Honestly, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Bluestar Linux.

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers remarks during an Apple special ... [+] event on September 12, 2023 in Cupertino, California. Apple is set to unveil the new iPhone 15 and Apple Watch. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty ImagesA fresh batch of leaks has given us a preview of what the new iPhone 17 Air could look like and its awfully reminiscent of the Google Pixel.The new addition to Apples phone lineup, which has been rumored to replace the Plus model, will sport a Pixel-like camera bar, according to renders put together by Front Page Techs Jon Prosser who claims to have seen a finalized version of the new design.Now, I have to warn you that this isnt a confirmed leak, but Prosser has been right about similar stuff in the past. In fact, he was the first to suggest the Air moniker which Bloombergs ever-reliable Mark Gurman later seconded.The Air label makes sense, given that the device is expected to arrive in a slimmer form factor than its predecessors.You can catch a peek at the renders around the four-and-a-half minute mark:The so-called camera bar is a dead ringer for the Google Pixels camera visor, which the phone has donned since at least its sixth generation. Though the iPhones take on it is more reminiscent of the ninth-gen Pixel.MORE FOR YOUFunny how that works, huh?For years, Apple has been setting the standards for the dominant design language in the phone market, with rivals quickly following suit. While iPhones dont always innovate first, theyre known to kick off trends.To Googles credit, the company has made a conscious effort to carve out its own look for the Pixel. Although the sixth-gens design particularly the camera visor was a little rough around the edges, the company really dialed in the look over the years, ultimately arriving at the much more elegant Pixel 9.So there you have it: thats the new Google PixI mean, iPhone 17 Air.When Can We Expect The iPhone 17 Air?The iPhone 17 Air is likely to make its debut at Apples customary spring event, alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup.So you might have to stick it out until September to find out if the real thing will match the renders.In the meantime, Apple is slated to drop its iPhone SE refresh this week so stay tuned. You can peep more details about tomorrows launch event here.

Edge AI and the Industrial Metaverse Shaping the Next Decade TodaygettyThe industrial metaverse is not a distant future but an unfolding reality poised to redefine the global industrial landscape. Powered by edge AI, this transformative vision combines real-time computing with immersive virtual environments, enabling businesses to unlock new dimensions of efficiency, safety, and innovation. As industries across manufacturing, energy, and logistics embrace this transformation, the stakes for competitive advantage have never been higher.The real question for businesses is not if they should prepare for this shift but how.Why Edge AI is the Backbone of the Industrial MetaverseAt its core, the industrial metaverse envisions a closed-loop system where smart, connected assets communicate and collaborate in an immersive digital environment. By mirroring real-world operations in this digital space, businesses can simulate scenarios, predict outcomes, and implement changes faster.Edge AI is the engine behind this system. Unlike traditional cloud computing, which centralizes data processing, edge AI enables computation to occur closer to where data is generated on devices like sensors, controllers, or cameras. This proximity ensures ultra-low latency, real-time insights, and enhanced privacy, all critical for industrial applications where milliseconds can mean millions of dollars in savings or revenue.Consider a manufacturing plant equipped with edge AI-enabled digital twins. Sensors capture physical parameters such as temperature, vibration, or fluid flow and process them locally to detect anomalies, predict equipment failures, and adjust workflows autonomously. This capability drastically reduces downtime and improves operational efficiency, creating a direct path to value.MORE FOR YOUKey Challenges on the Road to Realizing the VisionWhile the potential is undeniable, the journey to adopting edge AI and integrating it into the industrial metaverse includes a few hurdles:Interoperability Obstacles Many industrial operations rely on decades-old legacy systems that operate in silos. These systems often lack the ability to communicate with modern applications or each other. Without interoperability, businesses risk inefficiencies and missed opportunities for collaboration. Solutions such as protocol translation engines and vendor-agnostic platforms are emerging as critical tools to bridge this gap.Cost and Complexity Deploying edge AI infrastructure such as edge gateways, robust connectivity, and powerful compute nodes requires significant investment. Small and medium-sized enterprises often struggle to justify these costs without clear, immediate ROI. The democratization of these technologies through scalable solutions is essential for widespread adoption.Cybersecurity