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Electric air taxi flies // New StarCraft game

PLUS: Google's Play Store removed 1.8 million apps to improve quality and safety, focusing on games, education, and business categories. This massive purge aims to enhance user experience.... SMRTR every day.
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SMRTR Tech
Thursday, ​May 1, 2025
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AI News

Gemini Robotics: AI Reasoning Meets the Physical World (7 minute read)
Google's Gemini Robotics, built on Gemini 2.0, bridges the gap between AI reasoning and physical task execution. These models enable robots to understand spatial relationships, manipulate objects, and adapt to new situations without extensive retraining. Gemini Robotics incorporates embodied reasoning, zero-shot control, and few-shot learning, allowing robots to perform complex tasks with human-like dexterity. This advancement could revolutionize industries from manufacturing to home assistance, paving the way for more capable and versatile robots in everyday life.
 
Wikipedia says it will use AI, but not to replace human volunteers (3 minute read)
Wikipedia unveils a three-year AI strategy focused on enhancing tools for editors and volunteers, not replacing them. The plan includes using AI to automate tedious tasks, improve information discoverability, assist with translations, and streamline new volunteer onboarding, while maintaining human-centered principles and prioritizing open-source technologies.
 
Duolingo launches 148 courses created with AI after sharing plans to replace contractors with AI (3 minute read)
Duolingo has doubled its course offerings with 148 new AI-generated language courses, marking its largest content expansion to date. This rapid development, previously a years-long process, was completed in under a year using AI tools. The new beginner-level courses include features like Stories and DuoRadio. However, Duolingo faces user backlash over plans to replace contractors with AI and become an "AI-first" company, prompting some users to delete the app in protest.
 
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Future Tech

World’s 1st electric air taxi with pilot completes flight, Dubai launch by late 2025 (4 minute read)
Joby Aviation achieved a milestone with the first piloted electric air taxi flight. The S4 prototype, with six tilt-rotors, completed vertical takeoff, horizontal flight, and vertical landing. This advancement positions Joby as a leader in developing passenger-carrying eVTOL services. The aircraft reaches 200 mph speeds and covers 150 miles. Joby aims to launch its air taxi service in Dubai by late 2025, subject to FAA approval, bringing electric urban air mobility closer to fruition.
 
iPhone 17 Air could be a massive hit for Apple for three reasons (3 minute read)
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be Apple's thinnest iPhone ever at just 5.6mm thick, featuring a new 6.6-inch display size. Its ultra-thin design, "just right" screen size, and futuristic feel are likely to make it a massive hit, despite potential trade-offs in features compared to Pro models.
 
Google CEO hopeful Gemini will be integrated into Apple Intelligence in time for iPhone 17 launch (3 minute read)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced that Google Gemini could be integrated into Apple Intelligence by mid-2025. This potential partnership between Google and Apple would continue their long-standing collaboration. References to Gemini were previously found in iOS 18.4 beta code. If the deal is finalized, Gemini integration could be revealed at WWDC 2025 and launched with the iPhone 17 in September. This development could significantly enhance Siri and Apple's writing tools, potentially improving efficiency compared to the current ChatGPT integration.
 
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Gaming

Elon Musk jokes he will join Mr Beast’s “100 Men vs 1 Gorilla” challenge (10 minute read)
Elon Musk jokingly agreed to join a viral "100 Men vs 1 Gorilla Challenge" on social media platform X. The lighthearted interaction, sparked by a user's hypothetical scenario, gained massive attention and prompted humorous responses from notable figures like Mr. Beast and Musk himself.
 
Blizzard and Nexon working on new StarCraft game and a mobile version of Overwatch (3 minute read)
Blizzard has reportedly sold StarCraft publishing rights to Nexon, who will develop the next game in the series. Additionally, Nexon will publish a mobile version of Overwatch, tentatively called "Overwatch 3," in South Korea and Japan. These developments signal potential revivals for both popular franchises, though details remain limited.
 
Evertop DIY PC will give you hundreds of hours of DOS fun on a single charge (3 minute read)
The Evertop is an open-source, ultra-low-power retro PC that emulates an IBM XT-class machine using an ESP32 microcontroller. It runs on multiple power sources, supports classic operating systems and software, and offers extensive peripheral compatibility, making it an attractive DIY project for retro computing enthusiasts seeking a portable, long-lasting nostalgic experience.
 
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Miscellaneous

Your guide to Day 1 of the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo (8 minute read)
The Robotics Summit & Expo kicks off in Boston, featuring keynotes from Boston Dynamics and Symbotic CTOs on humanoid robots and automated logistics. The event brings together over 5,000 developers to explore robotics advancements in various industries. Breakout sessions cover topics like global robotics business, warehouse automation, and surgical robotics, while the expo floor showcases cutting-edge technologies and networking opportunities.
 
Google’s Play Store lost nearly half its apps (2 minute read)
Google Play Store removed 1.8 million apps since early 2023, representing 47% of its catalog. This mass purge aims to improve app quality and user safety, with games, education, and business categories seeing the most removals. Despite the decline, global app releases are up 7.1% compared to last year, indicating ongoing developer activity on the platform.
 
Bitcoin mining no longer profitable as costs soar (3 minute read)
Bitcoin mining has become increasingly unprofitable for many operators. The average cost to mine one Bitcoin has risen to $137,000, while its market price hovers around $95,000. This shift is due to rising electricity costs and increased mining difficulty, forcing smaller miners out and prompting larger operations to diversify their business models. The industry is consolidating, with only the most efficient and well-capitalized companies likely to survive in this new landscape.
 
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Bite-Size Stories

Zuckerberg admits feeling socially awkward, thanks to 'robot' label (2 minute read)
Zuckerberg acknowledged his social awkwardness and "robot" reputation on a podcast, while also debunking rumors about a Hawaiian "Doomsday bunker," explaining it's merely underground storage.
 
French startup turns jetliner into space weapon platform for satellite defense (4 minute read)
Dark, a French startup, is developing Interceptor, a spacecraft designed to counter orbital military threats, with plans to demonstrate its capabilities in a 2027 rendezvous mission launched from a modified commercial aircraft.
 
New York wants to use AI and cameras to detect subway crime before it happens (3 minute read)
New York's MTA plans to implement AI-powered analysis of subway security footage to predict crime, aiming to alert police preemptively, despite concerns about potential bias and new issues in the transit system.
 
Toyota and Waymo pledge to team up on a new autonomous vehicle platform (2 minute read)
Toyota and Waymo are considering a partnership to integrate Waymo's autonomous technology into Toyota vehicles, aiming to advance driver assistance and automated driving features for consumers.
 
Robot vacuums 'could water plants or play with cat' (3 minute read)
Scientists reprogrammed a Roomba to charge phones and assist workouts, showing how underused robot vacuums can be modified to perform diverse household tasks beyond their typical two-hour daily cleaning routines.