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TestingCatalog #204

Greetings, testers!

This month has been as bustling as January, if not more, brimming with thrilling news and opportunities to delve into novel experiences. This edition particularly highlights topics enriched with unique user experiences, marked distinctly with a 🔥 emoji. As many of you are aware, embracing new experiences can enrich our lives, urging us not to shy away from exploring new apps and features!

The AI sector continues to dominate, outpacing the other areas TestingCatalog covers, namely Web 3.0 and Web 2.0, by a significant margin. Each week, we witness the launch of innovative products offering AI-based experiences previously beyond our reach. The forefront runners in AI development, OpenAI and Google, are in a constant tussle. For instance, the recent preview of videos generated by the SORA model from OpenAI has been the talks, although SORA remains out of our reach for now. Meanwhile, Google has made waves with its new Gemma model, boasting an expansive context window capable of processing vast amounts of information, with initial tests already showing promising outcomes.

Let's dive into the details and explore the latest updates below 👇

Newsletter Guide

Here's your guide on how to make the most out of this newsletter:

  1. 🤳 Gear up with your mobile phone and desktop devices.

  2. 📩 Scan through the newsletter, picking out the apps that pique your interest.

  3. 🔥 Keep an eye on the "hot" emoji to identify the hottest user experiences.

  4. 👀 Dive deeper into our TestingCatalog posts to discover how to put these apps to the test.

  5. 📲 Roll up your sleeves and try them out yourself!

AI

In the AI domain, this month has been bustling with notable innovations and updates, especially with new products like Arc Browser making a splash. Launched initially for iOS users at the start of the month and followed by a significant update, Arc Browser distinguishes itself not just through its unique user experience but also its AI-powered functionalities. One of its standout features, "Browse for Me" allows users to conduct searches and receive a summarized web page on the topic instantly, bypassing conventional search engines. Another recent addition, "Pinch to Summarize," enables users to condense any webpage into a summarized card by simply pinching the screen, ideal for those moments when reading a full article isn't feasible.

Meanwhile, in the ChatGPT sphere, there's been a flurry of minor releases and leaks. Recent updates include an enhancement to the GPT Store, introducing five-star ratings and a revamped About page. Additionally, a memory feature has been selectively rolled out, offering a glimpse into future capabilities, though widespread access remains pending. An intriguing development on the horizon is ChatGPT's venture into voice conversations for web, anticipated to mirror the functionality available on mobile platforms.

Google's journey through the month has been a mix of highs and lows, marked by the addition of image generation capabilities to Bart, subsequently rebranded as Gemini, only for the feature to become inaccessible to EU users, an issue that's yet to be resolved. Despite these challenges, Google has pushed forward, releasing the Gemini app for Android and integrating it into the iOS Google app, though not available in the EU yet.

The competitive landscape of AI engines is also witnessing the arrival of new players. Huggingface has introduced a beta version of its open-source assistant, presenting an alternative akin to custom GPTs. Furthermore, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has entered the fray with Coze, a platform designed for creating AI bots, signaling its foray into the expanding realm of AI assistants.

Arc Browser

ChatGPT

Gemini

Copilot

Coze

Huggingface

LeonardoAI

Perplexity

Web3

In the quieter sphere of Web3, a noteworthy development came from Magic Eden, a renowned cross-chain NFT marketplace that launched its wallet extension. This extension, known for its seamless functionality, encompasses all the anticipated features of a digital wallet while providing comprehensive support for various chains including Solana, Ethereum, and Bitcoin. Users of the extension can enjoy browsing NFTs, token swapping, among other functionalities, directly within the wallet.

Magic Eden further engaged its community by conducting a retrospective airdrop of diamonds, which not only offer benefits on its marketplace but also fuel speculations regarding their necessity for future airdrops. In a parallel stride within the Solana ecosystem, Wrapcast, the leading client application for Farcaster, integrated support for Solana wallets. Initially compatible solely with the Phantom wallet, this integration marks a significant step towards broader Solana support within the app.

An intriguing surge was observed in the domain of Worldcoin, correlating with OpenAI's announcement of its Sora text-to-video model. The price elevation of Worldcoin is primarily attributed to its positioning as a countermeasure against deepfakes, a pertinent issue given Sora's groundbreaking capabilities in AI-generated content. This development has notably increased the value of WLD token grants, which are distributed free to users, now nearing a valuation of 1,000 euros, highlighting the dynamic interplay between AI advancements and Web3 valuations.

Magic Eden

Mirror

Solsniper

Phantom

Worldapp

Wrapcast

Web2

Transitioning to our longstanding topic of Web 2.0 and apps, an interesting update came from BlueSky, which has opened its doors wider by removing the invite requirement for new accounts. However, this development has been met with mixed reactions, as many believe that BlueSky's decision came too late, resulting in a loss of initial momentum. This is in stark contrast to Threads, Meta's response to Twitter, which has gained considerable traction in a short span of time.

At TestingCatalog, we've been closely observing and engaging with the Threads app, and an interesting observation has emerged from our experiments. Despite having a relatively modest follower count of 150 on Threads, the engagement in terms of likes is comparable to that on X (formerly known as Twitter), where TestingCatalog boasts a follower base of 3k 🤯

For those intrigued by the evolving landscape of social media and interested in exploring new platforms, we encourage you to join TestingCatalog on Threads 🙌

Telegram

Twitter

Discord

Bluesky

Early Access

I often sign up for waitlists and this section is just about it. If you are interested in getting early access to new upcoming products and features, check it out 👀

FOMO: These 4 new apps are available in beta on Android and will become full VERY FAST!!!

In case you are wondering Google Gemini and Proplexity don't have public beta programs yet.

TestingCatalog Updates

Delving into project updates, I found a proper use for the communities feature on X and decided to dedicate it to project updates for TestingCatalog. This community, prominently featured on the TestingCatalog's X profile, is aptly named TestingCatalog Kiosk, drawing inspiration from the pre-internet era kiosks known for dispensing print newspapers. This space is now a hub for all things related to TestingCatalog updates, and an invitation is extended to all to become part of this growing community.

Secondly, we also shed some light on the publication's mission statement and key aspects of the editorial policy, providing a clearer picture of the publication's ethos and guiding principles.

On the technical front, efforts are being continuously invested in improving tooling for reverse engineering, a facet of the project that has already started yielding promising outcomes. Notably, a recent leak regarding Google's Gemini project garnered substantial attention, achieving around 90 likes, marking it as one of the most popular posts on Twitter for TestingCatalog to date.

Furthermore, there's ongoing work on a novel solution aimed at expanding the TestingCatalog community by attracting more contributors. This forthcoming initiative is poised to leverage AI, promising to enhance the platform's collaborative and content generation processes.

Stay tuned! 🙌

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