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A Perfect Smartwatch for Women

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4 days ago

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A Perfect Smartwatch for Women

Huawei announced quite a few smartwatches back in September, including the Huawei Watch GT 5, which I’m here to review. Prior to that, I reviewed the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro and Huawei Watch D2, both of which were also announced in September. The Huawei Watch GT 5 does look fairly different from those two devices, especially the 41mm variant that I received from Huawei.

This smartwatch comes in 46mm and 41mm variants. The 41mm variant is mostly catered to women, not only because of its size but because of its design too. That’s something you’ll immediately notice the moment you see the watch. I really do love this design, though, and will talk far more about it in the next chapter. Spoiler alert, this is one of the best watches you can get to your girlfriend/wife, and my wife helped me come to that conclusion. Let’s get to it.

Huawei Watch GT 5 Review: Hardware / Design

As already mentioned, the Huawei Watch GT 5 comes in two different sizes and design options. 41mm and 46mm models are available. These two watches may as well bear different names altogether, as they do offer different designs. In any case, we’ll focus on the 41mm model, as that’s the one that we’re reviewing here. This smartwatch is made out of stainless steel, while it comes in several different strap options, depending on which you end up getting.

There’s plenty to choose from… looks-wise

Brown, Gold, White, Blue, and Black distinct variants are available. These color names represent strap colors more than they do actual watch colors, though. We have the ‘Blue’ variant, and the watch is silver-colored, as is the ‘White’ model. The ‘Black’ variant has that same hue, but a different shape of the watch itself. That model is circular without any flare to the design, which is not something we can say for our review unit. Based on which variant you get you buy either a silver-colored or a gold-colored watch. Straps range from fluorolastomer and metal to leather and fluorolastomer+leather combo. Our model came with a fluorolastomer strap, which also has some flare to it, to mimic the details around the watch itself.

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AH Huawei Watch GT 5 41mm image 22

The watch bezel is “patterned with intricate leaves”, as Huawei put it. All variants but the ‘Black’ one. It does give it a bit of flare, and it looks better than the regular circle, in my opinion. In fact it looks much better in real life than it does in images. There are two buttons on the right-hand side of the watch. The top one rotates, while the bottom one does not. When you’re rotating it, you’re getting great haptic feedback. There is also a pattern on that button so that it’s easier to rotate it with your finger. The bottom button is customizable and has a different shape, it’s squarish. Both keys are very clicky.

This version looks different than the 46mm model

The lugs on this watch are notably different than on the 46mm version. They have one connection point to the watch itself, the split is not direct from the watch itself. This makes this watch look different, and quite frankly it looks better on thin wrists. Huawei did the right thing here, in my opinion. The straps are also thinner than the ones for the 46mm Huawei Watch GT 5. You’ll need a 20mm strap for this watch. Huawei’s EasyFit system is in place here, so removing the strap is as easy as pushing down on a button. Yes, you can use third-party straps here, just make sure to get the right size.

At the bottom of the watch, you’ll find a heart rate sensor, and not much else. The watch is very comfortable to watch. It looks very weird on my wrist, but my wife did wear it for a bit, and she simply loved it. She loved the design when she saw it, and said it’s not too heavy for her or anything like that. She used the words “very comfortable” a number of times, and I’d agree. I am used to much heavier watches, though, so she’s definitely the better benchmark. Speaking of which, the watch is only 9.5mm thick and weighs 35 grams, so… it’s very light and not thick at all. It also feels as a well-made piece of tech. Huawei hit the home run with this design.

Huawei Watch GT 5 Review: Display

The 41mm variant of the Huawei Watch GT 5 has a 1.32-inch AMOLED display. That display is circular and it offers a resolution of 466 x 466 with a PPI of 326. On paper, the display looks great, and the same is the case in real life, actually. I cannot think of a single complaint when it comes to this display. It is vivid and more than sharp enough for its size. It’s perfectly visible outdoors when it needs to be, and the touch response is great too. For those of you who are wondering, yes, the flick-to-power-on gesture works perfectly fine too. It’s sensitive, but not too sensitive, as was the case on the Huawei Watch D2. Though as I said in that review article, Huawei will likely take care of that soon, as they did in the past.

