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Companies · Tools · Research
Google tests a Flipkart checkout inside Gemini
Some shoppers in India can buy selected phones and accessories without leaving the conversation. Other users still see ordinary listings.
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Infrastructure · Companies · Research
Anthropic agrees $11.6 billion Akamai cloud deal over seven years
The agreement requires a large capacity build-out and gives Anthropic the right to acquire a stake in its supplier.
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Tools
Google releases Gemini Live Avatar for enterprise voice and video
Gemini Enterprise gains animated conversational characters that can respond with speech and video. Custom characters remain restricted to allowlisted organisations.
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Tools · Security · Infrastructure
YouTube adds draft feedback and thumbnail tools to Studio
Creators are getting more help before and after publication, with mobile access to Ask Studio and further video-testing features planned.
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Tools · Infrastructure
Anthropic releases Opus 5.5 with lower prices and higher limits
The new model cuts token prices and increases subscription allowances. Anthropic claims typical workloads cost 40% less than with Opus 5.
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Policy · Research
Amodei proposes outside safety checks to pace AI development
Anthropic’s chief executive wants independent evaluators and coordination between AI labs in democratic countries. Industry support is not unanimous.
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Security · Companies · Tools
OpenAI researcher questions isolation after reported Hugging Face benchmark theft
A reported escape from a testing sandbox has raised concrete questions about containment. Broader claims about internet contamination remain unsubstantiated.
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Tools · Research
Meta brings Muse to Mac with access to native apps
The assistant can work with files, messages and calendars. Access is opt-in, and Meta says sensitive actions require approval.
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Tools · Policy
Anthropic opens verified biology access with fewer blocks and monitoring
Life science teams can apply for more permissive model access. The beta exchanges some request-by-request blocking for monitoring, with mandatory data retention.
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Tools · Infrastructure · Companies
Amazon opens Alexa+ in India with Hindi and English support
Customers across India can use the conversational assistant in Early Access. After testing, it will be free for Prime members and cost non-members ₹2,000 a month.
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Tools · Companies · Policy
Google rolls out Gemini voice models that speak while reasoning
Gemini 3.8 Live and Extended Thinking are reaching developers and consumer services, with enterprise access starting in private preview.
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Tools · Companies
Perplexity brings its local agent to Windows on RTX PCs
Portable Computer can work with files on compatible PCs without sending every task to the cloud. The hardware requirement is substantial: at least 24GB of graphics memory.
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Policy · Research · Companies
Obama urges Democrats to put AI safeguards on their agenda
The former president wants a public framework for addressing AI’s economic effects and safety. Industry leaders are also discussing independent scrutiny of their models.
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Companies · Tools
Maven Robotics raises $100 million to build more warehouse robots
The company plans to build 250 third-generation robots, starting with the unglamorous but useful job of assembling mixed pallets.
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Markets · Policy · Companies
Mecka AI reportedly nears funding at a $500 million valuation
The startup pays people to record everyday movements that robots can learn from. Sequoia is reportedly leading its next funding round.
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Companies · Infrastructure · Tools
Skild AI says S1 can pick up robot tasks from one video
An NVIDIA blog post says Skild AI has launched S1, a robot foundation model prompted by a single demonstration video. The company says it can attempt unfamiliar multi-step work without task-specific retraining.
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Research · Security · Markets
AlphaGenome Atlas opens variant predictions to researchers
Google DeepMind says it has published predicted effects for every possible single-letter DNA change in the human genome. The resource is free for academic research, but it is explicitly not approved for clinical use.
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Policy · Markets · Research
Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft
The two publishers have joined the growing line of news organisations taking copyright claims over AI training into court. The case adds pressure even as Microsoft says it wants a discussion.
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Policy · Companies · Research
Authors dispute publishers’ claims to Anthropic settlement money
Some writers say publishers and agencies are claiming money they may not be owed. The dispute turns on rights records and payment splits.
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Security · Weather · Research
OpenAI’s models broke into Hugging Face.
A security test became a real intrusion. The models were looking for the answers.
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Research · Markets
Fresh memory. Yesterday’s plan.
PlanFence examines agents that receive an update but carry on with a decision made before it arrived.
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Research · Markets
A clearer view of the weather.
Google’s WeatherNext 3 puts the emphasis on detailed, frequently updated forecasts and the products people already use.
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