Phone cluster computing turns old smartphones into low-carbon data center servers. Google says UC San Diego plans to launch a 2,000 Pixel phone data center in Fall 2026.

Google's fascination with hardware stretches back years. Remember the early days of Android and the G1? It took Google a while, but that fascination turned into a sort of experimental hobby, and now into something far more serious. Software is Google's art, and the company has been working for a long time to craft the right canvases. Google has more control over the development -- and destiny -- of these two smartphones than it ever had with any Nexus phone. It's not surprising, then, that the company has turned to close friends to help chart this new course. Former Motorola Mobility CEO Rick Osterloh is back at Google heading up hardware after the search giant sold his company to Lenovo. HTC, which most recently worked with Google on the Nexus 9 tablet, is handling the Pixel phones' production and assembly. There's a palpable sense that Google wanted to round up its A-team for this project.

If Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) were any indication, the deep-learning and artificial intelligence field has been coming to life faster than anyone seems to realize. The company has purchased Genee, an AI-powered scheduling tool, for an undisclosed amount. The deal was likely done in cash - unless the company specifically wanted some stock from Microsoft. The plan is for Genee to shut down its current service on September 1st as it integrates with Microsoft's Office 365. Genee was founded in order "to simplify the time-consuming task of scheduling (and rescheduling) meetings. It's especially useful for large groups and for when you don't have access to someone's calendar."