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This display is more than big enough

When it comes to size itself, yes, I did notice the difference between the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro’s 1.43-inch display size and the 1.32-inch display this model offers. It didn’t bother me one bit, though. Yes, I prefer the larger display size, but even a display size on this petite watch is more than enough for what you’ll need to see on it. Notifications are perfectly visible and well-optimized, and the same goes for everything else basically. It’s scaled down in size a bit, but still fits on this display really well. It’s not a problem whatsoever. I literally don’t have a single complaint when it comes to this display, none.

AH Huawei Watch GT 5 41mm image 17

Huawei Watch GT 5 Review: Performance

As is usually the case, Huawei did not share the performance-related internals of this watch. We do not know what SoC it’s using nor how much RAM is included on the inside. We’re almost positive it’s a Kirin chip, maybe even the A1, but we’re not sure. The same goes for storage, by the way. What I can tell you, however, is that the watch offers great performance. Just to be clear, I’m talking about regular, everyday performance, such as opening apps, navigating the UI, smoothness of apps and animations, etc. We’ll talk about the fitness/health aspects later on.

The watch offered very smooth performance

This watch was very smooth throughout my usage, and my wife didn’t have any complaints either. Huawei also improved the animations. As I mentioned in the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro review, I did notice them straight away, but in a good way. They’re very snappy and nice to look at, they’re not in the way as they can be on some tech these days. I was unable to get this watch to lag no matter what I did. The performance of Huawei smartwatches has been outstanding for years, and the same is the case here.

Huawei Watch GT 5 Review: Battery

While Huawei says that the 46mm Huawei Watch GT 5’s battery can last up to 14 days, it’s half that for the 41mm variant, with what we’d call regular use. It does include a smaller display, but its battery is also notably smaller, it seems (the company did not share the exact capacities). Huawei did give out the usage stats to achieve such battery life, and they’re shown below. Also, do note that always on display was not enabled in this scenario. If you do that, Huawei says you’ll reach 3 days worth of battery life with similar usage. There’s also a scenario for a 5-day battery life output. Check out all three below.

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The battery life was more than good

Did my usage reflect that? Well, no, not really, as I didn’t really use the watch in the same exact way. For example, I don’t really talk via the watch, I only tested it out for a short time. I also don’t use watch alarms, which was also done only for testing purposes, and so on. I did leave all of its tracking features enabled, though, tracked workouts 3 times a week, used the notifications a whole lot, used it to control multimedia, and so on. It’s worth noting that I used it as I’d regularly use a smartwatch, I didn’t try to to kill it on purpose.

Getting 6 days’ worth of battery life was doable

With that being said, with my usage, I was able to reach around 6 days’ worth of battery life. That is great compared to most of the competition, and it’s not half bad in general I’d say. It’s a really good battery life for a smartwatch, especially one that is as capable as the Huawei Watch GT 5. I really wanted to test out the 46mm too, as I bet that one would truly go the distance in terms of battery life, but there you go.

In regards to charging, the watch comes with a wireless charging puck. That puck magnetizes to the back of the Huawei Watch GT 5. In regards to charging speed, I was able to charge this watch in well under an hour. It took around 40 minutes for it to fully charge.

Huawei Watch GT 5 Review: Software

This smartwatch, much like its GT 5 Pro and D2 siblings, comes with HarmonyOS 5.0 in regards to software. There’s not a lot new here compared to HarmonyOS 4.0, but that’s not a bad thing. This version of the OS does bring new watch faces, new animations, a new standard way to display new notifications, and some other changes. Regular sprucing up of the UI also took place, but only some minor touches. HarmonyOS 5.0 does look great on the Huawei Watch GT 5, that’s for sure. This software tended to look a bit inconsistent in previous versions, but Huawei ditched those growing pains.

