Remember the Vector? A tiny tractor-shaped anthropomorphized robot that sat on your desk, held up snacks, and kept you company? If you do, you also remember its unceremonious demise. Anki folded due to bankruptcy, selling all its assets to another company that pretty much killed the Vector’s functionality. It’s sort of like the Humane AI pin, which ended up getting pretty much shuttered after the company declared it was shutting down. There are now thousands of Anki Vector toys just gathering dust, sitting in the shadow of what could have been. However, a similar product may be fulfilling the Vector’s role, with the exact same demeanor and cuteness. Meet the Focus Buddy, a tiny robot designed to look like an anthropomorphic computer, sitting on your desk. Like the Vector, the Focus Buddy interacts with you, through input and expression – however, it has a more distinct purpose than simply entertainment – its purpose is to boost human focus. Designer: Neurofocus.ai Focus Buddy is a tiny touch-enabled device that uses a combination of sensors to check your attentiveness. Think a pomodoro timer but with AI chops. It’s playful, but plays a pretty fundamental role in your productivity, checking to see if you’re attentive, distracted, or just dissociating (mea culpa). The tiny device, no larger than a chonky webcam, sits on your tabletop, with a 2-ish inch screen that usually shows a friendly face with blinking eyes similar to the Anki Vector. Tap the screen, and you can access a variety of settings as well as games that help boost your focus. The way the Focus Buddy works is simple yet advanced. A webcam on top captures your face, reading your gaze, how many times you blink, and whether you look attentive, sleepy, or just listless. However, a millimeter-wave sensor inside the robot also manages to read your heart rate, combining the two metrics to judge your focus. If it detects a drop, it alerts you, and encourages you to either get back to work, or boost your focus using one of its on-board focus-enhancing exercises. The device is currently in a very rudimentary phase (the company is purely China-based and hasn’t even built its website yet), with its makers looking to slowly reach critical mass. For now, however, the Focus Buddy is a perfect symbol of what the Vector could have been – a buddy that guides you through the day and enables you to be your best self. Also, it’s the perfect size for cat-hats, so you can customize your Focus Buddy with a rodeo had, a tiara, probably even a modded 3D printed Batman or Iron Man mask that works without blocking the screen or impeding the webcam! The post The Anki Vector Died And Gave Birth To The Focus Buddy: Hands-on at BEYOND Expo 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.

“APPstinence,” which as you may have guessed, refers to abstaining from using your apps, is a movement encouraging people to get off social media and become less attached to their smartphones. It was founded by Harvard graduate student Gabriela Nguyen. The 24-year-old, who grew up in the center of Big Tech in Silicon Valley, realized she was addicted to both social media and her phone, probably from an early age, so she decided to something about it and started a club at the Ivy League school for her fellow students, along with the website APPstinence. Aimed at her Gen Z and Gen Alpha peers — although it applies to everyone who feels they have an unhealthy relationship with tech (which is basically all of us, right?) — APPstinence forgoes popular quick fixes like screen time controls, algorithm hacking, or digital detoxes, and offers something much more radical: a five-step method (which sounds Alcohol Anonymous’ 12-step program) to free yourself once-and-for-all from the chains of technology addiction. Appstinence’s 5-steps method can be summed up in just as many words: Decrease, Deactivate, Delete, Downgrade, and Depart. The point of this process is to reduce the sources of stimulus gradually. The idea isn’t to be completely phone-free, but to eventually be able, over time, to downgrade to some type of dumb-ish phone without social accounts. (Nguyen herself has three dumb phones, including the Light Phone.) According to her, people, and Gen Z specifically, should know they have the choice to opt out of social media. How does the process work? Sure, quitting cold turkey is hard. (Am I the only person who regularly deletes Instagram off my phone, only to reload it at 1:00 a.m in a panic?) Instead, Nguyen’s 5D Method decreases your usage incrementally, by deactivating your social media accounts one-by-one, which automatically deletes your apps 30 days later, allowing you to downgrade your phone, and finally depart from the digital world. Interested in trying it out? Here’s a full breakdown of the steps. Before you start: Make a list of family and friends you are in regular contact with, and who are important for you. Let each know, one-by-one, you’ll be moving offline and to reach you by text or phone instead. Step #1, Decrease: Delete all of the apps from your smartphone, and only access them through the browser on your laptop. Unfollow non-essential accounts and turn off non-essential notifications. After a few weeks, you can move to the next step. Step #2, Deactivate: Social media apps have a 30-day deactivation period before your account is deleted. Start by deactivating the app you feel you use the least. Step #3, Delete: As your accounts automatically delete in 30 days, spend this time strengthening your connections in the real world, for example, exercising, calling your relatives, hanging out with friends, or reading. Refer to your list from before you started. Set a regular schedule to call loved ones (or text, if necessary) and propose a time to hang out in person. Doing this regularly will help you stay connected with the people that matter, and more intimately so. If you panic during this withdrawal stage, re-activate, it’s not a race. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you’ve deleted the last app. Step #4, Downgrade: Get a “transition device” like a low-fi smart phone with limited functionality, something cheap that will allow you to access the basic apps you need (banking, Double Factor Authentication for students, QR codes) and keep it shut off in your bag on outings when you may need it. Also get a flip phone, which you should use most of the time. Step #5, Depart: It could take several weeks, months, or over a year to get to this final stage.

