Samsung Unveils Galaxy S26 Series Among Other Announcements

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 25, 2026 by itnerd

Today at Galaxy Unpacked in San Francisco, Samsung has announced its newest product lineup including the highly anticipated Galaxy S26 Series. This new device lineup includes the Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra, all of which will be available for pre-order beginning February 25th. In addition to the Galaxy S26 lineup, Samsung has also unveiled the newest Galaxy Buds4 lineup, consisting of the Galaxy Buds4 and Buds4 Pro along with the latest Galaxy Book.

Device Key Features 
Galaxy S26 Series Privacy Screen: The privacy screen is a new feature and the first of its kind in smartphone technology. Operating using the phone’s pixels, it can be activated 24/7 or only when using certain apps. Essentially, the feature ensures others around you are unable to see your screen. Users can also opt to place certain conditions on the feature, for example only adding privacy screen to text notifications popping up on one’s screen. Users can activate the feature by with a simple swipe down on the phone’s drop-down menu. Nightography Video: The phone’s wider camera aperture captures more light in low light environments. This allows for crisp and bright outputs when capturing photos or videos in dimly lit environments, ideal for concert goers. Now Nudge: Now Nudge is a new feature that serves as a personal AI Assistant and intuitively supporting users in real time. For instance, if someone texts about availability, it prompts access to your calendar directly from the keyboard. If photos are requested, it surfaces your gallery instantly, reducing friction and eliminating extra steps. Circle to Search 3.0: With the upgraded Circle to Search, users cancircle multiple items within an image, such as an entire outfit, and Galaxy AI will identify and itemize everything at once. Notification Intelligence: The latest device lineup also uses GalaxyAI to prioritize meaningful messages and notifications such as human conversations over promotional or subscription notifications. This means the notifications you value will show up higher in your incoming notifications list from the remaining notifications received.  Seamless AI Access (Multi-Assistant Ecosystem): The latest lineup also allows instant access to Gemini, Bixby, and now, Perplexity, enabling users to retrieve information, manage tasks and navigate their device through natural voice or text prompts based on their AI preferences and individual use cases.  
Galaxy Buds4 Series New Design: The Galaxy Buds4 Series have a new premium blade design, with the Pro model also having silicone tips. The new design created is optimized for a comfortable fit, and the panel on the blade enables touch and swipe gestures to help with everyday use like answering calls.  HiFi Sound: Hi-fi sound is made possible thanks to the 2-way speaker, which now contains a new larger woofer. The buds also have adaptive hearing and adaptive noise control which adjusts depending on the environment you’re in.  Seamless AI Access: Users can enjoy seamless AI access by using voice commands. Just like with the Galaxy S26 Series, users can speak to multiple AI assistance (Gemini, Bixby, Perplexity) and retrieve various info. Additionally, with the addition of head gestures, users can nod or shake their head when wearing the buds to answer/decline calls. 

In terms of pricing, here you go:

Galaxy Buds Pricing

MKT nameColourPrice (MSRP)
   
Galaxy Buds4Black$249.99
Galaxy Buds4White$249.99
Galaxy Buds4 ProBlack$329.99
Galaxy Buds4 ProPink Gold (e-Store ONLY)$329.99
Galaxy Buds4 ProWhite$329.99

Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Pricing

ModelRegular MSRP
S26 Ultra 1TB$    2,599.99
S26 Ultra 512GB$   2,179.99
S26 Ultra 256GB$ 1,899.99
S26 + 512GB$ 1,809.99
S26 + 256GB$ 1,529.99
S26 512GB$   1,529.99
S26 256GB$   1,249.99

Galaxy Book Pricing

ModelModel NumberSpecMSRP
Galaxy Book6NP740VJG-KA1CAGB6 | U5 | 512GB | 16GB | NT | 14″ | –$             1,449.99
Galaxy Book6NP740VJG-KG1CAGB6 | U7 | 512GB | 16GB | NT | 14″ | –$             1,599.99
Galaxy Book6NP740VJG-KG2CAGB6 | U7 | 1TB | 16GB | NT | 14″ | –$             1,899.99
Galaxy Book6NP760XJG-KG1CAGB6 | U7 | 512GB | 16GB | Touch | 16″ | –$             1,699.99
Galaxy Book6NP760XJG-KG2CAGB6 | U7 | 1TB | 16GB | Touch | 16″ | –$             2,099.99
Galaxy Book6 ProNP960XJG-KG2CAGB6 Pro | U7 | 512GB | 32GB | Touch | 16″ | –$             2,649.99
Galaxy Book6 ProNP960XJG-KG1CAGB6 Pro | U7 | 1TB | 32GB | Touch | 16″ | –$             2,949.99
Galaxy Book6 ProNP940XJG-KG1CAGB6 Pro | U7 | 512GB | 16GB | Touch | 14″ | –$             2,199.99
Galaxy Book6 UltraNP960UJG-KG2CAGB6 Ultra | U7 | 1TB | 32GB | Touch | 16″ | ARC$             3,499.99
Galaxy Book6 UltraNP960UJH-XG1CAGB6 Ultra | U9 | 1TB | 32GB | Touch | 16″ | NVIDIA$             4,499.99

