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Nothing Introduces AI‑Powered Playground and Essential Apps for Phone 3

Nothing Introduces AI‑Powered Playground and Essential Apps for Phone 3

Nothing has unveiled AI‑driven features for its Phone 3 lineup, letting users generate custom apps, widgets and visual designs through natural‑language prompts. The new Nothing Playground creates code on the fly, while Essential Apps serves as a nascent marketplace where these creations can be shared and downloaded. Demonstrations showed the AI crafting a graphic for the phone’s Glyph Matrix display and building simple utilities such as a flight reminder and a hydration tracker. The tools run on Nothing OS 4, which is based on Android, and represent a step toward an AI‑focused operating system.

Opera Launches AI-Powered Browser Subscription at $20 Monthly

Opera Launches AI-Powered Browser Subscription at $20 Monthly

Opera has introduced Neon, a subscription‑based AI browser priced at $19.90 per month, targeting users who rely heavily on artificial intelligence. The service combines traditional web browsing with agentic AI capabilities that can execute tasks, generate code, and deliver outcomes directly within the browser. Key features include Tasks for AI‑driven workspaces, Cards for reusable prompts, and Neon Do for automated web navigation. Opera hopes the premium offering will attract users away from free alternatives, and the browser is currently available to a limited group with a waitlist for additional spots.

OpenAI Launches Instant Checkout for Etsy Purchases Within ChatGPT

OpenAI Launches Instant Checkout for Etsy Purchases Within ChatGPT

OpenAI introduced Instant Checkout, a new feature that lets users purchase individual items from Etsy sellers directly inside ChatGPT. Powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol developed with Stripe, the service currently supports single‑item purchases in the United States for both free and paid ChatGPT users. OpenAI says the rollout will expand to include multi‑item carts, more regions, and a broader set of merchants, with over a million Shopify sellers slated to adopt the technology soon. Payments are processed by the merchant, and merchants cover a small fee without affecting product prices.

Elon Musk's Leadership Style Triggers Wave of Departures at xAI and Tesla

Elon Musk's Leadership Style Triggers Wave of Departures at xAI and Tesla

A growing number of senior staff at Elon Musk's AI venture xAI and at Tesla have left the companies, citing concerns over Musk's free‑speech absolutism, lax safety practices, and aggressive product timelines. The exodus includes former executives, engineers, and product leaders who have moved to rivals such as OpenAI or started their own safety projects. Internal tensions have also been highlighted by remarks about Musk's decision‑making style and the integration of controversial AI features, fueling uncertainty about the future direction of the firms.

Google Expands AI Mode with Visual Search and Conversational Shopping

Google Expands AI Mode with Visual Search and Conversational Shopping

Google announced enhancements to AI Mode in Search, adding visual‑based answers that let users see images directly within the AI tab. The update builds on Google Lens technology, letting users request design inspiration, refine image results, and upload photos for search. Shopping queries now accept natural‑language descriptions, delivering retailer links without manual filters. The changes aim to keep Google competitive with AI‑driven rivals and to shift search toward intent‑based interactions while maintaining traffic quality for publishers.

Composite Secures $5.6 Million Seed Funding to Launch Cross‑Browser AI Agent for Professionals

Composite Secures $5.6 Million Seed Funding to Launch Cross‑Browser AI Agent for Professionals

Composite, a startup founded by former Uber product manager Yang Fan Yun and server‑proxy entrepreneur Charlie Deane, announced a $5.6 million seed round led by Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross’s NFDG, with participation from Menlo Ventures and Anthropic’s Anthology Fund. The company’s AI‑powered browser extension works on both Macs and Windows, enabling professionals to automate repetitive web‑based tasks without switching browsers. Use cases highlighted include managing Jira backlogs, recruiting outreach, security ticket creation, and marketing report generation. Investors praised the tool’s intuitive design and its focus on professional workflows amid growing competition in the AI‑agent space.

