Google Photos continues to get new and improved features on a regular basis, and one of the most recent Android updates has focused on video editing. Even if you don’t have the latest Pixel 9 phone (which is required if you want to try out the weird new Reimagine tool), you can now speed up, slow down, and enhance your clips with a few taps as well as trim them down more easily.
Technology
How to use the latest AI video editing tools in Google Photos
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23952250/HT012_google_0006.jpg?ssl=1 "How to use the latest AI video editing tools in Google Photos")
You can also expect what Google calls “AI-powered video presets” on both the Android and iOS versions of Google Photos. After the app algorithm analyzes your clips, you get a choice of effects — trims, zooms, slow-mos — you can apply with a tap. The app takes the role of director and chooses where and how these tweaks should be applied.
When the changes arrive on your phone, you’ll also notice the interface is a little cleaner, with larger icons and bigger text that make it more obvious what you’re doing. The idea is it’s more straightforward than ever to quickly apply a few edits before sharing your clips, without having to open up a separate editor on your phone or computer.
Trim tool
First up, we have what Google describes as “improved controls” for cutting out extraneous footage at the start and end of your clips — though, to my eyes, there’s not a huge amount that’s different here compared to the previous version of the trim tool.
The handles at each end of the clip are a little bigger and thicker, making them easier to hit with a finger press. You also get a timestamp shown onscreen as you drag those handles around, so overall, the edits are a little easier to apply.
The trim tool shows up automatically as soon as you edit a video, and you can get back to it by tapping the Video button.
- Drag the left-hand handle to change where the video starts.
- Drag the right-hand handle to change the video’s end point.
- Drag the white bar between the two handles to move around the clip.
- Tap the play button at any point to check your new footage.
- Choose Save copy to confirm your changes and save a separate clip.
Auto-enhance tool
Google Photos now has a new auto-enhance feature you can access, which analyzes your clip and then applies its own choice of color enhancements, while stabilizing the video at the same time.
- Tap Video then Enhance to apply the automatic enhancements.
- Tap the play button to see how the updated footage looks.
- Tap Enhance again to see the difference with and without the tweaks.
- Choose Save copy to save the enhanced video as a separate file.
If you’d rather apply the video stabilization without the color enhancements, just tap Stabilize on the Video panel of tools instead.
Speed tool
The new speed tool in Google Photos gives you more control over the pace of your videos for speeding up and slowing down the action. The effect can be applied to a specific section of your clip or all of it.
- Tap Video and then Speed to bring up the editor.
- Use the bars on the timeline to indicate where you want the effect to start and stop.
- Choose a playback speed under the timeline: from 1/4 speed to 4x the speed.
- Tap the play button to see how the video now looks.
- Choose Done, then Save copy when you’re happy with the results, to save a separate video file.
It’s not the most advanced video editing effect you’ll ever see, but considering it only takes a couple of taps on your phone screen, you can get some impressive results from it.
Video presets
Unlike the tools above, which are exclusive to Android, the AI-powered video presets are available in Google Photos for both Android and iOS. Or at least, they will be eventually — though they were announced in September, as of this writing, I haven’t yet seen the presets in the Google Photos apps on either platform.
When they do appear, the Presets button will appear between Video and Crop in the options at the bottom of the interface. Select it, and you’ll see a choice of edits you can apply with a tap: Basic cut, Slow-mo, Zoom, and Track. These will be applied as the Google Photos AI sees fit based on the video content.
The example Google gives is a skateboard video, with the action trimmed right down to a key jump, which is also slowed down. Color enhancements are applied at the same time for good measure. As before, you can preview the changes, then tap Save copy to accept the changes and save a new video file, leaving the original untouched.
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A power outage struck San Francisco on Saturday that blacked out about 130,000 customers at its peak, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, but also caused another problem: stranded Waymo vehicles. Posts all over social media showed the company’s autonomous SUVs sitting still in the streets and causing traffic jams.