Targus Releases Its 2026 Global Sustainability Report 

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 25, 2026 by itnerd

Targus today announced the publication of its 2026 Global Sustainability Report, providing an in-depth update on the company’s purpose-driven progress across circular product design, sustainable innovation, and strengthened accountability.

Throughout the 2026 report, Targus outlines its annual environmental progress, actions aligned to five priority UN SDGs, and its roadmap and commitments through 2030.

Key 2026 Highlights

EcoSmart Milestones: Targus has now recycled more than 53 million plastic bottles into its EcoSmart® product line, equivalent to an estimated savings of 3 million lbs. of CO₂ emissions compared to virgin plastic. In the past year, Targus also continued to broaden its portfolio of products designed with sustainable materials, including the introduction of new EcoSmart docking stations made from 75% recycled post-consumer plastics and aluminum, alongside premium laptop bags like HeritageLuxe and an expanded range of eco-engineered tech accessories.

Sustainable Packaging: Marking an important milestone in the company’s sustainability journey, 95 percent of Targus packaging is now fully recyclable, with an average of 50 percent made from recycled or compostable materials. The company has also eliminated problematic single-use plastics from all its packaging.

Increased Global Reporting with Stronger Results: 

  • EcoVadis Bronze Rating: Targus currently holds a Bronze Sustainability Medal from EcoVadis. This achievement ranks Targus among the top 35 percent of sustainable companies, globally.
  • Walmart Project Gigaton: The company has achieved Giga Guru status for three years in a row, recognizing leadership in supply chain emissions reduction.
  • Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions Transparency & Reductions: The company continued rigorous reporting across Scope 1, 2, and measured Scope 3 emissions, including a reduction in location based Scope 2 from 134 Mt CO₂e (2023) to 100 Mt CO₂e (2025) through efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. 

Looking Ahead
Targus is on a mission to achieve a brighter future by driving real and meaningful change to help safeguard people and our planet. 

You can also follow Targus on their sustainability journey on the Targus blog.

DPRK Research from Abstract’s ASTRO team: Contagious Interview: Evolution of VSCode and Cursor Tasks Infection Chains (Part 1)

Posted in Commentary on February 25, 2026 by itnerd

Abstract’s threat research team (ASTRO) just published original research documenting fresh evolutions in the Contagious Interview campaign, a North Korea-linked operation (broadly attributed to Lazarus Group) which targets software developers, specifically those in DeFi and crypto industries.

This is a follow-up to ASTRO’s prior reporting on IDE task auto-execution abuse in January, and it captures attacker behavior changes observed in the last 1–2 weeks that have not yet appeared in public write-ups.

3 specific evolutions ASTRO is breaking:

  1. URL shorteners as Vercel obfuscation. Actors are now routing malicious payloads through short[.]gy shortened URLs that resolve to the same Vercel infrastructure previously reported. The change suggests deliberate fingerprint reduction in response to prior public reporting — a direct reaction to defenders and researchers (including ASTRO’s earlier work).
  2. GitHub Gists with convincing NVIDIA/CUDA impersonation. Payloads are now being staged on GitHub Gists under a username (cuda-toolkit) and filenames (cuda_toolkit_sim_v12.4.ps1, metal_pytorch_sim_v2.3.0.sh) designed to mimic legitimate NVIDIA software. The gists were live briefly and then deleted — a rapid deploy-and-destroy pattern that makes detection harder and timeliness of publication critical.
  3. Google Drive payload delivery with a confirm= fallback bypass. A malicious NPM package (eslint-validator) pulls its payload from Google Drive, with code that specifically handles Google’s virus-scan warning interstitial by falling back to a drive.usercontent.google.com endpoint with a confirm=t parameter. This is a novel and practical bypass technique with direct defensive detection value.
    The report includes GitHub search queries defenders can run right now, full indicator lists, and a preview of Part 2 covering the recovered Gist payload chains.

