01Google Gemini New Updates: What Is It and How It Works

In this episode, Julian Goldie breaks down the Google Gemini new updates that were just released. These updates include new AI models like Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flashlight, a rebranded Notebook LM that can write code, and a video model that edits videos by conversation. The episode shows you how these tools work and how to use them in your business today.

Google's new models are built for different tasks. Gemini 3.6 Flash balances speed with intelligence and is designed for agentic tasks—where the AI does steps for you—and multimodal tasks, like watching videos and reading documents. Gemini 3.5 Flashlight is the fastest model for high-volume work, like running hundreds of tasks at once.

Google also updated Gemini Notebook to run code and sync everywhere, and introduced Omni Flash Preview for video generation and editing.

02Main Features of the New Gemini Models

The new Gemini models bring several improvements. Gemini 3.6 Flash is smarter, faster, and lighter than the old 3.5 Flash. It has a larger context window and a knowledge cutoff of March 2026, compared to January 2025 for the old model.

That's over a year of extra knowledge.

  • Gemini 3.6 Flash: Balances speed and intelligence for agentic and multimodal tasks.
  • Gemini 3.5 Flashlight: Fastest model for high-volume work.
  • Gemini 3.6 Thinking: Another new model that started appearing during the episode.
  • Gemini Notebook: Now runs code, syncs across devices, and lets you group notebooks into collections.
  • Gemini Omni Flash Preview: Generates and edits videos using natural language conversations.

These updates were released all at once, which is a big deal for business users. The new models are already live for everyone—Julian refreshed his accounts and found them available.

03How to Find and Test the New Gemini Models

To see the new models, Julian shows a simple process using Google AI Studio. Here's how you can find them too:

  1. Open Google AI Studio in your browser.
  2. Click into the playground area.
  3. Click models in the top right corner.
  4. Look for Gemini 3.6 Flash and Gemini 3.5 Flashlight.
  5. Start a new conversation and pick your model.
  6. Test with a prompt like asking for YouTube video ideas.

You can also check your main Gemini app or website—new models are rolling out everywhere. During the episode, Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.6 Thinking appeared across all accounts. If you don't see them yet, try refreshing your browser or logging out and back in.

04How to Use Gemini Notebook for Business Analysis

Gemini Notebook—formerly Notebook LM—has new features that help with real business work. First, you can group notebooks into collections, which keeps related projects together. You can even add emojis to make them easy to spot.

Second, it can write and run code, so it does real data analysis grounded in your own sources. This is live for Google AI Ultra users and Workspace users, with Pro users getting it on the web soon. Third, notebooks sync everywhere—you can make them in the Gemini app and open them in Gemini Notebook.

Here's how Julian uses it: He dumps all his content—training docs, SOPs, transcripts—into one notebook. Then he asks it to find topics explained best and where members are confused. It returns a list grounded in his actual material.

Then he asks for an onboarding guide in his voice, at a fifth grade reading level, using only those sources. The result matches his style with no hallucination.

05How to Use Gemini Omni Flash Preview for Video Editing

The Gemini Omni Flash Preview model generates and edits videos with natural language. You want to edit a video—just tell it what to change in plain English. Julian explains the setup options when you open it: you can add system instructions, set the aspect ratio to 16:9 or vertical, choose video length, resolution, frame rate, and even the thinking level.

Here's an example: upload a photo of your product, then say "turn this into a 15 second ad that shows the main benefit clearly and ends with a strong reason to click." The model follows your instructions to create the video. This is powerful for creating ads, social media content, or any video without manual editing.

06Results and Comparisons from the Episode

Julian compared the new 3.6 Flash to the old 3.5 Flash side by side. The new model came out better while using fewer resources to run. That's a big improvement—smarter and lighter at the same time.

For knowledge cutoff: old 3.5 Flash knew up to January 2025, while 3.6 Flash knows up to March 2026. That's over a year of extra knowledge. This means the new model is more accurate on recent events and trends.

He also demonstrated Gemini Notebook's data analysis. When given his content library, it produced a list of new training topics and an onboarding guide that matched his voice. The output was grounded in his sources, not made up—something he emphasizes as a key difference from older tools.

07Tips, Limits, and Mistakes to Avoid

Julian shares tips for getting the most from these updates. Don't use Gemini like a simple search bar—type a question, get an answer, then stop. That's the most common mistake.

Instead, set it up to run parts of your business: write content, answer customer questions, analyze data.

Another tip: for high-volume tasks, use 3.5 Flashlight because it's built for speed. Save the smarter 3.6 Flash for more complex, agentic work. For video, use Omni Flash with clear system instructions to get the output you want.

Limit: Gemini Notebook's code-running feature isn't available to everyone yet. It's live for Ultra and Workspace users, with Pro access coming in a few weeks. Be patient if you don't have it right away.

Also, since models update fast, test them soon—Google is already shipping new ones.

08Who It's For and Why It Matters

These updates are for business owners, content creators, and anyone who wants to automate work with AI. If you're tired of using AI only for quick answers, these tools let you go deeper. Gemini Notebook helps you analyze your own data and create content.

Omni Flash helps you produce videos fast.

Knowing about updates isn't enough. Julian emphasizes that people who actually build a workflow around one update save hours every week. For example, setting up Gemini to generate content ideas or analyze customer questions frees up time for other work.

Because Google ships many updates at once, staying up to date matters. But the real value is using them to run your business better. That's why Julian teaches these workflows inside his AI Profit Boardroom—to help you turn knowledge into action.