Technologies

I Tried Gemini’s ‘Nano Bananas’ for Image Editing. The AI Slipups Were Obvious

Google’s new AI model is good at some tasks, but it struggles in these key areas.

After seeing all the banana-fanfare for Google’s newest generative AI tool, I knew I had to take it for a spin. Named Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, the model upgrades your ability to edit your photos natively in Gemini. AI enthusiasts have referred to it as the «nano bananas» model, spurred on by a series of banana-themed teasers from Google execs.

In the few weeks it’s been out, people have created over 200 million AI images, and over 10 million people have signed up to use the Gemini app, according to Josh Woodward, Google’s vice president of Google Labs and Gemini.

Google has invested heavily in its generative media models this year, dropping updated versions of its image and video generator models at its annual I/O developers conference. Google’s AI video generator Veo 3 stunned with synchronized audio, a first among the AI giants. And creators have made more than 100 million AI videos with Google’s AI filmmaker tool, Flow.

I’ve spent a lot of time testing AI creative software, and I was excited to see what Google had cooked up. But my testing of 2.5 Flash Image showed that just because something has a flashy entrance doesn’t mean it’ll always lives up to its hype. Here’s how my experience with Gemini nano bananas went: the good, the bad and the frustrating.

What worked

The Gemini bananas model is spookily good at adding elements to existing images, blending AI-generated elements well into any picture you snapped. It also maintains a decently stable level of character consistency — meaning the people in my photos weren’t too distorted or wonky after going through the AI processing. Those are both important distinctions for AI image programs, and something Google said it had worked to improve.

You can see both of these characteristics in this picture of my sister and me. Our general appearances are unchanged in the edited version (right), showing off that character consistency. I asked Gemini to add a third sister who looked similar to the two of us, which it did scarily well by adding a third woman in between the two of us.

I was also pretty impressed with how quickly Gemini could spit out completed images. Anywhere under a minute gets a gold star from me, and Gemini was regularly handling requests in under 15 seconds. I also appreciated how it added a watermark to all the images it created and edited — even if I don’t love how tech companies have corrupted the sparkles emoji for AI, it’s extremely important to have some markers of AI-generated content. Google’s SynthID and behind-the-scenes work also help differentiate AI content from human-created imagery.

Gemini is good at wholesale AI image creation, too, but I recommend using its Imagen 4 or another AI image generator instead — they have more hands-on controls and settings that get you closer to what you want with less work.

What really didn’t work

There are serious limitations to Gemini bananas. It automatically generated square images, and follow-up prompts asking for images to be adapted into other dimensions were ignored or failed.

I also noticed that Gemini reduced the resolution of many of my photos. I primarily take photos with my iPhone 16, which has stellar cameras, but after going through the Gemini bananas model, those fine details were often blurred. That’s annoying and won’t win over any photographers.

I tried repeatedly to get Gemini to handle photo edits that would’ve been difficult for me to do manually. That’s one area in photo editing where AI is supposed to excel — automating mundane but detail-intensive edits. Sadly, Gemini really struggled with prompt adherence here, meaning it didn’t do what I asked.

I tried many times to get Gemini to remove reflections from a snap of a Freakier Friday movie poster, but they stubbornly remained. And the more I tried to get it to remove the reflections, the poorer the quality of the image became with every prompt. Once-clear text was ultimately illegible after I finally gave up, not to mention the accidental, scary-looking damage done to the faces of Lindsey Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Gemini nano bananas struggled to generate images in different dimensions. Resizing and cropping images is a core photo editing process, but Gemini didn’t — or couldn’t — handle simple sizing guidelines in my prompts.

I reached out to Google about the resolution and dimension issues and a spokesperson said the tech company is «aware and actively working on both issues. It’s been a big update from our previous model but we’ll continue to improve on the model.»

Overall, Gemini nano bananas proved to me that Google is serious about continuing to dominate in generative media. But it has significant pitfalls, with too big a focus on generating new elements rather than using AI to improve and tweak common photo issues. For now, the nano bananas model is best suited for Gemini fans who want to make big edits quickly. For those of us looking for more precise tools, we’ll have to wait for Google’s next big update or find another program.

Gemini nano bananas availability, pricing and privacy

You don’t need to do anything to access the new model; it’s automatically added to the base Gemini 2.5 Flash model. Gemini is available for free, with more models and higher usage caps available in Google’s AI plans starting at $20 per month.

If you’re a paying subscriber, you may also be able to access the model through Google AI Studio. From there, all you have to do is upload an image and type out your prompt. Each prompt uses anywhere from one to two thousand tokens, depending on the level of detail required. Adobe Express and Firefly users can also access the new model now.

