On June 29, 2026, Google rolled out Nano Banana–powered personalized AI image generation in the Gemini app to all eligible free US users, previously limited to Plus/Pro/Ultra. Personal Intelligence is opt-in, uses data from Gmail, Google Photos, YouTube, and Search (including pulling images from Photos instead of requiring uploads), and can be turned off via a Tools toggle.
Chamath Palihapitiya’s AI coding startup 8090 Labs just closed a $135M Series A led by Salesforce Ventures, and he’s stepping in as CEO after founding it in Jan 2024. Its Software Factory targets corporate teams with enterprise controls like audit trails.
WIRED says Meta’s Covalen-managed “Cannes” project had hundreds of contractors impersonate minors and probe ChatGPT, Gemini, and Character.AI with prompts on suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, sex/romance, and drugs. It ran into Apr. 21, 2026; one Aug. 2025 round topped 45,000 prompts, and WIRED reviewed 3,748 prompts including at least 239 covering sex/romance.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Anthropic announced in June 2026 a deal giving state and local government agencies access to Claude, Anthropic’s AI chatbot, at half price. The agreement also…
OpenAI is releasing a hardware device tied to its AI-powered coding tool, Codex, on July 15, 2026. The company teased the product in a video posted to X, showing a square-shaped device with several…
Reading tracker StoryGraph and eReader maker Rakuten Kobo launched a direct integration in June 2026, allowing Kobo users to automatically sync their reading progress to their StoryGraph accounts…
On June 29, 2026, WhatsApp began letting users reserve usernames (3–35 chars) to share profiles without exposing phone numbers; rollout comes later this year. Usernames won’t be searchable in-app, and WhatsApp says a phone number is still required to create an account.
Cursor announced a new iOS mobile app on Monday, June 29, 2026, allowing users to prompt and oversee coding agents directly from their phones — without needing access to a desktop environment.
The…
Arena, the AI model leaderboard that originated as a research project at UC Berkeley in 2023, has reached $100 million in annualized run-rate revenue — just eight months after launching its…
Pocket, the YC-backed maker of a credit-card AI “sticking puck,” raised $11M (Accel-led) in June 2026 and has sold 130,000+ units since last year. The $129 device includes unlimited recordings/transcriptions; $200/yr adds summaries, AI queries, highlights, and mind maps.
Flexion Robotics, a Swiss startup founded by ex-Nvidia robotics researchers, demonstrated in 2026 that a modified Unitree humanoid can carry out multi-step office tasks from plain-language without human control. The system uses reinforcement learning throughout—master AI learns from human videos, then simulation and motor control handle walking, limb movement, and balance.
Instagram is testing expanded feed controls to make “Your Algorithm” more central, per Adam Mosseri’s June 2026 update. Access could come from pulling down in-feed, swiping up from a Reel, or tapping buttons under Reels; Mosseri said some tests may not launch, despite users urging it prioritize people you follow.
