Perplexity AI wants to buy Chrome from Google for $34.5 billion
This isn't the first time Perplexity has made a headline-grabbing offer - back in January, it also said it wanted to buy TikTok's US operations. Obviously, nothing came of that (at least so far). Perplexity hasn't revealed how it plans to fund its acquisition of Chrome, simply stating that multiple funds have offered to finance the deal in full (without naming any names). It has so far raised about $1 billion in funding for its AI chatbot, and that's obviously far from what it's offering here.
For the Chrome bid, OpenAI, Yahoo, and private-equity firm Apollo Global Management have also expressed interest so far. All of this stems from regulatory pressure in the US mounting towards Google selling off Chrome so that it has less of a grip on the industry.
For its part, Google so far hasn't actually offered up Chrome for sale, and plans to appeal a US court ruling from last year that found it has an unlawful monopoly in online search. The US Justice Department has sought a Chrome sell-off as part of that case's remedies. A federal judge is expected to issue a ruling on remedies in this case sometime this month.
Perplexity recently launched its own AI-infused browser, Comet. Its main selling point is being able to perform tasks on your behalf. Obviously, buying Chrome would allow Perplexity to leverage its more than three billion users for its AI services, and that would allow it to better compete with the elephant in the AI room - OpenAI (which, incidentally, is also working on an AI browser of its own).
Perplexity promises to keep the underlying Chromium code open source, and invest $3 billion over two years in the browser without making any changes to Chrome's default search engine. The company thinks its acquisition of Chrome would preserve user choice and ease future competition concerns.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Phone Arena
25 minutes ago
- Phone Arena
These cellular Apple Watch Series 10 models are $149 off for a limited time
42mm Watch Series 10, cellular: $149 off $349 99 $499 $149 off (30%) The Apple Watch Series 10 is available for $149 off for a very limited time. The price cut is available on both the 42mm and the 46mm models with cellular connectivity. These are new models that ship with a one-year Apple limited warranty. The promo will end on August 14 at 11:59 PM CT, so you might want to hurry up. Buy at Woot 42mm Watch Series 10, cellular: $100 off $100 off (20%) Alternatively, you can buy the Apple Watch Series 10 with 4G support for $100 off its original price. This is the 42mm model, but the 46mm one is on sale at the same discount. Buy at Amazon best smartwatches Receive the latest mobile news Subscribe By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy It's also packed with features that can track everything from sleep apnea detection to water temperature detection. Of course, the standard features are all on deck, too: heart rate tracking, workout metrics, fall detection, etc. And with cellular connectivity, decent battery life, and fast charging, the Apple Watch Series 10 is indeed a superb choice for iPhone users. Plus, it's on sale at Woot at a pretty solid discount. What more could you possibly need? Get the device and save big while this limited-time promo lasts. It's also packed with features that can track everything from sleep apnea detection to water temperature detection. Of course, the standard features are all on deck, too: heart rate tracking, workout metrics, fall detection, with cellular connectivity, decent battery life, and fast charging, theis indeed a superb choice for iPhone users. Plus, it's on sale at Woot at a pretty solid discount. What more could you possibly need? Get the device and save big while this limited-time promo lasts. Want to save big on one of the best smartwatches for Apple fans? Then you'd better hurry because the Apple Watch Series 10 with cellular support will only stay 30% off for just a few more hours. That's right! You can save 28-30% on the 42mm and 46mm models at Woot. Those are brand-new models that ship with a one-year Apple warranty, by the get some context: the 42mm model with 4G is down to only $349.99 from its original $499 price. If you're looking for a bigger screen, the larger model is available for $379.99 instead of as much as $529. That's a pretty solid offer, by the way. In fact, merchants like Amazon and Best Buy are currently offering $100 off these models, so Woot's promo is clearly the one to pick (if you want to save the most, of course).If you're feeling tempted, now's absolutely the time to act. The promo is expiring on August 14 at 11:59PM CT or sooner if sold out, so you should definitely hurry it might not be as premium as the Apple Watch Ultra , the Watch Series 10 is still one of theon the market. It features a slimmer and thinner design than the Watch Series 9, making it more comfortable to wear.
