewers, helping push the game's audience to a new high.The free streaming service has been growing consistently since its purchase by Fox in 2020.The service is particularly popular with young and multicultural viewers.The Eagles won the Super Bowl, but it was Fox-owned streamer Tubi's big night.Tubi's simulcast of the game reached an average minute audience of 13.6 million, broadcaster Fox announced. The free streaming service helped drive Super Bowl LIX to a record 127.7 million average viewers across platforms, per Fox.Last year's big game reached 123.7 million viewers, makingit the most-watched Super Bowl at the time, according to Nielsen data.Tubi aired the Super Bowl for the first time this year as owner Fox broadcast the game. The streaming service helped make the Chiefs-Eagles matchup more accessible to audiences without traditional TV packages or who may have watched on phones or other devices.Ahead of the game, Tubi's marketing chief Nicole Parlapiano told Business Insider that the service wanted to show viewers and advertisers that it had reached its "credibility era" as a destination for high-quality entertainment.The company said that it had reached 97 million monthly active users in 2024.Tubi has set itself apart with its vast library of licensed TV shows and movies, as well as original programming. Streaming the Super Bowl was a way for it to introduce its platform to more viewers, who had to sign up for a free account to watch the game.The service featured shoulder content, such as a fashion-focused pre-game show, for people who were more interested in the cultural aspects of the Super Bowl than the game itself.Tubi has grown its viewership since it was purchased by Fox in 2020. In December, it accounted for 1.7% of US TV viewing, more than fellow free streamer Pluto TV and popular subscription services including Peacock and Max, according to Nielsen data.Tubi is particularly popular among young and diverse audiences.In 2023, the company said 36% of Tubi watchers were between the ages of 18 and 34. In December, 45% of Tubi's viewing came from Black audiences, BI previously reported based on Nielsen data.Two years ago, Tubi's ad during the Super Bowl conjured up some chaos. It made viewers think they had sat on their remote and changed the app they were using.The company leaned into the eccentric marketing approach again this year, which helped it build social media buzz. Its Super Bowl ad featured a boy with a head shaped like a cowboy hat who loves watching Westerns."We took a lot of risks back then, and it kind of set the pace for how we approached the business in the past two and a half years," Parlapiano previously told BI.

Applebee's and Buffalo Wild Wings are both classic American chain restaurants.Buffalo Wild Wings, however, is more famous for its wings and chicken offerings than its burgers.So I was surprised by the quality and value of its classic cheeseburger.Football season may be over, but it doesn't mean your cravings for game-day foods have to be.In a series, "Tailgate Taste-off," Business Insider is pitting chains against each other to identify the best versions of popular game-day dishes, such as Buffalo wings and cheeseburgers.Last year, casual dining chains capitalized on America's need for beef, with multiple chains launching new burgers and burger-based value meals.Applebee's is arguably most famous for its burgers.Buffalo Wild Wings, on the other hand, is more well-known for its chicken offerings, which include classic wings, boneless wings, chicken tenders, and chicken sandwiches.However, in a recent ranking of cheeseburgers from four chain restaurants, I was genuinely impressed by the quality of Buffalo Wild Wings' classic cheeseburger.The chain has also grown in recent years, adding 22 US units between 2022 and 2023, according to data fromRestaurant Business.To put Buffalo Wild Wings' burger to the test, I decided to compare it to Applebee's classic cheeseburger, thus determining which chain delivered the better burger in terms of taste and value.Here's how the classic cheeseburgers at Applebee's and Buffalo Wild Wings compared.

