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Google is testing a new refresh shortcut for AI Mode

Google is testing a new refresh shortcut for its AI Mode in search, aiming to simplify navigation by allowing users to start new conversations without leaving the AI Mode page.

Google’s new AI Mode for search may soon get an update to make the feature easier to navigate after users input a query. 

The Gemini 2.0-powered AI-search function is an elevated search experience, providing a mix of contextual AI Overviews and relevant search links. Currently, Google has made AI Mode available to its Google One AI Premium subscribers as a preview. However, the brand may soon expand availability to free users, while also making it easier to reset an AI Mode conversation and remain on the same page. 

Recently, Android Authority shared details from an APK teardown revealing a potential new feature that might come to Google’s AI Mode. The function is a shortcut that would allow you to refresh your conversation without having to navigate away from the AI Mode page. 

Currently, accessing AI Mode via Google Search requires a few steps. You can select the feature through the AI Mode shortcut on the home screen on the Google app. Alternatively, you can convert your desktop Google search results by enabling the AI Mode filter. After an initial query, you can ask follow-up questions on the same topic. However, if you want to start a new topic, you will have to navigate back to the app or desktop homepage and then go back into AI Mode once more to get a fresh conversation. 

The shortcut Google is testing in its app beta release (version 16.11.32.sa.arm64) could negate the need to go back and forth between the primary Google Search and the AI mode apps to refresh the conversations. The icon, located in the top left of the results page, is shaped like a paper and pencil. When selected, it will refresh the page without having to leave AI Mode. 

The feature has only been seen within Google’s app beta release and has not yet made it to the public version of AI Mode. However, the feature may become available in a future update. 

Meanwhile, as Google One AI Premium subscribers have been enjoying early access to AI Mode, some users who joined the waitlist with a free Google account are now getting a notice that they have gained access to the feature, according to 9to5Google.

These users will now be able to see the AI Mode filter on the Google app home screen or the Google search results page.

Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.

"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.

However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.

Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.

The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.