SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " google " 3,925 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Googlebooks could soon get one of Apple's best ecosystem tricks, but do it better
Google appears to be testing Phone Unlock for Googlebooks, with Android 17 QPR3 showing setup flow, security warnings, and unlock behavior.
Your Pixel can turn into a mini TV studio, now in 11 more apps
Google updates Pixel Camera Services, bringing Connected Camera multi-feed video streaming to 11 new work and messaging apps.
Motor racing-Singapore Grand Prix entertainment may be curbed if haze worsens, FIA says
By Xinghui Kok SINGAPORE, Oct 8 (Reuters) - There might be some restrictions on outdoor activity such as entertainment during this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix but not on the race, if the haze blanketing the country worsens, the motorsport governing...
OPINION: Flippo's follies are making Nevada politics interesting again
OPINION: Flippo’s follies are making Nevada politics interesting again. Read more at The Nevada Independent.
Google's SynthID AI Detector is Now Available to Everyone
Google today said it is making its SynthID Detector available to everyone for identifying content created using AI. SynthID Detector first rolled out to members of the media last year, and it is now available worldwide in English. SynthID Detector is a website that lets users upload a photo, video, or audio file to determine whether it has a SynthID watermark that identifies it as AI-generated.
Who Won August and September: Original Films or Franchises?
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) I just heard someone say that if you’re reading a pundit or data analyst, and they don’t tell you that they got anything wrong, they’re not a pundit but an “influencer”. I agree with that. You have to tell your audience when you get things wrong, or they won’t (or shouldn’t) trust you as much. Today, we’ve got another edition of “What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong”. In general, I’m patting myself on the back (and patting very hard) about a few things like IP at the box office, LIV golf, horror films, crowdfunding movies, superheroes, and old people going to the theaters. That said, I also made a couple of data mistakes on the streaming bubble popping and HBO’s datecdotes, so I’m not perfect. But first, I need your feedback... Subscribe Follow-Ups: What Should We Call Mid-Budget Movies Which Aren’t Cinematic Enough for Theaters But Are Too Expensive to Make Money on Streaming? After I asked for feedback on what we should call straight-to-streaming films that are too big to pencil out on streaming but not really big enough to resonate in theaters, I got some great suggestions from you all, including... “Moldilocks” from John Aboud “Little Big Indie” from Travis Frick1 “Midflicks” from Jonathan Funke. “Extra-Medium” from Jona Nwuke. (Read the explanation in the footnote.) Between these and Brandon Katz—who suggested “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”—we’ve got some excellent suggestions. And they’re better than my suggestion, the “Streaming Budget Dead Zone”, so let’s take a poll! The winning entry becomes the new term. Loading... RIGHT: LIV Golf is Fully Bankrupt…Is Anyone Else Next? A few years ago, I was always a bit perplexed at all the articles I’d read praising LIV Golf and their strategy to disrupt the PGA. LIV Golf, a brand new professional golf league, offered PGA stars ten times what they made on the PGA Tour to join their new league. And folks praised this strategy for its initial “success” in that a lot of big names did indeed leave the PGA. Yeah, of course the players came over. LIV Golf paid them so, so, so much more! But LIV Golf hadn’t discovered a way to increase potential revenue. So think about this in basic business terms… They paid much more in costs… …but had no real way to increase revenue. That’s not a strategy! That’s deficit financing. It won’t work unless you bankrupt the competition (and then turn around and pay those same golfers much, much less). It’s not a sustainable strategy and only lasts as long as the company/person/nation backing it decides they’re cool with losing money. For LIV Golf, that meant Middle East oil wealth, in particular Saudi Arabian money. Clearly, the current Iran War has hurt Middle East finances, so they need to trim their more exorbitant spending. And LIV Golf was part of that trimming. This should be a major warning for others. TGL’s parent company, TMRW Sports, just got a $1 billion valuation, despite TGL’s (the indoor golf league) horrible TV viewership of less than half a million viewers per match. Unrivaled, the women’s basketball league, just secured a $650 valuation, despite its horrible TV viewership and a new rival (Project B) entering the scene next year. To relate this to streaming, Hollywood should ask which streamers may have wealthy patrons funding their losses. (Let’s be clear: Google, Amazon and Apple.) Could those patrons lose their appetite? For Amazon, probably not. But Apple has a new boss, so maybe! WRONG: My Analysis of the Streaming Bubble Was Missing a Week I’m going to be congratulating myself a lot today, but I make mistakes too, like this data goof. When I last compiled the data on the decline in TV shows, I was missing one week at the end of June. If you look at the first image, you can see that one week was mislabelled as “July”. Mainly, this image got updated to show a 27% decline, not 29%: This change doesn’t really impact the overall analysis, but it is two percent better. By the way, through the third quarter, the decline increased and it’s now a 30% decrease since 2022. (I’ll write/visualize this in an upcoming article.) But I want you to trust me and my data. Especially these days, when many people are using LLMs that I know are