Google

[phkrause]

? 1 for the road: Google's life lessons

Common, practical life skills are among Google's most-searched how-to topics. Image: Google Trends More than ever before, adults are looking online for help with the day-to-day life skills that once might have been taught in home economics classes or handed down from elders, Axios' Chelsea Brasted writes. Why it matters: When we need help, we're not asking mom or dad. We're increasingly asking Google. ?️ The latest: Searches for things like "how to clean bathroom vent," "how to use a mop" or "how to do oil change" have reached an all-time high on Google this year, according to the search engine's data. Zoom out: It's not just Google teaching us how to care for our cars and homes. By 2018, more than half of U.S. YouTube users were already saying they used the platform for "figuring out how to do things they haven't done before," according to Pew Research data. Cleaning trends remain one of the most popular content categories on TikTok.

[phkrause]

Google’s unleashes ‘AI Mode’ in the next phase of its journey to change search

Google on Tuesday unleashed another wave of artificial intelligence technology to accelerate a year-long makeover of its search engine that is changing the way people get information and curtailing the flow of internet traffic to websites.

https://apnews.com/article/google-search-artificial-intelligence-upheaval-5b0cdc59870508dab856227185cb8e23?

[phkrause]

Google

In a landmark antitrust ruling, a federal judge has decided that Google will not be forced to sell off its Android operating system or Chrome browser. US District Court Judge Amit Mehta also said he had accepted some of Google’s proposed remedies. For example, the tech company will need to make certain search data available to qualified competitors to promote competition. And, Google will be barred from entering into or maintaining exclusive contracts related to the distribution of services like Chrome, Search, the Google Assistant and its Gemini app. In a statement, the Justice Department said the ruling “recognizes the need for remedies that will pry open the market for general search services.”   Judge orders search shakeup in Google monopoly case U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Tuesday ordered a shakeup of Google’s search engine in an attempt to curb the corrosive power of an illegal monopoly, while rebuffing the U.S. government’s attempt to break up the company and impose other restraints. Read more. Why this matters: The judge is trying to rein in Google by prohibiting some of the tactics the company deployed to drive traffic to its search engine and other services, such as preventing contracts that give its search engine, Gemini AI app, Play Store for Android, and virtual assistant an exclusive position on smartphone, personal computers, and other devices.   But Mehta rejected the U.S. Justice Department’s effort to force Google to sell its popular Chrome browser and stopped short of banning the multibillion-dollar deals that Google has been making for years to lock in its search engine as the default on many devices. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Disney to pay $10 million fine after FTC says it allowed data collection on kids   OpenAI and Meta say they’re fixing AI chatbots to better respond to teens in distress   Amazon ends a program that lets Prime members share free shipping perk with users outside household

[phkrause]

Google hit with $3.5 billion fine from European Union in ad-tech antitrust case

European Union regulators on Friday hit Google with a 2.95 billion euro ($3.5 billion) fine for breaching the bloc’s competition rules by favoring its own digital advertising services, but the bloc’s latest move to crack down on Big Tech companies drew outrage from President Donald Trump.

https://apnews.com/article/google-european-union-antitrust-digital-ca4a31c3f7cf7d33ea9c4748bc3ac459?

[phkrause]

? Google's AI comeback

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

We've asked the top AI executives for their private take on the American rival they fear most. Without pause, they all cough up the same name: Google. Why it matters: After a sleepy start in the AI race, the search giant's combination of scientific brain power, deep access to data, and lucrative income streams has competitors worried. ? The big picture: Google and its closest rival, OpenAI, are increasingly in direct competition to conquer the next generation of search — one where AI curates smarter, faster, better answers without the hassle of digging and clicking, Axios' Ina Fried and Dan Primack write. The prize: The generational business of being America's — and much of the world's — front door to just about everything. ? Google has been pursuing all the buzzy AI trends, including promising AI agents, enterprise subscriptions and putting chatbots everywhere. Perhaps as important as recent gains, Google has a large and profitable business to support its aggressive training and development pace, while cash-burning rivals like OpenAI must constantly find fresh sources of capital. Google also has a leg up on OpenAI when it comes to distribution, thanks to its ubiquitous search engine, Chrome browser and Android operating system. Go deeper ...

[phkrause]

? 1 for the road: 2025's top trending searches

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Google is out this morning with its annual "Year in Search" lists — revealing the top trending news, culture and tech moments that captured our attention in 2025. The top 10 trending U.S. searches: Charlie Kirk KPop Demon Hunters Labubu iPhone 17 One Big Beautiful Bill Act Zohran Mamdani DeepSeek Government shutdown FIFA Club World Cup Tariffs More Google Trends data.

[phkrause]

? 1 fun thing: Our top cookies

Map: Google Google search data shows America is craving peanut butter this Christmas, with recipes for Peanut Butter Blossoms and Peanut Butter Balls topping the holiday charts for fastest-rising cookies, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes. Spritz cookies — buttery, shortbread-like cookies pressed into festive shapes — also surged. Searches for gingerbread houses more than quadrupled, while "yule log," "yule cookies" and "hot cocoa cookie recipe" are also trending, Google told Axios. The poinsettia cocktail — cranberry juice, orange liqueur and champagne — is the top-trending Christmas drink. Go deeper: Top trending recipes for each state.

[phkrause]

• 💰 Google is investing $10 billion in Anthropic with $30 billion more on the table, Bloomberg reports. The move strengthens "the relationship between two companies that are at once partners and rivals" in the AI world. More from Axios' Madison Mills.