Concerns As industrial systems become more connected, they also become more vulnerable to cyberattacks. A breach in an industrial metaverse environment could compromise sensitive data or disrupt critical operations. Standards like the Universal Utility Data Exchange, with built-in cybersecurity protocols, are evolving to mitigate these risks.Talent Shortages Implementing edge AI in the industrial metaverse requires specialized skills, from AI model development to systems integration. However, the global demand for such expertise far exceeds the supply. Companies must invest in workforce development to ensure they have the talent needed to lead in this space.Trends Shaping the Industrial Metaverse in 2025From Proprietary to Open Standards To enable seamless communication across systems, industries are rapidly adopting open standards like MQTT and OPC UA. These protocols are crucial for creating vendor-agnostic solutions that reduce deployment costs and enable faster adoption.Rise of Digital Twins with Physics-Based Modeling Digital twins are no longer just static representations; they are evolving into dynamic, physics-based models that can simulate real-world scenarios with precision. By integrating these twins with real-time data from edge AI nodes, businesses can optimize everything from factory workflows to energy consumption.USD-Native Collaboration Takes Center Stage Universal Scene Description (USD) technology, pioneered by PIXAR, is emerging as the "HTML of the 3D world." It enables interoperable workflows for 3D simulation and visualization, essential for creating collaborative environments in the industrial metaverse. Platforms like NVIDIA Omniverse are accelerating adoption by combining USD with AI-driven rendering and simulation tools.Adoption of Lightweight Virtualization Technologies Edge computing systems are increasingly turning to lightweight virtualization methods like Unikernels. By reducing overhead and enhancing security, these technologies enable efficient operation in resource-constrained environments such as remote oil fields or solar farms.Real-World Ecosystem Partnerships Driving the Industrial MetaverseThe industrial metaverse is not being built in isolation its success hinges on strong partnerships between industrial OEMs, software providers, system integrators, and AI-driven analytics firms. These collaborations are critical in addressing interoperability challenges, scaling adoption, and accelerating innovation. There are several key ecosystem partnerships already shaping the future:MachFu & Oilfield Operators MachFu partners with upstream and midstream oil and gas operators to automate artificial lift operations, such as rod pumps and electric submersible pumps. By integrating its IIoT-enabled edge gateways with existing SCADA systems, MachFu enables real-time monitoring and control, significantly reducing downtime and operational costs.Delta Electronics & NVIDIA, Autodesk, FlexSim, and Visual Components Delta Electronics works with multiple partners to create fully connected digital twin environments. By leveraging NVIDIA Omniverse and OpenUSD, Delta integrates 3D data from various factory equipment, enabling cross-platform collaboration and simulation-driven optimizations.HD Hyundai & Siemens + NVIDIA HD Hyundai is redefining powertrain design for next-generation ships by leveraging Siemens Xcelerator platform alongside NVIDIA Omniverse to develop high-fidelity, physics-based digital twins. This partnership enables predictive performance modeling, reduces inefficiencies, and extends the operational lifespan of maritime assets.SINTEF & Energy Sector Leaders The European research organization SINTEF is collaborating with renewable energy providers to explore how automated edge processing, AI-driven analytics, and mesh communication can self-regulate energy consumption across distributed grids, battery storage systems, and electric vehicle charging networks.Strategic Imperatives for BusinessesTo succeed in the edge AI-powered industrial metaverse, the following steps are critical:Prioritize Interoperability: Adopt open standards to ensure your systems can integrate seamlessly with modern platforms and legacy assets.Invest in Workforce Upskilling: Empower your teams with the skills required to manage and optimize edge AI systems.Secure Your Ecosystem: Implement advanced cybersecurity measures to safeguard your assets against emerging threats.Collaborate for Scalability: Partner with technology providers and peers to share resources, accelerate innovation, and reduce costs.Adopt a Sustainability-First Mindset: Design your systems with energy efficiency and environmental impact in mind to future-proof your operations.Seizing the Edge in the Industrial Metaverse RevolutionThe industrial metaverse and edge AI are no longer mere buzzwords they are the driving forces behind the next wave of industrial transformation. As we look ahead, businesses must act decisively to position themselves at the forefront of this revolution.The opportunities to gain a competitive edge are immense. Those who hesitate risk being left behind as competitors move forward with AI-driven agility, operational excellence, and innovation.