What Can Cloud Storage Do for You?The best cloud storage services integrate nicely with other apps and online tools, making the experience of viewing and editing files stored online feel natural. You want the other software you use to be able to retrieve or access your content, so it's a big deal to make sure you use a service that easily integrates with your existing tools. Box and Dropbox are particularly strong in this regard.(Credit: Google/PCMag)The range of capabilities of cloud-based storage services is wider than you may realize. Many of them specialize in a specific area. For example, Dropbox focuses on keeping a synced folder accessible everywhere and sharing folders with colleagues outside your company. Proton Drive emphasizes secure cloud storage. If you mostly store images, you might want a storage service that specializes in hosting photos (two top options are Google Photos with a Google One account and Adobe Lightroom). Some cloud storage providers, such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft, are generalists, giving you folder and file syncing, media playing, device syncing, and backup. These products double as collaboration software because they let multiple people edit the same file in real time.Distinct from but overlapping in some cases with cloud storage are backup services, particularly ones that create online backups. Some of them, such as Acronis Cyber Protect, specialize in data protection and recovery, while others, like IDrive, combine data protection with syncing and sharing capabilities.Most cloud services offer some form of backup due to their intended function. Basically, any files uploaded to a cloud service are also protected from disk failures, since there are copies of them in the cloud. But dedicated backup services sometimes can create a full disk image of your machine so you can restore not just your files, but everything, including system settings and programs. Syncing, by contrast, is about backing up and managing selected files only.(Credit: Box/PCMag)What Is the 'Cloud' in Cloud Storage?There's a half-joke in the tech world: "There is no cloud. It's just someone else's computer." To clear up any confusion, the cloud part of cloud-based storage refers to storing files somewhere other than your computer's hard drive. Usually, it means the service provider's servers. Having data in the cloud allows you to access your files online. Your data is usually encrypted before making the journey over the internet to the provider's servers, and it remains encrypted while it lives on those servers. Recommended by Our EditorsWell-designed services don't upload a brand-new copy of your files whenever you change one little thing. Instead, the file syncing service looks for changes to your files and uploads only them, saving your connection bandwidth.(Credit: Dropbox/PCMag)You can access your cloud files through an app or utility software installed on your computer. Once it's installed, it usually shows a small notification icon and creates your synced folder structure that fits into Windows Explorer or the macOS Finder. You can also get to the files via your web browser. Of course, you need an internet connection for it to work, but if you are temporarily without a connection, that's okay. The service waits until the next time you do have a connection and takes care of business then. For a deeper explanation, see our explainer on cloud computing. Free vs. Paid Cloud StorageMany services give you free cloud storage as part of their entry-level account. They usually come with limitations, such as the amount of storage you get or a tight cap on the size of the files you can upload. We encourage you to sign up for the free tier of service first and try out the cloud service for several weeks before you commit to upgrading. This way, you can fully integrate the cloud service into your life for real-world testing. You get a feel for how it works and determine what might go wrong with your setup.(Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)What could possibly go wrong? Human error accounts for many cloud storage tragedies, but the dropped internet connection is another common troublemaker. Not to mention that every internet service suffers the occasional outage. Ask around (or just look through our review comments), and you'll hear sad stories of how cloud storage can go wrong. One of the benefits of paying for an account is that it usually comes with additional support from the provider, so if anything goes wrong, someone from the company can help you resolve the issue.There are many other reasons to pay for cloud storage, from getting a lot more space (a terabyte doesn't cost all that much anymore) to being able to upload huge files. That last benefit is relevant to graphic designers, video editors, and other visual artists who often host enormous files. Other perks of paying for your cloud storage often include increased access to file-version history (meaning you can restore an important business proposal to the version you had before your colleague made a bunch of erroneous changes), more security, and more features for collaboration and teamwork.

