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Welcome to this week’s edition, where innovation meets practical application

Read time: 6 min

Dive into the future as Ukraine unveils Victoria Shi, an AI-generated spokesperson designed to streamline government communication. Discover how Udio's AI platform is revolutionizing music production, making everyone a potential maestro. In spatial computing, Meta and Apple continue to push VR boundaries despite tepid market excitement, while the gaming world gears up for the immersive VR experience of Batman: Arkham Shadow.

Meanwhile, the Firear Fusion Drive promises to turbocharge our journey into deep space, and Mercedes-Benz sets a new standard in transportation with its Level 3 autonomous vehicle. Explore these breakthroughs that are not just shaping technology but redefining our everyday lives.

Artificial Intelligence

Ukraine has introduced an AI-generated spokesperson, Victoria Shi, for its foreign ministry, modeled after singer and reality TV contestant Rosalie Nombre. Victoria, designed to save diplomats time and resources, delivers messages verified by real people. Her introduction is part of a broader effort to integrate innovative technology in government communications, complete with security measures like QR codes on her videos to verify authenticity.

Udio is revolutionizing music creation with its AI platform that enables users to compose full-length songs from simple text prompts. Co-founded by David Ding and Andrew Sanchez, Udio democratizes music production, offering tools that are accessible to beginners yet potent enough for professional artists.

Backed by prominent investors like Andreessen Horowitz and celebrities like will.i.am, Udio's intuitive interface is attracting both music enthusiasts and creators. Amidst ongoing debates about AI in music, Udio commits to ethical practices, ensuring rights are respected and fostering a new wave of creative expression in the music industry.

OpenAI's Sora text-to-video generator has been used to create the first major music video for the artist Washed Out, in collaboration with the filmmaker Paul Trillo and Sub Pop Records. The video for "The Hardest Part" showcases the potential of AI to produce large-scale creative projects economically, sparking a debate within the music industry about the role of AI in creative processes.

Despite the technological achievement, the reception has been mixed, with some in the industry calling for stricter regulation of AI tools, reflecting broader concerns about AI's impact on artistic authenticity.

The new Nothing Ear integrates with OpenAI's ChatGPT, allowing users to interact with the AI through earbuds paired with the Nothing Phone (2). This setup enables hands-free, voice-activated conversations with ChatGPT, offering a novel experience of constant AI assistance. Despite the excitement around seamless integration and potential uses like voiced location services, the system has limitations: it lacks real-time data and basic functionalities like calling or setting alarms.

Moreover, the experience can be frustrating with slow responses and needs for specific prompts, highlighting early-stage challenges in intuitive AI interactions.

Spatial Computing

Despite lackluster consumer enthusiasm for virtual reality headsets, Apple and Meta continue to invest heavily in VR technologies. Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg, during recent earnings calls, emphasized their commitment to advancing VR, particularly through Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s Metaverse initiatives. Although sales have been disappointing and Meta's Reality Labs reported substantial losses, both leaders see significant potential in enterprise applications.

Companies like Intel and Walmart are already exploring VR for practical uses such as workplace training, suggesting that the future of VR may lie in business rather than consumer markets.

The Meta Quest 3 is enhancing how we learn to draw through a mixed-reality app called Pencil!, developed during the Meta Quest Presence Platform Hackathon. This app offers interactive drawing lessons, overlaying guides on actual paper, and provides step-by-step instructions to help users from beginners to those looking to hone their skills.

Beyond teaching basic techniques like shading and perspective, Pencil! includes a free draw mode that allows users to practice with 3D models or even their own poses. While there’s no set release date, the developers plan to offer demos soon and expand lesson options and features.

Is the ARVR market overhyped? Or is it ripe for investment?

Hardware

Apple has launched a new iPad Pro, featuring a cutting-edge Ultra Retina XDR display and the powerful M4 chip. Available in 11-inch and 13-inch models, these iPads offer enhanced portability and robust performance, housed in a design that's thinner and lighter than ever (thinner than an iPod nano!). They are equipped with state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology for superior visual experience, and a new Apple Pencil Pro enhances functionality with advanced interactions.

The iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 11-inch Wi-Fi model and $1,299 for the 13-inch. They are available for order starting today with in-store availability beginning May 15. The Apple Pencil Pro is priced at $129, and the new Magic Keyboard starts at $299.

Gaming

HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed, a shooter inspired by Toy Story and Small Soldiers, is set to launch on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One on May 31st for $29.99. Already available on Nintendo Switch and PC, where it boasts a "Very Positive" rating on Steam, the game features both first and third-person perspectives with players battling as action figures in lifelike settings.

It offers a story campaign, online co-op, local split-screen, customizable characters, and PvP modes. Cross-platform support with PC players is also included, enhancing the game's appeal by merging nostalgic elements with modern shooter gameplay.

The new VR game, Batman: Arkham Shadow, has been announced exclusively for the Meta Quest 3, marking the return of the beloved Arkham series after eight years. Set in the Arkhamverse, this game immerses players in Gotham City's dangers as Batman, with more details to be unveiled at the Summer Game Fest on June 7, 2024. This title follows the underwhelming Batman: Arkham VR, aiming to provide a more comprehensive gaming experience. However, its VR-only release on Meta Quest 3 has garnered mixed reactions, limiting accessibility to broader audiences familiar with traditional gaming platforms.

Space Tech

The successful testing of the Firear Fusion Drive marks a significant advancement in space propulsion technology, potentially revolutionizing future space exploration. This new system, which integrates plasma thruster technology with nuclear fusion, promises a 50% increase in thrust efficiency, making long-distance space missions more feasible and efficient. With its first real-world test scheduled aboard a SpaceX rocket, the drive's success could lead to faster and more cost-effective space travel.

Transportation

Mercedes-Benz has become the first to sell a "level 3" autonomous vehicle in the U.S., featuring their Drive Pilot system that allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road. The vehicles, including the S-Class and EQS Sedan models, are now available in California and Nevada.

This development marks a significant step in automotive technology, surpassing the common level 1 and 2 features like lane centering and adaptive cruise control, and allowing for full vehicle autonomy in certain conditions without active driver supervision. But be aware that those certain conditions are pretty narrow like a top speed of 40mph - so we’re seeing some mixed feedback about how progressive this advancement truly is.

Robotics

Humanoid robot EVE, from 1X, can now multitask from a single set of neural net weights. That's significant, as it makes androids in human spaces easier to command. The latest EVE video showed it performing tasks of varying complexity from neural net weights.

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