All articles tagged with #ai tools
ChatPlayground is offering a lifetime subscription for $55.30 (regularly $619) to access 20+ AI models including Claude, GPT, and Gemini, with side-by-side prompts, prompt-engineering tools, image/PDF chat, saved history, and an unlimited plan; sale ends July 5 at 11:59 p.m. PT (code JULY30).
Apple kicked off WWDC26 with a 90-minute session showing off new developer AI tools, including a demo where an entire app is built from a single prompt and refined with follow-ups, new Xcode 27 features for upfront project planning, and deeper integration of Siri AI with the Apple Foundation Models, Core AI, and MLX frameworks, plus a locally run 1-trillion-parameter Kimi 2.6 model in LM Studio across Mac Studios.
Amazon has dissolved its internal leaderboard that ranked employees by AI-tool usage, saying it achieved its goal of encouraging AI adoption, though reports describe it being easily gamed and potentially prompting wasteful tool use; some employees admitted to gaming the rankings after management indicated they weren’t using AI enough.
ChatPlayground consolidates 20+ AI models (GPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) into a single interface with side-by-side outputs, letting you run a single prompt and compare results. The lifetime Unlimited Plan is on sale for $59.97 (regularly $79) through May 31, including unlimited messages, prompt-engineering tools, image and PDF chat, saved history, and priority access across devices—ideal for heavy AI work or teams.
In 2022, Craig Campbell left a VC-backed AI path to launch Past Maps, a site that overlays historical maps onto modern ones. Built initially from a metal-detection hobby and shared on Reddit, the service has grown to hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors primarily through organic search and now runs as a subscription business ($9/week or $52/year) with ads largely avoided. Campbell uses AI for front-line customer triage and to develop OCR for maps, pairing automation with human judgment to keep operations efficient and scalable. The story highlights a practical, human-centered approach to online publishing in today's AI-driven landscape.
Linux 7.1-rc5 launches with AI-assisted fixes across graphics, security, sound, and various drivers, plus improved HP/ASUS laptop x86 support and CPU power driver updates; Linus Torvalds criticizes the unusually large rc5 for late-cycle churn and hints that non-critical fixes may belong in linux-next, with a mid-June target for the stable 7.1 release.
Google announced major updates to Flow and Flow Music at I/O 2026, turning Flow into a Gemini-powered conversational co-pilot with memory, launching Flow Tools to code and share custom workflows without coding, adding Gemini Omni Flash for precise video-to-video editing and avatar consistency, and releasing native mobile apps for Flow (Android beta, iOS coming) and Flow Music (iOS now, Android coming).
Google I/O 2026 unveiled a wave of AI tools, with many flashy features still gated behind paid tiers, but a few freebies are available now: Gemini 3.5 Flash is the new default model, Omni Flash for YouTube Shorts and Create will be free when it rolls out later this week, SynthID watermarking will help Chrome/Search detect AI-generated content, Gemini’s visual design gets a refreshed look, and Google Pics will launch in Workspace apps with free access only for certain Google Workspace business accounts.
Epic Games says it’s using AI tooling to boost efficiency in its games and development workflows, not to replace workers; a Fortnite executive said tasks that once took hours can be shortened with AI, and Epic will steer how AI is integrated. Sony also touts AI as the future of game development in partnership with Bandai Namco.
Sony and Bandai Namco announced a collaborative pilot centered on generative AI and future technologies to speed up game development, boost productivity, and personalize player experiences. Sony executives emphasized AI as an amplifier for human creativity rather than a replacement for creators, highlighting tools like Mockingbird for faster facial animation and AI-driven workflows. The move accompanies broader AI initiatives at Sony, including potential changes to business models amid memory shortages and an undecided PS6 timeline, signaling a deeper AI push across PlayStation’s strategy.
Derrick Downey Jr.’s DualShot Recorder is an iPhone camera app that uses Apple’s camera API to harvest the full sensor and create in‑camera horizontal and vertical crops without sacrificing resolution. Launched as a $6.99 paid app, it shot to No. 1 on the App Store’s paid list within 12 hours and stayed there for about a week (currently priced at $9.99). The app records from two cameras on one device, offers granular quality controls, and preserves videos on-device with no data collection. Development relied on AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT to craft prompts, with Downey iterating to address inaccuracies. The origin tale ties to Downey’s viral squirrel videos, and he signals potential pivots as the venture grows.
Amazon’s Stores division is measuring how often engineers use AI and how it affects code deployments to boost software delivery, aiming for broad, AI-native practices while balancing concerns over centralized mandates. The initiative relies on tools like AI Teammate and Pippin and a detailed metrics system (deployments, monthly active users, two-pizza teams, sentiment) to drive faster output, but has sparked internal friction and calls for collaborative adoption and flexibility rather than rigid mandates.
After failing to land interviews with video cover letters and visual portfolios, Courtney Clapper used a Reddit-recommended tactic: locate hiring managers’ emails with Apollo AI and email her résumé and an AI-written cover letter directly. This direct outreach earned her multiple interviews (including one at Microsoft) and, through a connection she made after reaching out to the Sweetgreen CEO, led to a strategy-lead role at a major retailer.
DaVinci Resolve 21 adds a dedicated photo mode for organizing, editing, and color-correcting stills, with AI-powered search and facial edits, plus RAW support from Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm. It also brings imports from Apple Photos and Lightroom Catalogs, multi-user collaboration via Blackmagic Cloud, and GPU-accelerated batch exports, positioning Resolve as a Lightroom/Photoshop competitor and a potential draw away from Premiere for photo workflows.
Blackmagic Design unveils DaVinci Resolve 21 with a new Photo page that lets users import and manage RAW photos directly in Resolve, apply node-based color grading, preview changes across albums in real time, and tether cameras; it also adds AI facial editing (age, reshaping, blemish removal) plus upscaling and motion deblurring, and integrates Fusion/VFX workflows, with most features in the free version and selective AI tools only in the Studio ($295); collaboration via Blackmagic Cloud requires a subscription.