A visitor tries the Huawei's first tri-foldable Mate XT smartphone during an event for its global launch in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 18, 2025. Mohd RasfanAFP/Getty ImagesBy Eileen Ng / APFebruary 18, 2025 5:21 AM ESTKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Huawei on Tuesday held a global launch for the industrys first tri-foldable phone, which analysts said marked a symbolic victory for the Chinese tech giant amid U.S. technology curbs. But challenges over pricing, longevity, supply and app constraints may limit its success.Huawei said at a launch event in Kuala Lumpur that the Huawei Mate XT, first unveiled in China five months ago, will be priced at 3,499 euros ($3,662). Although dubbed a trifold, the phone has three mini-panels and folds only twice. The company says it's the thinnest foldable phone at 3.6 millimeters (0.14 inches), with a 10.2-inch screen similar to an Apple iPad.Right now, Huawei kind of stands alone as an innovator" with the trifold design, said Bryan Ma, vice president of device research with the market intelligence firm International Data Corporation.Huawei reached the position despite not getting access to chips, to Google services. All these things basically have been huge roadblocks in front of Huawei, Ma said, adding that the resurgence we're seeing from them over the past year has been quite a bit of a victory."Huawei, Chinas first global tech brand, is at the center of a U.S.-China battle over trade and technology. Washington in 2019 severed Huaweis access to U.S. components and technology, including Googles music and other smartphone services, making Huawei's phone less appealing to users. It has also barred global vendors from using U.S. technology to produce components for Huawei.American officials say Huawei is a security risk, which the company denies. Chinas government has accused Washington of misusing security warnings to contain a rising competitor to U.S. technology companies.Huawei launched the Mate XT in China on Sept. 20 last year, the same day Apple launched its iPhone 16 series in global markets. But with its steep price tag, the Mate XT is not a mainstream product that people are going to jump for, Ma said.At the Kuala Lumpur event, Huawei also unveiled its MatePad Pro tablet and Free Arc, its first open-ear earbuds with ear hooks and other wearable devices.While Huaweis cutting-edge devices showcase its technological prowess, its long-term success remains uncertain given ongoing challenges over global supply chain constraints, chip availability and limitations on the software ecosystem, said Ruby Lu, an analyst with the research firm TrendForce."System limitations, particularly the lack of Google Mobile Services, means its international market potential remains constrained, Lu said.IDC's Ma said Huawei dominated the foldable phone market in China with 49% market share last year. In the global market, it had 23% market share, trailing behind Samsung's 33% share in 2024, he said. IDC predicted that total foldable phone shipments worldwide could surge to 45.7 million units by 2028, from over 20 million last year.While most major brands have entered the foldable segments, Lu said Apple has yet to release a competing product.Once Apple enters the market, it is expected to significantly influence and stimulate further growth in the foldable phone sector, Lu added.More Must-Reads from TIMEInside Elon Musks War on WashingtonWhy Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love11 New Books to Read in FebruaryHow to Get Better at Doing Things AloneCecily Strong on Goober the ClownColumn: The Rise of Americas BroligarchyIntroducing the 2025 ClosersContact us at letters@time.com

In brief: Mexico is not happy about Google changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Google Maps. The country is now threatening to sue the tech company if it doesn't restore the original name. Google Maps changed the body of water's name to the Gulf of America earlier this month. It followed President Trump's proclamation that decreed the renaming and the subsequent name change by the federal Board on Geographic Names.Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that Trump's order only applies to the part of continental shelf under US control, which extends 22 nautical miles from the US coast not the entire Gulf. But Google is changing the name of the portion of the Gulf that includes Mexico's and Cuba's continental shelves.Mexico argues that the policy violates Mexican sovereignty as the US has jurisdiction over around 46% of the Gulf, while Mexico controls 49% and Cuba controls 5%."We do not agree with this, and the Foreign Minister has sent a new letter addressing the issue," Sheinbaum said. The letter states that under no circumstances does Mexico accept the renaming of any geographic area that includes part of its national territory and that is under its jurisdiction.The letter to Google adds that "any reference to the 'Gulf of America' initiative on your Google Maps platform must be strictly limited to the marine area under U.S. jurisdiction." // Related Stories"Any extension beyond that zone exceeds the authority of any national government or private entity. Should that be the case, the Government of Mexico will take the appropriate legal actions as deemed necessary," it states.Although Google Maps users in the US now see the Gulf of America name, it appears as Gulf of Mexico to those in Mexico. The rest of