AI tools
From glossary entries and tool comparisons to coding agents and local models: every step of putting AI to work, written to be followed.
Series and tutorial hubs
Series to read in order, each with its own directory and learning paths.
Codex learning hub: tutorial directory
A planned 60-lesson, ten-unit Codex curriculum, from setup and your first task to MD instructions and advanced integrations. Find your next lesson by experience, platform, goal or command; unpublished entries show their status.
Lifestyle
Google Cloud Launches Spanner Queues: Putting Message Queues Inside Database Transactions to Make AI Agents More Reliable
Google Cloud has announced the general availability of Spanner queues, which make message creation part of a database transaction. The aim is to stop AI agents' "state" and "actions" from falling out of sync. This article covers Google Cloud's claims, the main features, and what it means for general readers.
- AI news
Lifestyle
GPT-6.1 Sol Launches: New Sol Version in the API, Codex and ChatGPT Work, Not in Chat
OpenAI launched GPT-6.1 Sol on September 29, 2026, with the API name gpt-6.1-sol. The launch rollout covers Codex and ChatGPT Work on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu (Enterprise and Edu need an administrator to enable it); Free and Go are not included at launch, and it is not in Chat (checked September 2026).
- AI tools
- Apps & software
- AI news
Lifestyle
Claude Sonnet 5.5 Launches: Same List Price as Sonnet 5, Available in the API, on Cloud Platforms and in Claude.ai
Anthropic launched Claude Sonnet 5.5 on September 28, 2026. API list prices are the same as Sonnet 5 ($2 per million input tokens, $10 per million output tokens). It is available in Claude.ai, the API and several cloud platforms, and higher-risk cybersecurity requests fall back to Sonnet 5 (checked September 2026).
- AI tools
- Apps & software
- AI news
Lifestyle
Claude Code Adds mods: TypeScript Functions in Plugins Change Its Behavior and Interface
On October 1, 2026, Anthropic introduced Claude Code mods: TypeScript or JavaScript functions that ship inside a plugin and run in the Claude Code process, and can rewrite prompts, manage tool calls and draw new interface. Anthropic says they work in the CLI and the desktop app and are not sandboxed; the documentation says v2.1.287 or later is required (checked October 2026).
- AI tools
- Apps & software
- AI news
Lifestyle
DoorDash launches an AI agent you can text via Apple Messages to order food
According to TechCrunch, DoorDash has announced an AI agent that takes food orders by text message in Apple Messages, so users can order in plain language without opening an app. For now it is open only through a waitlist for US users. It is part of a wider push toward AI assistants that complete everyday tasks for you.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Google launches skills in Gemini, set to gradually replace Gems
On September 30, 2026, Google announced the global rollout of skills in Gemini conversations, letting users save and reuse custom instructions, and published timelines for ending Gems support and shutting down Opal.
- AI news
Lifestyle
AWS introduces Bedrock AgentCore Runtime Instances: AI agents can run for 14 days, use GPUs and collaborate on one machine
In a 2026-09-30 post, AWS used a music production pipeline to demonstrate Runtime Instances, a new way to host AI agents on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore. It offers sessions of up to 14 days, GPU access, lasting storage and several agents working together on one machine. It matters mainly to developers and businesses building AI agents. All information comes from a single source: AWS.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Hugging Face launches the Open TTS Leaderboard to compare open-source text-to-speech and voice cloning models with objective metrics
On September 30, 2026, Hugging Face announced the Open TTS Leaderboard. It ranks open-source text-to-speech models, which turn written text into spoken audio, by how accurately they speak, how fast they run and how closely a cloned voice matches the original. Here is how it works, what it cannot measure and why it matters to anyone who uses computer-generated voices.
- AI news
Lifestyle
AWS: Claude on Amazon Bedrock can now run entirely inside Seoul and Singapore
AWS says Amazon Bedrock now offers in-region inference for Claude Opus 5 and Claude Sonnet 5 in Seoul and for Claude Sonnet 5 in Singapore. Requests and data are processed only in the AWS Region the customer calls, which is aimed at organizations such as financial services, healthcare and the public sector that must keep data processing local.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Wabi 2.0: AI app maker Wabi turns into a messaging app that builds apps for you
According to TechCrunch, Wabi, the startup from Replika founder Eugenia Kuyda, has announced Wabi 2.0. It is moving from a tool that builds apps from typed instructions to an AI messenger that creates small apps on demand and gets tasks done. It is invite-only for now, and it reflects a wider push to mix chat and apps.
