Google’s ad network has begun showing advertising within the flow of conversations with chatbots — part of Alphabet Inc.’s efforts to keep its edge in digital advertising as generative artificial intelligence takes off. Earlier this year, Google’s AdSense for Search network, which traditionally shows ads within the search results of other websites, expanded to include conversations with chatbots operated by AI startups. Google made the move after conducting tests last year and earlier this year with a handful of startups, including AI search apps iAsk and Liner, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing private information. Showing ads alongside its own search results is the heart of Google’s business, bolstered by a business that serves up advertising across much of the web. That empire has come under threat as new entrants like OpenAI and Perplexity AI seek to siphon off the search giant’s audience with products aiming to help users find what they are looking for more quickly. Running experiments with AI startups will allow the company to test the waters for advertising in the relatively new world of AI chats. Generative AI startups are increasingly exploring advertising-based business models to offset the high costs of answering users’ questions with artificial intelligence. For example, before inviting users to ask follow-up questions, iAsk shows ads below its AI-generated responses. In addition to Google, startups such as Koah Labs have begun allowing brands to serve ads to the chatbot audience. AI search startup Perplexity, one of the most prominent players using AI to reshape internet services, establishes relationships directly with brands that want to buy ads on the site, according to a person familiar with the matter. Perplexity allows brands to sponsor follow-up questions to users’ queries.
Gravitee Topco’s open-source API management platform offers an array of tools for developers that span API design, access, management, deployment and security with support for both asynchronous and synchronous APIs
Digital traffic pipeline management startup Gravitee Topco has closed on a $60 million Series C funding round, bringing its total amount raised to date to more than $125 million. The company is the creator of an open-source API management platform that provides developers with the tools they need to easily manage both legacy and newer data streaming protocols. It also provides a wealth of API security tools with its platform. Gravitee’s core offering is split into two products, with the Gravitee API Management tool designed for API publishers, and the Gravitee Access Management offering aimed at the developers who need to use those APIs. Through the two platforms, it provides tools that span API design, access, management, deployment and security. Gravitee can therefore be thought of as a kind of control plane for APIs, which often come with a confusing array of protocols and tools that can quickly overwhelm developers, despite their intention of making life simpler. Companies can deploy Gravitee’s core, open-source offering in the cloud or on-premises, or they can access the premium platform through the startup’s software-as-a-service offering. Its core features include a tool for designing and deploying APIs, mock testing and a dashboard that provides an overview of team’s API deployments. What makes Gravitee different is that it supports both asynchronous and synchronous APIs, meaning APIs that deliver data at a later point in time, and those that deliver data immediately, in real time.
Google starts testing ‘Search Live’ in AI Moe letting you have a real-time conversation with Google
Google is beginning to test AI Mode’s new “Search Live” experience. Powered by Project Astra (just like Gemini Live), it lets you have a real-time conversation with Google. If rolled out to you, the Google app will show a waveform badged by a sparkle underneath the Search bar. (That is curiously the same icon used by Gemini Live. As such, this must be Google’s icon for “Live” conversational experiences.) It replaces the left Google Lens shortcut that immediately opened your gallery/screenshots. Another way to launch Search Live is from the new circular button to the right of the text field in AI Mode conversations. The fullscreen interface has a light or dark background with the new ‘G’ logo in the top-left corner. There’s a curved waveform in the Google colors, while pill-shaped buttons let you “Mute” and get a “Transcript.” Currently, that second button just opens the AI Mode text chat (ending the Live conversation) instead of showing you real-time captions. Tap the three-dot overflow menu for Voice settings, with four options available: Cosmo, Neso, Terra, and Cassini. After you ask a question, Search Live will surface sites used to inform the answer with a scrollable carousel. Google can ask you clarifying questions to refine your query, while you’re free to ask follow-ups. You can exit the Google app and continue your conversation in the background.(The iOS app makes use of Live Activities.) As of today, Search Live’s camera capability that lets you stream video is not yet available. It’s similar to how Gemini Live first rolled out the voice experience before getting camera sharing.