the world sees both names on Google Maps.Sheinbaum said last week that a civil suit could be launched against Google if it did not correct what she called an "inaccurate designation."The Mexican government has been in talks with Google over the issue since January. It will wait for the company's response to the letter before proceeding with any legal action.Google says the name change on Maps is part of its long-standing policy of adhering to official government names for locations and other geographical features.Cris Turner, Google's vice president of government affairs and public policy, told Sheinbaum's government that Google was willing to meet in person but would not change its policy."While international treaties and conventions are not intended to regulate how private mapping providers represent geographic features, it is our consistent policy to consult multiple authoritative sources to provide the most up to date and accurate representation of the world," he said.When Trump first announced the renaming plans ahead of his inauguration, Sheinbaum remarked that Google should rename North America to "Amrica Mexicana," or "Mexican America," because an 1814 founding document that preceded Mexico's constitution referred to it that way.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsA captivating slice-of-life taleA change in perspectiveAt this point, the gameplay formula for narrative adventure games is set in stone. Third-person exploration in confined spaces interspersed between conversations where players have to make impactful, story-shaping choices is the genre norm. Occasionally, a puzzle is thrown in for good measure, but these gameplay segments are often the weakest parts of narrative adventure titles like Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, on the other hand, does not have that problem.In 2014, Dont Nod was the first studio outside of Telltale to show that the narrative adventure genre had legs with the original Life is Strange. Now, many of the developers who worked on the first two Life is Strange games are back with a new game looking to push the genre forward yet again. While many narrative adventure games can feel the same nowadays, the first episode of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, which is out now,reminded me that theres still plenty of room for innovation in the space.Recommended VideosFrom how it switches perspectives to differentiate whats happening in the past and present to how naturally some dialogue options can appear to its shockingly authentic feeling in-game camcorder, Lost Records isnt afraid to play around with genre conventions. That makes it a must-play for fans of narrative adventure titles and, hopefully, the start of something new for Dont Nod.Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - First Look Gameplay Trailer | PS5 GamesThe first episode of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage jumps between two different timelines. In the present day, presented through a first-person perspective, we see a group of friends reuniting in their hometown after over twenty years of not talking to each other. Theyre getting back together to reminisce about their childhood after one of them receives a mysterious package addressed to their old band name.As they talk, Lost Records flashes back to the 1990s, where players in a third-person perspective follow the main character Swann as she meets this group of friends for the first time. The central mystery comes from figuring out what happened during that summer that caused these friends to never talk to each other again. Toss in a bit of the supernatural, and you have a clever twist on the coming-of-age story Dont Nod is known for telling with its narrative adventure games.Don't NodAlthough the era of home videos and riot grrrl bands that the past segments of Lost Records harken back to is a little before my time, I still found a lot to relate to in this slice-of-life tale. If youve ever struggled with social anxiety, making friends, finding ways to express yourself, or reconnecting with friends you havent talked to for years, then Swanns journey in Lost Records will resonate with you. Based on the narrative and writing alone, Dont Nod already reminds us why its a master of the narrative adventure and lays the building blocks to create a worthy spiritual successor to Life is Strange.The parts of Lost Records that take place in the past with Swann are the most similar to your typical narrative adventure game, but Dont Nod layers a camcorder mechanic on top of that to give these segments a unique feel. Swann is a videographer who likes to make home videos of whatever she comes across, from animals to her friends. Players are constantly encouraged to whip out Swanns camera and film whats going on and can then lightly edit that footage together into home videos.The gyroscope of the DualSense controller gives these segments an authentic feel and makes it feel like Im not just interacting with Lost Recordsworld in the same way I do in other narrative adventure games. Gameplay is much simpler in the present day, but the switch to the first-person perspective is quite effective.Don't NodThe third-person perspective of the past segments makes sense as the player is supposed to feel like an onlooker to these memories; by making the modern-day segments first-person, it reinforces thematically that those moments are going on in the here and now and makes reuniting with