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• Workspace users can now use Google’s brand-new Gemini AI app
• You can use the mobile’s camera to upload pictures directly into the chatbot
• The app still lacks some functionality, like Workspace extensions

Keen to get its generative AI features onto more devices, Google has announced it is bringing the Gemini AI app to Android and iOS devices for Google Workspace users, meaning employees will now be able to interact with the service from their mobile devices.

Besides its core chatbot functionalities, Google Workspace users can also directly leverage the on-device camera to use images as input.

The move is welcome news for work and education customers, who have largely had to rely on PC-based applications up until now.

Google AI is going mobile

Google’s AI has been slowly infusing into the mobile experience for months, but its key productivity enhancements have been most prominent on the desktop, especially for Workspace customers.

With the app, users can do all the usual things, such as create presentation-ready visuals and summarize information which can then go on to be used in other Workspace apps, like Docs, Slides and Gmail.

Google confirmed: “All of this comes with the enterprise data protections Google Workspace customers are accustomed to.”

However, some of the features that are available to Workspace users on the web version of Gemini are not yet supported in the mobile app. Missing features include extensions for the Workspace apps, file uploads and Gems.

There is also a lack of continuity between the services on different platforms – the Android version doesn’t support Work Profiles, and the iOS app doesn’t integrate with the Google app for Workspace account authentication.

However, all of these improvements could come with time. What’s important now is that business and education account holders can now access more of Gemini’s features from their mobile, which is where many of us spend most of our time.

It’s available for Business Starter/Standard/Plus, Enterprise Starter/Standard/Plus, Frontline Starter/Standard, Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Google Workspace for Nonprofits edition, and Education Fundamentals/Standard/Plus users with the Gemini Business/Enterprise/Education/Education Premium add-ons.

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• New Netflix Wrapped tool is like Spotify Wrapped for your streaming
• The unofficial tool is safe to use – and shows your favorite shows and movies
• You can also use it to discover your biggest binge-watching day

If you're waiting for Netflix to do its own Spotify Wrapped-style review of your TV year, we've got good news for you: Netflix Wrapped is here, but it's not made by Netflix.

Instead, the clever new tool has been created from Netflix data by video editing company Kapwing. Upload your viewing data (using the guide below) and it can reveal insightful stats like your 'most bingeful day' and total watch time.

Kapwing is a legitimate firm, and it's been doing its Netflix Wrapped thing for a couple of years now – and once again it's here to analyze your streaming year.

The Netflix Wrapped tool apparently doesn't store or collect your prized viewing data, with Kapwing stating "your data is not uploaded to our servers nor stored for any reason".

It's more a nifty promotional tool for the company's online video editing tool. Here's how to get your Netflix equivalent of Spotify Wrapped...

How to get Netflix Wrapped Image 1 of 3

The first step is to go to your Netflix viewing history (Image credit: Kapwing)Image 2 of 3

Then download your viewing history... (Image credit: Kapwing)Image 3 of 3

Finally, upload the file to Kapwing's unofficial Netflix Wrapped page (Image credit: Kapwing)

There are a couple of steps here. First, you need to get hold of your Netflix viewing data. To do that, you'll need your Netflix login – don't worry, you're not sharing it outside Netflix – and to head to the Netflix viewing activity page. You can then download your Netflix viewing data to your computer in the spreadsheet-friendly .csv format.

Got that? Now you need to pop across to the Unofficial Netflix Wrapped 2024 portal, which is on Kapwing's website. Upload your viewing data and Kapwing's computers will crunch the numbers – and that's when the fun begins.

The Wrapped analysis will tell you the headline stuff – how many minutes you've streamed, how many days that's equivalent to and so on – but it'll also dive deeper to tell you what shows you've watched and what movies you've streamed.

It'll point out big binges, such as the day you pretended to be sick and streamed an entire season of your favorite show, and it'll tell you what genre appears to be your go-to.

It's lots of fun: you can find out who your most-watched movie actor is, and which movie you watched has the highest audience rating. And it'll also tell you what the lowest-rated movie is, and that movie is Madame Web.

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• Workers are adopting AI keenly, but aren't always comfortable with it, study warns
• AI might not be so great at interpersonal and human interactions
• We’re already starting to see AI-powered improvements

New research has claimed although workers are enjoying getting to grips with artificial intelligence and seeing what it can do, they’re still unsure about handing over human-centric tasks.

The study of more than 4,000 employees by Freshworks found many prepared to use AI for routine work but reluctant to trust it with human interactions.

