Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA

As human and AI-generated “slop” floods the internet, Perplexity says it’s fighting back by making Comet — its AI-native browser that normally costs $200 a month — free for anyone in the world, forever.”We want to build a better internet, and that needs to be accessible to everybody,” Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas told Business Insider at a launch event in San Francisco on Wednesday.The free version of Comet, which launches today, will come with rate limits, Srinivas made clear.Comet can summarize webpages, pull key details, and wade through links on a user’s behalf. It first debuted in July but was…

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sundas Khalid, a Google employee in her 30s from Seattle. The following has been edited for length and clarity.Between 2015 and 2024, I more than tripled my salary in Big Tech, from under $80,000 to $292,000. It felt unreal.But if I’d known that I’d make $302,000 in 2024 through my content creation side hustle, I think my younger self, who was lower middle-class and not very financially literate, would feel proud. I’ve come a long way in building generational wealth for myself and the people in my life.My salary tripled during…

Ticktock! The Founder and Investor Bundle sale for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 ends tomorrow, October 3, at 11:59 p.m. PT. After that, founders will no longer be able to register in bulk at a discount, and investors will drop back to the standard 15% savings. Don’t miss your chance to save more and supercharge your Disrupt experience as a community. Disrupt is the startup launchpad for founders and investors alike Disrupt 2025 will unite 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders from across the globe. It’s the ultimate launchpad for startups at every stage, where investors spot the next big opportunity first,…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department will increase staffing at certain U.S. embassies and consulates to accommodate an expected major jump in visa applications from soccer fans wanting to attend World Cup matches in the United States next year. The department said Thursday will send hundreds of additional consular officers to “designated countries” to handle the demand for visa interviews. The number of staffers and the countries where they will go have yet to be determined because the 48-team field for the 2026 World Cup has not been finalized. Tickets for the tournament hosted by U.S., Canada and Mexico went…

Sequoia-backed AI design startup Visual Electric said that it is joining search startup Perplexity today. The company noted on its site that the team would be joining a new Agent Experiences group at Perplexity. Aravind Srinivas, Perplexity’s CEO, confirmed the acquisition with a post on X. Deal terms were not disclosed. The startup said that as part of the transition, it will shut down Visual Electric as a product in 90 days. It added that users will be able to export their data, and subscribers will get prorated refunds. Visual Electric was founded in 2022 by Colin Dunn, a former…

As a pediatrician, I thought my medical background and pediatric training meant I would be well prepared to breastfeed my newborn. I knew all about the research on how an infant’s diet can affect both their short- and long-term health. Compared to formula, breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome, lower rates of infections and hospitalizations and a lower risk of developing diabetes later in life. Breastfeeding can also provide health benefits to the parent.But I struggled to breastfeed my own firstborn. I was exhausted and in pain. My nipples were bleeding and my breasts…

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark says she hasn’t spoken to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert this week.But she is ready to add her name to the growing list of players criticizing the league’s leadership.The Indiana Fever guard spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since All-Star weekend and acknowledged Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier made “valid” points when she took her complaints about WNBA executives public.“I think what people need to understand, we need great leadership in this time, across all levels,” Clark said. “This is straight up, the most important moment in this league’s history. This league’s been around 25…

Vaccination coverage is eroding across the United States at the same time measles cases are surging, according to new county-level data compiled from state health agencies.Measles outbreaks are infecting more people this year than in any year since the early 1990s and have already killed three. So far in 2025, all but eight states have reported measles cases, a disease the U.S. declared eliminated in 2000. Nearly 92% of these cases were among the unvaccinated or people with unknown vaccination status.Federal data released in July showed that childhood vaccination rates, which had remained steady for years, have declined, while the…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is asking nine major universities to commit to President Donald Trump’s political priorities in exchange for more favorable access to federal money.Universities were asked to sign a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” committing them to adopt the White House’s vision for America’s campuses. It asks the schools to accept the government’s priorities on admissions, women’s sports, free speech, student discipline and college affordability, among other topics.Signing on would give universities priority access to some federal grants, but government money would not be limited solely to those schools, according to a White House…

GENEVA (AP) — Facing growing global calls to suspend Israeli teams from soccer, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday the governing body must promote peace and unity and could not solve political issues.In a febrile period for soccer politics, Infantino led a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council in Zurich which did not have Israel formally on the agenda before 2026 World Cup qualifying games resume next week.He later met privately at FIFA headquarters with the leader of the Palestinian soccer federation, Jibril Rajoub, and praised his organization “for their resilience at this time.”The strongest push against Israeli teams by…