Latest news with #webapps
Entrepreneur
3 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Perplexity Rolls Out 'Labs' to Help Users Execute Projects End-to-End
Labs operates on a 10-minute self-supervised cycle, using a combination of web browsing, code execution, data visualisation, and file generation to build project assets You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. AI-powered search engine Perplexity has launched a new feature called Labs, expanding its platform from an answer engine to a hands-on project execution tool. Pro subscribers can use Labs to transform ideas into tangible deliverables such as reports, spreadsheets, dashboards, and simple web apps. The launch marks a significant shift in Perplexity's approach from delivering fast, research-backed answers to actively creating structured outputs. Unlike its existing modes, Search and Research (formerly Deep Research), which are designed for quick analysis, Labs is built for tasks requiring extended engagement and multiple steps. Labs operates on a 10-minute self-supervised cycle, using a combination of web browsing, code execution, data visualisation, and file generation to build project assets. These assets are then automatically organised under dedicated tabs—'Assets' for files like CSVs, charts, and documents, and 'App' for interactive tools such as dashboards or mini web apps. The company said the feature is designed to assist with a range of professional and personal tasks, from business planning and data analysis to content creation and workflow automation. Users can begin by selecting a task from their to-do list or browsing project templates provided in the newly launched Projects Gallery. The feature is currently live on web, iOS, and Android, with versions for Mac and Windows expected to follow.
Digital Trends
6 days ago
- Digital Trends
These 3 free web apps helped me stop procrastinating
I don't know if I would call myself a big procrastinator, but I'm not immune to it — none of us really are. Those days when you just don't feel like doing anything much are almost inevitable, but unfortunately, the busy world we live in and our rapid work schedules don't account for such days. Whether you feel like it or not, work still needs to get done, one way or another. At times, when my schedule's packed and I'm exhausted, I find myself procrastinating instead of getting work done. Instead of getting mad at myself, I found three web apps that helped me get more productive when I needed it most. Recommended Videos Todoist Todoist is a super simple web app that, if I'm going to be honest, no one truly needs. Its core functionality can be replaced by a piece of paper or things like Google Calendar. After all, it's exactly what it sounds like — a to-do list. Although I said that no one needs Todoist, that doesn't mean that using it didn't completely transform my work routines. These days, I never go a single work day without Todoist, and I haven't paid a penny for it. (Putting it that way makes me feel a bit guilty. I very well might try the paid version — the free app has been nothing short of wonderful.) Todoist lets you plan out your day and your week. You can assign little tasks to yourself, shift them around from day to day, and assign them different priority levels. You can also set them up to only be due at a certain time of day. You can choose to either focus on one day at a time or take a look at your upcoming tasks, browsing through one week at a time. Each task can receive a label or a filter, making it easier to find certain types. You can duplicate tasks, although I find that to be the only chore-like part of using the app; it takes a bit of time and isn't super intuitive. Todoist also offers integration with various extensions, such as Google Calendar, making for a more seamless experience. There's even an AI assistant (of course) which I haven't really needed to try. I kind of love the barebones aspect of Todoist, and the simplicity that it provides. Todoist keeps me accountable. If I end the day with a task (or five) staring me in the face, you can bet I feel a little more motivated to finish them ASAP. The app can also send you email reminders, which, again, adds to the whole accountability aspect of it. Could I reasonably replace Todoist with a planner and a pen? Yes. Would I want to? No way. I love Todoist, and I will keep recommending it to anyone who cares to listen. Pomofocus Those who have ever struggled with staying productive probably know of the Pomodoro method. It's a time management technique that helps you break up your work into smaller, hyper-focused intervals. Between each interval, you get a short break, at which point you can freely indulge in all the mindless scrolling/chatting/watching YouTube that you probably want to indulge in outside of your break. The usual intervals are 25 minutes of work and five minutes of relaxation. Again, the Pomodoro method is nothing new, but Pomofocus makes it simple and easy to follow (or customize). You can start the timer without any annoying sign-up process; just press start and begin your work. Pomofocus lets you pick between short and long breaks (which I find helpful if I need a bit more than five minutes, but it's also a bit too easy to lose focus if your break lasts too long during these intervals, at least for me). I like that you can assign yourself tasks with an estimate of how many 'pomodoros' each will take, then work through them in the app. Pomofocus doesn't force you to do anything. Your Pomodoro timer can be paused or skipped at any given time, so it does mostly come down to self-discipline. I enjoy it for similar reasons as Todoist: Simplicity and ease of access. It's not going to force you to get your work done, though. I've recommended Pomofocus to several friends, and many of them just end up procrastinating through their Pomodoro timer. I Miss My Cafe If you've ever brought your laptop to a coffee shop for the sole purpose of working, you probably know what that can do for your productivity. There's something comforting about the constant buzz of a coffee shop. The baristas, the customers, the machines whipping up lattes, and a faint playlist that you can often barely hear over the sound of the ambience of the place. It's also a lot harder (at least for me) to procrastinate when I'm surrounded by people. That part can't be achieved through an app (well, not directly, although things like Focusmate do exist), but you can always recreate your favorite parts of working in a coffee shop through the use of I Miss My Cafe. I Miss My Cafe is a web app that connects to Spotify to let you create your perfect background noise mix for work. There are thousands of 'rainy day' mixes on YouTube, but those cannot be customized. Here, you control the volume and the type of ambience that plays over the playlist. I like that it lets you choose between something noisier and something quieter; it's very easy to make it suit your current needs. These three web apps helped me combat procrastination. However, the one thing I've learned through all my attempts is that if you're procrastinating, there's probably a reason for it. If I'm rested and not too stressed, I get my work done one way or another — but on days when I'm neither, it helps to lean into these three apps combined with a healthy dash of self-discipline.
