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In today's Techpresso:

🤖 Meta is working on humanoid robots

🚫 OpenAI board 'unanimously' rejects takeover bid

🔍 Perplexity takes on ChatGPT and Gemini with Deep Research feature

👀 Apple's overhaul of Siri faces engineering problems and software bugs

🌐 Meta confirms ‘Project Waterworth’

🎁 + 9 other news you might like

🔮 + 5 handpicked research papers and tools

🤖 Meta is working on humanoid robots LINK

Meta has established a new division in its Reality Labs to create hardware for robots capable of performing tasks like household chores, led by Marc Whitten, former CEO of Cruise.

Instead of launching its own branded robots, Meta plans to develop AI systems, sensors, and software for robots, partnering with companies like Unitree Robotics and Figure AI to manufacture and sell them.

Meta aims to integrate data from its augmented and virtual reality devices to advance robotics and intends to create prototypes, though it may take years before these platforms are ready for the market.

🚫 OpenAI board 'unanimously' rejects takeover bid LINK

The OpenAI board unanimously rejected a $97.4 billion buyout offer from a consortium led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, emphasizing that the company is not for sale.

Musk, who co-founded OpenAI and left in 2019, has been critical of its financial dealings, particularly with Microsoft, and has pursued legal action against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman.

The consortium's offer included conditions to withdraw its bid if OpenAI abandoned plans to become a for-profit entity, a move seen as Musk's attempt to influence the company's direction.

🔍 Perplexity takes on ChatGPT and Gemini with Deep Research feature LINK

Perplexity launched Deep Research, a tool providing comprehensive research reports quickly and affordably, challenging expensive AI subscription models with consumer-friendly pricing.

Deep Research outperformed Google's Gemini Thinking and other leading models, achieving high accuracy on benchmarks and completing tasks rapidly by mimicking expert human researchers.

The launch of this affordable AI tool breaks down barriers for small businesses and researchers, offering capabilities previously locked behind costly subscriptions and expanding access to advanced technology.

👀 Apple's overhaul of Siri faces engineering problems and software bugs LINK

Apple's planned overhaul of Siri, expected in iOS 18.4, is delayed due to engineering challenges and software bugs, pushing its potential release to May or later with iOS 18.5.

The significant upgrade to Siri aims to enhance Apple Intelligence, allowing Siri to interpret on-screen content and integrate with third-party applications, although testing has revealed inconsistent performance.

The setback in Siri's development impacts Apple's broader AI strategy, potentially delaying their smart home initiatives, which include new products like an iPad-like home hub and updated HomePod mini.

🌐 Meta confirms ‘Project Waterworth’ LINK

Meta has confirmed the launch of Project Waterworth, a subsea cable initiative that will span 50,000 kilometers, making it the longest in the world.

The network will connect five continents, including key regions like the United States, Brazil, and India, enhancing digital communication and supporting AI services globally.

India will play a vital role in financing the project, aligning with a joint defense partnership with the U.S., focusing on the development of undersea technologies.

Other news you might like

• Bitcoin is no longer legal currency in El Salvador LINK

• Instagram tests a ‘dislike’ button for comments LINK

• Semiconductor giant TSMC considers running Intel’s US factories at Trump team’s request LINK

• Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, said to be in talks to raise $10B LINK

• Reddit plans to lock some content behind a paywall this year, CEO says LINK

• Stablecoin giant Tether buys minority stake in Juventus soccer club LINK

• Argentine's president promotes crypto token, then deletes post LINK

• A job ad for Y Combinator startup Firecrawl seeks to hire an AI agent for $15K a year LINK

Latest research and tools

GITHUB • 95 points View Source
Marsha P Johnson: A Chrome extension to highlight trans erasure: Marsha P Johnson: a Chrome extension that highlights trans erasure by replacing "LGB" with "LGBTQ+🧱" to protest against a lack of representation.

GITHUB • 80 points View Source
Show HN: Kreuzberg – Modern async Python library for document text extraction: Kreuzberg: a modern async Python library designed to efficiently extract text from various documents, providing a simple and lightweight interface suitable for local processing and modern application integration.

GITHUB • 65 points View Source
Show HN: VimLM – A Local, Offline Coding Assistant for Vim: VimLM: an offline coding assistant for Vim that provides AI-powered code understanding, summarization, and assistance without relying on external APIs, ensuring complete data privacy and security.

GITHUB • 36 points View Source
Yash: Yet Another Shell: Yash: a POSIX-compliant command line shell offering advanced interactive and scripting features, including extensive command line completion capabilities, while focusing on strict POSIX compliance.

GITHUB • 23 points View Source
Deepseek R1 Distill 8B Q40 on 4 x Raspberry Pi 5, 6.43 tok/s (eval 11.68 tok/s): Deepseek R1 Distill 8B: a model deployment tool that optimizes neural network inference on Raspberry Pi 5, improving token processing speed for resource-efficient AI applications.

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