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This Week in Tech 96

Read time: 7 min

Artificial Intelligence

1. Jensen delivers NVIDIA keynote in Washington D.C.

   The keynote positioned NVIDIA as the backbone of AI’s expansion from digital to physical worlds. “We’re not predicting the future. We’re simulating it. Then building it.” (YouTube)

2. Vibe coding is now live within Google AI Studio

   Google is making it even easier to build apps with the help of AI. Or maybe AI just does it all which I’m still skeptical about knowing that the deployment and infrastructure are the real challenges these days. (X)

3. Ideal use case for AI video models explained by a16z

   Each model specializes in slightly different use cases. Whether that’s realistic physics, speed of generation, multi-shot scenes or product placements. (a16z)

4. Google announces new marketing tool Pomelli

   Google Labs Pomelli is an experimental AI marketing tool designed to help you easily generate scalable, on-brand content to connect with your audience, faster. (Google Labs)

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Spatial Computing

1. Amazon confirms development of smart glasses with display to help workers

   The AI smart glasses are for its delivery drivers with the goal of giving them a hands free experience to reduce the reliance on mobile phones and improve efficiency. (TechCrunch)

2. Inmo Air 3 is the latest pair of AR specs to hit the market

   A new challenger to Meta and Snap for the crown of standalone AR glasses has arrived in the form of the Inmo Air 3. Check out this review video to see more. (YouTube)

3. NBA app arrives just in time for the season on Horizon OS

   The new app on Meta’s Quest devices allows fans to immerse themselves in the game with new perspectives and the ability to watch multiple games at the same time. (X - NBA)

4. The Star Trek Holodeck gets one step closer

   WorldGrow is a new program on the block that continuously renders 3D environments in the direction that you are walking with your digital avatar. This is another breakthrough in the realm of world models that are all the rage right now for AI. (X - Github)

5. HorizonOS v83 starts rolling out with the updated Navigator on Quest

   The latest OS update contains a new way to navigate the system. This is something I’m proud to have worked on for quite some time and it’s starting to roll out to users across all Quest devices. Proud to be building the future. (X)
   

Robotics

1. You can actually (pre) order a humanoid robot in the US

   1X’s is coming to your home in 2026 if you want it to. They are offering both a subscription model and a full purchase. The purchase price is $20k otherwise it’s $500/mo. Should we try it out? (1X)

2. Optimus v3 to be unveiled by Tesla in Q1 2026 according to Elon

   "It won't even seem like a robot. It'll seem like a human in a robot suit. It's seems so real that you'll need to poke it to believe it's an actual robot." (X)

3. Nike says its first “powered footwear” is like an e-bike for your feet

   Much like e-bikes provide pedal assistance, Project Amplify uses a lightweight robotics system to boost running and walking speed. (The Verge)

Quantum

1. Google’s Quantum Echoes algorithm is a big step toward real-world applications

   While quantum is still in its early days of usefulness, the fact that the Quantum Echoes algorithm is verifiable and repeatable is a big breakthrough. (Google)

Biotech

1. Nanoagent targets kidneys for imaging and repair

   A novel contrast nanoagent has been designed to enhance kidney imaging as well as offer therapeutic benefits to disease. (Bioengineer)

2. Scientists set new world record for fastest human genome sequencing

   Boston researchers sequenced a full human genome in record time, under four hours. The advance could speed life-saving diagnoses for newborns in intensive care. (SciTech Daily)

3. Neuralink’s first patient in the UK is seen playing video games with his mind

   Hours after surgery he was already able to control a computer with his thoughts and is now using it to play games and regain independence. (X)

Military

1. Shield AI Unveils X-BAT, their AI-piloted VTOL fighter jet

   Shield AI’s X-BAT represents a pivotal step in next-generation air combat autonomy. A vision where AI pilots fly high-performance jets without runways or constant human command. (Shield AI)

Extras

1. Board.fun is a new way to play tabletop games

   Dubbed the first ever face-to-face console, this new product is an interesting new take on classic board games. It probably will allow for new game mechanics with the marriage of physical and digital gaming.

Our vision

Smart glasses have been in development for years now and we are starting to see the fruits of their labor. Major companies like Amazon are showing off the progress they’ve made that will help their drivers be more hands free and efficient when delivering packages. Inmo debuted their Air 3 glasses that have full AR capabilities albeit from a chunky set of glasses that aren’t too fashionable but aren’t that bad either given their capabilities. What felt like would take 5-10 years might happen quicker than we thought.

Google has so many people working on AI advancements it seems to be making strides each week towards becoming the leader in the space. We’ve covered their video generation models and discussed how world models are all the rage but this week Google announced new tools for vibe coding and marketing. While vibe coding can be helpful for building the frontend user experience I am yet to see an app or website that has robust and reliable infrastructure that was built by a non-technical person vibe coding.

Google’s Pomelli for marketing is something we will be investigating as we are not master marketers and will try any tools we can get our hands on to accelerate our ability to market effectively for our newsletter. We have entered the age where building something simple is no longer hard and creating something complex is also easy if you have some experience. But marketing and sales remain the bottleneck. So our advice would be don’t build something if you aren’t ready to spend a majority of the time marketing and selling it.

NVIDIA never ceases to demonstrate its grandiose vision at its keynotes helmed by the one and only Jensen. Their hardware and software advancements continue to push society forward and the combination of AI, robotics and spatial computing with digital twins is about to revolutionize society in ways we cannot currently comprehend. The future always looks a little better after hearing Jensen give a presentation.

Robotics advancements are some of the most intriguing these days. 1X teased their latest announcement in our previous newsletter and now we know it’s that they are open for preorders for their Neo humanoid robot. While some folks don’t feel comfortable letting a robot into their homes for fear of hacking or Terminator, we are bound to see an influx of content and competition when humanoids become an early adopters dream. Between 1X, Figure and the potential v3 of Optimus in 2026 we are excited to follow along with all the updates that are coming from not only humanoids but robotics in general.

Lastly this week another major breakthrough from Google. Repeatable and verifiable quantum calculations. This might not seem like much but up until now most calculations were not easily repeatable and therefore the consistency of the outcomes could not be verified. This alongside another breakthrough of using sound instead of light (or in combination) will allow progress in quantum computing to accelerate as practical use cases start to emerge.

If you have any questions about these topics or want to hear more about something we didn’t dive deeper into let us know!

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