Datadog has acquired Eppo, a feature-flagging and experimentation platform. Despite the demand for tools that let developers experiment with different versions of apps, the infrastructure required for product analytics remains relatively complex to build. Beyond data pipelines and statistical methods, experimentation infrastructure relies on analytics workflows often sourced from difficult-to-configure cloud environments. Eppo will continue supporting existing customers and bringing on new ones under the brand “Eppo by Datadog.” Eppo offers “confidence intervals” to make it easier to understand and interpret the results of a randomized app experiment. The platform supports experimentation with AI and machine learning models, leveraging techniques to perform live experiments that show whether one model is outperforming another. Eppo co-founder and CEO Che Sharma said “With Datadog, we are uniting product analytics, feature management, AI, and experimentation capabilities for businesses to reduce risk, learn quickly, and ship high-quality products.” For Datadog, the Eppo buy could bolster the company’s current product analytics solutions. “The use of multiple AI models increases the complexity of deploying applications in production,” Michael Whetten, VP of Product at Datadog, said. “Experimentation solves this correlation and measurement problem, enabling teams to compare multiple models side-by-side, determine user engagement against cost tradeoffs, and ultimately build AI products that deliver measurable value.”
Google redesigning the Search bar widget on Android taking after Circle to Search revamp earlier this year with an overarching pill-shaped container
Google is rolling out a redesign of the Search bar homescreen widget on Android that better emphasizes the optional shortcut. The previous design was a pill with the Google ‘G’ logo at the left. Next up is a custom shortcut, voice input microphone, and Google Lens shortcut. This new design takes after Circle to Search revamp earlier this year with an overarching pill-shaped container. It’s slightly taller than before, which aligns with Material 3’s preference for thicker search fields. At the left is a large Search bar that’s unchanged. What’s new is how Google moved the optional shortcut to a standalone circle at the right. This results in the custom button standing out much more, and is easier to tap. The available options are: None, AI Mode, Translate (text), Song Search, Weather, Translate (camera), Sports, Dictionary, Homework, Finance, Saved, and News. The minimum width to have everything appear is 4×1, instead of 3×1, which might disrupt some layouts. When you adjust the transparency slider, the outer container is what changes the most. We’re seeing this Search bar redesign with Google app 16.17 (latest beta). If you don’t have this change yet, highlight the widget on your homescreen and tap the pencil icon.
Web browsers, by including agentic AI capabilities (capable of understanding context, automating and executing multi-step tasks), can access information without any tabs, clicking or scrolling
From Netscape to Chrome, browsers are digital windows to the world. But that era is potentially poised to quickly circle the drain as AI comes to control a greater share of the flow of information. ChatGPT.com is now the fifth-most visited website in the world, with Google.com on top, followed by YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. The news that Perplexity is developing its own web browser, Comet, that is expected to include agentic AI capabilities and the ability to automate certain tasks, is already showing that how users find things, how they buy things and even how they know things, could increasingly be up for grabs. Instead of opening a browser window and typing a URL, users may soon speak or text a request into an agent that goes out, searches the internet and delivers what they need. No tabs, no clicking and no endless scrolling. That, at least, is the envisioned future. The whole concept of a web browser may be absorbed into an ecosystem of intelligent, personalized, persistent AI agents. The advent of the agentic AI web experience could mark a transformative period in how users access and interact with information online. At the heart of the potential evolution are large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT-4, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude. These systems are increasingly capable of understanding context, maintaining memory and executing multi-step tasks. But true agency requires more than linguistic prowess. Integration is key. APIs now serve as conduits through which AI agents interact with apps, services and devices. If AI agents are making purchasing decisions, traditional advertising strategies could falter. SEO, influencer marketing and even visual design may lose relevance if AI agents bypass websites in favor of direct API transactions. Brands will need to pivot, optimizing not for human attention but for AI interoperability. The AI browser wars have begun, and the outcome will shape the future of the digital landscape.