Despite its intentions to become an AI leader, the UK stood out as the least comfortable with delegating interpersonal tasks to the technology.

Workers are concerned about AI’s interpersonal skills

Customer service employees said they were reluctant to let AI speak directly with customers, noting that one-to-one interactions need the human touch and understanding that artificial intelligence cannot replace.

However, Freshworks’ survey paints a mixed picture of the state of AI in the UK, with employees increasingly embracing AI tools. A quarter said they use AI every day, with nearly double (46%) using it up to a few times per week.

Furthermore, half (52%) described themselves as knowledgeable or expert-level users of the tech, second only to German workers. Despite the hesitance surrounding human-AI interactions, the UK is indeed at the forefront of adoption across Europe, with 60% feeling confident about its use (compared with 45% in Germany and 42% in France.

There are some areas that workers believe AI cannot improve, though, such as resolving workplace conflicts, addressing employee concerns and brainstorming.

Artificial intelligence is getting better, though, with 53% citing improved understanding and 48% seeing noticeable value boosts.

Looking ahead, Freshworks found that nearly two-thirds (63%) of UK businesses are preparing to invest in employee upskilling for AI by 2025; half (52%) identified AI as a must-have skill when it comes to getting promotions.

On the whole, the study highlights continued enthusiasm, but we’re also starting to identify where AI can be at its most useful (and where it might not be so suitable).

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Black Friday and Cyber Monday are here with discounts on every aspect of smart home security.

• A One UI 7 showcase has shown up on a Samsung site
• We're getting revamped icons and notifications
• Some of the One UI 7 apps are now available online

One UI 7, Samsung's take on Android 15, is scheduled to launch in full with the Samsung Galaxy S25 phones sometime in January – but we're getting a good look at the software, and some unauthorized app download availability, ahead of time.

As per tipster @chunvn8888, the official Samsung Spain website has apparently gone early with details of One UI 7. There's now a full showcase of the upcoming software online, highlighting key features and screen designs.

Some of the changes have been leaked already. We've got refreshed, modernized app icons, a revamped notification center that is more clearly separated from Quick Settings, and live updates on the lock screen (a little like the iPhone's Dynamic Island).

The Samsung Spain website (via Google Translate) describes One UI 7 as offering a "more sophisticated and intuitive" experience, which will "revolutionize the way you communicate and unleash your creativity to do it all".

More AI – new apps

Lmaoooo https://t.co/vMHAh2ST3x https://t.co/C3T2RzWPab pic.twitter.com/M2MZupp6nWNovember 29, 2024

There are of course updates to Galaxy AI coming with Samsung One UI 7. The Sketch to Image feature, which turns your scribblings into proper works of art with the help of AI, is getting more output options (including 3D cartoon and watercolor).

It also looks like we're going to get a new Portrait Studio feature, which again leverages AI, this time to turn your portraits into more artistic creations – you can choose from themes like comic, 3D cartoon, and sketch for the finished result.

In a separate leak, as reported by Neowin, some of the One UI 7 apps have already been found online and made available by tipster @GerwinvGiessen. It looks as though the Calendar, the Reminder, and the Voice Recorder apps are the ones available right now.

Expect these early versions of the apps to be buggy, and you install them at your own risk – but they do give us another early look at the 2025 update. The rumor is that a public beta could be launching any day now.

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• Leaked images of SIM card trays have revealed five likely S25 colors
• The shades include black, green, purple, blue, and white
• This leak lines up with previous Samsung Galaxy S25 color leaks

We now think we have a pretty good idea of what colors the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus will be available in, as following several previous color leaks we’ve now seen photos that reportedly show “original SIM card tray replacement parts” for these phones, complete with colors on the exterior edge.

These were shared by Roland Quandt – a leaker with a great track record – and he claims that the colors are “confirmed” by these SIM card trays. So while we’d always take leaks with a pinch of salt, there’s a high chance this one is accurate.

Either way, the colors in question are black, green, purple (or possibly more a pale blue), dark blue, and white.

Post by @rquandt030 View on Threads Lining up with earlier leaks

This largely tracks with previous leaks, which suggested the Samsung Galaxy S25 colors would include Moon Night Blue, Silver Shadow, Sparking Blue, Sparkling Green, and Midnight Black.

