The Collision of AR Smart Glasses & Live AI Assistants

WHAT’S INSIDE

👇️ Todays’ Feature: The Collision of AR Smart Glasses & Live AI Assistants

• Tech News: Rate Cut, Intel, Musk sues Apple, OpenAI, AI Lobby Surge

• Company Watch: Macrohard, Meta, xAI, Google, FieldAI, Labubu, Pylon

• Buzzy Tools: Latest Buzzy tech, AI and financial tools

• Deep Tech: The latest in deep tech, biotech, futurism and more

• Space Tech: Latest news in the space race and aerospace tech

• Crypto: Blockchain and crypto policy and startups or protocols to watch

TECH IN THE NEWS

Rate Cut Bets Rise — Wall Street closes lower anticipating a September rate cut after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cites labor market risks. Brokerages now predict a 25bp cut, at FOMC Sept 16-17. USD spikes higher and yield curve flattens.

Intel's $10B Stake Shift — President Trump announced Intel will offer the U.S. a 10% stake, worth $10B, making it the third-largest shareholder. This strategic move supports Intel amidst competition and marks a rare CHIPS Act intervention.

Musk's Legal Gambit — Elon Musk's xAI is suing Apple and OpenAI, claiming their partnership suppresses AI competition to protect Apple's smartphone monopoly. This lawsuit intensifies the feud between Musk and OpenAI's Sam Altman.

AI Lobby Surge — Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI's Greg Brockman are leading a $100M investment in pro-AI PACs. The "Leading the Future" initiative seeks to influence midterm elections and counteract stringent AI regulations.

Founder Enters Politics — Ethan Agarwal, founder of The Coterie and Aaptiv, announces his candidacy for the 2026 California gubernatorial race. With a focus on reducing the state's high cost of living, Agarwal plans campaign fundraising events.

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The Explosive Collision of AR Smart Glasses & Live AI Assistants is Upon Us

TB Editorial

The future of personal computing is rapidly taking shape as tech giants race to merge augmented reality (AR) with intelligent AI assistants in the real world. This convergence promises to fundamentally transform how we interact with technology and our environment. Here's how this technological revolution is unfolding.

AR Hardware Is About To Have Its Moment

Meta just took a significant magic leap forward this week with the launch of its Hypernova Premium AR glasses at $800, featuring intuitive gesture control systems that make digital interaction more natural than ever. What makes these glasses truly revolutionary is the technology behind them – Meta has developed groundbreaking 2mm thick laser displays using photonic integrated circuits that dramatically enhance color accuracy and resolution while maintaining a sleek form factor.

This engineering breakthrough integrates multiple functions into a compact chip, making the glasses significantly less bulky than traditional displays while improving performance. Meta's focus on affordability and scalable manufacturing positions them strongly in the AR race. They will definitely upgrade Zuck’s personal eyewear cabinet, which doesn’t hurt.

Meanwhile, Google's AI glasses are reportedly being manufactured in Taiwan, potentially by HTC or Quanta. HTC's recent Vive Eagle glasses feature traditional Chinese voice control and are fully produced in Taiwan, priced at $520. They also happen to seriously rival Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses. This partnership builds on previous collaborations where HTC transferred R&D personnel and patents to Google.

Even newcomers are making waves in this space. Halo, a Harvard graduate-founded startup, has launched Halo X – always-on smart glasses that continuously record conversations and provide AI-powered insights. Available for preorder at $249, these glasses aim to enhance users' intelligence by recalling information and answering questions on demand, though they raise significant privacy concerns by recording without visible indicators.

The AI Assistant Evolution

Google's Gemini is rapidly evolving from a simple chatbot into a comprehensive AI assistant platform. Upcoming features will enable Gemini Live to highlight items on your screen when sharing your camera view, making object identification seamless. New integrations with Messages and Phone apps will allow users to send messages while conversing with the assistant.

Google is also testing specialized modes for Gemini, including Agent Mode for autonomous task execution, Gemini Go for collaborative ideation, and Immersive View for visual answers. These developments signal a shift toward a more creative and autonomous AI platform.

