Google Photos is finally simplifying the process of backups and exports a bit.

      Incremental exports can help save both time and storage space, although the setup process necessitates a Photos-only Takeout schedule.

      Google Photos backups are becoming less cumbersome for users who rely on Takeout to maintain a personal copy of their photo library.

      This feature caters to Google Photos users who prefer not to rely solely on Google for their photo storage, particularly those who maintain a secondary backup on an external drive, NAS, or another cloud service. Google indicates that Incremental Takeout for Photos will enhance the speed and efficiency of recurring downloads after the initial archive has been established.

      The first export will still encompass all selected photos and albums, but subsequent exports will concentrate on photos and videos that have been uploaded, backed up, created, or edited since the last successful backup. This is beneficial for those who are weary of repeatedly downloading the same large archive; however, the caveat is that Photos must be the only product selected in Takeout for the incremental option to become available.

      Why does the initial backup include everything?

      The initial export serves as the baseline and isn't a shortcut to avoid the largest download. Google states that it will contain all chosen photos and albums, so long-term users of Photos should anticipate that the first export will be substantial.

      The advantage arises after completing this baseline. Once Takeout has successfully backed up data to reference, the following recurring export can omit unchanged files, thereby avoiding the need to repackage the entire library. This should result in fewer redundant downloads, reduced consumption of drive space, and a backup process that becomes less burdensome over time.

      What is the one limitation in the setup?

      Incremental Takeout functions only if Photos is the sole product chosen for export. Users who typically export photos along with other Google data will need to establish a separate recurring export specifically for their photo library.

      This limitation helps focus the feature, but it also restricts who can fully benefit from it. Takeout can streamline Photos backups, but wider Google account archives require their own configuration, scheduling, and storage considerations.

      What steps should users with local backups take next?

      The most sensible approach is to create a recurring Takeout export exclusively for Photos, treating the first download as the baseline archive. Following that, each successful run should yield a smaller export by excluding unchanged items.

      Google has not announced a wider rollout date beyond the initial announcement, nor has it specified the exact regional availability. During the setup process, users should check that the incremental option appears only when Photos is the only product selected.

      Paulo Vargas is an English major who transitioned into reporting and then technical writing, with a career that has consistently circled back to...

      Android will now alert you if someone uses AI to mimic your contact's voice during a call.

      Google's detection of fake calls marks a pioneering moment for phone platforms as it establishes a real-time cryptographic safeguard against AI voice cloning scams.

      While advancements in AI offer benefits across various walks of life, they also include drawbacks. One of the more notable downsides has been the exploitation of AI voice cloning. It has progressed to a point where many individuals cannot distinguish a deepfake voice from an authentic one. Scammers are aware of this and have begun to spoof users’ contacts, replicating their voices and engaging in financial scams for quite some time. Android's latest fake call detection aims to prevent these scenarios before they lead to financial loss.

      Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite has finally debuted in a mini PC, resembling Windows' answer to the Mac mini.

      For the past two years, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series has primarily been utilized in notebooks. These chips have provided remarkable battery life and impressively competitive performance, yet they have not been able to compete with compact desktop devices like Apple’s Mac mini or the more powerful Mac Studio. The Ascent QN10 changes this.

      Featuring the 18-core Snapdragon X2 Elite processor alongside Qualcomm’s integrated Adreno GPU, this compact desktop also becomes the world's first mini PC to offer 80 TOPS of AI performance via its dedicated Hexagon NPU. Thus, ASUS is introducing a new form factor for Qualcomm's most advanced PC silicon.

      Amazon has announced the date for its Prime Day sales, and this year it’s occurring slightly earlier.

      Amazon has moved Prime Day to June for the first time, subtly positioning it ahead of the back-to-school shopping season.

      Amazon Prime Day is returning, lasting for four days once again, and for the first time in its history, it will begin in June instead of July. If you spent last summer waiting until mid-July to snag a discounted purchase, you'll now have approximately two weeks less to decide.