Good Evening!
Remember the AI wearable Friend? Guess who’s baaaaaaack.
Here are the 7 things you missed today:
1. 💰 Intercontinental Exchange is Buying Bond-Trading Platform MarketAxess For $6Bn
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is acquiring electronic bong-trading platform MarketAxess Holdings for $167 a share in cash, an equity value of approximately $6 billion. According to ICE, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, the deal would unify the entire fixed-income trading lifecycle onto one platform. (Quartz)
2. 🌟 200 Applications. 3 Worth Your Time. Here's How to Find Them.
Most hiring processes weren't built for AI-assisted resumes. The filter mechanisms that used to work don't anymore.
JobRack reviewed 13,000+ candidates in the last 12 months and built a system that does. Their free playbook covers how to filter fast, identify real AI fluency, and spot the red flags most managers miss.
3. 💸 OpenAI is Slashing Prices on Two AI Models
Running a business is expensive these days, and OpenAI is taking that to heart. The AI leader is reducing the price of two models in its GPT-5.6 family roughly three weeks after the models launched. Luna, the fastest and lowest-cost version in the GPT-5.6 lineup, will have its cost reduced by 80% while Terra, the mid-tier GPT-5.6 model, will be reduced by 20%. (Quartz)
4. 📈 Rank Where Buyers Search These Days (ChatGPT, Claude & More)
Most SEO agencies are still stuck optimizing for Google rankings… while your buyers are already searching inside tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Ranked is built for what actually matters now.
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5. 🛡️ Okta is Acquiring AI Security Startup Permiso For $200M
AI identity theft is not a joke, and that’s what Okta is betting on. The identity management company is acquiring AI identity security startup Permiso Security at an almost all-cash deal at almost $200 million. The deal hinges on predictions that demand for protecting AI agents and other machine identities will grow as enterprises deploy autonomous software across their operations. (TechCrunch)
6. 👨💼 Google Cloud’s COO is Now Scale AI’s New CEO
Scale AI is suiting up. The AI startup announced that its board of directors has appointed Francis deSouza as Chief Executive Officer, starting August 10. deSouza previously held the role of Chief Operating Officer and President of Security Products at Google Cloud. (Quartz)
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7. 🗣️ AI Wearable Friend is Back (With a Voice)
Two years ago, tech founder Avi Schiffmann launched Friend, an AI wearable you could talk to about your day to combat loneliness. You may remember it wasn’t well received. But now, Friend 2.0 is coming, an overhaul of the product with a major upgrade: a voice. The new retail price is also enhanced from $99 to now $249. (TechCrunch)
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