inserting faulty data into their charts, I want to keep earning my audience’s faith. So that’s the accurate data. RIGHT: IP Remains Very, Very Popular In July, I wrote a giant (and I mean giant) article on Backrooms, Obsession, and the box office, going over what we know, what we don’t know about what works in theaters, looking at YouTubers, IP, the horror genre, comic book movies, and a whole lot more. The month of August really tested a lot of my theses and, being honest, mostly supported my arguments. Let’s start with IP. Looking at 8-Aug (the weekend after Spider-Man: Brand New Day came out) to 18-Sep (the weekend that Resident Evil came out, which I think provides a nice bookend to this time period), there were seven films based on pre-existing IP: Resident Evil (2026) ($126 million) Practical Magic 2 ($65 million) _Insidious: Out of the Furthe_r ($65 million) Coyote Vs. Acme ($59 million) Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie ($53 million) Tony ($15 million) Super Troopers 3 ($7 million) Compare those to the notable original films from the past month—I actually could have included more movies, but here are just thirteen, bringing us to an even twenty films—including.... The End of Oak Street ($54 million) Buddy ($26 million) Mutiny ($15 million) By Any Means ($15 million) The Dog Stars ($14 million) Runner ($14 million) One Night Only ($11 million) Hope ($8 million) Spa Weekend ($7 million) The Uprising ($6 million) Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma ($6 million) Onslaught ($3 million) Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man ($2.8 million) Here’s that in chart form: Five of the top six films in this time period were all based on IP. I made a big chart of films that grossed over $200 million at the box office before Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey hit theaters. Let’s update that chart! By the way, if you want to see how I categorized each film—so another bar chart—here it is: I know that many of my fellow critics/pundits/analysts dislike films based on IP and how Hollywood is making so many of them. And I’m sympathetic to this point of view. As I’ve written many, many times before, you need a balance between existing franchises, new IP, and original films. And Hollywood clearly needs to make more films like Resident Evil (a well-made film from a visionary director) and fewer Practical Magic 2’s (which didn’t get critical or customer buzz). But at some point, critics and pundits need to contend with what audiences are telling them: Movie-goers aren’t showing up to original films. Audiences are speaking with their dollars, telling you they want more IP and franchises. You can try to convince studio heads to make fewer IP-based films and franchises, but the data and numbers aren’t there. Instead, critics need to work harder to convince audiences to show up for original films. Aim your ire/concern at the average person, not studio heads.2 Because they’re just making the films that audiences are telling them to make. WRONG: Original Horror Films Didn’t Break Out I’ll be honest, even though I wrote an article casting some skepticism on the horror genre in July, if you asked me to make a prediction, I would have predicted that, in August, a new, original horror film would have blown up. No, seriously, I just assumed that Obsession and Backrooms presaged a change in audience behavior. But none of the buzzy new original horror films from August—Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Onslaught (not an action film in spite of the ads), The End of Oak Street, Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man, or _Buddy—_broke out. To be clear, exactly one of those films (Buddy) had good “ROI”, but again—I try to be specific in my language—none were “popular” in any broad sense of the word. None of them will be “saving” movies theaters like Backrooms or _Obsession_helped save the summer. The new Insidious film and Resident Evil, both based on IP, were far and away the biggest horror films since July. (We’ll see if this changes in October/Halloween season.) RIGHT: Stay Skeptical about Crowdfunding... I’ve long been skeptical about crowd-investing platforms as one of Hollywood’s saviors, mainly because there’s so much hype/buzz. People need to stay more skeptical about more things, explaining both the potential upside but also the downsides. In particular, the media often hypes crowdfunding at the start and never checks in on the actual results after they’ve come in later. And August gave us our first update! _Ice Cream Man—_directed by Eli Roth—grossed $6 million off of a $5.5 million budget. This is a production of The Horror Section, which was one of the first “crowd investing” studios with 2,400 investors, which means that 2,400 investors probably lost money. They certainly aren’t getting as great of returns as if they had just invested their dollars in the stock market. Hopefully Stiletto (Tagline: “Someone’s Going to Make it Rain Blood!”) does better next month. WRONG: Another Data Goof Here’s another data error. When the first episode of House of the Dragon came out, HBO put out that it had 21.5 million viewers in the first three days, and I read that to mean in the US…but no, it was global. So my US-only datecdotes charts shouldn’t have included it. We never got US-only numbers for the first episode, but for the final episode, HBO put out that it had 11 million US viewers. (And that global dropped to 21 million viewers.) Here’s the updated chart (which I’ve since used in the Streaming Ratings Report): Still, this show is absolutely huge. RIGHT: Superhero Films Remain Very, Very Popular After Supergirl flopped, I read a few takes that “comic book movies are going the way of the Western”. Post-Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that take didn’t age well. To be fair, I have a very