these digital friends feel all the more intimate and personal.I enjoy how Lost Records lets players look for answers in their environment too. For instance, I can look around in first person while at the bar to unlock new options for which drink Swann will order. Many of these choices continue to pop up, often with more narrative heft, but it reinforces the feeling that players are shaping the story based on their actions.At its core, Lost Recordschoice-driven structure isnt that different from what players did a decade ago in Life is Strange. But by putting these small twists on the formula, Dont Nod reinvigorates a genre that has felt desperate for innovation recently. Telling a relatable, immersive story goes a long way, but the truly great narrative-driven games find ways to challenge or evolve genre conventions in ways we havent thought of before. Lost Records sets itself apart from the crowd by doing just that.Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Tape 2 will be released and conclude the story on April 15.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsWhats all the fuss aboutCatching up on the trendsFinding mass appeal is the challengeElon Musk-led xAI has announced their latest AI model, Grok-3, via a livestream. From the get-go, it was evident that the company wants to quickly fill all the practical gaps that can make its chatbot more approachable to an average user, rather than just selling rhetoric about wokeness and understanding the universe.The company will be releasing two versions of its latest AI model viz. Grok-3 and Grok-3 mini. The latter is trained for low-compute scenarios, while the former will offer the full set of Grok-3 perks such as DeepSearch, Think, and Big Brain.Recommended VideosNadeem Sarwar / Digital TrendsAs Musk talked about all the new features coming with Grok-3 alongside xAI experts, it was obvious that this release is not merely about setting new performance benchmarks, but also catching up on all the hot trends that will define the AI landscape in 2025. According tothe benchmarks shared by the company, Grok-3 and even Grok-3 mini performed better than OpenAIs GPT-4o, Gemini, Claude, and Deep Seek models at tasks such as coding, mathematics, and scientific problem solving.On the Chatbot Arena (LMSYS) rankings, an early version of Grok-3 reached a leaderboard high of 1,400 points, ahead of Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, DeepSeek, and more. The company developed Grok-3 at an impressive pace, and achieving those performance figures is quite a feat despite being a relative upstart in the face of Google or OpenAI.xAIPushing it into the mainstream, however, is going to be the biggest challenge, especially from an access viewpoint. Grok-3 will initially be available to X Premium+ subscribers as part of an early access program. Currently the highest tier of X subscription, Premium+ is priced at $22 per month, and $229 for the annual plan.Eligible users will get access to Grok-3 features such as reasoning, DeepSearch, higher usage limits, and early access to new tools. The company is also launching a separate subscription service called SuperGrok that offers priority access to Grok-3 and higher image generation limits.xAIThis subscription will be limited to the Grok mobile app and the freshly-launched Grok.com website. Musk says the latest and most advanced capabilities, however, will be served via the website.This is kind of a beta, so you should expect some imperfections at first, but we will improve rapidly, Musk said on the livestream, adding that users can expect improvements every day. It would be interesting to see how xAI fills the interest gap for an average chatbot enthusiast rocking a phone while simultaneously sending a juicy pitch deck to high-paying enterprise customers.xAI appears to be doing a lot with Grok-3, not just in terms of enhanced capabilities, but also feature parity. One of the standout elements of Grok-3 is the enhanced reasoning and thinking capabilities, which seems to be the hot new trend in the world of language models.Take for example the Grok-3s Think mode, which is a direct rival to OpenAIs o-series models. Such AI models are designed to spend more time thinking and breaking down the user queries before they provide the answer.Users can see the chain of thoughts in real-time, and the benefits, as per the adopters, are improved performance in science, maths, and coding-related queries. xAI is covering that gulf with not just Think mode, but a separate Big Brain tool for Grok-3 that will supercharge its compute capabilities for more advanced and complex scenarios.xAIGoogle is not too far behind with its Gemini line-up. The company recently launched the Gemini 2.0 series of AI models, which include Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental and a separate app-first iteration that prioritises information pulled from YouTube, Maps, and Google Search.DeepSeek, the open-source AI chatbot from China that recently disrupted Wall Street, also offers a thinking and reasoning product called DeepThink. Even though the responses are censored, the performance is quite impressive.xAI is also chasing the AI agent formula with Grok-3, even though it has a lot of ground to cover, especially when compared to the likes of OpenAI and Google. To that end, the company is launching its first agentic product built atop Grok-3 that it calls DeepSearch.xAIIt works more or less in the same fashion as Deep