Apps

Product launches, dev tools, startups, consumer AI

39 articles
All
ChatGPT can now send texts for you with new Apple Messages plugin
TechCrunch AI
AppsAug 20

ChatGPT can now send texts for you with new Apple Messages plugin

OpenAI has launched an Apple Messages plugin for ChatGPT, allowing users to connect their Messages inbox to the chatbot. The plugin enables sorting, analyzing, editing, deleting, and drafting/sending messages, and works with Codex and ChatGPT Work for professional use. OpenAI claims the plugin runs locally and doesn't index all messages, but privacy specifics remain unclear. TechCrunch has reached out for clarification. OpenAI also warns users to keep approval settings on to review messages before sending, discouraging persistent approval. This raises privacy questions about AI accessing personal communications.

1 min readRead
Ok, can we actually cool data centers with our pee?
TechCrunch AI
AppsAug 20

Ok, can we actually cool data centers with our pee?

Liquid Death launched a cheeky marketing campaign with former NFL star Jason Kelce suggesting people pee on data centers to cool them, highlighting the massive water consumption of AI infrastructure. While the ad is humorous, experts note that using treated wastewater—which includes urine—to cool data centers is a real and viable approach. Michael Obradovitch of Ecolab confirms alternative water sources are already used to offset potable water demand, and Bruno Pigott of the WateReuse Association explains that wastewater can be cleaned and reused for cooling. However, directly using raw urine would cause mineral deposits and fouling in cooling towers, requiring constant cleaning. The article clarifies that large-scale urine collection isn't practical, but wastewater treatment with membrane bioreactors and reverse osmosis can produce recycled water for data center cooling. This piece ties a viral marketing stunt to a serious sustainability topic relevant to AI's environmental footprint.

1 min readRead
Google gives publishers a new way to fight AI-driven traffic losses
TechCrunch AI
AppsAug 20

Google gives publishers a new way to fight AI-driven traffic losses

Google is rolling out a new 'Preferred Sources' button for publishers to embed on their websites, letting readers mark favorite sources to be highlighted more often in Google Search, Discover, and Google News. The feature expands on an earlier May launch of Preferred Sources in AI Mode and AI Overviews, and Google reports over 345,000 unique sources already selected. Publishers can benefit as users are twice as likely to click through preferred sources, helping offset traffic losses caused by AI-powered search features. Google is also introducing natural-language customization for Discover feeds and audio daily briefings in the Google News app for Android users. This move reflects a broader industry trend of using AI to give users more control over content recommendations.

1 min readRead
Ramp launches its own AI model router, called Router
TechCrunch AI
AppsAug 20

Ramp launches its own AI model router, called Router

Ramp, a corporate expense management platform, has launched 'Router,' a new AI model routing service that allows users to switch between various large language models via a single API. The service, which has been used internally by Ramp for three years, is currently available in the United States and is free for the remainder of 2026, excluding inference costs. Router offers access to models from major providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI, along with strategies to route queries based on specific benchmarks or cost preferences. The platform includes a dashboard for monitoring token spend, latency, and fallback attempts, helping companies manage AI usage more effectively. By entering this market, Ramp aims to tap into the booming AI inference sector while integrating this capability with its existing token spend management tools. This move positions Ramp to build long-standing relationships with AI labs and provides a new entry point for selling its broader expense management products.

1 min readRead
Meta brings Pocket, an app that lets you vibe-code and share games, to US users
TechCrunch AI
AppsAug 20

Meta brings Pocket, an app that lets you vibe-code and share games, to US users

Meta has officially launched Pocket, an experimental app that allows users to create and share interactive games using AI prompts, to all users in the United States. The platform, which originated from Meta's acquisition of the Gizmo team, enables the generation of 'gizmos' that respond to touch, tilt, and sound, while also integrating personal media like photos and music. These creations are published to a social feed where other users can save, remix, or repost them, fostering a collaborative creative ecosystem. This launch is part of Meta's broader strategy to mainstream AI creation tools, following the release of AI image and video generation apps. CEO Mark Zuckerberg attributes the company's accelerated shipping of new products to AI-enabled software development, which significantly reduces the time required to test and deploy new ideas. Pocket joins a growing suite of standalone Meta applications, including Instants, Forum, and Seller, signaling a shift toward fragmented, AI-driven mobile experiences.

1 min readRead
Tesla Robotaxis appear to go fully unsupervised in Austin ahead of Cybercab launch
The Verge AI
AppsAug 20

Tesla Robotaxis appear to go fully unsupervised in Austin ahead of Cybercab launch

Tesla's Robotaxi service in Austin has transitioned to fully unsupervised operations, with all 170 rides tracked over the past two weeks lacking human safety monitors. This significant shift involves 54 different vehicles and marks a rapid expansion from previous stagnation in the unsupervised fleet. Concurrently, driverless Tesla operations have increased in Dallas and Houston, with roughly 30 vehicles active in the last week. The move comes ahead of the anticipated launch of the Cybercab, a purpose-built robotaxi designed without steering wheels or pedals. Data from the crowdsourced Robotaxi Tracker confirms that previously supervised plates are now offering unsupervised rides, corroborating user reports on social media. This development is critical for Tesla's strategy to scale its autonomous vehicle program rapidly, as stated by Elon Musk during recent earnings calls.

