Google a annoncé mardi que Gemini, Gemini Notebook et même son moteur de recherche seront désactivés par défaut sur les comptes des élèves américains, de la maternelle au lycée, tant que les administrateurs scolaires ne les auront pas activés eux-mêmes. Les nouveaux réglages arriveront dans les prochains mois, pour une bascule prévue début 2027.

Présenté comme ça, le geste ressemble à une concession faite aux enseignants. Le détail qui fâche est sorti dans le New York Times, où Chris Phillips, le responsable de l'éducation chez Google, a confirmé qu'une école qui refuse l'IA perdra du coup l'accès à Search, parce que la recherche et l'IA sont maintenant profondément intégrées, selon ses propres mots. Les élèves verront simplement un message leur expliquant que le service n'est pas disponible.

Devant les critiques, Google a publié le soir même une mise au point sur X pour assurer que l'annonce donne aux écoles plus de choix, pas moins, et que chaque service peut être activé individuellement, un, deux ou les trois.

Sauf que cette réponse esquive le vrai sujet. Activer la recherche revient à accepter les résumés d'IA affichés en haut des résultats, puisque Google ne propose aucune version du moteur qui en serait débarrassée. La configuration que réclament beaucoup de profs, garder la recherche pour apprendre aux élèves à trouver des sources tout en bloquant les réponses toutes faites, n'existe tout simplement pas au catalogue.

Google sait pourtant ce que coûte la méthode forte. En août, des fonctions d'IA activées d'office dans Classroom avaient mis les enseignants américains en colère, et la firme avait fait machine arrière.

Les Chromebooks et les outils Google équipent une part énorme des écoles américaines, et un district scolaire ne remplace pas son moteur de recherche du jour au lendemain.

Pour les établissements qui diront oui, Google met en avant Guided Learning, un tuteur qui décompose les exercices étape par étape au lieu de donner la réponse, histoire de limiter la triche. Les enseignants pourront même consulter les transcriptions des conversations entre les élèves et le chatbot.

Le calendrier est quand même osé. New York et Los Angeles ont voté en septembre un moratoire d'un an sur l'IA générative dans leurs écoles publiques, et l'État de New York interdit depuis la semaine dernière certaines fonctions de chatbot aux mineurs.

Source : TechCrunch

Google's new school AI controls could affect student Search access. Here's what administrators need to know about Gemini, Guided Learning, and the 2027 rollout.

The post Google Changes AI Access Rules for Schools Ahead of 2027 appeared first on TechRepublic.

Google Meet lets admins display custom policy notices before calls. Learn how to configure them and what IT teams should check for consent and sharing.

The post Google Meet Adds Custom Policy Notices Before Users Join Calls appeared first on TechRepublic.

Apple's OLED iPad mini is much lighter, while Samsung's Galaxy Tab S11 offers a bigger screen and included stylus. Which fits how you use a tablet?

The post iPad Mini OLED vs Galaxy Tab S11: Is Portability Worth Giving Up a Bigger Screen? appeared first on TechRepublic.

An EU court adviser outlines when Google Gemini’s reuse of news could infringe publishers’ rights and what businesses using web-connected AI should check.

The post EU Court Adviser Outlines Copyright Risks for Google Gemini appeared first on TechRepublic.

Samsung's Gemini-powered AI glasses could launch in the US and South Korea in December. Here's what reports reveal about features, pricing, and availability.

The post Samsung’s AI Glasses Could Reach US and South Korean Customers Before Christmas appeared first on TechRepublic.

Google’s Genie 4 adds native audio and real-time world editing. Learn about access, US pricing, and the limits teams should assess before running a pilot.

The post Google Unveils Genie 4 With Native Audio and Real-Time World Editing appeared first on TechRepublic.

Siri AI and Google Gemini both offer conversational AI, personal context, and app automation, but they work differently across devices. Compare their features, privacy controls, and everyday usefulness to decide which assistant suits you best.

The post Siri AI vs Google Gemini: Which AI Assistant Is Better in 2026? appeared first on TechRepublic.

Clearafi compares answers from multiple AI models and scores their agreement before you rely on the result.

The post Stop Trusting One Chatbot: Cross-Check Six AI Models for $50 appeared first on TechRepublic.

The Mac Studio M5 Max costs $800 more than the Mac mini M5 Pro. Here's what you actually get for the extra money and whether it's worth it.

The post Mac Mini M5 Pro vs Mac Studio M5 Max: Is the Extra $800 Really Worth It? appeared first on TechRepublic.

Four Google DeepMind AI agents defeated Minecraft's Ender Dragon after 27 hours and 605 deaths, revealing both the promise and limitations of autonomous AI.

The post Google’s AI Agents Finally Beat Minecraft. It Took 27 Hours and 605 Deaths appeared first on TechRepublic.

Gmail AI Inbox is expanding to paid Google Workspace accounts. Learn what IT admins can control, how rollout works, and what users should verify.

The post Gmail AI Inbox Reaches Workspace: What IT Admins Can Control appeared first on TechRepublic.