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AH Huawei Watch GT 5 41mm image 25

Animations have been improved

The new animations are very snappy and smooth, as animations should be. I did notice that animations were spruced up from the get-go, that’s how good they are now. I didn’t even notice them in the past, basically. The UI is very responsive, and that’s partly due to the display’s touch response. I had a great experience using HarmonyOS 5.0 on this watch, as I did on its siblings that I’ve mentioned earlier. The layout here is exactly what you’d expect. Swipe down, you get quick toggles. Swipe up, your notifications are there. On the right side widget pages are located, while some additional shortcuts (weather and media controls) are on the left. It’s very easy to get the hang of and use.

You have a lot of watch faces to choose from, many of which are free

There are a bunch of watch faces included here too. Some offer interactive elements, and a ton more you can get via the Huawei Health app. There are a ton of free ones too. Speaking of which, the Huawei Health app will be necessary to use this watch, as you’ll need to pair it. The app itself looks quite good and offers a ton of health data and all that. Just note that you won’t be able to get it from the Google Play Store. You have to download it directly from Huawei’s website, or install the AppGallery (Huawei’s app store), and download it from there. The watch is compatible with both Android and iOS, though.

There are not many third-party apps available

Aside from health-related apps, you can also access your Call Logs, Contacts, Notifications, Music, Weather, Wallet, Stopwatch, Timer, and so on from the app screen… directly from the watch. There are not many third-party apps to download, so getting your favorite apps that you’ve used on WearOS will likely be impossible. Huawei does offer a great set of apps on the watch itself, so getting anything extra is not that necessary. Well, it won’t be for most people, at least. For my usage, I really didn’t feel the need to download anything. Even offline maps can be placed on the watch thanks to Petal Maps.

AH Huawei Watch GT 5 41mm image 41

Now, the notifications. First and foremost, do note that dismissing a notification on your watch won’t dismiss it from your phone. Doing the opposite will remove the notification from the watch, however. That’s the way I personally prefer a smartwatch to function, though that’s just me. In any case, you should be aware of this. The notifications were timely, and I had no issues with that whatsoever. After I allowed Huawei Health free reign in terms of battery and locked the app in the background, though, of course. You may only have to do the battery part, depending on the brand, but Huawei does have a tutorial for that in the app itself.

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The notification cards look very nice, and some apps allow responses via a keyboard

The notification cards look great, actually. They offer plenty of information and are genuinely well-designed, so that’s a plus. You can respond via pre-set replies, which are customizable, or via emoticons. For some apps, keyboard responses are also available. You can choose between several keyboard setups on the watch, depending on what you prefer more, of course. Also, do note that some app icons for notifications won’t appear properly on the watch. The vast majority of them will, but there was an odd instance that one didn’t. For example. I had such a problem with the Viber icon on this watch, even though I had no such issues on the Huawei Watch GT 4. I believe these are some initial problems, and that Huawei will iron out the issue soon.

AH Huawei Watch GT 5 41mm image 42

All in all, HarmonyOS is one of my favorite operating systems for smartwatches, if not my favorite one. It’s just nice and straightforward, and everything simply works as it should.

Huawei Watch GT 5 Review: Health & Fitness

The Huawei Watch GT 5 41mm model has the same set of health and fitness features as its 46mm counterpart. That basically means that it’s extremely well-equipped in that regard, and we expected nothing less from Huawei. I did notice some accuracy improvements compared to the Huawei Watch GT 4, which is always nice to see. Before we get into all that, let’s check out everything we’re getting here. Both GPS support and a heart rate sensor are here, as that’s basically a standard for smartwatches these days.

Huawei’s TruSense is back, better than ever

Huawei’s TruSense combination of various metrics is here once again, and it works better than ever. Tons of workout options are available, plus the Cycle Calendar for women is available. On top of that, you have the option to get Huawei Health+, which offers various exclusive benefits, including workouts, guided meditations, Stay Fit Plan, and breathing exercises. Do note that you’re getting three months of this for free when you buy the watch.