You can read the research here: Contagious Interview: Evolution of VS Code and Cursor Tasks Infection Chains – Part 1 | Abstract Security

NordStellar upgrades its attack surface management feature

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 25, 2026 by itnerd

The new attack surface management feature upgrade is designed to help combat alert fatigue by focusing on validated vulnerabilities, allowing security teams to cut through the noise and tackle critical issues first

As companies’ attack surfaces expand, security teams are finding it increasingly difficult to monitor all exposed assets and swiftly address critical vulnerabilities. To help security teams cut through the noise, NordStellar, a next-generation threat exposure management platform, has upgraded its attack surface management (ASM) feature to provide even more extensive coverage of exposed assets while prioritizing critical vulnerabilities first.

Companies’ attack surfaces are constantly expanding due to digital transformation, scaling, unmanaged devices, and user error. This growing complexity makes it challenging to monitor all exposed assets, often leading to alert fatigue as critical threats are buried under a flood of less urgent alerts.

ASM is a feature that automatically discovers security gaps by continuously monitoring and evaluating all of the organization’s internet-exposed assets. The upgraded feature now gives organizations an attacker’s view of their company, providing comprehensive coverage of their external perimeter and going beyond passive scans to actively test for exploitable vulnerabilities.

NordStellar’s ASM feature combines continuous asset discovery with active risk validation. NordStellar maps the organization’s infrastructure by identifying all internet-exposed assets, like web applications, network services, and DNS configurations, and performs “outsider-style” testing.

To ensure vulnerabilities are mitigated as soon as possible, each identified instance is accompanied by AI-powered insights that offer remediation guidance.

Key upgrades:

  • Increased coverage. The enhanced ASM feature implements scans across all key vectors — web applications, network services, and DNS configurations — to provide complete external perimeter visibility and eliminate critical security blind spots.
  • Heightened accuracy. ASM actively discovers and tests vulnerabilities across more sources, delivering prioritized alerts.
  • Enhanced flexibility. The upgraded feature allows teams to run scans on demand for immediate insights or schedule them for automated monitoring.

The enhanced ASM feature is now available to all NordStellar users. More information here.

ShinyHunters Pwns Odido affecting millions

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 24, 2026 by itnerd

The ShinyHunters extortion gang has claimed responsibility for breaching Dutch telecommunications provider Odido and stealing millions of user records from its compromised systems.

Commenting on this news is Lidia Lopez, Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst at Outpost24:

“This incident fits a pattern we have been tracking from 2025 into 2026: ShinyHunters-linked operations often rely on social engineering to get legitimate access into SaaS environments, then export data and use leak sites for extortion. The common playbook is email and phone pretexting where attackers impersonate IT, a vendor, or support and push a fake “required update” or “security tool,” or trick staff into authorizing a rogue connected app. That gives them access through the identity layer, which can open downstream systems like customer support and contact platforms used across many organizations.

For Odido, “ShinyHunters” claims the breach is larger and includes “plain text” passwords, but that specific claim should be treated as unverified until independently validated or confirmed by the company or the authorities. Researchers suspect that the “plain text password” could refer to a readable password-like field in a CRM, such as a customer-service verification word stored in Salesforce, rather than customers’ online login passwords. Either way, plain text storage is serious: if it is a verification word, it makes impersonation and account fraud much easier when combined with identity data and financial identifiers; if it is an actual login password, it enables immediate account takeover at scale because attackers do not need to crack anything and password reuse can cascade the impact far beyond Odido.”

This is big as Odido has 6.9 million customers as of January 2024. So it is a safe bet that this will not end well for any of those customers. Which highlights the fact that all efforts need to be taken to keep the bad guys out so that conversations like this are not the norm.

LinkedIn Skills on the Rise: The skills Canadians need to stand out in 2026

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 24, 2026 by itnerd

As Canada’s job market remains competitive and professionals look for clarity on where to focus their time, LinkedIn has just released its annual Skills on the Rise report, revealing the fastest-growing skills shaping Canada’s workforce in 2026.   

This year’s data shows demand accelerating across both advanced AI capabilities and foundational business skills, signaling that employers are prioritizing professionals who can implement new technologies while strengthening operational resilience, financial oversight, cybersecurity, and leadership.   