Hyundai got everybody talking about pixels in 2019, when the 45 EV Concept showed up in Frankfurt with square-cut lights, and the Ioniq 5 carried the idea to showrooms in 2021. Hyundai even named the look Parametric Pixel and spread it across the headlights, taillights, and wheels. It was a smart move, and it gave the Ioniq 5 a face you could pick out of a parking lot from across the street. Still, Hyundai used pixels like a seasoning, a sprinkle here and a dash there. Somebody was bound to dump the whole shaker.

That somebody is Uygar, a Turkey-based designer who calls himself a professional daydreamer, and the shaker is a MINI. The headlights keep MINI’s round shape but fill the rings with squares, a dot-matrix grille owns the nose, and each wheel is a glowing mosaic disc. The Union Jack taillights are rebuilt out of red pixels, a nod to the flag lamps from MINI’s 2018 facelift. It’s a long-roof five-door with stubby overhangs, a dark roof, and satin champagne-silver paint, so the pixels do the talking. I tried counting the squares on one wheel and gave up when my coffee went cold.

Designer: Uygar (uygarspots)

Round headlights, square pixels, and a grille that glows

MINI’s round headlight is the closest thing the brand has to a signature, so Uygar leaves the circle alone and changes what it is made of. Each ring becomes a loop of little squares wrapped around a dark projector lens, like a digital eye with a very serious pupil. Below it, the closed grille is a dot-matrix field that glows brightest at the center and fades toward the edges. A thin vertical light bar drops from the bumper like a tiny exclamation mark. From a block away the face looks friendly, and up close you can count the grid.

Hyundai keeps its pixels inside the lamps, so the Ioniq 5 still reads as a car with a few digital accents. Here the whole nose becomes one display, so the face reads as a single graphic. That suits a brand whose cars have worn a cheeky expression since Alec Issigonis’s original Mini arrived in 1959. The production Cooper EV already lets owners pick from three light signatures, so a face that changes mood is hardly a leap. This one has far more dots to play with, and I suspect it would be a menace at red lights.

The wheels and taillights carry the pixel jewelry

The wheels are where the idea gets silly in the best way. Each one is a full disc covered in amber squares, arranged in a swirl that thins out toward the rim and bunches up around the MINI wings at the hub. Some squares glow bright while others sit nearly dark, so the whole disc looks caught mid-sparkle. Hyundai’s pixel wheels ask you to read the pattern in the metal, and these ask you to read it in light. Park one at night and you have a disco ball on each corner, minus the awkward dance lessons.

The rear is the cleanest trick in the set. A black glass band spans the tailgate and holds two Union Jack lamps built from red dots, with the MINI wings sitting between them. MINI introduced flag-style taillights in 2018, using the turn signals for the horizontal bars and the brake lights for the vertical ones. Then the 2022 Aceman concept drew a Union Jack across its grille in matrix LEDs. This render finishes the thought by building the flag from pixels, which is where a flag made of light was always headed.

MINI already flirted with pixels, and this is the follow-through

MINI did not wander into this blind. The Aceman concept appeared in July 2022 and made its first public showing at Gamescom in Cologne, which tells you exactly who the brand was flirting with. Its matrix LED headlights and grille drew Lite-Brite comparisons, a nod to the glowing peg toy Hasbro launched in 1967, and the right headlamp could even wink. The Cooper EV that followed took a calmer path, with round lamps, three light signatures, and a 9.4 inch (240mm) round OLED screen inside. The pixel face was the Aceman’s loudest idea, and production turned the volume down.

Uygar’s concept feels like the alternate timeline where nobody in the design review said “maybe a little less.” Hyundai sprinkled, MINI nibbled, and this render tips the whole shaker over the car. If I owned a MINI and somebody offered me these wheels, I would ask where to sign, then ask where the off switch is. The little British hatch has always been the brand most willing to act like a toy, and a toy with a glowing face is hard to argue with. Dump the whole shaker, I say, and let the pixels fall where they may.

The post This pixel-covered MINI concept makes the Hyundai Ioniq 5 look subtle first appeared on Yanko Design.

Get the key details on Google Fitbit Edge, including health tracking, Gemini coaching, battery life, US pricing, compatibility, and which version to buy.

The post Google Fitbit Edge Cheat Sheet: Price, Features, Battery Life, and More appeared first on TechRepublic.

Gemini 4 Argon is now available to more users, but not for free. Here's who qualifies, how to try it, and what access costs.

The post Google Opens Gemini 4 Argon to More Users — Who Can Try It and What It Costs appeared first on TechRepublic.

Google's $180 Fitbit Edge replaces the Charge 6 with a larger screen, more workout modes, and a replaceable battery, but drops NFC. Is it worth upgrading?

The post Google’s $180 Fitbit Edge Replaces Charge 6: What’s New? appeared first on TechRepublic.

Gemini Auto Browse can complete multi-step tasks in Chrome, but access is restricted. Learn how to enable it, what it can do, and how to manage permissions and limits.

The post How to Use Gemini Auto Browse in Chrome: Setup, Tasks, and Limits appeared first on TechRepublic.