Google Reportedly Told Its Staff to Use AI More or Risk Falling Behind: ‘It Seems Like a No-Brainer’
Google says it isn’t factoring AI use into performance reviews (yet), but the tech giant is encouraging employees to utilize the technology.
Real Estate Is a Valuable Asset — and This Tech Will Make It More Accessible
A new wave of technology is rewriting the rules of real estate, signaling a cultural reset for how people engage with property investment.
Technology
The Download: Ukraine’s Starlink repair shop, and predicting solar storms
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. On the ground in Ukraine’s largest Starlink repair shop Starlink is absolutely critical to Ukraine’s ability to continue in the fight against Russia. It’s how troops in battle zones stay connected with faraway…
In a first, Google has released data on how much energy an AI prompt uses
Google has just released a technical report detailing how much energy its Gemini apps use for each query. In total, the median prompt—one that falls in the middle of the range of energy demand—consumes 0.24 watt-hours of electricity, the equivalent of running a standard microwave for about one second. The company also provided average estimates…
Why recycling isn’t enough to address the plastic problem
I remember using a princess toothbrush when I was little. The handle was purple, teal, and sparkly. Like most of the other pieces of plastic that have ever been made, it’s probably still out there somewhere, languishing in a landfill. (I just hope it’s not in the ocean.) I’ve been thinking about that toothbrush again…
On the ground in Ukraine’s largest Starlink repair shop
Oleh Kovalskyy thinks that Starlink terminals are built as if someone assembled them with their feet. Or perhaps with their hands behind their back. To demonstrate this last image, Kovalskyy—a large, 47-year-old Ukrainian, clad in sweatpants and with tattoos stretching from his wrists up to his neck—leans over to wiggle his fingers in the air…
Google, sorry, but that Pixel event was a cringefest
Google’s Pixel event was awkward and forced, underselling the technology it had on display.
Y Combinator alum SRE.ai raises $7.2M for DevOps AI agents
The company helps automate complex enterprise workflows (like continuous integration and testing) — or, in other words, it makes DevOps capabilities more efficient as AI technology takes hold.
The Download: churches in the age of AI, and how to run an LLM at home
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How churches use data and AI as engines of surveillance On a Sunday morning in a Midwestern megachurch, worshippers step through sliding glass doors into a bustling lobby—unaware they’ve just passed through a…
Material Cultures looks to the past to build the future
Despite decades of green certifications, better material sourcing, and the use of more sustainable materials such as mass timber, the built environment is still responsible for a third of global emissions worldwide. According to a 2024 UN report, the building sector has fallen “significantly behind on progress” toward becoming more sustainable. Changing the way we…
The Download: clean energy progress, and OpenAI’s trilemma
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How to make clean energy progress under Trump in the states—blue and red alike —Joshua A. Basseches is the David and Jane Flowerree Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Public Policy at Tulane…