When Michael White struck out on his own after stints at DoorDash and Square, his plan was to help tech employees access the value of their equity while their companies were still private. But as White and his cofounder Gautam Gupta enabled workers to get a line of credit, they found that most people were using it to finance a home purchase.
It makes sense, White says. That’s a big reason people seek liquidityor that’s one of the first things that people do if they have an exit. So it really led us to dive deeper into that and ultimately pivot.
In 2024, White and Gupta relaunched their company Multiply Mortgage as an employee benefit that helps aspiring homeowners secure a mortgage. The company is licensed to originate mortgage loans in 19 states and works with mortgage brokers in nearly every other state. Through Multiply, workers can access expert advisors and discounted mortgage interest ratesand more recently, the company has also expanded to include more comprehensive education resources about financial wellness.
For now, the benefit will remain a free service for employers, owing to Multiplys business model in which the company earns a commission on mortgage origination from all of its lender partners. (White does, however, note that the company might start charging companies down the road, as we build out more of the value that we’re providing companies.) Working with employers also gives Multiply a built-in pool of potential customers and lowers the steep cost of customer acquisition across the mortgage industry.
Beyond that, building an AI-powered platform has enabled Multiply to reduce its labor costs while continuing to bolster crucial elements of the business; the company recently closed a $23.5 million Series A round led by Kleiner Perkins that will go toward getting its product in front of more workers and improving on its personalized services. We’re not building a self-serve mortgage, White says. For as complicated and stressful as this transaction can be, having a really high level of client service can make it go a lot more smoothly. So we’re really investing heavily in our team of mortgage advisors.
In the past decade, companies have started offering workplace benefits that help support employees through various personal experiences, from fertility treatments to mental health support and menopause-related care. At the moment, many benefits managers and HR teams are daunted by the rising costs of healthcare, not to mention the overwhelming number of niche employee benefits now on the market.
If medical insurance is going to consume basically all of your budget, companies have to make some pretty hard choices in other places, White says. Multiplys pitch to companies like Rampthe booming fintech startup that is one of its customersis certainly appealing from a financial perspective, but the return-to-office movement has also created an environment in which some employers are looking for ways to lure their workers back to the office or court prospective employees.
Another buzzy tech startup is currently using Multiply in part because its employees are expected to relocate to cities that are not traditional tech hubs. “They are in the process of building out those teams with engineers that wouldn’t typically live in those places,” White says. “So what we’ve seen them doing with us is including us in their recruiting materials and really highlighting how this might not have been where you were otherwise going to livebut look at the quality of life that you can have. Look at what you’re able to afford from a home perspective; you can buy a home here, and here’s a resource that you can use to make that even more attainable.
Some fully remote employers, on the other hand, are offering Multiplys services because of the geographic range the platform promises. The fact that we can help their employees in Michigan just as well as we can help their employees in California makes a big difference for them, White says. Companies have also found that providing Multiply as an employee benefit has encouraged some people to consider buying a home even if they previously assumed it was out of reachor, at a minimum, use the service to evaluate their options.
“One thing that’s been really cool is how much employees are just exploring what homeownership could look like for them, evaluating how much they could afford [and] renting versus buying,” White says. “They’re able to take advantage of this resource, as well. They have unlimited access to those advisors.” For some clients, the lower interest rates they secured through Multiplywhich can be discounted by up to 0.75% and save them an average of $5,100 annuallyhave made all the difference in terms of being able to afford home ownership.
Like other players in the workplace-benefits space, White also makes the case that may be most appealing to companies and HR teams who are sifting through a dizzying array of potential offerings. Going through a divorce or buying a home can be a lengthy, emotionally taxing experience, one that inevitably bleeds into the workplace.
“If you know what to expect and you know how to adequately prepare for it, you can take a lot of the stress out of the processwhich is great from the company’s perspective,” White says. “If you have this big thing happening outside of work that’s stressful and distracting, then that’s going to degrade performance at work.”
Over the past three months, in a small print shop in Toronto, a group of people has been hard at work making the impossible possible: a book that can be read only when you pour water over it.
The Dehydrating Book is the first of its kind. It was printed with a special hydrochromic ink that is invisible to the naked eye and becomes visible only when it’s wet. It is 100% waterproof and ships in a pouch full of water.
Why? To raise awareness about the global water crisis.
[Photo: The Gas Company Inc.]
The project is a close collaboration between Water for People, a global nonprofit that helps bring clean water and sanitation systems to underserved communities around the world; communications firm Edelman; and Toronto-based graphic arts studio the Gas Company.
Water for People and Edelman came up with the concept. And after three months of iteration (and many sleepless nights) the Gas Company made it a reality by crafting a whopping 130 waterproof books. One of them could be yours freeif you subscribe to the Water for People newsletter and win the raffle that will ensue.
