Google is providing early access to an updated version of its Gemini 2.5 Pro multimodal AI model. Called Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview, the model has “significantly” improved capabilities for coding, especially for interactive web applications. Google said it released the preview model early due to “overwhelming enthusiasm” for the model “so people can start building.” The model was supposed to be unveiled at Google’s I/O developer conference later this month. The updates include enhancing code transformation, code editing and developing of complex agentic workflows. Google said the updates enabled the model to top the chart in the WebDev Arena Leaderboard, which ranks large language models based on their performance in web development. This ranking measures how well a model can build “aesthetically pleasing and functional” web applications. In the arena, AI models compete with each other in front-end UI design and coding contests to earn ELO points. Google said Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview has surpassed the prior version by 147 ELO points. Gemini 2.5 Pro is in third place, after Claude 3.7 Sonnet. OpenAI’s GPT-4.1 came in fourth and Claude 3.5 Sonnet is fifth. Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview also scored well in video understanding, at 84.8% on the VideoMME benchmark, which assesses the capabilities of multimodal models in how well they analyze videos. On WebDev Arena Leaderboard, a third-party metric that ranks models by human preference based on their ability to generate visually appealing and functional web apps, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview (05-06) has now overtaken Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet at the number one spot.
Visa Direct enables quickly transfering money between Webull brokerage account and external bank accounts.
Webull, an online investment platform, announced its collaboration with VISA on the Webull US platform. Visa Direct facilitates account funding as well as the movement of funds directly to eligible cards, bank accounts, and wallets. By integrating with Visa Direct, Webull users based in the United States can quickly transfer money between their Webull brokerage account and external bank accounts. The collaboration with Visa Direct allows Webull to implement a “Deposit” feature, which enables fast access to the market and empowers users to seize investment opportunities. While Automated Clearing House (ACH) and other common methods of moving money may take several days, Visa Direct gives users access to their funds in under a minute. Yanilsa Gonzalez-Ore, SVP, North America Head, Visa Direct said, “With Visa Direct, Webull can give their customers the speed, flexibility and protection they want with real-time payments[1], and deliver a simple, digitized experience to securely manage their funds, so they can confidently invest and trade.”
Patreon’s app can now accept web payments circumventing Apple’s own in-app purchases method following the Apple-Epic court ruling
Creator platform Patreon has rolled out an updated version of its app that now allows users to make purchases via the web, in the wake of the Apple-Epic court ruling that forced Apple to allow app developers to include links to alternative forms of payment without being subject to Apple’s commission. Previously, on version 125.4.1 of Patreon’s iOS app, users who wanted to subscribe to a creator’s membership plan would have to do so using Apple’s in-app purchases. In the updated version (version 125.5.0), users now have the option of making a purchase via the web, where they can choose to pay with other payment methods, including credit cards, Venmo, and PayPal, as well as with Apple Pay. The option to use Apple’s own in-app purchases method, meanwhile, is shown only in very small text below the larger, bold “Join” button. This change will likely direct more customers to pay via Patreon’s website instead of through Apple’s in-app purchases. Users who update their app should see the new checkout experience within 24 hours. Patreon also noted creators would now be able to keep more of their money if they didn’t have to pay Apple its commission on purchases.
Consumers can now select Cash App Pay as their preferred payment method when ordering food and checking out on the Domino’s Pizza app
Cash App has announced its new partnership with Domino’s Pizza, giving customers payment flexibility when ordering food. This launch marks the first nationwide pizza restaurant chain to be available with Cash App Pay. When checking out on the Domino’s app, consumers can now select Cash App Pay as their preferred payment method. Cash App users can get access to all available merchants on the app. Cash App says the new partnership allows Domino’s to connect with Cash App’s young and growing user base, building long-term loyalty. According to data from the National Restaurant Association, 79% of Gen Z and 85% of millennials use mobile apps for fast-food orders. Alex Fisher, head of revenue, North America, Cash App Commerce said, “Through this integration we are able to help them unlock incremental value with next generation consumers who we know are looking for convenience and flexibility at checkout.”
PlayStation 5 adds Apple Pay; players are presented with a unique code to scan with their iPhone or iPad, which will then prompt the native Apple Pay checkout
PlayStation 5 users can now use Apple Pay to complete purchases of games and content on their consoles. They will be presented with a unique code to scan with their iPhone or iPad, which will then prompt the native Apple Pay checkout sheet. Users can choose their card and authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID. Apple added support for this code-based system with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 last year. Apple Pay support is now available on PS5 and is expected to be available on PS4 with a future software update. While not as quick and easy as a one-click purchase, it is a nice improvement for those looking to earn 2% Daily Cash with their Apple Card.