Apple Vision Pro’s new eye-tracking feature to let users move around the app simply by looking around without requiring any hand gesture for selecting or interacting
Owners of the Apple Vision Pro will soon have the option of scrolling through apps using their eyes, without lifting a finger. Apple is working on a feature that builds upon the existing eye-tracking functionality of the Apple Vision Pro. Allegedly being tested for possible inclusion in visionOS 3, it will let users move around the app simply by looking around. The Apple Vision Pro already uses eye-tracking to determine what a user is looking at, with a pinching hand gesture used to select what is being focused upon. This seems like it would be a fairly reasonable progression of the functionality, and could be a boon for users who don’t necessarily wish to keep raising and lowering their hands to interact with an app. Apple will be making the functionality available across its own app collection. Developers will also be able to use the feature in their visionOS apps. The Apple Vision Pro is not the only device with eye-tracking functions. In June 2024, Apple introduced eye-tracking features to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 as an accessibility feature, using the front-facing camera. In that iteration, Dwell Control automatically selects an item for a user once they have rested their gaze on a selectable element for a period of time. Smoothing and Snap-to-Item were also configurable to help with hands-free navigation.
Apple’s CarPlay Ultra comes with ‘local UI’ that incorporates data points and controls sourced from the car itself into the interface
The first trial of CarPlay Ultra in an Aston Martin has deemed Apple’s in-car upgrade a massive success, even if car manufacturers will be wary of handing over the UI reins. The next-generation interface expands the iPhone-based interface across multiple displays on the dashboard, and promises a more cohesive experience for drivers. One of the first topics is car manufacturer personalization and control. Not all manufacturers are keen on using the new CarPlay, due to the way it dominates all of the available screens, including the instrument panel. This resistance has led to Apple working to make CarPlay Ultra as acceptable as possible, by offering as much customization as possible. Apple’s implementation is to provide a set of templates, so that the manufacturers can tailor how the various elements of the interfaces appear within CarPlay Ultra itself. CarPlay Ultra is more than just using the interface on an increasing number of displays in a vehicle. Some of the elements are still iPhone-hosted services as before, but now it incorporates data points and controls sourced from the car itself, referred to as “local UI.” Elements such as speed and fuel level are incorporated into Apple’s interface, which is then shown to the driver. On top of that is “punch-through UI,” which refers to some elements from the car’s native infotainment system to work directly, with minimal interference from CarPlay itself. This can take the form of things such as a car’s reversing camera, handled by the onboard system but displayed within CarPlay itself without extra elements. Apple also upgraded how CarPlay itself interfaces with the iPhone itself. To get the new CarPlay Ultra working, you need an iPhone 12 or later, running on iOS 18.4 or newer. Furthermore, while earlier CarPlay could use wired and wireless connections with the iPhone depending on the setup, CarPlay Ultra works entirely wirelessly by default. The booting process prioritizes the instrument panel display first, so that the driver can use the vehicle, even if other CarPlay Ultra elements take a little longer to get going. There is a default layout, but drivers can also switch between a few options on the fly. This includes altering the visual style without changing item placement for a few of them. The main infotainment screen doesn’t seem to have changed that much at first glance. Existing CarPlay users will be familiar with how it works and appears, but changes can quickly become apparent. With local UI in use, the in-car functions now appear within CarPlay, without needing to exit it. Users can also customize the appearance of CarPlay from the screen. The slickness, integration, and Apple familiarity are plus points for an interface, something car manufacturers frequently struggle to get right.
Circle to Search in Android to now capture the whole screen to “generate suggestions and results” and automatically add it to the upcoming text query
The “search box” in Circle to Search in Android will now use your whole screen to “generate suggestions and results.” Previously, launching Circle to Search and tapping the pill-shaped field would let you enter a new text query, like any other Search box on Android. Google is now changing the behavior so that CtS will capture your entire screen and automatically add it to the upcoming text query. Instead of a general text search, you’ll now “Ask about this image.” If you just want to “Search anything” (like before), you have to first remove the image by tapping on it twice in the box. Some users might not like the extra step to perform a regular search from anywhere on your device. This new approach complements Circle to Search’s targeted queries without users having to manually expand the capture area, though this update appears to make that easier by letting you just tap anywhere to cover the entire screen.
Study shows only 18% of US consumers are comfortable with AI-driven features, while 71% are uncomfortable with AI tools
Only 18% of US consumers are comfortable with AI-driven features, while 71% are uncomfortable with AI tools. The study also revealed that one in three consumers prioritize price over brand loyalty. While shoppers are open to AI being used for customer service and product discovery, only 8% believe convenience will impact their buying experience. Loyalty programs are valued at 49%, with 36% wanting added incentives like free shipping or buy now, pay later options. Additional findings include: 67% of Gen Z consumers (ages 16-26) are likely to sign up for subscription services from retailers they shop with. When shopping on a marketplace, 30% of millennials (ages 27-42) are looking for new brands to try, compared to 18% of Gen X and just 9% of Baby Boomers. 40% of Baby Boomers express discomfort with AI chatbots, compared to 24% of millennials (ages 27-42) and 25% of Gen Z.