Some people posted videos of Teslas using their FSD feature to navigate the same streets, and Elon Musk tweeted that “Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage.” On Sunday evening, Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion said “We are resuming ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
In response to an inquiry from The Verge, Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion sent a statement saying, “We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services given the broad power outage in San Francisco. We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.” PG&E reported as of 7AM PT that “Crews have restored about 110,000 customers and PG&E continues to work on restoring the remaining 21,000 customers, primarily in the Presidio, Richmond District, Golden Gate Park and small areas of downtown San Francisco,” as it continued repairs after a fire at a five-story power substation.
After this story was published, Philion sent a second statement:
We are resuming ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area. Yesterday’s power outage was a widespread event that caused gridlock across San Francisco, with non-functioning traffic signals and transit disruptions. While the failure of the utility infrastructure was significant, we are committed to ensuring our technology adjusts to traffic flow during such events.
“Throughout the outage, we closely coordinated with San Francisco city officials. We are focused on rapidly integrating the lessons learned from this event, and are committed to earning and maintaining the trust of the communities we serve every day.
Exactly why the cars weren’t moving remains unclear, with no public updates we could find on the company’s social media channels, but speculation centered on spotty wireless data connections, with cell towers either down or overloaded by people who no longer had access to Wi-Fi, and/or the street lights that weren’t operating without power.
These problems have occurred before, though, as seen in TikTok videos from earlier this year showing Waymos frozen by a malfunctioning street light and during a power outage in Austin, Texas. In a reply to a Reddit post showing another similar situation last year, someone saying they were a former employee commented explaining that the vehicle would send a request to a remote assistant and wait for their response before proceeding.
According to a company blog post, it reaches out to a human response agent when the car encounters “unique interactions,” providing them with live and recorded views from its cameras in addition to a 3D map of what the sensors are picking up. However, those may require bandwidth that’s hard to find during a significant power outage. I couldn’t find any statistics on how many remote assistance operators Waymo has available at a given time, but in November, the company announced it passed a third-party audit by Tüv Süd, a German tech inspection company that evaluated its remote assistance program against industry best practices.
Update, December 21st: Added updated statement from Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion.
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The FBI is warning about a disturbing scam that turns family photos into powerful weapons. Cybercriminals are stealing images from social media accounts, altering them and using them as fake proof of life in virtual kidnapping scams.
These scams do not involve real abductions. Instead, criminals rely on fear, speed and believable images to pressure victims into paying ransom before they can think clearly.
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FACEBOOK SETTLEMENT SCAM EMAILS TO AVOID NOW
Scammers steal photos from public social media accounts and manipulate them to create fake proof of life images that fuel fear and urgency. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How the fake kidnapping scam works
According to the FBI, scammers usually start with a text message. They claim they have kidnapped a loved one and demand immediate payment for their release. To make the threat feel real, the criminals send an altered photo pulled from social media. The FBI says these images may be sent using timed messages to limit how long victims can examine them. The agency warns that scammers often threaten extreme violence if the ransom is not paid right away. This urgency is designed to shut down rational thinking.
Signs the photo may be fake
When victims slow down and look closely, the altered images often fall apart. The FBI says warning signs may include missing scars or tattoos, strange body proportions or details that do not match reality. Scammers may also spoof a loved one’s phone number, which makes the message feel even more convincing. Reports on sites like Reddit show this tactic is already being used in the real world.
Why this fake kidnapping scam is so effective
Virtual kidnapping scams work because they exploit emotion. Fear pushes people to act fast, especially when the message appears to come from someone they trust. The FBI notes that criminals use publicly available information to personalize their threats. Even posts meant to help others, such as missing person searches, can provide useful details for scammers.
Ways to stay safe from virtual kidnapping scams
The FBI recommends several steps to protect yourself and your family.
