Episode #7: Big Tech Is Slow, BYD Is Fast, xAI Joins Azure and Trucks Drive Themselves Now?!
Sorry for the delay
Hey hey! Sorry for the 2-day radio silence — I went on a little “accidental adventure” across Japan. One moment I was hiking Mount Mitake like a monk, the next I was screaming on roller coasters at Hakkeijima like a kid on sugar. Ueno Park tried to calm me down, but Japanese food kept distracting me (I may have formed a serious relationship with ramen). Long story short, time flew faster than that coaster drop. Thanks for waiting — I’m back now, slightly more enlightened and very full!
Why are big tech companies so slow?
Have you ever wondered why big tech companies take so long to build new features? It’s not because their engineers are slow or lazy. The real reason is that their products are huge and complicated.
Every time they add something new, like a button or a setting, it has to work with everything else that’s already there. That means a lot of testing and fixing to make sure nothing breaks. Sometimes, a small change can take weeks because it affects so many parts of the system.
There are also features that touch almost every part of the product. These are the hardest to build, but they can bring in a lot of money or attract new users.
So, why don’t these companies just build less? Because even small features can make a big difference when millions of people use the product. But the more they add, the more complex everything gets—and the slower they move.
Big tech isn’t slow because they’re bad—they’re slow because building things at this scale is really tough.
BYD is coming for Tesla’s lunch
Let’s talk about the electric car race-and right now, BYD from China is speeding past Tesla like it’s stuck in traffic!
Tesla’s been the big name in electric vehicles for years, but BYD isn’t just catching up-it’s charging ahead. Their new “Super e-Platform” lets you add 250 miles of range in just five minutes. That’s four times faster than what Tesla can do! Imagine grabbing a coffee and coming back to a fully charged car-BYD makes it possible.
While Tesla’s sales are slipping, BYD’s are booming. In just the first quarter, BYD sold over 400,000 electric cars and doubled its profits. They’re even launching flashy new luxury cars, keeping competitors on their toes.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s got more problems than just competition. There’s political drama, protests, and even fires at dealerships. Plus, trade wars are making it harder to get the parts they need. Ford’s feeling the heat too, with tariffs stopping their exports to China.
Elon Musk says robotaxis will save the day, but we’ve heard that promise before. While Tesla dreams of the future, BYD is selling cars today-and telling American automakers: keep up, or get left behind! [Link] ( https://qz.com/tesla-byd-ford-elon-musk-china-evs-1851777820)
Aurora launches commercial self-driving truck service in Texas
Get ready for a glimpse of the future-because it just hit the highways of Texas! Aurora Innovation has officially launched America’s very first fully driverless, commercial self-driving truck service. That’s right: these big rigs are now hauling real freight between Dallas and Houston, with no human behind the wheel-not even as backup!
Aurora’s trucks are loaded with high-tech sensors and AI that can spot trouble from more than four football fields away. After four years and three million miles of testing with safety drivers, they finally let the trucks loose-and so far, they’ve clocked over 1,200 miles all on their own.
Why now? Well, the freight industry is in a bit of a slump, so Aurora’s betting that safer, more efficient autonomous trucks could be the boost everyone needs. And they’re not stopping here-routes to El Paso and Phoenix are already in the works for next year.
So next time you’re driving down a Texas highway, keep an eye out-you might just be sharing the road with a truck that’s driving itself. The future of trucking isn’t just coming…it’s already here!
Microsoft to host Elon Musk’s Grok AI on Azure cloud
Microsoft is teaming up with Elon Musk’s xAI to bring the powerful Grok AI model to the Azure cloud. This partnership means developers and enterprises can soon access Grok through Azure AI Foundry, alongside other top-tier models like OpenAI’s GPT-4.
But what makes Grok 3.5 stand out? Built on xAI’s Colossus supercomputer with a whopping 200,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, Grok 3.5 is designed for “first principles” reasoning. That means it doesn’t just repeat what it’s seen online-it actually works through complex technical problems from scratch, offering truly original solutions.
With specialized modes like “Big Brain” for deep technical challenges and “DeepSearch” for real-time, transparent information retrieval, Grok 3.5 is setting new benchmarks in math, science, and coding-outperforming many competitors.
So, as Microsoft opens the door for Grok on Azure, we’re witnessing the next leap in enterprise AI.
Improved Shopping Results from ChatGPT Search
Looking for a smarter way to shop online? ChatGPT’s latest update transforms your shopping experience into something fast, visual, and genuinely helpful.
Now, when you ask ChatGPT about products-like “best headphones under $100” or “funny costumes for two big dogs”-you’ll see a beautiful carousel of product cards, each with images, prices, star ratings, and quick review summaries. No more endless scrolling or sifting through ads: these recommendations are chosen independently by ChatGPT, not paid placements or sponsored results.
ChatGPT tailors its suggestions to your needs. If you mention a budget, preferred style, or even that you dislike certain things (like clown costumes!), the AI takes it all into account. You can ask follow-up questions, refine your search, and even click through for more details or to buy directly from trusted retailers.
Product info is pulled from a range of sources-so you get up-to-date prices, honest reviews, and handy feature labels like “Budget-friendly” or “Most popular.” And if you want to double-check, you can click through to see more reviews or compare prices across different merchants.
This feature is rolling out to all users, whether you’re on Plus, Pro, Free, or not even logged in. It’s available in GPT-4o and 4o-mini, and covers everything from fashion and beauty to home goods and electronics.
Ready to shop smarter? Just ask ChatGPT-your new AI shopping assistant is ready to help you find, compare, and buy the perfect products, all in one chat.