Welcome back to your daily dossier talking AI, robotics, crypto and the future of tech. 👾

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

📱 Google brings Gemini widgets to iPhone as it looks to seize on Siri’s weaknesses.
🏃🏻 Humanoid robots to compete with humans in half-marathon race in Beijing.
💰 Berachain liquid staking protocol Infrared raises $14 million in Series A.
🎬 ‘The James Bond Cinematic Universe’ in Vergecast.
🚗 Waymo is now available exclusively on Uber in Austin.

AI

• Google brings Gemini widgets to iPhone as it looks to seize on Siri’s weaknesses

  • Google’s Gemini app for iOS and iPadOS now includes a handful of lockscreen widgets that make it easier to access the AI various features.

  • The app’s latest update adds six widgets in total, with each of them letting you hop right into a particular Gemini function.

  • Google has also recently been advertising Gemini on Apple-centric tech podcasts.

• OpenAI launches $50M grant program to help fund academic research

  • OpenAI on Monday said it is supporting a new consortium called NextGenAI that would focus on supporting AI-assisted research.

  • NextGenAI, whose 15 founding academic partners include Harvard, the University of Oxford and MIT, will be funded with $50 million in research.

  • “This initiative is built not only to fuel the next generation of discoveries, but also to prepare the next generation to shape AI’s future.”

• T-Mobile’s parent company is making an ‘AI Phone’ with Perplexity Assistant

  • Deutsche Telekom is building a new Perplexity chatbot-powered “AI Phone,” the companies announced at Mobile World Congress today.

  • The new device will be revealed later this year and run “Magenta AI,” which gives users access to a suite of AI tools.

  • The AI phone concept was first revealed at MWC 2024 by Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile’s parent company as an “app-less” device.

ROBOTICS

• Humanoid robots to compete with humans in half-marathon race in Beijing

  • World’s first ever half-marathon race between humanoid robots and humans will be held in Beijing on April 13.

  • Human runners will compete with humanoid robots from tech firms, research institutions, and robot clubs worldwide.

  • The race will be organized by officials of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area.

• Siemens introduces Sinumerik Machine Tool Robot

  • Siemens has introduced the Sinumerik Machine Tool Robot, designed to improve precision and productivity in manufacturing.

  • The Sinumerik MTR is expanding the Sinumerik Run MyRobot /Direct Control solution with new functions and robot types.

  • The Sinumerik MTR is well-suited for applications without process forces, such as waterjet and laser cutting.

• China police robot patrols streets, capturing public attention, bringing sci-fi to life

  • Humanoid robots have recently been deployed to patrol the streets alongside human police officers in southern China.

  • These robots have recently taken centre stage on the streets of Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

  • These sleek humanoid robots, designated as model PM01, were released on December 24, 2024.

CRYPTO

• Berachain liquid staking protocol Infrared raises $14 million in Series A

  • Infrared has raised $14 million in a Series A funding round led by Framework Ventures, bringing its total funding to $18.75 million.

  • The Series A round was structured as a simple agreement for future tokens (SAFT), Infrared co-founder and CEO Raito Bear told The Block.

  • The latest funding brings Infrared's total capital raised to $18.75 million, including a $2.5 million seed round last year.

• Dogecoin, Solana down by double digits as Ethereum price hits 15-Month Low

  • Ethereum, Solana, and Dogecoin saw significant price drops, with Ethereum hitting a 15-month low.

  • The downturn reflects broader market uncertainty, impacting multiple cryptocurrencies.

  • Crypto research group QCP also highlighted other macroeconomic factors such as falling yields of 10-year U.S. Treasury bills.

• Ether came dangerously close to massive liquidation

  • A MakerDAO position worth $126 million came within $80 of being liquidated on Tuesday.

  • There are three positions worth a combined $349 million that will be liqiudated at ETH price levels between $1,796 and $1,929.

  • ETH has more than retraced the entirety of Sunday's rally, losing 22% of its value over the past 48 hours.

CONTENT

• ‘The James Bond Cinematic Universe’ in Vergecast

  • Framework CEO Nirav Patel discusses the Laptop 12 and Desktop, emphasizing upgradeability and repairability as core principles.

  • John Gruber (Daring Fireball) joins the conversation to discuss Amazon's full creative control over the James Bond franchise.

  • Debate on whether a James Bond Cinematic Universe makes sense, or if the franchise should stick to its traditional format.

• How I find $130K/month AI SaaS Opportunities hiding in plain sight

  • AI SaaS opportunities arise from workflow breakdowns in enterprise software that signal inefficiencies.

  • The process involves identifying repetitive pain points, adding intelligence to manual processes, and bridging data silos.

  • Successful AI startups should solve niche problems, charge for solutions immediately, and focus on quantifiable ROI.

• He launched a sweaty startup in high school, now he'll be a millionaire by 18

  • Each high school entrepreneur introduced their business, explaining their biggest struggles related to scaling, marketing, and operations.

  • Sam and Shaan asked tough, specific questions, pushing for clearer business models, better execution strategies, and value propositions.

  • For each founder, the hosts provided targeted recommendations, including refining pricing models, and scaling strategies.

AND MORE…

• Waymo is now available exclusively on Uber in Austin

  • Today is the day that Waymo’s unlikely partnership with Uber is now live in Austin, Texas.

  • Waymo only operates within a 37-square-mile area in Austin, which includes Hyde Park, Downtown, and other “popular destinations”.

  • There are limitations where the trip will need to originate and end within that service area in order to qualify for Waymo.

• 101,421 founders, investors and leaders read this*

  • Founders and leaders that read Open Source CEO end up with 2.3x the cerebral horsepower of those that don’t.

  • Ok, we cannot actually prove that, but we think it’s about right. What we do know is that 101k readers from Google, TikTok, OpenAI and Deel love our deep dive business content.

  • Subscribe here to see what it’s all about.

• Apple updates base iPad with A16 chip and twice the storage

  • Apple also refreshed the base model iPad today. The iPad now comes with an A16 chip, and twice the storage, for the same $349 price.

  • That means Apple’s cheapest iPad now starts at 128 GB storage, with 256 GB and an all-new 512 GB size as upgrade options.

  • With a faster chip and twice the storage, the new iPad is even better value for money than the prior 10th generation iPad.

• Google offers QR codes to get reviews from customers

  • Google Business Profiles has added a new QR code you can use to make it easier to get reviews on your Google local listing.

  • The QR code, when accessed, jumps the user directly to the add review form, so there is little difficulty finding the form.

  • You can also just link to the page using the review link listed above the QR code.