AI costs

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Claude iOS App Adds Usage Warning for Max Effort Mode

A TestingCatalog sighting on 1 September 2026 shows the Claude app for iOS displaying an explicit warning next to the Max effort option: it consumes 1.5x usage. This piece explains what the label says, how Claude’s five effort levels work, what a 1.5x multiplier does to five-hour and weekly usage limits on Pro, Max and Team plans, why Anthropic is printing the price on the dial now, how the approach compares with ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, and when Max effort is actually worth paying for.

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Perplexity Is Testing a Granular Effort Selector for Perplexity Computer

Perplexity is reportedly testing a granular effort selector for Perplexity Computer, its cloud-based agentic AI product. The leak, spotted by TestingCatalog on 23 August 2026, confirms a low effort mode aimed directly at reducing credit consumption — the loudest complaint about Computer since its February launch. This article separates what the leak confirms from what remains unknown, lays out Perplexity Computer’s pricing and real-world credit burn figures, compares effort and reasoning controls across OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and xAI, and explains what a granular effort selector would mean for businesses budgeting for agentic AI.

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Microsoft Copilot vs Custom AI Assistant: Which Is Better for Your Business?

Microsoft Copilot and a custom AI assistant are not rivals for the same job — one is a £13.80-a-seat licence inside Office, the other is software built around your data, your customers and your process. This guide puts verified UK figures on both: Copilot’s real pricing and the measured government trial results, what a custom build actually costs at £1,100 a day, a 50-person worked example run down both routes over three years, the hybrid pattern that uses each for what it is best at, and a five-question decision framework that settles the choice for most businesses in an afternoon.

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