[Photo: The Gas Company Inc.]
The water crisis, made tangible
This book needs water. Just like millions of children in Latin America. This is the opening line on Water for Peoples website, and the sentiment behind it is literal.
According to a UNICEF 2021 study, more than 1.42 billion peopleincluding 450 million childrendon’t have enough water to meet their everyday needs. That is one in five children worldwide whose ability to focus, learn, and achieve their potential is hampered by illnesses and decreased cognitive performance caused by a lack of clean drinking water.
Water quality issues are so difficult to detect and monitor that the World Bank has called it the invisible crisis. By making a dehydrating book, the team wanted to make the crisis visible: When water disappears, so do opportunities like education. The Dehydrating Book is symbolic of the current realities and obstacles of communities in Latin America, says Mark Duey, Water for Peoples CEO. The region is currently facing a water crisis that’s holding children back.
But no such book had ever been made before.
[Photo: The Gas Company Inc.]
The making of a waterproof book
Doug Laxdal founded the Gas Company in 1996. Since then, he has built a strong reputation for kookie projects, as he puts it. In 2022, his team made a completely fireproof version of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale to raise awareness of book burnings and bans in the U.S. (The Unburnable Book fetched $130,000 at a Sotheby’s auction, and all proceeds went to PEN America.)
Laxdal recalls that when he was first asked to make an unburnable book, he knew exactly what to do. This time around, he wasn’t so sure. A waterproof book is like putting metal in a microwave, he told me on a recent video call. You just don’t it. After he hung up with Edelman, his only thought was: What the hell am I going to do?
If you google waterproof books you’ll find a smattering of options, from plasticky baby books to all-weather notebooks, but the Dehydrating Book proved to be a whole other ball game. It had to be waterproof, and the ink had to stick to the page without washing away, and the text had to appear only when you poured water over it.
A game of trial and error
First on Laxdals to-do list was the book cover. His first instinct was to utilize plastic, but the four plastic manufacturers he reached out to weren’t interested in the project. In the end, he landed on white acrylic, also known as plexiglass, which comes in a gloss finish but in this case was sanded down to a matte surface using an orbital sander. The cover closes around the pages of the book almost like a jewelry box.
Then came the pages. Laxdal experimented with a flurry of materials, including Tyvek (a type of synthetic material thats often used to wrap buildings during construction) and polyester. The former wrinkled under water, the latter made the pages too stiff. Other options simply weren’t suitable for the kind of ink he had to use. Various test runs using pouches filled with water for a few days yielded unworkable results: Some ink ether bled into the water or turned sticky, effectively gluing the book shut.
The final version is made with a synthetic paper called SuperYupo (regular Yupo wasn’t good enough). The book covers are acrylic. The outside is lined with another sheet of SuperYupo that is glued to the covers using a waterproof adhesive from 3M. The pages are sewn with standard polyester thread.
Laxdal’s team printed the first layer of text with a UV litho press, which uses ultraviolet light to instantly cure the ink onto the page. Laxdal likens the process to UV-cured gel nail polish, except in this case, the UV machine is almost 100 feet long. Then, they used a silkscreen press to apply enough layers of hydrochromic ink to conceal the text printed underneath. Finally, they placed the book inside a plastic pouch and dunked it in a small aquarium so the water could flow inside the pouch before it was sealed.
In a live demo on Zoom, I watched as graphic designer Layla Laxdal (Doug’s daughter) poured a glass of water over an open book, and instantly, a brightly colored hummingbird appeared on the page.
The story, cowritten with students from Palmira, a village in Peru’s Cascas Valley, follows a group of animals, led by a thirsty hummingbird named Lupita, who travel through Peru in search of water. A spokesperson from Edelman explains that the message behind the book is el agua es vida, (or water is life): Its a motto that the community lives by, and it is a powerful reminder for us readers that without water, children cant thrive.
By the end of my interview with Laxdal, some 40 minutes later, the image that came into view during the demo had started to fade, apart from one patch in the center where the water had pooled. That patch was still bright.
For years, Tesla made the worlds best-selling electric vehiclesbut thats begun to change. As a response to Elon Musks apparent Nazi salute and his involvement in dismantling key federal agencies, both Tesla stock and sales have declined. Tesla Takedown protests have popped up across the country (and the world), and even the value of used Teslas is depreciating.
But EVs arent the only electric product Tesla makes. The company has also been a big player in the solar industry, with its Powerwall home batteries, traditional solar panels, and Solar Roof, in which the roof tiles themselves contain the solar panels. And early data hints at how Musks public reputation may be hurting this business, too.
EnergySage has begun to notice some of those impacts. As an online marketplace for the solar industry, EnergySage connects solar-curious homeowners with installers to get quotes, or to its own advisors to field questions. Its reportedly the most visited website for the solar industry, and recently, its been hearing from both customers and installers about their desire to stay away from Tesla, particularly its Powerwall 3 home solar battery.
