Ivan Mehta

Atlassian acquires The Browser Company for $610M to build an AI-powered browser optimized for knowledge workers using multiple SaaS applications.

“Author of "Atlassian to buy Arc developer The Browser Company for $610M" in TechCrunch”

Google Vids now offers AI avatars, automatic transcript trimming, and image-to-video generation for Workspace users, with a free consumer version launching without AI features.

“Author of "Google Vids adds AI avatars to its video editor and launches a consumer version"”

OpenAI launches ChatGPT GO, a $4.60/month subscription plan in India with 10x the capabilities of the free tier, marking its first geo-restricted budget offering as it targets the country's 850+ million internet users.

“Author of "OpenAI launches a sub-$5 ChatGPT plan in India" in TechCrunch”

Google acquires a robotics startup to directly compete with Amazon and Tesla in the robotics and automation market.

“Author of "Google absorbs robotics startup to take on Amazon and Tesla" in TechCrunch”

Google launches Lyria 3 music generation in Gemini app, allowing users to create 30-second songs with lyrics from text descriptions, with global expansion of YouTube's Dream Track feature.

“Author of "Making a Song is Now Easier Than Making Toast"”

ElevenLabs raised $500M from Sequoia Capital at an $11 billion valuation, more than tripling its January 2025 valuation, with plans to expand beyond voice into video and AI agents.

“Author of "ElevenLabs Raises $500M From Sequoia At An $11 Billion Valuation"”

Meta is pausing all teen access to its AI characters globally and developing an updated version with stricter parental controls and age-appropriate content restrictions in response to regulatory scrutiny and parent demand.

“Author of "Meta Cracks Down On Teens Using AI"”

Plaud launches NotePin S, a $179 AI notetaker pin with physical controls and 20-hour battery life, plus a desktop app to compete with meeting transcription services like Granola and Fathom.

“Author of "Plaud launches a new AI pin and a desktop meeting notetaker" in TechCrunch”

Google Maps launches new AI-powered builder agent and MCP server tools powered by Gemini to enable developers and users to create interactive map-based projects through natural language prompts.

“Author of "Google Maps Releases New AI Tools That Let You Create Interactive Projects" in TechCrunch”

Grammarly rebrands to Superhuman and launches Superhuman Go, an AI assistant integrated into its writing extension that can connect to external apps like Gmail and Jira to provide contextual writing suggestions and automate tasks.

“Author of "Grammarly Rebrands With New AI Writing Assistant"”

Adobe released new AI assistants for Express and Photoshop that blend prompt-based and traditional design interfaces, allowing users to toggle between AI-driven and manual editing modes.

“Author of "The Line Between Prompt and Design Just Disappeared"”

PayPal is integrating with OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol and Instant Checkout to enable direct purchases within ChatGPT starting in 2026, with merchants auto-discoverable across apparel, fashion, beauty, home improvement, and electronics categories.

“Author of "PayPal is turning ChatGPT into a store, and it's wild"”

Meta banned general-purpose chatbots from WhatsApp Business API, forcing companies like OpenAI and Perplexity to cease operations on the platform while triggering antitrust probes from EU, Italy, and Brazil regulators.

“Author of "Meta made WhatsApp a no-bot zone"”

Opera launched Opera Neon, an AI-centric browser featuring agentic task automation through prompts and reusable 'Cards' for $19.99/month, joining competitors Perplexity and The Browser Company in the agentic browser market.

“Author of "Opera Thinks Your Tabs Should Work Like Apps"”

Atlassian acquires The Browser Company for $610 million to develop an AI-powered browser optimized for knowledge workers and SaaS applications.

“Author of "The Next Browser War Just Started"”

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Go, a sub-$5 monthly subscription plan in India offering 10x the capabilities of the free tier to capitalize on the country being its second-largest market.

“Author of "OpenAI Launches a Sub $5 ChatGPT Plan in India" in TechCrunch”

The Browser Company launches a $20 monthly Pro subscription for its AI-powered Dia browser, introducing paid features and usage limits for free users while announcing plans for multiple tiered pricing options.

“Author of "The Browser Company Launches a $20 Monthly Subscription for Its AI-Powered Browser" in TechCrunch”