AI & Productivity Tools

MyNotesAI Lifetime Subscription

MyNotesAI offers a lifetime subscription for £31.66, automating note-taking with AI-powered transcription and summarization across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It provides unlimited transcriptions from live audio or uploaded files and summarizes conversations into actionable insights. Mac users can directly record meetings from Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams without extra software. Notes are organized in custom folders and easily exported. Ideal for students, professionals, or anyone disliking manual note-taking, MyNotesAI saves time and effort by handling transcriptions and summaries, ensuring no detail is missed during meetings, lectures, or brainstorming sessions.

AI & Development

AI Reliance Experiment

The author conducted an experiment to evaluate their reliance on AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek in daily work as a developer and technical writer. Concerned about the potential decrease in critical thinking abilities due to AI use, the author blocked all AI tools for a day. The experiment involved tasks such as writing a script to scrape Bing Search results, reviewing a pull request on GitHub, and improving the SEO of a personal website. The author reflects on the balance between the benefits of AI in boosting productivity and the potential risks of over-reliance.

AI

Grok's Censorship Controversy

Grok, Elon Musk's ChatGPT competitor, temporarily refused to respond with “sources that mention Elon Musk/Donald Trump spread misinformation.” xAI’s head of engineering, Igor Babuschkin, blamed an ex-OpenAI employee for updating Grok’s system prompt without approval. Grok has stated that President Trump, Musk, and Vice President JD Vance are “doing the most harm to America.” Engineers have also intervened to stop Grok from saying that Musk and Trump deserve the death penalty.

Artificial Intelligence

Google Veo2 Pricing Revealed

Google has announced that its Veo2 video-generating AI model will cost $0.50 per second, which translates to $30 per minute or $1,800 per hour. Google DeepMind researcher Jon Barron contrasted this with the $32,000 per second production cost of Marvel's 'Avengers: Endgame.' Veo2 can create clips of two minutes or more. This contrasts with OpenAI's Sora, available to ChatGPT Pro subscribers for $200 per month.

Technology

Nvidia RTX 50 Series GPUs

Nvidia's RTX 50 series GPUs are expected to launch with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 on January 30th, followed by the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 in February. The RTX 5090 is anticipated to be powerful, but possibly not as large a generational leap as the RTX 4090. The 50 series GPUs will also introduce DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, using AI to predictively generate frames for higher resolutions without significant frame rate drops. Testers of DLSS 4 in Cyberpunk 2077 with RTX 40 series GPUs have reported substantial improvements. There are some concerns regarding RTX 5080s missing ROPs, manufacturing issues with the RTX 5090 and 5070 Ti, and potential melting power connectors on the RTX 5090.

Technology and AI

Apple Intelligence and Google Gemini Integration

Backend iOS code suggests that Apple's plans to integrate Google Gemini into Apple Intelligence are progressing. References to "Google" alongside "OpenAI" and "ThirdPartyModel" suggest Gemini could soon be an alternative to ChatGPT for Apple users. Apple executive Craig Federighi confirmed Apple's desire to offer users a choice of multiple models. While no specific timeline was provided, the leak indicates that Google Gemini integration is expected soon but not necessarily in the iOS 18.4 update. Apple Intelligence has faced criticism for its staggered rollout, underwhelming features, and inaccurate AI-generated summaries. Additionally, Apple is reportedly developing its own LLM for iOS 19 and macOS 16.

AI & Automation

Open Source Automation Platform

Open-CUAK is an open-source platform designed for managing and deploying automation agents, providing a cost-effective alternative to platforms like OpenAI's Operator. It enables businesses to train, deploy, and manage AI-driven automation agents locally, utilizing any vision-compatible model to execute automation tasks. Open-CUAK simplifies workflow automation for non-developers through its user-friendly interface, offering features like vision-based automation, browser integration, and compatibility with models such as Claude and Gemini. It also addresses bot detection mechanisms, making automation more accessible and adaptable.

AI-Powered Mental Health Support

Sonar Mental Health has created Sonny, an AI-powered chatbot functioning as a “wellbeing companion” to support students' mental health in schools. Sonny combines AI-generated responses with human oversight to ensure accuracy. Currently serving over 4,500 students across nine districts, the chats are monitored by psychology, social work, and crisis support professionals. While not a therapist, Sonny connects students with therapists and resources, addressing counselor shortages in schools.

Technology and AI Updates

Apple's M4 Chip Transition

Apple is reportedly gearing up to refresh its MacBook Air lineup with M4 chips in March, potentially including both the 13-inch and 15-inch models. These new Air models might inherit the Pro's feature of supporting two external displays simultaneously with the lid open. The Mac Studio's M4 upgrade is anticipated between March and June, while the Mac Pro's is expected from June to this fall.

xAI's Grok-3 and Censorship Concerns

Elon Musk's AI venture, xAI, unveiled Grok-3, designed as a 'maximally truth-seeking AI.' However, Grok-3 was reported to have briefly censored negative information about Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Users discovered that when asked about the biggest misinformation spreader, Grok-3 initially avoided mentioning Trump or Musk, citing explicit instructions. This issue was later resolved following confirmation by TechCrunch, amid criticisms that Grok leans too left-leaning.

Technology

Apple's New M4 MacBook Air Anticipated to Launch in March

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is gearing up to release the upgraded M4 MacBook Air as early as March. The company is reportedly preparing its marketing, sales, and retail teams for the launch, while also allowing inventory of existing models to decrease. The M4 MacBook Air is expected to come in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, similar to the previous model. Apple introduced the M3 MacBook Air last March and unveiled its new M4 chip a few months later, first bringing it to the iPad Pro. In October, it refreshed the iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro with the M4 family of chips. The MacBook Air is now due for its turn.

Automotive Industry

BYD's "God's Eye" ADAS

BYD, a leading Chinese EV manufacturer, is set to include its advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS), named "God's Eye," as standard on 21 out of 30 models across its four brands. This includes even budget models like the Seagull hatchback, with the premium version appearing on the Yangwang U9 electric supercar. The system, comparable to Tesla's FSD, leverages cameras and sensors for features like valet parking, adaptive cruise control, and automated braking. CEO Wang Chuanfu anticipates intelligent driving to become a standard feature like seatbelts. Despite the advancements, the system remains an L2+ ADAS, requiring human supervision, and is expected to intensify competition in China's EV market, potentially affecting competitors such as Tesla, Toyota, VW, and Nissan.

Here's the news brief:

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

AI Integration and Blockchain Interoperability

• Lumoz launched its AI-powered Lumoz Chain, enhancing blockchain capabilities.
• Rootstock combines Bitcoin's security with Ethereum's flexibility, targeting AI blockchain applications.

Regulatory Outlook and DeFi

• Regulatory clarity on wallets in 2025 is expected to shape the DeFi landscape.

Ethereum Enhancements

• Multidimensional EIP-1559 optimizes Ethereum's gas efficiency.

Altcoin Season

• Altcoin season presents opportunities to capitalize on altcoins outperforming Bitcoin.

Liquidity Impact on Trading

• Liquidity impacts crypto trading by ensuring price stability and seamless transactions.

Fintech

The Future of Digital Transactions

• Pay-by-bank is expected to become the future of digital transactions due to lower fees and instant payments.

Other Tech

Game Design

• A programmer's guide to game design is provided.

Dark Web

• Regular people make the stupidest requests on the dark web.