nuanced take on the superhero genre right now; it’s down right now, for a lot of reasons. But it’s not “dead”. Maybe _Spider-_Man is just a really popular character? I saw that take, and it’s a fair counter-argument. (But pundits arguing that superhero movies were dead should have mentioned this $1.5 billion counter-argument…) But is it just Spider-Man? The next Avengers film already has $50 million in pre-sales (and I was skeptical that that film would do well) and the Avengers: End Game re-release topped the box office two weekends ago (over three original films). And I wouldn’t bet against Batman or Superman. So maybe it’s just Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and the Avengers. Oh, and Deadpool, of course. And Black Panther. And Wolverine. And probably the X-Men. Plus a well-made Wonder Woman or the Hulk film could break out. But that’s it! It’s just those ten characters/teams. Oh, what’s that? Lanterns is also doing well on HBO? (See previous section…) To be fair, I’m actually pretty sympathetic to the argument that more popular characters—like Spider-Man and Batman—anchor more popular films. In fact, I made that exact argument three years ago when I first wrote about the “Marvel-cession”. In many ways, you can blame The Guardians of the Galaxy for fooling Marvel Studios (and the rest of us) into believing that any character could pop. It turns out, the list of iconic characters is probably smaller than most people think. But it’s probably too early to say that superhero films and comic book movies are dead unless “death” means a slight decline over a longtime. RIGHT: Who Killed Theaters? Old People I get frustrated whenever I see headlines or analysis about how young people are “returning” to theaters. As I’ve detailed(for years), young people have always powered the US box office, despite narratives about “kids these days” and their “phones”. Really, what’s changed post-2020/pandemic is that old people aren’t going to the movies nearly as much. This summer, I saw a movie (from an older director) in a theater near a retirement community, and multiple older people at the theater were talking about how this was their first time seeing a movie in years. I dislike personal anecdotes, so YouGov can fill in the data, best summarized by this headline: “Who killed movie theaters? Not the youths”. According to them, 64% of people aged 18-29 have seen a movie in the last year, but only 30% of 65-and-older. 20% of 18-29 have seen a movie in theaters in the last week and 42% in the last month. Here’s the polling data: Most concerning? Many Americans (17%) think theaters are a worse or much worse experience than watching films at home. Slight WRONG: Hadestown Opens Big A live theater capture of the Broadway musical, Hadestown, made $20 million at the US box office, which begs the question: was I wrong to be skeptical about musicals a few years ago? Yes and no. On the one hand, $20 million is a far cry from being “popular”, so yeah, the genre isn’t that popular overall and Hadestown is one of the more popular musicals from recent years (i.e. the “Taylor Swift Data Fallacy” in action). On the other, I doubt filming this cost all that much, and I don’t think that they spent much on marketing, so this is a good source of ancillary revenue. Smaller Updates WRONG: As I mentioned in a Streaming Ratings Report, I underestimated the budget for Enola Holmes 3. It probably cost more like $50 million, if not more. But... I’m not sure that it really matters? At sub-10 million hours, prices have to come down to make this work. WRONG: Netflix is giving Ink a 27-day in theaters! To quote the kids/YouTubers these days, let’s go! Now I might actually have a chance to see Danny Boyle’s latest in theaters. I’d complained about this in a “Coming Soon” section, but I was heartened to read that Netflix is giving multiple films longer theatrical windows this year. RIGHT: Netflix is sending 4-5 films per year to theaters. Netflix is slowly but surely sending more and more films to theaters, as I cautiously predicted earlier this year. For now, it’s just three big films and a number of awards contenders, but still, this is great news. And they’ll be releasing box office grosses! Just this week, Ted Sarandos confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters 2 will come to theaters (and my guess is it performs in the box office top ten at a minimum). WRONG: Angel has 3 million subscribers! How do I know this? Well, they told Deadline, who reported it. I marked this as “wrong”, since they’ve doubled their subscribers in one year but, you know, they don’t really have a hit film to speak of and they’re still losing money. WRONG: Furious was only renewed for one more season. I accidentally wrote “two more seasons” in my latest “Renewals, Cancellations, Un-Orders and Removals Update”. RIGHT: House of David is ending with its third season. In July, Prime Video renewed House of David for a third season, as I just wrote in my latest “Renewals and Cancellations” report. Well, now it’s ending after that third season. Why? As I’ve been writing, its viewership wasn’t great. I got feedback that this show didn’t cost very much, but it cost enough that its limited viewership didn’t save it. WRONG: Adults was a Hulu original! So I missed Adults when it first came out last year; I saw that it aired on FX and just assumed that it was a linear-first program. Turns out, it aired three episodes on FX, but binge-released the rest of its episodes the next day on Hulu. Huh. So I should have covered it last year! But I just wrote about it. 1 “When I was a kid in the 90s, if you wore a t-shirt to school that wasn’t too big and also wasn’t too small, but somehow didn’t quite fit, we’d say you were wearing an “extra-medium” shirt.” 2 As always, a huge exception is Disney, which barely makes anything original anymore.
