This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Whats next for smart glasses For every technological gadget that becomes a household name, there are dozens that never catch on. This year marks a full decade since Google confirmed it was stopping production of Google Glass, and for a long time it appeared as though mixed-reality products would remain the preserve of enthusiasts rather than casual consumers. Fast-forward 10 years, and smart glasses are on the verge of becomingwhisper itcool. Sleeker designs are certainly making this new generation of glasses more appealing. But more importantly, smart glasses are finally on the verge of becoming useful, and its clear that Big Tech is betting that augmented specs will be the next big consumer device category. Heres what to expect from smart glasses in 2025 and beyond. Rhiannon Williams This story is part of MIT Technology Reviews Whats Next series, which looks across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read the rest of them here. Four Chinese AI startups to watch beyond DeepSeek The meteoric rise of DeepSeekthe Chinese AI startup now challenging global giantshas stunned observers and put the spotlight on Chinas AI sector. Since ChatGPTs debut in 2022, the countrys tech ecosystem has been in relentless pursuit of homegrown alternatives, giving rise to a wave of startups and billion-dollar bets. Today, the race is dominated by tech titans like Alibaba and ByteDance, alongside well-funded rivals backed by heavyweight investors. But two years into Chinas generative AI boom we are seeing a shift: Smaller innovators have to carve out their own niches or risk missing out. What began as a sprint has become a high-stakes marathonChinas AI ambitions have never been higher. We have identified these four Chinese AI companies as the ones to watch. Caiwei Chen The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The US Postal Service has stopped accepting parcels from China And plunged the ecommerce industry into utter chaos. (Wired $)+ Trumps China tariffs are coming for Amazon, too. (Insider $)2 Elon Musk has weaponized X in his war on government spendingThe billionaire is conducting polls asking users which agency he should gut next. (NYT $) + Musks staffers reportedly entered NOAA headquarters yesterday. (The Guardian)+ DOGE now appears to have access to Treasury payment systems. (Fast Company $)+ But it does appear as though Trump blocked Musk from hiring a noncitizen. (The Atlantic $)3 Google has quietly dropped its promise not to use its AI to build weapons Just weeks after rival OpenAI also reversed its anti-weapons development stance. (CNN)+ OpenAIs new defense contract completes its military pivot. (MIT Technology Review)4 The metaverses future isnt looking so rosy Metas CTO has conceded that this year is critical to its success or failure. (Insider $) 5 OpenAI is attempting to court Hollywoods filmmakers But its Sora video tool has been met with a frosty reception. (Bloomberg $)+ How to use Sora, OpenAIs video generating tool. (MIT Technology Review)6 These drones are launching drones to attack other dronesUkraine is continuing to produce innovative battlefield technologies. (Ars Technica) + Meet the radio-obsessed civilian shaping Ukraines drone defense. (MIT Technology Review)7 How to make artificial blood Were running out of the real stuff. Is fake blood a viable alternative? (New Yorker $) 8 Students have worked out how to hack schools phone prisonsTeachers should know that smart kids will always find a workaround. (NY Mag $) 9 Social media cant give you validation So stop trying to find it there. (Vox)10 Internet slang is out of control Skibidi, gigachad, or deeve, anyone? (WSJ $)Quote of the day While we encourage people to use AI systems during their role to help them work faster and more effectively, please do not use AI assistants during the application process. AI company Anthropic urges people applying to work there not to use chatbots and other tools during the process, the Financial Times reports. The big story The race to save our online lives from a digital dark age August 2024There is a photo of my daughter that I love. She is sitting, smiling, in our old back garden, chubby hands grabbing at the cool grass. It was taken on a digital camera in 2013, when she was almost one, but now lives on Google Photos. But what if, one day, Google ceased to function? What if I lost my treasured photos forever? For many archivists, alarm bells are ringing. Across the world, they are scraping up defunct websites or at-risk data collections to save as much of our digital lives as possible. Others are working on ways to store that data in formats that will last hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of years.The endeavor raises complex questions. What is important to us? How and why do we decide what to keepand what do we let go? And how will future generations make sense of what were able to save? Read the full story.Niall Firth We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + Letsa goNintendo has added 49 Super Mario World tracks to its music app!+ Congratulations are in order for New Zealands Mount Taranaki, which is now legally recognized as a person. + Ive got something in common with these Hollywood greats at last: they never won an Oscar, either.+ Do you prefer music or silence in your yoga class?