Technologies

Adobe’s New iOS and Android AI Apps Let You Use Google’s Veo 3, Runway and More

The Firefly AI mobile apps come with a few free credits for you to experiment with the AI image and video generators.

Adobe’s Firefly AI is now available as mobile apps for iPhones and Androids, the company announced on Tuesday. These apps are free to download and let you use Firefly to create AI images and videos on the go. Plus, the app comes with a few free generative credits for you to experiment with Adobe’s AI.

Adobe is also expanding its roster of third-party AI partners to include six new models from Ideogram, Pika, Luma and Runway. Google’s latest AI models are also joining the lineup, including the internet-famous Veo 3 AI video generation model with native audio capabilities and the Imagen 4 text-to-image model support. Finally, its moodboarding AI program, Firefly Boards, is generally available today after months in beta.

Here’s everything you need to know about Adobe’s newest batch of Firefly AI updates. For more, check out our favorite AI image generators and what to know about AI video models.

Firefly AI for iOS and Android users

Adobe’s Firefly mobile apps will let you access its AI image and video capabilities from your phone. A mobile app felt like the next natural step, since Adobe saw that mobile web usage of Firefly noticeably increased after Adobe’s Firefly video capability launched in early 2025.

Not every Firefly feature will be available at launch, but for now, we know that these features will be included: text-to-image, text- and image-to-video, generative fill, and generative expand. You can download the app now from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

The app is free to download, but you’ll need a Firefly-inclusive Adobe plan to really use the app. In the hopes that you’ll sign up for a full plan, Adobe gives you 12 free generation Firefly credits (10 for images, two for videos, which doesn’t shake out to many of each). So you can use those to see if Firefly is a good fit for you.

Firefly plans start at $10 per month for 2,000 credits (about 20 videos), increasing in price and generation credits from there. Depending on your Adobe plan, you may already have access to Firefly credits, so double-check that first.

Adobe’s six new AI models from Google, Runway and more

Adobe’s also adding new outside AI creative models to its offerings, including image and video models from Ideogram, Pika, Luma and Runway. You might recognize the name Runway from its deal with Lionsgate to create models for the entertainment giant. Ideogram, Pika and Luma are all other well-known AI creative services. Google’s Veo 3 AI video generator is also joining, bringing its first-of-its-kind synchronized AI audio capabilities, along with the latest generation of Google’s AI image model.

This is the second batch of third-party models that Adobe has added to its platform. Earlier this spring, Adobe partnered with OpenAI, Google and Black Forest (creator of Flux) to bring the companies’ AI models to Adobe. What’s unique about this is that all third-party models have to agree to Adobe’s AI policy, which prevents all the companies from training on customers’ content — even if the individual companies don’t have that policy on their own, it’s standardized across all models offered through Adobe. This is also true for the new models added today. For AI-wary professional creators who make up the majority of Adobe users, that’s a bit of good news.

You’ll need a paid Firefly plan to access outside models; otherwise, you’ll just have access to the Adobe models. Here are all the AI models available through Adobe:

Adobe Firefly Image 3
Adobe Firefly Image 4
Adobe Firefly Image Ultra
Flux 1.1 Pro
Flux 1 Kontext
Google’s Imagen 3
OpenAI’s image generation model
(new) Ideogram 3
(new) Google’s Imagen 4
(new) Runway’s Gen-4 Image

For video, you can use:

Adobe Firefly Video
Google Veo 2
(new) Google Veo 3
(new) Luma AI Ray 2
(new) Pika’s text-to-video generator

Adobe’s own Firefly AI models are trained on a combination of Adobe Stock and other licensed content. You can learn more in Adobe’s AI guidelines and approach to AI.

AI moodboarding gets a boost

Other Adobe updates include the general release of its moodboarding program, Firefly Boards, which has been in beta since April. Moodboarding is a practice that lets you cluster together different elements, like colors and shapes, to evoke specific moods and aesthetics. It’s a good initial step for planning content and campaigns.

