YouTube is implementing a new Activation Partners program to help advertisers achieve better outcomes in CTV campaigns. The program connects brands, advertisers and agencies with approved third-party experts specializing in YouTube media buys, including campaign planning and management. The program aims to help marketers discover new resources that have been pre-vetted by Google, expanding perspectives and tapping alternative expertise by tapping a “collection of trusted third-party partners” that the social video company hopes will “help advertisers get the best results out of their work with YouTube.” Continue reading YouTube’s Activation Partners Program Supports Advertisers

Square has introduced Square Bitcoin, an integrated bitcoin payments and wallet solution catering to businesses of all sizes. Consisting of bitcoin payments and bitcoin conversions, Square Bitcoin allows sellers to accept bitcoin payments “with zero processing fees,” the company says. Card sales can be automatically converted to bitcoin, and managed alongside traditional business finances — all within the ecosystem of Square, Block’s merchant payments platform. The news was announced at Square Releases, a biannual showcase for new products and features. Square also introduced AI-powered voice ordering for restaurants, and local insights from LLMs. Continue reading Square Launches Bitcoin Wallet System for Local Businesses

Anthropic and IBM have formed a strategic alliance that will see Anthropic’s Claude models integrated into select IBM software products, the first of which is a new AI-first integrated development environment (IDE) called Project Bob, now in private preview, which aims to help enterprise clients do things like modernize software. At its TechXchange 2025 conference in Orlando, IBM also debuted a new capability for AgentOps. The AgentOps practices unveiled at IBM Think in May was showcased here as a real-time governance and observability integration to help ensure autonomous agents don’t run amok. Continue reading IBM Previews Its Project Bob IDE, Intros Real-Time AgentOps

Meta Platforms has updated its Facebook recommendation algorithm to boost Reels use, adding a topic search filter as well as prioritizing same-day content, with a 50 percent increase in pushing Reels videos posted within 24-hours of user scrolls. In July, Meta said time spent watching videos on Facebook in the United States had expanded more than 20 percent year-over-year, and the company wants to continue boosting that number. Taking a page from the TikTok playbook, Facebook is adding topic search links to Reels displays to help users find material of interest. Facebook is also trying to accommodate user pushback against AI slop by urging use of a “Not Interested” button. Continue reading Meta Updates Recommendation Algorithm for Facebook Reels

Squarespace, the platform launched in 2003 for website development and operation, is getting a refresh aimed at helping entrepreneurs and creative professionals incorporate more personalization and AI features. The ability to build websites via chat is coming soon. AI Optimization (AIO) for search is another focus. The company has partnered with AI answer engine Perplexity to serve as the website building and hosting partner for Perplexity’s new browser, Comet. Squarespace has also launched Finish Layer, a design suite with capabilities for animation, transforms, and advanced editing to help websites add “immersive experiences with professional-grade customization.” Continue reading Squarespace Partners with Perplexity, Debuts Chat Site Builder

Word out of OpenAI’s first DevDay event in almost two years is that the company wants to make its generative AI chatbot ChatGPT more like an “operating system.” A demo by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman showed apps including Spotify, Canva, Figma and Zillow responding to typed commands inside a chat. The company also released a new Apps SDK in preview so developers can start building for the ChatGPT platform. “Building with the Apps SDK makes it possible to reach over 800 million ChatGPT users at just the right time,” according to OpenAI. Other pilot partners include Booking.com, Coursera and Expedia. Continue reading OpenAI Debuts Features That Make ChatGPT More Like an OS

Google is bolstering its AI-powered coding agent Jules with the introduction of Jules Tools — a lightweight, Command Line Interface (CLI) that is rolling out with a preview look at a new Jules public API. The features allow you to integrate Jules more directly into systems and workflows by plugging into the Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline as well enabling real-time collaboration by integrating with third-party applications like Slack. The move comes as competition among companies building AI coding assistants intensifies, becoming a key component of the future of software development. Continue reading Google Polishes Jules with New CLI and Preview of Public API

More than 20 researchers have exited jobs at Meta Platforms, OpenAI, Google DeepMind and other leading AI enterprises in recent weeks to join a Silicon Valley startup called Periodic Labs whose main goal is “to accelerate science,” focusing on areas including physics and chemistry. The venture has secured more than $300 million in seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and started work at a makeshift facility in San Francisco as it lays groundwork for a dedicated Menlo Park facility where “physical robots” will run scientific experiments on a very large scale. Continue reading AI Startup Periodic Labs Raises $300M for Scientific Research