- Be mindful of what you post online, especially photos and personal details
- Avoid sharing travel information in real time
- Create a family code word that only trusted people know
- Pause and question whether the claims make sense
- Screenshot or record proof of life photos
- If you receive a message like this, try to contact your loved one directly before doing anything else.
Staying calm is one of your strongest defenses. Slowing down gives you time to spot red flags and avoid costly mistakes.
How to strengthen your digital defenses against virtual kidnapping scams
When scammers can access your photos, phone numbers and personal details, they can turn fear into leverage. These steps help reduce what criminals can find and give you clear actions to take if a threat appears.
1) Lock down your social media accounts
Review the privacy settings on every social platform you use. Set profiles to private so only trusted friends and family can see your photos, posts and personal updates. Virtual kidnapping scams rely heavily on publicly visible images. Limiting access makes it harder for criminals to steal photos and create fake proof-of-life images.
Limiting what you share online and slowing down to verify claims can help protect your family from panic-driven scams like this one. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
2) Be cautious about what you share online
Avoid posting real-time travel updates, daily routines or detailed family information. Even close-up photos that show tattoos, scars or locations can give scammers useful material. The less context criminals have, the harder it is for them to make a threat feel real and urgent.
3) Use strong antivirus software on all devices
Install strong antivirus software on computers, phones and tablets. Strong protection helps block phishing links, malicious downloads and spyware often tied to scam campaigns. Keeping your operating system and security tools updated also closes security gaps that criminals exploit to gather personal data.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
NEW EMAIL SCAM USES HIDDEN CHARACTERS TO SLIP PAST FILTERS
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
4) Consider a data removal service to reduce exposure
Data brokers collect and sell personal information pulled from public records and online activity. A data removal service helps locate and remove your details from these databases. Reducing what is available online makes it harder for scammers to impersonate loved ones or personalize fake kidnapping threats.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com
5) Limit facial data in public profiles
Review older public photo albums and remove images that clearly show faces from multiple angles. Avoid posting large collections of high-resolution facial photos publicly. Scammers often need multiple images to convincingly alter photos. Reducing facial data weakens their ability to manipulate images.
6) Establish a family verification plan
Create a simple verification plan with loved ones before an emergency happens. This may include a shared code word, a call back rule or a second trusted contact. Scammers depend on panic. Having a preset way to verify safety gives you something steady to rely on when emotions run high.
7) Secure phone accounts and enable SIM protection
Contact your mobile carrier and ask about SIM protection or a port-out PIN. This helps prevent criminals from hijacking phone numbers or spoofing calls and texts. Since many fake kidnapping scams begin with messages that appear to come from a loved one, securing phone accounts adds an important layer of protection.
The FBI warns that these virtual kidnapping scams often begin with a text message that pressures victims to pay a ransom immediately. (Getty Images)
8) Save evidence and report the scam
If you receive a threat, save screenshots, phone numbers, images and message details. Do not continue engaging with the sender. Report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Even if no money is lost, reports help investigators track patterns and warn others.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Virtual kidnapping scams show how quickly personal photos can be weaponized. Criminals do not need real victims when fear alone can drive action. Taking time to verify claims, limiting what you share online and strengthening your digital defenses can make a major difference. Awareness and preparation remain your best protection.
Have you or someone you know encountered a scam like this? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Park Chan-wook’s 12th feature-length movie, No Other Choice, begins with Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) as a proud patriarch at the barbecue, a vision of the platonic ideal domestic life he will spend most of the movie defending. In the long middle where life is lived, the movie offers its audience mirth and pathos and deep social critique. Also: murders. After being laid off from a paper company, Man-su realizes that his best chance at getting hired for his next job is to knock off the three other qualified candidates.
Adapted from Donald Westlake’s novel The Ax, No Other Choice captures — most delightfully and cathartically — the perpetual and unsolvable anxiety of living under an economic system built around extracting surplus value from its workers. Or the dark irony that if a corporation makes a person redundant, it is strategy; if a human does the same, it’s a crime.