1 min readRead
Waymo lifts the lid on the ‘brain’ powering its robotaxis
The Verge AI
AppsAug 20

Waymo lifts the lid on the ‘brain’ powering its robotaxis

Waymo has publicly revealed the technical specifications of the custom compute hardware powering its robotaxis, marking a significant transparency milestone for the autonomous vehicle industry. The system, housed in the vehicle's trunk, is capable of performing up to one quadrillion operations per second to process massive streams of sensor data from cameras, lidar, and radar. This 'brain' is designed around three core principles: responsiveness for low-latency decision-making, ruggedization to withstand extreme environmental conditions, and redundancy to ensure safety through parallel system operation. The hardware stack has been scaled 20 times over the past eight years to meet the increasing complexity of real-time driving tasks. Currently, Waymo operates approximately 4,000 vehicles across more than 10 cities, conducting around 500,000 paid trips weekly. This disclosure provides rare insight into the engineering challenges of integrating data-center-grade compute into a consumer vehicle environment while maintaining passenger comfort and safety.

1 min readRead
Slack is launching collaborative vibe-coding channels
The Verge AI
AppsAug 20

Slack is launching collaborative vibe-coding channels

Slack has launched Slack Code, a feature that introduces dedicated channels for collaborative 'vibe-coding' with AI agents. This tool allows teams to tag coding agents like Anthropic’s Claude or Cognition’s Devin directly within Slack to spin up project-specific code channels. Users gain full visibility into the agent's conversation, can audit code diffs, and preview HTML output before shipping. The channels are designed to archive themselves automatically upon task completion, providing a clear audit log for recordkeeping. Slack positions this as a way to treat AI agents like teammates, reducing the need to jump between disparate tools. The feature is available immediately on any Slack plan and integrates with agents from the Slack marketplace, including GitHub Copilot and Vercel Agent.

1 min readRead
Meta AI’s new Mac app wants you to talk to your apps
TechCrunch AI
AppsAug 20

Meta AI’s new Mac app wants you to talk to your apps

Meta has launched a new Mac application for Meta AI featuring system-wide dictation and screen-context awareness powered by its Muse Spark model. This move directly competes with recent updates from Google Gemini and other dictation tools like Wispr Flow. The app is part of a broader strategy to integrate Meta AI into business workflows, allowing merchants to connect Instagram, Facebook, and Google Workspace accounts. Users can now query the AI for campaign performance insights, audience engagement metrics, and competitor intelligence. Additionally, the assistant can generate proposal decks, documents, and spreadsheets to automate administrative tasks. This launch aligns with Mark Zuckerberg's recent comments on the opportunity to sell AI agents to businesses for work automation.

1 min readRead
Binance now lets AI agents trade, but keeping them in check is largely up to users
TechCrunch AI
AppsAug 20

Binance now lets AI agents trade, but keeping them in check is largely up to users

Binance has launched Agent OS, a platform enabling AI agents to autonomously analyze markets and execute trades on behalf of users. This move integrates major AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude Code, and Cursor with Binance's financial infrastructure, including its APIs and Model Context Protocol support. The platform utilizes dedicated sub-accounts to sandbox agent activity, blocking withdrawals by default to protect user funds. While users retain granular control over permissions and can require approval for specific orders, Binance does not impose separate trading caps, relying on the sub-account balance as the limit. A key security consideration is that Binance cannot see the reasoning behind an agent's decisions, making prompt-injection attacks a potential risk that users must manage. This launch marks a significant shift in the crypto industry, moving from passive chatbots to active agents managing real money with decentralized responsibility.

1 min readRead
Google Gemini is getting a dedicated student hub
The Verge AI
AppsAug 19

Google Gemini is getting a dedicated student hub

Google is launching a dedicated student hub within Gemini to streamline back-to-school activities like research collection, flashcard creation, and practice quizzes. The update enhances study notebooks with support for graphs and images, allowing the AI to automatically add deadlines to Google Calendar based on syllabi. Additionally, Google is integrating Deep Research into Gemini Live, enabling users to generate complex reports and discuss results conversationally. A new feature for Google Lens will allow students to photograph worksheets for instant explanations and coaching on mistakes. Eligible US students can receive one year of Google AI Pro for free, offering 5TB of storage and higher usage limits, while international students get the AI Plus tier. This move positions Google as a dominant player in the educational AI market by bundling advanced AI capabilities with familiar productivity tools.

1 min readRead
Google packs Search and Gemini with new AI study tools
TechCrunch AI
AppsAug 19

Google packs Search and Gemini with new AI study tools

Google has launched a comprehensive suite of AI-powered study tools across its Search and Gemini platforms, aiming to become the primary assistant for student learning. Key features include AI-generated interactive visuals, 3D simulations, and customized practice quizzes directly within Search results. The update also introduces a dedicated student hub in the Gemini app, consolidating tools like study notebooks, flashcards, and quizzes. In Gemini Live, users can now generate multi-step research reports that run in the background, allowing for conversational follow-ups via voice. Additionally, Lens in Search will soon enable students to upload photos of their work for AI-driven explanations and error identification. This move intensifies competition with OpenAI and specialized education startups like Knowt and Gauth. By integrating deep learning aids into everyday search and assistant workflows, Google is significantly lowering the barrier for personalized academic support.

1 min readRead