Google Search's AI Mode now includes advanced agentic features for personalized assistance, such as making restaurant reservations and providing tailored recommendations. The service is expanding to over 180 new countries, enhancing the ability to ask complex questions and discover information online.

Even Google's smart home ecosystem is being reimagined with new Nest products, including a smaller, rounder Google Home Speaker with 360-degree sound and advanced features like Gemini Live and Sound Sensing. The Nest Aware subscription will be rebranded as Google Home Premium, with more details expected in October alongside the launch of Gemini for Home.

Apple's Strategic Pivot

In a surprising move, Apple is in early discussions to utilize Google's Gemini AI for a significant overhaul of its Siri voice assistant. This potential partnership signals Apple's recognition of the challenges in developing competitive AI systems independently, as the company has faced delays in updating Siri's capabilities. This strategic shift caused shares of both Apple and Google to rise following the announcement.

Apple is several weeks away from deciding whether or not to outsource the AI model for an overhauled Siri, according to Bloomberg. But, this could present challenges for Apple's privacy-centric approach, as the company would need to balance its Privacy Computing Chip (PCC) initiatives with integration of Google's AI systems.

Apple is also weeks from revealing its latest hardware line and iOS upgrades at WWDC, which will include new wearables such as AirPods 3 and a new Apple Watch. We will, alas, have to wait until late 2026 for its highly anticipated AI-powered smart glasses. They are expected to focus on advanced AR features like a heads-up display, real-time AI integration, and seamless compatibility with iPhone.

The AI Infrastructure Race

Powering these advanced AI systems as they become more mainstream will undoubtedly require massive computational resources. 

xAI is rapidly advancing its data center capabilities with the aptly named Colossus 2 aiming to incorporate a massive 1 million GPUs with significant power upgrades. Musk also just announced Colossus 2 will power a new AI software company called 'Macrohard', aimed at creating specialized coding agents to simulate replicate products from software-based competitors like Microsoft. But there is no reason he will stop at software. The name indicates this may be where X and Tesla combine to expand into the AI hardware and Augmented Reality AI world. 

Big Tech rivals and challengers are rapidly expanding their infrastructures to keep up. OpenAI's Stargate planned for 400,000 GPUs and Meta's Prometheus targeting 500,000 GPUs. 

They also have to power it. Google just revealed it has chosen Tennessee as the site for a small modular nuclear reactor, in collaboration with TVA and Kairos Power, to supply electricity to its data centers by 2030. This project marks the first U.S. utility power purchase agreement for generation IV nuclear technology, supporting both the growing energy demands of AI and the transition to carbon-free energy sources.

The Google Ecosystem Advantage

As these technologies converge, Google appears to be establishing itself as the central infrastructure provider. Even OpenAI reportedly uses Google Search data to enhance ChatGPT's responses for topics like news, sports, and finance. This growing dependence on Google's data and infrastructure raises important questions about competition and independence in the AI ecosystem.

When AR glasses and AI assistants fully converge and reach mass adoption, we'll witness an explosion of ambient computing that seamlessly blends digital intelligence with our physical world. The question is no longer if this will happen, but which tech giant will lead the way – and how our relationship with technology will be fundamentally transformed in the process.

COMPANIES TO WATCH

[Open Deal] Pure Cipher - A deep-tech AI Security startup developing technologies to prevent AI data poisoning and compromise, targeting a $1.6T Enterprise market and already secured DoD clients. Founded by AI & cybersecurity experts.

Google — Major AI reveals: (1) agentic features in Search AI Mode for personalized assistance; (2) Launching 'Gemini for Government' with enterprise search and customizable AI agents supporting the OneGov Strategy andAI Action Plan; and (3) Building a small modular nuclear reactor with TVA.

Macrohard — Elon Musk has launched a new AI software company connected to xAI to develop specialized coding agents using the Colossus 2 supercomputer and millions of Nvidia GPUs to simulate competitor products like Microsoft.

Anthropic — Aiming for a $170B valuation with a $5B funding round led by Iconiq Capital, backed by GIC and Middle Eastern funds. Despite revenue climbing from $4B to $5B and targeting $9B, the company faces a $3B annual cash burn.

