Technologies

I Tried Perplexity’s Comet AI Web Browser and It Might Be the Future

When it works, Comet supercharges browsing online, literally doing the work for you.

It takes deep, below-the-navel brazen audacity to take on Google in online search. Just ask Microsoft, DuckDuckGo, Brave and the slew of other search engines that have tried to scrape away at Google’s near 90% global market share. It takes a kick in the head to think Google would sell Chrome, its wildly popular web browser.

It seems that AI search company Perplexity has a pair of grit and gall, along with a multitude of head fractures, as it not only aims to usurp Google in online search, it offered to buy Chrome outright for $34.5 billion, which is $14.5 billion more than Perplexity is valued at.

Apart from gaining access to billions of users overnight, Perplexity doesn’t really need Chrome. It already has its own AI-powered web browser, called Comet, and after using it for the past few weeks, I’m making it my default.

Comet is an AI-powered Chromium-based web browser that puts Perplexity’s answer engine at the core of the experience.

Chromium is an open-source web browser standard made by Google and allows anyone to build their own browser based on Chromium’s codebase. Browsers like Microsoft Edge and Opera are built on Chromium. Building a Chromium browser allows for a stable online experience with frequent security updates and interoperability with Chrome extensions.

So, Comet is essentially half Chrome minus the Google integrations.

Here’s what Comet can do that Chrome can’t: Questions typed into Comet’s address bar generate Perplexity AI summaries, with links to various sources. Highlighting text and right-clicking can bring up a Perplexity-powered search and summary. While watching a YouTube video, you can call on the Perplexity assistant to summarize it for you, and you can ask follow-up questions. That same summarization capability applies to articles as well. (Although as a journalist and someone who doesn’t suffer from TikTok brain, I just read articles through.) Comet also has agentic capabilities. For example, I can have Comet’s built-in AI assistant analyze a winning Grand Archive deck and it’ll automatically add those cards to my cart on TCGplayer, a separate marketplace for buying cards.

The AI power at the core of Comet changes how I use the internet in slight but meaningful ways. AI can expand upon an article on a political candidate, giving me the ability to ask about their policies and voting record. Or, when shopping for a mechanical keyboard, I can bring up the Perplexity assistant to ask about which switches on the market give the best «thock» with a «creamy» feel. (Perplexity strongly recommends the Gateron Oil King switches.)

Could I do the same just by opening a separate ChatGPT tab? Sure. But having it all built into the browser means I don’t need to spend time giving the AI chatbot necessary context. It can look at the screen I’m looking at and understand what I’m trying to expand upon.

Comet isn’t perfect, however. My biggest pain point is Perplexity itself. When I write, I often need to source other articles and pieces of information based on recency. Typing in «CNET Gemini» into the address bar, Perplexity gives me a summary of CNET’s coverage of Gemini and a few links, but not the kinds of links I’m looking for. I’m often looking for the most recent pieces CNET has published about Gemini. (The same applies when I search for «site:cnet.com gemini».) This applies beyond just CNET-related backlinking. When researching other topics, I’m often trying to land on the most up-to-date stories and Perplexity tends to bring up more explanatory pieces.

I often find myself jumping to Google search as Google tends to index links by recency.

Another pain point is the consistency of Perplexity’s agentic capabilities. Last month, ChatGPT launched ChatGPT Agent. This new mode in ChatGPT lets an AI do research and browsing for you. It takes time, however. For example, I asked ChatGPT Agent to look for hotel rooms near the San Diego Convention Center between specific dates and under a specific price. It took ChatGPT Agent 15 minutes of web browsing to give me a few options. With Comet, Perplexity tried doing this task in as little as 30 seconds. The problem was that the hotel recommendations didn’t match the location or price I was looking for. Sure, I could go back-and-forth with Perplexity to help sharpen its focus, but it’d be a time suck.

In another test, I tried recreating the Grand Archive deck that I had built the day before. I pulled up a list of a winning deck and asked Perplexity to figure out how much it’d cost to build the exact same deck and to add those cards to my cart on TCGplayer. This time, Perplexity got stuck. It kept on trying to put together an accurate list but couldn’t actually move on to the step of going to TCGplayer. It’d ask if I were ready to move forward, to which I’d respond with an emphatic confirmation. Each time it’d spend a bunch of time thinking only to go nowhere.

So, when Perplexity works, it’s awesome. But getting it to work can feel like a dice roll.

Still, it’s too early to give Comet a final score. The browser is still limited to Max users and probably has a lot more updates on the way. Even then, it’s a glimpse as to what AI-powered web browsing will look like, and I expect Google to scramble and put something together to defend its market share.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Oct. 15

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 15.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It includes both the first and last name of one of my favorite chefs of all time — maybe yours, too. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Chromebooks, but not MacBooks
Answer: PCS

4A clue: «Yippee!»
Answer: WAHOO

6A clue: Reveal, as juicy gossip
Answer: SPILL

7A clue: With 2-Down, chef who helped popularize chicken cordon bleu in the U.S.
Answer: JULIA

8A clue: Toss in
Answer: ADD

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Toss in
Answer: PAPUA

2D clue: See 7-Across
Answer: CHILD

3D clue: State of matter for most elements at room temperature
Answer: SOLID

4D clue: Business-focused newspaper, for short
Answer: WSJ

5D clue: Hello, in Portuguese
Answer: OLA

Technologies

Want to Watch a Podcast? Netflix and Spotify Partner to Bring Video Podcasts to Streaming

Starting in early 2026, Netflix subscribers in the US will be able to watch select Spotify Studios and Ringer podcasts directly on the streaming platform.

