The crm, saas & automation stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Block, the company behind Square and Cash App, unveiled a voice AI called Dessa, and critics say tools like it could make phone scams easier.
Read more: Block launches Dessa, a voice AI, as critics warn of scam callsA SaaStr writer says the key 2027 hire is a leader who shares the pressure of running a company, not just one who finishes tasks. Here is the idea.
Read more: Hire senior leaders who can carry the weight, not just the tasksSAP's CTO says AI can generate an app in minutes, but running it across a real business is the hard part. His advice on rolling out AI at work applies to any company.
Read more: SAP's tech chief says AI can build an app but not run a businessGoogle Messages has put its effort into RCS, and an author says plain SMS features got left behind. A free, open source app may fill the gap.
Read more: Google Messages neglects plain text messages; a free app fills the gapAurasell's AI agent mined its own old meeting notes for a personal opener and booked a meeting. The lesson: your own records may beat bought data.
Read more: An AI sales tool found a fish tank in old meeting notes and booked a meetingAmazon's new Alexa Tablet 12 Pro starts at $499, runs full Android, and one reviewer says its screen and build rival the best iPads.
Read more: Amazon's new Alexa Tablet 12 Pro wins a reviewer over with its screenAnthropic added support for slow, background jobs and mid-task permission prompts to Claude Code, but only for developers on three surfaces for now.
Read more: Claude Code can now run long jobs and stop to ask your permissionInsightly now connects its customer management system to AI assistants through a shared standard, so an assistant can look up your contacts and deals.
Read more: Insightly lets AI assistants read your customer records directlySlack's latest update turns meeting notes into Salesforce tasks and lets AI assistants manage lists, but some features depend on your plan.
Read more: Slack adds AI helpers that take over meeting notes and busyworkA political group wants the FCC to let campaigns send AI robocalls to cell phones without permission before November. A watchdog says the FCC should say no.
Read more: Group asks FCC to allow unsolicited political AI robocalls to cell phonesRing cameras still show live video and let you talk through the app with no plan. Saved footage is what costs extra, and privacy questions linger.
Read more: Ring cameras still work without a paid plan, but with limitsTwilio says passkeys, a way to log in without a password, are on the rise as reused passwords keep driving break-ins and support costs.
Read more: Passkeys aim to replace the passwords you keep reusingScramble Cloud is selling 20TB of encrypted storage for a one-time $349.95, but daily upload limits and the company's newness are worth weighing first.
Read more: A 20TB encrypted cloud storage plan is on sale for a one-time $349.95A cited study reports 340% yearly growth in live voice AI agents as companies move from typed chat to phone-style help. Here is what that means for business owners.
Read more: Businesses are swapping text chatbots for AI that talks backAmerican Express now lets eligible U.S. cardholders book Airbnb stays through its travel site and app and earn Membership Rewards points on prepaid bookings.
Read more: Amex Cardholders Can Now Book Airbnb Stays and Earn RewardsKarta AI, a startup that builds voice agents to answer bank and insurance calls, raised $3 million. It says its AI resolves about 70% of borrower queries alone.
Read more: Karta AI raises $3 million for voice agents that answer bank callsSocial Media Examiner shares tips on automating repeat tasks and using AI to build landing pages, which could save small business owners time and money.
Read more: Tips for Automating Tasks and Building Web Pages With AIKarta AI, an Indian startup, raised $3 million for voice AI that answers bank and insurer calls. Callers can still ask for a human, and fraud calls go to one.
Read more: Indian startup raises $3 million for AI that answers bank callsZoho's event software now lets planners manage tickets and check-in from a phone, and lets exhibitors keep scanning leads when venue internet fails.
Read more: Zoho Backstage 4.0 lets event planners run more from a phoneImmobiliare.it, Italy's largest property site, built on one AI voice helper for listings and now runs a linked team of them. Here is what it means for business owners.
Read more: Italy's top property site now uses a team of AI voice helpersGoogle's Gemini chatbot can now read, create and update your saved notebooks during a chat, and the feature is on by default for most users worldwide.
Read more: Google's Gemini chatbot can now work with your saved notebooksA HubSpot guide says to track a mix of branded, unbranded and competitor questions in AI chatbots, not everything. Here is why that matters if you sell anything.
Read more: How to pick which AI chatbot questions to watch for your brandA Zoho CRM add-on plots leads, accounts, contacts and deals on a map so field sales teams can group nearby visits into one route and spot clients they might miss.
Read more: Zoho add-on puts customer lists on a map to plan sales visitsDocuSign's new Intelligent Agreement Management tool puts contract details inside Salesforce and Slack, so sales teams can see them without leaving the apps they use daily.
Read more: DocuSign now shows your contract details inside Salesforce and Slack
