Artificial Intelligence Archives

Tech Optimizer

May 16, 2025

Databricks to acquire Neon for AI-driven serverless Postgres

Databricks plans to acquire Neon, a company specializing in serverless Postgres technology, to enhance its AI-driven database offerings and developer workflows. The acquisition reflects Databricks' commitment to the evolving database market, which is increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence. Neon’s technology is designed for AI agents, with over 80% of databases on its platform provisioned automatically by AI. Key features of Neon's platform include rapid provisioning of Postgres instances, cost efficiency through separated compute and storage, and full compatibility with the open-source Postgres ecosystem. The integration aims to address limitations of traditional databases, streamline infrastructure, and support the development of AI agent systems. Upon completion of the acquisition, Neon's team will join Databricks, and both companies aim to simplify data architecture and enhance AI agent capabilities. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals. Neon was founded in 2021 and focuses on serverless Postgres solutions, while Databricks serves over 10,000 organizations globally with its Data Intelligence Platform.

AppWizard

May 15, 2025

Google brings Gemini and other accessibility tools across Android devices

Google is introducing AI-powered accessibility features for Android, targeting users with low vision or hearing impairments. An upgraded version of TalkBack allows users to ask questions about images and receive descriptive answers. The "Expressive Captions" feature provides real-time captions that include tone and emotions, currently rolling out in English in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia for Android 15 and above. Google is also opening its Project Euphonia repository to developers to create customized speech recognition tools for diverse speech patterns. These initiatives are part of Google's commitment to accessibility and user-friendliness.

AppWizard

May 15, 2025

Chrome’s Android app will now let you zoom in on text without affecting the webpage

Google has introduced updates to enhance user experience on its platforms, focusing on accessibility and usability for Android users. The TalkBack screenreader now allows follow-up questions about images, enabling users to ask specific queries like identifying colors or materials. An update for Chrome on Android improves text zooming, allowing users to enlarge text without affecting the webpage layout, using a slider accessible through the three-dot menu. Google’s Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool now automatically recognizes scanned PDFs on desktop, enabling text highlighting, copying, and searching. Expressive Captions provide real-time captions for audio content on Android devices, capturing spoken words along with tone and emotion, and are being rolled out in English across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia for devices on Android 15 and later.

Winsage

May 15, 2025

Only one person at Microsoft is talking about Windows 12 — let’s keep it that way

Microsoft has not made any formal announcement regarding the release of Windows 12. The end-of-support date for Windows 11 is October 14, 2025. Historically, Windows releases have followed a pattern where every alternate version is perceived as inferior: Windows 95 (good), Windows 98 (bad), Windows 98 SE (good), Windows ME (bad), Windows XP (good), Windows Vista (bad), Windows 7 (good), Windows 8 (bad), Windows 10 (good), and Windows 11 (bad). If Windows 12 is released, it is expected to have increased hardware demands and may heavily rely on artificial intelligence, potentially leaving users with outdated hardware.

Winsage

May 15, 2025

Microsoft might be sick of hearing “When is Windows 12 coming?” — but Windows 10’s death remains the hot topic for most users

Microsoft introduced Windows 11 over three years ago as the successor to Windows 10, which will reach its end-of-support date on October 14, 2025. Windows 11 currently holds a market share of 43.72%, while Windows 10 has 52.94%. Users are gradually transitioning to Windows 11, influenced by the impending support deadline for Windows 10. A recent update for Windows 11 added new features, but there is speculation about Windows 12, which Microsoft has not confirmed. User sentiment reflects more concern about the end of Windows 10 support than excitement for Windows 12. In response, Microsoft is promoting Windows 11 through ads and highlighting the benefits of Copilot+ PCs, which claim to outperform older devices.

Tech Optimizer

May 14, 2025

Databricks Acquires Neon for $1 Billion, Boosting AI Infrastructure with Serverless PostgreSQL

Databricks has acquired Neon, a cloud-based database startup specializing in serverless PostgreSQL, in a billion-dollar deal. This acquisition aims to enhance Databricks' role in the AI tooling landscape and reflects a shift in the database market to meet the needs of AI-native applications. Neon, founded in 2021 and based in Menlo Park, California, had raised nearly million before this acquisition. Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi noted that 80% of databases on their platform are created by code rather than humans, indicating a shift in database management driven by autonomous AI agents. Databricks has been actively acquiring companies to strengthen its AI development capabilities, having previously acquired firms like MosaicML and Arcion. Ghodsi emphasized that as a private entity, Databricks can make long-term strategic decisions without public market pressures. The acquisition reflects a broader trend of increased deal-making in the AI sector and highlights the growing importance of robust data infrastructure in the context of sovereign AI initiatives.

Tech Optimizer

May 14, 2025

Databricks buys serverless database startup Neon for reported $1B

Databricks Inc. has confirmed its acquisition of Neon Inc. for approximately billion. Databricks, based in San Francisco, was valued at billion after its last funding round. Neon specializes in managed cloud databases, has raised over million in funding, and utilizes a proprietary storage engine built on PostgreSQL. Neon's architecture allows for rapid deployment of database instances in under a second, which enhances performance for AI agents. The acquisition is expected to be finalized by July 31.

Winsage

May 14, 2025

Microsoft Confirms Windows Upgrade Choice—You Must Now Decide

Microsoft has released a mandatory update for Windows 11, identified as “KB5058411,” which includes essential security fixes and introduces a new feature called Recall. Recall uses artificial intelligence to capture snapshots of the user's screen at regular intervals, creating a photographic memory of digital interactions. Users will be prompted to enable Recall during the installation of the May 2025 Windows 11 24H2 update, and opting in for the first time simplifies future re-enabling. However, enabling Recall raises privacy concerns, as it records activities and communications from secure messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Signal, potentially exposing sensitive information. A user reported that someone was able to access his entire PC history, including deleted messages, highlighting the vulnerabilities associated with the feature. Users are advised to carefully consider the implications of opting into Recall.

AppWizard

May 14, 2025

Slack Rolls Out ‘Mark as Read’ Option in Notifications for Android App

Slack is introducing a "Mark as Read" option in the notification window for its Android app, allowing users to mark messages as read directly from notifications without opening the app. This feature is currently being rolled out to Android users, while desktop users have had similar functionality through keyboard shortcuts. The update is part of a phased rollout, meaning not all users will have access immediately. Additionally, Slack recently launched 25 new AI applications in its marketplace to enhance productivity across various professional tasks.

AppWizard

May 14, 2025

Android launches new protections against phone call scammers

Google is implementing new features to enhance security for Android users against phone call scams. Users will be restricted from sideloading applications or granting sensitive permissions while on a call with an unknown contact, receiving a notification that states, “This setting is blocked to protect your device.” Google has also prevented users from disabling its Play Protect security service during calls. These measures are available for devices running Android 16. Additionally, Google is piloting a feature for banking apps in the UK that alerts users of a “likely scam” when accessing these apps while sharing their screen with an unknown caller. Users can choose to end the call or face a 30-second delay before accessing their banking app’s screen. This feature will roll out for devices running Android 11 and newer. These updates build on existing scam protection tools, including AI that identifies potential scam callers and integrates scam detection into Google Messages.