Startups
A short history: Halide and Lux Optics Halide — the camera app known for giving iPhone users manual controls, RAW capture, and photographer-focused UI — is built by a small team under the company Lux Optics. The company also publishes Kino (a video-focused app) and Spectre (long-exposure computational photography). For years Lux
Startups
What Aether OS is — and why it matters Aether OS is an experimental “computer in a browser” that maps desktop metaphors—windows, terminals, file-like views—onto the AT Protocol, the decentralized social network stack behind Bluesky. It isn’t trying to replace macOS or Windows. Instead, it’s a deliberately
Startups
A retro startup chasing modern money Palmer Luckey — best known as the creator of Oculus VR — is back in hardware with ModRetro, a startup building nostalgia-first gaming devices. After releasing the Chromatic, a Game Boy-style handheld, in 2024, ModRetro has reportedly begun talks to raise capital at roughly a $1
Startups
Why Palmer Luckey is chasing 1990s consoles Palmer Luckey — the entrepreneur best known for founding Oculus and later building defence firm Anduril — is reportedly pitching a sizable funding round for ModRetro, a startup aiming to reimagine 1990s-era game hardware. The headline number circulating in the press is roughly $1 billion:
Startups
* NASA has issued an order to Axiom Space for the fifth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. * The mission contract was signed by NASA and Axiom Space; the launch is "targeted to launch no earlier than" a date not specified in the notice. * The agreement continues
Startups
* A New York startup, Aircela, has built a fridge-sized machine that converts ambient air into gasoline. * The system is not “free energy”: it requires significant inputs and energy to produce fuel, but can be practical for small-scale uses. * Potential applications include decentralized fuel supply for remote sites, research, and backup
Startups
• Key Takeaways * Replit is in advanced talks to raise roughly $400 million in a funding round that would value the company at about $9 billion, people familiar with the matter say. * The new valuation would roughly triple Replit’s previous valuation, implying a jump from around $3 billion to $9
Startups
Key Takeaways: * Aircela’s system captures CO2 from ambient air and combines it with hydrogen to produce synthetic gasoline. * The process uses a KOH water solution for direct-air capture, electrolysis for hydrogen, and methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) catalysis. * Current prototype makes roughly one gallon of gasoline per day and can run in
Startups
* Space Forge has activated a microwave-sized ‘factory’ in low Earth orbit and run its furnace to about 1,000°C, producing glowing plasma images beamed back to mission control in Cardiff. * The company says in-space conditions can yield semiconductors up to 4,000× purer than Earth-made equivalents, improving electronics from
Startups
* SpaceX’s first successful Falcon 9 first‑stage landing occurred Dec. 21, 2015 on the Orbcomm‑2 mission, proving controlled recovery was possible. * The dramatic comeback followed the June 2015 CRS‑7 failure; investigation traced the loss to a failed COPV rod‑end and quality control gaps. * Simultaneous engineering pushes
Startups
* Key Takeaways: * OpenAI chief communications officer Hannah Wong will leave the company in January. * OpenAI confirmed the move; an executive search for a replacement is underway. * Lindsey Held, VP of communications, will lead the team temporarily; CMO Kate Rouch is running the search. * Wong helped navigate OpenAI’s growth and
Startups
* Bengaluru-based D2C startup NORI has launched a new line of modular travel gear designed to eliminate packing stress. * The flagship "Voyager Essentials Set" replaces outdated packing cubes with a specialized six-piece organizer system for seamless travel. * Cofounders designed the products based on their own frustrations, targeting a new