A partial YouTube outage knocked out access to Google’s video service on Tuesday night.

The outage appears to have started just before 8PM ET, but at least on the homepage, it appears to be resolved now. Anote on YouTube’s support page says it went down due to problems with the recommendations system. “The issue with our recommendations system has been resolved and all of our platforms (YouTube.com, the YouTube app, YouTube Music, Kids, and TV) are back to normal!

Update:The service is back online.

The former host ofMorning Edition and current host ofLeft, Right & Center claims that Google illegally replicated his voice for its male podcast host in NotebookLM. Google denies this, but Greene (and many of his friends and colleagues) say the resemblance is “uncanny.” As theWashington Post reports:

To Greene, the resemblance of the AI voice to his own is uncanny — and the harm is deeper and more personal than just a missed chance to capitalize on his most recognizable asset.

“My voice is, like, the most important part of who I am,” Greene said.

What’s causing the issues or how widespread they are is unclear. We’ve been unable to reproduce the issue here, butDownDetector has seen a spike in reports over the past few hours. Users report that Gemini displays error messages orhangs after a prompt. We’ve reached out to Google for comment.

Google, Reddit, Discord, and Meta have received “hundreds” of subpoenas from the DHS in recent months, according to a report fromThe New York Times. The agency is reportedly asking the platforms for the names, email addresses, phone numbers, and other information associated with accounts that “track or criticize” ICE.

[The New York Times]

Gemini-powered Audio Summaries give you a condensed overview of lengthy documents instead ofreading the entire thing. The feature isstarting to roll out to select business and Google AI users now, and can be found in the Tools menu in Google Docs.

You’ve been able toadd them via desktop fordecades, andeven iPhone users had the option, but finally Android is catching up. You still can’t customize the colors from your phone, but maybe we’ll get that in another ten years or so.

[9to5Google]

Across the industry, workers describe a ‘fear-based culture’ and pressure to ‘fall in line.‘

As Waymo usesAI-generated 3D worlds to simulate driverless cars’ encounters with tornadoes, floods, and even elephants, one commenter wonders if they could try AIschool buses next.

cowboyfromspace:

They got elephants down but forgot about school buses?

Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter,The Verge Daily.

The“New Home” commercial features nostalgic piano music and a heartfelt voiceover of a mother and son envisioning their new house with some help from Gemini. Notably, it steers clear of fact-focused prompts like theGouda cheese stat Gemini got wrong in one of last year’sSuper Bowl ads.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, that is, re: the Nvidia Shield TV, likely the most supported Android gadget everat over a decade. Nvidia’s Andrew BelltellsArs Technica a new model isn’t in active development, but hints at what he’d add (like AV1 and YouTube HDR). He says Nvidia doesn’t profit off itsNetflix button, BTW.

[Ars Technica]

Thelatest batch of documentsreleased by the DOJ reveals that Brin had corresponded with Maxwell as early as2003, and wasinvited to dinner at Epstein’s townhouse that year. The files also contain testimony that places Brin and his then fiancée, Anne Wojcicki, at the private islandin 2007. It’snot a great look for one of the authors of “Don’t Be Evil.”

[The New York Times]

Google says you can now use the AI chatbotto ask questions while using walking or cycling directions in Google Maps, which already workedfor driving directions.

When you’re exploring around town and navigating with Maps, Gemini can be your personal walking tour guide. Just ask, “OK Google, what neighborhood am I in?” If you’re hungry, follow up with “What are top-rated restaurants nearby?” and Gemini will recommend delicious options along your route based on Maps’ fresh, comprehensive information about the real world.

Update: Google’sblog post says it’s rolling out now on both iOS and Android.

At least in the UK, where the walkback comes after the country’s CMAopened a consultation on forcing Google to do just that, having given the company “strategic market status”last year. Ron Eden, Google’s principal for product management,says:

“We’re now exploring updates to our controls to let sites specifically opt out of Search generative AI features. Our goal is to protect the helpfulness of Search for people who want information quickly, while also giving websites the right tools to manage their content.”