Apple is now requiring developers to list their app’s accessibility features; new accessibility features include live captions, personal voice replication, improved reading tools, braille reader improvements, and “nutrition labels”
Apple has announced new accessibility features for iOS, focusing on people with vision or hearing impairments. The company downplays the notion that the price of Apple hardware means accessibility comes at a cost, stating that it is built into its operating system for free. The new features include live captions, personal voice replication, improved reading tools, braille reader improvements, and “nutrition labels” in the app store. Developers will be required to list the accessibility features their app has, such as voiceover, voice control, or large text. Apple’s senior director of global accessibility policy and initiatives, Sarah Herrlinger, said that the nutrition labels would encourage developers to enable more accessibility options in the future. The company also improved its magnifier app, allowing users to zoom in on screens or whiteboards in lectures to read presentations. New braille features include note-taking with a braille screen input or a compatible braille device, and allow for calculation using Nemeth braille. The new personal voice feature can recreate a user’s voice using just 10 phrases, and the voice replication will be password-coded and remain on the device unless backed up to iCloud.
Gemini app’s redesign on Android and iOS moves away from ‘minimalist’ to match web UI; includes rounded rectangle prompt bar, shorter menu with four pill-shaped buttons
Following the web redesign and other changes, Google is introducing a new prompt bar for the Gemini app on Android and iOS. Gemini is going from a pill-shaped text field to a rounded rectangle (even before you enter text). Underneath the “Ask Gemini” field, you get a row of actions, starting with the ‘plus’ menu that’s now much shorter. You just get Camera, Gallery, Files, and Drive in this bottom sheet. Next up are pill-shaped buttons for “Research” and “Canvas.” Tap the three-dot icon in a circle to see those items in list form with brief descriptions, as well as “Video” (Veo 2 generation). Chips will stay highlighted upon tap. Deep Research: Get in-depth reports; Canvas: Create docs and code; Video: Generate with Veo. If you open the model picker, Google has removed Deep Research and Veo 2 (for Advanced subscribers). They are better thought of as Gemini capabilities than general-purpose models, with the new chips having the benefit of being always visible. As such, the menu is now down to four models: 2.0 Flash: Fast all-around help; 2.5 Flash (preview): Our next reasoning model built for speed; 2.5 Pro (preview): Reasoning, math & code; Personalization (preview): Based on your Search history. The voice input microphone and Gemini Live button round out this prompt bar redesign. Overall, it’s not as minimalist as before, but allows Google to introduce more features and matches the web UI. It’s also rolling out to the Gemini app for iPhone and iPad. Google is using this redesign to switch to standard iOS menus.
Onboarding metrics- Time To First Value, Onboarding CSAT, Customer Outcome Achievement, and Onboarding Risks, should regularly be reported in leadership meetings and board decks
Onboarding is a critical metric in software companies, often overlooked in discussions about annual recurring revenue (ARR), churn, customer acquisition cost (CAC), and customer lifetime value (LTV). It is the first step in the customer journey and defines every subsequent experience. A great onboarding experience can reinforce customers’ decisions, while a confusing one can erode trust. Great onboarding creates upstream value, as it leads to expansion, retention, and referrals. Positive customer metrics are often downstream of onboarding, such as expansion, retention, and referrals. Companies should regularly report onboarding performance in leadership meetings and board decks, as it is an important leading indicator of customer health, revenue growth, and operational efficiency. Some onboarding metrics suggested by the author include Time To First Value, Onboarding Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), Customer Outcome Achievement, and Onboarding Risks. These metrics are not vanity metrics but early warning systems for potential issues. Onboarding should be a cross-functional effort that spans product, sales, marketing, and leadership. Product needs to ensure an intuitive experience, sales set realistic expectations, marketing supports post-sale engagement, and leadership invests in tools, processes, and people to make it work at scale. Ignoring onboarding can lead to wasted CAC, delayed launches, and dissatisfied customers. Companies that nail onboarding often see faster time to revenue recognition, higher net retention, new champions, and use cases. Treating onboarding like a mirror can help companies identify misalignment, friction, and missed opportunities. By investing in onboarding, companies can become growth engines and revenue levers, leading to better financial outcomes.