Research in Google Gemini, and rival products of the same name by Perplexity and OpenAI. It performs a web search, compiles a full report, and also serves all the sources it pulled information from as citations.xAI is late to the race, but price could be a hindrance when it comes to mass appeal. Perplexity will offer a limited number of Deep Research queries for free, while Google offers a more generous package with Gemini Deep Research at $20 for Gemini Advanced subscribers.Deep Research (or DeepSearch for Grok-3) is an extremely compute-intensive process, so it makes sense for it to be a premium perk. But giving customers a taste of it, even with a limited number of queries, comes with a higher chance of earning new subscribers, a strategy that both Perplexity and OpenAI are following.Gemini Live by Google. Joe Maring / Digital TrendsMusk also mentioned that a voice interaction mode is also coming to Grok, and that it will launch in roughly a week. The focus is on providing an alternate method of conversing with Grok, one that feels more natural.OpenAIs ChatGPT has offered something called Voice Mode for a while now, and a similar feature called Gemini Live has been available to Google Gemini users, as well.xAI didnt provide many details about Grok-3s voice mode, but confirmed that it will feature conversational memory so that it can remember details of previous interactions. Its one of the best experiences of Grok, Musk said during the livestream.xAIDeep Research is not the only agentic implementation of AI chatbots, and thats where xAI lags far behind. OpenAI recently introduced Operator, an AI agent that can perform complex web-based tasks on behalf of users by essentially taking over the control of web-browsing chores.It can perform tasks like shopping, making restaurant reservations, and travel-related work, thanks to the underlying Computer-Using Agent (CUA) framework. Most importantly, OpenAI already has deals in place with companies such as DoorDash, InstaCart, Uber, and eBay to push the Operator as an impressive showcase of practical agentic capabilities.Then there is the system of ChatGPT plug-ins, which makes the chatbot far more functional by integrating with platforms such as Zapier, Expedia, Klarna, Slack, and Shopify among others. They make ChatGPT a far more appealing product to enterprises than Grok-3.Google, on the other hand, is leveraging its extensive portfolio of products and apps that people use on a daily basis. Deep system-level integration with apps (via extensions) on Android and availability of multi-modal Gemini capabilities across Workspace products such as Gmail and Docs give it a dramatic functional edge.DeepSeek, on the other hand, has already been adopted by brands such as Honor. Apple has also pushed a ChatGPT-driven Apple Intelligence stack on millions of iPhones and Macs, and has inked a deal with Alibaba to offer those features in China.xAI hasnt found any such takers for Grok, yet. Thats the biggest challenge for xAI right now, and it would be interesting to see what brands it can onboard to push Grok-3, with all its bells and whistles, into the mainstream.Editors Recommendations

The Beijing-based internet company said Tuesday that fourth-quarter revenue fell 2.4%, better than analysts estimates.

This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first,sign up here. While DOGEs efforts to shutter federal agencies dominate news from Washington, the Trump administration is also making more global moves. Many of these center on China. Tariffs on goods from the country went into effect last week. Theres also been a minor foreign relations furor since DeepSeeks big debut a few weeks ago. China has already displayed its dominance in electric vehicles, robotaxis, and drones, and the launch of the new model seems to add AI to the list. This caused the US president as well as some lawmakers to push for new export controls on powerful chips, and three states have now banned the use of DeepSeek on government devices. Now our intrepid China reporter, Caiwei Chen, has identified a new trend unfolding within Chinas tech scene: Companies that were dominant in electric vehicles are betting big on translating that success into developing humanoid robots. I spoke with her about what she found out and what it might mean for Trumps policies and the rest of the globe. James: Before we talk about robots, lets talk about DeepSeek. The frenzy for the AI model peaked a couple of weeks ago. What are you hearing from other Chinese AI companies? How are they reacting? Caiwei: I think other Chinese AI companies are scrambling to figure out why they havent built a model as strong as DeepSeeks, despite having access to as much funding and resources. DeepSeeks success has sparked self-reflection on management styles and renewed confidence in Chinas engineering talent. Theres also strong enthusiasm for building various applications on top of DeepSeeks models. Your story looks at electric-vehicle makers in China that are starting to work on humanoid robots, but I want to ask about a crazy stat. In China, 53% of vehicles sold are either electric or hybrid, compared with 8% in the US. What explains that? Price is a huge factorthere are countless EV brands competing at different price points, making them both affordable and high-quality. Government incentives also play a big role. In Beijing, for example, trading in an old car for an EV gets you 10,000 RMB (about $1,500), and that subsidy