From January 1 through January 19before Trumps inauguration and Musks salute at a Trump rallyabout 73% of homeowners who used EnergySage to get a quote on solar with a battery picked one that included the Tesla Powerwall 3, as opposed to a battery by another manufacturer. But between January 20 to March 10, that number dropped to 64%.
Thats a slight dip, but its notable, says Kristina Zagame, a senior research analyst at EnergySage, because of how prominent the Tesla Powerwall 3 has been in the marketplace. That battery came out in early 2024; in the first quarter of that year, it accounted for 18% of the market share, but by the end of the year, it was up to 64%. The Powerwall 3 is popular because it eliminates the need to buy an inverter (as one is included in the battery), its an easier lift for installers, and its priced lower than competitive batteries.
Besides that drop in selected quotes including Tesla batteries, EnergySage has also heard anecdotally evidence about rising anti-Tesla sentiment. Customers have both called and emailed to either express a negative sentiment toward Musk, or to ask specifically about non-Tesla solar battery options. Zagame even put together a battery guide to Tesla alternatives so that she could send it as an easy response to customer inquiries.
But the calls kept coming, the emails kept coming, she says, so she looked more into customer sentiment directly. (EnergySage can see the messages homeowners send to installers when they get quotes, which is where some of the anti-Tesla sentiment was showing up.) Zagame took a one-week snapshot of customer calls in March, and found that a quarter of all calls mentioned Tesla, and 20% of those specifically noted a negative view towards the comapny.
Homeowners receiving quotes from EnergySage also mentioned Tesla more than twice as often in emails over the first two months of 2025 compared to the year prior. Of those messages, 68% were requesting a Tesla alternative, while 13.5% specifically shared unfavorable views toward Tesla or Musk.
There was also a slight decrease in the amount of installers offering Tesla solar batteries in their quotes: 61% of battery quotes included Tesla from January 1 to 19, compared to 58% from January 20 to March 10. That could also be because some installers have faced Powerwall 3 shortages and so dont have them in stock to offer right away.
It’s not clear if this points to an impending downfall of the Tesla Powerwallit’s a bit early to tell, though EnergySage says it’ll keep an eye on these trends. Tesla’s overall solar business has changed in recent years, though, which may have protected it a bit from that changing consumer sentiment.
Tesla’s installation businessas in, Tesla actually being the one to install its solar panels or Solar Roofis “particularly exposed to anti-Musk sentiment,” says Max Issokson, a solar analyst with Wood Mackenzie, because the company “relies on brand recognition and competitive pricing.” But that business has declined over the past nine years. Tesla acquired solar panel manufacturer SolarCity in 2016, and when it did so, it held 16% of the residential solar installation market, he says. Since then, the company has steadily lost market share. In 2024, Tesla held only 1.6% share.
Tesla has focused less on being a solar installer, Issokson says, and more on being an equipment supplier. That means it has certified third-party installers to do the actual installation work, and instead supplies its panels, shingles, or batteries to installers. While it’s installation business was decreasing, Teslas residential battery and inverter business has increased. And the equipment side of Tesla’s solar business may be a bit more insulated from customer sentiment, Issokson says, as equipment decisions are more often controlled by the solar installer than the consumer.
But Zagame says she has heard from a few installers who have been turned off by Musks actions and so are phasing out their Tesla solar offeringsor pushing alternatives like the FranklinWH to customers instead. [Installers] are helping people go solar, but at the end of the day they have a business to run and sales quotas to meet, Zagame says. So for them to say, Hey, we actually don’t want you to install this product anymore, that is a really big deal.
For more than 100 years, people in Stanstead, Quebec, have been able to walk into Derby Line, Vermont, to enter the border-straddling Haskell Free Library and Opera Houseno passport required.
But municipal and library officials said on Friday that U.S. authorities have unilaterally decided to end the century-old unwritten agreement. Coming at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries, the decision is prompting an outpouring of emotion in communities on both sides of the border, which in places has been marked simply by flower pots.
Inside the library celebrated as a symbol of international friendship, Pauline Lussier and Chris Blais put their arms around each others shoulders Friday as they stood on either side of the line taped down the floor marking the border. Lussier, a Canadian, and Blais, an American met for the first time that day.
A line doesnt separate us, it never has, said Blais, who held an American flag in her hands while Lussier held a Canadian one.
Our kids have gone back and forth over this border without any problem at all . . . this is all going to change now, and theres no reason for this, Blais added.
