Meta’s AI Model Delay, Google One’s 150M Surge, and OpenAI’s AI OS Vision Plus YouTube’s Smart Ads & Apple’s Brain-Controlled Devices Shake Up Tech’s Future!
#WEEK29(1747559400)
What’s inside this week?
Tech/AI Dose
Gadget Dose
Science Dose
Tech/AI Dose:
Meta’s Flagship Model gets delayed🚧
Meta has delayed the launch of its powerful AI model “Behemoth” due to underwhelming improvements and internal doubts about its readiness. Originally planned for April, the release is now pushed to fall or later. The team behind Llama 4 is under fire, and leadership changes are being considered. This mirrors a larger slowdown across top AI labs, hinting that the next big breakthroughs may take longer and cost more than expected.
Google One Rockets to 150M Subs🚀
Google One has reached 150 million subscribers, a 50% rise since February 2024. This surge is driven by its $19.99/month AI-powered plan, which adds exclusive AI tools to traditional cloud storage. Millions have opted for the new AI tier. The move marks Google’s push to diversify beyond ad revenue, especially as AI begins impacting its search dominance. Alphabet sees subscriptions as a key future growth path.
Another Week Another EU Fine⚖️
Intel is challenging a €376 million ($421.4 million) EU antitrust fine for allegedly paying HP, Acer, and Lenovo to delay or block rival products between 2002 and 2006. The company argues the fine is disproportionate and that the actions were narrow, not part of a broad anti-competitive strategy. The EU maintains the penalty is fair and based on established guidelines. Both sides have asked the court to determine the final fine amount, with a ruling expected soon.
Trump Urges Apple CEO Tim Cook to Limit iPhone Production in India
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concerns over Apple building iPhones in India, criticizing India’s high tariffs and urging Tim Cook not to expand production there. Trump claimed India offered to drop tariffs on American goods, but stressed he prefers Apple to keep manufacturing outside India, citing long-standing support for Apple’s China plants. Despite Trump’s comments, India has made no official tariff announcements. Apple plans to source most U.S.-sold iPhones from India this quarter amid ongoing trade negotiations.
OpenAI’s AI OS with custom Models🧠
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman envisions creating a subscription-based “AI operating system” with SDKs, APIs, and interfaces that learn from every conversation, book, and experience you’ve ever had. Though there’s no fixed master plan yet, Altman hopes to build smarter models that act as a personal AI platform tailored to your life’s data. He admits the tech isn’t ready now, but sees huge potential for wealth creation and innovation. For now, OpenAI is focused on improving AI infrastructure and shipping better products, keeping its approach flexible and evolving with the times.
YouTube’s New AI Knows Exactly When to Show You an Ad 📈
Google just dropped Peak Points, an AI-powered feature on YouTube that pinpoints the most engaging moments in a video then slots in ads right there. Powered by the Gemini model, it analyzes content frame by frame to find when viewers are most hooked (like right before a proposal!). The goal? Smarter ad placement, better visibility for brands, and potentially more earnings for creators. Currently in pilot mode, this marks YouTube’s boldest move yet toward precision-targeted video advertising.
Audible expanding it’s AI Audiobook Library🎧
Audible is partnering with publishers to rapidly grow its audiobook catalog by converting print and e-books into AI-narrated versions using Amazon’s AI tech. Offering over 100 AI voices in multiple languages and accents, Audible plans to launch AI-powered translation services this year, supporting text and speech translations across key languages. While AI narration helps authors with limited resources reach audiences evidenced by 50,000+ “Virtual Voice” audiobooks it also sparks debate over audio quality in the publishing community.
OpenAI’s Next AI Megaproject in Abu Dhabi🏗️
OpenAI is gearing up to anchor a colossal 5-gigawatt AI data center sprawling over 10 square miles in Abu Dhabi dwarfing anything we’ve seen so far and out-sizing even Monaco. Partnering with UAE tech giant G42, this gargantuan facility is part of OpenAI’s Stargate vision to build the world’s most powerful AI infrastructure. But the project also stirs geopolitical drama, given G42’s controversial ties and U.S. lawmakers’ watchful eyes. As AI’s future gets bigger, the stakes and the power bills just went nuclear.