was recently doubled. Plus, finding public charging and battery-swapping infrastructure is much less of a hassle than in the US. You open your story noting that Chinas recent New Year Gala, watched by billions of people, featured a cast of humanoid robots, dancing and twirling handkerchiefs. Weve covered how sometimes humanoid videos can be misleading. What did you think? I would say I was relatively impressedthe robots showed good agility and synchronization with the music, though their movements were simpler than human dancers. The one trick that is supposed to impress the most is the part where they twirl the handkerchief with one finger, toss it into the air, and then catch it perfectly. This is the signature of the Yangko dance, and having performed it once as a child, I can attest to how difficult the trick is even for a human! There was some skepticism on the Chinese internet about how this was achieved and whether they used additional reinforcement like a magnet or a string to secure the handkerchief, and after watching the clip too many times, I tend to agree. President Trump has already imposed tariffs on China and is planning even more. What could the implications be for Chinas humanoid sector? Unitrees H1 and G1 models are already available for purchase and were showcased at CES this year. Large-scale US deployment isnt happening yet, but Chinas lower production costs make these robots highly competitive. Given that 65% of the humanoid supply chain is in China, I wouldnt be surprised if robotics becomes the next target in the US-China tech war. In the US, humanoid robots are getting lots of investment, but there are plenty of skeptics who say theyre too clunky, finicky, and expensive to serve much use in factory settings. Are attitudes different in China? Skepticism exists in China too, but I think theres more confidence in deployment, especially in factories. With an aging population and a labor shortage on the horizon, theres also growing interest in medical and caregiving applications for humanoid robots. DeepSeek revived the conversation about chips and the way the US seeks to control where the best chips end up. How do the chip wars affect humanoid-robot development in China? Training humanoid robots currently doesnt demand as much computing power as training large language models, since there isnt enough physical movement data to feed into models at scale. But as robots improve, theyll need high-performance chips, and US sanctions will be a limiting factor. Chinese chipmakers are trying to catch up, but its a challenge. For more, read Caiweis story on this humanoid pivot, as well as her look at the Chinese startups worth watching beyond DeepSeek. Now read the rest of The Algorithm Deeper Learning Motor neuron diseases took their voices. AI is bringing them back. In motor neuron diseases, the neurons responsible for sending signals to the bodys muscles, including those used for speaking, are progressively destroyed. It robs people of their voices. But some, including a man in Miami named Jules Rodriguez, are now getting them back: An AI model learned to clone Rodriguezs voice from recordings. Why it matters: ElevenLabs, the company that created the voice clone, can do a lot with just 30 minutes of recordings. Thats a huge improvement over AI voice clones from just a few years ago, and it can really boost the day-to-day lives of the people whove used the technology. This is genuinely AI for good, says Richard Cave, a speech and language therapist at the Motor Neuron Disease Association in the UK. Read more from Jessica Hamzelou. Bits and Bytes A true crime documentary series has millions of views, but the murders are all AI-generated A look inside the strange mind of someone who created a series of fake true-crime docs using AI, and the reactions of the many people who thought they were real. (404 Media) The AI relationship revolution is already here People are having all sorts of relationships with AI models, and these relationships run the gamut: weird, therapeutic, unhealthy, sexual, comforting, dangerous, useful. Were living through the complexities of this in real time. Hear from some of the many people who are happy in their varied AI relationships and learn what sucked them in. (MIT Technology Review) Robots are bringing new life to extinct species A creature called Orobates pabsti waddled the planet 280 million years ago, but as with many prehistoric animals, scientists have not been able to use fossils to figure out exactly how it moved. So theyve started building robots to help. (MIT Technology Review) Lessons from the AI Action Summit in Paris Last week, politicians and AI leaders from around the globe went to Paris for an AI Action Summit. While concerns about AI safety have dominated the event in years past, this year was more about deregulation and energy, a trend weve seen elsewhere. (The Guardian) OpenAI ditches its diversity commitment and adds a statement about intellectual freedom Following the lead of other tech companies since the beginning of President Trumps administration, OpenAI has removed a statement on diversity from its website. It has also updated its model specthe document outlining the standards of its modelsto say that OpenAI believes in intellectual freedom, which includes the freedom to have, hear, and discuss ideas. (Insider and Tech Crunch) The Musk-OpenAI battle has been heating up Part of OpenAI is structured as a nonprofit, a legacy of its early commitments to make sure its technologies benefit all. Its recent attempts to restructure that nonprofit have triggered a lawsuit from Elon Musk, who alleges that the move would violate the legal and ethical principles of its nonprofit origins. Last week, Musk offered to buy OpenAI for $97.4 billion, in a bid that few people took seriously. Sam Altman dismissed it out of hand. Musk now says he will retract that bid if OpenAI stops its conversion of the nonprofit portion of the company. (Wall Street Journal)

