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All right, settle in, folks, because today we’re going to try to out-Google Google with the next generation of search: Perplexity. So, what exactly is Perplexity, and how’s it different from other AI chatbots like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot? Gemini, ChatGPT, and Copilot are primarily generative AI tools meant for creating text, writing code, brainstorming ideas, and engaging in free-form conversations. They generate stuff based on their training data. Perplexity is an answer engine. Its main job is to give you accurate, sourced answers to your questions by searching the internet in real time. It’s built for research and fact-finding. Instead of just generating text, it’s designed to summarize, synthesize, and cite information from across the web. And the best part? A lot of Perplexity’s brainpower is available right out of the box for free, no wallet required. Lets take things for a spin using one overarching example throughout: the rapid evolution of electric vehicle (EV) battery technology. Ask your question like a human Perplexity understands natural language. Just type your question clearly, like you’re asking a person: “What are the latest breakthroughs in EV battery technology?” Choose your sources This is where you tell Perplexity where to look. Even with the free version, you get access to powerful source filters. Look for the “Set sources for search” dropdown in the lower-right corner of the search box. It looks like a globe. Web (default) is for general news, current events, popular sites, and the like. For our EV example, this is perfect for getting an overview of “What are the latest breakthroughs in EV battery technology?” It’ll pull from tech blogs, auto news, and general science sites. Academic sources is for scientific papers, scholarly articles, and research journals. Think: “Detailed chemical mechanisms of solid-state battery electrolytes.” Social sources is for discussions, opinions, and real-world experiences from real people. Use Social and ask, “What are consumer experiences with EV range anxiety for new battery types?” And Finance sources is best for market data, company reports, and investment news: “Investment trends for companies developing next-gen EV batteries.” Follow up, then follow up some more Perplexity is designed for conversation. After it gives you an answer, you can ask follow-up questions within the same thread. Our initial “Web” search about EV battery breakthroughs mentioned “silicon anode technology.” You can then type, “How does silicon anode technology impact charging times?” or, “What are the main challenges in using silicon anodes in mass production?” Perplexity will remember your previous questions, making the conversation seamless. Double-check the sources Every single piece of information Perplexity gives you comes with clickable source citations. If Perplexity states, “Solid-state batteries offer higher energy density (Source 1) and faster charging (Source 2),” those little numbers are links. Click them to jump directly to the original article, research paper, or news report. This lets you fact-check Perplexity’s summary and see the information in its original context. Leverage your daily free ‘Pro Searches’ Perplexity gives free users a limited number of Pro Searches per day. Think of these as a daily allowance of super-powered queries. When you toggle on Pro Search (the looping X icon in the lower-left of the search box), Perplexity uses its most advanced AI models and a deeper search strategy. Save these for when your question is complex, highly nuanced, or when a regular search isn’t quite hitting the mark. For example, if you’re trying to compare the long-term cost-effectiveness of different EV battery chemistries, a Pro Search can often provide a more detailed and structured analysis. Other general tips So there you have it: Your crash course in getting started with Perplexity’s free features, all framed around the fascinating world of EV battery tech. Some other quick tips . . . Be specific: “EV batteries” is vague. “Latest breakthroughs in EV battery recycling methods” is much better. Use your free features strategically: The source filters, unlimited follow-ups, and daily Pro Searches are powerful tools. Make use of the Discover and Spaces tabs: Located in the left-hand nav, Discover is a powerful news aggregator, and Spaces lets you cordon off related searches for stuff like vacation planning. Consider a Pro plan: for $20 per month, you get more citations, file and photo uploads, unlimited Pro Searches, and a bunch of other goodies. Go forth, explore, and may your information be ever accurate and your searches ever fruitful.
Category:
E-Commerce
What happens when the wittiest fast food chain in the country and one of television’s sassiest characters come together? A not-so-happy meal. Restaurant chain Wendy’s announced a forthcoming collaboration with Netflix’s Wednesday ahead of the show’s new season release. In Wendy’s disruptive fashion, the brand did not shy away from irreverent packaging and gothic names, with plans to launch a “Meal of Misfortune” on August 11. The collaboration comes after a series of announced administrative changes at Wendy’s, a company currently valued at $2.1 billion. On July 18, the company’s CEO, Kirk Tanner, stepped down after a little over a year in the position. Ken Cook, Wendy’s chief financial officerwho had less than a year in that position and no previous restaurant experiencetook over as interim CEO while the board continues to look for a permanent replacement. In addition to the C-suite changes, Wendy’s has seen positive growth in its share price, up by 4.06% the time of publishing. The uptick follows the previous day’s announcement of Pete Suerken as Wendy’s new U.S. president, who will report to the current CEO. Online chatter has also helped the stock, with increased mentions on the popular retail investment subreddit r/wallstreetbets. The subreddit, which identifies itself as “like 4chan found a Bloomberg Terminal,” plays an outsized role in promoting so-called meme stocks. Just this week, several stocks have seen surprising gains thanks in part to online retail investors, including a boost for retailer Kohl’s and donut maker Krispy Kreme. ‘Nothing happy about this meal’ The Wednesday Addams collaboration is set to feature various Addams-family-inspired treats. For instance, the collab’s dips are named “You Can’t Hyde,” “This Will Sting,” “Grave Mistake,” and “Nowhere to Woe,” an ode to the character’s dark humor. The meal will also include an order of nuggets dubbed “Rest in 10-Piece,” “Cursed & Crispy” fries, and a “Raven’s Blood” Frosty. “This isn’t a typical collaboration, because not just any brand could scheme up a Meal of Misfortune with Wednesday Addams,” Liz Geraghty, Wendy’s International Chief Marketing Officer, said in a statement. The meal’s packaging also boasts Addams fashion, featuring a black and purple color palette for the containers, as well as a carrier bag veiled with the fictional character’s iconic white collar and black dress combo. The phrase “there is nothing happy about this meal,” accompanies the bag’s design, an irreverent nod to the iconic Happy Meal from competitor McDonald’s. “For a brand that’s proudly customer-obsessed and unapologetically bold, it was a match made in dark, dry-witted heaven,” Geraghty added.
Category:
E-Commerce
Alphabet beat Wall Street estimates for its second quarter on Wednesday, and cited massive demand for its cloud computing services as it hiked its capital spending plans for the year to about $85 billion. The search giant beat estimates for quarterly revenue and profit on the back of new AI features and a steady digital advertising market. Google Cloud’s revenue growth surged nearly 32%, well above estimates for a 26.5% increase. “With this strong and growing demand for our Cloud products and services, we are increasing our investment in capital expenditures,” CEO Sundar Pichai said in an earnings release. Shares of the company, which have risen more than 18% since its previous earnings report in April, were down 1% in extended trading. Google had earlier pledged about $75 billion in capital spending this year, part of the more than $320 billion that Big Tech is expected to pour into building AI capabilities. The companies have defended their aggressive AI spending amid rising competition from Chinese rivals and investor frustration with slower-than-expected payoffs, saying those massive investments are necessary to fuel growth and improve their products. Alphabet reported total revenue of $96.43 billion for the second quarter ended June 30, compared with analysts’ average estimate of about $94 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Google’s advertising revenue, which represents about three-quarters of the tech major’s overall sales, rose 10.4% to $71.34 billion in the second quarter, beating expectations for $69.47 billion, according to data from LSEG. Deborah Sophia and Kenrick Cai, Reuters
Category:
E-Commerce
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