With this film, not to mention his earlier works like Oldboy and The Handmaiden, Park establishes himself as a director who understands intimately that tragedy and comedy cannot be separated. Here, it’s the tragedy that life must be lived, that we ought to work at all, that so much in this life in fact depends on this work, set against the comedy of how somebody like Man-su sets about solving this impossible riddle for himself.
The Verge spoke with Park about his relationship to his source material, artificial intelligence, and how he recovers after wrapping a picture.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
The Verge: Have you ever been fired from a job?
Park Chan-wook: That’s never happened to me, mercifully. Those kinds of things actually happen quite often in our industry. I’ve been fortunate enough to avoid that fate, but there have been many times when I’ve been afraid of being let go. While working on any project, invariably comes a time when differences in opinion form between the studio or the producers. In that instance, whenever I stubbornly stick to my original position, I do so knowing I am exposing myself to that kind of danger.
And when a movie comes out and it doesn’t do well, then comes the fear that I won’t be able to find a job again, or that I won’t be able to raise funds for my next project.
But also that fear isn’t something that accompanies you after you get your report card from the box office exclusively. All throughout the filmmaking process, it stays with you, that fear. It stays with you from the initial planning stages of a movie. And then if the movie doesn’t do well, that fear sharpens, and it never goes away. It is near to you always.
At the screening I attended, you said you first encountered the source material, the Donald Westlake novel The Ax, via your love of the movie Point Blank, which you cite as your favorite noir. Do you remember how you discovered the movie, and are there other Westlake novels you are curious about?
Point Blank is a film directed by John Boorman, a British director, and I watched it for two reasons. The first is that I’ve always liked John Boorman. The first Boorman film I ever saw was Excalibur.
Second, I’m a fan of the actor Lee Marvin. Because Point Blank was a collaboration between a director I like and an actor I also like, I had always wanted to see it. But accessing the movie was difficult in Korea for a long time, so it was only later that I got to watch it.
As for Westlake, surprisingly not too many of his books are in translation. That The Ax was translated into Korean was itself an anomaly. And so I’ve only read a few of his books.
You’ve been trying to make No Other Choice for 16 years. You also said you tried going through Hollywood first. How come?
Since the novel was written with an American setting, I naturally thought making it into an American film would be the best option. At that time, I had already made Oldboy, Thirst, Lady Vengeance, and Stoker, and so making a movie in America was not intimidating.
What was the most common feedback you received in these early years?
In 2010, we secured the rights and began actively pursuing the project. Initially, we met with French investors. Although it was to be an American movie filmed in America, we met with French investors thanks to Michèle Ray-Gavras, wife of [director] Costa-Gavras, who was among our producers, and through her we contacted various studios, from France to the United States.
Starting then, I continued receiving offers that were slightly less than what I wanted, which is why I could not possibly accept them.
As for notes from the studios, beyond anything, they doubted whether the audience would believe that Man-su would resort to murder because he lost his job. They wanted to know how I was going to bring the audience along.
Other than that, people’s senses of humor varied slightly. Some said this part isn’t funny. Others said that part isn’t funny. We faced some challenges.
You mentioned there are Easter eggs strewn about the movie and I am curious about them. You mentioned that the oven mitt Man-su uses during his attempted murder can be seen later back in his kitchen. A Christmas stocking from the same scene can be seen in a family photo in the background. What other such details are there to look out for?
I can’t guarantee that the framed photo with the Santa Claus costume can be seen properly. We did place it on set during filming. In fact, we gathered the entire family, dressed them up and took pictures specifically for that framed photo. But I don’t know if it is actually visible in the final movie. It will definitely, however, be in the extended cut that I’m preparing for the Blu-ray release.
And rather than considering it an Easter egg, it might be more accurate to consider it part of creating a believable world for the actors. So that once the actors enter that world, they feel like they can more easily become their characters. And for there to be that trust and sense of a stable reality, the better it is to attend to props or anything else spatially. The more consideration, the better.
