Author: Newton Kitonga

TLDR; Putin has ordered a crackdown on U.S. tech giants like Microsoft and Zoom still active in Russia. He accused these companies of trying to “strangle” Russia economically and called for reciprocal action.  Moscow plans to phase out reliance on Western tech and replace it with domestic alternatives. Officials will identify Russian firms still using banned tech and pressure them to switch to national solutions. In a fiery cabinet meeting last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an unambiguous directive: eliminate the influence of Western technology firms still operating in Russia. Calling for retaliation against what he sees as economic…

TLDR; Google launches AI Edge Gallery, an app that runs AI models offline on smartphones. Users can perform tasks like chatting, coding, and image generation without internet. The app taps into Hugging Face models and Google’s AI Edge tools like TensorFlow Lite. Currently in alpha, the app is open-source and available on GitHub for Android, with iOS support coming soon. In a quiet but significant step forward for mobile artificial intelligence, Google has released a new app called “AI Edge Gallery,” which lets users run AI models directly on their smartphones without an internet connection. Available for Android devices via…

TLDR; Hugging Face introduces HopeJR, an affordable full-size humanoid priced at $3,000. HopeJR has 66 degrees of freedom and can mimic human arm movements via smart gloves. The robot’s open-source design allows developers and hobbyists to modify and customize it. Shipping of HopeJR is expected by late 2025, with a waiting list now open. Hugging Face, the AI company known for its open-source ecosystem, has just made a bold leap into consumer robotics with the unveiling of HopeJR, a full-size humanoid robot priced at only $3,000. Announced this week, HopeJR is a walking, talking marvel with 66 degrees of controlled…

TLDR; DeepSeek unveils a new version of its R1 model that runs on a single GPU Based on Alibaba’s Qwen3-8B, the model excels in complex reasoning tasks The distilled version balances performance and efficiency Concerns arise over censorship and free speech in the AI’s responses Chinese artificial intelligence research lab DeepSeek has launched a distilled version of its powerful reasoning model, R1, capable of running efficiently on a single GPU. The new model, dubbed “DeepSeek-R1-0528-Qwen3-8B,” promises high-level reasoning performance without the need for massive computational infrastructure. While most high-end AI models require costly, multi-GPU setups, this distilled version is optimized…

TLDR; The Department of Energy’s new supercomputer, Doudna, will be built by Dell and powered by Nvidia’s next-gen Vera Rubin chips. Named after CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna, the system will support AI, physics, and molecular science research. Slated for deployment at Berkeley Lab in 2026, it will connect to DOE labs nationwide via ESnet for real-time data streaming. The project highlights the U.S. push to maintain scientific, technological, and national security leadership in AI and computing. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has partnered with Dell Technologies and Nvidia to build its next flagship supercomputer, slated to launch in 2026.…

TLDR; Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest has sold Tesla shares for two consecutive days amid a robotaxi rollout update. Tesla will reportedly launch its first autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin on June 12. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called Tesla’s robot and robotaxi efforts the next “multi-trillion dollar industry.” Despite the optimism, Tesla faces declining EV sales and risks that could heavily impact its valuation. Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest has once again trimmed its stake in Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), marking the second day in a row of selling activity. ARK Invest Shorts Tesla, Again On Wednesday, the flagship ARK Innovation ETF offloaded…

TLDR; Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang warns that every job will be affected by AI—immediately. Huang says you won’t be replaced by AI, but by someone who uses it better than you. Learning how to prompt and interact with AI is becoming a critical skill in any profession. While some tech leaders predict job losses, Huang believes AI can put 30–40 million people back to work. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has issued a stark warning about the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence on the global workforce. AI Will Take Your Job Speaking during the Milken Institute’s Global Conference this month, Huang…

TLDR; Apple exported 3 million iPhones from India to the US in April, a 76% surge year-on-year. Chinese iPhone shipments to the US fell by 76% to 900,000 in the same month. The shift aligns with Apple’s long-term strategy to diversify supply chains away from China. Political pressure from both Washington and Beijing may complicate further growth from India. In a landmark shift in Apple’s global supply chain, iPhone shipments from India to the United States soared by 76% in April 2025, surpassing those from China for the first time. India Tops China in iPhone Exports According to data from…

TLDR; Germany is drafting a 10% tax on tech giants like Alphabet (Google) and Meta (Facebook, Instagram), focused on their German ad revenues. The tax could strain U.S.-Germany relations, especially ahead of Chancellor Merz’s visit to Washington. Cultural Minister Wolfram Weimer accused big platforms of tax evasion and exploiting Germany’s media sector. Tech companies may face a choice between paying the tax or making voluntary financial contributions. Germany is considering introducing a 10% digital tax on major global tech platforms such as Alphabet Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc., a move that signals both economic recalibration and growing frustration with the…

TLDR: Tinder launches a new height preference feature for Premium and Gold subscribers globally. The setting acts as a preference indicator, not a strict filter. The update aims to enhance user experience amid a decline in paid subscribers. CEO transition and company restructuring accompany the feature rollout. Tinder, one of the world’s leading dating apps, has introduced a new “height preference” feature exclusively for its Premium and Gold members. This new option, announced Thursday, allows paying users to express their preferred height range for potential matches, though it does not operate as a strict exclusion filter but rather as an…