Here are some of the fastest-growing skills in Canada highlighted in the report: 

  • AI Engineering & Implementation  
  • Data & AI Strategy  
  • Operational Efficiency  
  • Financial Operations & Analysis  
  • Cybersecurity & Risk Management  
  • Business and Revenue Growth  
  • Stakeholder Management  
  • Leadership & People Management  

These trends point to a clear shift in Canada’s labour market, employers are investing in AI and automation, while doubling down on risk management, financial oversight and leadership to navigate uncertainty.  

You can explore the full list of Canada’s fastest-rising skills here.

Meet 1Campaign: A new cloaking platform helping attackers abuse Google Ads

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 24, 2026 by itnerd

Threat researchers from Varonis have uncovered a full-service platform called 1Campaign that allows hackers to run malicious Google Ads at scale. The tool lets hackers pass Google’s screening processhide from security researchers, and funnel unsuspecting users to attacker-controlled sites.

According to researcher and author Daniel Kelley, “1Campaign stands out because it takes many tried-and-true hacker tools and techniques, packages them together, and aims them directly at the biggest online advertiser in the world, Google Ads. Hackers can trick Google Ads into running ads that redirect users to phishing or crypto scam pages, and the tools to do it are available right off the shelf and even come with dedicated hacker help desk support.”

The tool is part of a new breed of feature-packed toolkits that make it easier than ever for attackers to launch campaigns and dupe users — all without technical know-how.

We just published: 1Campaign: A New Cloaking Platform Helping Attackers Abuse Google Ads

Nikon Expands Popular MONARCH and PROSTAFF Binocular Lines

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 24, 2026 by itnerd

Nikon has announced the addition of 10×50 and 12×50 models to the popular MONARCH M5 and PROSTAFF P7 binocular lines with increased objective lens diameters. These new models feature higher light-gathering capability and resolution, producing a realistic and dynamic viewing experience for birding, exploring, sightseeing, stargazing, outdoor adventures – all with minimal weight.

Both of the new MONARCH M5 and PROSTAFF P7 models are the lightest in their class, thanks to a refined optical design and enhanced structural engineering. Nikon’s expertise in optics has helped to overcome the challenge of added weight that typically accompanies increased lens diameter in order to create binoculars that are comfortable to use and carry all day. Additionally, the 12×50 P7 and M5 models feature a wide apparent field of view of more than 60 degrees, allowing users to enjoy an immersive and expansive field of view.

New Monarch M5 10×50 /12×50 models

The premium MONARCH M5 10×50 and 12×50 binoculars feature high optical performance with a large-diameter yet lightweight body, providing genuine observation experiences that will satisfy even dedicated hobby enthusiasts.

Like other models in the MONARCH M5 series, the MONARCH M5 10×50 and 12×50 employ ED glass to deliver high contrast and high resolution, while multilayer coating is applied to all lenses and prisms to help ensure a brighter view. These binoculars employ a dielectric high-reflective multilayer coating and phase-correction coating to achieve brighter images with natural color fidelity, making the user’s view more realistic than ever.

Ideal not only for birdwatching but also for a wide range of other uses including outdoor activities, stargazing, and marine use, these models are great companions for diverse scenarios.

Key Features of the MONARCH M5 10×50 /12×50:

  • Lightest body among 50mm-diameter objective lens binoculars employing extra-low dispersion (ED) glass
  • Large 50mm diameter objective lenses deliver dynamic views
  • Wide apparent field of view for an immersive experience (60.8° for 12×50 model)
  • Stylish, refined exterior design
  • Extra-low dispersion (ED) glass for high contrast and resolution
  • All lenses and prisms are multilayer coated for brighter images
  • Dielectric high-reflective multilayer and phase-correction coatings are employed
  • A versatile lineup for various viewing situations
  • Waterproof (up to 1m/3.3 ft. for 10 minutes) and fog-free with O-ring seals and nitrogen gas
  • Long eye relief design ensures a clear field of view, even for eyeglass wearers
  • Turn-and-slide rubber eyecups with multi-click facilitate easy positioning of eyes at the correct eyepoint
  • Rubber armouring for shock resistance and a firm, comfortable grip
  • Lightweight body uses fibreglass-reinforced polycarbonate resin
  • Flip-down objective lens caps are attached to the body to prevent loss
  • Optional tripod adaptor TRA-3 enables attachment to a tripod

New PROSTAFF P7 10×50 and 12×50 binoculars

The affordable PROSTAFF P7 series now offers an even broader range of options to suit viewing preferences and various usages. As with other models in the PROSTAFF P7 series, these binoculars employ dielectric high-reflective multilayer coating and phase-correction coating, with multilayer coating applied to all lenses and prisms. This helps to ensure a bright and clear field of view.