AI shows up at the end of the movie, which I imagine was not part of the original idea you had when you began the project. When did you know to add AI to the film?
Had this been made into an American film, such a plot point would not have been available. It was only because the process took so long that the issue could be incorporated.
Any director making a movie about employment, or unemployment rather, would be remiss to not mention AI. Moreover — and this was important for me — by the end, Man-su’s family catches on to what he has done in the name of the family. Of course, Man-su isn’t entirely sure if they know, but the audience knows. The very thing he does for his family will be the thing that leads to its collapse. All of his efforts are for naught, which echoes the situation with AI.
He painstakingly eliminated his human competitors to secure a job. But what he confronts at his new workplace is a competitor more formidable than any mortal. Meaning Man-su likely won’t last long before AI takes over. He will lose his job, yet again, at which point, what was it all for? What were the murders for? This too can be seen as a colossal wasted effort.
Therefore, the introduction of AI technology from a creative perspective was a great addition to the movie.
How do you feel about the use of AI in film? Would you use it in your own work? I am sensing the answer is “no.”
I hope that never happens.
It’s not easy for young film students out there. And if there were a technology that allows them to make their own movies at a reduced cost, in a way that could not have been possible before, who could stop them? It would not be possible to tell them not to.
What is the question No Other Choice is asking?
Those who have arrived at the middle class, those who have become accustomed to a certain way of life, and it wasn’t inherited, they obtained it of their own accord — for that class of people, giving all that up would be very difficult. Slipping from that station would be challenging to accept. I would certainly find it difficult to accept.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I am going to commit murder — three, no less — but it’s an impossible situation.
“My child desperately needs private cello lessons. Not only that, it’s a vital part of them becoming an independent adult.” Giving that up would be staggeringly hard. I am imagining what I might be capable of in such a scenario.
I wanted to create a space in which people might ask themselves that question. Not to simply criticize Man-su, but to ask themselves, what if, what might happen, if there was such a person in such a situation? It’s an exercise in imagination.
What was the most difficult time in your career and how did you recover from it?
When my first two films failed at the box office. Before I made JSA, the period between the first film and the second film, and between the second film and the third film, was most difficult. I had no choice but to make the rounds with my screenplay — not unlike how Man-su does with his resume — looking for producers and studio executives. Often I was rejected. That was a tough time.
By then I had married and had dependents and so I resorted to film criticism to make a living. Being a film critic is a great profession, but it was not what I wanted, so I suffered. What’s more, I wanted to be making my own movie, but instead I was reduced to analyzing other people’s movies. If I watched an excellent movie, I would be filled with envy. The reality that demanded I live like that seemed to also be mocking my pain, a kind of taunting. But I had no other means of surviving.
What will you work on next?
Actually, I have two projects that are already prepared. I have a script for a Western that has been written and revised several times. There is also a sci-fi action film for which I haven’t written the script yet, but I put together a fairly involved treatment for.
How do you recover after filming a movie?
Luckily, I am traveling with Lee Byung-hun at the moment. I might drink a glass of wine with him. He is rather serious about wine, and so if I drink with him, I am bound to drink something good.
Have you any deep and profound advice for young filmmakers?
In film school, you might learn certain lessons from your instructors. You might also learn from directors who are already successful. If you are a fan of genre, you might study the convention of your chosen genre.
That is all very well, but before anything, the first order is to really have your own voice. And to examine yourself honestly. And to tell the story that comes spontaneously from within. In my opinion, spontaneity is the most important thing. Not to say “this is popular,” or “people like this,” but what is the true thing that comes from your own and inner self? Follow that thread with sincerity.
Of course it’s easy for me to say this — anybody can say it — but putting it into practice is another thing entirely.
No Other Choice is in select theaters December 25, 2025, with a wider release planned in January.
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