Meet Mico, Microsoft’s AI version of Clippy

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

It’s been nearly 30 years since Microsoft’s Office assistant, Clippy, first graced our screens as an annoying paperclip. Now Microsoft is ready to try again with Mico, a new character for Copilot’s voice mode. “Clippy walked so that we could run,” jokes Jacob Andreou, corporate VP of product and growth at Microsoft AI, in an interview with The Verge. Microsoft has been testing Mico (rhymes with “pico”) for a few months now, as a virtual character that responds with real-time expressions when you talk to it. Mico is now being turned on by default in Copilot’s voice mode, where you’ll also have the option to turn the bouncing orb off.

https://www.theverge.com/news/804106/microsoft-mico-copilot-ai-assistant-clippy

OpenAI’s Chrome Killer Is Here: Meet the ChatGPT Atlas Browser

image via pcmag.com
image via pcmag.com

OpenAI jumped into the browser wars today with ChatGPT Atlas, which puts AI at the center of your web surfing, but only on macOS to start. Atlas is built on Google’s Chromium engine and operates like other browsers, offering traditional features such as tabs, bookmarks, password autofill, and an incognito mode. Still, it promises to stand out from the competition by integrating OpenAI’s chatbot into the browsing experience.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/openais-chrome-killer-is-here-meet-the-chatgpt-atlas-browser

Airbnb adds direct messaging, new social features after app overhaul

image via cnbc.com
image via cnbc.com

The new updates add a direct messaging feature for attendees to connect with other guests and a pre-event dashboard that shows profiles of other participants attending the experience. Business chief Dave Stephenson said the updated tech builds on the company’s “vision for where to take Airbnb next.” Users need to opt in to social features for every experience and can unsubscribe at any time, Airbnb said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/21/airbnb-direct-messaging-social-app.html

Amazon outage breaks much of the internet

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

An outage affecting web hosting giant Amazon Web Services (AWS) has taken out vast swathes of the web, including websites, banks and some government services. The internet giant blamed the outage, which began around 3 a.m. on the U.S. east coast, on DNS, a system that converts web addresses into IP addresses so that customer apps and websites can load.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/20/amazon-dns-outage-breaks-much-of-the-internet/

Pinterest’s ‘tuner’ lets you dial down the amount of AI content — but not entirely

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

Pinterest is rolling out a tool that allows users to “dial down the AI” in their feed, the company says. Users can select which categories they want populated with more or less AI-generated content. But Pinterest stops short of promising a feed that’s completely free of AI: the tool will work only on “eligible image Pins” in categories prone to AI content, including beauty, art, fashion, and home decor.

https://www.theverge.com/news/801093/pinterest-tuner-tool-ai-content-categories

How to use Google Meet’s new AI makeup tool

image via mashable.com
image via mashable.com

Google Meet has a new AI-powered makeup filter that lets you apply lipstick without opening a real tube. Launched on Oct. 13, the tool is an expansion of the video call platform's "Touch Up" feature added in 2023. Google Meet's new feature allows users to add basic makeup filters that mimic foundation, blush, lipstick, mascara, and eyeshadow.

https://mashable.com/article/google-meet-ai-makeup-tool