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Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, is enhancing its AI tools for creators with a new feature that allows users to design Snapchat Lenses simply by describing them. This was unveiled at the Snap Partner Summit held in Santa Monica, California. The new tool, called Easy Lens, enables creators to convert text-based descriptions into Snapchat Lenses, which are augmented reality (AR) filters and effects used in photos and videos. Integrated into Snap’s developer platform, Lens Studio, Easy Lens uses advanced AI models to interpret user input and generate a customized Lens. By utilizing Lens Studio components, creators can build…

For those who frequently engage in video calls across different time zones, a new macOS app called Boom makes sharing your location, time, and weather easier than ever. The app, now available as a freemium product, is designed to enhance video call appearances by adding customizable themes and more. Boom was developed by Robleh Jama and Krishna Satya, former employees of Shopify. This versatile app works seamlessly with major video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Once installed, Boom allows users to personalize their video call appearance by adding details like name, title, location, local time,…

Tinder is rolling out a series of updates to its Tinder U feature, specifically designed for college students aged 18 to 24. These new features, announced on Wednesday, include profile badges that allow students to display their graduation year, major, clubs, and participation in Greek life. Additional updates include a simplified enrollment process for students and an exclusive Tinder U app icon for iOS users. To attract more users, Tinder is offering a 50% discount on any Tinder premium subscription—Plus, Gold, or Platinum—for U.S. college students. This move comes as the platform seeks to regain traction after losing 400,000 paid…

Halliburton, a leading energy company, has confirmed that it experienced a cyberattack last week in which attackers gained unauthorized access to its systems and stole sensitive information. In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, Halliburton disclosed that it is currently assessing the extent and nature of the data that was compromised, as well as determining which breach notifications are legally required. Last week, the company reported that it had taken some of its systems offline after detecting the cyber intrusion. Halliburton now states that it is working to identify the impact of the breach on its ongoing oil and fracking operations.…

Nearly two years after Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) reduced its workforce across trust, safety, and security teams, the company is now seeking new employees to enhance content moderation and platform security. According to recent job postings on X’s official site, the company is actively recruiting to fill these roles. In the past month, X has listed around two dozen job openings, divided equally between its safety and cybersecurity divisions. Positions on the safety team include roles such as Director of Strategic Response and Government Affairs Managers, while the cybersecurity side seeks security engineers and a threat…

Navin Chaddha, the managing partner of Mayfield Fund, a 55-year-old venture capital firm, has a unique approach to investing, often diverging from the strategies of other well-established firms. When Mayfield raised a $955 million fund last year, Chaddha emphasized the importance of innovation over imitation, stating that “copying someone else’s strategy leads to failure.” In line with this philosophy, Mayfield is now launching a new initiative called AI Garage, a $100 million program aimed at early-stage entrepreneurs interested in building companies focused on “AI teammates.” AI Garage is designed to stand out from traditional accelerators and pre-seed programs like Y…

The Cosmos Institute, a nonprofit organization with founding members such as Anthropic’s co-founder Jack Clark and former U.S. Defense Department technologist Brendan McCord, has unveiled new research and venture programs. Their goal is to nurture the next generation of technologists and entrepreneurs who combine technical expertise with profound philosophical insight to navigate the complexities of the AI age. In a recent announcement, McCord, who serves as the chair of the Cosmos Institute, revealed plans to establish an AI research lab at the University of Oxford. This lab, called the Human-Centered AI Lab (or HAI Lab), will be led by Oxford…

Earlier this year, a massive ransomware attack targeted Change Healthcare, a health tech company owned by UnitedHealth, marking one of the largest breaches of medical data in U.S. history. Months later, a significant number of Americans are receiving notifications that their personal and medical information was compromised in the cyberattack. Change Healthcare handles billing and insurance processing for hundreds of thousands of hospitals, pharmacies, and medical practices across the United States, making it one of the largest processors of sensitive patient data in the country. Following a series of mergers and acquisitions, the company now manages a substantial portion of…

What’s the purpose of interacting with a human-like bot if it’s unreliable and lacks personality? This question has been on my mind since I started testing Gemini Live, Google’s latest attempt to create a more engaging chatbot experience. Designed with realistic voices and the ability to interrupt the bot whenever needed, Gemini Live aims to provide a more natural conversation. According to Sissie Hsiao, GM for Gemini experiences at Google, Gemini Live is tuned to have an intuitive, back-and-forth conversation. “[It] can provide information more succinctly and answer more conversationally than, for example, if you’re interacting in just text. We…

Microsoft’s Copilot is a powerful tool designed to enhance productivity through generative AI, and it continues to evolve alongside the company’s expanding AI initiatives. Currently, there are numerous Copilot-branded products integrated into various Microsoft software and services, offering features like email summarization in Outlook and transcription in Teams. These tools are part of a broader suite that includes GitHub Copilot, which assists with code generation, and a more general-purpose Copilot available on Windows and the web, functioning similarly to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. What is Microsoft Copilot? Microsoft Copilot, previously known as Bing Chat, is integrated into Bing, as well as Windows…