Once inside the library, Canadian and American citizens have been able to mingle freely across the border line drawn on the flooras long as they return to the proper country afterward. In 2016, then-President Barack Obama hailed the symbolic importance of the library, built in 1901. A resident of one of these border towns once said, Were two different countries, but were like one big town, Obama said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the divide is about to become more pronounced. Starting in the coming days, only library card holders and employees will be able to cross over from Canada to enter the building through the main door on the U.S. side.
And as of Oct. 1, no Canadians will be able to enter the library via the United States without going through the border checkpoint, though there will be exceptions for law enforcement, emergency services, mail delivery, official workers, and those with disabilities.
The statement acknowledged the library as a unique landmark, but said the border agency was phasing in a new approach for security reasons.
Due to the librarys location, and convenience of local populations, CBP has allowed customers of the library to access its sidewalk, without inspection, for decades, the agency said in a statement. However, during that time, this area has witnessed a continued rise in illicit cross-border activity.
It noted there have been a number of incidents in and around the library that resulted in apprehensions in recent years, including a person attempting to smuggle firearms in the past year.
Town and library officials say Canadian visitors without a library card will have to enter by a back door on the Canadian side, across a muddy stretch of grass. The library announced Friday that it was launching a GoFundMe to raise the estimated $69,000 ($100,000 Canadian) it will cost to build a sidewalk, new parking lot, and wheelchair access.
Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone said the U.S. decision makes no sense. However, he said the decision from U.S. President Donald Trumps administration would not affect the close bond between the communities, which share municipal services and facilities.
No matter what this administration does, it will not change the fact that Stanstead and Derby Line are partners and friends forever, he said.
Several residents, some in tears, gathered at the border to denounce the decision. Penny Thomas stood on the American side, holding up a sign with a maple leaf on it that said Keep Haskell open.
In February, The Boston Globe reported that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the library and repeated Trumps taunts about making Canada the 51st state as she stepped back and forth across the line that marks the border.
According to the librarys website, Canadian visitors had been allowed to enter the library by the main entrance on the U.S. side. While passports or visas were not necessary, library officials had warned that U.S. Border Patrol and Royal Canadian Mounted Police would monitor movements and could request to see identification.
When filmmaker Travis Gutiérrez Senger reflects on Ascos legacy, he quickly notes they were more than an art group; they created a movement, one with remarkable influence on Chicano art history.
That movement continues today, and its very expansive, he says. Theres a lot of books, films and things that will be written about Asco over a period of time. And this was our contribution in some ways.
He’s referring to Asco: Without Permission, a documentary that chronicles the story of the 1970s art group founded by multidisciplinary artist Patssi Valdez, muralist Willie Herrón III, painter and performance artist Gronk and writer and photographer Harry Gamboa Jr. They met as teens, formed as young adults, and called their group asconausea or disgust in Spanishafter one of their early DIY exhibits. Their conceptual work and performance art spoke to the exclusion of Chicanos from the mainstream art world and the systemic police brutality endured by the Mexican American community in East Los Angeles.
All four founding members of Asco became some of the most notable Chicano artists, later exhibiting works in revered museums around the United States. But in their early days, the group was denied access to the notable galleries and museums. They created their own avenues in the form of public performances, murals, and more to exhibit their work, their way.
To behave badly is the most ethical thing you can do, said executive producer Gael García Bernal at the films South by Southwest film festival premiere earlier this month. Youre building identity and questioning and unmasking the facade and the farce that exists.
Bernal and Diego Luna executive produced the film under their production company El Corriente del Golfo. The film has yet to find distribution.
Speaking with the Associated Press, Gamboa and Valdez praised Gutiérrez Sengers approach to their history. Both members, who appear in the documentary, saw the film for the first time with a crowd of fans and a group of young Chicano artists whose art was inspired by Ascos early rebellion.
I felt the film really kind of captured the essence of all of us working together, said Gamboa.
Valdez says it was a special moment for her, as the only woman in the founding group, to be given equal time and understanding.
For the first time, I was given an equal voice in the group that hadnt happened before, she said, citing how previous stories of the group only highlighted her male collaborators.
Without permission
Asco emerged at the height of the Chicano civil rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s. It was a time of heightened political and racial tension amid the East LA walkouts, protesting education inequality, and the Chicano Moratorium, an anti-Vietnam War movement during which many Mexican Americans were victims of police brutality.
Muralists and collectives popped up as Latino artists sought to process the systemic injustice taking place in their communities.
The response to such violence was to create art, said Gamboa Jr. He wanted to alter the mainstream perception of Chicanos and present the possibilities and avenues someone can create despite societal constraints.
For Valdez, being the only woman meant she was no stranger to a double dose of both racism in society and the sexism weaved within conservative Latino households, where young women were expected to keep quiet.
I couldnt stand it. So I was able to act out these forms of censorship through the performance work in Asco, said Valdez, who once taped herself to a public wall in a piece titled Instant Mural, a metaphor on feeling captive.