Overhauled Shortcuts app in iOS 26 supports Apple Intelligence models for actions like summarizing PDFs, generating recipes, answering questions, and more
Apple overhauled the Shortcuts app in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, and there are now Apple Intelligence options that users can take advantage of. The app supports Apple Intelligence models for things like summarizing PDFs, generating recipes, answering questions, and more. Here’s what Apple offers, along with the descriptions: Morning Summary – Use Model to describe the day ahead of you. Action Items From Meeting Notes – Use Model to grab action items from meeting notes. Summarize PDF – Use Model to summarize the open PDF in Safari. Is Severance Season 3 Out? – Use Model to find out if something has been released. ASCII Art – Use Model to draw you some ASCII art. Document Review – Use Mode to help you compare and contrast documents. Reminders Roulette – Use Model to punt an unimportant reminder to tomorrow. Get Started With Language Models – A tutorial for Use Model with examples. As the last pre-made Shortcut suggests, you can create your own shortcuts that incorporate Apple’s AI model, and Apple’s offerings serve as examples. When you go to create a Shortcut, there’s a new Apple Intelligence section. You can opt to use an on-device model, a cloud model that takes advantage of Private Cloud Compute, or ChatGPT. There are some pre-determined options, so you can do things like open Visual Intelligence or generate an image with Image Playground. There are several Writing Tools features for adjusting the tone of text, proofreading, creating a list from text, summarizing text, or rewriting text. When you tap on Cloud, On-Device Model, or ChatGPT, there’s an open-ended prompt where you can write in what you want to do. You need to work within the confines of the model that Apple provides, pairing it with other functionality in Shortcuts. You can pull in data from the Weather app, your Calendar, and Reminders, then ask the model to prepare a summary, for example. AI models can be incorporated into any Shortcut.
PayPal’s reward offers on stablecoin balances could force financial services super apps to explore offering interest-earning prepaid cards and wallets by combining yield with spendability in a closed-loop, scalable ecosystem
PayPal and Circle, two U.S. firms that are trying to build what are called financial super apps, are making stablecoins a major piece of how users link to other functions. Both companies made recent deals to expand usage of their own stablecoins while easing access to other financial services. PayPal and Circle are both positioning themselves to capitalize on the increasing popularity of stablecoins as a means to power their super apps. PayPal recently expanded its partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase to power free conversions between PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin and traditional money. Coinbase will offer PYUSD to PayPal’s merchant network, making it easier for the stablecoin to be used at the point of sale. It also can drive PayPal’s super app strategy, a long-standing initiative to enable a mobile app to shop at millions of merchants, make payments, access a debit card, use installment credit, pay bills, invest, make P2P transfers, receive paychecks and dozens of other services. The addition of the Xoom remittance and Venmo transfer app, PayPal’s PYUSD and support for stablecoin and cryptocurrency investments at Venmo and PayPal add to that super-app potential.
Google Wallet adding nearby pass notifications- providing timely notifications for relevant passes stored in the app
Google Wallet and Pay had a number of announcements, including some new features (like nearby passes) that end users will benefit from. A redesign for the Google Pay payment sheet adds a dark theme “for a more integrated feel.” We’re already seeing it live on our devices, with Google also adding “richer card art and names” to make card selection faster. Meanwhile, Digital IDs are a big focus for Google Wallet, with their availability helping power other capabilities. With Zero-Knowledge Proof, Google wants to allow “age verification without any possibility to link back to a user’s personal identity.” The company will open-source these libraries. Currently, it’s available to Android apps through the Credential Manager Jetpack Library and mobile web, with desktop Chrome in testing. Google showed off a “seamless experience between Chrome on desktop and your Android device” that involves QR code scanning. Google Wallet is adding Nearby Passes notifications that send users an alert when they’re near a specific location. This can be used by loyalty cards, offers, boarding passes, or event tickets. By highlighting these value-added benefits, such as exclusive offers or upgrade options, you can guide users back to your app or website, creating a dynamic gateway for ongoing user interaction. With an update to Auto Linked Passes, airlines that have loyalty cards for frequent flyer programs can “ automatically push boarding passes to their users’ wallets once they check in for a flight.” Google is also adding passes that can include a picture of the user.
Apple introduces iOS 26 and macOS 26 in major operating system rebrand
Apple has changed its operating system names at WWDC 2025, introducing the year as part of the name. All systems will be called iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26, aiming to make the naming process clearer and more consistent across all platforms. This change aligns with rivals Samsung and Microsoft, making it easier for users to understand and identify the latest updates. The design overhaul, known as “Liquid Glass,” features a transparent interface.