Trump to Give Musk Top US Science Medal
President Donald Trump will present close ally Elon Musk and other tech bosses with the top US scientific award at a ceremony on Thursday, the White House said. Google co-founder Sergei Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD chief Lisa Su will also receive the National Medal of Science at the "Science: A New Golden Age" summit. Computer mogul Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will get the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the top award in its field.
Android’s physical navigation buttons are back on Googlebooks, but not the way you think
An oldie but a goodie — and kind of a necessity-die.
Spirit, Google ensure passenger privacy will be protected in bankruptcy sale of airline’s business data
A court-appointed ombudsman has concluded that the proposed $10 million sale of Spirit Airlines business data to Google can proceed since privacy concerns have been addressed.
Trump to appear at White House science event on Thursday
By Courtney Rozen WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump will speak at a White House event on scientific discovery on Thursday, according to a social media post from his tech adviser Michael Kratsios. The event will highlight the Tru...
Trump expected to award science medal to SpaceX’s Elon Musk, Fox News reports
WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump is expected to award the National Medal of Science to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Fox News reported. The National Medal of Science is the nation's highest honor for scientists and engineers, accor...
Trump expected to award science medal to SpaceX’s Elon Musk, Fox News reports
WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump is expected to award the National Medal of Science to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Fox News reported. The National Medal of Science is the nation's highest honor for scientists and engineers, accor...
Attackers Hijack .gh, .sl, and .as Registries to Obtain Certificates for Google Domains
Attackers hijacked .gh, .sl, and .as registries and obtained 12 unauthorized certificates for Google and YouTube domains.
Amazon US Prime Deals: the Google Pixel 11 Pro is $250 off
The $1,100 MSRP for a 256GB Pixel 11 Pro was overly ambitious - with this price cut, even the 512GB model (which has 16GB of RAM) is under $1,000.
Biohub launches $1.8 billion AI biology initiative in major science push
Biohub, Google, Meta and the U.S. government are investing $1.8 billion to build AI-ready biological data for disease research.
Pixel 11 series still not on Android 17 QPR1 with October update
With yesterday's October 2026 update, the Pixel 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and 11 Pro Fold are not yet running Android 17 QPR1.
Google starts rolling out its upgraded Pixel screen savers to the Pixel 9
When Google added Pixelsnap to the Pixel 10 series, it wasn’t just building in support for all kinds of magnetic...
Google experiments with an AI-powered gaming platform
Google Labs is working on a new AI-powered game-creation platform called Playground for users to build browser-based games using simple text prompts.
Google rolls out improved SynthID AI content detector, now available globally
The new SynthID website can now identify AI content from Google, OpenAI, and more.
Google's AI Detection Website Is Now Available
SynthID Detector will flag content created with AI tools from OpenAI, Google, Apple and other companies.
Google's new SynthID website can identify AI-generated media
Google on Tuesday launched a new site that lets anyone verify whether a piece of media, be it an image, a video or an audio clip, is generated using AI.
Google’s Pixel Buds update will put them to sleep along with you
Plus new voice controls, and one-tap microphone muting and live translation, for the Buds 2A and Pro 2.
Unity unveils a web-based AI game creation platform
Unity Spark will launch later this year on Google Playground
At $1,279, Google’s Xreal Aura will go head-to-head with Meta’s VR Glasses
The first transparent Android XR glasses are “weeks” away — if you made a reservation.
Google now lets you make games with AI
It’s also teaming up with Unity for a new Spark platform.
Atlassian Data Center Flaw Draws Exploitation Attempts Within Two Hours of Public Details
Attackers are exploiting an Atlassian Data Center flaw that enables unauthenticated access to specific webroot files.
Nomura Asset counting on Japanese market enthusiasm to expand global business
By Anton Bridge and Miho Uranaka TOKYO, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The asset management arm of Nomura Holdings is capitalising on rising investor interest in Japanese assets to attract new customers and build out its global operations, its chief executive said...
Google Messages is quietly ditching a key RCS feature users rely on
There is no clarity when it will be removed, though
Indiana BMV offices ranked nation’s best in analysis of reviews
Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices came out on top of a nationwide analysis of more than 1.2 million Google reviews of public vehicle registration and driver’s license offices.
Big premium hikes possible for retirees in Nevada worker health insurance program
Active employees will also likely experience premium hikes if their plan includes a spouse or their family. Active workers who are the only members of their plan will likely see modest premium decreases.
Google sounds really excited about 'massive' feature update hitting Pixel Buds right now
From dynamic ANC, to tap-to-mute for your microphone, to even new Live Translate capabilities, this sounds like one major update!