PlayStation fans are already looking forward to a State of Play event this week after a rumour said it's coming soon, but another report suggests God of War will make an appearanceTech14:22, 11 Feb 2025Ragnarok was the last God of War game(Image: Sony )Now that the PlayStation outage is over, we can get back to enjoying playing our PS5 titles again and Sony could be about to reveal some fresh ones.As we reported yesterday, one reputable source has suggested the next State of Play event will happen this week, and while fans had been hoping for news on the PlayStation-exclusive Wolverine title from Insomniac Games, it could be another grizzled action hero that leads the charge.Are we about to head back to Ancient Greece with the God of War himself, Kratos? Here's all we know.Try not to get too excited, God of War fans, but one Redditor with a relatively impressive track record (whoever they are, they've correctly predicted the Hell is Us is launching on September 4, with the game appearing on console backend systems before the event, and mentioned Ninja Gaiden's revival before Microsoft's event last month) has suggested Kratos' classic adventures from Ancient Greece will see some kind of remaster.Discussing wanting to be known on the Gaming Leaks and Rumours subreddit as a Tier 1 source, the user said "maybe I should say that GOW Remastered are there?"Adding more, they said, "Some type of collection, releasing this year, I dunno the date, but probably sooner than expected."We admit, it's hardly much to go on, but it's something God of War fans have been crying out for for years.The series, which began on PS2 in 2005, stars Kratos, as he carves his way through the Greek pantheon in violent fashion. The original trilogy, and the unnumbered Ascension, as well as two PSP games, have all been ported to PS3 and Vita, while God of War 3 made its way to PS4.Since then, the focus has been on Kratos' shift to the world of Norse mythology, with a 'soft reboot' in 2018 being a huge critical success, followed by God of War: Ragnarok in 2022.There are a whole generation of God of War fans that haven't played the earlier games(Image: Sony Computer Entertainment)The last release in the series was the free Valhalla update which came to Ragnarok at the end of 2023, before the game and the DLC were ported to PC last year.Looking at the wider gaming landscape, Microsoft and Nintendo have already held events this year. For one, Nintendo revealed a whole console, showcasing the hardware of the Switch 2 while teeing up an April 2 reveal for the console's full capabilities (and games, we hope).Article continues belowOn the other hand, Xbox's now annual Developer Direct showed more about DOOM: The Dark Ages, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight and Ninja Gaiden 4, all of which are coming to Xbox Game Pass.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

South Of Midnight review Hazel is stop motion in cut scenes but not so much at other times (Xbox Game Studios)One of the few Xbox exclusives of the year is neither a sequel nor a licensed game, but a unique new action adventure set in the US Deep South.Although the purchase of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard is what has made them the biggest video game publisher in the world, Microsofts shopping spree began back in 2018, when they snapped up four developers: Ninja Theory (Hellblade), Undead Labs (State Of Decay), Playground Games (Forza Horizon), and Compulsion Games (We Happy Few).Playground Games, who are currently developing the Fable reboot, have worked out very well but if you include Double Fine Games, who were bought a year later, the majority havent yet released anything that wasnt already in development when they were bought.Canadian studio Compulsion Games was the most surprising acquisition because theyve never previously produced anything of note, just the disappointing Contrast and We Happy Few. South Of Midnight was only announced in 2023 but having now played a couple of hours, we can confidently say its the best thing theyve ever done although itll take the full review to decide whether thats a backhanded compliment or not.Our hands-on involved playing the whole of Chapter 3 of the game. That meant we missed the story set-up, but it seemed to be fairly clearly laid out in Xboxs most recent Developer Direct. You play as a young woman named Hazel whose hometown, in the Deep South of the US, is flooded following a hurricane, destroying her house and leaving her mothers fate unknown.It turns out that both she and Hazel are Weavers, who can see ghostly apparitions and use magical abilities to fight monsters and heal past traumas that are linked to the land. Chapter 3 revolves around a giant talking catfish that has been captured by a tree in the shape of a man, which you gradually discover is connected to a horrible murder some years before.Where the story is going we couldnt say the only hint at a larger plot was when youre chased by a powerful evil spirit, upon completing the main mission but the game itself seems fairly straightforward. Its a platformer, essentially, where you jump and clamber around the swamps and rundown homes (from which almost all the inhabitants have been evicted).The platforming isnt particularly complex or original theres a lot of wall running at one point but its competent enough, with the ability to glide for a short distance; make ghostly objects, like house roofs, tangible for a few seconds; and pushing and pulling objects, like crates, in order to climb up to higher areas.Chapter 3 takes place in an open world area, but its a very small one and there is no map. There are collectables hiding away in difficult to reach areas, which help you unlock new abilities on what looks like a fairly short set of skill trees, but the golden path through the level is pretty linear.We never came across anything wed call an actual puzzle and instead the memories that you have to unlock, in order to understand whats going on and remove the trauma, are unveiled simply by beating up monsters. Monsters dont roam around in the the level and instead appear when you reach a