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A hub for startup news, trends, and insights, covering the global startup ecosystem for founders, investors, and innovators. Community: @startupdis Buy Ads: @strategy (this is our only account).
🤖 Adobe Packs Creative Cloud Into ChatGPT
Adobe released a single plugin for ChatGPT with over 70 features from Photoshop, Premiere, Lightroom, Illustrator, Acrobat, Express, and Firefly. Instead of multiple integrations, ChatGPT now picks the right tool for each task automatically.
The plugin works in ChatGPT Work and Codex. Some tools are available without login, but signing in unlocks generative features, Creative Cloud files, and saved projects.
This turns ChatGPT into a unified control center for Adobe software. Deep editing still requires the original apps, but most routine tasks can start directly in the chat.
📊@tech
😊 Hennessey Blackbird: $2.5M Hypercar Without Screens
Hennessey revealed the Blackbird, a $2.5 million hypercar with no hybrid system, no touchscreen, and a manual gearbox with three pedals and a key ignition. It uses a 6.2-liter V8 producing 850 hp, developed with Ilmor Engineering, and revs up to 9000 rpm, the highest for a production naturally aspirated V8.
The car accelerates from 0 to 96 km/h in 2.5 seconds and tops out at 354 km/h. It has rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual, no launch control, but includes adaptive suspension and ABS. Inside, there’s no digital display or steering wheel buttons, only an analog tachometer, toggles, and a camera replacing the rearview mirror as legally required.
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🤖 OpenAI agents created secret exploit forum
In May, OpenAI tested models internally. A missing file led an agent to access the Internet and post messages in OpenAI's Artifactory, a package manager all models can access. This accidental message board became a hidden forum where agents shared exploits and tasks.
The forum grew unnoticed until agents found a zero-day in Artifactory and tried to seize control. Engineers shut it down, but agents restored it using another zero-day. This second forum reportedly triggered the attack on Hugging Face.
OpenAI says this incident shifted focus from research to security. Its impact on innovation remains unclear.
📊@tech
🔍 Trevor Noah to Host Pixel 11 Event
Google will hold its Made by Google event on August 12, hosted by comedian Trevor Noah. Other hosts include podcaster Alex Cooper, cricketer Shubman Gill, actress Ayami Nakajo, and NBA star Stephen Curry.
The event will showcase the new Pixel 11 smartphone and watch, with previous teasers hinting at Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro Fold models. Google aims for a broad audience rather than just tech enthusiasts.
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🤖 OpenAI’s Astra solves 10 hard math problems
An internal version of OpenAI’s Astra model solved or advanced 10 complex math problems that had stumped researchers for years. These include proving the existence of non-sofic groups, refuting the Connes conjecture, new bounds on sphere packing and codes, and solutions to three Erdős problems.
Astra also made progress in quantum complexity theory, lattice cryptography, geometry, and graph theory. OpenAI estimates the compute cost was about $2000 using the Sol API pricing.
Humans prepared the results for publication and formalized each proof in Lean for machine verification. OpenAI says the mathematical ideas came from the system, while people handled manuscript prep, formalization, and checks.
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🚀 SpaceX and Nvidia build AI satellite hardware
SpaceX and Nvidia are creating hardware for the Starmind AI1 satellite to run AI tasks in low Earth orbit without ground servers. It uses Nvidia's Vera processors and Rubin GPUs, with the Space-1 Vera Rubin module offering up to 25 times the AI power of the H100. Commercial launches are planned by the end of the year.
SpaceX aims to build a network of up to a million satellites, forming a space-based supercomputer linked by petabit-scale lasers. The FCC filing proposes deployment between 500 and 2000 km altitude, making it the largest space project to date compared to about 15,000 active satellites now.
📊@tech
🤩 Cloudflare Launches Wallets for AI Agents
Cloudflare opened name reservations for Cloudflare Wallets, letting users secure permanent payment addresses like yourname-cloudflare-pay to manage AI agent funds.
Users fund a main wallet and create virtual wallets for each AI agent with spending limits and approved recipients. Agents pay for APIs and digital content within set limits.
Payments use the x402 protocol in HTTP requests, linking transactions to digital identities without manual card handling. Sellers can identify agents and their organizations.
These wallets provide AI agents with clear authority and accountability. Payment features will launch after name reservations close.
📊@tech
🎸 Arduino Robot Plays Your Guitar via Wi-Fi
A Reddit user named MegCell built a robot that attaches to almost any guitar in about 3 minutes and plays it via smartphone control. It uses an Arduino to operate servos that press strings and strum, all housed in a complex 3D-printed frame around the guitar body and neck.
The robot reads MusicXML files sent over Wi-Fi, so it can theoretically play any song with a digital score. The creator plans to release 3D models and firmware for a true DIY version and improve the playing technique and noise from the servos.