Google’s Gemini privacy policy says it can use the information you upload for improving its AI products, which is why the company recommends avoiding uploading sensitive or private information. The company’s AI prohibitive use policy also outlaws the creation of illegal or abusive material.

For more, check out the best AI image generators and everything announced at the Made by Google Pixel 10 event.

Technologies

How Sonic Rumble Spins Away From Mario Party With Its Own Multiplayer Style

Sonic Rumble producer Takashi Iizuka explains how the team built a party game suiting the blue hedgehog’s style.

For decades now, the Mario Party franchise has dominated the niche of the best multiplayer party games you can play with friends on your couch — or now, online. Despite challenges from games like Fuzion Frenzy, Super Monkey Ball, Rayman Raving Rabbids and more, none have stolen Nintendo’s crown.

But now, Sega is making a play for the casual party game space with Sonic Rumble, a new title featuring the company’s iconic hedgehog and his friends. The free-to-play game is now available on PC, as well as on mobile for iOS and Android phones, allowing up to 32 players to join in on matches.

Sega’s hedgehog mascot is no stranger to party games, but entries like Sonic Shuffle on Dreamcast and Sega Superstars on the PlayStation 2 came out decades ago. For the publisher’s newest take on Sonic multiplayer, Sonic Rumble producer Takashi Iizuka answered questions over email, from adapting Sonic’s «gotta go fast» action to party multiplayer and whether other iconic Sega stars will make cameo appearances.

Q: There are some party games that have cemented the genre, like Mario Party. Aside from a cast of Sonic characters, how does Sonic Rumble distinguish itself from other party games?
Iizuka: While many other party games have their charm, our vision for Sonic Rumble was to combine the speed of classic arcade games with the competitive, high-stakes energy of a battle royale game. We call this mix an «Arcade Royale.»

Each stage is designed to keep the mayhem on full blast, whether players are dashing through obstacle courses or scrambling to collect rings before time runs out. What really sets Sonic Rumble apart is how it blends approachability with intensity. We wanted it to be easy for anyone to jump in and play, while still maintaining the intensity that fans have come to know and love from the Sonic franchise.

With the live service aspect of Sonic Rumble, we plan to consistently introduce new elements, from surprising collaborations to limited-time events, keeping the game fresh and fun for years to come.

When designing Sonic Rumble, what guidelines did the team/studio abide by to ensure it feels like a Sonic game?
Iizuka: We wanted to create a game that both new and longtime fans would love, and that could be played on the go or at home on their PC.

Sonic Rumble needed to embody what makes Sonic special, not just through the characters, but through the gameplay itself. That meant focusing on movement, momentum and control of the characters within the environment, so even in this new multiplayer format, gameplay still feels authentic to the Sonic experience. We also wanted to ensure that Toy World itself captured that Sonic spirit, with bright arenas, upbeat music and plenty of personality. Even if Sonic Rumble is an entirely new kind of Sonic game, players will instantly recognize the spirit and rhythm of the franchise in every match and mode.

The gameplay shown in the trailer has a distinctly Sonic feel — racing along tracks, jumping on bumpers, collecting rings and so on. How did the team adapt this to party gameplay?
Iizuka: We didn’t just place Sonic characters in a stereotypical party environment; we made Sonic mechanics and gameplay the foundation of Sonic Rumble. We achieved this adaptation through strategic twists on familiar elements.

In Sonic Rumble, rings are the high-stakes resource, rather than protection like in previous Sonic titles. We’ve made the Ring collection central to victory, allowing players to steal them from each other. The Dashing mechanic is another example, something usually used for speed can now also be used for attacking. By updating these core movements and abilities, we’ve added another layer of strategy and skill to the competition.

The recently released Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds had a deep roster of Sonic characters along with several from other Sega franchises, like Yakuza and Super Monkey Ball. Will Sonic Rumble also have crossover characters? What about characters from Sonic lore (like the Chaotix or Sonic the Werehog)?
Iizuka: Our immediate priority is to ensure Sonic Rumble is both fun and fulfilling for our core fan base as well as for players new to the Sonic franchise. That means focusing on the incredible depth of the Sonic Universe. We know how necessary customization is and are heavily committed to allowing players to fully personalize Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, and Dr. Eggman with unique skins, in-game skills, and emotes.

As Sonic Rumble is a live-service title, it has the potential to evolve and expand over time. At launch, fans can look forward to the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Movie Crossover Event, which brings in elements like the Movie Shadow skin and epic battles in the iconic Shibuya Crossing arena. We’ve also integrated characters and skins from a SEGA Stars Crossover Event, featuring beloved icons like Opa-Opa and Upa-Upa from Fantasy Zone, AiAi and MeeMee from Monkey Ball, and characters from Altered Beast, Bonanza Bros, Pengo, and Phantasy Star.

