3 AI tools that make keeping up with the news easier

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps.

I can’t keep up with all the news that interests me. So I’m exploring new ways to get concise, curated updates. Today I’m sharing three new tools I like.

• Huxe: Personalized audio shows drawn from your interests, calendar, and email.
• Google CC: A morning summary of your email inbox.
• Yutori Scouts: AI agents that monitor your fave topics and deliver reports.

Read on for examples of how each works, and how to make the most of them.

Huxe: Personalized Audio Updates

Huxe is a personalized audio app. Whenever I open it, I hear a custom podcast it generates on the spot based on my interests, calendar, and email. It greets me with what’s important on my calendar and in my inbox. Then the little radio show made for me shares news and feature stories on topics I’m interested in—from AI and tech to teaching and classical music.

Huxe was co-founded in September by Raiza Martin, who left Google after leading the vision and development of NotebookLM, my favorite AI tool.

To set up the Huxe app, I picked from a list of categories and added some keywords for topics, teams, and tech that interest me. I also gave it permission to access my Google Calendar and Gmail. (Connecting those accounts is optional.) Huxe is free for now, on iOS or Android. Follow Huxe on LinkedIn, where they post interesting updates.

In addition to a new “for you” audio update generated anytime I open the app, Huxe also has a “Discover” tab for listening to audio shows curated from online content. Examples of ones I like:

• Product Drops highlights notable new tech, referencing posts on Product Hunt, the best hub online for new launches.
• Actually Useful has mini case studies about when AI is demonstrably helpful.
• The Tennis Daily gives me interesting updates during the Australian Open.

Design your own briefing

• Start by pressing the “+” button at the bottom right of the interface.
• On the “Research” tab, type in a prompt like “What are the latest breast cancer research developments?” or “Newest snack trends in Tokyo?”
• Alternatively, hit the “Use Sources” tab and add a list of specific sites you like, X handles, RSS feeds, or subreddits.

Ideas to try

• Create a personalized learning show with your favorite blogs, newsletter writers, or subreddits you follow. You can add an instruction to give the show a particular focus, tone, or style.
• Make a guilty pleasure show for stressful days. It can be as niche as you want—it’s just for you. No one has to know what’s in it, though you can choose to share it. Add a list of topics that amuse you, from hobbies to food, pet, or sport trends. Or pick guilty pleasures like favorite TV shows, snacks, or singers.
• Example: In 60 seconds I curated my own show, called Reddit’s Daily Glow, that’s based on a few subreddits with inspiring news and interesting facts.

I used to listen only to podcasts or audiobooks on my commute, but now I mix in these personalized audio updates, depending on my mood.

Customize your briefings

• Use the “Join” button while listening to anything to inject a live question into the show. Like the interactive audio feature in NotebookLM, it prompts the AI to respond to your query before returning to the audio briefing.
• In the “Settings” tab, choose two voices you prefer from 19 options.

Features I hope will be added: I’d like to be able to rewind and jump around more easily in the briefings. Down the road I’d love to pull in podcast, YouTube, and newsletter subscriptions as source material, and get Huxe updates by email or WhatsApp. I’d also love to use Huxe as a curator to create my own shows, mixing in my own voice and content.

Alternative: I like Mailbrew for creating curated email digests from my favorite newsletters, blogs, subreddits, YouTubers, and more. Read my guide (for paid Wonder Tools subscribers) for more on why I like it and how I use it.

Another alternative for a quick news overview is Upstract. But that’s basically the entire internet on one page, which I find overwhelming.

Google CC: A Personalized Daily Email Update

I’m testing a new Google “AI productivity agent.” CC is basically a personalized briefing that Gmail now sends me daily. It’s based on new Gmail messages and what’s in my Calendar.

What’s useful about it

• It saves me from missing out. It surfaces messages I might otherwise overlook. Examples so far: a library message about a reserved book ready for pickup, and a volunteering sign-up deadline.
• It links directly to key messages. You can click on any briefing item to open the relevant Gmail message.
• I can reply to customize future briefings. I replied to a briefing asking for Substack-related email updates I might have missed, and it gave me these useful nuggets.

Yutori Scouts: Get Customized Reports

Get updates on whatever interests you with Yutori Scouts. Create a detailed query, and a team of AI agents will scour the web to keep you up to date. Specify news, shopping, or professional passions, or get updates on particular products, companies, or opportunities. Set your preferred frequency to daily, weekly, or when new info arises. It’s like a more powerful, AI-enhanced version of Google Alerts, which just searches for keywords. Here’s more on how Yutori’s AI agents work.

How I’m using it

• To get an inspiring daily story from Reddit. Here’s a recent example.
• To see which AI startups are trending on Product Hunt. (You can remix public queries, which serve as useful templates.)
• To keep up with new AI policies in higher ed. I set up a weekly digest to stay up to date for my job at the City University of New York. Here’s a recent update. 

More examples of what Scouts can monitor

• Niche clothing trends in Tokyo
• TikTok U.S. daily trends
• Highly rated new movies available to stream

Pricing: Free for one active query; $15 per month for 10 scouts on various topics with up to hourly monitoring.

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps.

View the full article