These binoculars were engineered with thoughtful features to increase reliability, which also allows them to be optimal for use in a variety of conditions. The waterproof and armoured binoculars also have an oil- and water-repellent coating that resists smudges and dirt, as well as a diopter adjustment ring locking system that prevents unintentional movement during use.

Ideal for a wide range of applications such as birdwatching, outdoor recreation, stargazing and marine use, the PROSTAFF P7 10×50 and 12×50 are recommended for users who wish to enjoy immersive viewing experiences with ease.

Key Features PROSTAFF P7 10×50/12×50:

  • Lightest body among 50mm-diameter objective lens binoculars
  • Large 50mm diameter objective lenses deliver dynamic views
  • Wide apparent field of view for an immersive experience (60.8° for 12×50 model)
  • Stylish, refined exterior design
  • Dielectric high-reflective multilayer and phase-correction coatings are employed
  • Oil- and water-repellent coatings on the objective lens and eyepieces
  • All lenses and prisms are multilayer-coated for brighter images
  • Diopter adjustment ring locking system prevents unintentional rotation
  • Waterproof (up to 1m/3.3 ft. for 10 minutes) and fog-free with O-ring seals and nitrogen gas
  • Long eye relief design ensures a clear field of view, even for eyeglass wearers
  • Turn-and-slide rubber eyecups with multi-click facilitate easy positioning of eyes at the correct eyepoint
  • Rubber armoured exterior for shock resistance and a firm, comfortable grip
  • Lightweight body uses fibreglass-reinforced polycarbonate resin
  • Optional tripod adaptor TRA-3 enables attachment to a tripod

Price and Availability

The new Nikon MONARCH M5 10×50 and 12×50 models will be available for $449.95 and $459.95 respectively. The new Nikon PROSTAFF P7 10×50 will be available for $339.95 MSRP while the P7 12×50 models will sell for $349.95 MSRP. All of these models will be available starting in early March.

For more information about current Nikon products, please visit www.nikon.ca.

SPECIFICATIONS

 MONARCH M5 10×50MONARCH M5 12×50PROSTAFF P7 10×50PROSTAFF P7 12×50
Magnification (×)10121012
Effective diameter of objective lens (mm)50505050
Angular field of view (real) (˚)65.665.6
Angular field of view (apparent) (˚)255.360.855.360.8
Eye relief (mm)19.316.419.316.4
Length (mm/in.)166/6.5166/6.5169/6.7169/6.7
Width (mm/in.)133/5.2133/5.2133/5.2133/5.2
Depth (mm/in.)58/2.358/2.358/2.358/2.3
Weight (g/oz.)640/22.6650/22.9630/22.2645/22.8

Deepgram and IBM Introduce Advanced Voice Capabilities for Enterprise AI

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 24, 2026 by itnerd

IBM and Deepgram today announced a collaboration to integrate Deepgram’s industry-leading speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities into IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate generative AI solution.

To address client needs for highly performant, enterprise-grade transcription and real-time captioning, IBM will embed Deepgram’s capabilities into watsonx Orchestrate. This collaboration makes Deepgram IBM’s first voice partner, bringing voice AI technology that helps enterprises automate their operations and meet the growing demand for conversational AI technology, including advanced speech-to-text voice recognition so users can interact with digital agents using natural speech.

Many organizations are adopting AI-powered speech-to-text systems to automate transcription while handling real-world audio conditions, including background noise, diverse accents, and real-life dialog. This integration addresses these challenges by offering a wider range of languages and dialects, including dozens of Arabic and Indian variants, along with voices that reflect regional accents. It also adds options for custom tuning, real-time captioning and natural-sounding speech.

These technologies open new possibilities for enhanced automated customer care and support, call analysis, and voice-driven data entry in fields like healthcare and finance.

Voice interfaces are quickly becoming essential for enterprise AI, and this collaboration strengthens IBM’s role in delivering modern, flexible solutions to its clients. For Deepgram, it expands access to new customers through a trusted enterprise partner and reinforces its position as a reliable, real-time voice platform built for large-scale use.

