Hi there, this is your daily ☕️ Techpresso.
In today's Techpresso:
📱 OpenAI rejected Apple deal to build own hardware
❌ Meta has discontinued its metaverse for work
🇹🇼 Taiwan to invest $250 billion in US chipmaking
⚡ Trump wants Big Tech to pay $15 billion to fund new power plants
💸 OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup
🎁 + 15 other news you might like
🧰 + 5 trending tools
📚 + 2 trending papers
📱 OpenAI rejected Apple deal to build own hardware LINK
OpenAI turned down a chance to become Apple's main AI provider last fall, choosing instead to focus on building its own hardware devices that would compete directly with big tech companies.
Apple has now expanded its partnership with Google, making Gemini the default AI for Siri while ChatGPT becomes just an optional backup for more complex requests on iPhone.
The original Apple deal was a disappointment for OpenAI, which had hoped it would bring billions in revenue and break Google's hold on Apple devices, but it brought almost no extra traffic.
❌ Meta has discontinued its metaverse for work LINK
Meta is shutting down Horizon Workrooms, the virtual reality collaboration app that Mark Zuckerberg introduced in 2021 as a workplace meeting space, with the standalone app ending on February 16, 2026.
The company will also stop selling Meta Quest headsets and managed services to businesses starting February 20, 2026, signaling a retreat from its business-to-business VR efforts after recent layoffs.
Meta is shifting its metaverse focus toward mobile phones and smart glasses instead of fully immersive VR headsets, with plans to bring Horizon experiences and AI creator tools to mobile devices.
🇹🇼 Taiwan to invest $250 billion in US chipmaking LINK
Taiwan and the United States signed a trade deal that will bring $250 billion in chip and technology investments to American soil, with the Taiwanese government backing the companies with $250 billion in credit.
In return, the U.S. will cut reciprocal tariffs on Taiwan from 20% to 15%, and remove them entirely on generic pharmaceuticals, aircraft components, and some natural resources from the island.
Taiwan Semiconductor has purchased hundreds of acres next to its existing Arizona property and may expand there, while companies building U.S. chip fabs can import equipment tariff-free during construction.
⚡ Trump wants Big Tech to pay $15 billion to fund new power plants LINK
The Trump administration is pushing a plan that would require Big Tech companies to pay around $15 billion to directly finance new power plants needed for their data centers and AI infrastructure.
The proposal asks PJM Interconnection, the largest grid operator in the country, to run an emergency electricity auction where data center operators could bid for 15-year contracts to support new power plant construction.
The plan responds to concerns that households are paying higher electricity bills because of energy-hungry data centers, with utility costs rising 9.6% in 2025 compared to the previous year.
💸 OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup LINK
OpenAI has invested in Merge Labs, a brain computer interface startup co-founded by its own CEO Sam Altman, writing the largest single check in the company's $250 million seed round at an $850 million valuation.
Merge Labs plans to develop non-invasive technology that connects with neurons using molecules and ultrasound instead of electrodes, unlike Elon Musk's Neuralink, which requires surgery to implant electrode threads into the brain.
The deal creates a circular business relationship: if Merge Labs succeeds, it could drive more users to OpenAI's software, which would justify the investment while increasing the value of a startup Altman personally owns.
Other news you might like
- Chinese AI Developers Say They Can’t Beat America Without Better ChipsLINK
- OpenAI Seeks US-Based Suppliers for Planned Robotics, AI Device PushLINK
- AI startup Replit launches feature to vibe code mobile appsLINK
- Cloudflare acquires AI data marketplace Human NativeLINK
- NASA’s first-ever medical evacuation from space ends with on-target splashdownLINK
- Six months later, Trump Mobile still hasn’t delivered preordered phonesLINK
- TikTok tightens age verification across EuropeLINK
- OpenAI tells investors to brace for 'deliberately outlandish' claims from Musk ahead of trialLINK
- Apple forced to ‘fight’ for chip capacity, pay higher TSMC prices: reportLINK
- How scientists are using Claude to accelerate research and discoveryLINK
- Nikita Bier causes collapse of crypto InfoFiLINK
- From Tokens to Burgers: A Water Footprint Face-OffLINK
🧰 Trending tools
TranslateGemma: an open-source translation model suite supporting 55 languages across mobile, local, and cloud deployments, helping developers avoid proprietary API dependencies and costs.LINK
Dynamic Content by beehiiv: personalizes newsletter emails by displaying different content blocks to segmented subscribers within a single campaign, no coding required.LINK
Design in Figma using Cursor Agent + MCP: automates Figma design tasks through natural language commands, enabling bulk updates, component management, and programmatic design modifications via Cursor AI integration.LINK
ADB Wrench: a browser-based Android debugging tool using WebUSB with an AI assistant that helps you execute ADB commands without memorizing syntax or complex setup.LINK
Reversing YouTube's "Most Replayed" Graph: reverse engineers YouTube's replay heatmap feature to explain why visual artifacts appear as dips surrounding peak replay moments.LINK
📚 Trending papers & reports
Mathematical framework organizes GPU memory layouts: researchers created a formal system that helps programmers reason about how data is arranged in GPU memory for faster computing.LINK
Online marketplace sells AI-generated explicit images: researchers found a platform where users create and sell deepfake adult content, raising concerns about consent and misuse.LINK
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