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Let’s kick things off with GPS and a heart-rate sensor. I did notice an improvement in the GPS accuracy compared to the Huawei Watch GT 4. The Huawei Sunflower Positioning System is utilized here, and “powered by a special in-house algorithm”. This feature tracks the satellite signal, which ensures the watch ends up being more accurate. That is something I’ve noticed on the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro, and quite frankly, it works great. I used the Huawei Watch GT 4 at the same time, just to compare, and the Huawei Watch GT 5 did the job almost flawlessly during my bike ride. The heart rate sensor works really well too, no complaints at all. It’s faster this time around.

Sleep tracking was good, but my old complaint remains

You do get access to sleep tracking as well. It worked well in general, even though I’ve noticed that sleep stage recognitions were a bit off based on past experiences. I also had the same issue I had on every other smartwatch. When I wake up, I tend to look through the news on my phone. I’m a rightie, and use my phone with my right hand, while the watch is on my left. Even though I do move a bit, I do stay in my bed, so not a single watch is able to recognize when exactly I woke up. I wish that worked a bit better as I don’t want to change my habits for the benefit of sleep tracking. It did pick up on me being awake at times, but not always. As I said, this is not exclusive to this watch, it’s basically the case with every single one I’ve used.

It’s worth noting that SpO2 monitoring is also on board, and the same goes for stress tracking and skin temperature measurement. As far as I can tell, all of those features worked fine. Now, what the watch lacks is the ECG and arterial stiffness info, those are reserved for the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro that I reviewed not long ago.

The watch comes with a ton of workout options pre-installed

AH Huawei Watch GT 5 41mm image 27

Now, when it comes to actual workouts, there are a ton of them to choose between here. ranging from outdoor and indoor running to pool swimming, jumping rope, and mountain climbing. Whatever activity you’re in, you’ll find a way to track it with this watch. It can pick up on activities automatically, but only a handful of them. For all the others you’ll have to activate them before you start them. Route planning is also a part of the offering, by the way, if that’s what you need. You can simply set this up before your run, hike, or whatever you’re doing. I’ve tried out indoor and outdoor walking and running, bike riding, and pool swimming. It worked like a charm, as I mentioned earlier, the GPS was flawless too, which resulted in more accurate results overall.

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Huawei Watch GT 5 Review: Audio

Every time I review a smartwatch, there’s a select group of people who are interested in the speaker and the call quality. That’s not something I care about, but I have to check it out as part of the review process, so here goes… it’s actually good for what it is. There is a speaker here, yes, and also a microphone if you’d like to conduct calls via the watch. Bluetooth calling is enabled, so you can take calls if you want. It of course needs to be connected to your phone, though, this watch does not offer SIM card support or anything like that.

The speaker is good for what it is

In any case, the speaker is good for a smartwatch speaker, though that’s about it. You can take calls without a problem, as long as it’s not too noisy around you. The microphone is okay, but people did notice I didn’t speak via a phone or earbuds/headphones. I sounded “distant”, they said, but “okay” at the same time. So… yes, you can use the watch for phone calls, but that’s not something I’d recommend if it’s not quiet around you.

Huawei Watch GT 5: Should you buy it?

AH Huawei Watch GT 5 41mm image 32

As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, my wife participated in the review of this smartwatch. I also asked a bunch of her friends to react to its design and try it out briefly. All of them were overjoyed with the design here, as was I the moment I’ve seen it. It did look very weird on my wrist, to be quite honest. Back when I saw the smaller Huawei Watch GT 5 smartwatch in Huawei’s promo materials, I was convinced that women would love this watch. I had the same feeling when I unpacked it, and my expectations were only confirmed during the review process.

Not only does this smartwatch look great, and is ideal for women, but it’s also a great smartwatch in general. You’re basically getting the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro experience in a considerably smaller form factor. Well, for the most part. This is an easy recommendation for me despite its price tag. If you can afford to get it, the Huawei Watch GT 5 is worth buying. Just note some of its limitations in terms of app availability and so on, though that won’t really be a problem for the vast majority of people, of that I’m sure.

