AI Upgrades, Agentic Tools, Browser Wars, Reels Redesign, and YouTube’s $24.5M Trump Settlement

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Anthropic launches Claude Sonnet 4.5
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• Upgraded coding-and-reasoning model with major improvements in math, reasoning, and computer tasks.

• Introduces checkpoints, a refreshed terminal interface, and a native VS Code extension.

• Available via Claude API at the same token pricing as Sonnet 4, also integrated into Claude Code and apps.

Buy it in ChatGPT: Instant Checkout and the Agentic Commerce Protocol
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• ChatGPT adds “Instant Checkout,” letting U.S. users buy select products directly in chat.

• Powered by the open-source Agentic Commerce Protocol for secure interaction between AI agents, users, and merchants.

• Merchant participation is optional, purchases don’t affect rankings, and data sharing is kept minimal.

Opera launches its AI browser, but you’ll have to pay to try it
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• Opera’s new AI browser “Neon” launches with a subscription of $19.90 per month, with some users on a waitlist.

• Features multiple AI agents for tasks and a “Cards” system to save and reuse prompt instructions.

• Marketed as an “agentic browser,” competing with other AI-augmented browsers like those from Perplexity.

Trump obtains another settlement as YouTube agrees to pay $24.5 million
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• YouTube agrees to pay $24.5 million to settle Donald Trump’s lawsuit over his January 2021 account suspension.

• $22 million will fund Trump’s proposed White House ballroom project, with $2.5 million split among other plaintiffs.

• The settlement doesn’t include any policy changes or admission of wrongdoing; Trump’s account was reinstated in 2023.

RidePods is the first iPhone game you control with AirPods
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• RidePods is the first iPhone/iPad game that uses Apple AirPods as motion controllers, turning head tilts into steering inputs.

• It works with AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and 3rd/4th generation AirPods by leveraging Spatial Audio’s accelerometer and gyroscope data.

• Though it feels more like a tech demo with glitches and limited design, it shows the potential for hands-free gameplay via headphone motion controls.

Microsoft launches ‘vibe working’ in Excel and Word
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• Microsoft has introduced “Agent Mode” in Excel and Word, allowing users to generate and refine spreadsheets and documents through conversational prompts.

• A new “Office Agent” powered by Anthropic models can create Word docs and PowerPoint presentations with previews and integrated web research.

• In benchmark tests, Agent Mode in Excel achieved around 57.2% accuracy, surpassing some AI tools but still below human-level performance.

Instagram is testing a Reels-first UI in India and South Korea
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• Instagram is testing a redesign where the app opens directly to Reels for users in India and South Korea.

• Stories remain at the top, the Reels tab moves to the second slot, and the DM button is placed in the center of the navigation bar.

• A new “Following” tab offers filtering options with “All,” “Friends,” or “Latest” views for more customized feed control.