General Magic Raises Oversubscribed US$7.2M to Cut Insurance Quote Time to 3 Minutes

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 24, 2026 by itnerd

Insurance is complicated. Customers have questions before they quote, need guidance after, and expect clarity when they file a claim. But the work of answering those questions, collecting documents, and following up still runs on calls, emails, and portals stitched together by manual effort. For brokers and carriers, this coordination overhead is one of the most operationally expensive and taxing parts of the business.

General Magic is building AI agents to solve this problem.

Today, the company announced a US$7.2M seed funding round led by Radical Ventures, with significant participation from a16z Speedrun and new investment from Figma VP of Product Brendan O’Driscoll and Larry James Erwin from OpenAI. The company has raised $8.4M to date, backed by Radical Ventures, a16z Speedrun, and Comma Capital, along with operators who have built foundational AI and product platforms, including Aidan Gomez, CEO of Cohere, as well as the executive team at Braze, including Kevin Wang, Chief Product Officer, and Spencer Burke, SVP of Growth.

General Magic builds AI agents that take over the work insurance teams spend the most time on: answering routine questions, collecting documents, and following up with customers when clarity matters. These agents work across the full insurance lifecycle, covering pre-quote eligibility, post quote engagement, and claims coordination. They do all of this while connecting directly to broker management systems, quoting platforms, and CRMs. 

Early deployments show what’s possible. Working with one of the world’s largest general insurers, General Magic has reduced time-to-quote from roughly 30 minutes down to under 3 minutes via its SMS-based agent. 

The company’s agentic offerings are centered around a product called Cell, a proactive AI agent that connects directly to the systems insurance teams already use. Cell integrates with broker management systems, quoting and rating platforms and CRMs to support teams. It can be deployed across SMS, iMessage and RCS, and can extend into policy, billing and claims workflows as needed.

When a customer has a question, they can text Cell over SMS, or the insurance team can proactively deploy it to the customer. The agent responds using real system data, asks for missing information, follows up automatically, and updates records as workflows progress. Conversations stay in one thread, context is preserved, and customers move forward at their own pace without being chased or dropped.

Early deployments point to the scale of the opportunity. In early rollouts with large personal lines insurers, General Magic is reducing the time required to generate and finalize quotes from roughly 30 minutes to about 3 minutes by automating routine clarification and follow ups over SMS across auto and life insurance workflows. This increase in speed expands effective quoting capacity while keeping customers engaged through the most failure prone part of the journey after a quote is issued. By handling frequent questions and coordination over text, the agent reduces delays and prevents conversations from stalling. General Magic is currently supporting deployments with carriers across auto and life insurance, where post quote follow through and customer coordination are most critical.

In parallel, the team is focused on building agents that understand the realities of insurance distribution, including licensing and regulatory frameworks such as RIBO, OTL, and other broker and advisor exams. By specializing agents around how licensed professionals are trained to communicate, General Magic aims to ensure conversations feel accurate, compliant, and aligned with how insurance teams actually explain coverage to customers.

General Magic was founded by Anthony Azrak and Jai Mansukhani, second-time founders who previously sold AI products into legacy industries. The company’s move into insurance came from firsthand frustration. After a water leak spiraled into weeks of calls, delays, and higher premiums, the founders began exploring how common this experience really was. What they found was an industry that technically works, but often fails customers and intermediaries in the moments that matter most. That insight shaped General Magic’s decision to go deep into insurance rather than remain a horizontal AI platform.

The broader industry context underscores the urgency. Retention rates in insurance lag behind other sectors, and acquiring new customers costs significantly more than keeping existing ones. As digital distribution accelerates and customers shop more aggressively at renewal, both carriers and brokers that fail to improve post-quote engagement risk losing revenue they already worked to win.

Looking ahead, General Magic plans to expand across insurance lines and workflows, staying focused on moments where customer intent is high and coordination most often breaks down. The platform is being built to support high impact workflows across the insurance stack, prioritizing areas where follow through fails today and where fixing it creates meaningful value for customers, brokers, and carriers.

The long term vision is simple but ambitious: make follow through automatic, reliable, and invisible. By removing the need for manual chasing and fragmented handoffs, teams can spend less time managing processes and more time serving end customers. The team is motivated by solving complex, real world problems that sit at the center of insurance operations, with the goal of delivering tangible improvements to how people experience insurance when it matters most.