TechCrunch
19-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Devs can now tap Microsoft Edge to power AI web apps
Microsoft is launching new APIs for Edge, its web browser, to let developers incorporate AI functionality into web apps using models built into Edge. Unveiled at Build 2025, the AI APIs mirror some of the functionality in Google Chrome, which also offers 'built-in AI' that developers can tap to power their web applications. Microsoft's move suggests that it's keen to offer a competitor — one that might sway devs to its side. Edge's new APIs give websites and Edge browser extensions access to Phi 4 mini, an AI model that Microsoft released in late February. Around 3.8 billion parameters in size, Phi 4 mini excels at math problems, Microsoft says, thanks to a training data set that includes a mix of human-crafted and synthetic data (i.e. data generated by AI models). Parameters roughly correspond to a model's problem-solving skills, and models with more parameters generally perform better than those with fewer parameters. Small models have the advantage of being more efficient, however, particularly on less powerful hardware like that found in laptops and mobile devices. Edge is also gaining other AI APIs, including a set of writing assistance APIs for generating, summarizing, and editing text. In a few months, Microsoft plans to release a translator API to serve AI-powered language translations via Edge, the company says. 'These experimental APIs are intended as potential web standards and will work across platforms, browsers, and with other AI models,' writes Microsoft in a press release provided to TechCrunch. 'For developers dealing with sensitive data or working in regulated industries, these APIs offer the privacy and security of on-device processing, eliminating the need to send data to external cloud services.' All of the new AI APIs are available in the Edge Canary and Dev channels. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW In related news, Microsoft is bringing a translation tool for PDFs to Edge. With support for over 70 languages, the tool lets users open a PDF in Edge, click the 'Translate' icon in the Edge address bar, and create a new doc translated into the language of their choice. PDF translation will be generally available next month, and Canary users can try it starting today.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Google Launches Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview for WebDev
Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOG) rolls out early access to Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview ahead of Google I/O, supercharging coding for interactive web apps. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 1 Warning Sign with NVO. In a blog post, Senior Director Tulsee Doshi said the I/O edition builds on overwhelmingly positive feedback for Gemini 2.5 Pro's coding and multimodal reasoning, adding UI-focused tools along with code transformation, editing and agentic workflow development. Developers can start building with the update today via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and Vertex AI, while users of the Gemini app will see new Canvas features that let anyone vibe code and spin up interactive web apps with a single prompt. Gemini 2.5 Pro now leads the WebDev Arena Leaderboard, outpacing the prior version by 147 Elo pointsa clear signal of its improved performance. Google said this positions Gemini ahead of rivals like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Meta's Llama-based offerings and Anthropic's Claude, just as Meta last week debuted its standalone Llama 4 chatbot app. Meanwhile, Google expects to ink an agreement with Apple (AAPL) by mid-2025 to preload Gemini on new iPhones, CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly told investors, extending Gemini's reach beyond Android and the web. Why it matters: Early access to advanced coding features and leaderboard leadership could accelerate enterprise and developer adoption, reinforcing Google's competitive edge in AI platforms. Investors and developers will look to Google I/O in a couple of weeks for demos, pricing details and the Apple partnership announcement, which could drive broader Gemini integration across devices. Alphabet Inc. is currently fairly valued according to GuruFocus, with a GF Value of $176.23 as of May 6, 2025. The stock's recent dip puts its price slightly below the estimated fair value line, signaling potential upside if valuation reverts to the mean. The trendline suggests long-term growth remains intact, with pricing still comfortably within the neutral zone. Investors may see this as a consolidation phase rather than overvaluation. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
