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

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

🚀 Amazon's revamped Alexa faces delay.
🏀 Basketball bot becomes Stephen Curry’s shooting partner.
💰 Portnoy returns $LIBRA tokens amid controversy.
📖 A founder’s guide to crisis management.
🚘 Uber sues DoorDash alleging anti-competitive tactics.

AI

• Amazon's revamped Alexa faces delay

  • Amazon's AI-powered Alexa upgrade, initially set for late February, is now delayed to at least March 31.

  • The update is designed to improve Alexa’s conversational abilities, introduce personalized interactions, and enhance task management.

  • The delay follows ongoing challenges Amazon has faced in integrating generative AI into Alexa.

• Researchers trains AI to interpret animal emotions

  • Researchers are developing AI systems to interpret animal emotions by analyzing vocalizations and behaviors.

  • European scientists have created an algorithm that deciphers pig sounds to assess their well-being.

  • AI-powered collars are being designed to translate pet emotions into human language, fostering better communication.

• Elon Musk to unveil Grok 3 today

  • Elon Musk announced that xAI's latest AI chatbot, Grok 3, will be unveiled today at 8 p.m. Pacific Time.

  • The new model is expected to bring significant improvements in reasoning and conversational abilities compared to its predecessors.

  • Earlier, Musk stated that Grok 3 was in its final development stages, with a release anticipated within a week or two.

ROBOTICS

• Basketball bot becomes Stephen Curry’s shooting partner

  • Stephen Curry, the NBA's renowned sharpshooter, has incorporated an AI-powered basketball robot into his training regimen.

  • This innovative robot is designed to retrieve balls and swiftly navigate the court, enabling players like Curry to maximize their practices.

  • By efficiently returning the ball after each shot, the robot allows for a more focused and intensive shooting practice enhancing performance.

• Apple and Meta compete over robots

  • Apple and Meta are intensifying their competition by venturing into the development of AI-powered humanoid robots.

  • Meta has established a new division within its Reality Labs, led by Marc Whitten, to focus on creating humanoid robots with household tasks.

  • Apple is exploring robotics with research into both humanoid and non-humanoid robots for future smart home ecosystems.

• Figure AI seeks $39.5B valuation

  • Robotics startup Figure AI Inc. is in talks to raise $1.5 billion in new funding, targeting a valuation of $39.5 billion.

  • The company, which focuses on developing humanoid robots, is backed by major investors including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Nvidia.

  • Figure AI aims to revolutionize automation by creating AI-powered robots capable of performing complex human tasks.

CRYPTO

• Portnoy returns $LIBRA tokens amid controversy

  • Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy revealed that he returned 6M tokens to the project's founder, Javier Milei’s advisor.

  • This follows growing controversy and scrutiny surrounding the token, including concerns over legitimacy and potential insider dealings.

  • The $LIBRA project, initially promoted as a meme token, saw rapid price fluctuations and attracted significant attention in the crypto space.

• Coinbase aims to surpass Tether

  • Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced the company's ambitious goal to make Circle's USDC challenging Tether's dominance.

  • Currently, USDC's market capitalization stands at $56 billion, while Tether's USDT leads with $142 billion.

  • Armstrong believes that USDC can surpass Tether by increasing adoption, improving transparency, and leveraging global reach.

• WAVAX holdings surge amid Bybit Cashback

  • Despite a 4.5% price drop in the past 24 hours, WAVAX experienced a significant increase in wallet accumulation on the Avalanche blockchain.

  • Data from TheTie indicates that 3,898 wallets have added WAVAX holdings today, nearly double the recent average of 1,600.

  • This uptick follows Binance's addition of AVAX as a cashback option for its Bybit Card product and recent technological advancements.

CONTENT

• A founder’s guide to crisis management

  • Uri Levine is a co-founder of Waze, also been on 20 boards and has been an advisor to over 50 startups.

  • He shares insights from his recently released book “Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution”.

  • Levine provides strategies for keeping teams motivated in difficult times and offers a framework for deciding when to pivot.

• Google AI studio replaces your AI tech stack

  • Logan Kilpatrick, lead PM for Google's AI Studio, provides a comprehensive demonstration of Google's Gemini models.

  • The presentation covers various features including long-context processing, reasoning models, and real-time AI interactions.

  • The discussion emphasizes the platform's accessibility with free API access and tools for building AI-powered applications.

• Solly Solomou on LADbible, Media, and Business

  • LADbible founder Solly Solomou shares how he built the media giant from a printer shop office with no money or experience.

  • Solly explains why he avoided external funding and offers three key lessons for young entrepreneurs.

  • Solly contrasts doing business in the U.S. vs. Europe, why he took LADbible public in London and the challenges.

AND MORE…

• Uber sues DoorDash alleging anti-competitive tactics

  • Uber Technologies has filed a lawsuit against DoorDash, alleging anticompetitive practices that increase costs.

  • The suit claims DoorDash coerces restaurants into exclusive delivery agreements by threatening higher commission rates.

  • DoorDash denies the allegations, asserting that Uber's claims are unfounded and stem from their inability to compete effectively.

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• YouTube TV keeps Paramount content

  • “Members, we’re happy to share that we’ve reached a deal to continue carrying Paramount content on YouTube TV,” the streaming platform said.

  • This deal ensures that subscribers will retain access to popular channels as well as add-on services like Paramount+.

  • YouTube TV has previously lost other channels that sports fans crave, most notably MLB network.

• Nintendo DS Drastic emulator is gone from Google Play

  • The popular Nintendo DS emulator, DraStic, has been removed from the Google Play Store.

  • While the exact reason remains unclear, it's believed that the developer, Exophase, initiated the removal.

  • Previously, Exophase made DraStic free and announced plans to open-source its code, though this hasn't occurred yet.