Sonic Rumble is available now on PC, iOS App Store and Google Play Store.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Nov. 7

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 7.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Hope you don’t have a cold — although two of the clues are related to the sounds you might make if you do have one. If you need the answers, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Toddler’s go-to question
Answer: WHY

4A clue: Sound heard during cold season
Answer: ACHOO

6A clue: Move stealthily, like a cat
Answer: SLINK

7A clue: Breadcrumb coating in Japanese cuisine
Answer: PANKO

8A clue: Conduct surveillance
Answer: SPY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Prone to complaining
Answer: WHINY

2D clue: Sound heard during cold season
Answer: HONK

3D clue: Artist/musician Ono
Answer: YOKO

4D clue: Egyptian vipers
Answer: ASPS

5D clue: Show appreciation for a performance
Answer: CLAP

Technologies

Be Sure to Back Up Your iPhone the Right Way Before Installing iOS 26

If you’re upgrading to a new iPhone 17 or installing the latest operating system, you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble by making a good backup first. Here’s how to do it.

Now that iOS 26.1 is out, you might be more comfortable updating to Apple’s latest iPhone operating system. Or maybe it’s time for a bigger upgrade to a new iPhone 17, iPhone Air or iPhone 17 Pro? Before you do, take a little time to ensure you’ve made a good backup you can fall back on just in case something goes sideways.

I’m not talking about any regular backup, though. Hopefully, you already have your Apple Account settings configured to automatically back up the phone to iCloud, which is invaluable for everyday peace of mind. I’m talking about creating an archive that can save your hide in the unlikely event something goes wrong with the iOS 26 update.

Why an archive is essential before installing a new version of iOS

You’re probably accustomed to using iCloud Backup to maintain a regular fallback for your data. It works in the background (when you’re asleep and charging your device) and involves the least amount of backup friction, as long as you have sufficient iCloud storage space available. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and turn on Back Up This iPhone if it’s not already active.

However, when it comes to moving to a full release version of iOS, such as from iOS 18 to iOS 26, an iCloud Backup introduces a problem: You cannot restore from that cloud backup if you revert back to iOS 18. And unfortunately, iCloud keeps just the most recent backup — you can’t pick and choose from previous backup iterations. If you try to use an iOS 26 cloud backup to restore back to iOS 18, you’ll get an error. (Making an archive is also an important step when you install iOS betas.)

This is why you need to archive a backup on your computer.

Should you encrypt the local backup?

Before you create this archived backup, you should decide if you want to enable one of the options, Encrypt local backup. For security, this feature scrambles the data to prevent someone with access to your computer from accessing it. This option also preserves sensitive information in the backup such as saved passwords and personal data in the Health and Fitness apps.

The downside is that it requires you to create a separate password for the backup. If you forget or lose that password, the entire backup is useless. And so you should write this password down somewhere you can easily retrieve it. In the context of creating an iOS 18 backup as a fallback for installing iOS 26, you’ll have to decide if that’s an acceptable trade-off.

Create a local iPhone archive on your Mac

Making this type of backup requires only disk space and some patience:

Plug the iPhone into your Mac.
Open a new Finder window (choose File > New Finder Window, or press Command-N).
In the sidebar at left, select your iPhone under Locations.
If you want to encrypt the data, click the Encrypt local backup checkbox and set a password.
In the General tab, click Back Up Now.
When the backup completes, click Manage Backups.
Right-click (or Control-click) the backup you made and choose Archive.

Taking the extra step of marking the backup as an archive protects it from being overwritten by the next local backup or automatically deleted if the Mac is low on space.

Create a local iPhone archive on Windows

The iTunes app is still the main conduit for working with a connected iPhone under Windows. Open iTunes and do the following:

Plug the iPhone into your Windows computer.
Open the Apple Devices app and click the iPhone button at the top left.
Click General.
If you want to encrypt the data, click the Encrypt local backup option and set a password.
Click Back Up Now.
Click Manage Backups.
Right-click the backup you made and choose Archive. Taking this extra step protects the backup from being overwritten by the next local backup or automatically deleted if the computer is low on space.

With an archive in place, you can start using the iOS 26 beta secure in the knowledge that should anything warrant a retreat to iOS 18, you can quickly get your iPhone back into service.

For more, here is your reminder to clear your iPhone cache. And if you are moving to a new iPhone, here are the ways to transfer your data safely.