News/New Launches
Google’s golden look-look book: Gemini now creates illustrated children’s storybooks on demand
Google has launched "Storybook," a new feature within its Gemini AI chatbot that generates illustrated children's stories on demand. Users can describe a story idea and receive a 10-page narrative complete with text that Gemini reads aloud and accompanying AI-generated illustrations, marking Google's latest push into creative AI applications for families. How it works: The Storybook feature creates customized stories based on simple text prompts, offering several personalization options. Users can specify art styles including claymation, anime, comics, and other visual approaches to match their preferences. The tool accepts uploaded photos and images as reference material, allowing parents to create...
read Aug 5, 2025Claude’s upgraded Opus 4.1 boosts software engineering accuracy to 74.5%
Anthropic has released Claude Opus 4.1, an upgraded version of its flagship AI model that achieves 74.5% accuracy on software engineering tasks. The update represents a significant improvement over the previous Claude Opus 4's 72.5% accuracy and positions Anthropic to better compete in the increasingly crowded enterprise AI market. What you should know: Claude Opus 4.1 delivers meaningful performance gains across several key areas that matter most to enterprise users. Software engineering accuracy jumped to 74.5%, up from 72.5% with Claude Opus 4 and significantly higher than the 62.3% achieved by Claude Sonnet 3.7. The model shows particular strength in...
read Aug 5, 2025Character.AI launches world’s first AI-native social feed
Character.AI has launched what it calls the world's first AI-native social feed, now live in its mobile app, where users scroll through content created entirely by AI-generated characters rather than humans. The platform transforms AI interactions from private conversations into shareable, remixable content that other users can engage with and build upon, positioning Character.AI as an entertainment-focused alternative to productivity-driven AI tools. What you should know: The feed replaces traditional social media posts from influencers and brands with AI-generated content that users can actively remix and expand.• Users can share chat snippets from character conversations, promote custom-built AI personas through...
read Aug 4, 2025Distance running: Broadcom’s Jericho4 chip connects AI data centers up to 60 miles apart
Broadcom has launched its next-generation Jericho4 networking chip designed to connect data centers up to 60 miles apart and accelerate artificial intelligence computation. The chip addresses growing demands from cloud computing giants like Microsoft and Amazon for faster, more sophisticated networking infrastructure as AI workloads become increasingly computationally intensive and require connecting thousands of graphics processors. What you should know: The Jericho4 introduces several performance enhancements specifically designed for large-scale AI data center operations. A single system can encompass roughly 4,500 chips, enabling massive deployment across extensive networks that operate inside and between data centers. The chip uses the same...
read Aug 1, 2025Google launches Deep Think reasoning mode for Gemini 2.5 Ultra
Google has launched Deep Think, a new reasoning mode for its Gemini 2.5 Ultra AI model that allows the system to engage in multi-step thinking before responding to complex queries. Available now to Google AI Ultra subscribers ($249/month), the feature represents Google's latest attempt to compete with advanced reasoning models by giving its AI more "thinking time" to solve problems requiring strategy, iteration, and complex logic. What you should know: Deep Think transforms how Gemini processes difficult requests by implementing parallel thinking capabilities that mirror human problem-solving approaches. Instead of rushing to deliver immediate answers, the AI generates multiple ideas,...
read Aug 1, 2025Google launches cloud-based Firebase Studio to challenge VS Code with AI
Google has launched Firebase Studio, a cloud-based AI-powered integrated development environment that directly challenges Microsoft's VS Code dominance. The new platform features an App Prototyping agent that can generate full applications from natural language prompts, while running entirely in the cloud to eliminate system resource constraints. Why this matters: Firebase Studio represents Google's most aggressive push into developer tooling, offering AI-powered capabilities that could fundamentally change how applications are built and prototyped. Key advantages over VS Code: Firebase Studio outperforms the popular Microsoft IDE through several breakthrough features. The platform's AI can create complete applications from simple prompts, with the...
read Jul 30, 2025Writer launches Action Agent to safely automate corporate workflows with AI
Writer has launched "Action Agent," a new AI tool designed to give corporate employees powerful automation capabilities while maintaining strict security guardrails. The software creates isolated virtual computers where AI can operate freely without risking damage to corporate systems, addressing the tension between companies' desire for AI benefits and their fear of uncontrolled deployment. How it works: Action Agent creates disposable virtual environments where AI can perform complex tasks without accessing sensitive corporate infrastructure.• The AI can browse websites, fill out forms, and execute repetitive workflows like daily data collection across multiple sites, chart creation, and automated email distribution.• By...
read Jul 29, 2025Google’s Magic Cue AI assistant debuts with Pixel 10 this August
"Magic Cue Ball" was a missed opportunity but be that as it may... Google is developing Magic Cue, an AI assistant that will proactively analyze your screen activity and suggest relevant information and actions based on what you're doing. New code strings discovered in Android's latest Canary build confirm the feature's development, with Google expected to debut it alongside the Pixel 10 series at their August 20th Made by Google event. What you should know: Magic Cue represents Google's most ambitious contextual AI assistant yet, designed to work entirely on-device while accessing data from multiple Google services. The assistant will...
