This week, I take a look at the surprisingly strong state of Google, Meta gets a new chief AI researcher, and more. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out this week’s Decoder episode about deepfakes and where they are headed.

Google Home and Nest users report declining reliability, with devices frequently misunderstanding commands or failing to respond.

The biggest tech companies are warring over who’s responsible for children’s safety online, with billions of dollars in fines on the line as states rapidly pass conflicting laws requiring companies to verify users’ ages.

The search giant predicted a further capital spending boost next year and cited massive demand for its cloud computing services.

Earlier today, reports started circulating over on Reddit’s Google Maps sub about a problem with transit instructions, summarized in a post by user XenonOxide. About a dozen Pixel users chime in to respond with reports of their own, and everyone who’s getting this seems to be having the same problem.

Mahjong is having a moment, with the popularity of the tile game surging this year. Generally, people play at each other’s homes or in libraries, but this summer, there has been a growing demand for floating mahjong tables. The Mahjong Line sells one for $245 that currently has a waiting list.

Armed with new data showing AI actually boosts search volume, the tech giant has turned a perceived threat into a powerful new weapon.

Italian energy storage firm Energy Dome said on Friday it had entered a commercial partnership with Google to supply carbon-free energy to the grids that power the operations of the U.S. tech giant.

The tech giant Google has been ordered to pay the equivalent of $12,500 in compensation to a police officer in Argentina after an appeals court found his privacy had been “blatantly” violated. The man sought payment in 2017 for harm to his dignity after his bare backside was captured by a passing Google Street View car and uploaded to Google Maps.