Author I recently got intrigued by how certain online tools render terrain using dynamic color gradients to show depth or elevation changes, especially when visualizing geographical data or landscape layers on a 2D canvas. What caught my attention was how a color transition, say from green to brown to white, can subtly convey a mountain’s progression — and how much this alone can shape how we perceive space, depth, and realism without using any lighting or shadows. I’d love to dive deeper into the logic and techniques behind this and how it’s approached from a GPU programming perspective.One thing I started questioning is how effective and precise color-based elevation rendering is, especially when it comes to shader implementation. For instance, I observed that some tools use a simple gradient approach linked to altitude values, which works fine visually but might not reflect real-world depth unless tuned carefully. I tried assigning color ramps in fragment shaders, interpolated from DEM (digital elevation model) values, but it wasn’t quite as expressive as I expected — especially when transitioning over large terrain with small elevation variance.To simulate some form of perceptual realism, I began blending color ramps using noise functions to introduce a more organic transition, but I’m not confident this is the best way to approach it. I also played around with multi-step gradients, assigning different hue families per range (e.g., green under 500m, brown 500–1500m, grey and white above that), but it raises the question of universality — is there a standard or accepted practice for terrain color logic in shader design? Or should we just lean into stylized rendering if it communicates the structure effectively?Elevation itself refers to the height of a specific point on the Earth's surface relative to sea level. It’s a key component in any terrain rendering logic and often forms the foundation for visual differentiation of the landscape. When using an online elevation tool, the elevation values are typically mapped to colors or heightmaps to produce a more tangible view of the land’s shape. This numerical-to-visual translation plays a central role in how users interpret spatial data. I inspired from this idea positively because it proves that even raw altitude numbers can create an intuitive and informative visual experience.What I couldn’t figure out clearly is how people deal with the in-between areas — those subtle transitions where terrain rises or drops slowly — without making the result look blocky or washed out. I’ve attempted linear color interpolation based on normalized height values directly inside the fragment shader, and I’ve also experimented with stepping through fixed color zones. Both methods gave me somewhat predictable results, but neither satisfied the realism I was aiming for when zooming closer to the terrain.I also wonder about the performance side of this. If I rely on fragment shader-based rendering with multiple condition checks and interpolations, will that scale well on larger canvases or with more detailed elevation data? Or would pushing color values per-vertex and interpolating across fragments give a better balance of performance and detail? It’s not immediately clear to me which path is more commonly used or recommended.Another question I’ve been mulling over is whether a lookup table (LUT) would make more sense for GPU-side elevation rendering. If I store predefined biome and elevation color data in a LUT, is it practical to access and apply that in real-time shader logic? And if so, what’s the cleanest way to structure and query this LUT in a WebGL or GLSL environment?I’m looking to understand how others have approached this type of rendering, specifically when color is used to express terrain form based solely on elevation values. I’m especially curious about shader structure, transition smoothing methods, and how to avoid that “posterized” look when mapping heights to colors over wide areas. If you want to apply colors in the shader based on elevation, the standard approach would be to use a 1D texture as a lookup table. You then map elevation to texture coordinate in [0,1] and use that to sample the texture (which should use linear interpolation). You can do this per-vertex if you vertices are dense enough. This allows you to use arbitrarily complex gradients.However elevation-based coloring is not very flexible. It works for some situations but otherwise is not ideal. For more complicated and realistic colors there are two other options:Add Layers - e.g. you can have another texture for your terrain which alters color based on other properties like water depth or temperature, etc. This can be combined with the elevation-based coloring. This can be done in the shader but more layers result in slower rendering.Vertex colors - compute a color per-vertex on the CPU. This can use any approach to assign the colors. You pay a bit more memory but have a faster rendering. You may need more vertices to have fine details or if the terrain is steep.To make colors more diverse you can use other terrain attributes to affect the color:ElevationSlope (gradient magnitude) evaluated a certain scale.water depthclimate / biomefractal noiseI would have a 1D texture or gradient for each attribute and then blend them in some way. Use fractal noise to “dither” the results and break up banding artifacts.You also can combine colored terrain with texture variation. In my terrain system each vertex has a texture index from a texture array. I manually interpolate the textures from the 3 vertices of a triangle in the shader. Per-vertex texturing gives great flexibility, as I can have as many textures as slots in the texture array. To fully use such a system you need a way to assign textures based on material type (rock, dirt, grass, etc.). Slope-based texturing (e.g. slope 0-0.2 is grass, 0.2-0.4 is dirt, >0.4 is rock) is common but I use a much more complicated material system based on rock layers and erosion. I had a blog here but all the images got deleted:https://gamedev.net/blogs/entry/2284060-rock-layers-for-real-time-erosion-simulation/