read Jul 29, 2025ChatGPT’s new study mode transforms AI from answer machine to tutor offering mere guidance
OpenAI has launched study mode for ChatGPT, a new feature designed to guide students through learning processes rather than simply providing answers. The tool uses Socratic questioning and step-by-step guidance to encourage deeper understanding, addressing longstanding concerns about AI tools undermining educational development by doing students' homework for them. What you should know: Study mode transforms ChatGPT from an answer machine into an interactive tutor that works through problems with students. The feature is available to all logged-in ChatGPT Free, Plus, Pro, and Team users, with ChatGPT Edu access coming in the next few weeks. Students can access it by...
read Jul 29, 2025Google’s NotebookLM adds video overviews with AI-generated slideshows
Google's NotebookLM has launched Video Overviews, a new AI feature that creates narrated slideshows from users' saved documents. The addition gives users a visual alternative to the platform's existing Audio Overviews, helping make complex information more accessible through AI-generated visuals combined with content from uploaded materials. What you should know: Video Overviews transforms documents into visual presentations with AI-generated narration and graphics. The AI host creates new visuals to illustrate key points while incorporating images, diagrams, quotes, and numbers directly from user documents. Google describes the feature as "uniquely effective for explaining data, demonstrating processes and making abstract concepts more...
read Jul 29, 2025Amazon-backed Skild AI unveils universal robot brain for any machine
Amazon-backed Skild AI unveiled Skild Brain, a foundational AI model designed to operate on nearly any type of robot, from assembly-line machines to humanoids. The launch positions the startup to address robotics' unique data scarcity challenge while advancing the broader push toward versatile humanoid robots capable of diverse tasks beyond single-purpose factory automation. What you should know: Skild Brain enables robots to think, navigate, and respond more like humans through advanced spatial reasoning and adaptability.• Demonstration videos showed Skild-powered robots climbing stairs, maintaining balance after being pushed, and picking up objects in cluttered environments.• The model includes built-in power limits...
read Jul 29, 2025User reviews spring (roll) to life as Yelp launches AI-generated restaurant videos using submitted pics
Yelp has launched AI-generated videos that automatically compile user-posted photos and videos into short promotional content about restaurants and businesses. The feature, now available nationwide on Yelp's iOS app, uses multiple AI tools to create scripted voiceovers and captions that tell compelling stories based on user reviews, representing a significant shift toward automated content creation in local business discovery. How it works: Yelp combines several AI technologies to create finished videos from user-generated content. OpenAI's large language models write text descriptions and narrator scripts, organize story topics, and handle proofreading tasks. ElevenLabs generates the AI narrator's voice, while Amazon Transcribe...
read Jul 29, 2025Google’s AI Mode search launches in UK with conversational queries
Google Search has expanded AI Mode to the UK, following its earlier launches in the US and India. This conversational search experience offers a more chatbot-like alternative to traditional AI Overviews, allowing users to ask complex, multi-part questions and receive comprehensive answers powered by Gemini 2.5. What you should know: AI Mode transforms how users interact with Google Search by supporting longer, more conversational queries that are "two or three times the length of traditional search queries." Users can ask complex questions like "Things to do in Edinburgh this weekend with friends. We're big foodies who like music but also...
read Jul 28, 2025Google expands AI weather forecasts to Pixel 8 devices
Google's Pixel Weather app has begun rolling out AI-powered forecasts to Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a devices, expanding beyond the Pixel 9 series where the feature originally debuted. This marks a significant expansion of the locally-generated AI weather feature, which had previously been limited to Google's newest flagship phones despite older devices having the necessary Gemini Nano AI capabilities. What you should know: The AI forecast feature requires Gemini Nano to be enabled and updated to the latest model version.• Users need to activate Gemini Nano in their phone's Developer Settings to access the AI-powered weather predictions.• The latest Gemini...
read Jul 28, 2025Microsoft launches Copilot Mode with voice control for Edge
Microsoft has launched Copilot Mode, an experimental AI-powered browsing feature for Edge that transforms how users interact with web content through voice commands, tab awareness, and task automation. The free feature positions Microsoft to compete directly with AI-enhanced browsers from Google and other tech giants while reimagining the traditional web browsing experience. What you should know: Copilot Mode replaces Edge's new-tab page with a simplified AI-powered interface that can access and analyze information across all open tabs.• Users can ask Copilot to compare restaurant options, find the soonest availability, most affordable choice, or closest location across multiple tabs without manual...
read Jul 28, 2025Chinese AI startup Zhipu releases GLM-4.5 to challenge OpenAI dominance
Chinese AI startup Zhipu is set to release GLM-4.5, its largest open-source model to date, as early as Monday, marking another significant entry in the global competition with OpenAI. The release represents part of a broader trend among Chinese AI companies ramping up their free artificial intelligence offerings as they seek to establish market presence and influence future industry standards. What you should know: GLM-4.5 represents Zhipu's most ambitious open-source release, positioning the company as a direct challenger to OpenAI's dominance in the AI model space. The model is an update to Zhipu's flagship GLM series, designed to compete on...