shimmering vortex, manifesting multiple times until you beat them all. The combat is okay but nothing to write home about (Xbox Game Studios)The combat is not exactly Devil May Cry but its entertaining, if rather simplistic. Its relatively difficult, compared to the very easy platforming, but your normal magic abilities can be used to freeze enemies for a few seconds, pull them towards you, or fire a weak forward blast.Unlocking extra abilities in the skill tree expands your repertoire, including a ground pound and a small area of attack move when unravelling a defeated enemy which also gives you a small health boost.In gameplay terms South Of Midnight is fine. Theres nothing original or exceptional, or even especially good, but it is certainly better than anything Compulsion has done before. The most interesting aspect by far is the American Gothic setting, with a lot of work having gone into the presentation, with a specially written Blues song to accompany the final set piece and what seems to be solid voice-acting.We say seems because the English accents in We Happy Few were pretty awful and were not equipped to say how authentic the ones in South Of Midnight are. The games other claim to fame is its unusual stop motion animation style. Although it was obvious even from the Developer Direct footage that its quite inconsistent and a lot of the time while playing you dont notice it.More TrendingFor most of the time Its not clear its happening at all but sometimes the effect is more obvious, such as during idle animations; however, its never as blatant as during cut scenes. Actual physical models were made for the characters so perhaps the cut scenes arent even computer-generated, were not sure, but it is a little odd that the games main visual calling card just isnt a factor for most of the time youre playing.We dont think South Of Midnight is going to be troubling too many end of year award ceremonies but it seems to be a competently made game with an interesting setting. Saying something is perfect for Game Pass can easily seem like an insult but in this case it seems to be precisely what the game was made for. Youre not going to sign up just to play it, but if you want to while away a few undemanding evenings this spring, then South Of Midnight should fit the bill perfectly.Formats: Xbox Series X/S (previewed) and PCPrice: 39.99*Publisher: Xbox Game StudiosDeveloper: Compulsion GamesRelease Date: 8th April 2025Age Rating: 18*available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one The giant catfish seems to be an ally (Xbox Game Studios)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

It has been a journey to hold on to this decades-old car Im driving without pouring any money into after-market upgrades. The car needs a ton of TLC for electric work and new shocks. Ive been holding out on dealing with the stereo for as long as possible. But a recent APK teardown of the Google app has me seeing red. Im driving to Los Angeles in a few months and need hands-free controls. I may not have them by then, at least not through the Roav Bolt dongle. Android Authority did some code sleuthing in a beta version of the Google app and found a dormant text string with the term depreciation_notification. This string seems to be associated with accessories like the Roav Bolt, which launched in 2019 after Google debuted the Google Assistant driving mode. The text associated with the string leads us to believe the end is nigh for these specific accessories launched during this era. It reads thusly: Google Assistant on your car accessory will be discontinued in coming weeks. To keep using Assistant, invoke queries either on your Mobile or via Android Auto. I contacted Google to ask if whats being seen here is valid. That last sentence in the notification text, especially the phrase invoke queries, doesnt sound like something Google would push through in a final release to users. Thats not user-friendly! (Neither is killing off accessories people rely on to navigate the perilous roads of the U.S. safely, but I digress.) Florence Ion / Gizmodo What Android Auto on the phone used to look like. Those were the good old days. I do believe that the Roav Bolt is essentially done for and that I need to move on to another solution. I bought it in 2019, three years into the Google Assistant journey. We were at a different time back then, when we thought the Assistant would remain a bot that connects to the search giants vast offering of indexed information. Anker makes the Roav Bolt. It plugs into the cigarette lightersorry, the auxiliary power outletto stream audio through the cars Bluetooth and allow you to call on the Google Assistant hands-free while driving. It accepted all the basic commands, like call somebody and skip songs. I could even ask for facts on the fly if my passenger disagreed with something I said. I saw the writing on the wall when Google scaled back Android Auto on phones and then rolled it in as part of the Google Maps experience. Last year, it twisted the knife already lobbied into the heart of accessories like the Roav Bolt when it transitioned the Google Assistant into Gemini. My usual setup stopped working entirely for several months. I could only manage a command one out of every three times I attempted it. Its the worst thing to endure when driving, and you need Google Maps to act fast.But none of this surprises me. I knew there would come a time when Id have to devise another solution for my very specific, niche problem with my car. These days, if you buy a new car, or even when you rent one, you get a vehicle with Android Auto (and Apple CarPlay) built-in. All you have to do is plug your phone into it with a cable. There is no reason for a phone-only driving mode for a specific subset of people. Still, I am sad that the dongle is about to be extinct. I thought I had it all figured out by investing a mere $50 (not adjusted for inflation) for Ankers Roav Bolt. For my upcoming trip, I may have to revert to a USB-C to the auxiliary plug-in I had going before. Its not idealits uglybut its free. Either that or I finally figure out how to hack the Spotify Car Thing.