Signals from the Edge - 26 May 2025
Our Quick Take
This edition of Signals from the Edge is focused on the recent Google I/O conference.
Google I/O 2025 made one thing clear: AI isn't just a nice-to-have feature anymore—it's becoming the whole point. Google is rebuilding everything from search (now it actually talks back and thinks through problems) to smart glasses that can translate what you're looking at in real-time. It's the biggest change in how we use computers since phones got smart. Google isn't just making better apps—they're betting that everything should work like having a conversation with a really capable assistant. Their plan is simple: one AI that handles your email, calendar, and pretty much everything else, which means every other tech company is going to have to play catch-up or get left behind.
New & Newsworthy
1. Search Gets Conversational: AI Mode Rolls Out
Google is changing how search works with something called "AI Mode." Instead of just getting a list of links, you can now have an actual conversation with Google's search. It uses their Gemini AI to break apart tough questions and give you real answers you can actually use, not just more websites to click through.
2. Gemini Upgrades: A Pro and a Flash
Google released two versions of their Gemini AI. The "Pro" version has something called "Deep Think" that's really good at hard stuff like coding and math problems. The "Flash" version is faster and cheaper to run. Basically, Google made one for people who need the heavy-duty thinking and another for everyday use—smart move to cover all their bases.
3. Project Astra: The Universal AI Interface
Project Astra is Google's attempt at building an AI assistant that actually works everywhere. It's now connected to Gmail, your calendar, and can even control your devices. Think of it like having one really smart helper that knows how to handle all your digital stuff instead of having to use a dozen different apps.
4. AI Tools for Creation and Collaboration
Google rolled out some creative AI tools: Flow for making movies, Imagen for creating images, and Veo for videos. They're making it so anyone can create professional-looking content without needing to be an expert. They also showed off Beam, which lets you video chat in 3D—like being in the same room when you're not. This stuff could change how teams work together completely.
5. Wearables and Reality Blending
Google is taking another shot at smart glasses and VR headsets with Android XR glasses and something called Project Moohan. These aren't just gadgets—they can translate what you're looking at in real-time and overlay information on the real world. Google thinks this is how we'll use computers in the future instead of staring at screens all day.
News Links
Since these are all related to Google I/O 2025, we decided to put all the deep links in one spot, as most of them cover all these topics.
Our Thinking
The Innovation Paradox: When to Dream Big and When to Get Real
You know that feeling when you're brainstorming and suddenly everything seems possible? Yeah, that's the good stuff. But here's the thing—great ideas are a dime a dozen. What separates the winners from the dreamers is knowing when to stop dreaming and start asking the hard questions.
We've all seen it happen. Teams get so caught up in the excitement of a shiny new technology that they forget to ask whether anyone actually wants what they're building. The real innovators aren't just asking "How can we use this new tech?" They're asking, "What can we do now that nobody's even thought of yet?" But without some good old-fashioned common sense to back it up, even the smartest ideas end up as expensive lessons in what doesn't work.
In today’s newsletter, we share parts 2 and 3 in our “Tao of Mindsets” series. In these articles, we're talking about something every product person–business-side or technology-side–deals with but few talk about: balancing big thinking with straight talk. You need both the dreamer who sees what others miss and the practical voice that asks, "But will it actually work?"
In these two pieces, you'll get some real-world tactics for encouraging wild ideas while avoiding the trap of endless meetings that go nowhere. Whether you're trying to figure out what to do with the latest AI breakthrough or just need to move your team from talking to doing, we've got you covered.
Because at the end of the day, the best ideas aren't just clever—they're the ones that actually make it out the door.
For a deeper dive, check out the full articles →Unleashing the Innovator Mindset and When Bold Ideas Meet Reality
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