CommanderAI Aims to Be the Salesforce for Waste Management

CommanderAI Aims to Be the Salesforce for Waste Management

CommanderAI, founded by former Battle Motors driver David Berg, is launching a specialized CRM and sales prospecting platform for the waste‑management industry. Berg says existing tools like Salesforce and HubSpot are too complex and lack industry‑specific data. Using AI to pull and segment publicly available information, CommanderAI helps waste haulers locate small businesses and construction projects that often lack an online presence. The startup recently closed a $5 million seed round led by 11 Tribes Ventures with participation from Watchfire Ventures, Gaingels, and Rad Fund, and plans to expand its sales team and product features.

Suno Studio Unveils the First Generative Audio Workstation

Suno Studio Unveils the First Generative Audio Workstation

Suno introduces Suno Studio, a desktop‑only platform that blends AI‑driven music generation with traditional digital audio workstation tools. Users can start from a simple prompt or a humming fragment, then edit stems, adjust pitch, tempo, and volume, and export the final track. While the service requires a paid subscription, it aims to serve both hobbyists and professionals seeking rapid, AI‑assisted composition. Suno also faces legal challenges from music labels alleging unauthorized training data use.

Meta's New Smart Glasses Navigate Competition and Uncertainty

Meta's New Smart Glasses Navigate Competition and Uncertainty

Meta has introduced a new line of smart glasses, including Ray‑Ban and Oakley models, that aim to blend everyday wearability with AI features. The devices fall into two categories: tethered glasses that act like eye‑headphones for short sessions, and wireless glasses that strive to replace daily eyewear but face battery‑life limits. While Meta’s AI is tied to its own ecosystem, developers may soon gain broader access. Competitors such as Luma and upcoming Google offerings add pressure, leaving consumers to decide whether to adopt now or wait for more advanced versions.

California Enacts AI Transparency Law, Critics Say It Favours Big Tech

California Enacts AI Transparency Law, Critics Say It Favours Big Tech

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, requiring AI firms with annual revenues of at least $500 million to publish safety protocols and report critical incidents. The law focuses on disclosure rather than mandatory safety testing, defining catastrophic risk as incidents that could cause 50 or more deaths, $1 billion in damage, or weaponized AI misuse. While the measure offers whistleblower protections and civil penalties up to $1 million per violation, industry observers argue it stops short of robust safeguards and aligns with Big Tech’s preferred regulatory approach.

Amazon Announces Alexa+ Enhancements at 2025 Devices and Services Event

Amazon Announces Alexa+ Enhancements at 2025 Devices and Services Event

At its Devices and Services event, Amazon unveiled a suite of Alexa+ updates across its ecosystem. Ring’s new 2K and 4K devices will gain Alexa+ Greetings, letting the assistant recognize friends, family, and strangers. Alexa+ is embedded in Vega, Amazon’s new smart‑TV operating system, enabling personalized content searches and scene‑specific queries. Kindle users will soon converse with Alexa+ about notes and documents stored on Kindle devices. The refreshed 2025 Echo lineup ships with new AZ3 and AZ3 Pro chips for faster voice processing, and a growing roster of third‑party partners appears in the Alexa+ Store. A new shopping widget expands purchase tracking, and the updated devices are slated for release in October and November.

Amazon Unveils Redesigned Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 with AI‑Enhanced Alexa+

Amazon Unveils Redesigned Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 with AI‑Enhanced Alexa+

Amazon announced a revamped Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 at an invite‑only Devices and Services event in New York City. The new smart displays feature custom silicon, advanced sensors, improved microphones, and 13‑megapixel cameras, and are built around the AI‑enhanced Alexa+ service. Alexa+ offers more conversational interactions and memory of prior chats, and is available free to Prime members or for a monthly fee for non‑Prime users. The redesign aims to blend the devices into home environments while delivering higher‑quality audio and visual experiences.