You can use the infinite canvas to brainstorm and plan content. You can generate images and videos in Boards using Adobe and non-Adobe models; the setups are very similar to generating in the regular Firefly window. Boards are collaborative, so you can edit with multiple people. A new one-click arrange button can help you organize and visualize your files more easily, a much-requested feature that came out of the beta.

Firefly boards are synced up with your Adobe account. So you can select a photo in a Board, open it in Photoshop and edit it. Those changes will then be synced up with your Firefly Board in less than a minute, so you can always see the latest version of your file without needing to be limited to editing in Boards.

For more, check out Premiere Pro’s first generative AI feature and the best Photoshop AI tools.

Technologies

New Autistic Barbie Comes With Noise-Canceling Headphones, Fidget Spinner, AAC Tablet

Everything from her flowy dress to the devices she carries was designed with the autism community in mind.

Mattel has unveiled its first-ever autistic Barbie doll, and she comes with several technology items, including noise-canceling headphones — in Barbie pink. Some individuals with autism use headphones to reduce sensory overload and block out background noise. This Barbie doll also features a pink finger-clip fidget spinner that actually spins, serving as a sensory outlet to reduce stress and improve focus. She holds a pink tablet displaying symbol-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication apps, which help some individuals with autism communicate.

«Barbie has always strived to reflect the world kids see and the possibilities they imagine, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of that ongoing work,» said Jamie Cygielman, global head of dolls for Mattel. «The doll, designed with guidance from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, helps to expand what inclusion looks like in the toy aisle and beyond because every child deserves to see themselves in Barbie.»

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is a non-profit disability rights organization run by and for autistic individuals. Mattel and ASAN collaborated for over 18 months to develop the doll.

Doll’s design and fashions

In addition to the headphones, AAC tablet and fidget spinner accessories, Mattel constructed the doll itself differently than past Barbies. It features elbow and wrist articulation. In the press release, Mattel notes that this enables «stimming, hand flapping and other hand gestures that some members of the autistic community use to process sensory information or express excitement.»

The doll’s eye gaze is shifted slightly to the side, and Mattel notes this reflects «how some members of the autistic community may avoid direct eye contact.»

Fashion has always been a vital part of Barbie dolls. The autistic Barbie wears a loose-fitting, purple pinstripe A-line dress with short sleeves and a flowy skirt that provides less fabric-to-skin contact. Her purple shoes have flat soles, not the typical Barbie high heels, to promote stability and ease of movement.

The autistic Barbie joins Mattel’s Fashionistas doll line. Other dolls in the line represent people with type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome and blindness. As part of the launch, Mattel is donating 1,000 autistic Barbie dolls to pediatric hospitals across the country.

The doll is on sale now. We found it priced for $11 at Target online and Walmart and $11.87 at Amazon.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 13, #947

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 13 #947

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

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle features one of those purple categories where you have to recognize four connected words buried inside slightly longer words. It might trip you up. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Wrap it up.

Green group hint: Push or shake around.

Blue group hint: Do not pass Go.

Purple group hint: Not your hand, but with a twist.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Present go-withs.

Green group: Jostle.

Blue group: Accessories for Mr. Monopoly.

Purple group: Parts of the foot plus starting letter.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is present go-withs. The four answers are bow, card, gift wrap and ribbon.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is jostle. The four answers are elbow, press, shoulder and shove.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is accessories for Mr. Monopoly. The four answers are bowtie, cane, moneybag and top hat.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is parts of the foot plus starting letter. The four answers are otoe (toe), parch (arch), rankle (ankle) and wheel (heel).

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Jan. 13, #477

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 13, No. 477.

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

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. Hope you know your college sports arenas! If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Empire State sports.

Green group hint: Fighting with swords.

Blue group hint: Places to play hoops.

Purple group hint: William, but for short.