Author: Geek Planet

A clear theme at last week’s Digiday Publishing Summit Europe was skepticism about agents. Executives see the upside but fully autonomous systems still feel distant. For now, many say they’re relying on more human judgement in their organizations, not less.It was a useful check on where things actually stand. The industry may be calling this its “agent era” but it’s still on training wheels.  Think of the Slack bot that watches a campaign channel and turns discussion into Asana tasks; the Notion agent that assembles a clean recap deck after a client call; the reporting bot that posts daily performance…

The phrase “Google it” may not hold the same weight in the age of AI-powered search engines. Increasingly, shoppers are turning to AI platforms like Google AI Overviews, Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT to discover, research and even purchase products. The shift is reshaping brand visibility.  “There’s been a marked shift in awareness: brands are realizing that years of hard-earned search equity are being reshaped overnight as AI moves from search engines to answer engines,” David Hayes, head of digital, Europe at the global creative collective, Forsman & Bodenfors, said in an email to Digiday. That said, AI search optimization has…

The promise and influence of artificial intelligence in the workplace is no longer theoretical. AI tools streamline processes, generate content, and surface insights at unprecedented speed. But for some professionals, the potential of AI can feel out of reach. Not because of technology limitations, but because they haven’t been taught how to use it. AI PCs are poised to change that. These next-gen devices are equipped with on-device AI optimization, natural language models, and smart workflows integrated into the OS. All massive productivity enhancers are redefining what digital work looks like. Employees will be able to learn a new skill…

Earlier this year, Amazon added AI-generated audio product summaries to some product pages on its app, where AI hosts summarize product details, customer reviews and other information. Now, Walmart is following suit.Walmart has added such audio summaries to product pages on its app for more than 1,000 premium beauty products. The company said the summaries are short, conversational soundbites that help customers compare items and make confident decisions, and are ideal for mobile or in-aisle shopping. This, alongside Amazon’s announcement of a similar feature in May, shows how major retailers are experimenting with audio as a new format for AI-powered…

Google Chrome will soon let AI Mode access and understand what you’re reading and use that information to provide contextual answers to your questions. Spotted in the Chrome Canary builds by Windows Report, the “Ask Google about previous tab” lets the browser source content from your recent tabs when answering questions. Instead of treating each question separately, Chrome’s AI Mode will understand (or at least try to understand) your queries in the context of your browsing session, not just the tab you’re currently on, but also the previous one, letting you ask natural follow-up questions without starting from scratch. On…

As marketing agencies and brands embrace AI’s agentic era, demand for AI agent developers is rising. Following the emergence of the chief AI officer, both indie marketing agencies and holding companies are competing to hire staff with the skills and the attitude to put theory into practice.  “We need to bring people in who are incredibly fluent and kind of early adopters of AI tools, and who can develop agents,” said Shannon Moorman, WPP’s global head of talent attraction. “Over time, we want everyone in the company to be fluent in developing agents and conversant in these tools. But we have…

The iPhone 16e might not be the most modern-looking iPhone on the market, but it surely offers some excellent specifications (I said some). This year, Apple will improve its affordable handset with a set of significant upgrades, giving it a modern look and feel and making it as fast as the iPhone 17. Digital Chat Station, a Chinese tipster, claims that the iPhone 17e “will debut in the first half of the year” in a Weibo post. While that could be anytime between January and June, the iPhone 16e’s launch timeline could help narrow the launch window. A familiar launch…

With 48 participating nations, 104 matches and 16 host cities, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest one yet — and brands and retailers want in on the hype. While the World Cup is more than seven months away, tickets are already on sale, and companies are getting involved now. Adidas, one of the official partners of the games, debuted its official Trionda game ball in October and rolled out home kits for 22 partner federations — including Italy, Mexico and Spain — this month. Nike is putting the finishing touches on “an exciting new apparel innovation platform” and “several…

Apple has set the tech industry on a non-stop chatter mode with its hot Google deal. After missing out on the early AI hype, and stopgap coupling with ChatGPT, Apple is finally putting Gemini (a customized version without any branding) in the driver’s seat. The idea is to fix Siri, Apple Intelligence, and the whole Foundation Models package.  So, what does that mean for you? For starters, Siri will be as chatty and smart as ChatGPT or Gemini. It will no longer run into situations where it asks to offload your queries to ChatGPT. And hopefully, it will finally gain…

A 34-inch curved ultrawide gaming monitor usually means a serious hit to your wallet. Right now, though, the Acer Nitro ED340CUR is down to $209.99, which is half off its regular $419.99 price. For a QHD 21:9 panel with a fast refresh rate, that is very close to budget money for something that still feels properly premium on a desk. What you’re getting The Nitro ED340CUR is a 34-inch, 1500R curved, 21:9 QHD (3440 x 1440) monitor, so you’re getting that wraparound feel that standard 16:9 screens just don’t match. The extra horizontal space is great for racing games, open-world…