Meta — Reorganized its AI ops into four teams: research, training, products, & infrastructure to speed up superintelligence development and improve product integration. Partners with Midjourney to integrate its aesthetic tech.

FieldAI — The advanced robotic intelligence development startup is raising over $400M. The firm is expanding its reach with projects like the Spirit Runner, a mobile food bus in Central Valley, CA, supported by Save the Children.

Labubu — Pop Mart's plush monster toy is on track to exceed $1 billion in revenue this year, marking a 688% YOY increase. Its popularity, boosted by celebrity endorsements and unique blind box sales, has turned it into a fashionable accessory.

Pylon — A B2B support platform for post-sales teams based in San Francisco, raised $31M in Series B funding, totaling $51M. Led by Bain Capital Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, the funds will drive product expansion, serving 750+ clients.

SignalPulse — Read the Top signals, Startups + Deals From Last Week

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BUZZY TOOLS

Buzzy Tech Tools To Watch & Use

Apple — Considers Gemini for an AI Siri, Curved glass iPhone for 2027 20yr ann.

Google — Gemini tests new modes for autonomous tasks and visual answers.

xAI — Grok 2.5 has been AI open-sourced; Grok 3 is expected to release in 6 mths.

Nvidia Jetson AGX Thor — AI supercomputer with Blackwell GPU for robotics.

"Vibe Thinking" — Halo X always-on smart glasses record life, give AI insights.

Meta — Hypernova Premium AR glasses with intuitive gesture control, $800.

Uizard — GenAI tool transforms ideas into wireframes for rapid, real-time collab.

BUZZY TECH

The Latest Deep Technology & Trends To Watch

GPT-4b Micro — Specialized OpenAI model enhances regenerative medicine.

QuANET — DARPA's quantum network aims to revolutionize cybersecurity infra.

Pig-to-Human Lung Transplant — Modified pig lung functions for record 9 days.

D-Matrix 3D DRAM Chip — Revolutionary memory architecture 10x boost for AI.

Robomart RM5 — Autonomous delivery robot disrupts food delivery in U.S..

Osmotic Power Plant — Japan salt gradient technology for 24/7 electricity.

Meta Laser Display — Ultra-thin photonic breakthrough lightweight AR glasses.

AI Sycophancy — Experts warn flattering chatbots risk mental health issues.

CRYPTO WATCH

Crypto Cycle — Bitcoin fell below $111,000 amid large sales and 19,660 BTC liquidations. Ethereum's rally stalled as ETFs faced outflows. Federal Reserve hints at rate cuts added to market volatility, impacting investor sentiment.

Corporate Crypto Surge — Digital asset treasury companies now hold over $100B in digital assets, diversifying beyond Bitcoin to include Ethereum and altcoins like Solana and Sui.

H.R. 3838 — House Republicans introduced a bill to block the Federal Reserve from creating a CBDC, citing privacy concerns. The bipartisan effort addresses fears of government surveillance in digital currencies and potential blurring of de-fi lines.

MetaMask's mUSD — MetaMask is introducing mUSD, a stablecoin backed 1:1 by U.S. cash and Treasuries, set to launch this year. Integrated into the MetaMask wallet, it will support Ethereum and Linea, boosting cross-chain compatibility and adoption.

Ondo Finance — Launching Global Markets on Ethereum on September 3, Ondo targets non-U.S. investors with 24/7 settlement and tokenized U.S. equities. Features include instant minting, offshore transferability, and DeFi integration.

JPYC Stablecoin — Japanese startup JPYC will launch the first yen-pegged stablecoin, fully convertible and backed by domestic savings and Japanese government bonds. Targeting institutional investors, it aims to be a global digital yen.

SPACE_RACE

SpaceX_ Starship launch scrubbed due to ground systems issue; aims for Mars

Long March 12A_First rocket stage landing attempt post-launch, following SpaceX

DeepSat_Secures $1.25M from U.S.A.F for very low Earth orbit monitoring tech

York Space_Delivers 21 satellites for U.S. Space Force low Earth orbit comms

Dark Matter Theory_Superheavy dark matter may form black holes in exoplanets.

RoboBall — Amphibious spherical robot maps difficult lunar terrain.

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