Complicated

 No sooner up with my cup of Joe, I just spent 40 credits adding a male ginger cat

to my Flow project.

https://labs.google/fx/tools/flow/shared/video/3f2c13c1-3058-4d61-adf2-b4c321257f34

Asked Gemini about how to create a new scene for tomorrow:

https://gemini.google.com/share/23501781fa61

This could get complicated...

                                                                        *     *     *

Some resources:

From the three dots...

*     *     *

The male cat looks like a stalker. I should not have specified 'taller'!!

Maybe tomorrow I will revert back to the image without the male, and have him appear

as a friendly drive in the car sequence.

Hottie

 Looks like I have credits at my disposal. 

                                                                                 

                                                                  *     *     *

Asked that the kitten's mouth be closed, and that we add pink lipstick. That cost me 40 credits!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jnR_8m8zAoZofAR7oIKivFF3TNF1tg-L/view?usp=drive_link

            

Fifty_Credits

 Look like there was some confusion on my part about Google Flow credits. one gets

50 daily credits on the Free Tier, with renewal at the time of day of one's first 'generate'.

And putting something in the trash does not regenerate credits. So I should be at 50 later today:

https://gemini.google.com/share/8947f2566e53

                                                                                        

*     *     *

It took a bit of work, bit I now have an 8 second long walking kitten in a bikini. Need 

to find a musical track to upload as background music...

                                                                         

Lite mode is really helpful; we had a number of back and forth to get the figure right.

Could have kept going to add lipstick and make-up!!

                                                               *     *     *

FLOW

 Been thinking this might be a good time to learn to create videos with AI.

And, by all accounts, the tools provided by Gemini are top tier.:

20+ Google AI Products (March 2026) Latest Breakthroughs & Updates

                                                       *     *     *

Below, a how-to on Flow (which is the interface). The person here wants

quality and is opting for one month free with 'Advanced' which then turns into

a subscription;

                                                             *     *     *

The FREE route:

Copilot:

What is Flow; is there a charge to use it?

Flow is Google’s new creative interface for generating videos with Veo 3 — think of it as the workspace where you write prompts, upload images, and assemble scenes. It’s not a model itself; it’s the platform that lets you use the model.

Let me give you the clearest, most practical explanation so you immediately understand what it is and whether it costs anything.

🌊 What Flow is

Flow is:

Google’s official interface for Veo 3

A web‑based creative canvas where you can:

write prompts

generate videos

chain scenes together

add audio

storyboard

remix clips

extend shots

A place where you can combine text → video, image → video, and video → video tools in one timeline‑like environment.

It’s basically Google’s version of Runway or Pika — but built around Veo.

💰 Is Flow free?

Yes — Flow currently has a free tier.  

You can sign in with a Google account and generate Veo 3 videos at no cost.

But there are important nuances:

✔ What’s free

Access to Veo 3.1 Fast

Short video generation

Image → video

Video → video

Storyboard mode

Audio generation

Editing tools

⚠ What is not guaranteed to stay free

Google has not committed to Flow being permanently free.

Historically, Google:

launches creative tools with free access

then introduces quotas or paid tiers once usage grows

So Flow is free right now, but it is almost certainly a freemium product in early rollout.

🧠 Why is it free right now?

Because Google is:

competing with Runway, Pika, Luma, and OpenAI

trying to get creators to adopt Veo

gathering usage data to improve the model

building an ecosystem before monetizing

This is the same pattern as:

Google Colab → free → paid tiers

Bard → free → Gemini Advanced

Imagen → free → limited → paid

Flow will likely follow the same trajectory.

🎬 What Flow looks like when you use it

You get:

a left panel for prompts

a center panel for video previews

a timeline‑like strip for scenes

buttons for “Extend”, “Remix”, “Regenerate”, “Add Audio”

a library of your generated clips

It’s extremely simple — more like a creative notebook than a full editor.

If you want, I can show you:

how to write Flow‑optimized prompts

how to chain scenes into a mini‑film

how to get Veo to produce elegant, soft, cozy, Québec‑style visuals

how to avoid Veo’s uncanny valley issues with humans

Just tell me the vibe you want to explore next.

But Veo 3 itself is only free for one month!!??

Ah — I see exactly where the confusion comes from, Louise.

Let me untangle it cleanly, because Veo 3 itself is not “only free for one month.” What is limited is Gemini Advanced, not Veo.

Here’s the real situation, in plain terms.

🌟 Veo 3 is free. Gemini Advanced is not.

Google gives you two different ways to use Veo:

1. Flow (free)

You can use Veo 3.1 Fast

No subscription required

No one‑month limit

You just sign in with a Google account

This is what most creators use

Flow = free access to Veo.

2. Gemini Advanced (paid after 1 month)

This is where the “one month free” message comes from.

Gemini Advanced is Google’s premium chatbot subscription, and it includes:

Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking

Gemini 2.0 Pro

NotebookLM Pro

Extra features

And also access to Veo inside the Gemini chat interface

But this is optional.

You do not need Gemini Advanced to use Veo.

🧩 Why Google does this

Google is splitting the ecosystem:

✔ Flow = creative workspace → free

✔ Gemini Advanced = premium AI assistant → paid

Both can access Veo, but only one is tied to a subscription.

🧘‍♀️ So what does this mean for you?

You can continue generating Veo 3 videos without paying, as long as you use:

Flow

Vivideo

Pika Labs (when they integrate Veo)

Any third‑party platform using Veo 3.1 Fast

The “one month free” message is not about Veo — it’s about Gemini Advanced, which is optional.

If you want, I can show you:

how to open Flow directly

how to avoid the Gemini paywall

how to generate Veo videos without ever touching the subscription page

or how to compare Flow vs Vivideo for your style (cozy, elegant, soft, Québec‑light scenes)

Just tell me what you want to do next.