Fall's first Pixel update just landed, and it's another end-of-the-road milestone
Discover what's getting fixed in the October 2026 Pixel update, and which phones are about to get left behind.
Google rolling out ‘massive’ Pixel Buds Pro, Pro 2, and 2a update
Following last month's addition of Gemini control, Google is rolling out a sizable Pixel Buds Pro, Pro 2, and Pixel Buds 2a update.
Hackers obtain counterfeit TLS certificates for Google and other large services
Compromise of 3 domain registries allows hackers to walk off with unauthorized certs.
Claude launches Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides integration with sidebar and more
If Gemini isn’t quite your cup of tea, Anthropic’s Claude now supports sidebar integration with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides....
YouTube And Google.org Commit $2.5 Million To Expand Free Class CrunchLabs Science Curriculum
YouTube and Google.org have committed a $2.5 million grant to Class CrunchLabs, providing additional funding to expand the free STEM curriculum founded by Mark Rober.
Everything Fixed in October Pixel Update
Google is pushing out the October Pixel update, and inside, there’s a short list of fixes that Pixel owners should know about. We heard rumblings that folks were having issues with a few bugs on devices after the latest update, so hopefully the below list addresses at least a couple of them. Google lists a...
2026 October Pixel Update Available for Your Pixel Phone
Google released the October Pixel update today to all of their still-supported Pixel phones. We have new builds for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro up through the new Pixel 11 series. The update arrives under a global build, as well as a Softbank specific build. For most of you, the global build is...
Android 17 October update rolling out with three Pixel fixes
Google is rolling out the October 2026 security patch for Android 17 on the Pixel 10, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
Samsung starts rolling out Android 17 for Galaxy S24 and older foldables
As its rollout expands, Samsung is now bringing its Android 17-based One UI 9 update to the Galaxy S24 series...
Our first five impressions of Googlebooks
Google’s new laptop OS shows lots of promise for Android phone owners, but there’s a long road ahead.
Googlebook "Better Together" phone features don't work with Samsung at launch
Googlebooks require Android 17, but Samsung's Android 17 phones won't work yet.
Google could soon solve Pixel's biggest face unlock flaw
Android 17 QPR3 beta code hints that Google could soon solve Pixel's biggest face unlock flaw in low light with Face Active Illumination.
New leaks reveal more details about the Fitbit Edge including its price
Google’s next fitness tracker with a screen could arrive soon.
Googlebook’s Android-integrated features won’t work with Samsung phones at launch
Googlebook is here with Android integration as its main pitch, but Samsung users are left out at launch as Galaxy devices aren't supported yet
Google ‘Fitbit Edge’ reportedly costs around $180 as specs & features leak
A new leak reveals that Google’s upcoming Fitbit Edge tracker will probably have a price somewhere around $180 and offer...
YouTube and Google.org Commit $2.5 Million to Expand Class CrunchLabs' Free Science Curriculum
YouTube and Google.org deepen support for free, standards-aligned science education with a $2.5M grant to Class CrunchLabs
Pixel 11 gets first Google Store deal for Prime Day
Like the Pixel Watch 5, the US Google Store is discounting the Pixel 11 and 11 Pro for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.
SAP-backed Tereina launches payment service inside SAP’s business software
Oct 6 (Reuters) - Tereina, a payments company in which SAP owns a stake, on Tuesday launched technology that lets businesses pay suppliers, employees and affiliates directly from their SAP software in traditional currencies or stablecoins. The launch...
Critical Atlassian Flaw Lets Unauthenticated Attackers Read Known Files Across 8 Products
Atlassian fixes a critical path traversal in 8 Data Center products that lets unauthenticated attackers read files if exact paths are known.
ClickFix Smuggles Payloads Through Browser Cache to Bypass Windows Run Limits
Microsoft observed ClickFix attacks using browser cache smuggling to execute cached VBScript and launch a credential-targeting malware chain.
UW-led optoelectronic center receives second round of funding from the US National Science Foundation
A University of Washington-led center for optoelectronics — technologies that combine light and electronics — brings researchers from 14 universities across the U.S. together with the mission to develop new materials to transform information technology with light. Founded in 2021, NSF IMOD has received a second round of funding from the NSF to continue its work for the next five years.
Gemini Call for Me might tell your mom you’re running late
Would you call your parents with Google’s AI?
What’s new in Android’s October 2026 Google System Updates
The monthly “Google System Release Notes” primarily detail what’s new in Play services, Play Store, and Play system update across...
New Zealand third quarter business confidence jumps, says think tank
WELLINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - New Zealand's business confidence rose in the third quarter even as fuel prices increase and geopolitics remain a headwind for the country, a private think tank said on Tuesday. A net 43% of firms surveyed expec...
New Zealand third quarter business confidence jumps, says think tank
WELLINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - New Zealand's business confidence rose in the third quarter even as fuel prices increased and geopolitics remained a headwind for the country, a private think tank said on Tuesday. A net 43% of firms surveyed expected ge...