read Jul 28, 2025Alibaba enters smart glasses market with AI-powered Quark eyewear launching end of 2025
Alibaba unveiled Quark AI Glasses on Monday, marking the Chinese e-commerce giant's first entry into the smart glasses market as a direct competitor to Meta's Ray-Ban collaboration. The AI-powered wearables, set to launch in China by the end of 2025, represent Alibaba's strategic push into hardware distribution for its Quark AI assistant, positioning the company to compete in what many tech leaders view as the next frontier of computing beyond smartphones. What you should know: The Quark AI Glasses will be powered by Alibaba's Qwen large language model and feature the company's advanced AI assistant called Quark. The glasses will...
read Jul 25, 2025ChromeOS 138 brings desktop sync and enhanced AI wallpaper creation
Google has released ChromeOS version 138, introducing desktop synchronization across Chromebooks and significantly enhanced AI wallpaper generation capabilities. The update addresses workflow continuity for users working across multiple devices while expanding creative control for Chromebook Plus owners through freeform AI prompting. What you should know: The new desk sync feature allows users to seamlessly transition between Chromebooks without losing their work environment.• Windows, tabs, and cookies sync across devices, enabling users to pick up exactly where they left off when switching Chromebooks.• Google specifically highlights its utility for workers in healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing who often share device pools.• The...
read Jul 25, 2025GPT-5 August release planned by OpenAI, unifying two AI model series
OpenAI is preparing to launch GPT-5 as early as August, according to sources familiar with the company's plans reported by The Verge. The new model represents a significant advancement by combining the reasoning capabilities of the o-series models with the general language abilities of traditional GPT models, creating what CEO Sam Altman describes as the company's "most capable AI model" to date. What you should know: GPT-5 will unify OpenAI's previously separate model lines into a single, more powerful system. The model combines a conventional large language model (LLM) with a simulated reasoning (SR) model, integrating breakthrough reasoning capabilities from...
read Jul 25, 2025Google launches Opal, an AI tool that builds apps from text prompts
Google has unveiled Opal, an experimental AI-powered tool that allows developers to create apps using natural language prompts and interactive visual aids, without requiring any coding knowledge. The Google Labs release positions the company to compete in the rapidly growing no-code development market, offering an alternative to traditional programming that could democratize app creation for non-technical users. What you should know: Opal harnesses multiple Google AI models to streamline the entire app development process through conversational interfaces. Gemini 2.5 assists with written content creation, while Veo 3 generates videos with audio and Imagen 4 creates accompanying images. Users can choose...
read Jul 24, 2025GitHub Spark turns natural language into working micro apps
GitHub has launched Spark, an AI-powered platform that enables users to build micro apps through natural language prompts, now available in public preview for Copilot Pro+ subscribers. The release positions GitHub to capitalize on the growing demand for AI-assisted development tools as software creation becomes increasingly automated and accessible to non-technical users. What you should know: Spark transforms app development by allowing users to describe what they want in plain English rather than writing code. Users can request apps like movie review summarizers with personalized recommendations, then refine the interface with commands like "Add a search bar to the top...
read Jul 24, 2025Chan Zuckerberg Initiative unveils GREmLN AI to accelerate cancer research
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic organization founded by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and pediatrician Priscilla Chan, has unveiled a groundbreaking artificial intelligence system that could accelerate breakthroughs in cancer research and disease treatment. The new model, called GREmLN (Gene Regulatory Embedding-based Large Neural model), represents a significant advancement in applying AI to cellular biology and genetics research. This development builds on the growing momentum of AI in healthcare, following notable successes like DeepMind's AlphaFold pparrotein-folding system, which earned its creators a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. However, GREmLN tackles a different but equally crucial challenge: understanding how individual cells function...
read Jul 24, 2025OpenAI targets August for GPT-5 with unified AI system
OpenAI is preparing to launch GPT-5 as early as August, according to sources familiar with the company's plans reported by The Verge. The release represents a significant evolution in OpenAI's AI architecture, as GPT-5 will function as a unified system incorporating multiple distinct models rather than operating as a single AI model, potentially streamlining the company's complex product offerings. What you should know: GPT-5 will integrate OpenAI's o3 model alongside other technologies to create a more versatile AI system.• CEO Sam Altman announced in February that the new model would combine the o-series and GPT-series capabilities in an effort to...
read Jul 24, 2025Forget the dressing room, Google adds AI-generated clothing images and virtual try-on to shopping search
Google is launching two new AI-powered shopping features this fall: an AI Mode that generates synthetic clothing and decor images to help users find real products, and a virtual try-on tool that shows how clothes look on users' uploaded photos. These features represent Google's push to inject more generative AI into its Search shopping experience, potentially offering a more personalized and visually-driven approach to online retail discovery. What you should know: The AI Mode shopping feature will create synthetic images based on user descriptions to guide product recommendations more effectively than text-based searches alone.• Users searching for "a green flowy...
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