Codex Vibe Coding Tool making waves👨💻
OpenAI just unveiled Codex, its most advanced AI coding agent yet, now live in ChatGPT. Powered by the new codex-1 model, Codex doesn’t just write code — it tests, debugs, and explains it, all in a virtual machine linked to your GitHub. Think of it as a junior dev that never sleeps, helping you ship features in minutes. While Codex starts out with “generous access,” rate limits (and extra charges) are on the way. As Big Tech bets big on agentic coders, OpenAI’s message is clear: it wants to be the AI dev you can’t build without.
Google’s AlphaEvolve AI Just Beat a 56-Year-Old Math Record😶🌫️
Google DeepMind has unveiled AlphaEvolve, a revolutionary AI agent that writes and evolves its own algorithms then deploys them to boost real-world systems. Already running in Google’s data centers and chip design workflows, AlphaEvolve achieved a 0.7% global computing efficiency gain and shaved 1% off Gemini model training time. It even cracked a 56-year-old math record in matrix multiplication. By blending evolutionary search with Gemini’s reasoning power, AlphaEvolve is proving that AI can now code smarter and faster than ever before.
Gadget Dose:
Apple to Support Brain-Implant Control of Its Devices🧠
Apple is collaborating with startup Synchron to enable people to control iPhones using brain implants called Stentrodes, aimed at helping those with severe disabilities like ALS. These implants read neural signals and translate them into device commands, allowing users to navigate screens without physical movement. The technology is still early-stage, but Apple plans to release a new standard for brain-computer interfaces later this year to support wider development. Experts estimate over 150,000 Americans could benefit, with FDA approval for such devices expected around 2030.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 Is Here📱
Qualcomm just dropped the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, a next-gen mobile platform built for mid-tier smartphones with serious AI muscle. With a 27% CPU boost, 30% faster GPU rendering, and a whopping 65% jump in AI performance over its predecessor, this 4nm chip is no slouch. It supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, UFS 4.0, LPDDR5x RAM, and debuts Qualcomm’s new XPAN tech.
Gemini expands to Cars, TVs, Watches 🤖
Google is taking Gemini on the road literally. The AI assistant is expanding to smartwatches, Android Auto, GoogleTV, XR headsets, and more. Users can expect smoother, more natural voice interactions without needing the perfect prompt. Whether you’re driving, planning a vacation, or getting content suggestions on TV, Gemini’s got you covered soon even in Samsung’s upcoming headset.
Science Dose:
CRISPR Saves Infant with Ultra-Rare Genetic Disorder🧬
A 9-month-old baby in Philadelphia has become the world’s first to receive a personalized CRISPR gene-editing therapy for a rare and fatal liver condition. Diagnosed just days after birth, K.J. Muldoon lacked a vital enzyme that converts toxic ammonia into urea. Instead of a liver transplant, doctors edited his genes using lipid nanoparticles, a custom solution developed and approved in just six months. Today, K.J. is stronger, eating better, and inching toward recovery. This may be the start of a new era in one-patient-one-cure medicine.
New Tech Lets You Hear Audio Privately in Open Air 🔇
Researchers have developed a wild new way to direct sound using acoustic metasurfaces creating "audible enclaves" where only you can hear the audio, even without headphones. Think of it as an invisible headset powered by zigzag air channels and ultrasonic wave wizardry. It’s still in its early stages, but one day, you might listen to music in a library without disturbing a soul.
Voyager 1’s “Dead” Thrusters Just Came Back to Life After 20 Years 🌌
In a miraculous engineering feat, NASA has revived Voyager 1’s backup thrusters unused since 2004 to keep the legendary spacecraft talking to Earth. With its main thrusters aging and a ticking clock before ground communication went dark, engineers pulled off a near-impossible maneuver to restore attitude control. This surprise comeback proves that even after nearly 50 years and 29 billion miles, Voyager’s still got some cosmic fuel left in the tank.