The Googlebook era is here: some first impressions of the hardware and a whole new OS
Today is the day. After months of tracking code commits, dissecting leaks, and getting that unforgettable first taste at Google’s media showcase in New York City, Googlebooks are officially landing...
Samsung rolling out Android 17 for more Galaxy devices in the US
Samsung’s Android 17 rollout is speeding up, with more last-gen Galaxy devices now getting One UI 9 updates in the...
Why I Don’t Think Ride Or Die Should Have Been Cancelled (And What Company Should Save It...)
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) So…I recently came across a Reddit thread, talking about films on streaming, wondering why there are no reliable sources out there for streaming ratings data. Sigh. Honestly, as annoyed as I am that so many still don’t realize that we have streaming ratings, I somewhat get it. Until now, there was such a long delay between when a show or film came to streaming and when we got its viewership data; I understand why people were confused. (But, as you know, this just changed.) Also, even back in the day, how many people knew how well films did on television? Luckily, as a reader, you’re in the know. Okay, on to this week’s issue. I want to take a look at Prime Video cancelling Ride or Die and whether I agree with that decision. Overall, we didn’t have any breakout hits (no TV shows landed over 20 million hours according to Nielsen) but we have a lot of steady performers on the streaming charts. Plus, we’ll look at where $50 million in missing box office dollars went. (Spoiler: straight-to-streaming.) All that, plus new episodes of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Supergirl heads to streaming, a new YA show does well on Netflix, the viewership for the Daily Wire’s $50 million fantasy show, what TV show hit-maker can’t make streaming hits, CD sales, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of September 7th to September 13th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Television - Ride or Die Is a Hit…But It Got Cancelled? What The Data “Says” I hate the phrase “here’s what the data says”, even though sometimes I find myself using it. If data just told us everything, we data folks would be out of a job! Data is often messy, complicated and nuanced. When it comes to strategy, many of the best decisions can’t actually use “data”, since it’s vastly too complicated to model. Anyways, I’ve been singing the praises of Prime Video’s Ride Or Die this summer, a show that did very well for them. And yet…it got cancelled. Now, usually when a show gets cancelled, a bunch of websites say “a hit show got cancelled”... Here’s the thing, though: in this case, they’re right! The data “says” that this show was a hit. Specifically, out of 522 first seasons to make a week on the Nielsen charts since 2020, it’s the 75th biggest. On Amazon, Ride or Die is eighth out of 41 first seasons: That’s top 15th percentile all time, almost exactly, which is my definition of a “hit”! I mean, outside of Reacher, Amazon needed a hit this summer! (Admittedly, Off Campus did well for Amazon in the spring, but Ride or Die performed even better.) So what happened? Why did Amazon cancel one of their rare 2026 bright spots? Well, Deadline reported a reason—which I’ll get to—but I’d break it down into three relevant questions: What is a given streamer’s reasoning? Is that reasoning sound? Could the stated reason not be the real reason? According to Deadline, Amazon felt the show “over-indexed” in middle-aged women. (This was based on leaks from within Amazon.) The logic is this: Amazon already reaches this demographic because of unlimited two-day shipping bundled with Prime, so they don’t really need more shows like this. Now, it’s my job to ask if that’s a good reason, and I’ll be honest, in this case, I don’t think it is. Sure, this show may “over-index” in middle-aged women—I’ll just assume that’s the case here—but I think folks often oversell how important over-indexing actually is. When a show is a “hit”, it isn’t a bit bigger than its rivals; it’s usually multiples bigger. For example, Elle only made the charts for two weeks at 8.3 million hours each. So Ride or Die was 80% bigger in its first two weeks, and likely had a much stronger hold, with its terrific 13 million hours in week three. Ride or Die was nearly three times bigger than Sterling Point through three weeks too. And that means that _Elle, Sterling Point a_nd other Amazon YA shows need to not just over-index a little with younger women (assuming that’s who Amazon prefers over middle-aged women), but massively over-index. Otherwise, more people in that demo (and a bunch more besides) likely watched Ride or Die. (I’ll try to explore this concept more in a future article.) And don’t get me started on how Ride or Die did compared to a certain (very, very popular, possibly the world’s most popular) YouTuber’s reality show…which didn’t make the charts after its first week and likely cost much, much more than Ride or Die. All to say, Amazon-MGM Studios/Prime Video can tell reporters that this show didn’t reach the right audience, but that excuse feels weak to me. So this leads to the third question: could other reasons have come into play? Yes! Renewal or cancellation decisions rarely (I’m tempted to say “never”) boil down to one variable. At its simplest, it’s two things: budget versus viewership. But often factors like critical acclaim, ownership