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PetLibro has launched the Scout Smart Camera, an AI-powered pet camera that monitors pets in real-time, featuring two-way audio and automatic pet tracking. It uses pet recognition technology to track activities like eating, drinking, and using the litter box, providing cute descriptions of their movements. The camera can recognize multiple pets and allows device sharing with up to five users. Subscription plans are available for accessing AI features, with the standard tier at $12/month and premium at $17/month. Priced at $100, it lacks barking detection but PetLibro plans to add this and integrate AI with feeders and fountains. The company collects image and video data for AI improvement, handled with cybersecurity standards.
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a Texas law requiring websites with "sexual material harmful to minors" to verify the age of all visitors. This decision, in favor of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, allows states to require age verification, potentially impacting internet privacy.
The ruling raises concerns about the security of users' digital information, as age checks may involve uploading government IDs or using third-party verification platforms. Critics also fear that such laws could be used to restrict access to LGBTQ-related content and sex education materials.
Eighteen states have already enacted similar laws, with six more pending. This decision could lead to broader implementation of age verification measures across the internet.
The Danish government is planning to amend copyright law to grant citizens rights over their body, facial features, and voice. This aims to protect against the creation and spread of deepfakes.
The Danish department of culture is preparing a proposal to modify the current law and has already gained cross-party support. According to Jakob Engel-Schmidt, the Danish culture minister, the bill will send a clear message that individuals have the right to their own body, voice, and facial features, which current law inadequately protects against generative AI.
In the U.S., some states have enacted deepfake laws, primarily addressing misuse during elections and nonconsensual sexually explicit content. However, the power of states to regulate AI is at risk due to a proposal in a new budget reconciliation bill.
Redwood Materials, led by co-founder JB Straubel, is launching Redwood Energy, a new business focused on energy storage using repurposed EV batteries. Their first project involves powering a 2,000 GPU modular data center for AI infrastructure company Crusoe with a microgrid comprised of 805 retired EV batteries in Nevada.
The system generates 12 MW of power with 63 MWh of capacity, utilizing energy from an adjacent solar array. Redwood aims to deploy 20 gigawatt-hours of grid-scale storage by 2028, becoming a major player in repurposing used EV battery packs.
Redwood recovers over 70% of used battery packs in North America, processing over 20 GWh annually. The company sees this as a revenue-generating opportunity, with potential for faster growth than its core recycling business. Redwood's expansion includes deals with Toyota, Panasonic, and GM, and new facilities in South Carolina and Europe.
Redwood Energy's model addresses the challenge of grid-scale energy storage, offering an economically viable and carbon-free solution. The repurposing market allows Redwood to capitalize on batteries before they are fully retired, ensuring a continuous revenue stream.
Henrik Werdelin's new venture, Audos, aims to leverage AI to scale startup creation, targeting 'everyday entrepreneurs' without technical skills.
Audos provides AI tools and social media strategies to help users build sophisticated products and find niche customers, operating on a 15% revenue share model instead of taking equity.
Since its beta launch, Audos has launched hundreds of businesses, focusing on 'donkeycorns' - one- or two-person teams creating million-dollar businesses.
Audos secured $11.5 million in seed funding led by True Ventures, with investors highlighting the potential for AI to enable more leverage in entrepreneurship.
The company's mission is to empower smaller entrepreneurs and foster a world with more entrepreneurship, offering funding, AI tools, and distribution support.
Travis Kalanick, Uber's founder, is exploring the acquisition of Pony AI's U.S. division, signaling a potential return to the autonomous vehicle sector. Kalanick is collaborating with investors to finance the deal, with Uber possibly involved in facilitating the transaction.
Pony AI, which went public last year with a market cap around $4.5 billion, had reportedly been preparing its U.S. arm for a sale or spinoff since 2022. Acquiring Pony AI would mark Kalanick's re-entry into self-driving technology since his departure from Uber in 2017.
Following Kalanick's exit, Uber sold its self-driving division to Aurora and adopted a partnership approach, integrating autonomous vehicles from companies like Waymo. Kalanick, currently running CloudKitchens, has shown increasing interest in robotics. He expressed regret over Uber's decision to sell its self-driving division, stating that having an autonomous ride-sharing product now would be beneficial.
Google has resumed the rollout of its AI-powered "Ask Photos" feature in Google Photos after addressing concerns about its latency and reliability.
The updated feature now integrates the speed of the classic search function for simple queries like "beach" or "dogs," providing immediate results while the AI works in the background to analyze more complex searches.
Users will see initial search results quickly, followed by AI-driven results that offer more detailed information, such as identifying pets by name and indicating when they first appeared in the photo library.
The rollout is currently available to users in the U.S. who are 18 or older, have their account language set to English, and have enabled Face Groups.