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You should buy the Huawei Watch GT 5 (41mm) if you:

…are a woman, and watch a circular watch
…are annoyed by big and bulky watches
…want good battery life despite the watch’s size
…are in need of reliable fitness and health tracking
…appreciate magnetic wireless charging
…don’t need third-party apps

You shouldn’t buy the Huawei Watch GT 5 (41mm) if you:

…like using third-party apps on watches
…have a wider wrist

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Bluesky surges to 15 million users after getting a million sign-ups in one week

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November 14, 2024

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Bluesky surges to 15 million users after getting a million sign-ups in one week

Bluesky may still be the underdog in the race for alternatives to X, but the once Twitter-affiliated service is gaining momentum. The app just passed the 15 million user mark after adding more than a million new users over the last week, the company said in an update.

While Bluesky is still considerably smaller than Threads, which with 275 million users is its biggest rival, there are signs that Threads users have been increasingly curious about the upstart. “Bluesky” has been a trending topic on Threads in recent days and an in-app search suggestion shows there are more than 19,000 posts about “Bluesky.” Bluesky itself has also made to win over Threads users in recent weeks by posting regularly on the Meta-owned service.

That effort seems to be working. A month ago, Engadget , the service had just under 9 million users. Its mobile app also has the top spot in Apple’s App Store, followed by Threads and ChatGPT. Its recent success also seems to be driven, at least in part, by frustration with Elon Musk and X following the US presidential election.

A recent report from web analytics company SimilarWeb found that “more than 115,000 US web visitors deactivated their accounts,” on November 7, “more than on any previous day of Elon Musk’s tenure.” The report also noted that “web traffic and daily active users for Bluesky increased dramatically in the week before the election, and then again after election day,” with Bluesky at points seeing more web traffic than Threads. (Threads’ mobile usage, however, is still “far ahead” of Bluesky.)

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Traffic for Threads and Bluesky according to SimilarWeb.

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“In the US, Bluesky got more web visits than Threads in the immediate aftermath of the election,” the report notes. “For context, it’s important to note that both services are app centric, even though they support a web user interface.”

On its part, Bluesky seems intent on distinguishing itself from its larger, billionaire-controlled rivals. The company, which began as an internal project at Twitter before it spun off into an independent entity, has experimented with novel features like , user-created and “” for new users.

“You’re probably used to being trapped in a single algorithm controlled by a small group of people, that’s no longer the case,” Bluesky’s COO Rose Wang shared in aimed at new users Tuesday. “On Bluesky, there are about 50,000 different feeds … these feeds provide a cozy corner for you to meet people with similar interests. And you can actually make friends again, because you’re no longer tied to a dominant algorithm that promotes either the most polarizing posts and or the biggest brands, and that’s the mandate of Bluesky.”

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Microsoft brings AI to the farm and factory floor, partnering with industry giants

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November 14, 2024

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Microsoft brings AI to the farm and factory floor, partnering with industry giants

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Microsoft has launched a new suite of specialized AI models designed to address specific challenges in manufacturing, agriculture, and financial services. In collaboration with partners such as Siemens, Bayer, Rockwell Automation, and others, the tech giant is aiming to bring advanced AI technologies directly into the heart of industries that have long relied on traditional methods and tools.

These purpose-built models—now available through Microsoft’s Azure AI catalog—represent Microsoft’s most focused effort yet to develop AI tools tailored to the unique needs of different sectors. The company’s initiative reflects a broader strategy to move beyond general-purpose AI and deliver solutions that can provide immediate operational improvements in industries like agriculture and manufacturing, which are increasingly facing pressures to innovate.

“Microsoft is in a unique position to deliver the industry-specific solutions organizations need through the combination of the Microsoft Cloud, our industry expertise, and our global partner ecosystem,” Satish Thomas, Corporate Vice President of Business & Industry Solutions at Microsoft, said in a LinkedIn post announcing the new AI models.

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“Through these models,” he added, “we’re addressing top industry use cases, from managing regulatory compliance of financial communications to helping frontline workers with asset troubleshooting on the factory floor — ultimately, enabling organizations to adopt AI at scale across every industry and region… and much more to come in future updates!”