Meta Platforms is launching new AI features including Business AI, a new sales concierge service that aims to guide customers “from discovery to purchase” with AI-powered messaging agents appearing on Meta ads, threads and your company’s website. Meta is launching the Meta AI business assistant, an AI chat experience that will help optimize campaign targeting and resolve account issues, via Ads Manager and Business Support Home. There are also new generative video tools and expanded access to Meta’s creator discovery APIs to matchmake businesses with influencers and other grassroots partners. The news was shared as marketers convene for Advertising Week New York. Continue reading Meta Boosts AI Ad Tools: Adds Brand Chatbots, Creator APIs

AI search startup Perplexity has made its Comet browser available for free worldwide as it seeks to gain market share against the major players in the field. Comet was first released three months ago to its Max plan subscribers, who pay $200-per-month. While the free version comes with a Comet Assistant, paid subscribers will get access to the new, higher-level Background Assistant, which leverages agentic capabilities to perform multi-step tasks simultaneously and asynchronously in the background. It joins the Email Assistant Perplexity announced last week for those on the Max plan. Perplexity is also rolling out early previews of Comet for mobile, so assistants can be managed from anywhere. Continue reading Perplexity Comet Browser Free Globally and Coming to Mobile

“There will soon be more machines in the workforce than humans,” predicts Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel. The good news is, “that’s how we are going to deliver on the promise of 8 billion people amplified to have the throughput capacity of 80 billion,” Patel told the crowd at the WebexOne conference in San Diego where the networking giant emphasized a message of “connected intelligence” with AI embedded “deeply and natively” across its flagship collaboration platform Webex. During the event, Patel promised smarter meetings, automated tasks and better security and reliability with Webex. Continue reading Cisco Shares Its Vision of Workplace AI at Webex Conference

Microsoft has combined Copilot AI capabilities with productivity apps and cloud storage in a new subscription tier called 365 Premium that is priced for individual users at $20 per month. The move comes 18 months after Copilot Pro subscriptions debuted for $20 monthly. The new product merges the AI power of Copilot Pro with the Microsoft Office suite for a low price. Upping the ante further, Microsoft is bringing “vibe working” to Microsoft 365 Copilot with the introduction of Agent Mode in Office apps and Office Agent in Copilot chat. Media outlets suggest 365 Premium will allow Microsoft to better compete against OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which does not have its own dedicated productivity tools. Continue reading Microsoft 365 Premium Mixes AI, Office ‘Vibe Working’ Agents

Adobe is bringing a free “pro quality” version of Premiere to iPhone, so YouTubers, filmmakers, music video editors, commercial producers and other creators can edit video on the fly. While tools like ByteDance’s CapCut and Meta’s Edits have become popular for mobile, Adobe’s move marks a major productivity step for those aspiring to more than social video, particularly through integration with the entire Adobe tools ecosystem. The Adobe Premiere mobile app features what Adobe promises are “studio-quality audio enhancements, perfectly timed AI sound effects, precision editing on a multi-track timeline, AI content generation and more.” Continue reading Adobe’s Pro Quality Premiere Video Editor Is Free for iPhones

Amazon is bringing new levels of immersion and interactivity to the NBA on Prime, with features including opt-in personalized bet tracking with FanDuel, customizable Multiview, and AI-powered Key Moments and Rapid Recap. Tipping off on its 11-year agreement with the NBA on October 24, viewers will experience “personalization, engagement and broadcast quality with a comprehensive suite of interactive features and AI-powered enhancements,” according to Amazon. The NBA is also teaming with AWS and harnessing AI to bring live stats and in-depth analytics to fans during games. AWS becomes the official cloud partner of the NBA, WNBA, and others via the multiyear partnership. Continue reading Amazon Teams with NBA, FanDuel to Offer AI Stats, Features

Meta Platforms is rolling out Vibes, a short-form AI video generator now in early preview. Using Meta AI, Vibes allows the visually adventurous to create videos from their own ideas or remix existing ones by adding music or changing the style to make it your own. Vibes has its own feed featuring “a range of AI-generated videos from creators and communities.” As you use it, “the feed will become more personalized over time,” according to Meta. Vibes videos can also be cross-posted to Instagram and Facebook Stories and Reels or shared with friends via DM. Vibes is available on the Meta AI app and the Web at Meta.ai. Continue reading Meta Previews Its Vibes AI Video Generator for Social Sharing