Netflix and Spotify are teaming up to blur the line between streaming and podcasting. The two companies announced a new partnership that will bring a curated slate of Spotify’s top video podcasts, including shows from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, to Netflix starting in early 2026. The goal is to make popular podcasts as watchable as TV, expanding both services’ reach into sports, culture, lifestyle and true crime.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

The deal marks Spotify’s most significant distribution push beyond its own platform, and for Netflix, it’s a new way to keep audiences engaged with talk-driven, low-cost programming. Early titles include The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, Dissect, Conspiracy Theories and Serial Killers, among others. You can find the complete list here.

More shows and genres are expected to be added over time.

Netflix says the partnership complements its library of documentaries and talk shows, offering «fresh voices and new perspectives.» Spotify, meanwhile, described it as «a new chapter for podcasting,» giving creators access to Netflix’s global audience while expanding discovery for listeners who prefer watching podcasts.

The rollout will begin in the US early next year, with additional markets to follow in 2026.

Technologies

Every Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT Code

It’s dangerous to explore Kairos without some legendary gear. These promo codes will unlock epic loot and vault hunter cosmetics in Borderlands 4.

The biggest looter shooter of the year, Borderlands 4, is out, and tons of players are already taking the fight to the Timekeeper on Kairos. If you want to put the beat down on someone strong enough to control time, then you’re going to need an arsenal of powerful weapons and equipment.

Luckily, developer Gearbox Software is willing to lend a helping hand. Instead of having to farm every piece of legendary equipment in-game, you can roll the dice on some loot with Golden Keys unlocked by SHiFT promo codes.

If you’re already swimming in more loot than you know what to do with, some SHiFT codes also unlock special cosmetic looks for your favorite vault hunters. Special in-game challenges have already unlocked promo codes for Amon, Rafa and Vex vault hunter skins, with a Harlowe skin unlocking soon. Here’s how to use the latest SHiFT codes in Borderlands 4.

All active SHiFT codes for Borderlands 4

You can hunt down SHiFT codes on social media, but we’ll keep all of the active promo codes in one place for ease of access.

Below, you’ll find a chart that contains every active SHiFT code for Borderlands 4, what it unlocks and its expiration date:

Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT codes

Reward	SHiFT code	Expiration date
Golden Key	WZK3B-SHTHF-JZ59K-SBT3B-TWHXT	Oct. 19, 2025
Vex Mass Market Appeal Skin	BZ6JJ-CB6CT-WXJJW-3TT3B-56FZ5	Jan. 1, 2031
Amon Cult Classic Skin	JZ6BJ-SBR5J-WF3BK-BT3BB-TX9HB	Dec. 31, 2030
Rafa Savings Savior Skin	TZXT3-XJXCB-CXBJW-BTTJT-9SK6B	Dec. 31, 2030
Break Free Cosmetics Pack	JS63J-JSCWJ-CFTBW-3TJ3J-WJS5R	Jan. 1, 2031
Golden Key	T9RJB-BFKRR-3RBTW-B33TB-KCZB9	No expiration

How to redeem SHiFT codes for your Borderlands 4 account

While SHiFT codes are totally free rewards for you to accumulate, you must make a SHiFT account to input any active codes in-game.

SHiFT is a service that Gearbox integrates into its biggest games, and making an account unlocks forums and exclusive beta participation. It’s also necessary to create an account to turn in any promo codes, which is what most fans care about.

Once your account is created, you can enter your SHiFT codes in two separate places. Within your SHiFT account settings, you can find a Rewards tab with a field to enter any Borderlands promo codes. Once you enter the codes, any unlocked items will be added to your account the next time you open the game.

However, an easier way to input your SHiFT codes is within Borderlands 4 itself. Within the game’s pause menu, you can access a SHiFT. Select the Rewards tab from the resulting menu, input your codes, and the unlocked items will be immediately available on your save.

Where are SHiFT codes normally released?

SHiFT codes are released fairly frequently on Gearbox and Gearbox-affiliated social media channels. For the best chance at catching every new SHiFT code that gets released, you should follow Gearbox on X and on Facebook.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford also releases promos on his X account, so if you’re brave enough to follow him despite his frequent outbursts toward fans you can find SHiFT codes there as well.

What are SHiFT codes?

SHiFT codes are promo codes that Gearbox occasionally releases that reward players with loot and cosmetics in Borderlands games. The main SHiFT code reward is a Golden Key, which opens the Golden Chest in most Borderlands hub areas.

But don’t spend them immediately — it’s worth saving your Golden Keys until you reach the level cap and are playing on the hardest difficulty, as the loot rewards will scale to your character accordingly. This is a great way to begin farming some endgame legendaries quickly and easily.