Siemens and Microsoft remake industrial design with AI-powered software

At the center of the initiative is a partnership with Siemens to integrate AI into its NX X software, a widely used platform for industrial design. Siemens’ NX X copilot uses natural language processing to allow engineers to issue commands and ask questions about complex design tasks. This feature could drastically reduce the onboarding time for new users while helping seasoned engineers complete their work faster.

By embedding AI into the design process, Siemens and Microsoft are addressing a critical need in manufacturing: the ability to streamline complex tasks and reduce human error. This partnership also highlights a growing trend in enterprise technology, where companies are looking for AI solutions that can improve day-to-day operations rather than experimental or futuristic applications.

Smaller, faster, smarter: How Microsoft’s compact AI models are transforming factory operations

Microsoft’s new initiative relies heavily on its Phi family of small language models (SLMs), which are designed to perform specific tasks while using less computing power than larger models. This makes them ideal for industries like manufacturing, where computing resources can be limited, and where companies often need AI that can operate efficiently on factory floors.

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Perhaps one of the most novel uses of AI in this initiative comes from Sight Machine, a leader in manufacturing data analytics. Sight Machine’s Factory Namespace Manager addresses a long-standing but often overlooked problem: the inconsistent naming conventions used to label machines, processes, and data across different factories. This lack of standardization has made it difficult for manufacturers to analyze data across multiple sites. The Factory Namespace Manager helps by automatically translating these varied naming conventions into standardized formats, allowing manufacturers to better integrate their data and make it more actionable.

While this may seem like a minor technical fix, the implications are far-reaching. Standardizing data across a global manufacturing network could unlock operational efficiencies that have been difficult to achieve.

Early adopters like Swire Coca-Cola USA, which plans to use this technology to streamline its production data, likely see the potential for gains in both efficiency and decision-making. In an industry where even small improvements in process management can translate into substantial cost savings, addressing this kind of foundational issue is a crucial step toward more sophisticated data-driven operations.

Smart farming gets real: Bayer’s AI model tackles modern agriculture challenges

In agriculture, the Bayer E.L.Y. Crop Protection model is poised to become a key tool for farmers navigating the complexities of modern farming. Trained on thousands of real-world questions related to crop protection labels, the model provides farmers with insights into how best to apply pesticides and other crop treatments, factoring in everything from regulatory requirements to environmental conditions.

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This model comes at a crucial time for the agricultural industry, which is grappling with the effects of climate change, labor shortages, and the need to improve sustainability. By offering AI-driven recommendations, Bayer’s model could help farmers make more informed decisions that not only improve crop yields but also support more sustainable farming practices.

The initiative also extends into the automotive and financial sectors. Cerence, which develops in-car voice assistants, will use Microsoft’s AI models to enhance in-vehicle systems. Its CaLLM Edge model allows drivers to control various car functions, such as climate control and navigation, even in settings with limited or no cloud connectivity—making the technology more reliable for drivers in remote areas.

In finance, Saifr, a regulatory technology startup within Fidelity Investments, is introducing models aimed at helping financial institutions manage regulatory compliance more effectively. These AI tools can analyze broker-dealer communications to flag potential compliance risks in real-time, significantly speeding up the review process and reducing the risk of regulatory penalties.

Rockwell Automation, meanwhile, is releasing the FT Optix Food & Beverage model, which helps factory workers troubleshoot equipment in real time. By providing recommendations directly on the factory floor, this AI tool can reduce downtime and help maintain production efficiency in a sector where operational disruptions can be costly.

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The release of these AI models marks a shift in how businesses can adopt and implement artificial intelligence. Rather than requiring companies to adapt to broad, one-size-fits-all AI systems, Microsoft’s approach allows businesses to use AI models that are custom-built to address their specific operational challenges. This addresses a major pain point for industries that have been hesitant to adopt AI due to concerns about cost, complexity, or relevance to their particular needs.