One of Ascos most known works is Spray Paint LACMA. Gamboa, Gronk and Herrón spray painted their names on the side of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art after Gamboa says he was told by a curator, Chicanos are in gangs, they dont make art.
There was another era when people said, Latinx art, you know, doesnt exist. Its not a thing. It doesnt belong. Its not part of American art, said Pilar Tompkins-Rivas, the chief curator and deputy director of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
Ascos neighborhood performance art would often draw stares, and even crowds. In Station of the Cross, the group carried a large cross to the local military recruiting office to protest the Vietnam War.
In 1974, Gamboa took a photo of Gronk posed as the victim of gang violence to bring attention to the medias sensationalist coverage of crime in East Los Angeles. In the documentary, Gamboa claims that a local news station ran the piece as an actual story.
Ascos work as a group remained in obscurity from the mainstream. It was not until 2011 when LACMA mounted Asco: Elite of the Obscure, A Retrospective, 1972-1887, the first retrospective to present the groups performance and conceptual art. On display was an image of Valdez, taken by Gamboa, standing above the graffiti art. Life had presented Asco with its full-circle moment.
Latino history has always been erased, said Gutiérrez Senger. Asco: Without Permission is a story of winning a battle, not a war.
No Movies and Latino representation
A 1974 photograph of Valdez shows the artist glammed up in a gold top, holding a golden statue of a cobra. She had won best actress at the Aztlan No Movie Awardsa fictional award show Asco created as commentary on the lack of Latino representation in Hollywood.
The group was inspired by Hollywood cinema and popular culture, but knew the likelihood of starring in studio films was limited, unless they wanted to play a maid, cartel leader or gang member.
Hollywood movies, rock n roll. Thats what I was about, said Valdez. And thats why I responded in the way I did with my artmaking.
Gamboa photographed Herrón, Gronk, and Valdez using cinema stock to capture the essence of their favorite films. The series was called No Movies and later inspired their satirical award show.
Gutiérrez Senger was drawn to it and pays homage throughout the documentary by featuring a group of young Chicano artistsincluding local Los Angeles artists like Fabi Reyna and San Chain short films inspired by Ascos signature DIY style.
I think its a necessary obligation as a Latino if youre making films to fight very, very hard to put brown people on screen and behind the camera and to try to create films about our history, said Gutiérrez Senger. We have rich stories, and we have a rich history.
Asco: Without Permission includes testimonials from respected Latino artists, including actor Michael Pea and comedian Arturo Castro, who have broken into the mainstream but know the importance of preserving hstory.
Our history as Latinos is not in the history books. The movements that we’ve had are not in the history books, Pea says in the documentary.
Although it often feels like progression is slow, Valdez says artists need to continue to voice their opinions and misbehave and not ask for permission.
You do not need permission to be yourself. You do not need permission to be creative. You do not need permission to be intellectual, said Gamboa. And the thing is, you cannot allow yourself to be repressed or silenced and or visually curtailed from presenting works.
By Leslie Ambriz, Associated Press
Many schools and colleges are underperforming when it comes to sex education. Going beyond the classroom condoms-and-bananas approach, a group of students have taken it upon themselves to deliver sex ed, TikTok-style.
The TikTok account @sexedforguys, which has more than 117,000 followers, started as a school project by four students at Colby College, a private liberal arts school in Maine. Launched in 2022, the account features skits tackling consent, toxic masculinity, and homophobiaessential lessons in a time when manosphere content is flooding For You Pages and Gen Z boys and men are more likely than baby boomers to believe that feminism has done more harm than good.
@sexedforguys
The channel began as part of a study on privilege at elite all-boys schools, led by professor Adam Howard, chair of Colbys education department. His research highlights how these institutions often fall shortespecially when it comes to sex education. While working with student researchers, Howard asked how they could best share their findings. Their answer? TikTok.
Howard told Rolling Stone that TikTok was the perfect platform for sharing his research for two reasons: First, thats where young people are (55% of TikTok users are younger than 30). Second, it provides a much-needed counternarrative to some of the worst content on the app.
Guys could be scrolling through their TikTok and Andrew Tate will pop up, but as they scroll maybe Sex Ed for Guys will pop up and itll start having them think a little bit differently, Christopher Maichin, a 20-year-old junior at Colby, told Rolling Stone. I think the greatest part of it is that they are getting education without even knowing it. Theyre watching a funny video but theyre learning about consent.
Several of the TikTok accounts videos have gone viral, including Respecting Women Workout (which has 11 million-plus views) and the game Thats Whats Up!/Whats Up With That? (which has more than 3 million views).
@sexedforguys Thats whats up. #fyp #trending #trend #foryoupage original sound – Sex Ed for Guys
Setting boundaries with your partner: That’s what’s up! Backflips: That’s what’s up! Using racial and homophobic slurs: What’s up with that?” the boys say to the camera. Their video goes on to praise the 2013 Florida Gulf Coast March of Madness run, night-vision goggles, and “asking your partner about their day.”
