Snap says its $400M deal with Perplexity ‘amicably ended’
The deal, announced last November, would have seen Perplexity's AI search engine integrated directly into Snapchat.

The deal, announced last November, would have seen Perplexity's AI search engine integrated directly into Snapchat.

Vercel CEO Guillermo Rauch discusses the evolution of AI agents from prototyping to production. He highlights two key use cases: coding agents and internal corporate agents for data access and productivity. Rauch also touches on Vercel's role as an "AWS of this generation" in the AI platform space.

Apple's iOS 27 beta 3 introduces voice customization for Siri, allowing users to adjust its speaking pace and expressivity. This update aims to make Siri more natural and personal, integrating generative AI.

Rakuten's Kobo e-reader, once thought to support independent bookstores via their websites, is experiencing delays in its partnership with Bookshop.org. Originally slated for 2025, then 2026, the integration is now tentatively expected "later this year," according to Bookshop.org's CEO.

Katalyst Space Technologies launched its Link satellite via a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket to rescue NASA's Swift satellite, which is at risk of falling out of orbit. This marks the first mission of its kind, demonstrating a commercial capability for in-space servicing.

Google has updated its privacy settings, allowing it to use uploaded media like images, files, and audio/video recordings to train its AI models. Users are now opted into this expanded AI training unless they actively choose to opt out.

Anthropic removed a secret tracker from Claude Code after a researcher exposed it. The AI firm used "prompt steganography" to hide code that flagged Chinese users' timezone, proxy, and potential ties to Chinese AI labs accused of distillation attacks. Anthropic claims it was an experiment to prevent account abuse and distillation, but privacy advocates view it as a serious breach of trust.