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Perplexity employee who worked on Comet launches an AI browser aimed at knowledge work
A startup called Polar, founded by Kevin Jiang, a former Perplexity engineer who worked on its Comet browser, has launched an AI-first browser aimed specifically at knowledge workers rather than everyday consumers. The launch comes as the AI browser sector has shifted focus away from consumer-facing chat-with-tabs features, following setbacks such as OpenAI’s Atlas being…
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Google will let Mac users talk to Gemini simply by pressing the ‘fn’ key
Google is rolling out a new feature that lets Gemini users on Mac talk to the AI assistant from any window simply by long-pressing the “fn” key. The update makes the chatbot far more accessible on macOS, allowing users to dictate notes, issue voice commands, or ask Gemini to act on whatever is currently open…
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Majors, Believe, BMG, Concord, HYBE and more propose chart eligibility rules for AI music
A coalition of major and independent music companies — including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Believe, BMG, Concord and HYBE Corp. — has proposed a set of principles governing when AI-assisted recordings can qualify for official music charts. Announced on 29 July 2026, the framework aims to draw a clear line between…
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5 Years Later, Cool Cyberpunk Shooter The Ascent Is Getting a Major Update — and It Sounds Like a Sequel Is in the Works
Publisher Krafton has announced a major update for The Ascent, Neon Giant’s cyberpunk twin-stick action RPG, timed to mark the game’s fifth anniversary since its 2021 release. The update, arriving in November 2026, focuses on improving reliability and stability rather than adding new content, and the announcement includes hints that a sequel or franchise expansion…
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Major Record Labels Call to Disqualify AI Slop Songs From Global Charts
Nearly a dozen major record companies, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group, have called on global music chart organisations to introduce rules disqualifying much of the so-called “AI slop” flooding streaming services. The proposed principles would only allow AI-generated tracks onto charts if the AI use is authorised and lawful, the…
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Encore AI raises $30M to build AI agents that learn from customer calls
Encore AI, a startup that builds AI voice agents trained on companies’ own customer interactions, has raised $30 million in a Series A round led by Team8. The funding matters because it reflects growing investor appetite for AI agents that don’t just automate generic customer service scripts, but learn from a specific organisation’s most successful…
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Double Fine Cuts 25% Of Staff After Separating From Microsoft
Double Fine has reportedly cut around a quarter of its workforce after separating from Microsoft. The reduction is significant because it affects a well-known games studio and follows a change in its corporate ownership or relationship with its former parent company. The supplied article text contains no further reporting beyond a page-access notice, so the…
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“Let’s Not Allow Our Own Demise”: Willie Nelson Sounds Alarm Over Threat to Rural America
Country music legend Willie Nelson, approaching his 93rd birthday, has spoken out against plans to build an artificial intelligence data centre in his hometown of Abbott, Texas. Rather than focusing on AI’s ability to mimic musicians’ voices and styles, Nelson centred his objection on the environmental and social toll such facilities take on small rural…
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NASA Swift rescue mission spins into trouble during commissioning
Katalyst Space’s LINK spacecraft, sent to rescue NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory before it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere, has run into fresh trouble during commissioning, tumbling in a multi-axis spin after two of its three reaction wheels failed. NASA also reported reduced functionality in the craft’s cold-gas thruster system, and communications with LINK have become sporadic,…
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Keychron’s gaming mouse firmware is going open-source, while the company critiques ‘firmware you can’t read, can’t audit, can’t change’
Keychron has announced plans to make the firmware for its gaming mice open-source, allowing users and developers to inspect and potentially modify the code. The move matters because it challenges the common practice of shipping peripheral firmware that customers cannot independently review or alter. The company framed the decision as a response to proprietary firmware…