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Gemini in Chrome is about to get a small but handy upgrade. Starting today, Google is rolling out a feature it calls Skills to Chrome on desktop. Skills allow you to save your favorite Gemini in Chrome prompts for quick access, thereby making it easier and faster to repeat certain tasks. For instance, Google suggests you could use one saved prompt to get Gemini to calculate how much protein there could be in a new recipe you found online. Another Skill can make it easier to do a side-by-side spec comparison of a few different products you're looking at across multiple tabs. You can save prompts you want to use again directly from Gemini in Chrome's chat history. To use a saved prompt, type forward slash or click the plus button and select the Skill you want to use. To help people get started, Google is providing a set of ready-to-go prompts you can use to save time on common workflows or as a jumping off point for your own Skills. Skills you save are available on any version of Chrome for desktop where you're signed into your account, though for the time being, Google is only rolling out the feature to people who have their browser language set to US English. Gemini in Chrome, like its other AI tools, has become a major area of focus for Google in recent months. At the start of the year, the company rolled out an update that saw the addition of a dedicated Gemini sidebar to Chrome and access to Nano Banana image generation directly from said sidebar. More recently, Google began rolling out Gemini in Chrome to users in Canada, India and New Zealand. As the high-stakes AI race countinues to heat up, expect more features in that vein, though we may still get more traditional enhancements — like vertical tabs — from time to time. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chrome-skills-let-you-save-your-favorite-gemini-prompts-for-easy-access-170000683.html?src=rss
The RAMpocalypse continues. Microsoft just revealed significant price increases across the entire Surface line of products, according to reporting by Windows Central . The updated pricing has already hit the official Microsoft Store, with other retailers expected to follow suit in the near future. These are fairly significant upticks. For instance, the base model 15-inch Surface Laptop 7 now starts at $1,600. It cost $1,300 when the laptop was first released back in 2024. It did receive a price increase last year to $1,500, so today's increase tacks on another $100. The cost balloons even further when upgrading components, as a top-end Laptop 7 with a Snapdragon X Elite, 64GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage now costs a whopping $3650. As a comparison, a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro, 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD comes in at $3,300, and the M5 Pro blasts the Snapdragon X Elite out of the water . Microsoft This trend continues with the Surface Pro line of hybrid computers. The 12-inch Surface Pro starts at $1,050, after launching at just $800. The flagship 13-inch Surface Pro cost $1,000 in 2024 and now starts at $1,500. That's a $500 increase in just two years, though the base hard drive did get a bit bigger . These price increases are, of course, being blamed on generative AI's penchant for eating up RAM and related components . "Due to recent increases in memory and component costs, Surface is updating pricing on Microsoft.com for its current‑generation hardware portfolio," Microsoft wrote in a statement. Industry reports have also indicated that the company is currently readying refreshes across the Surface line. It's highly likely these new prices will stay in place if component prices don't decrease. Motorola slapped sudden price increases on the Moto G series right after its new model went live https://t.co/00DzRHXK0f by @chaosromero — 9to5Google (@9to5Google) April 8, 2026 These aren't the first devices that have shot up in price due to AI. Motorola recently instituted increases that even impacted its budget-friendly phones . Samsung has also pushed up the cost for its Galaxy Z Fold 7 . The PS5 is now much more expensive when compared to the 2020 launch price, though Sony didn't explicitly blame these increases on RAM, but rather "continued pressures in the global economic landscape." There are also rumors that the continued RAM shortage has made it difficult for Valve to manufacture the Steam Deck and likely pushed back the release of the Steam Machine to 2027 . VDURA hikes its enterprise SSD pricing, now costs 22.6x more than hard drives — the price of a 30TB SSD has climbed 472% https://t.co/iDOZYMtQbB — Tom's Hardware (@tomshardware) April 10, 2026 SSDs have also shot up in price , with old-school HDDs not far behind . It's getting thorny out there. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-raises-prices-on-surface-pcs-due-to-skyrocketing-ram-costs-181648588.html?src=rss
Super fast gaming displays have grown in popularity recently following the release of several new models back at CES . Now Sony is hopping on that bandwagon with its latest display featuring a tandem OLED panel from LG that offers the choice of either 540Hz or 720Hz refresh rates. That said, priced at $1,100, the new 24.5-inch Sony Inzone M10S II is only for the most dedicated and deep-pocketed gamers. In normal use, the monitor offers a 540Hz refresh rate at QHD (2,560 x 1,440). However, in competitive situations where that still might not be enough, the display can go even faster by reducing its resolution to 720p while boosting its refresh rate all the way up to 720Hz. On top of that, to help make visuals clearer, Sony added a new Motion Blur Reduction algorithm with Black Frame Insertion that boosts brightness while still delivering a response rate of just 0.02ms. Unfortunately, at $1,100, this thing is out of reach for most gamers. Sony Elsewhere, a new Super Anti-Glare film helps reduce reflections. The company also used feedback from pro gamers to create a stand with a smaller footprint and a wider range of tilt adjustability (from -5 to 35 degrees). For those worried about the panel's long-term performance, the Inzone M10S II comes with a three-year warranty and OLED protection features like a custom heat sink. The new Inzone H6 Air are based on Sony's MDR-MV1 studio monitor headphones while costing half the price. Sony Aside from its new monitor, Sony is also releasing a pair of open-back wired headphones in the Inzone H6 Air . Priced at $200, they are based on the company's well-known studio monitor headphones — the MDR-MV1 — but with some additional tweaks for gaming. Not only is it really light at just 199 grams (not including its detachable cable and boom mic), it also features a dedicated RPG/Adventure profile designed to improve clarity and environmental details. The one caveat is that to access this mode, you need to use Sony's USB-C Audio box, which offers additional features like virtual 7.1 surround sound and support for 360-degree spatial audio. Atomic Purple, I mean Glass Purple, is always a good look. Sony Finally, while they aren't brand new, Sony is releasing a translucent Glass Purple version of its Inzone wireless gaming earbuds that conjures up nostalgic memories of Nintendo’s Atomic Purple N64 , along with Fnatic Editions of its Mouse-A, Mat-F and Mat-D peripherals. All of Sony's new gadgets are available today , aside from the Inzone M10S II monitor, which is due out sometime later this year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/sony-inzones-latest-monitor-boasts-a-blazing-720hz-panel-for-competitive-gamers-165008263.html?src=rss
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is asking the attorneys general of California and New York to investigate Google for deceptive trade practices, saying the tech giant fails to notify users before handing over their data to law enforcement agencies like ICE. "For nearly a decade, Google has promised billions of users that it will notify […]