and, yes, personal opinion come into play. In this case, Amazon has a new executive running things, and this show isn’t owned by Amazon-MGM Studios (unlike Elle). And yes, it may not have indexed with the right target viewers, too. Likely all of those factors came into play.1 My guess is ownership ended up mattering most. Amazon doesn’t own Ride or Die. It’s actually produced by another major studio. Fortunately/allegedly, this show is being shopped around. I can think of one brand new CEO who should consider it for one of his two major streamers…especially if he wants to rebuild goodwill in Hollywood. His name is on this list of exec producers of Ride or Die… If David Ellison needs some goodwill—and he does—rescue this female-led show tomorrow and grab some good headlines for a day. The data justifies it. Quick Notes on TV We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… How The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives latest season did on Hulu, post-controversy... Whether Supergirl soared on HBO Max... Why the box office is losing money due to the streamers... The viewership for the Daily Wire’s $50 million fantasy show... Updates on The Gentlemen, Lanterns, Outer Banks, King of the Hill and more... What former hit-maker has three streaming flops in a row... Whether The Mandalorian and Grogu popped in week two... All the flops, bombs and misses... And a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you want an idea of just how much content you’d get in a full issue, check out this older issue. Coming Soon! Oh man, we’re almost caught up! We just have two more issues, then the streaming Ratings Report will be coming out just two weeks after a TV show premieres! Next issue, I’ll be looking at the first two weeks of the NFL Thursday night games on streaming, a huge new spinoff, Reacher’s Neagly on Prime Video, and the latest edition of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story on Netflix, the return of Slow Horses on Apple and MobLand (quietly one of their biggest shows) on Paramount+, and Dancing with the Stars on both ABC and Disney+. Plus I’ll take a look at animation for adults in 2026. The week after, a ton of movies are coming to streaming: Toy Story 5 on Disney+, Backrooms on HBO Max, Jackass: Best and Last on Paramount+ and The Breadwinner on Netflix, plus a Unabomber film on Netflix and a romcom on Prime Video. Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey have a show on Apple, along with a game show inspired by Willy Wonka that everyone seems to hate. Long term, some crazy (but hopefully crazy like a fox) IP news. FX ordered a new Sons of Anarchy show from Charlie Hunnam, but it’s not about the biker gang. No, it features the show’s cast playing themselves in a new “meta-thriller”. Huh. And a lot of the cast is coming back. Next, Ryan Gosling is producing a Flintstones movie about a “grown-up Bamm-Bamm Rubble”. Also, huh. This one is in “early development” so we’ll see what happens. Both projects are based on IP, but also seem to have crazy takes on the IP, which I like.
Google's Mysterious New Fitbit Just Got a Lot More Real
The Fitbit Edge has a screen and a similar collection of sensors to the company's recent screenless wearable, according to new leaks.
Google Wallet for Android adds 12th digital state ID
Following the last launch at the end of August, Google Wallet is rolling out support for Oklahoma state IDs on Android.
Googlebooks with Intel chipsets might have trouble with ‘complex’ Android apps
According to a statement from Google, Intel-based Googlebooks will apparently still struggle with some Android apps. When Android apps made...
Pixel Watch 5 gets first Google Store discount for Prime Day
Ahead of tomorrow’s Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, the US Google Store is discounting the Pixel Watch 5 for the first time since launch.
CBS Sports Classic Tickets on Sale Wednesday
CBS Sports Classic Tickets on Sale Wednesday
Fantastical’s long-awaited Android debut begins today on Googlebook
After 15 years, Fantastical's acclaimed calendar app is coming to Android, but it's not quite ready for every device just yet.
Pixel 12 series leak allegedly reveals model numbers, display specs, no wide Fold
A new leak allegedly reveals Pixel 12 display specs, model numbers, and helps confirm Google isn't launching a wide Fold.
Google Admits Some 'Complex' Android Apps Run Poorly On Intel Googlebooks
Android app compatibility on Googlebooks may not be as smooth as previously stated.
Google admits not every Android app runs great on Intel Googlebooks
‘A small handful’ of apps apparently need some ‘developer tuning.’
Google says some Googlebooks have better Android app support than others, and here's why
The first Googlebooks are finally here, but Google has confirmed to Android Authority that some models might have Android app issues.
Euro zone business growth hits over 3-1/2-year high despite inflation worries, PMI shows
By Indradip Ghosh BENGALURU, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Euro zone business activity expanded at its fastest pace in nearly 3-1/2 years in September as demand remained strong despite inflation worries stemming from the Middle East war, according to a private su...
Google Pixels could get an all-new way to customize lock screens, for better or for worse
We've dug into the Wallpaper & Style app in the latest Android 17 beta, and discovered a brand-new way to customize your lock screen.