Later this month, Intuitive Machines, the private company behind the first commercial lander that touched down on the moon, will launch a second lunar mission from NASAs Kennedy Space Center. The plan is to deploy a lander, a rover, and hopper to explore a site near the lunar south pole that could harbor water ice, and to put a communications satellite on lunar orbit. But the mission will also bring something thats never been installed on the moon or anywhere else in space beforea fully functional 4G cellular network. Point-to-point radio communications, which need a clear line of sight between transmitting and receiving antennas, have always been a backbone of both surface communications and the link back to Earth, starting with the Apollo program. Using point-to-point radio in space wasnt much of an issue in the past because there never have been that many points to connect. Usually, it was just a single spacecraft, a lander, or a rover talking to Earth. And they didn't need to send much data either. They were based on [ultra high frequency] or [very high frequency] technologies connecting a small number of devices with relatively low data throughput, says Thierry Klein, president of Nokia Bell Labs Solutions Research, which was contracted by NASA to design a cellular network for the moon back in 2020. But it could soon get way more crowded up there: NASAs Artemis program calls for bringing the astronauts back to the moon as early as 2028 and further expanding that presence into a permanent habitat in 2030s. The shift from mostly point-to-point radio communications to a full-blown cell network architecture should result in higher data transfer speeds, better range, and increase the number of devices that could be connected simultaneously, Klein says. But the harsh conditions of space travel and on the lunar surface make it difficult to use Earth-based cell technology straight off the shelf. Instead, Nokia designed components that are robust against radiation, extreme temperatures, and the sorts of vibrations that will be experienced during the launch, flight, and landing. They put all these components in a single network in a box, which contains everything needed for a cell network except the antenna and a power source. We have the antenna on the lander, so together with the box thats essentially your base station and your tower, Klein says. The box will be powered by the landers solar panels. During the IM-2 mission, the 4G cell network will allow for communication between the lander and the two vehicles. The network will likely only work for a few days the spacecraft are not likely to survive after night descends on the lunar surface. But Nokia has plans for a more expansive 4G or 5G cell network that can cover the planned Artemis habitat and its surroundings. The company is also working on integrating cell communications in Axiom spacesuits meant for future lunar astronauts. Maybe just one network in a box, one tower, would provide the entire coverage or maybe we would need multiple of these. Thats not going to be different from what you see in terrestrial cell networks deployment, Klein says. He says the network should grow along with the future lunar economy. Not everyone is happy with this vision. LTE networks usually operate between 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz, a region of the radiofrequency spectrum that partially overlaps with frequencies reserved for radio astronomy. Having such radio signals coming from the moon could potentially interfere with observations. Telescopes are most sensitive in the direction that they are pointingup towards the sky, Chris De Pree, deputy spectrum manager at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) said in an email. Communication satellites like Starlink often end up in the radio telescopes line of sight. A full-scale cell network on the moon would add further noise to the night sky. There is also a regulatory hurdle that must be worked around. There are radio bands that have been internationally allocated to support lunar missions, and the LTE band is not among them. Using 4G frequencies on or around the moon is a violation of the ITU-R radio regulations, NRAOs spectrum manager Harvey Liszt explained in an email. To legally deploy the 4G network on the moon, Nokia received a waiver specifically for the IM-2 mission. For permanent deployment well have to pick a different frequency band, Klein says. We already have a list of candidate frequencies to consider. Even with the frequency shift, Klein says Nokias lunar network technology will remain compatible with terrestrial 4G or 5G standards. And that means that if you happened to bring your smartphone to the moon, and it somehow survived both the trip and the brutal lunar conditions, it should work on the moon just like it does here on Earth. It would connect if we put your phone on the list of approved devices, Klein explains. All youd need is a lunar SIM card.