🤖 Elon Musk says Tesla will start selling humanoid robots by end of next year

Elon Musk said Tesla plans to begin robot sales by the end of next year and stressed the timeline is firm. According to him, the humanoids already handle simple tasks at factories.

The robots are positioned for basic work and household routines like cleaning. Musk described their scope broadly, saying users will be able to ask them to do almost any task.

A test production line is already running at Tesla’s Fremont factory. Pricing is still not final, though earlier estimates were around $20,000 per unit.

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🌐 Chrome turns into an AI agent with Gemini integration

Google rolled out a major update that deeply integrates Gemini into Google Chrome. The browser now includes a persistent Gemini side panel that stays open across tabs and works alongside whatever page is active.

Users can compare products across sites, summarize reviews, or check availability while browsing.

Chrome also adds in-browser image transformation, connected access to Gmail, Calendar, YouTube, Maps, and shopping tools, plus an auto browse mode that handles multi step tasks like price research, form filling from PDFs, or adding items to a cart with budget limits.

The update shifts Chrome from passive browsing to task execution. For now, advanced features are limited to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US.

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🎬 xAI launches Grok Imagine API for video generation

xAI has launched the Grok Imagine API. It is a video and audio generative model. The release was announced on xAI’s official X account.

Grok Imagine can animate images, generate scenes from text prompts, and refine longer cinematic sequences. The model is offered through xAI’s video API.

xAI positions this as a high performance API built for video workloads. The focus is on turning text or images into finished video output.

The launch puts xAI directly into the video generation model category.

https://x.ai/news/grok-imagine-api

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✔️ AI takes over homework grading in Chinese schools

Chinese schools are increasingly using AI to check homework. Systems scan handwritten notebooks, find mistakes, and assign grades automatically.

The technology is already used in hundreds of schools in Shanghai, Beijing, and other large cities. For essays and creative tasks, teachers often adjust results because algorithms still miss nuance.

According to developers, these systems cut teacher workload by almost half. Time shifts from routine grading to direct work with students.

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🔭 Vaonis launches a $99,000 telescope controlled from a smartphone

Vaonis has unveiled Hyperia, a smart observatory priced at $99,000. The system was originally built for the Palais de la Découverte in Paris before moving into a commercial release.

Hyperia uses Canon optics with a 150 mm refractor and a 1050 mm focal length. Inside is a 45 MP full-frame Canon sensor, comparable to EOS R5 II class cameras. A 17-lens system reduces reflections and supports long exposure imaging.

The structure stands about 1.8 m tall and weighs up to 75 kg. It can stay outdoors for up to 5 years without a dome or servicing. The system compensates for Earth’s rotation by rotating the sensor, enabling exposures of up to 30 minutes.

Everything runs through a mobile app. Users select targets, schedule observations across nights, process images, and stream live output to classrooms or planetariums.

Preorders opened in January. Deliveries are planned for 2027.

📊 @tech

🚀 AI plans a Mars rover route for the first time

On December 8, a Mars rover followed a route generated by AI for the first time in history. The test came from a collaboration between Anthropic and NASA.

Claude was loaded with years of rover context. This included telemetry, command formats, safety limits, orbital images, terrain models, and hazard data. The agent planned the path iteratively in 10 m segments.

The final route was reviewed by humans and tested in simulation. NASA says only minor adjustments were needed. Rover teams estimate AI planning cuts route planning time by about 2x and delivers more consistent results.

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📊 Reddit chart shows AI replacement fear rising over time at one FAANG

A post on Reddit claims the author polled coworkers at a tech giant every 6 months about whether AI will replace their job.

In the chart, green is “not worried at all.”
Red is “very worried, it could replace me today.”

Across the dates shown, the green share falls while the orange and red shares grow.

By the latest poll, the chart is dominated by worry.

📊 @tech

🚀 SpaceX seeks FCC approval for 1 million orbital data center satellites

SpaceX filed a request with the FCC to deploy up to 1 million satellites. The proposal describes solar powered orbital data centers connected via laser links.

The filing uses extreme numbers that are unlikely to be approved and are widely seen as a negotiation tactic. Even a small fraction would still be massive. Around 15,000 satellites are currently in orbit, with more than 9,600 from Starlink.

SpaceX frames the idea as an environmental shift. Ground data centers consume water and electricity, while orbital systems would rely on solar power and dump heat into space. The scale alone would reshape how orbit is used.

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🍏 Apple tests a flip style iPhone after its first fold

Apple is already testing a compact flip style iPhone while the first foldable iPhone has yet to launch. The report comes from Bloomberg via Mark Gurman.

The idea is to use the first fold to create demand for the category, then expand into multiple sizes and formats. The flip model would target users who prefer smaller devices.

The first foldable iPhone is expected to sit at the top of the lineup and be more compact than rival devices. The outer display is said to be around 5.5 inches, with launch still months away.

Apple is also exploring a larger book style foldable. Work on a foldable iPad has reportedly hit development issues.


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🤖 Unitree robot completes 130,000 steps at −47°C

The trial took place in China’s Altai region.

The robot was sent to walk roughly 100 km across snowy terrain, logging about 130,000 steps. It was fitted with protective outerwear during the test.

This marks one of the first documented cases of a humanoid robot operating for long duration in such extreme cold.


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