AI Agents You Control From Your Phone (Finally)
Poke just launched an AI agent platform that works through text messages. No app downloads, no complex setup, no technical knowledge required. You text what you need done, the agent handles it. This matters because most AI tools require you to learn new software, create accounts, and navigate dashboards. Poke strips all that away. Need to schedule social posts? Text it. Want to automate email responses? Text it. The agent runs in the background and reports back. Small business owners don't have time to become AI experts. Tools like this make automation accessible without the learning curve. If you've been intimidated by AI agents, this is your entry point.
You can finally automate repetitive tasks without learning complicated software or hiring a tech person. This removes the biggest barrier between you and AI automation.
Source: TechCrunch AI
Quick Hits
Privacy-First AI Wearable From Ex-Apple Engineers
Two former Apple Vision Pro developers built an AI assistant that only listens when you tap it. It looks like an iPod Shuffle and addresses the biggest concern with AI wearables: constant listening. This matters if you've been hesitant about AI assistants because of privacy. The device stays silent until you activate it, giving you control over when AI is paying attention. If privacy has kept you from trying voice AI, this changes the equation.
Wired AIMeta's New AI Model Catches Up to the Big Players
Meta released Muse Spark, its first major AI model since pivoting its AI strategy. The benchmarks show it competes with top models from OpenAI and Anthropic. For small businesses, this means more competition in the AI space, which typically means better pricing and more features. Meta has a history of making powerful tools accessible and often free. Watch for new tools built on this in the coming months.
Wired AIMonitor Your AI Agents From Your iPhone
Astropad launched Workbench, a tool that lets you remotely control and monitor AI agents running on Mac Minis from your iPhone or iPad. If you're running automated workflows and want to check on them without being at your desk, this solves that problem. Think of it as a security camera for your AI operations. Useful if you've got agents running overnight or while you're meeting with clients.
TechCrunch AITool of the Day
Perplexity AI
Research assistant that actually cites its sources
Perplexity is a search engine powered by AI that gives you answers with sources, not just links. Ask it a business question and it'll research across the web, summarize findings, and show you exactly where each piece of information came from. It's better than Google for research and better than ChatGPT for accuracy.
Open Perplexity and ask "What are the top 3 complaints about [your competitor] from recent reviews?" It'll scan review sites and social media, then give you a summary with links. Takes 30 seconds, gives you competitive intel you can use today.
productivity
Check it out →The Number
Thousands
Russia's military hacked thousands of consumer routers in 120 countries, according to security researchers. Most were end-of-life routers in homes and small offices. If your office router is more than 3 years old and hasn't been updated lately, it's a target. Replace it or update the firmware this week.
Source: Ars Technica
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