- AI news
Lifestyle
NVIDIA releases Kumo Tabular, an open tabular foundation model it says ranks first on four benchmarks
On September 29, 2026, NVIDIA released Kumo Tabular, a free-to-use AI model that makes predictions from spreadsheet-style data without being trained for each task. It could make prediction work faster for companies and researchers. Here is how NVIDIA says it works, the results NVIDIA reports and the limits NVIDIA itself names.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Instinct founder says more than half of transactions on his AI agent platform are travel-related
According to TechCrunch, Noah Shinn, founder of the AI personal agent Instinct, said on a podcast that more than 50% of its transactions are travel-related and that annual transaction volume is close to $1 billion. Here is what he claimed, why some observers pushed back, and what it means for travellers who let an AI book for them.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Marissa Mayer unveils Dazzle, an AI assistant that learns about you from your phone's photos
Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has unveiled Dazzle, a personal AI assistant that learns about you from your camera roll instead of your email or calendar, TechCrunch reports. Here is how it works, what a TechCrunch reporter found when testing it, and what the privacy pitch means for anyone thinking of handing over their photos.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Microsoft Research Introduces Quine, a Research-Only AI System for Studying Biology
On September 29, 2026, Microsoft Research introduced Quine, an AI system meant to help scientists decide which biology experiments to run. Microsoft says it tested the system in pancreatic cancer cell experiments with the Broad Institute. Quine is for research only, not for patients or clinical use, and access is limited for now to selected scientists.
- AI news
Lifestyle
ProvenanceGuard: Multiverse Computing's method for checking whether AI agents credit facts to the right source
On 29 September 2026, the Multiverse Computing team presented ProvenanceGuard. The team says it checks, after an AI agent answers, whether each claim really comes from the source the answer names. A true fact credited to the wrong source can mislead in areas such as healthcare, customer support and finance. All results are the team's own and have not been independently verified.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Meta Launches Muse for Small Business: AI Agent Connects to Shopify, Slack, QuickBooks and Other Business Tools
On September 29, 2026, Meta extended its personal AI agent Muse to small businesses. Owners can now link it to tools like Shopify, Slack, QuickBooks and their Facebook and Instagram business accounts so it can help run the business. Meta says nothing is posted, sent or spent without the owner's approval.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Rep. Ro Khanna presses DeepSeek, Alibaba and Moonshot AI on AI safety and calls for a US-China treaty
According to The Verge, US Rep. Ro Khanna has written to US intelligence officials and to Chinese AI companies DeepSeek, Alibaba and Moonshot AI. He asks how ready they are if an AI system slips out of its makers' control, and he calls for a US-China treaty banning AI that can improve itself. This article explains what he asked, where US leaders stand and what it means for everyday users.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Reco raises $55M to help companies find and control their AI agents as the security market gets crowded
AI security startup Reco says it raised $55 million, TechCrunch reports, as companies deploy AI agents faster than they can track them. The same wave of adoption has crowded the market for tools to secure those agents. The story matters to any business using AI agents and to anyone whose data those agents can reach.
- AI news
Lifestyle
What to Do When Searches Get No Clicks: Rethinking Traffic Value Through Reader Tasks
Readers may find opening hours, phone numbers or brief answers on a search page without visiting a website. A non-click is not always a success, and site CTR cannot reveal the overall zero-click search rate. Using an original clothing alterations shop scenario, this article covers checks for search displays, business interactions and actual tasks, from finding information and comparing services to booking, with a comparison table, practical steps and original SVG diagrams.
- Tutorials
- Apps & software
- AI search & GEO
Lifestyle
Peak XV raises its Surge seed investment ceiling to $5 million per startup as the Series A bar rises, unveils 18-startup Surge 12 cohort
According to TechCrunch, venture capital firm Peak XV now invests up to $5 million per startup through Surge, its seed-stage platform, up from $3 million. Its managing director says the bar for the next funding round has risen, which means early-stage founders in AI, robotics, space and healthcare may need more money sooner. The new 18-startup Surge 12 cohort is the first to get the higher ceiling.
- AI news
Lifestyle
xAI's Grok 4.7 AI model is now on Amazon Bedrock: what AWS says it offers businesses and developers
AWS announced on September 28, 2026 that xAI's Grok 4.7 is available on Amazon Bedrock, its cloud platform for AI models. This matters mainly to businesses and developers who build on AWS. Here is what AWS says the model can do, the benchmark gains and higher usage it reports, and the safety, region and pricing options.
- AI news
Lifestyle
AI is making hacking easier, and The Verge says local hospitals and banks aren't ready
The Verge reports that the most powerful AI security tools are mostly available to large companies, while small hospitals, banks and nonprofits may struggle against AI-assisted attacks. Here is what the report and Anthropic's own announcement say, and what it means for ordinary people.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Meta launches Meta Enterprise Platform, its enterprise AI business, led by former MongoDB CEO CJ Desai
On September 28, 2026, Meta announced Meta Enterprise Platform, a new business that aims to bring its AI agents and tools, such as Muse, to companies and developers. Former MongoDB CEO CJ Desai will lead it. Pricing, launch regions and timing have not been announced.
- AI news
Lifestyle
Google Arts & Culture App Redesign Adds Conversational Search and Two AI Experiments
Google has announced a 15th-anniversary redesign of the Google Arts & Culture app. It adds conversational search, a single home feed, two AI experiments called Chrono Look and Dial-an-Artist, and 27 new destinations in City Guide. Here is what Google announced and what it means for everyday users.
- AI news