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News
Amazon ‘testing humanoid robots to deliver packages’
Amazon is building a “humanoid park” in San Francisco to train two‑armed, two‑legged robots using AI to deliver packages alongside human drivers. These bots would ride in Rivian vans, “spring out” to drop off parcels, and could speed up delivery times by multitasking with drivers. The software is being developed in‑house, while the robot bodies come from partners like Agility Robotics and Unitree.
Walmart and Wing expand drone delivery to five more US cities
Walmart and Alphabet’s Wing are rolling out drone delivery to over 100 Walmart stores across five U.S. cities—Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa—after successful pilots in Dallas–Fort Worth. The drones can carry up to five pounds and deliver everyday items like groceries, meds, or baby supplies within 30 minutes to customers living within a six‑mile radius.
Watch Helix’s neural network do 60 minutes of uninterrupted logistics work
Figure AI has just unveiled a significant update to its humanoid robot’s capabilities, showcasing a new level of performance in logistics and warehouse environments.
Perplexity received 780 million queries last month, CEO says
Perplexity’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, revealed at Bloomberg’s Tech Summit that the AI-powered search engine processed 780 million queries in May, growing at over 20% each month. It now handles around 30 million searches daily, up from just 3,000 on its launch day in 2022, and could hit 1 billion queries per week if growth continues.
To keep users engaged longer, Perplexity is developing Comet, a browser designed as a “cognitive operating system.” It aims to do more than answer questions—it wants to complete tasks through one prompt and monetize via smart ads and deeper browser integration
Everybody was talking about agents at NY Tech Week
AI agents—autonomous tools that act like digital assistants—dominated conversations at New York Tech Week (June 2–8). Experts highlighted that while the term “agent” now covers many AI tools, real cases—especially in coding, legal, and accounting—are already being used practically. Panelists stressed challenges like unclear definitions, governance issues and integration hurdles, but noted that many successful uses are quietly working behind the scenes, not just flashy demos.
The founder of DeviantArt is making a $22,000 display for digital art
Angelo Sotira, co-founder of DeviantArt, has launched Layer, a premium $22,000 display designed specifically for digital art. It features a high-end GPU capable of rendering live generative artworks in full resolution without compression, and the device can sequence art automatically to integrate seamlessly into your living space. Layer also includes a subscription model that streams curated works, with royalties paid to artists based on viewing time.
Circle’s supersized IPO delivers hotly anticipated windfall to crypto investors
Circle’s long‑anticipated IPO on June 5, 2025, was a major success. The company raised over $1 billion by selling 34 million shares at $31 each—well above the expected range—delivering a 167% first-day surge and valuing the firm at around $7–19 billion. This unexpected windfall boosted early investors’ returns and reignited enthusiasm for crypto public offerings, positioning stablecoins as a fast-growing asset class.
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Reads
Morris Chang and the Origins of TSMC
Book review of the autobiography of Morris Chang.
Morris Chang, after a long career at Texas Instruments, returned to Taiwan in the mid-1980s to build TSMC as the world’s first pure-play semiconductor foundry. He secured funding from the Taiwanese government and Philips, then focused solely on manufacturing chips for clients—revolutionizing the industry by letting other companies design while TSMC did the heavy fabrication. This bold model enabled rapid growth and technical excellence, making TSMC the go-to global manufacturer and a cornerstone of today’s tech world .
Key Startup Metrics VCs Care About: How to Track, Improve & Use Them to Raise Capital
VCs focus on a handful of core metrics—like CAC, LTV, ARR, retention rates, and GMV—to judge whether your startup is efficient, scalable, and built for long-term growth. What matters most depends on your stage: early rounds look at market size, CAC, retention, and GMV; Series A adds ARR, NDR, and CAC payback; later stages demand healthy margins, burn rate control, and year-over-year revenue growth. Startups should avoid vanity numbers (like signups or website traffic) that don’t reflect real traction, and focus on meaningful KPIs that improve fundraising chances.