Of those, the black and green leaked here are presumably Midnight Black and Sparkling Green respectively, while the dark blue (or just ‘blue’ as Quandt calls it) is probably Moon Night Blue, the shade he describes as white is likely Silver Shadow, and the color he interprets as purple is perhaps Sparking Blue – especially as a leaked photo of the Samsung Galaxy S25 in Sparking Blue matches this SIM card tray.

So we’re fairly confident that these are all genuine shades, and based on earlier leaks they might be joined by a few other colors that would be exclusive to Samsung’s online store, specifically Pink Gold, Blue/Gold, and Coral Red.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, meanwhile, will likely land in completely different colors, with leaks so far pointing to Titanium Black, Titanium Blue, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Silver shades, along with Samsung store-exclusive options of Titanium Blue/Black, Titanium Jade Green, and Titanium Pink Gold.

However, we’re less certain of the Galaxy S25 Ultra shades, or the Samsung store-exclusive Samsung Galaxy S25 colors, as those haven’t leaked quite as much so far.

Still, with the Samsung Galaxy S25 series reportedly landing on January 22, we should be able get an official look at all the color options quite soon.

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• Most businesses expect their employees to do work on personal mobile devices, report finds
• Employees are not expected to go through security courses
• Many firms don't have guidelines for mobile device use

When it comes to mobile cybersecurity, most small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are falling well short, a new report from CyberSmart has claimed.

The report found a significant majority (60%) expects their employees to use their personal mobile devices to carry out work tasks.

This is problematic for different reasons, but from a cybersecurity perspective, it’s problematic as businesses have no visibility into people’s personal devices, the apps they use, the websites they visit, or files they download, making securing the business network infinitely more difficult.

"Chronically underserviced"

To make matters even worse, employees are not being taught even the basics of cybersecurity, and no one is raising their awareness on the dangers lurking on the internet. In fact, almost two-thirds (60%) of staff members are not expected to carry out mobile security training, the report states.

“An organisation that allows employees to use personal mobile phones to carry out work without security training is massively increasing the chance of a security incident taking place across mobile devices,” CyberSmart noted.

Finally, many organizations (40%) have no guidelines whatsoever, on how their employees should (or should not) use their mobile devices.

“While these results are concerning, SMEs in the UK remain chronically underserviced by the cybersecurity industry” said Jamie Akhtar, Co-Founder and CEO at CyberSmart. “It is important to make the distinction that many of these organisations have limited resources and are already stretched thin making it difficult for them to invest in cybersecurity.”

Akhtar advises SMEs to “consistently focus” on cybersecurity training, IT policies, and fostering a more security-conscious culture, as that can result in a more secure workplace.

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Following decades of failed attempts and dashed dreams, the US Army is once again trying out powered exoskeletons to help soldiers haul munitions and equipment in the field.

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• Intel’s B580 and B570 GPUs are rumored for a December 12 launch
• Team Blue will supposedly reveal them next week on December 3
• Price rumors hint at $250 MSRP, but don’t get carried away with that idea

Intel’s next-gen Battlemage GPUs are going to be out next month, according to the latest rumor, which gives us a specific release date for the first time – December 12.

VideoCardz claims that the Arc B580 (which has been widely leaked) and B570 desktop graphics cards are in the pipeline, and will be on sale at the same time reviews will apparently be aired, on the mentioned December 12 date.

We will get an announcement from Intel before that, on December 3, according to information VideoCardz has obtained – take all this with a teaspoon of seasoning, naturally.

Intel will supposedly have its own reference boards (or limited edition Arc products, as it calls them) for these GPUs, which will emerge first, and custom graphics cards from third-party partners are going to launch the day after (December 13). This slightly staggered approach to launch is not uncommon these days in the graphics card world.

Meanwhile, fresh buzz on the pricing of the Arc B580 has also emerged, with the usual early retailer listings popping up – some of which are around the $250 mark from US outlets.

(Image credit: Acer, Intel) Analysis: Maintain a keen sense of skepticism

Regarding the price leaks, these are notoriously flaky – and probably placeholder prices – so that part of the latest rumor dump must be regarded with even more caution than the release date-related spillage.

Assuming that the $250 rumor is close to ballpark for a moment, though, it’s coming in on the heavy side compared to the A580, which kicked off with an MSRP of $180 – and this has caused some fretting among some PC gamers out there.

However, what we have to remember is that the B580 is a beefier model, at least if the rumored spec is right, particularly as it’ll purportedly come with 12GB of VRAM (up from 8GB with its predecessor), and seemingly a much faster boost clock. So, in that light, a price increase doesn’t look quite so bad – but with the specs and pricing being just speculation at this point, we’ll reserve judgement for now.

