Good morning. It’s Thursday, August 21. Today we are covering:
Harvard dropouts to launch 'always on' AI smart glasses that listen and record every conversation
Here's all the new features for Pixels in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1
Windows 11 test brings AI file search to the Copilot app
Made by Google 2025: A Confident Showcase of Pixel, Gemini, and Google's Broader Ambitions
Musk's Starlink Courts Luxury Airlines to Grow In-Flight Wi-Fi Business
Let’s dive in
Harvard dropouts to launch 'always on' AI smart glasses that listen and record every conversation
By Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai via TechCrunch
Two former Harvard dropouts, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, are launching Halo X, $249 AI-powered smart glasses that record, transcribe, and display real-time information from every conversation.
Backed by $1 million in funding from Pillar VC and others, the discreet, camera-free glasses use Google Gemini and Perplexity for reasoning and web-scraping, but raise alarms from privacy advocates over covert recording and data security.
The founders, previously criticized for a facial-recognition demo on Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, acknowledge legal consent issues in states requiring two-party approval and promise end-to-end encryption and eventual SOC 2 compliance, though details remain unclear.
𝕏: introducing Halo X, always listening AI glasses. vibe think. never use your brain again. pre-order now. AnhPhu Nguyen (@AnhPhuNguyen1)
Here's all the new features for Pixels in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1
By Mishaal Rahman via Android Authority
Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1 introduces major updates including expanded dark theme, auto-generated themed icons, lock screen widgets on phones, a new SDR/HDR brightness slider, and support for graphical Linux apps via the Terminal.
New privacy and security tools include an expanded Identity Check covering more apps, a Secure Lock Device state that hides sensitive data and disables biometrics, plus a forthcoming Phone Theft Protection toggle for managing failed authentication locks.
Productivity and multitasking get boosts with 90:10 split screen ratios, improved developer testing tools, and enhancements across media, accessibility, and system experience, making QPR2 one of the most feature-packed quarterly updates yet.
𝕏: Android 16 QPR2 brings the "enhanced HDR brightness" setting that lets you stop HDR content from flashbanging you at night! This was first added in the Android Canary release but is now live in QPR2 Beta 1. - Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman)
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Windows 11 test brings AI file search to the Copilot app
By Emma Roth via The Verge
Microsoft is testing a Windows 11 update that adds AI-powered file and image search to the Copilot app, allowing users to find content with natural language queries.
A new Copilot home experience highlights recent apps, files, and conversations, while Copilot Vision can scan the screen to provide guided help within apps.
These features are rolling out to Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs via the Microsoft Store.
𝕏: Microsoft is testing out a Windows 11 update that lets you use AI to search through your files and images directly from the Copilot app. It’s rolling out to Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs - Tom Warren (@tomwarren)
Made by Google 2025: A Confident Showcase of Pixel, Gemini, and Google's Broader Ambitions
By Carolina Milanesi via Creative Strategies
Google’s Made by Google 2025 event in Brooklyn, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, showcased a polished Pixel 10 lineup (including the Pro Fold, Watch 4, and Buds) with iterative but meaningful upgrades like improved cameras, brighter displays, repairability, and a new magnetic charging system.
The spotlight was on Gemini AI, now deeply integrated across devices for photography, video editing, live translation, and fitness coaching—positioning Pixel as the flagship platform for Google’s long-term AI ambitions.
With celebrity guests from music, sports, F1, podcasting, and creator culture, sharp but confident digs at Apple, and an expansion into Mexico, Google signaled a shift toward scaling Pixel from niche to mainstream brand.
𝕏: Great analysis on the day's events with @google Pixel by @caro_milanesi This line 🎯 "This marks a shift: where Pixel once served as the best showcase of Google services, it’s now clearly the best showcase for Gemini" - Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin)
Musk's Starlink Courts Luxury Airlines to Grow In-Flight Wi-Fi Business
By Sana Pashankar via Bloomberg
Elon Musk’s Starlink has rapidly expanded in the in-flight Wi-Fi market, securing deals with carriers including Air France, Qatar Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and soon Alaska Airlines.
The service is in talks with Emirates, Saudia, and Flydubai, a move that could cement Starlink’s presence among Middle Eastern luxury airlines.
Rivalry is heating up on trans-Atlantic routes, with British Airways reportedly considering a deal that would add another flagship carrier to Starlink’s growing roster.
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