The Tamboré Club / DMDV arquitetosSave this picture!© Nelson Kon e Alberto RicciWellbeing•Jundiaí, Brazil Architects: DMDV arquitetos Area Area of this architecture project Area:  988 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Lead Architect: Thiffani Siani More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. The Tamboré Club project presents an architecture defined by the contrast between solid stone-clad volumes, which house the club’s main programs, and transparent areas that foster visual and physical integration with the surrounding natural landscape. Organized into four distinct blocks, the complex is accessed via a metal pergola that extends over a reflecting pool, surrounded by carefully curated landscaping that creates a welcoming and symbolic entrance.Save this picture!The building opens inward toward the lot, facing a permanent preservation area—an architectural gesture that strengthens its connection to the natural environment and offers a sense of discovery as one enters the site. A central volume, distinguished by its elevated metal roof, houses the main event hall, oriented toward the outdoor pool. The gym faces the same direction, while the heated indoor pool stretches along the lateral edge of the site, forming a kind of internal plaza enveloped by native vegetation.Save this picture!The architectural language strikes a balance between geometries: the organic design of the outdoor pool contrasts with the rectilinear volumes of the building, while maintaining a dialogue with the natural surroundings. An outdoor patio between the event hall and the gym serves as an open-air cinema, where the building's end wall functions as the projection screen.Save this picture!The interior design emphasizes a refined rusticity, featuring natural materials such as stone, exposed concrete, and wood to create spaces that evoke comfort, warmth, and a strong connection to nature.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!In the highest part of the terrain, two barbecue areas have been positioned to take full advantage of the complex’s elevated views. Complementing the sports facilities are a playground, tennis courts, a multi-sports court, and beach tennis courts, all integrated into a multifunctional landscape.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less Project locationAddress:Jundiaí, BrazilLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this office MaterialsSteelStoneMaterials and TagsPublished on May 22, 2025Cite: "The Tamboré Club / DMDV arquitetos" [Clube Tamboré Jundiaí / DMDV arquitetos] 22 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1029930/the-tambore-club-dmdv-arquitetos&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

We’re looking for an Implementations Project Manager to drive end-to-end delivery of client implementations, ensuring seamless coordination between internal teams and external stakeholders. This role is critical in ensuring successful project delivery through strong project management, proactive communication, and detailed execution.If you thrive in high-impact environments and are passionate about delivering exceptional client experiences, this could be your next opportunity.What you get to do:Project Leadership & CoordinationOrganise and lead internal handover meetings to ensure a smooth transition from Sales to Implementation.Facilitate client project kick-offs to align on objectives, timelines, and expectations.Oversee end-to-end project execution and delivery, ensuring clear milestones and deliverables.Communication & Stakeholder ManagementCoordinate discussions with third-party vendors to align project scope and ensure contractual obligations are met.Maintain strong lines of communication with infrastructure and technical teams to ensure alignment.Manage daily communication channels with clients, providing updates and resolving queries.Documentation & Risk ManagementVerify implementation documentation, including Product Specification Forms, for accuracy and completeness.Monitor, track, and follow up on tasks that impact project delivery.Proactively identify and escalate risks or potential delays to mitigate impact.Cross-Functional SupportCollaborate with Technical Implementation Managers and other teams to ensure smooth execution of implementation activities.Assist with internal coordination and external client interaction where required.What it takes to succeed:Proficiency with project management tools such as Microsoft Project, Jira, or Asana.Strong understanding of the card issuing and payment processing environment.Proven ability to manage complex implementations and balance multiple priorities.Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills.Ability to adapt quickly in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive mindset.Fluency in English (written and verbal).Education & Experience:Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field.Project Management certification is a plus.3 - 5 years of experience in project management, ideally in implementations or a similar client-facing role within fintech or payments.Strong familiarity with software delivery and infrastructure alignment.Knowledge of cards and the payment industry is preferred.What you can look forward to: At Paymentology, it’s not just about building great payment technology, it’s about building a company where people feel they belong and their work matters. You’ll be part of a diverse, global team that’s genuinely committed to making a positive impact through what we do. Whether you’re working across time zones or getting involved in initiatives that support local communities, you’ll find real purpose in your work – and the freedom to grow in a supportive, forward-thinking environment.Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now Meet JobCopilot: Your Personal AI Job HunterAutomatically Apply to Remote All Other Remote JobsJust set your preferences and Job Copilot will do the rest-finding, filtering, and applying while you focus on what matters. Activate JobCopilot

