Amazon's Alexa can now alert you to things worth buying
Amazon launched 'Update Me When,' an Alexa for Shopping feature that sends personalized alerts when something new happens that could lead to a purchase.
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1155 storiesFambot launches an 'AI chief of staff' for families
Fambot, a startup founded by ex-Instagram and Uber engineers, launched an 'AI chief of staff' that helps parents track kids' schedules, email, and school logistics.
Waymo expands robotaxis to Denver, San Diego, and Tampa
Waymo launched robotaxi service in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa, extending Alphabet's self-driving fleet — now over 4,000 vehicles — to 14 U.S. cities.
Instagram to limit reach of undisclosed AI-generated profiles
Instagram is renaming its "AI creator" label to "AI-generated profile" and will reduce the reach of accounts that feature AI-generated people without disclosing it.
VLC media player crosses 7 billion downloads
VLC, the free media player from nonprofit VideoLAN, has surpassed 7 billion downloads across all platforms, nearly 18 months after crossing 6 billion.
AI media-search startup Clipto raises $15M at a $250M valuation
Three-year-old Clipto, which uses AI to index files on a user's computer, raised $15 million at a $250 million valuation.
MapQuest's app hits No. 1 in Navigation after refusing to rename Lake Ontario
MapQuest's app downloads surged after the company refused to rename Lake Ontario on its maps despite a Trump executive order, sending it to No. 1 in the U.S. App Store's Navigation category.
Circleback adds a free tier as meeting note-taker competition heats up
Y Combinator-backed Circleback is launching a free tier letting users transcribe unlimited meetings, capped at 30 days of history, as rivals crowd the market.
Grindr revenue triples as CEO bets on 'everything app'
Grindr's revenue is on pace to roughly triple to a guided $540 million-plus this year as CEO George Arison rolls out a pricier "EDGE" subscription tier.
Hollywood stars are betting on microdrama apps
U.S. revenue from microdramas — short, scripted series built for phones — is expected to reach $1.5 billion this year, and Hollywood actors and investors are increasingly getting involved.
Brave adds email aliases, one-upping Chrome on privacy
Brave has added an email alias feature that lets users sign up for websites without sharing their real email address, forwarding messages to their primary inbox instead.
Friend-focused photo app Retro raises more than $21M Series A
Retro, a friend-focused photo-sharing app founded by former Instagram engineers, raised more than $21 million in a Series A round led by Field Ventures and Thrive Capital.
Bluesky lets users opt their posts out of its Discover feed
Bluesky introduced a new setting that lets users keep their public posts out of the app's algorithmic Discover feed, which can otherwise surface any post on the network.
YouTube lets U.S. creators tag Amazon products for commissions
YouTube announced that eligible U.S. creators can now tag Amazon products directly in their videos and earn a commission on resulting sales.
Google's AI Mode adds flight-price tracking and hotel booking
Google added new travel features to AI Mode, letting users track flight prices, book hotels, and see flight and hotel costs in points or miles.
A new social network called 'Twitter.now' is testing early access at $20
A startup called Operation Bluebird, founded in part by former Twitter trademark counsel Stephen Coates, has launched a social network called Twitter.now that is currently in testing with $20 early access.
Google tightens Android app memory rules as chip shortage bites
Google is adding new Android app quality requirements, including stricter memory-usage thresholds, as an industrywide memory chip shortage tied to the AI data center boom squeezes device supply.
OpenAI to bring ChatGPT ads to India's free and Go tiers
OpenAI will start showing ads on ChatGPT's Free and Go tiers in India, targeting more than 100 million weekly active users there, the company said Thursday.
Gemini's branding clutter shows an industry-wide UX problem
Google's Wednesday Gemini Live announcement promises users won't have to guess which feature handles a task, but Gemini's own branded sub-features — chat, Spark, Daily Brief — undercut that promise.
Flipboard acquires feed-building startup Graze to grow the open social web
Flipboard has acquired Graze, a Portland-based startup that lets creators build and monetize custom Bluesky feeds, in an undisclosed deal.