This is unironically how we defeat the alt-right pipeline, one user commented under the video. Another wrote: this could actually save america.”
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.
Hundreds of AI tools emerge every week. Ive picked five new ones worth exploring. Theyre free to try, easy to use, and signal new directions for useful AI.
1. Sesame: Talk with a surprisingly lifelike AI
Of all the AI bots Ive communicated with, this one sounds the most lifelike. Pick either Maya or Miles to talk with for free in Sesames conversational demo. Try one of these topics. You can download your conversation afterwards. Its deleted from the companys servers within 30 days to protect your privacy.
Ill keep an eye on this company: Sesame aims to build an ever-present brilliant friend and conversationalist, keeping you informed and organized, helping you be a better version of yourself.
Another intriguing new AI conversationalist: Im also intrigued by my experiments with Natura Umanas AI people. Rather than one AI bot that covers everything, the NatureOS ecosystem hosts multiple conversational bots, each with a different focus. Ive talked with Hector about well-being and Athena about fitness. The NatureOS interestingly includes hardware, so you can summon these lifelike AI characters with a quick tap of special earbuds. (See a video demo.)
2. Convergence: Assign tasks to an AI agent
Ask Convergences AI agent to buy groceries for you, find a gift on Amazon, get you a restaurant reservation, research what people say about your company, or do any number of other tasks. This is just one of many new AI agents trained to use a Web browser for you, and none are yet fully reliable. When I tasked Convergence with making a list of LinkedIn profiles of speakers at the upcoming Perugia International Journalism festival, it got some right and many wrong. With simpler tasks your odds of success are higher. You can request up to five tasks for free per day, or pay $20/month for an unlimited number of tasks.
3. Scribe: Transcribe super accurately
Until April 9, Scribea remarkably accurate new transcription model from ElevenLabsis completely free. In my tests it got the names of websites right, whereas most transcription tools get those wrong. It also captured tiny speech nuances so well that Id recommend this over other tools for anything requiring top accuracy. It works in 99 languages.
4. Google Career Dreamer: Imagine a new job
Dream up potential new directions for your career with this simple, well-designed free site. You dont have to log in, enter your name, or share any personal info. Just type in the kind of work you do and confirm whether you have certain skills and interests. Add your education if you want.
The AI immediately gives you a career identity statement and shows you a map of jobs that might interest you. Hover over any to learn more about them. You can even open up nearby job openings in that field. You can then jump to Gemini, Googles alternative to ChatGPT, to work on a cover letter or continue your career ideation.
Gems are now free You can now create a free Gemini Gem, which is an AI tool customized with your specific instructions and up to 10 documents you upload. Its Googles answer to ChatGPTs Custom GPTs.
Try this: Create a new Career Gem by uploading your resume, past cover letters, career planning docs, and any other relevant materials. Provide instructions if you have a particular style, language, or approach in mind. This new trained AI assistant youve customized can then help you anytime you return to it to refine a cover letter, update your resume, practice for an interview, or even brainstorm career ideas. Alternative: You can use Googles default Career Guide gem without uploading anything, but its not personalized.
5. Adobe Enhance Speech: Improve audio
Adobe recently upgraded its audio cleanup tool. Upload any audio recording with background noise and immediately get a clean version to download. There are new sliders for adjusting the enhancement and background noise.
You can then use Adobe Podcast to edit the cleaned audio by trimming the transcript just as you would in a Google Doc. It now works for recordings in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
If youre making a podcast, you can choose from royalty-free sound collections with intros, outros, transition sounds, and background music. Its free to try for a month and included with existing Adobe subscriptions.
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.
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When I was 12 years old, my parents enrolled me in a kids coding class at the YMCA. This was 1983before the internettyping code from magazines like Compute! into a computer with a green-on-black screen and seeing what it did. And the experience would go on to shape the course of my life.
Ive been in software for more than 30 years, most of them at Intuit. I started there as a software engineer in 1999 and today am its chief technology officer. In that time, so much has changed about this professionfrom the way we mentor to the way we code. Today, agentic AI technology can take high-level directions, look at an existing code base, pull in the right set of data, do a web search to look at the current ecosystem, and then plan out and perform a sequence of actions normally expected from a junior engineer. This provides a true end-to-end done-for-you experience. Put simply, I can see why people might feel like everything is changing for software engineers.
But even in this fast-changing field, there are throughlines. I may not be working in BASIC on the same Apple 2E from coding camp, but the foundational skills that help me break down complex problems, ask the right questions, and code durable solutions are as important as they’ve always been. No one needs me to describe how this industry has changed. Instead, here are three things that havent.
