**Consumer Alert: Google Just Killed Your Charging Cords & Your Kids’ Allowance—Here’s the Cost**

Consumer Alert: Google Just Killed Your Charging Cords & Your Kids’ Allowance—Here’s the Cost

Attention parents and penny-pinchers: at Google I/O, the tech giant just made your next smartphone purchase a painful hit to the wallet. They unveiled Project Scavenger, a new AI tool that automatically finds the cheapest price for any item you scan—but the catch? To use it, you’ll need the new Pixel 9 Pro, starting at $1,099.

“It’s a trap for your budget,” says consumer advocate Sarah Kline. “They’re making you pay a premium for a feature that should be free on any phone.” Meanwhile, Google Wallet is going subscription-only for instant transfers, costing you an extra $3.99 a month to move your own money. And the new Assistant AI can now drain your bank account: it’s been programmed to auto-order your favorite snacks when you’re low, but early testers report it misclicking and buying $50 worth of kale chips.

Bottom line: Your wallet just got a digital pickpocket. Upgrade at your own risk.