Google to test whether TPUs can operate in space
Sundar Pichai says Project Suncatcher will fly a prototype satellite on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission, in partnership with Planet, to test whether Google’s TPUs can survive and operate in space.
Harness-Zero raises macro task success to 44.3% without the specialized harness
A paper from Google and colleagues describes Harness-Zero, which uses an optimized agent harness only during training. After that harness is removed, macro task success rises from 23.3% to 44.3%, above the 41.7% reached by the base model with the harness attached.
Google Vids adds Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, free for Google accounts
News from Google says Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash and a new suite of creative controls are now in Google Vids. Anyone with a Google account can create videos there for free, without professional editing skills.
MedGemma downloads exceed 10 million worldwide
News from Google says the open-weight, Gemma-based models for medical text and images have been downloaded more than 10 million times since release. It describes them as a foundation for developers, researchers, and public health organizations building tools for triage, diagnostic screenings, and other uses.
Gemini can now connect with 13 new apps
The new connections include adobe, squarespace, and onepeloton. Google Gemini says people can grow a business, design assets, and plan workouts in Gemini instead of switching between tabs.
Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS ranks first on the Artificial Analysis Pronunciation Robustness Benchmark
Artificial Analysis says Google has released Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS and Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS, Google DeepMind text-to-speech models with preset voices and voice replication. On its tests, Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS scores 89.5% in pronunciation robustness and an Elo of 1,263 on the Provider Voice Arena.
Gemini 3.8 Flash and Flash-Lite text-to-speech models are available in the Gemini API
Google for Developers is offering Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS for natural-language voice direction and Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS for high-volume audio, both through the Gemini API in Google AI Studio.
Google says Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS ranks first on Hume AI voice tests
Google reports a 71.4 overall score and a 60.8 accent-modeling score for Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS on Hume AI Voice Design. It also places Flash TTS first and Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS second on Hume AI Overall Quality.
Google Gemini to host live shopping demo on Discord
Google Gemini invited users to a live Discord demo of shopping with Gemini on Tuesday, September 22 at 11am PT, covering informed purchases, comparing options, and camera-based browsing.
Google introduces Googlebook laptop designed for Gemini Intelligence
Google announced Googlebook as a new category of laptop available for preorder, with 2.8K OLED touchscreen displays, 14 hour battery life, Android phone sync, and Gemini Intelligence.