Welcome again to Week in Overview! Heaps in retailer for you at the moment, together with Wix’s newest acquisition, Meta’s new good glasses, a take a look at the brand new Digg, and far more. Have an amazing weekend!
Sensible specs: Meta and Oakley have teamed up on a brand new pair of good glasses that may document 3K video, play music, deal with calls, and reply to Meta AI prompts. They begin at $399 and have double the battery lifetime of Meta’s Ray-Bans. A $499 limited-edition Oakley Meta HSTN mannequin will probably be out there beginning July 11.
Unicorn watch: Wix purchased 6-month-old solo startup Base44 for $80 million in money after it rapidly gained traction as a no-code AI instrument for constructing internet apps. Created by a single founder and already worthwhile, Base44’s fast rise made scooping it up irresistible.
Sand to the rescue: Finland simply turned on the world’s largest sand battery — sure, precise sand — which shops warmth to assist energy the small city of Pornainen’s heating system and reduce its carbon emissions. The low-tech, low-cost system is constructed from discarded fire soapstone, is housed in a large silo, and might retailer warmth for weeks, proving you don’t want fancy lithium to struggle local weather change. You simply want a pile of scorching rocks.
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Information
We’re again, child: VanMoof is again from the brink with the S6, its first e-bike since chapter — and it’s sticking to its signature customized design, regardless of that being what practically killed the corporate. Backed by McLaren tech and a beefed-up restore community, the brand new VanMoof guarantees smoother rides, smarter options, and (hopefully) fewer stranded cyclists.
House lasers: Baiju Bhatt, greatest identified for co-founding Robinhood, is now constructing lasers in house. His new startup, Aetherflux, has raised $60 million to show that beaming solar energy from orbit isn’t a fantasy, with a demo satellite tv for pc set to launch subsequent yr and early backing from the Division of Protection.
Oh no: One among SpaceX’s Starship rockets exploded throughout a check in Texas, doubtless pushing again the car’s subsequent launch, which had been tentatively set for June 29. SpaceX says the blast, brought on by a pressurized tank failure, didn’t injure anybody, nevertheless it’s yet one more setback in a rocky yr for the corporate’s formidable mega-rocket program.
That lossless feeling: Spotify’s long-awaited lossless audio tier nonetheless hasn’t launched, however contemporary hints buried within the newest app code counsel that it’s beneath lively improvement and could possibly be nearer than ever. However with years of delays and no official timeline, followers would possibly need to mood their pleasure till Spotify confirms the rollout.
I can Digg it: Digg’s reboot has entered alpha testing with a contemporary iOS app geared toward turning into an AI-era Reddit various. The app affords a clear, easy design with curated communities, AI-powered article summaries, and gamified options like “Gems” and day by day leaderboards.
We would like you: The U.S. Navy is rushing up the way it works with startups, slicing crimson tape and zeroing in on actual wins like saved time and higher morale. Division of the Navy CTO Justin Fanelli says it’s main with issues, attempting to find game-changing tech in AI, GPS, and system upgrades. And with Silicon Valley lastly paying consideration, the Navy’s turning into a go-to companion for innovators able to shake issues up.
Money ain’t king: Mark Zuckerberg is throwing out huge money — as much as $100 million — to lure prime AI expertise from OpenAI and DeepMind. However OpenAI’s Sam Altman says none of his key individuals have bitten, praising his crew’s mission over cash. In the meantime, OpenAI retains pushing forward with new AI fashions and even hints at launching an AI-powered social app that would outpace Meta’s personal shaky makes an attempt.
Earlier than you go
San Francisco’s newest startup saga? Cluely’s after-party for YC’s AI Startup College blew up on Twitter, drawing 2,000 celebration crashers, nevertheless it grew to become the “most legendary celebration that by no means occurred” after getting shut down by cops earlier than a single drink was spilled. Founder Roy Lee’s viral advertising might have promised chaos, however the actual celebration’s ready. Perhaps as soon as the climate warms up?