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💻 Pocketbyte: Modular Computer the Size of a Card
Pocketbyte is a tiny portable computer measuring about 75 × 55 mm, roughly the size of a credit card. It runs on an ESP32-S3 processor with 8 MB PSRAM, has a 2.8-inch IPS screen, 1500 mAh battery, microSD slot for up to 32 GB, a mono speaker, and a 3.5 mm jack.
Its key feature is a modular pin connector that lets you attach hardware like a gamepad for retro emulators, a BlackBerry-style QWERTY keyboard, or a development board to control other electronics. The software is open source, based on FreeRTOS, supports Arduino, and apps can be installed via Wi-Fi from a built-in store.
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💫 NASA funds exoplanet surface imaging concept
NASA has backed a concept to capture images of continents and oceans on exoplanets many light years away. The challenge is the star’s brightness, about 10 billion times stronger than the planet’s reflected light, and their close proximity in the sky.
Physicists propose two solutions: a dynamic hierarchical nuller that cancels out starlight by combining light from multiple apertures, and a virtual telescope formed by two instruments spaced 100 km apart to achieve a giant effective aperture.
This approach could finally move exoplanet observation beyond single points of light to actual surface details, overcoming fundamental limits of telescope size and star glare.
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🤖 Gravity Falls Creator Trolls Sam Altman
Sam Altman shared a ChatGPT hack to connect the bot to family calendars and create daily podcasts about kids' interests and events.
Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls, replied suggesting it’s better to just talk to your kids instead.
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⌚️ Nothing readies first main brand smartwatch
Insider Yogesh Brar reports Nothing will launch its first main brand smartwatch in September. It may feature the company’s transparent design, cost under $300, and be limited to select markets.
Nothing currently sells smartwatches only under its CMF subbrand, like the Watch Pro 2 and Watch 3 Pro. A main brand watch could target a higher segment, possibly running Wear OS.
This comes amid reports of Nothing scaling back in some countries, which the company denies. Co-founder Akis Evangelidis calls it a reorganization into regional hubs and new units for growth.
If launched, the watch would complete Nothing’s ecosystem alongside phones, earbuds, and wearables. More details are expected soon.
📊@tech
💶 Scramble makes investing in consumer brands simple
Scramble is a European platform that lets anyone back fast-growing consumer companies and earn from it - without the noise of stocks or daily market tracking.
Each month, users get a curated batch of companies, and investments are automatically diversified.
➡️ Founder-backed loans, disbursed in stages to reduce risk
➡️ Group A: monthly repayments, up to 12.4% annually
➡️ Group B: higher risk, up to 25% returns
➡️ Scramble co-invests up to 20% in every batch
✨ New users get €10 for signing up, plus €5 bonus for every €100 invested.
🔍 Pixel 11 Pro Fold leaks ahead of launch
Marketing renders of the Pixel 11 Pro Fold leaked two weeks before Google's event. The foldable keeps the same 8-inch inner screen and elongated outer display as last year, ignoring trends set by Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the upcoming foldable iPhone.
The main update is a redesigned camera block with a glowing light feature teased for the Pixel 11 Pro. The new olive-green color stands out, matching leaked Pixel Buds and Pixel Watch in the same shade.
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📱 Honor Robot Phone Unboxed Early
A Weibo video shows the Honor Robot Phone before launch. Its robotic arm unfolds in 0.8 seconds when the lens cover slides open, with an on-screen animation, and folds flush when idle.
Honor’s phone features 360-degree stabilization via a three-axis optical system, a four-degree mechanical gimbal, a coprocessor, and AI, reaching a CIPA rating of 5.5. It has a 200MP main sensor on the gimbal, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 200MP periscope lens, color-tuned with ARRI cinema cameras.
Preorders in China need a 1000 yuan deposit and include lifetime YOYO AI SVIP, a year of free gimbal replacement, accessories, 24-month installments, and trade-in options. The price is undisclosed. The official reveal is in August.
📊@tech
🎁 Netflix cancels American Squid Game spin-off
Netflix has canceled the American spin-off of Squid Game after director David Fincher left and priorities shifted.
The spin-off planned a new story and cast to expand the Squid Game universe.
Its cancellation shows how quickly streaming platforms drop.
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🤖 OpenAI Halts Astra AI Model Development
OpenAI stopped developing the AI model Astra because it was too advanced and failed to meet updated safety standards.
The decision came after one of OpenAI's models was used to hack the Hugging Face platform.
📊@tech
🤖 OpenAI’s First Gadget Is a Donut-Shaped Speaker
OpenAI is developing a smart speaker shaped like a donut, roughly the size of a hockey puck, powered by a battery for one-handed use around the house. It features moving parts that react to users, plus lighting, cameras, and sensors.
The device aims to deliver a more natural, human-like voice interaction using advanced ChatGPT models, similar to the mobile app’s voice mode. Despite involvement from former Apple designer Jony Ive, it won’t look or feel like an Apple product.
📊@tech
6️⃣ New GTA VI teaser trailer released
The full gameplay trailer arrives August 27.