TempraMed Announces VIVI Cap Smart Connectivity with Apple Health and Google Fit, Providing Better Health Outcomes and Data Tracking
VIVI Cap Smart transforms injectable medication protection into a connected health-data layer, enabling patients, caregivers and digital-health platforms to capture medication-use, temperature and adherence signals.Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2026) - TempraMed Technologies Ltd. (CSE: VIVI) (OTCQB: TMPTF) (FSE: 9DY) ("TempraMed" or the "Company"), a medical technology company transforming the storage, protection and management of temperature-sensitive medications, is pleased to
This is the Fitbit Edge: Google's next fitness tracker finally spills its secrets
Google is reportedly getting ready to launch a new fitness tracker called the Fitbit Edge, and the device has leaked in full!
The new Fitbit Edge leaks
Google’s midrange Fitbit Edge shows off is many sides and colors in leaked images.
Google froze its open source bug bounty program due to a 'significant rise' in AI submissions
AI slop seems to be overwhelming bug bounty programs.
‘Fitbit Edge’ leaks as Google’s next fitness tracker with ‘Apps’ & ‘Notifications’
Following an accidental marketing leak in August and FCC listing last month, retail listings for the “Fitbit Edge” have now emerged.
Exclusive: This Is the Fitbit Edge, Google's Next Fitness Tracker
Exclusive Fitbit Edge images show Google's new screened fitness tracker in three colors, sitting between the Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch 5.
Saudi Arabia to cancel Joy Awards, its answer to the Grammys, amid budget cuts, sources say
By Timour Azhari Oct 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is set to cancel next year's Joy Awards, its star-studded answer to the Oscars or the Grammys, as financial strain and the Iran war hit the country's nascent entertainment sector, two people with knowledg...
The forgotten Chromebook that started it all
On Version History: Marques Brownlee and Nilay Patel relive the release of the Cr-48, Google’s prototype laptop.
NFL Predictions, Week 4 Picks: Expert Best Bets for Sunday
If you want more Action Network content, be sure to add us as a preferred source on Google. Our football staff is focused on eight of Sunday’s biggest
Your Samsung Gallery app finally syncs with Google Photos — how to set it up right now
Samsung Gallery has moved on from OneDrive to Google Photos. Here's how to set it up to keep your photos backed up.
I changed these hidden Google Maps settings; now my Android Auto navigation is miles better
Small tweaks made every drive smoother
Gemini app limiting what models free & AI Plus users can access, AI Pro adding Deep Think
Following the compute-based usage change in May, Google is introducing limits on what Gemini models free and AI Plus users can access.
Google AI Plus and free users are losing access to Gemini models, and it's happening very soon
The more advanced tiers aren't seeing any changes.
The ‘WarGames’ Problem: Computer Science Has Long Understood What It Takes to Keep AI Under Control
The AI hacking events involving OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google underscore lessons that draw on years of computer science research.
Google already rolling out Android 17 QPR3 Beta 1 for Pixel
Following a QPR2 release earlier this week, Google today is rolling out Android 17 QPR3 Beta 1.
This new ChatGPT scam tricks you into installing malware - how to spot the trap
This authentic-looking scam starts with a sponsored Google link - and it's catching people off-guard.
Gemini app gains new ‘Map’ tool, replacing ‘/’ with ‘@’
Google has introduced a “Map” tool to aid your location-based Gemini app prompts on Android and iOS. Meanwhile...
Pixel 10a gets a $100 price hike, now starting at $599
Google has quietly raised the price of its mid-range Pixel 10a by $100, giving the device a starting price of...
How to find compromised passwords on iPhone and Android
Apple and Google password managers can flag compromised, weak and reused passwords on your phone before credential stuffing attacks can strike.
A familiar Android feature is disappearing and users have plenty to say
Google is replacing Google Assistant with Gemini on Android phones, with some users reporting issues during the transition.
I thought Google made a mistake with the Pixel 11 Pro XL. 30 days later, I was wrong
The Google Pixel 11 Pro XL is hard on the wallet, but that doesn't mean the phone isn't worth it. 30 days later, I'm hooked on it.
Eric Schmidt said young programmers should become 'architects'
The former Google CEO said today's AI coding tools surpass his skills and free up programmers to be the architects, not the ones who build the house.
'We don't want to be another business that closes": Midwest Sad hits reset
"We don't want to be another business that closes": Midwest Sad hits reset
Google’s overdue Gemini 4 Argon reaches the frontier with mixed results for science
Google’s Gemini 4 Argon brings competitive AI performance at introductory prices, but independent tests show uneven results against leading rivals.
Google’s new Guided Vision feature can help you read the fine print
Can you trust AI to see what’s going on around you?
Google’s new Android sideloading rules are live — and here are all the ways to already bypass them
Google’s developer verification rules are now live, but users can bypass new APK sideloading blocks using ADB, Shizuku, and Advanced Flow.
Pixel 11 Pro vs. iPhone 18 Pro: Copy-copy-paste or just copy-paste [Video]
The Pixel 11 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro looks eerily similar to what we saw last year. What can we glean from this duo? Find out here.