What we really want from Intel, though, is for Battlemage to bring in some truly affordable (sub-$200) GPUs. Although of course they should be coming down the line (fingers crossed).

There’s certainly a whole pile of evidence suggesting there’ll be a December launch for next-gen Battlemage desktop graphics cards, mind you, and it’s looking more and more likely that we could witness a new generation of Arc GPUs as soon as next week.

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UK productivity has suffered in recent years, often described as ailing or in crisis, and the Labour government has made improving productivity levels central to its new agenda. The consequences of ‘ailing’ productivity for the UK is far-reaching, from lower wages, to job losses and reduced economic growth. All of which are placing a strain on businesses, individuals and communities alike.

The productivity puzzle is further complicated by the lingering impact of the seismic shifts the world of work went through during the pandemic. Recent trends have seen a desire for flexibility battle with corporate mandates on returning to the office. Amazon’s recent shift to a full time office mandate was met with uproar from employees, but bosses remain insistent that this is the best move for the business. And, they aren’t alone, in the UK, the finance industry is rumored to be eyeing a full time return to the office. Such mandates have sparked all sorts of criticism about employee morale and productivity.

The problem is clearly a complex one, but its solution is hardly likely to lie in employee effort alone. In fact, the key may potentially lie in an expected place - it may sit in the technology we all use everyday.

It can happen from anywhere

There is plenty of evidence that when done right, hybrid working doesn’t impact business productivity. In fact, many of the trends out there suggest that it is when technology fails employees that they feel disconnected, unmotivated, and unproductive.

This is hardly surprising when 93% of communication is nonverbal, from body language to facial expressions and tone of voice, we absorb a multitude of external signals every day that lead to deeper relationships, collaboration and improving overall productivity.

For businesses, it is effective use of technology that can help the divide between home and the office to disappear. Video conferencing solutions allow that allow all team members to be equally seen and heard, can help build a sense of connection and collaboration, even when team members are physically separated.

The AI behind the connection

Consider for a moment, the frequency of your meetings nowadays where the split between home and office can often leave remote participants relegated to a few tiny pixels on a screen, unable to participate in the in-room dynamics.

AI-powered framing tech solves this issue by automatically framing everyone in the space, brining them up close so that remote participants can see and understand everything that’s going on. It’s a minor change, but one that can transform morale and engagement.

It’s not just what you see, but what you hear too. Advanced audio technology is vital for establishing a focused and productive meeting atmosphere. Background noise is a common challenge in remote working, disrupting communication and distracting others. By filtering out unwelcome sounds, AI-driven noise cancellation enhances audio clarity, thereby boosting engagement, contributions, and, naturally, productivity.

Additionally, audio technology that resolves 'double talk' issues—allowing multiple speakers to be heard clearly during dynamic discussions—is crucial for supporting productivity in hybrid meetings.

Reimagining the workplace

Embracing a technologically advanced and truly hybrid approach to work can be the real different between a productive and unproductive team. These days, a traditional office spaces are increasingly seen as barriers to productivity. To thrive in this new era, organizations must embrace innovative approaches to work design and technology.

Philip Ross, a leading expert on workplace transformation, argues that we need to "unwork" our current practices. By questioning outdated assumptions and habits, we can create more flexible, efficient, and fulfilling work environments.

Technology, when used strategically, can be a powerful tool for boosting productivity. AI, automation, and collaboration tools can streamline tasks, enhance communication, and create a sense of community. However, it's essential to remember that technology is not a silver bullet. The human element remains crucial - business should see the two as intertwined not mutually exclusive.

A future of human-centric technology

A truly productive workplace is one where employees feel valued, engaged, and empowered. By prioritizing human-centric design and investing in innovative office technology, employers can create a future where productivity and wellbeing thrive.

To achieve this vision, businesses must adopt a holistic approach to workplace transformation. This involves not only investing in technology but also encouraging a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. By embracing the power of technology and human ingenuity, the UK can unlock its full potential and emerge as a global leader in productivity.

Building a competitive edge

People need to feel connected in order to do their best work. They like to feel confident in meetings and want authentic ways of communicating with each other. They want to add value; to be seen and heard.

This feeling of connection – boosted by technology that is inclusive of everyone in hybrid and office settings – will inspire a new age of productivity in businesses. And who knows, with the right investment in people through technology, we might be able to solve this productivity puzzle once and for all.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

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