TLDR 2025-02-07

investor.

GOOGLE STARTS TESTING NEW SEARCH ‘AI MODE' INTERNALLY – HERE'S AN EARLY LOOK AT IT

Google Search is working on an AI Mode that allows users to ask open-ended/exploratory questions and get generated AI Overview-style responses. The company has started testing the experience with employees. AI Mode is powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.0 that has advanced reasoning and thinking capabilities. A screenshot of the user interface is available in the article.

APPLE JUST BUILT AN ADORABLE ROBOT LAMP, A SNEAK PEEK INTO ROBOTICS WORK

Apple recently published a research paper and video that explains how the company built a non-anthropomorphic robot lamp prototype with an expressive design model rather than a functional one. The lamp resembles Pixar's iconic Luxo and displays human-like gestures. It can perform a variety of tasks with human-like expressions. A link to the full video from Apple is available.

WORLD'S FIRST LAB-GROWN MEAT FOR PETS GOES ON SALE

Meatly's Chick Bites, a dog treat made from lab-grown meat, are getting a limited release at a single pet store in the UK today. The company plans to expand production in hopes of making its lab-grown meat more widely available. The UK gave Meatly the green light to produce pet food made from lab-grown meat in July last year. Chick Bites are made from a combination of plant-based ingredients and Meatly's lab-grown chicken, which the company claims is just as tasty and nutritious as traditional chicken breast.

HOW DOES LIFE HAPPEN WHEN THERE'S BARELY ANY LIGHT?

Life still exists in some of the coldest, darkest places on Earth, where there is barely any light. Some phytoplankton living in the Arctic are able to survive without becoming dormant even during periods of 24-hour darkness. These organisms have their photosynthetic machines up and running as soon as the barest amount of sunlight returns. It is still unclear how the microalgae stay alive out of dormancy. The ability may be shared by algae in other areas of the deep sea, which means that the zone of productive ocean may be deeper than previously thought.

NONTRADITIONAL RED TEAMS

Every development team should have some exposure to red team practices. Developers should check user-generated content for offensive messaging and make sure their sites work correctly with ad blockers. They should also make sure their forms work with password managers. None of these factors are major blockers, but they're easy to prevent. It's important to use your eyes before shipping.

WHERE DID TIKTOK'S SOFTWARE ENGINEERS GO?

The uncertainty over TikTok's future has motivated the company's engineers to interview and quit when they get an offer. Publicly traded companies appear to be the most popular destination for employees who leave. People appear to be quitting for better liquid total compensation packages. A chart showing the flow of employees from TikTok to other companies is available in the article.

THE FUTURE BELONGS TO IDEA GUYS WHO CAN JUST DO THINGS

AI will make execution cheap. This will make brand, distribution, and ideas much more important. There is currently an unbounded opportunity for any proficient software engineer. People are still stuck at the level of thinking about singular AI coworkers - it will be possible to have thousands of agents working on the same problems at the same time.

OPENAI LEAKS SALES AGENT IN TOKYO (3 MINUTE VIDEO)

OpenAI recently demoed an AI sales agent in Tokyo. The demo showed the agent using a Deep Research-like search to fill in customer information, check available time slots, and email leads to schedule meetings. It is unclear whether the demo was a mock-up of a product its API users could build or an actual release for Enterprise customers.

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OPENAI NOW REVEALS MORE OF ITS O3-MINI MODEL'S THOUGHT PROCESS

OpenAI changed the way its newest AI model communicates in response to pressure from rivals, including DeepSeek.

MISTRAL RELEASES ITS AI ASSISTANT ON IOS AND ANDROID

Mistral has launched a mobile app along with a Pro tier that comes with access to the company's highest-performing model, higher usage limits, and the ability to opt out of data sharing with the company.

YOUTUBE IS BUYING TIKTOK ADS TO LURE CREATORS BEFORE US BAN

YouTube is running ads targeting content creators on TikTok to capitalize on TikTok's uncertain future.

DISNEY+ LOSES 700,000 SUBSCRIBERS FOLLOWING PRICE INCREASE

Disney now has 124.6 million Disney+ subscribers after increasing its prices in the fall.

OPENAI'S EX-CTO, MIRA MURATI, HAS RECRUITED OPENAI CO-FOUNDER JOHN SCHULMAN

Not much is known about Mira Murati's new startup, but Murati was reportedly in talks to raise $100 million in October.

AMAZON SET TO PASS WALMART IN REVENUE FOR FIRST TIME

Amazon's expected reported revenue is $187 billion, while Walmart is projected to announce sales of $180 billion.