Month: May 2025

Google is turning email into something more conversational. Gmail is rolling out emoji reactions, allowing users to respond to messages with a simple tap instead of crafting a full reply. This new feature aims to bring the speed and ease of messaging platforms like Google Chat or Slack into the world of email.

Emoji reactions make email more expressive

The new emoji reactions in Gmail let you quickly acknowledge or respond to messages without sending a full reply. Whether it’s a thumbs up to confirm a meeting or a party popper to celebrate a milestone, emoji reactions offer a personal and expressive way to interact with emails. They appear to everyone in the email thread, reducing the clutter of repetitive responses.

Google says this feature is especially useful in group conversations, where multiple confirmations or acknowledgements can be overwhelming. Instead of replying “Got it” or “Thanks” to every email, a quick emoji reaction keeps things efficient and friendly.

There are some limitations

Despite its potential, the feature won’t be universally available or functional. Reactions won’t work if you’re not using Gmail, if you’re using an outdated app version, or if your administrator has disabled them in work or school accounts. Other restrictions include group emails with more than 20 recipients, messages where you’re in BCC, and encrypted emails.

Reactions are off by default in Google Workspace, and administrators can enable or restrict them through the admin console. For now, only Gmail users will enjoy the full experience — others will simply receive an email that says, for example, “Ana reacted via Gmail.”

Rollout timeline

Emoji reactions are launching now for rapid release domains, with full visibility expected in 15 days. Scheduled domains will begin receiving the feature from May 13, 2025.

In a revealing conversation at LlamaCon, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed that artificial intelligence now generates about 30% of the code across some of the company’s projects. This insight underscores a major shift in how big tech companies are embracing AI for software development, highlighting not only its growing capabilities but also its increasing acceptance among engineers.

AI is becoming a core developer at Microsoft

Nadella explained that Microsoft closely tracks acceptance rates of AI-generated code, which currently range between 30% and 40% and are steadily rising. The AI tools are proving especially effective at producing entirely new blocks of code, rather than editing existing software. While much of Microsoft’s infrastructure remains in C++—a language where AI still underperforms—the newer Python codebases have shown “fantastic” results when written by AI systems.

Meta sees a similar future

In the same panel, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg revealed that his teams are also exploring self-coding systems. While Meta doesn’t yet have hard figures, Zuckerberg predicted that AI could be responsible for up to 50% of coding within a year, especially in machine learning projects. Both executives emphasized that the evolution of development tools and infrastructure is critical to supporting this transformation.

The line between app and document is fading

Nadella also noted a deeper shift: the convergence of tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a unified AI-driven experience. He envisioned a future where you start with a simple intent and end with a living software artifact, blurring traditional boundaries between applications and data formats.

The legal battle between Epic Games and Apple has taken a dramatic turn after a U.S. judge found Apple in willful violation of a 2021 court order meant to curb its anticompetitive behavior on the App Store. The ruling could redefine how Apple handles external payment systems and reshape the mobile app economy in the United States.

Judge finds Apple defied the injunction and misled the court

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple deliberately obstructed the injunction’s purpose, introducing new fees and technical barriers that suppressed competition. The court accused Apple of using “scare screens” to deter users from leaving the App Store’s payment system and mandating static URLs that limit personalization and conversion for developers using external payment options.

The judge highlighted internal emails showing Apple executives prioritized preserving revenue over legal compliance. According to the ruling, Tim Cook ignored Apple Fellow Phil Schiller’s plea for compliance and sided with finance executives, who orchestrated a strategy to sustain App Store profits. The situation worsened when Vice-President of Finance Alex Roman was found to have lied under oath, prompting the court to refer the matter for potential criminal contempt proceedings.

Apple banned from charging fees and interfering with alternatives

As a result of the ruling, Apple is now prohibited from collecting a 27% commission on purchases made outside its ecosystem and from interfering with developers who inform users about alternative payment methods. Epic’s CEO, Tim Sweeney, celebrated the verdict as a victory for developers and consumers, comparing it to the recent European crackdown on Apple’s practices under the Digital Markets Act.

This decision marks a significant blow to Apple’s control over the App Store, opening the door for broader payment flexibility and challenging the foundation of Apple’s app economy.