It’s a pen! It’s an earbud! No, it’s… AI-powered speakers?
We’ll take just about any excuse to dredge up the above image of OpenAI head Sam Altman and Apple’s former chief design officer, Jony Ive. That might be different if there were any other image — like of the supposed hardware the pair are developing — but so far, that hasn’t happened yet. Rumours have flown for months about what that product will eventually look like, ranging from a pen to some earbuds. Now, the story is changing again.
According to The Information, it seems that the 200-strong team dedicated to bringing OpenAI’s hardware ambitions to fruition is working hard to bring an AI-powered speaker to market first. It joins the products we mentioned, plus a couple of others. Smart glasses and a smart lamp are among the concepts. The speaker allegedly includes a camera, letting it absorb information and even confirm a user’s identity.
That last bit would enable the speaker to make purchases just by being asked. The entire idea is novel, but for a company that’s hoovering up Valley talent and supposedly setting the AI standard, it feels just a little scummy to be copying Amazon’s homework. The report mentions a price landing between $200 and $300 (∼R3,200 -R4,800) and a release date of 2027 at the earliest. As for the glasses… those won’t come ’til 2028.
Artemis II is a go no
Humanity is heading back to the Moon for the first time since the ’70s. We think. You see, NASA has attempted to get the Artemis II mission off the ground for some time before finally settling on a late February launch. Now, even that has been postponed, NASA said. It will roll the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft off the launch pad tomorrow, 24 February. Assuming weather permits, of course.
The cause for concern is warranted. Artemis II marks SLS and Orion’s first crewed flight. Engineers apparently encountered an issue “with the flow of helium to the rocket’s upper stage.” Or, more specifically, to the “rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage.” We’re no rocket scientists, but NASA’s full of ’em. We’ll take its word.
Except on the pending launch date. We’ll believe in the Artemis II mission when it officially leaves Earth and aims for that big lunar target up there. Currently, NASA is eyeing a 6 March date, according to NASA’s Lori Glaze, though 7, 8, and 9 March could also be used if they miss the mark again. If NASA is forced to perform a proper rollback, it may even miss the March launch window and slip into April. Fingers crossed.
Spoiler: What’s next feature is ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
WhatsApp, on a mission to distract you from the ads that are definitely coming to the messenger, is working on a new feature that will, in essence, allow users to plug their ears and say “la la la” when presented with spoilers. You know, the whole ‘Snape killed…’ thing. WABetaInfo spotted the feature in the iOS 26.6.10.71 update.
The update would allow senders to format their messages in such a way that it blocks any text that might be considered spoiler-y in group or individual chats. Clicking the blocked text will reveal what’s underneath, ala Reddit’s own spoiler system. Still, users are at the mercy of their contacts formatting the message correctly. It’s unclear at the moment whether the format would eventually stretch to include audio, images, or video.
There’s no telling when WhatsApp will get around to releasing the feature for everyone. When it eventually arrives, users can format their message by simply selecting the desired text, long-pressing the screen, and selecting the ‘Spoiler’ option.
24-karat Caviar
It takes a bit of doing to get people interested in Apple’s iPhone Air. Caviar understands this, which is evidently why it feels the need to slap a bunch of titanium, leather, and now even 24-karat gold onto Apple’s ultra-thin smartphone. Or it could have something to do with the $9,000+ price tags. Either way, Caviar makes a buck.
A small sum obviously covers the iPhone Air itself, though not more than $1,400 for the 1TB model. The rest is all down to the company’s apparently premium materials, like the 24-karat gold decorations that line the company’s latest product. It’s not all gold — most of it actually sits on a bed of calfskin. Weird.
The design, “inspired by the ornamental language of Art Nouveau and the decorative art of Alphonse Mucha,” is accompanied by “fine engraving and hand-finished detailing,” meant to make that R180,000 price ($11,213) that much more appealing. It doesn’t do anything for us, but we’re sure there are a few braggarts out there with an oddly money-shaped hole left in their pockets who will love what Caviar has cooked up.
