AfriPulse
Google’s new “Select from screen” tool makes it easier to ask Gemini questions about text and images in a browser tab.
Varun Mirchandani / Digital Trends
Google is making Gemini a lot more aware of what’s happening inside Chrome. The company has started rolling out a new “Select from screen” feature that lets users highlight specific text or images from a webpage and send them directly to Gemini, making conversations with the AI assistant far more contextual.
Gemini can now focus on exactly what users want to ask about
The new feature appears inside Gemini in Chrome’s “+” menu and works much like a built-in screenshot tool. Once activated, users can select any text or image visible in the current browser tab, which is then automatically attached to a Gemini prompt. Instead of manually describing what’s on a webpage, users can simply point Gemini at the exact content they want help with.
Varun Mirchandani / Digital Trends
Google is rolling out the capability as part of Chrome 149, although some users may need to restart their browser before it appears. The update continues Google’s push to make Gemini feel less like a standalone chatbot and more like an assistant that’s aware of what users are actively doing.
The timing is also interesting because Google announced another major Gemini upgrade on the same day. Developers can now access computer use capabilities directly through Gemini 3.5 Flash, allowing AI agents to see, reason, and take actions across browsers, mobile apps, and desktop environments without relying on a separate model. Google says the integration improves long-horizon tasks such as software testing, enterprise workflows, and other multi-step automation jobs.
This feels like Google’s answer to “AI should know what I’m looking at”
Interestingly, this update is less about a new feature and more about removing friction. By letting Gemini understand exactly what’s on screen and interact with it directly, Google is moving beyond the traditional chatbot experience toward an AI assistant that can understand context, anticipate intent, and help users complete tasks rather than simply answer questions.
Varun is an experienced technology journalist and editor with over eight years in consumer tech media. His work spans…
Microsoft’s new Surface PCs are cheaper — but there’s a catch
The tech industry’s favorite balancing act is getting harder by the month. Component prices are rising, memory costs refuse to settle down, and laptop makers are scrambling to keep sticker shock under control. Microsoft’s latest Surface refresh feels like a direct response to that problem.
The company has introduced new entry-level versions of its 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface laptop, offering lower starting prices without changing the processor or storage. On the surface, that sounds like good news for budget-conscious buyers. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find a compromise hiding in plain sight.
Read more
A new supercomputer has dethroned the U.S — here’s why it matters
The race to build the world’s fastest supercomputer has been dominated by the United States. Now, China has stormed back into the lead. A newly ranked system called LineShine has claimed the No. 1 position on the latest Top500 list, a closely watched ranking of the planet’s most powerful supercomputers. The machine, located in Shenzhen, pushed past the U.S. government’s El Capitan system and became the first Chinese computer to top the list since 2017. That’s notable on its own. But what makes LineShine particularly interesting is how it got there.
The tortoise just outran the rocket
Read more
I rounded up the best Prime Day 2026 laptop deals, and these five are the ones I’d buy
Memory costs are up, laptop prices are following, and Prime Day 2026 might be your best window before both climb further.
If you’ve been keeping up with recent laptop launches, you’ve probably noticed just how expensive they’ve become. Laptop prices have been climbing for the past year, and there’s little indication that they’re coming down anytime soon. That makes the ongoing Prime Day 2026 sale an exceptionally good time to buy a new laptop.
Many of the discounts apply to devices at or near their original launch prices, making the savings more meaningful. I’ve sifted through several Amazon Prime Day laptop deals, but only these five hold up at their discounted prices. To make things easier for you, I’ve arranged them from the most affordable option to the most expensive.
Read more
Source: Digital Trends | Read the Full Story…
