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21 Aug 2025

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Armed police at Maketu for search in relation to death of Zain Matenga Taikato Fox
It is part of the investigation into the death of Zain Matenga Taikato Fox at Rotorua Hospital last month.

Saviynt appoints Kevin Spurway as Chief Marketing Officer
Saviynt appoints Kevin Spurway, with 20+ years in enterprise SaaS marketing, as Chief Marketing Officer to boost growth and market leadership.

Dargaville Hospital patients asked to sign consent form on having no on-site doctor
Dargaville Hospital overnight patients are being asked to sign a consent form to confirm they understand there is no doctor on site due to staff shortages.

Gemini is coming to Google’s smart speakers and displays this fall
We already knew that Google Assistant was soon to be replaced by a “new experience powered by Gemini.” Now we know what that new experience will be called, and when it’s arriving. Gemini for Home is the name of the new Gemini-powered voice assistant for Google smart speakers and displays, including the current Nest Audio, Nest Mini, Nest Hub, and Nest Hub Max. “Early access” to Gemini for Home kicks off in October, Google announced in a blog post Wednesday, with both free and paid versions available. Google didn’t say how much the paid version of Gemini for Home will cost. Google had already been experimenting with Gemini on its Nest speakers over the past several months. It’s not clear if the just-announced Gemini for Home is an iteration of that effort or an entirely new assistant, but whatever it is, it’s coming soon. Among Gemini for Home’s broad capabilities are many of the same features we’ve seen in Alexa+, Amazon’s own take on an advanced AI-powered assistant for the home. For example, you’ll be able to ask Gemini for Home (you’ll still use the “Hey Google” wake word) to “play the song-of-the-year winner from 1990” or “play that song from this year’s summer blockbuster about race cars,” and the assistant should be able to suss out which track you’re thinking about, Google says—same as what Alexa+ can do (or should do, anyway). Gemini for Home will also be able to decipher more complex smart home commands, such as “dim the lights, and set the temp to 72 degrees,” as well as manage calendars, lists, and timers from natural-language voice prompts (“add the ingredients to make an authentic Italian lasagna to my shopping list”). Besides smart home commands, you’ll also be able to launch chats with Gemini via Google Live, which promises “natural back-and-forth discussion” without the need of saying “Hey Google” over and over. For example, you’ll be able to ask for help with a recipe, troubleshoot a busted dishwasher, or request a bedtime story for a youngster. Again, this should all sound familiar to anyone who’s been following Amazon’s Alexa+, which has been very slowly rolling out over the past several months. Like Google for Home soon will be, Alexa+ is currently in an early access period, and it allows for more back-and-forth discussion, more natural-language smart home commands (“Alexa, make it brighter in here”), help finding obscure music tracks, and providing assistance in the kitchen. Alexa+ is free during its early preview, but will eventually cost $20 a month, while Prime members will get Alexa+ included with their various Prime benefits. The “classic” Alexa will remain completely free, Amazon has said. Again, Google has yet to say how much the paid version of Google at Home will cost, or how it will differ from the free version. This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers.

NZ Police chief acknowledges impact of criminal deportees on the Pacific
Richard Chambers says he understands the difficulties law enforcement in Pacific Island nations faced regarding criminal deportees from New Zealand.

Windows Copilot Vision: Can this AI app actually help you?
Copilot Vision is one of those Windows features that deserves more attention than its receiving — which is quite little. It’s a built-in Windows technology that can “see” what you’re looking at and offer advice. The problem is that Copilot Vision is all over the map. It’s far better than a how-to article or video in using certain apps, because you’re not following instructions, you’re actually working on your PC and asking Copilot Vision for help. At its best, Copilot Vision is the friend or coworker that comes over to your PC and tells you what to do. In trickier applications — Adobe Photoshop, for example — it can walk you through tasks that you might be able to describe, but not do. It can even highlight what you’re supposed to click! In my book, that’s really helpful. At its worst, though, Copilot Vision just can’t do the job. Does Copilot Vision hallucinate a wrong answer? I’m not sure, but in certain applications it can’t read what’s on your screen. Copilot Vision isn’t Windows Recall, which constantly spies over your shoulder and takes snapshots for archiving. (I think that’s quite useful, too, but not in today’s climate.) You have to manually point it at an application you want it to see and then you flip it off when you’re done. I feel perfectly safe using it unlike Recall. What this video review / tutorial shows is what Copilot Vision is, how it works, and in what applications it shines — and stinks. Microsoft has a real advantage here, in that Copilot Vision is already part of Windows. Take a look at how it performs in our video and then try it out for yourself. Since you can launch it literally with a click or two, why not?