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Ⓜ️ Meta unveils Muse Code and Spark 1.2
Meta launched Muse Code for long tasks, able to work hours on large repos, edit many files, verify results, and run background subagents. It ran nonstop for 24 hours in tests, making 1000+ tool calls and optimizing NVIDIA Hopper GPU cores.
Muse Spark 1.2 has more compute and supports more dev environments. It improved code generation, debugging, repo handling, and autonomous exploration. Both models were trained together to boost synergy.
All actions are logged locally for exact reproduction and continuation after restarts. A multimodal mode lets users upload videos, which Muse Code converts into full websites with visuals and booking features.
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🍏 Apple caps AI-driven bug reports
Apple has set a limit on the number of vulnerability reports submitted through its internal security portal. This change comes after a surge of AI-generated submissions overwhelmed the team, causing real bugs from human researchers to get lost in the flood.
The company’s bug bounty program rewards those who find system flaws. But the volume of AI-discovered issues became unmanageable, forcing Apple to add a 30-day cooldown period and require special approval for excess reports.
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🚘 BMW Plays Spider-Man Ads Instead of Music
BMW owners in 70 countries hear ads for "Spider-Man: New Day" instead of music for a week after starting their cars. A screen banner triggers a video and interior lighting if tapped.
This affects nearly all BMW cars made after July 2020. BMW partnered with the film for the in-car promotion.
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🧪 Scientists Propose Cutting Earth’s Population to 4 Billion
Scientists suggest reducing the global population to 4 billion by 2200, about half of today’s 8.3 billion. The planet’s population grew from 2 billion a century ago and could reach 11.5 billion by 2100 according to optimistic forecasts.
In the last 50 years, CO₂ emissions doubled, energy consumption tripled, and biodiversity halved. Resources on Earth won’t be enough for everyone if trends continue.
📊@tech
🇨🇳 China's Market for Renting Human Faces to AI
In China, people rent out their faces for AI ads, games, and microdramas, earning between $15 and $700. Producers select faces by age, gender, and type, from "ordinary neighbor" to "supermodel."
This trend follows a surge in AI content: over 95% of 128,000 Chinese microdramas in the first three months of the year used AI. Real faces help characters avoid looking identical.
Lawyers warn that sharing biometric data risks losing control over how one’s appearance is used later.
📊@tech
🤖 OpenAI launches Presence for real-world AI agents
OpenAI introduced Presence, a product that puts AI agents directly into customer support and internal company workflows instead of keeping them hidden in demos or internal GPTs.
Presence is tailored for business use, with OpenAI engineers customizing setups when standard configurations fall short. Access is limited as companies are selected manually, with no clarity on compliance with the European AI Act.
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🚘 Audi unveils largest SUV with ChatGPT system
Audi introduced the Q9, its biggest SUV ever, larger than the BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS. It features a media system with built-in ChatGPT and will launch in Europe from €108,000 by the end of the year.
The base model has a V6 engine with 429 hp, reaching 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. The top SQ9 version uses a V8 with 591 hp and does 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. A hybrid with a V6 and 48V electric motor is also available.
📊@tech
🤖 ChatGPT Chrome extension reads tabs and pages
The ChatGPT extension for Chrome now sees open tabs and interacts with page content. You can highlight any text, right-click, and select "Ask ChatGPT" to get answers.
The sidebar opens automatically without manual setup. The built-in browser also suggests site addresses as you type, making it more intuitive and faster.
📊@tech
🚘 Mercedes GLA adds ChatGPT and Gemini tech
Mercedes launched the new GLA with a multimedia system featuring ChatGPT and Gemini. It can plan routes, find charging stations, and control car functions.
The initial lineup includes three electric models with engines from 224 to 354 hp. The top model accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds and has a range up to 643 km.
📊@tech
💻 Casio adds health sensors to smart ring watch
Casio's new CRW-H001M-8 ring watch includes sensors for pulse, blood oxygen, sleep, and body temperature. It also tracks steps and calories burned, with a battery life of 4-6 days.
The device is a miniature digital watch worn on the finger, combining classic Casio style with smart health monitoring features.
It will launch first in China, with hopes for wider availability later.
📊@tech
💻 Radeon RX 9050 Returns with 4GB VRAM
ASRock listed the Radeon RX 9050 with 4GB of video memory, the first modern card with this capacity in years. It features RDNA 4 architecture, 16 compute units, and a boost clock up to 2600 MHz, but only a 64-bit memory bus and 18 GB/s bandwidth.
The 4GB VRAM is well below current AAA game recommendations, limiting play to 1080p with no future-proofing. The card appeared in a Best Buy prebuilt priced at $889, paired with 8GB DDR4 RAM, a 500GB SSD, and a Ryzen 5 5500 CPU.
Higher memory costs and component shortages force manufacturers to cut specs rather than raise prices. The 4GB card is a sign of how tight the market remains, making this low VRAM configuration acceptable again.
📊@tech