Yahoo Scout is a new AI-powered search and answer engine
Yahoo was once the most popular search engine, but it was quickly eclipsed by the launch of Google. Fast forward a few decades, ChatGPT and other AI services seem to be taking over things. Well, Yahoo won’t sit back and watch. It has launched a new product named yahoo scout, And it is powered by artificial intelligence. According to the company, Scout is designed not only to find things on the Internet, unlike traditional search engines, but also to filter out clickbait and AI slop. It will also answer users’ questions, and users will have to interact with Scout using only natural language.
Yahoo Scout will also create AI summaries to help users understand the things they want. The AI, which is built on Anthropic’s cloud, accesses Yahoo’s own platforms such as news, finance, sports, shopping, etc. to provide answers to user questions. Scout is currently in beta, and is available to users in the US on Android, iOS, and the web.
Yahoo Scout may be hoping to gain a foothold in the search engine/AI market, but that’s easier said than done given the heavy competition it faces from Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, OpenAI ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, etc.
Google Chrome gets Auto Browse powered by Gemini
Talking about Gemini, Google has AI upgraded in Chrome Gemini 3. Chrome now has a new side panel that users can access to interact with AI, which Google says helps improve productivity and multitasking. Gemini’s Nano build is now built into Chrome, it can be used from the current tab to change images without having to download and re-upload them. AI now supports connected apps like Gmail, YouTube, Google Shopping, Flights, Maps, Calendar, etc. to help users get things done faster.
But, the biggest change is that Google Chrome now supports Auto Browse. This feature is powered by Gemini 3, and as the name suggests, it is an agentive browsing mode. It can handle tasks like customizing your vacation plans, researching hotel and flight costs, filling out online forms, filing expense reports, etc. Users can observe the AI as it takes task-related steps, and can pause the process, or take manual control, at any time.
Auto Browse is currently available for AI Pro and Ultra customers in the US, and is only available on Windows, macOS, and Chromebook Plus for the time being. It is unclear whether the company plans to bring AI features to Linux or not.
WhatsApp Premium ad-free subscription may be coming soon
Meta is set to introduce premium subscriptions on its platforms, which will give customers access to exclusive features. WhatsApp Messenger, which has been free for a long time, will be among those that offer subscriptions. In case you don’t know, Meta is testing ads in the Status and Channel tabs of WhatsApp. Feedback regarding sponsored content has been negative, forcing Meta to delay a wide-scale launch, but it is happening. A leak reveals The company also wants to provide an ad-free experience to users at a low price. Users with premium subscription will not see ads in the app. The social media giant is planning to test different subscription features, bundles before finalizing the best subscription features.
Apart from WhatsApp Premium, Meta also plans to bring similar premium experiences to Instagram and Facebook. The subscription will first launch in Europe, with potential expansion to other markets in the future.
Microsoft is working on fixing Windows 11 bugs
Windows 11 has been a reason for the anger of users for some time now. Updates that result in bugs, crashes, performance issuesAnd the errors have been quite common, and after receiving a lot of negative feedback about the overall experience, Microsoft is focusing its efforts on improving the system performance, reliability of Windows 11.
But from the rest of the issues affecting the operating system, three more things come to the fore, advertising, Copilot and recalls. Microsoft has stuffed CoPilot into every corner, from Explorer to Notepad, and not everyone is a fan of the experience. The Redmond company promotes its services everywhere, including the Start menu, Settings, and notifications. It cannot be clearer than this how much these things have troubled the users.
The Windows recall was called a privacy nightmare by experts. This forced Microsoft to delay its launch while it worked on addressing the issues. And yet it still remains a cause for concern. Microsoft is called Rethinking its strategyIt appears that this won’t eliminate recalls entirely, but things are believed to be going in a different direction. Reports also indicate that Microsoft wants to cut Copilot integration into Windows apps, specifically Notepad and Paint. This doesn’t mean that AI features are going away completely, but it remains a possibility. There is also a possibility that the Copilot branding may be toned down.
Can Microsoft Redeem Itself?
Valve is facing a massive class action lawsuit in the UK
Valve, the company behind the popular PC game store, Steam, is under investigation in the United Kingdom. A class action lawsuit alleges that Valve abused its dominance in the PC game market to impose unfair pricing rules. The lawsuit claims it affects 14 million users in the UK, including game developers and players. Valve takes a 30% commission on transactions made through its platform, meaning game developers share 30% of their earnings through Steam. The lawsuit notes that Steam’s agreement prevents developers from selling their games on other platforms at lower prices.
It was also noted that Valve’s ecosystem locks out players who purchase games on Steam, and they do not have the option to purchase DLC, expansions, etc. from other storefronts, as their ownership of the game is tied to their Steam account.
If found guilty, Valve will have to pay a fine of £656 million. that’s about $900 million. The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal rejected Valve’s argument that the case should not proceed to trial, meaning the lawsuit will continue.
