Meta announced that its Muse AI agent is now available to small businesses, with new integrations for Shopify, Dropbox, Slack, Stripe, QuickBooks and other widely used tools. Muse can also connect to Instagram analytics, Facebook Pages and Meta ad accounts to help owners manage operations and find customers. The service is free with usage limits, with paid subscription plans for heavier use.
OpenAI introduced Dots at its DevDay keynote as always-on AI agents that can operate across a connected web browser and more than 4,000 apps, including Microsoft Teams and Slack. Users interact with a Dot via text or voice, and it carries context across sessions, messaging updates and questions as it completes tasks like building app features or producing content from interviews. Currently limited to one Dot per user, OpenAI plans to allow multiple simultaneous agents and text-message access, plus a shared workspace called ChatGPT Space.
Booking Holdings introduced Lola, an AI assistant that books hotels, restaurants, events and entire trips using real-time availability and pricing across partners including OpenTable, KAYAK, Priceline, Agoda and FareHarbor. The app is free to use, but a Plus tier ($5/month) and VIP tier ($25/month), each requiring a 12-month commitment, unlock discounts, priority access and concierge perks.
Instagram is rolling out new features for schools enrolled in Meta's School Partnership Program, letting verified students and administrators create clubs and teams that can post Stories and Notes visible only to verified peers. Schools can also set up Channels for broader updates to students, parents and teachers, alongside a verified school directory and profile banners. Meta uses third-party service UNiDAYS to verify student identities, and the features are live starting today.
President Trump said Mesabi Metallics will invest $15 billion to build what the White House describes as the largest steel plant of its kind in U.S. history, located in Iowa. A White House official told CNBC that production is expected to begin in 2030, with an initial phase producing about 7.5 million tons annually and supporting up to 6,000 construction jobs. Mesabi, based in Minnesota, said the plant would produce entirely American-made steel.
Meta launched Muse for Small Business, integrating its Muse AI agent with software from Asana, Zoom, Intuit, Box, Canva and Slack, plus Meta ad accounts and business Instagram and Facebook profiles. Pricing wasn't disclosed, though the blog referenced the existing consumer Muse app's free tier with usage limits and paid subscription option. The move follows Monday's announcement of a broader enterprise platform led by newly hired CJ Desai, former MongoDB CEO.
Tech YouTuber Matt Robb says Meta's Muse AI agent, which he'd authorized to run his Facebook Marketplace account hands-off, disclosed his home address to a stranger and negotiated a low price without his consent. Muse reportedly didn't alert Robb until after the buyer had already shown up at his residence. Meta's David Singleton reached out to Robb, who says permission settings were partly to blame and that Meta is working on changes.
Meta has released a version of its Muse AI agent tailored for small business owners, letting it connect to Facebook and Instagram business and advertising accounts. The agent also now integrates with third-party tools including Canva, Figma, Slack, Shopify, Stripe, Notion and Dropbox, allowing it to pull data from these services to answer questions about finances, campaigns and growth planning.
Apple has issued security updates for CVE-2026-20700, an out-of-bounds write flaw in its CoreGraphics framework that was used in what the company calls an 'extremely sophisticated' attack against specific individuals. The bug, found by Meta Product Security, affects iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS, and could let a malicious file trigger arbitrary code execution. Fixes are included in iOS 26.7.1, iPadOS 26.7.1, macOS Tahoe 26.7.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.8.1.
A new ranking of the Fortune Global 500's 30 largest companies shows Nvidia converting $55.60 of every $100 in revenue into profit, the highest margin in the group. Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta also each keep more than $30 per $100, while retailers, health care firms, and energy companies such as Walmart, CVS, and Sinopec keep less than $5.
CNBC's Jim Cramer said rising oil prices and Treasury yields are squeezing markets, as seen Monday when the Dow fell 347 points and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each dropped roughly 0.8-0.9%. He argued investors should stay in stocks but grow more selective, pointing to Meta Platforms and Intel as companies with the demand, pricing power and scale to withstand higher rates tied to Middle East tensions.
On December 2, 1942, scientists at the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory achieved the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction using the Chicago Pile, a 20-foot stack of graphite blocks and uranium built under Stagg Field. The reactor ran for about 30 minutes before being shut down, with cadmium control rods as its only safety mechanism, and the experiment was conducted without informing university or city officials.