Welcome back, agent.

This week's mission: Pixpal and Readever. Let's see if they're actually worth your time.

AGENT #1: Pixpal
The AI Tool That Gives You Unlimited Bad Results

Most AI image tools give you 25 quality attempts before hitting you with paywalls. PixPal offers UNLIMITED attempts, but with a drop in image quality.

My Test Results: I tested PixPal's unlimited promise across different image types to map out exactly where it succeeds and fails:

Where unlimited access shines:

• Landscape stock images - Stock image of "coastal road along water” produced realistic and usable results

• Logo generation - keep getting more and more ideas

• Endless experimentation - In a few prompts I was able to get decent images of people collaborating

Where quality completely breaks down:

• Not realistic - “Close-up of hands pouring latte” gave cartoonish looking results

• Uh, what is that? - the AI seems to create new variations of real life objects

• Image editing fails - Uploaded pink roses, asked for blue roses, received blue daisies instead

The trade-off: Sometimes hitting the target on try #20 beats missing on try #5 when try #6 costs money.

Who benefits:

• Students needing quick visuals for presentations

• Small businesses / content creators requiring stock imagery

• Anyone who's maxed out limits on better platforms

AGENT #2: Readever
Why Normal Reading Now Feels Like Punishment

Readever transforms any book of your choice into interactive experiences where words define themselves and you can chat with the content. Once you try it, traditional reading feels like deliberately choosing to struggle.

My Test Results: I tested Readever with "How Not to Die" (medical complexity) and "The Hunger Games" (fiction) to see if it is actually functional

Ways it transforms the reading experience:

• Contextual definitions - In "How Not to Die," simply clicking the word "angina" defines it, and explains how the word connects to the text

• Decoder - When the book referenced "Big Broccoli," AI instantly explained it as satirical contrast to "Big Pharma" without breaking reading flow

• Instant research - Asked "Where's this study from?" about centenarian research and got the exact journal source instantly

• Personalized adaptation - AI asked about my Hunger Games movie knowledge and tailored explanations to focus on book-exclusive insights

• Free access to popular books - Readever provides free access to many popular books or you can upload your own text

Who this helps:

• Students who discover textbooks can actually make sense

• Non-native speakers who realize language barriers are optional

• People who want comprehension without the traditional struggle

AI Intel Briefing

Smart Bandages Heal Wounds 25% Faster Using AI:

A new wearable device called "a-Heal" combines AI, imaging, and bioelectronics to accelerate wound recovery.

Meta's $800 Smart Glasses Come With Mind-Reading Wristbands:

Meta announced "Celeste" smart glasses featuring built-in displays for notifications, priced at $800, along with gesture-control wristbands. The Neural Band uses surface electromyography (EMG) research with nearly 200,000 participants, meaning it works right out of the box for nearly anyone. Your wrist movements now control your glasses.

MIT's AI Now Designs Materials That Don't Exist Yet:

A new tool called SCIGEN allows researchers to implement design rules that AI models must follow when generating new materials. Now, instead of discovering materials, AI is now inventing them from scratch based on desired properties.

BlackRock Quietly Loads Up on Two Unknown AI Defense Stocks:

Fund giant BlackRock has been buying into BigBear.ai and Serve Robotics—not household names but offering unique routes into AI. BigBear.ai has surged 79.1% year-to-date while trading at just 7.2 times forward sales versus Palantir's 75.6 times.

Mission Debrief

Sometimes the best AI tools aren't the most expensive ones—they're the ones that solve specific problems without demanding premium subscriptions.

Agent Check In

If you got this far: Hit reply and tell me what city you like better NYC or SF?

Stay Undercover, Ashna Jain

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