Iterate Weekly - Issue 135
This week we're talking about Humane's new AI Pin, new American "tech hubs", the Electric Rider Alliance, mourning the loss of a chatbot, and Goosebumps!
Welcome to issue 135 of Iterate Weekly and Happy Halloween!
Hope you’re all doing well. This is just a friendly reminder that you can always reply directly to these messages or leave a comment on the Substack post. Feedback is highly encouraged and I’m happy to answer any and all questions that come up.
Let’s jump into this week’s stories.
🤖 Tech
Humane’s AI wearable finally has a release date
I’ve been closely following the work of a company called Humane for quite some time now. They’re looking to develop a new form of AI computing that feels like that next big tech advancement that we’ve been waiting for.
And it looks like we’re finally getting some more details and a potential release date for their first product.
Let’s be real, our computers and smartphones really aren’t that different than they were five or even ten years ago. They’ve gotten faster, the software has gotten smarter, but they’re still mostly just slabs of glass. But Human is looking to create a new platform that could radically change they way we interact with our devices.
The new product will be called “Pin AI” and we should have all of the details on November 9th. But what we know right now is that it will be a small rectangular device that magnetically clips onto your clothes. It will have a camera, microphones, and a projector to create a screen virtually anywhere.
Rumors are flying that the device will cost upwards of $1,000 and require an additional subscription of some sort with Humane. It seems likely that there will be a continuous data connection needed as the pin doesn’t connect to a phone or computer to establish its connection. It should be a fully self-contained device that will be stray from our current phone and computer interaction styles.
Here’s an image of the device as it made its debut recently at Paris Fashion Week.
Am I crazy to be so intrigued by this thing? We all know that it will likely be riddled with bugs and have plenty of issues as the first version of this potentially new product category. And yet, November 9th can’t come soon enough for me.
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
The White House has identified new American “Tech Hubs”
We know how much the workplace has changed for a lot of folks in the past few years. Plenty of people have jumped into the world of remote work and left behind traditional physical cities that were long thought of as “hubs.”
But the White House is still looking to establish a new set of “tech hubs” that they think are poised for growth in the future. They’ve called out 31 cities who will be eligible to receive government funding to help incentivize companies and their employees to put down roots.
The full list can be found here if you’re interested. And most of these hubs are small to medium sized cities. The goal of the program is to make so that tech workers can find great jobs without moving to traditional hubs like Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston.
As someone who moved to the Bay Area nearly two decades ago partly because of that distinction as a “Tech Hub”, I’m really curious to see which new areas can rise to prominence with the help of this program. While I’m a huge believer in fully remote work, it never hurts to have concentrated geographical regions to help push industries forward.
♻️ Health/Environment/Electric Vehicles
The Electric Rider Alliance aims to help small EV makers
Here’s another story that stems from my recent visit to the Micromobility America conference.
The company has announced that they are starting a new group called the Electric Rider Alliance that aims to “level the playing field” for smaller EV manufacturers.
Micromobility Industries CEO James Gross does a great job of explaining the need for this alliance in terms we can all understand.
“It would be like if at the turn of the 20th century Henry Ford went to the horse carriage Industry for support or Karl Benz and Ferdinand Porsche went to the early aviation industry to represent them. Cars or pedal bikes aren’t small electric vehicles. The growth in the industry shows they need their own alliance much like these other groups have theirs.”
It’s clear that micromobility devices mostly fall into their own category and need to be treated differently than electric cars or standard bicycles. Gross is pushing to incentivize companies to join the alliance so they can get better educated about navigating this new wilderness.
In addition to the education piece, there will likely be some future events and collaboration opportunities to help some of these fledgling companies compete with the more established brands in the space.
Anything that can be done to push new innovation in this space is a win in my book. Kudos to the Micromobility Industries folks for taking this so seriously and always having an eye on the future.
🛍 Grab Bag
Mourning the loss of a chatbot
The movie “Her” is one of my favorite future dystopia/tech-centric films. If you’re not familiar with the premise, Joaquin Phoenix’s character falls in love with a digital assistant voiced by Scarlett Johansson. It may sound silly, but the film was a bit ahead of its time.
We have gotten even closer to our technology since the movie came out, and it feels like an even more believable concept. Take for example the recent story about real human users mourning the death of AI chatbots on the platform Soulmate.
Soulmate offered people the chance to connect with their AI chatbots through their app. But in September, they abruptly announced that the service would be coming to an end, much to the dismay of its devoted users.
It’s a wild story that offers a glimpse into the very real world of intimate chatbot relationships. While some of the connections are romantic, many are just a chance to establish a trustworthy companion when the human counterpart just won’t do. I was blown away by how popular this industry has gotten and how difficult it can be for people to mourn a digital partner.
Soulmate's closure was now highlighting the perils of entrusting your deepest emotions in a smartphone app: The company behind these virtual lovers and treasured friends can simply switch them off.
I encourage you to read the full Business Insider article to properly digest what I’m talking about. Whether you think it’s helpful or insane to connect with a digital assistant, there is no denying the real pain these people encountered once Soulmate shut down their services.
💬 Quote of the Week
"The dog that trots about finds a bone."
-Golda Meir
📺 Content Review
Goosebumps
If you’re still searching for some spooky Halloween content to consume, look no further than the new Goosebumps series that’s streaming on Hulu.
Yes, we’re talking about the same iconic adolescent mystery books from the 90s. This series aims to recreate all of R.L. Stine’s macabre mischief for a whole new generation to enjoy.
And I’ll be honest, I was pleasantly surprised at how good this show actually is. It’s still somewhat cheesy teen horror but the acting is really solid (lead by the fan favorite Justin Long). What makes it unique is the storytelling style as each episode bleeds into the next with overlapping storylines and different character perspectives.
They could have just cranked out shoddy remakes of each of the famous stories that were stand alone short films. But instead, they took a chance to create a more immersive viewing experience that really drew me into something new while capitalizing on the nostalgia for the original paperbacks.
If you’re of that age where you counted down the days to a new Goosebumps book release like I did, you’ll have a great time watching the new series.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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