By skyforbes 
OpenAI has unveiled Sora 2, its newest video generation model now featuring synchronized audio, dialogue, and a social platform where users can create, remix, and even appear in AI videos using a new “Cameos” feature.
Here’s what’s new:
Sora 2 brings major upgrades in physics realism and can now produce longer, more dynamic clips (5–10 seconds) that handle complex scene transitions. It also generates perfectly synced audio, including natural dialogue and sound effects that align seamlessly with the visuals.
The accompanying Sora social app focuses on user interaction through Cameos, allowing creators to record their likeness and place themselves inside AI-generated scenes. The app rolls out for free (with usage limits) in the U.S. and Canada, while Pro users will gain access to the Sora 2 Pro model and an upcoming API integration.
Why it matters:
Sora 2 represents a huge leap forward in AI video realism blurring the line between synthetic and real footage while opening up bold new storytelling possibilities. Meanwhile, Cameos could spark the next wave of viral AI content, though it remains to be seen whether the app’s novelty will translate into long-term cultural traction.
Google’s AI Mode Now Sees the Way You Do
Ever get stuck trying to explain a look, style, or vibe that words just can’t capture? That pain point is gone. Google’s new AI Mode now lets you search through visuals and shop as if you’re talking to a friend who actually gets what you mean.
What’s New:
- Search That Feels Natural: Instead of stiff keyword hunts, AI Mode shows visual answers to your conversational prompts. You can tweak results on the fly — like asking for “bolder patterns in earthy colors” once you see the first round.
- Shopping, Simplified: Forget clunky menus and endless checkboxes. Just say “relaxed fit jeans, but not oversized,” and AI Mode pulls the right styles straight out of its 50 billion–item catalog.
- How It Works: Under the hood, Google’s “visual search fan-out” fires off multiple queries at once. Paired with Gemini 2.5 and Lens tech, it can pick up on every layer of an image — even objects you didn’t call out.
This update is hitting U.S. English users this week. Whether you’re chasing cozy cottagecore vibes or tracking down the exact teal accent chair, AI Mode now gets your vision literally.
New report from A16z shows which AI tools are attracting startup spend
Source: a16z
Venture Capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has released its first AI Application Spending Report, shedding light on the AI products that early-stage startups are investing in most heavily. Drawing on transaction data from Mercury, the report identifies 50 essential AI tools driving startup operations — along with some unexpected contenders.
Experimentation everywhere: Startups are in full experimentation mode, simultaneously trying various note-taking, coding, and productivity apps as they search for the perfect fit. According to a16z partner Seema Amble, the rapid churn of new apps reflects a “proliferation of tools,” with no clear dominance in any single category.
Copilots leading the way: AI copilots currently dominate startup spending. Despite growing interest in fully autonomous AI agents, most companies are prioritizing tools that enhance human productivity and decision-making rather than replace workers. Amble anticipates that as workflows evolve, we’ll see a gradual transition toward more integrated, end-to-end AI agents.
Current frontrunners: At the top of the spending leaderboard are OpenAI and Anthropic, followed by developer-oriented platforms like Replit and Cursor. Creative tools such as CapCut, Canva, Midjourney, Freepik, and ElevenLabs also feature prominently underscoring how AI innovation is rapidly bridging the gap between consumer and enterprise use. made the list.
AI Tool of the Day: Meco
Let’s face it reading newsletters in your inbox can be messy. Between endless emails and noisy threads, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Enter Meco, the clean, focused space built just for newsletters. It strips away the inbox clutter and gives you a distraction-free reading experience packed with smart features to help you learn more from the writers you love.
With Meco, your inbox stays light while your reading stays sharp. Adding newsletters takes just seconds, and from then on, everything lives in one sleek, organized app.
Clear your inbox. Upgrade your reading.
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AI Tutorial:How to Design Impressive Presentations with AI
Gone are the days when creating a great-looking presentation took hours — or even days!
Thanks to AI tools like Decktopus, the process is now effortless.
With just a few clicks, you can generate professional, visually stunning presentations. Simply enter your presentation title, and Decktopus handles everything else design, content, and visuals included.
Top Features of Decktopus:
- Instantly builds complete presentations
- Creates tailored outlines and slide text
- Easy drag-and-drop editing
- AI handles research, writing, and image generation
- Built-in presentation coach offering feedback and delivery tips
- Access to a full chart library
Decktopus is the leading AI-powered presentation maker trusted by professionals worldwide.
Stop wasting time try Decktopus today!
Productivity Power-Ups: AI Tools to Try Out
- Warp: The best way to build with AI agents, from prompt to production. Ranked #1 Terminal-Bench and top-3 on SWE-bench Verified.
- Biela.dev: AI-powered full-stack builder. Turn ideas into live websites and app in minutes, no code needed. Just describe it, and Biela builds it.
- GPT Workspace: integrates ChatGPT into Google’s productivity suite, allowing users to enhance their workflow with AI tools across Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and more.
- Context: Context merges AI with mental model visualization to help frame issues, tame complexity, and clarify decisions in just seconds.
- D-ID: Create stunning videos featuring talking avatars anytime and anywhere.
- Capalyze: Collect data, analyze it, and generate reports with an AI agent
- Wan 2.5: Transform text prompts into professional HD videos
- Koke: Instantly create citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, Harvard, and more formats.
- Essential: Nothing’s ‘digital playground’ to create apps with text prompts
- Cluely: An undetectable desktop app that gives you the answers you didn’t study for in every meeting and conversation.
- AI Suggests: AI Suggests is a virtual content AI assistant that generates ready-to-use content.
Your AI Roundup: This Week’s Need-to-Know
- Perplexity makes Comet browser free: Users can now access the search startup’s viral AI browser at no cost. Comet’s main feature is a sidecar assistant that answers questions, summarizes pages, and navigates sites in real time. Meanwhile, premium subscribers are getting access to an email assistant, early feature access, and the new “background assistant” that handles multiple tasks simultaneously via a dashboard.
- Wikipedia Just Supercharged AI Training: Wikimedia dropped a developer’s dream: a massive new database with 120 million Wikipedia entries optimized for AI. It uses smart, semantic search so AI can finally understand context, not just match keywords. Think of it as a golden ticket for building smarter LLMs — and it’s completely free.
- Microsoft brings ‘Agent Mode’ to Office apps: Excel can now run multi-step data analysis, build models, and validate results — functions previously reserved for power users. In Word, the Agent Mode helps draft, summarize, and refine documents in an interactive workflow. Office Agent, meanwhile, creates polished PowerPoint decks and Word reports directly from chat. Read the details here.
- Opera launched Neon, a new AI-powered browser that can take agentic actions on a user’s behalf, released as a premium subscription via waitlist.
- Elon Musk revealed that xAI is building ‘Grokipedia’, which will be a “massive improvement” over Wikipedia and a step towards “understanding the universe.”
- The NBA is partnering with AWS to launch Inside the Game, a new platform for TV broadcasts with AI-powered advanced stats, strategy, and player tracking.
That wraps up this week’s AI highlights and game-changing innovations. Stay tuned for more key insights to stay ahead as the pace of AI evolution accelerates.