The focus on practicality also reflects Microsoft’s understanding that many businesses are looking for AI tools that can deliver immediate, measurable results. In sectors like manufacturing and agriculture, where margins are often tight and operational disruptions can be costly, the ability to deploy AI that improves efficiency or reduces downtime is far more appealing than speculative AI projects with uncertain payoffs.

By offering tools that are tailored to industry-specific needs, Microsoft is betting that businesses will prioritize tangible improvements in their operations over more experimental technologies. This strategy could accelerate AI adoption in sectors that have traditionally been slower to embrace new technologies, like manufacturing and agriculture.

Inside Microsoft’s plan to dominate industrial AI and edge computing

Microsoft’s push into industry-specific AI models comes at a time of increasing competition in the cloud and AI space. Rivals like Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud are also investing heavily in AI, but Microsoft’s focus on tailored industry solutions sets it apart. By partnering with established leaders like Siemens, Bayer, and Rockwell Automation, Microsoft is positioning itself to be a key player in the digitization of industries that are under growing pressure to modernize.

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The availability of these models through Azure AI Studio and Microsoft Copilot Studio also speaks to Microsoft’s broader vision of making AI accessible not just to tech companies, but to businesses in every sector. By integrating AI into the day-to-day operations of industries like manufacturing, agriculture, and finance, Microsoft is helping to bring AI out of the lab and into the real world.

As global manufacturers, agricultural producers, and financial institutions face increasing pressures from supply chain disruptions, sustainability goals, and regulatory demands, Microsoft’s industry-specific AI offerings could become essential tools in helping them adapt and thrive in a fast-changing world.


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Lyten buys battery manufacturing assets from beleaguered Northvolt

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November 14, 2024

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Cuberg's old manufacturing facility stands against a blue sky.

Lyten, a Silicon Valley battery startup, announced today that it’s acquiring manufacturing assets from Northvolt, a Swedish battery manufacturer that’s facing a cash crunch.

As part of the deal, Northvolt is selling manufacturing equipment the company inherited in its 2021 acquisition of Cuberg, another battery startup. Lyten will also assume the lease of Cuberg’s old manufacturing facility in San Leandro, California. Lyten will invest $20 million next year to expand facilities in San Leandro and its existing operations in San Jose.

Neither Lyten nor Northvolt immediately replied to questions about the deal’s financial terms.

Unlike many other battery manufacturers, Lyten isn’t relying on nickel, cobalt, manganese, or even iron for its cathode materials. Instead, it’s using cheap and abundant sulfur mixed into a graphene matrix. On the anode side, it doesn’t use any graphite, a material that faces export restrictions from China. The company says the combination results in cells that have greater energy density than nickel-manganese-cobalt flavors but are cheaper to produce than low-cost lithium-iron-phosphate.

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Northvolt has been struggling lately. The company has struggled to scale up production of lithium-ion batteries, and it missed delivery of a large order from BMW, which nudged the automaker to nullify a €2 billion contract. 

To conserve cash, the company announced in August that it would shutter research and development at the Cuberg site, laying off nearly 200 employees. Then in September, it said that it was laying off an additional 1,600 employees, about 20% of its workforce, and that it had halted two planned factory expansions.

It’s unclear whether that cost-cutting and deal with Lyten will be enough to help Northvolt get through the coming year. Last week, Bloomberg reported that Northvolt needs to raise nearly $1 billion to give it some breathing room; the company’s operations reportedly burn through about $100 million a month.

While Northvolt is on the skids, Lyten appears ascendent.

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The San Jose-based startup is planning to break ground next year on a factory in Nevada with a planned capacity of 10 gigawatt-hours. When complete, the $1 billion facility will produce lithium-sulfur batteries destined for micromobility vehicles like scooters and e-bikes, and defense and space applications like drones and satellites. The company expects it to come online in 2027.

Lyten’s purchase of Northvolt’s Cuberg assets give it the equipment and space to produce up to 200 megawatt-hours of lithium-sulfur batteries in the Bay Area. That should give the company some revenue while it prepares its larger factory in Nevada.

Lyten has raised $476 million to date at a $1.17 billion valuation, according to PitchBook, including a $200 million round that closed last year.