For many organizations, identity security appears to be under control. On paper, everything checks out. But new research from Cerby, based on insights from over 500 IT and security leaders, reveals a different reality: too much still depends on people—not systems—to function. In fact, fewer than 4% of security teams have fully automated their core identity workflows. Core workflows, like enrolling in Multi Factor Authentication (MFA), keeping credentials secure and up to date, and revoking access the moment someone leaves—are often manual, inconsistent, and vulnerable to error. And when security execution relies on memory or follow-up, gaps appear fast. Human error remains one of the biggest threats to enterprise security. Verizon's 2025 Data Breach report found that the human element was involved in 60% of breaches. The same manual missteps that led to breaches a decade ago still expose identity systems today. Cerby's 2025 Identity Automation Gap research report shows just how widespread the issue is—and how far automation still has to go. The last mile still runs on human error The data reveals a persistent reliance on human action for tasks that should be automated across the identity security lifecycle. 41% of end users still share or update passwords manually, using insecure methods like spreadsheets, emails, or chat tools. They are rarely updated or monitored, increasing the likelihood of credential misuse or compromise. Nearly 89% of organizations rely on users to manually enable MFA in applications, despite MFA being one of the most effective security controls. Without enforcement, protection becomes optional, and attackers know how to exploit that inconsistency. 59% of IT teams handle user provisioning and deprovisioning manually, relying on ticketing systems or informal follow-ups to grant and remove access. These workflows are slow, inconsistent, and easy to overlook—leaving organizations exposed to unauthorized access and compliance failures. Organizations can't afford to wait The consequences are no longer hypothetical. According to the Ponemon Institute, 52% of enterprises have experienced a security breach caused by manual identity work in disconnected applications. Most of them had four or more. The downstream impact was tangible: 43% reported customer loss, and 36% lost partners. These failures are predictable and preventable, but only if organizations stop relying on humans to carry out what should be automated. Identity is no longer a background system. It's one of the primary control planes in enterprise security. As attack surfaces expand and threat actors become more sophisticated, the automation gap becomes harder—and riskier—to ignore. Why the automation gap persists Why do these manual gaps still exist if automation is so critical to identity security? They've emerged as a byproduct of rapid growth, application sprawl, and fragmented infrastructure. Disconnected applications are everywhere, and they don't support the common identity standards required for integration into existing providers. A majority of enterprise applications fall into this category, and that number continues to grow. They span every business function and are packed with sensitive data. IT & security teams assume tools = coverage. Environments today stretch across SaaS, mobile, cloud, and on-prem systems. Shadow IT continues to grow faster than anyone can track, as each business unit brings its own stack. Achieving full control across all applications remains highly elusive. Stopgap solutions don't scale. Password managers, manual scripts, and other vaulting tools are difficult to maintain and often create fragmented infrastructure. When integrations don't exist, they're frequently patched together—but these fixes are costly to build and fragile to sustain. What starts as a workaround quickly becomes an ongoing operational burden. Closing the automation gap The good news: closing the automation gap doesn't require rebuilding or replacing your identity stack. It means completing it. Forward-thinking organizations are bringing automation to every corner of their application ecosystem without waiting for native integrations. Some teams are also exploring AI agents to help close this gap. But trust is still evolving: 78% of security leaders say they don't trust AI to fully automate core identity tasks—yet 45% support a collaborative human-in-the-loop model. Cerby provides organizations with the flexibility to support both approaches—meeting teams where they are and delivering automation where it's needed most. Cerby's research report, The 2025 Identity Automation Gap, includes findings from 500+ IT and security leaders and practical steps for closing one of the most overlooked risks in enterprise security. Download the full report or schedule a 15-minute demo to see how Cerby brings automation across your entire identity surface. Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.