Phone Arena
an hour ago
- Phone Arena
Hefty $144 discount turns loud JBL Boombox 3 into a summer favorite
It may be mid-August, but there's still plenty of time for a few more gatherings in the park, on the beach, or even in your backyard. And if you're looking for a way to spice things up a little at your next party, getting a loud Bluetooth speaker is the way to go. The best part? We found the perfect deal on the perfect speaker for you, letting you upgrade your listening for much less than usual if you're fast enough!The offer is available at Walmart and is for the JBL Boombox 3, which is one of the best Bluetooth speakers for parties and huge gatherings on the market. Right now, you can score a hefty $144 discount on this big fella, meaning you can treat yourself to one for just $355.97. That's a phenomenal deal, considering its usual cost is about $500. $355 98 $499 95 $144 off (29%) The JBL Boombox 3 is among the best Bluetooth speakers on the market and is an absolute bargain at Walmart right now. The retailer is selling it for $144 off, letting you grab one for only $355.98. The device packs loud sound, has high durability and is unmissable at this price. So don't hesitate! Buy at Walmart Sure, we agree that $356 for a portable speaker is still a bit too steep; however, this isn't just any Bluetooth speaker we're talking about here. As a spiritual successor to the '90s boomboxes, this bad boy packs a punch. It can get extremely loud and delivers deep bass. On top of that, you can link it up with other JBL speakers via its PartyBoost feature for an even more booming experience. It also works with the JBL Portable app, which means you can use the application's built-in EQ to tailor the audio to your preferences. Meanwhile, the speaker's high IP67 dust and water resistance rating provides it with complete protection against dust and even allows it to survive full submersion in water of up to three feet for up to 30 minutes. In other words, you can bring it anywhere with peace of mind that it won't get damaged by beach sand or a few accidental spills. Now add impressive battery life of up to 24 hours per charge, and it becomes clear as day why the JBL Boombox 3 is an absolute bargain at its current price at Walmart, albeit a bit steep at first glance. So, if it checks all the right boxes for you, don't miss out — save with this deal today!
Phone Arena
an hour ago
- Phone Arena
The FBI has a new warning for smartphone owners about a dangerous scam
The FBI often warns smartphone owners when there is a new attack against them that is going viral, threatening to steal their personal data. The bottom line is that when the G-men spot a scam that could lead to many smartphone users having their financial accounts wiped out, they will get the word out, hopefully alerting smartphone users, preventing them from making the fatal gaffes that leave their bank or securities accounts at $0 with no recourse. The latest scam catching the eyes of the FBI is called "brushing," and the warning comes from the Pittsburgh field office. Brushing has nothing to do with making your hair look nice or your teeth clean. The traditional brushing scam involves online vendors who ship merchandise to recipients who never ordered the product. The scammers use the personal information of the recipient to post a positive review of the product. The Pittsburgh field office of the FBI is sending out the warning about brushing. | Image credit-FBI As harmful as it is to have fake reviews dot the Internet super highway, the FBI says that there is now another variation of "brushing" that seeks to obtain the victims' personal data as a way to access their financial accounts and wipe them out. Similar to the aforementioned traditional "brushing scam," a package is sent to recipients who didn't order the product inside of it. The difference with this version of the scam is that these packages contain a QR code. To get the victims to scan the QR code, the scammers send the package without a return address or any clue to the name of the sender. The QR code collects personal and financial information that the victims reveal, while it also results in the downloading of malicious software on the victims' phones. The FBI warns smartphone users not to scan QR codes that come with unsolicited packages or other forms of communication. But don't expect the FBI to give you a warning without coming up with some suggestions that you should follow to prevent the scammers from wiping out your financial accounts: Beware of unsolicited packages containing merchandise you did not order. Beware of packages that do not include sender information. Take precautions before authorizing phone permissions and access to websites and applications. Do not scan QR codes from unknown origins. If you believe you are the target of a brushing scam, secure your online presence by changing account profiles and requesting a free credit report from one or all the national credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to identify possible fraudulent activity. The only way law enforcement can help stop these attacks is if victims report their experiences. The FBI does request that fraudulent or suspicious activities be passed along to them via the FBI IC3 website at (or tap this link). The G-men say that you need to be sure to include as much information as possible such as: The name of the person or company that contacted you. Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers. Any applications you may have downloaded or provided permissions to on your electronic device. While you might think to yourself that this can't happen to you, the truth is that you really should be prepared mentally to deal with some kind of attack like "brushing." By tricking victims into scanning the QR code, the attackers know exactly how to get the information they need to break into financial accounts such as: Bank Accounts Securities trading accounts Crypto accounts Credit card accounts The best defense is to read the suggestions that the FBI listed and which can be found starting with the fifth paragraph of this story. Don't take this lightly. If your funds do get stolen from any of the above accounts, remember, there is no guarantee that you'll have any recourse.