Stripe buys crypto wallet startup Privy building products on crypto rails; using a single API, clients can spin up wallets rather than use external ones
Payments giant Stripe is acquiring crypto wallet infrastructure startup Privy for an undisclosed fee. The deal is part of Stripe’s aggressive push back into crypto following a six year hiatus, building on its recent $1.1 billion takeover of stablecoin platform Bridge. Privy aims to make it easy for developers to build products on crypto rails. Through a single API, clients can spin up wallets rather than use external ones, sign transactions, and integrate any onchain system. The firm now claims to power over 75 million accounts across more than 1000 developer teams, orchestrating billions in transactions. Among its clients are trading platform Hyperliquid and restaurant app Blackbird. Like Bridge, the startup will operate as an independent product under Stripe.
Coinbase integrates Apple Pay into Crypto Onboarding Solution- apps already using Coinbase Onramp will automatically see Apple Pay as an option when users make an eligible purchase
Coinbase has integrated Apple Pay as a payment method for Coinbase Onramp, its tool for building onramps into existing apps for fiat-to-crypto purchases. This will make it easier for 60 million U.S. users of Apple Pay to onramp and access popular payment methods. Coinbase Onramp provides a solution for onboarding to crypto, which can take a long time and require users to go through a lengthy know-your-customer (KYC) process. With Apple Pay, getting onchain takes only seconds. Apps already using Coinbase Onramp will automatically see Apple Pay as an option when users make an eligible purchase. This is the latest addition to Coinbase’s offerings, following the acquisition of the Utopia Labs team to accelerate its onchain payments roadmap within Coinbase Wallet. In October, Coinbase announced a money movement partnership with Visa, connecting Coinbase to the Visa Direct network and allowing customers to deposit funds into their accounts via eligible Visa debit cards.
Google is betting on a ‘world model’, an AI operating system that mirrors human brain with a deep understanding of real-world dynamics, simulating cause and effect and learning by observing
Google’s doubling-down on what it calls “a world model” – an AI it aims to imbue with a deep understanding of real-world dynamics – and with it a vision for a universal assistant – one powered by Google. This concept of “a world model,” as articulated by Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, is about creating AI that learns the underlying principles of how the world works – simulating cause and effect, understanding intuitive physics, and ultimately learning by observing, much like a human does. “That is a model that can make plans and imagine new experiences by simulating aspects of the world, just like the brain does.” An early, perhaps easily overlooked by those not steeped in foundational AI research, yet significant indicator of this direction is Google DeepMind’s work on models like Genie 2. This research shows how to generate interactive, two-dimensional game environments and playable worlds from varied prompts like images or text. It offers a glimpse at an AI that can simulate and understand dynamic systems. Google demoed a new app called Flow – a drag-and-drop filmmaking canvas that preserves character and camera consistency – that leverages Veo 3, the new model that layers physics-aware video and native audio. To Hassabis, that pairing is early proof that ‘world-model understanding is already leaking into creative tooling.’ For robotics, he separately highlighted the fine-tuned Gemini Robotics model, arguing that ‘AI systems will need world models to operate effectively.” CEO Sundar Pichai reinforced this, citing Project Astra, which “explores the future capabilities of a universal AI assistant that can understand the world around you.” These Astra capabilities, like live video understanding and screen sharing, are now integrated into Gemini Live. Josh Woodward, who leads Google Labs and the Gemini App, detailed the app’s goal to be the “most personal, proactive, and powerful AI assistant.” He showcased how “personal context” (connecting search history, and soon Gmail/Calendar) enables Gemini to anticipate needs, like providing personalized exam quizzes or custom explainer videos using analogies a user understands. This, Woodward emphasized, is “where we’re headed with Gemini,” enabled by the Gemini 2.5 Pro model allowing users to “think things into existence.” Gemini 2.5 Pro with “Deep Think” and the hyper-efficient 2.5 Flash (now with native audio and URL context grounding from Gemini API) form the core intelligence. Google also quietly previewed Gemini Diffusion, signalling its willingness to move beyond pure Transformer stacks when that yields better efficiency or latency. Google’s path to potential leadership – its “end-run” around Microsoft’s enterprise hold – lies in redefining the game with a fundamentally superior, AI-native interaction paradigm. If Google delivers a truly “universal AI assistant” powered by a comprehensive world model, it could become the new indispensable layer – the effective operating system – for how users and businesses interact with technology.