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OpenAI reportedly plans to launch an AI agent early next year

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November 14, 2024

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OpenAI reportedly plans to launch an AI agent early next year

OpenAI is preparing to release an autonomous AI agent that can control computers and perform tasks independently, code-named “Operator.” The company plans to debut it as a research preview and developer tool in January, according to Bloomberg.

This move intensifies the competition among tech giants developing AI agents: Anthropic recently introduced its “computer use” capability, while Google is reportedly preparing its own version for a December release. The timing of Operator’s eventual consumer release remains under wraps, but its development signals a pivotal shift toward AI systems that can actively engage with computer interfaces rather than just process text and images.

All the leading AI companies have promised autonomous AI agents, and OpenAI has hyped up the possibility recently. In a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” forum a few weeks ago, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said “we will have better and better models,” but “I think the thing that will feel like the next giant breakthrough will be agents.” At an OpenAI press event ahead of the company’s annual Dev Day last month, chief product officer Kevin Weil said: “I think 2025 is going to be the year that agentic systems finally hit the mainstream.”

AI labs face mounting pressure to monetize their costly models, especially as incremental improvements may not justify higher prices for users. The hope is that autonomous agents are the next breakthrough product — a ChatGPT-scale innovation that validates the massive investment in AI development.

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Robotic AI performs successful surgery after watching videos for training

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November 14, 2024

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robot surgery

Watching old episodes of ER won’t make you a doctor, but watching videos may be all the training a robotic surgeon’s AI brain needs to sew you up after a procedure. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University have published a new paper showing off a surgical robot as capable as a human in carrying out some procedures after simply watching humans do so.

The research team tested their idea with the popular da Vinci Surgical System, which is often used for non-invasive surgery. Programming robots usually requires manually inputting every movement that you want them to make. The researchers bypassed this using imitation learning, a technique that implanted human-level surgical skills in the robots by letting them observe how humans do it.

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Strava adds Night and Weekly Heatmaps to its fitness app

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November 14, 2024

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Strava adds Night and Weekly Heatmaps to its fitness app

Strava, a popular app for tracking fitness activities, is expanding its Hatmaps feature to help improve the safety of its users. The update should be especially useful now for users in the Northern Hemisphere, which is heading into winter with reduced daylight.

The new Night and Weekly Heatmaps were announced by the San Francisco-based company on Wednesday and are available to all Strava subscribers. As the name of the feature suggests, the Heatmaps show where Strava users are choosing to exercise, with dark thick lines showing well-used routes, and light thin lines showing less popular ones.

First up, the new Night Heatmaps feature is ideal for those who are doing their activities in the late evening or early morning hours, when there’s less light. They show the most popular areas for outdoor activities from sunset to sunrise, helping athletes to better plan their outdoor activities during this time frame. If it’s a new area for you, you may also want to cross-check the Night Heatmap data with Google Street View images to get a better understanding of the place.

Weekly Heatmaps, on the other hand, show data for recent heat from the last seven days so that users can see which trails and roads are currently active, particularly during seasonal transitions when conditions may be impacted by weather.

“Our global community powers ourHeatmaps and now we’ve made it easier for our community members to build routes with confidence, regardless of the season or time of day,” Matt Salazar, Strava’s chief product officer, said in Wednesday’s announcement about the new features. “We are continually improving our mapping technology to make human-powered movement easier for all skill levels.”

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Strava has also shared a useful at-a-glance guide to all four of its Heatmaps, Night, Weekly, Global, and Personal:

Night (new): Discover the most frequented areas between sunset and sunrise; ideal for evening or early morning users.

Weekly (new): Stay updated with the latest data from the past seven days; perfect for adjusting plans around seasonal changes or unexpected closures.

Global (existing): Viewable by anyone regardless of whether you have a Strava account, the Global Heatmap allows you to see what areas are most popular around the world based on community activity uploads.

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Personal (existing): A one-of-a-kind illustration showing the record of everywhere you’ve logged a GPS activity. This heatmap is private and only available to you.






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