1. The why is as important as the how
Strategic thinking has long been part of a software engineers job, to go beyond coding to building. Working in service of a larger purpose helps engineers develop more impactful solutions than simply coding to a set of specifications. With the rise in AI-assisted codingand, thus, the ability to code and build much fasterthe why remains at the forefront. We drive business impact by delivering measurable customer benefits. And you have to understand a problem before you can solve it with code.
As machines tackle the parts of the job that deliver relatively standard pieces of a solution, the other part of an engineers rolethat of a cognitive architecttakes on new weight. The key differentiator lies in the ability to effectively use AI to augment human capabilities. Time previously spent on routine coding tasks can now be devoted to strategic decisions, allowing engineers who are just starting out to practice critical thinking skills earlier in their careers and offering seasoned engineers more opportunities to leverage their expertise for competitive advantage.
2. Curiosity is key
The best engineers are inherently curious, with an eye for detail and a desire to learn. Through the decades, that hasn’t really changed; a learning mindset continues to be important for technologists at every level. Ive always been curious about what makes things tick. As a child, I remember taking things apart to see how they worked. I knew I wanted to be an engineer when I was able to put them back together again.
The continuous advancement of technology makes it impossible for the day-to-day work of a junior engineer to look the same year over year. In the 1980s, an entry-level coder might have been tasked with writing simple programs in assembly language, but by the 90s this was made nearly obsolete by higher-level languages like C++. Similarly, in the early 2000s, we needed humans to manually parse and clean large files, and by the 2010s we could automate data cleaning with scripting and ETL tools.
AI may be exponentially accelerating the pace of change in our day-to-day work, but those who enter the field with curiosity and a hunger to make things more efficient, effective, and intuitive will continue to find success, even as the way they apply that curiosity continues to shift.
3. Leadership skills arent just for managers
Not every great coder aspires to be a people leader; I certainly didnt. I was introverted growing up. But as I worked my way up at Intuit, I saw firsthand how the right leadership skills could deepen my impact, even when I wasnt charged with leading anybody. I’ve seen how quick decision making, holistic problem solving, and efficient delegation can drive impact at every level of an organization. And these assets only become more important as we fold AI into the process.
Communication skills, for example, have taken on new significance. When we convey all the relevant information needed for a counterpart to provide an adequate responsewhether it’s a colleague, a customer, or AIwe reach better outcomes faster. It’s always been critical to understand the context around a problem in order to choose and code the right solution. But engineers now need to be able to adequately explain that context to AI in a clear, direct way to efficiently delegate portions of their work, in order to leverage AI to operate more efficiently and increase productivity internally. At Intuit, we see up to 40 percent faster coding using generative AI code assistants. Communication skills are key in getting these outcomesand, as a resultdriving faster innovation for customers.
AI is changing the trajectory of software engineering. And as long as we continue to practice the foundational skills our industry was built on, it will be as rewarding and exciting a career in the future as it was for me 30 years ago.
Alex Balazs is CTO at Intuit.
CoreWeave plans to reduce the size of its U.S. initial public offering and price its shares below the indicated range, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday, dampening expectations that the listing would boost investor appetite for IPOs.
The Nvidia-backed cloud services provider is now looking to sell 37.5 million shares, 23.5% less than originally planned, and price them at $40 apiece, well below even the low end of the indicated range, the source added, requesting anonymity discussing confidential information.
Nvidia will anchor the CoreWeave IPO at the price with a $250 million order, the source said. The sale would raise about $1.5 billion and value CoreWeave at about $23 billion on a fully diluted basis, according to Reuters’ calculations.
The company did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. It is expected to price the IPO later on Thursday.
CoreWeaves roadshow, which began last week, received a weaker-than-expected reception as risk-averse investors in a volatile market weighed concerns over the companys long-term growth, financial risks and capital intensity, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
Among the concerns is CoreWeaves heavy reliance on Microsoft, whose shifting AI datacenter strategy could impact long-term demand for chips known as graphics processing units, or GPUs. While investors appear comfortable with the companys high leverage since it has strong free cash flow, the risk of commitments not being fulfilled remains a worry.
Additionally, CoreWeave’s capital-intensive business model raises questions about sustainability, adding to broader market uncertainty.
CoreWeave has been a significant customer for Nvidia, deploying over 250,000 of Nvidia’s GPUs by the end of 2024. Investors’ lukewarm reception to the CoreWeave IPO could signal reduced confidence in the AI infrastructure market, as the scaling of GPU assets in AI training slows down.
“The business model doesn’t appear fundamentally flawed, but this suggests investors are recalibrating AI infrastructure valuations,” said Lukas Muehlbauer, research analyst at IPOX.
CoreWeave and some existing investors had initially aimed to sell 49 million shares in the offering priced between $47 and $55 each to raise as much as $2.7 billion. That would have valued the company at up to $32 billion on a fully diluted basis.
