Latest Software & Apps News
OpenAI launches ChatGPT App Directory and SDK for third‑party apps
OpenAI has released a new **App Directory** for ChatGPT, turning former connectors into categorized apps such as file search, deep research, and sync experiences. The company also opened a developer **SDK** for building interactive ChatGPT apps, with major partners like Spotify, Zillow, DoorDash, and Apple Music expanding multimodal use cases in shopping, content retrieval, and productivity.
Gmail integrates Gemini 3 to become a proactive AI assistant
Google is rolling out **Gemini 3 AI** inside Gmail, positioning it as a proactive personal assistant that can summarize, draft, and help manage communications. The integration aims to route more everyday tasks—search, content editing, translation, and summarization—through on‑device and cloud AI, tightening Google’s competition with other large AI assistant platforms.
Samsung commits to AI across Galaxy software and services
Samsung mobile chief T.M. Roh says **AI features will be applied across all Galaxy products and services**, emphasizing search, generative editing, translation, and summarization. With hundreds of millions of AI‑native Galaxy devices expected, Samsung plans to center daily interactions in its own assistant layer rather than traditional apps and search flows.
Lenovo debuts Qira, a cross‑device AI assistant for PCs and phones
Lenovo has introduced **Qira**, a system‑level AI assistant designed to work seamlessly across Lenovo PCs and Motorola smartphones. Qira blends on‑device models with cloud AI from OpenAI, Microsoft Azure, Stability AI, and integrations with productivity tools like Notion and Perplexity to power multi‑app workflows.
Meta to acquire AI agent startup Manus to expand autonomous tools
Meta is acquiring Singapore‑based **Manus**, a fast‑growing AI agent startup valued between $2–3 billion, to enhance its autonomous agent capabilities. Manus, which recently surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue, will help power general‑purpose agents across Meta AI and business tools in WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.
Snowflake moves deeper into app observability with Observe Inc. acquisition
Data cloud company **Snowflake has agreed to acquire Observe Inc.**, an observability startup focused on monitoring complex, AI‑heavy applications. The deal is intended to bolster Snowflake’s ability to track data lineage, performance, and failures in AI systems, as enterprises demand tighter visibility and control over production AI apps.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health sparks privacy and safety debate
OpenAI’s new **ChatGPT Health** section adds structured health tools, including support for uploading electronic medical records and connecting with fitness apps inside ChatGPT. The launch responds to rising consumer use of chatbots for medical questions but is drawing scrutiny from experts over data privacy, safety, and appropriate clinical use of AI‑driven health software.
Market for generative AI media software set to triple by 2029
A new global market report projects **generative AI media software** revenues to grow from $8.61 billion in 2025 to $27.99 billion by 2029, at a 34.3% CAGR. Growth is driven by adoption of AI tools for automated content creation, video editing, music and graphics generation, and real‑time personalized media across social, advertising, and education apps.
CES 2026 showcases software‑driven AI platforms and industrial apps
At **CES 2026**, software and AI dominated announcements, with more than 4,100 exhibitors and 1,200 startups highlighting applications across mobility, health, and robotics. Siemens and NVIDIA expanded their partnership to build an **industrial AI operating system**, and Siemens launched **Digital Twin Composer** software to power large‑scale industrial metaverse simulations used by companies like PepsiCo.
NVIDIA outlines major AI software platform shift at CES
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang described computing as undergoing **two massive platform shifts** at CES, centered on AI and new software development paradigms. The company emphasized software‑defined, AI‑accelerated platforms that extend beyond chatbots into “physical AI” for real‑world tasks, reshaping how applications are built and deployed on NVIDIA hardware.
Microsoft open‑sources key developer tools, including XAML Studio
Recent industry coverage highlights **Microsoft’s decision to open source XAML Studio**, a UI prototyping tool for Universal Windows Platform XAML applications. By releasing tools like XAML Studio and backing projects such as OpenEverest, Microsoft is leaning into open source to boost developer productivity, security, and community‑driven evolution of core app‑building components.
Disney unveils AI ad‑tech tools challenging agencies at CES 2026
Disney introduced new **AI‑powered tools for ad planning, creative generation, and metrics** at CES 2026, aiming to streamline campaign workflows for marketers. The software suite automates media planning and creative optimization across Disney’s properties, raising strategic questions for traditional ad agencies whose services overlap with these in‑house AI capabilities.