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Energy

Arbor Energy's BiCRS Technology: Powering Data Centers with Carbon-Free Energy

Frontier is funding Arbor Energy to remove 116,000 tons of CO2 by building a commercial-scale power plant in Louisiana.

Arbor's BiCRS technology burns waste biomass to generate electricity for data centers while capturing and storing the resulting CO2.

The power plant, inspired by rocket turbomachinery, transforms biomass into syngas and captures 99% of the CO2 released during combustion.

Frontier emphasizes the importance of sustainable biomass principles and sees potential for BiCRS and BECCS to address future energy needs.

Real Estate

Huspy Secures $59M to Revolutionize Property Tech Across Europe and Middle East

UAE-based proptech startup Huspy has raised $59 million in Series B funding to expand its digital home buying and mortgage platform across the Middle East and Europe. Led by Balderton Capital, the investment will support Huspy's growth in the UAE and Spain, as well as its launch in Saudi Arabia. Huspy has achieved significant success in the UAE, capturing 30% of the mortgage market, and is now replicating its network-based model in Spain. The company aims to streamline the real estate process for agents and buyers by providing tools for lead access, CRM, transaction support, and integrated mortgage products. Huspy plans to operate in over 10 cities by the end of 2025 and has facilitated over $7 billion in transactions.

Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI Fortifies Security Against Espionage and Internal Threats

OpenAI has significantly enhanced its security measures to safeguard against corporate espionage, prompted by the release of a competing model by Chinese startup DeepSeek.

The enhanced security protocols include:

  • Information tenting policies limiting access to sensitive algorithms and new products.
  • Isolation of proprietary technology in offline computer systems.
  • Biometric access controls and a deny-by-default internet policy.
  • Increased physical security at data centers and expanded cybersecurity personnel.

These measures address both external threats and internal security issues, such as talent poaching and information leaks.

Artificial Intelligence

Meta Poaches Apple's AI Models Chief, Ruoming Pang, to Bolster AI Superintelligence Unit

Apple's head of AI models, Ruoming Pang, is departing to join Meta, according to Bloomberg. Pang previously led Apple's team training AI foundation models for Apple Intelligence. His move is the latest in a series of high-profile AI executive acquisitions by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for his AI superintelligence unit.
Apple's AI models have faced challenges, lagging behind competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic. The company has even explored using third-party AI models to enhance Siri. Pang's departure may signal further changes within Apple's AI division.
At Meta, Pang's expertise in designing small, on-device AI models could prove valuable, adding to the talent Zuckerberg has recruited from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and Safe Superintelligence.

Autonomous Vehicles

Waymo Expands Autonomous Vehicle Testing to Philadelphia and NYC

Waymo is expanding its testing operations to Philadelphia and New York City, signaling potential future commercial expansion into the Northeastern region.

The company is conducting "road trips" to map and test its autonomous driving system in complex urban environments, including downtown Philadelphia and Manhattan.

Waymo is seeking approval to test its AVs in New York City with a human behind the wheel, but current regulations restrict fully driverless deployments.

These road trips follow similar initiatives in other cities and are part of Waymo's broader strategy to improve its AI driver's performance and expand its robotaxi services.

Waymo currently offers commercial robotaxi services in several major cities and plans to launch in Miami and Washington D.C. in the near future.

Technology

Apple Adjusts Liquid Glass in iOS 26 Beta 3 Based on User Feedback

Apple has toned down the 'Liquid Glass' design in the third developer beta of iOS 26 after user complaints about readability issues. The update addresses concerns about excessive transparency in the user interface, particularly in areas like the Control Center and Apple Music app. Notifications are now less translucent with darkened backgrounds to increase contrast. While some users feel Apple has gone too far in reverting the glassy look, these changes are part of the beta testing process to gather feedback and refine the design before the final release.

Venture Capital

Drive Capital's Revival: From Internal Strife to Midwest Venture Success

Drive Capital, a Columbus, Ohio-based venture capital firm, has experienced a significant turnaround after an internal split several years ago. Co-founder Chris Olsen highlights the firm's contrarian strategy of focusing on companies outside Silicon Valley, leading to successful exits and a return of $500 million to investors in a single week. Drive's portfolio includes successes like Duolingo and Vast Data, alongside failures like Olive AI. The firm differentiates itself by investing in companies applying technology to traditional industries and maintaining a higher ownership stake compared to Silicon Valley firms. Olsen emphasizes the higher bar for companies outside Silicon Valley, noting that Drive seeks ventures with strong business fundamentals. The recent announcement of Erebor, a crypto-focused bank, establishing headquarters in Columbus further validates Drive's thesis about the city as a legitimate tech hub.

Education Technology

ChatGPT Tests 'Study Together' Mode for Enhanced Learning

Some ChatGPT Plus subscribers are reporting a new feature called 'Study Together.' This mode aims to enhance ChatGPT's educational capabilities by prompting users with questions rather than providing direct answers. It encourages active learning and may discourage academic dishonesty. The official release and potential for group study modes are yet to be confirmed by OpenAI.

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