| | | Islands in the Stream was written by the Bee Gees as an R&B song for Diana Ross or Marvin Gaye, depending on which Gibb brother you ask. Neither recorded it. Kenny Rogers got it instead, sang it alone for four days, and hated it every single time. | Dolly Parton happened to be recording down the hall. Rogers sent someone to get her. She walked in, sang it once, and Rogers later said: "She lit it up and the song was never the same." | What’s in store: | Google built a beast and immediately locked the cage. Your fitting room now requires Wi-Fi. Mindstream Picks: Apple’s rumoured security camera could describe what it sees instead of recording it. 25 Gemini Skills to build right now!
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| | | | | GOOGLE | | | Google has revealed Gemini 4 Argon, its newest AI model, but access is very limited for now. | Google says the model is designed for difficult coding tasks, legal and finance work, and cybersecurity. | At first, only a small group of “trusted cyber defenders” will be able to use it while Google continues testing its safety. | The model is already being used inside Google for tasks such as moving large amounts of code. | Google also says Gemini 4 Argon performed better than models from OpenAI and Anthropic on several tests. | In brief: | Gemini 4 Argon is built for coding, business tasks and cybersecurity. Access is limited while Google carries out more safety testing. A wider release is expected once more safeguards are added.
| Google said hands where I can see them | Before releasing it more widely, Google says it wants to improve protections against misuse, prompt attacks and unsafe behaviour. | The announcement came one day after OpenAI launched its Dots AI agent and GPT-6.1 Sol model. | And of course this lands one day after OpenAI’s big DevDay. The AI labs are now releasing models like divorced parents competing over who bought the better birthday present. -MG |
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| | | | | NEW RELEASE | | | Most people use Gemini the same way every time — type a prompt, get an answer, start from zero again tomorrow. Gemini Skills are a different mode. You teach it a task once, and it runs the same way every time you call it. | Futurepedia's free guide shows you exactly how to build 25 of them: | Core Skills: 10 ready-to-use skills with the exact sentence that creates each one — meeting recaps, client proposals pulled from your pricing sheet, status updates, and more Everyday Extras: 15 more for inbox triage, one-on-ones, contract checks, and the rest of the stuff that eats a week Combos & Troubleshooting: how to stack two skills in one message, edit any skill by just describing the fix, and what to do the first time one doesn't fire
| 25 copy-paste prompts. A real sample output for every one. A cheat sheet you'll actually screenshot. | |
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| | | | | I don’t know when this photo was taken, but there’s some sort of comfort around it. Can’t explain. | Is it real or nah? | The correct answer is at the bottom of the email! |
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| | | | | OPENAI | | | OpenAI is adding two new shopping features to ChatGPT: virtual try-ons and product favourites. | The new Try On tool lets users upload a selfie or full-body photo to see how clothes or accessories could look on them. | Users can also upload a screenshot of an item and ask ChatGPT to try it on their image. | The feature uses OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Images 2.5 model, which the company says creates more realistic images, follows editing requests better and works faster. | Here’s how it works: | Upload a photo and preview clothes or accessories on yourself. Save products and try-on images for later. Find clothes based on a look, photo or outfit you like.
| Try before you spiral | ChatGPT is also adding Favorites, where users can save products they like and come back to them later. Try-on images will be saved there too. | ChatGPT is also adding Favorites, where users can save products they like and come back to them later. Try-on images will be saved there too. | The update pushes ChatGPT further into online shopping, an area already covered by platforms such as Google and Pinterest. | A recovering shopaholic’s worst nightmare. - MV |
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| | | | Space: SpaceX has launched 130 payloads on its Transporter-18 mission, including a prototype satellite testing Google’s technology for its planned space-based AI computing network.
Business: Nike’s turnaround is showing early signs of progress, but falling sales, fierce competition and the loss of Kylian Mbappé highlight the challenge it faces in restoring its former dominance.
Music: Hilary Duff is releasing new song CATastrophe for The Cat in the Hat on October 2, as she continues her comeback with an expanded Lucky Me world tour. | Don’t Miss: Apple is reportedly developing a smart home security camera that uses on-device AI to monitor activity without recording traditional video footage. Instead, the camera could recognise people and events around the home and provide users with text descriptions of what it detects. |
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| | | | Image of the Day |  | Artwork submitted by Mindstream reader Grix: “Cinematic shot inside a vast futuristic robotics assembly facility” |
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| | | | “Do voluntary AI safety agreements go far enough?” | Yes: With proper outside checks - 17% | No: Rules need legal teeth - 83% ✅ | Your Views: | “Haven't we learned from experience that if there is no penalty involved, most folks are looking for the highest dollar???” - lsmith | “It's ridiculous for these companies to regulate their own industry. They plan on receiving the financial gains, they also need to own the repercussions. It's so American to socialize the losses.” - hiannca | “For private AI companies, profit will always come first.” - talib | Submit your opinions in our polls to be featured! |
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| AI or real? The image was… AI! | #1220
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