Mounting concerns
CoreWeave’s stock market debut has been closely watched as a test of the strength of a recovery in the U.S. IPO market and whether investor enthusiasm for AI newcomers remains strong or has started to wane.
The number of U.S.-listed equity capital markets deals, including both IPOs and block trades of shares, fell to 187 in the first three months of this year, down from 243 during the same period last year, according to Dealogic data through Wednesday. The total value of these transactions also dipped, falling from $74.02 billion to $63.48 billion.
Despite the AI boom, there are growing concerns that data center spending will be uneven, with investments concentrated among a few giants while others struggle to keep pace.
DeepSeek, China’s low-cost AI rival, has also emerged as a growing threat, fueling concerns about pressure on data center spending.
CoreWeave had debt of about $8 billion as of last year. It also leases its 32 data centers and some equipment, instead of owning them, resulting in operating lease liabilities of $2.6 billion.
In its offering filing, the company had said about $1 billion of the IPO proceeds would be used to pay down debt. The company has said it would continue to borrow.
CoreWeave has yet to turn a profit, and IPO investors in the last few years have been wary of backing companies with no history of profitability.
Ahead of its IPO, CoreWeave secured partnerships with major AI players, including Sam Altman’s OpenAI. Earlier this month, it signed an $11.9 billion infrastructure deal with the ChatGPT maker.
The cloud services provider, which offers access to data centers and high-powered Nvidia chips for AI workloads, will also issue $350 million in shares to OpenAI through a private placement as part of the offering.
Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs are the lead underwriters of the IPO.
The downsizing was first reported by Semafor on Thursday.
Echo Wang, Krystal Hu, Milana Vinn, Manya Saini, Niket Nishant, and Ateev Bhandari, Reuters
As the global auto world reeled from the potential fallout of Donald Trump‘s new auto tariffs, one name stood out as less affected than otherselectric-vehicle maker Tesla.
The Texas-based company’s shares were the rare automotive stock to trade in the green in U.S. action, as analysts said Tesla’s supply chain and financial performance may not be affected by the wide-ranging levies that will affect global shipments of both cars and car parts to the United States, mainly due to the company’s largely domestic production.
Still, that relief in the United States, where Elon Musk has become one of President Trump’s primary advisers, tasked with swiftly cutting federal spending, may not improve the brand’s reputation worldwide.
Tesla shares have plunged more than 40% since peaking in mid-December as a protest movement against the EV company has erupted in the U.S. and around the world as the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency has drawn heavy criticism for going after federal workers. The stock was up about 2% on Thursday.
The 25% tariffs are expected to disrupt the global automotive industry, raise the cost of vehicles in the United States, and pinch automakers’ earnings. Shares of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler-parent Stellantis were down between 2.1% and 7%.
While Tesla does import some parts from around the world, the company largely produces its vehicles in the United States. Analysts expect Tesla to report deliveries of about 398,000 vehicles when it reports figures for the first quarter next week, according to 20 analysts polled by Visible Alpha.
Trump said the duties announced on Wednesday could be net neutral or even good for Tesla, adding that his close ally Musk did not advise him regarding auto tariffs.
Several administration officials have defended Tesla in public comments in recent days, ranging from urging people to buy its stock to opening investigations into vandalism at Tesla dealerships.
Still, Musk late on Wednesday said, “To be clear, this will affect the price of parts in Tesla cars that come from other countries. The cost impact is not trivial.”
Tesla imports lithium-ion batteries from China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd and other automotive parts from countries such as South Korea, Japan and Mexico, according to import filing data through the end of February provided to Reuters by ImportYeti.
Car prices could rise by $5,000 to $15,000 if a 25% tariff on imported cars is maintained, according to Goldman Sachs.
Automakers are likely to pass on the impact of tariffs to customers by raising prices, and that could close the price gap between Tesla’s electric vehicles and competing gas-powered cars, analysts said.
“Tesla is a relative beneficiary given 100% U.S. production footprint, substantial U.S. sourcing and with Model Y competing in a midsize crossover segment where close to ~50% of vehicles could be subject to tariffs,” TD Cowen analysts said in a note.
While Trump’s tariffs may benefit Tesla in the United States, the automaker faces mounting challenges in Europe and Canada, where political sentiment and reduced electric vehicle incentives are eroding its competitive position.
In Britain and the European Union, Tesla is grappling with policy headwinds and shrinking subsidies that threaten to dampen demand and slow its growth trajectory. Canada has frozen a rebate program for Teslas.
“Musk’s involvement with Trump might be a factor weighing on sales outlook outside of the United States,” Sandeep Rao, senior researcher at Leverage Shares, said.
Akash Sriram, Arsheeya Bajwa and Richa Naidu, Reuters