Adoption of RCS protocol is rising, now supporting over a billion messages per day in the U.S., following the adoption by Apple Messages
Google offered a brief update on the adoption of the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol, an upgrade to SMS that offers high-resolution photos and videos, typing indicators, read receipts, improved group chat, and more. The company shared that the messaging standard now supports over a billion messages per day in the U.S. This metric is based on an average of the last 28 days, Google noted. The stat is notable because Google fought for years to get Apple to adopt support for RCS on iOS, allowing for better communication between Android and Apple devices. Unlike with iMessage, group chats with Android users couldn’t be renamed, nor could people be added or removed, and you couldn’t exit when you wanted. That changed with the fall 2024 launch of iOS 18, when Apple finally added RCS support to its Messages app. Though the functionality has been upgraded, Apple still displays RCS chats as green bubbles, hoping to keep the stigma of being an Android user intact. This is particularly important among young people in the U.S., where demand for the blue bubbles has cemented the iPhone as teens’ most popular device.
Gemini Advanced users can now directly add a public or private codebase on GitHub, to the chatbot to allow it to generate and explain code, debug existing code, and more
Gemini, Google’s AI-powered chatbot, can now connect to GitHub — for users subscribed to the $20-per-month Gemini Advanced plan, that is. Gemini Advanced customers can directly add a public or private codebase on GitHub to Gemini to allow the chatbot to generate and explain code, debug existing code, and more. Users can connect GitHub to Gemini by clicking the “+” button in the prompt bar, selecting “import code,” and pasting a GitHub URL. A word of warning: AI models, including Google’s, still struggle to code quality software. Code-generating AI tends to introduce security vulnerabilities and errors, owing to weaknesses in areas like the ability to understand programming logic. One recent evaluation of Devin, a popular AI coding tool, found that it could only complete three out of 20 programming tests.
Apple’s 20th anniversary iPhone to use an OLED driver display chip (DDI) and possibly eliminating the bezel completely
Apple’s 20th-anniversary model of iPhone is in development, with screen and battery changes expected for the milestone model. For its 2027 release, which marks the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, the company has started to make preparations for the special smartphone. One of the major updates Apple is planning is the use of an OLED driver display chip (DDI) based on the FinFET’s 3D structure. The chip, which issues instructions to the pixels of the display, is currently produced using a 28-nanometer planar process, with the FinFET switch using a 16-nanometer method instead. The change will help reduce the amount of power consumed by the display, alongside the use of high-luminous efficiency OLED elements. This all-new design will be more power-efficient. Supply chain talks with LG Display and Samsung Display, Apple’s chief screen supply chain partners, are expected soon to discuss the tech changes. This may not be the only display change, as a source says that four-sided bending display technologies are being developed as well as under-display cameras. If they can be commercialized, they can make a big change to how the displays are made, including eliminating the bezel completely. While the new display should reduce power consumption at a time when on-device AI processing such as Apple Intelligence needs even more, there can be more power changes as well. The use of a pure silicon battery is also a prospect. The idea is that the use of 100% silicon as a cathode instead of graphite could considerably increase the energy density, so it can hold more power in the cell. A secondary benefit is an improvement to battery endurance. A battery that is more hardy and deteriorates at a slower rate than current-gen versions, meaning users will have more usage of the entire capacity for longer.
Google is testing access to AI Mode directly within Search and adding new functionalities such as visual place and product cards that can be tapped on to get more details on a topic
Google is expanding access to AI Mode, its experimental feature that allows users to ask complex, multipart questions and follow-ups to dig deeper on a topic directly within Search. The tech giant is also adding more functionality to the feature, including the ability to pick up where you left off on a search. Now anyone in the U.S. who is at least 18 years old can access the feature if they’re enrolled in Labs, Google’s experimental arm. Google is also going to make AI Mode accessible outside of Labs, as it’s testing an AI Mode tab in Google Search that will be visible to a small percentage of people in the U.S. As for the new functionality, Google is making it possible to go a step beyond asking detailed questions about places and products. Now you can use AI mode to do things like find a new restaurant or things you need for your next trip. You will now start to see visual place and product cards in AI Mode that you can tap on to get more details. Google is also making it possible to pick up where you left off when using AI Mode, which should be helpful in cases where you’re working on longer-running projects and tasks. On desktop, you can now click the new left-side panel in AI Mode to get to your past searches to see the information you were already given, and to ask follow-up questions.
Google Wallet is now requiring ‘verify’ authentication to even open the app
For the past year or so, opening Google Wallet 3+ minutes after unlocking your phone would result in a “For your security, you need to verify it’s you before paying” message appearing at the top of the app. As such, three minutes from unlock, tap-to-pay transactions don’t work until PIN, pattern, password, fingerprint, face (Class 3 biometric unlock), etc. Recently, Google Wallet has changed or is in the process of testing a new behavior. Now, after three minutes, you cannot even access the app’s homepage with your carousel of cards and list of passes without authentication. Google throws up a splash screen with the Wallet logo up top and system-level “Verify it’s you” sheet to authenticate. Sometimes, we still see the old card prompt at the top instead of the new fullscreen version, but the latter is beginning to appear more frequently. We’re seeing this change with version 25.18 of Google Wallet on both Pixel and Samsung phones. This is quite a security escalation. As our digital wallets contain more and more (including state IDs, passports, home/room and car keys, boarding passes, medical information, etc.), you might not want people with your phone to even know what’s being stored.