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Smashing , a new appcurating the best of the webfromGoodreadsco - founderOtis Chandler , is now uncommitted to the public . Like Goodreads , the app purpose to make a community of interests around content . But this meter , alternatively of Good Book , the focus is on vane substance — like news articles , blog post , societal metier posts , podcasts , and more . In plus , Smashing is introducing an AI Questions feature that allows you to plight with the cognitive content being shared in different room , including by viewing a news tale from different perspectives or asking the AI to poke holes in the tale , among other thing .
By viewing different angles of a taradiddle , you’re able to see how both the political left and right consider the depicted object . Or , in the case of a company ’s stock , you might be presented with both the bruiser and bear fount .
There are a good handful of AI prompts uncommitted at launch , notes Chandler , and not all will make sense to use on every news narration or piece of content . For example , there ’s a silly “ make it funny ” prompt , and others that can simplify the fib , display a timeline , or introduce “ unconventional ” choose that may take consider outside the boxwood , helping you weigh thought you had n’t conceive yet . you may also ask your own questions , if you prefer .
“ I ’ve been deliver fun , for example , involve it to write me a podcast handwriting , and then plug that into Notebook LM , then listen to it in the car , ” Chandler say .
On the app , users are able to produce multiple pursuit feeds to stay informed about the theme that matter to them , like political sympathies , investment , parenting , wellness and health , and more , or even narrow-minded interests like specific companies , sports teams , crypto , climate modification , or other subtopics .
The app also leverages AI to come out capacity from around the web and then match it to an item-by-item reader ground on what articles they tend to say , what subtopics they care , and what ’s already popular in the community , as determined by upvotes and downvotes . Combined , the signals tune Smashing to a user ’s fussy interest .
As part of the AI Questions feature of speech , Smashing is also enter AI - powered Story Overview pages , which offer grouped articles , blog spot , and societal media posts all about the same story .
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Since announcing design for Smashing this summer , the inauguration has sign up more than 2,000 people on its waitlist and has a few thousand or so quiz the beta variant . Since then , Chandler aver , its AI algorithmic rule have “ immensely ” improved , thanks to fine - tuning , a good user experience that lets readers mark if things are interesting or not , a larger community of conservator , and overall improvements from the rapidly evolving LLM models available .
Smashing is initiallyavailable in iOSand has a web variant in growth . The startup is back by $ 3.4 million in source support from True Ventures , Blockchange , Offline Ventures , Advancit Capital , Power of N Ventures , and a number of angel investor .