Known primarily for his masterful ceramics, Danny Kaplan has now ventured boldly beyond his established vocabulary, introducing three collections that signal a dramatic expansion of his material exploration while maintaining the sculptural sensibility that defines his work. Kaplan’s thoughtful approach to palette – evident in his carefully developed ceramic glazes – serves as a throughline connecting his new ventures in metal furniture, hand-knotted rugs, and resin mirrors. What emerges is not merely a collection of objects but a cohesive vision that bridges craft traditions with contemporary design language. “I love working with metal because it embodies the bold, masculine qualities that resonate with Art Deco designs – strong, precise, and aerodynamic. Its reflective quality is deeply satisfying, offering a luminosity that feels akin to the glazes we use on our ceramics,” says Kaplan. “With the Facet collection, my aim is to retain the sculptural integrity and meticulous quality that dene my work while exploring new design directions.” Kaplan’s new Facet Metal Furniture Collection marks a compelling evolution in his design language, marrying sculptural artistry with the precision and strength of metal. Building on the foundation of his Facet Lighting Collection, this latest series introduces the Facet Table and Facet Chair, both deeply rooted in Art Deco inspiration yet unmistakably contemporary. The chair’s defining feature – a vibrant strip of tubing in colors like aubergine, rust, and lavender – adds a playful counterpoint to the cool geometry of polished metal surfaces. Kaplan’s craftsmanship shines through in every angle and finish, revealing his deepening exploration of form, function, and material. With Facet, Kaplan not only expands his repertoire but reaffirms his commitment to timeless design with a fresh, modern edge. In his Collage Rug Collection, the designs began as spontaneous notebook sketches, where the dark lines of his pen became defining elements in the final pieces. Working with textiles expert Esha Ahmed, these drawings underwent a transformation – first digitized, then rendered in Nepal through traditional hand-knotting techniques. In his Divot Mirror collaboration with Joseph Algieri, the pieces bridge Kaplan’s ceramic expertise with new material possibilities. By throwing the original form on a wheel before casting it in resin, Kaplan maintains the tactile integrity of his ceramic work while gaining access to brighter, more saturated colors not typically accessible through the studio’s glaze. The resulting objects capture every detail of the clay’s surface texture while introducing a vibrant color range that pushes beyond ceramic constraints. “It’s a mirror, yes,” says Kaplan, “but it’s also an object in its own right – more like a piece of art. We didn’t want something that simply hangs on the wall, but something that inhabits the space.” For more information on Danny Kaplan’s new collection, visit dannykaplanstudio.com. Photography by Matthew Gordon, William Jess Laird, and Dan Allegretto.

For years, the URL bar in your browser has done double duty: you can enter a web address, sure, but you can also use it to enter search requests. Now Norton has a new “free” browser, Neo, which adds a third function: AI prompting. Norton—most famous for its antimalware solutions like Norton 360 Deluxe—is entering the browser market with Norton Neo, an AI-first browser that you can sign up for and join the waitlist. Norton already ships a browser, the Norton Private Browser, which is similar but lacks AI. Neo replaces the search/URL bar with what it calls the “magic box,” where you can “search, generate, and take action,” according to Norton. It’s not immediately clear whose AI solution you’ll be able to use or whether it will run in the cloud or locally on your PC. When you do search, however, Norton promises that you’ll be able to “peek” at a search result to get an AI-powered summary—and yes, it appears to be a list of links, rather than Norton’s own take on Google’s AI Mode. The Magic Bar will also enable you to perform AI-powered writing tasks, such as drafting an email, directly from it. There’s another tweak that Norton is making, although I can’t tell how it’s going to work out: tables browsing. “No more tab chaos—Neo organizes everything, so you don’t have to,” Norton promises. Rather than remove tabs entirely from the AI, Neo will just use AI to auto-group them, according to a related FAQ. Opera One’s Tabs Islands already does this, as does Microsoft Edge, using the “Tab groups” feature. And yes, there’s an integrated ad blocker, which more and more browsers are integrating natively. Norton says that it will not sell your browsing data, leaving room to use “minimal, anonymized data” itself; it also will block “intrusive ads” and trackers by default. Norton does explicitly say that it will not use your data to train AI. Norton doesn’t explicitly say that it’s built on Chromium, the open-source underpinnings of Chrome and Edge, though you can use Chrome plugins, Norton says. Most browsers are free, though Norton waffles a bit in this regard as well. “Yes, Neo is free to download and use with an invitation code for Alpha testing,” Norton says. “We may introduce optional premium features later, but the core experience will always remain accessible.” Although most users still use either Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, there’s a small collection of third-party browsers, including Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, and more, that promise to do more than the mainstream browsers do. Soon, you can add Neo to the list.