I would like to use Flow - and presumably Veo 3 - without ever paying anything...

You can use Flow + Veo 3 without paying — you just need to avoid the one place where Google tries to funnel you into a subscription.

Let me lay it out clearly and calmly so you feel in control.

🌼 Yes, Louise — you can use Flow + Veo 3 for free.

There is no requirement to subscribe to Gemini Advanced, and there is no one‑month countdown attached to Flow.

The confusion comes from this:

✔ Gemini Advanced = paid after 1 month

✔ Flow = free

✔ Veo 3.1 Fast inside Flow = free

Google mixes the branding, so it looks like Veo is behind a paywall, but it isn’t.

🌊 How to use Flow without ever paying

Here’s the safe path:

1. Go to Flow directly

You must open Flow from its own URL, not from Gemini.

2. Sign in with your Google account

This is free.

3. Ignore anything that says “Gemini Advanced”

That is the only part that costs money.

4. Use Veo 3.1 Fast inside Flow

This is the free model.

It is the same model Vivideo uses.

5. Generate videos normally

You can:

write prompts

upload images

extend clips

chain scenes

add audio

remix

All without paying.

🧘‍♀️ Why this works

Google is running two separate products:

Flow

A creative workspace.

Free.

No monthly limit.

Uses Veo 3.1 Fast.

Gemini Advanced

A premium AI assistant.

Paid after 1 month.

Includes Veo access inside the chat, but that’s optional.

You don’t need Gemini Advanced to use Veo.

🌱 What you don’t get for free

Just so you’re fully informed:

Veo 3.1 Pro (the highest‑quality version)

Longer videos

Higher resolution

Priority compute

These are likely to become paid features later, but the Fast model is free and very capable.

🌟 Bottom line

You can use Flow + Veo 3.1 Fast indefinitely without paying anything.

You only pay if you choose to upgrade to Gemini Advanced — and you don’t need that for video generation.

If you want, I can walk you through:

how to open Flow safely without hitting the paywall

how to set up your first project

how to write prompts that give you elegant, soft, cozy, Québec‑light visuals

how to avoid the uncanny valley with humans

Just tell me what you’d like next.

                                                                      *     *     *

Beginner how-t0:

                                                                  *     *     *

Credits explained:

https://gemini.google.com/share/5aa192ee9e66

Midnight_Spill

 

Desperate_for_Space

 

Did Google Chrome secretly install a 4GB AI file on your computer? Here’s what you need to know

In my case, yes, they did!

https://gemini.google.com/share/f39b769d5a97

I used the check-for-yourelf protocol:

                                                                                      

*     *     *

Not deleting it, for the moment. If I am ever desperate for space....

Dr_Strange

 Watched Dr Strange 1 and Dr Strange 2 in the last few days. I like Dr Strange as a character 

and appreciate the actors and storyline, but the special effects are overwhelming. I could not 

watch either film for long at a time. And the names are other-wordly and impossible to keep 

straight.

The heartbreak of childlessness of the 'badie' in Strange 2 was tragic, not comedic.

Why do the inhabitants of other universes have to be such monsters. Yes, it is the Marvel

signature but could we get a break from all that?

                                                         *     *     *

Copilot:

Dr Strange 2 warned about 'product placement'; I didn't catch it in the film...

Ah, Louise — that “product placement” warning in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of those odd little Marvel quirks that confused a lot of people. You didn’t miss anything. The film barely contains any noticeable product placement at all.

Here’s what’s going on.

🎬 Why the warning appears even though the movie has almost no product placement

Marvel Studios (and Disney more broadly) often uses a standardized legal disclaimer across multiple films, even when the specific movie doesn’t actually feature obvious branded products. It’s essentially a blanket clause that covers:

Background props that might incidentally show a brand

Cars, phones, or storefronts that appear briefly

Licensing agreements that aren’t obvious to viewers

International versions where different edits may include or exclude certain shots

In other words:

The warning is there to protect the studio, not because the film is full of ads.

🧭 So what was the product placement in Doctor Strange 2?

Very little — and none of it is foregrounded.

The only things that might qualify are:

1. Christine’s wedding scene (cars, venue branding)

Some real-world car models and hotel décor appear in the background. Nothing is highlighted.

2. Wanda’s suburban home (generic household items)

These are mostly unbranded or too generic to count as deliberate placement.

3. Kamar-Taj battle gear

Some of the props are made by real-world manufacturers, but the branding isn’t visible.

4. America Chavez’s jacket patches

These are fictional symbols, not brands.

5. Phones and computers

Marvel often uses non-branded or custom UI to avoid licensing issues — so even here, there’s no Apple/Samsung/Lenovo placement.

🧩 Why the warning feels misleading

Because Doctor Strange 2 is visually chaotic and stylized, the viewer’s attention is on:

spells

portals

multiverse jumps

Wanda’s arc

…not on any real-world products.

So the warning feels out of place — almost like a leftover tag from a template.

And honestly?

It is basically a leftover tag from a template.

🌟 Bottom line

You didn’t miss anything.

The film contains almost no visible product placement, and the warning is just a standard legal precaution Marvel attaches to many releases.

If you’re curious, I can also break down:

Why some Marvel films do have heavy product placement

Which MCU movies are the worst offenders

How Disney handles brand licensing in multiverse-heavy films

Just tell me what direction you want to explore.

                                                               *     *     *

Found this very interesting piece on Neanderthal Dentistry on the New York Times. 

One brave soul went through a root canal without anesthesia. Kudos to doctor and patient 

from the 21st Century.

https://archive.ph/bUOtQ

Yes, we should all take note. A no sugar diet made all the difference to pre-agriculture

oral health!!