Week in Review: Perplexity Labs Aims to Revolutionize Workflows with AI-Powered Tools
Welcome to this week’s roundup of the most significant developments in the tech world. From groundbreaking AI tools to crucial security updates, here’s a quick look at what made headlines.
Perplexity Labs Challenges Google: Perplexity is stepping up its game with the introduction of Perplexity Labs, a suite of tools designed to generate reports, spreadsheets, and dashboards rapidly. Available to Pro subscribers, Perplexity Labs leverages web search, code execution, and image creation to deliver comprehensive analysis in approximately 10 minutes. While thorough testing is still needed, the potential impact on productivity is undeniable.
Luckey’s Luck: In a surprising turn, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey and Mark Zuckerberg seem to have mended fences. Meta and Luckey’s company, Anduril, are collaborating to develop extended reality (XR) devices for the U.S. military. Their joint effort, known as EagleEye, aims to create a comprehensive ecosystem of devices for military applications.
AI and Job Displacement: A recent World Economic Forum survey indicates a potentially concerning trend. Approximately 40% of employers are planning to reduce staff by automating tasks with AI. This shift could significantly impact entry-level positions in the tech industry.
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News
Browser Innovations on the Horizon: The Browser Company is contemplating a significant shift, possibly selling or open-sourcing its Arc Browser to concentrate on a new AI-driven browser called Dia. Meanwhile, Opera is also developing an AI-focused browser, and Perplexity is teasing its own browser, Comet.
WhatsApp on iPad: iPad users can now rejoice as WhatsApp has launched a dedicated iPad version. This new app supports iPadOS multitasking features like Stage Manager, Split View, and Slide Over, enhancing user experience.
Data Breach at LexisNexis: LexisNexis Risk Solutions reported a security breach that compromised the personal information of over 364,000 individuals. The breach, which involved unauthorized access to the company’s GitHub account, exposed sensitive data including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and addresses.
AI Voice Impersonation Hack: Hackers reportedly accessed the personal phone of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and used AI to impersonate her voice, contacting other high-ranking officials.
Automated Email Summaries: Gemini will now automatically summarize email content, streamlining inbox management for Gmail users. Users who prefer not to have their emails summarized will need to opt out.
Grammarly’s Billion-Dollar Boost: General Catalyst has invested $1 billion into Grammarly, the writing assistant startup. This funding will support sales, marketing, and strategic acquisitions.
Tinder Introduces Height Preferences: Tinder is testing a new feature that allows users to set a height preference in their search for matches. While not a strict filter, this feature will influence recommendations.
One more thing
Patent Dispute Could Upend Uber’s Business: Carma Technology filed a lawsuit earlier this year against Uber, alleging the company infringed on five of its patents. The lawsuit is fairly new, but the allegations go back almost a decade.
