Google

Alphabet briefly overtook Nvidia in market value during trading as strong AI-driven gains pushed it close to the top of global tech rankings, before slipping back below Nvidia by the end of the week.

Google has launched a native Gemini app for macOS, giving Mac users quick access to its AI assistant directly from the desktop using keyboard shortcuts. The app lets users analyse what is on their screen, work with files, and use Gemini without switching apps, aiming to make it part of everyday workflow.

A jury found Meta and Google liable for harming a teen through app design, awarding $3 million in damages. The case focuses on platform design, not content.

Searches for “buy bitcoin” have jumped to a five-year high, despite the cryptocurrency losing nearly half its value over the past few months. The surge comes amid a lawsuit against Jane Street over its alleged role in the 2022 Terra collapse, sparking renewed interest in Bitcoin as a safer option.

Fake ads posing as Uniswap appeared at the top of search results and led users to cloned websites that drained their crypto wallets. The warning came after one user lost a mid-six-figure portfolio, prompting founder Hayden Adams to call out the ongoing failure to stop these scams.

Russian authorities said they have no plans to block Google, as doing so would disrupt Android phones used by 60% of Russians. Meanwhile, YouTube faces restrictions, WhatsApp is fully blocked, and Telegram has been slowed under recent Russian internet measures.

Most foreign cryptocurrency exchange apps will be blocked from South Korea’s Google Play Store from 28 January because they are not registered with local authorities. Korean users can still access these platforms via web browsers or APK downloads, but this creates higher security risks and may shift trading towards domestic exchanges.

PayPal will soon be a payment option in Google’s new AI-powered checkout through the Universal Commerce Protocol, which connects AI agents, retailers, and payment providers. The protocol was developed with major retailers and aims to make online shopping easier, more secure, and interoperable across different platforms.

Meta is developing two proprietary AI models, Mango for image and video generation and Avocado for text and reasoning, expected to launch in the first half of 2026. The company created Meta Superintelligence Labs, hired over 50 AI specialists, and shifted away from its Llama open-source models to compete with Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s AI tools.

Meta is talking with Google about using its TPUs in AI data centres and possibly renting them next year, aiming to reduce reliance on Nvidia GPUs. The news caused Nvidia shares to fall and could boost Google’s TPUs as a serious alternative in AI hardware.