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.
What’s next for smart glasses
For every technological gadget that becomes a household name, there are dozens that never catch on. This year marks a full decade since Google confirmed it was stopping production of Google Glass, and for a long time it appeared as though mixed-reality products would remain the preserve of enthusiasts rather than casual consumers.
Fast-forward 10 years, and smart glasses are on the verge of becoming—whisper it—cool. Sleeker designs are certainly making this new generation of glasses more appealing. But more importantly, smart glasses are finally on the verge of becoming useful, and it’s clear that Big Tech is betting that augmented specs will be the next big consumer device category. Here’s what to expect from smart glasses in 2025 and beyond.
—Rhiannon Williams
This story is part of MIT Technology Review’s What’s Next series, which looks across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read the rest of them here.
Four Chinese AI startups to watch beyond DeepSeek
The meteoric rise of DeepSeek—the Chinese AI startup now challenging global giants—has stunned observers and put the spotlight on China’s AI sector. Since ChatGPT’s debut in 2022, the country’s tech ecosystem has been in relentless pursuit of homegrown alternatives, giving rise to a wave of startups and billion-dollar bets.
Today, the race is dominated by tech titans like Alibaba and ByteDance, alongside well-funded rivals backed by heavyweight investors. But two years into China’s generative AI boom we are seeing a shift: Smaller innovators have to carve out their own niches or risk missing out. What began as a sprint has become a high-stakes marathon—China’s AI ambitions have never been higher. We have identified these four Chinese AI companies as the ones to watch.
—Caiwei Chen
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 The US Postal Service has stopped accepting parcels from China
And plunged the ecommerce industry into utter chaos. (Wired $)
+ Trump’s China tariffs are coming for Amazon, too. (Insider $)
2 Elon Musk has weaponized X in his war on government spending
The billionaire is conducting polls asking users which agency he should gut next. (NOW $)
+ Musk’s staffers reportedly entered NOAA headquarters yesterday. (The Guardian)
+ DOGE now appears to have access to Treasury payment systems. (Fast Company $)
+ But it does appear as though Trump blocked Musk from hiring a noncitizen. (The Atlantic $)
3 Google has quietly dropped its promise not to use its AI to build weapons
Just weeks after rival OpenAI also reversed its anti-weapons development stance. (CNN)
+ OpenAI’s new defense contract completes its military pivot. (MIT Technology Review)
4 The metaverse’s future isn’t looking so rosy
Meta’s CTO has conceded that this year is critical to its success or failure. (Insider $)
5 OpenAI is attempting to court Hollywood’s filmmakers
But its Sora video tool has been met with a frosty reception. (Bloomberg $)
+ How to use Sora, OpenAI’s video generating tool. (MIT Technology Review)
6 These drones are launching drones to attack other drones
Ukraine is continuing to produce innovative battlefield technologies. (Ars Technica)
+ Meet the radio-obsessed civilian shaping Ukraine’s drone defense. (MIT Technology Review)
7 How to make artificial blood
We’re running out of the real stuff. Is fake blood a viable alternative? (New Yorker $)
8 Students have worked out how to hack schools’ ‘phone prisons’
Teachers should know that smart kids will always find a workaround. (The Mag $)
9 Social media can’t give you validation
So stop trying to find it there. (Vox)
10 Internet slang is out of control
Skibidi, gigachad, or deeve, anyone? (WSJ $)
Quote of the day
“While we encourage people to use AI systems during their role to help them work faster and more effectively, please do not use AI assistants during the application process.”
—AI company Anthropic urges people applying to work there not to use chatbots and other tools during the process, the Financial Times reports.
The big story
The race to save our online lives from a digital dark age
August 2024
There is a photo of my daughter that I love. She is sitting, smiling, in our old back garden, chubby hands grabbing at the cool grass. It was taken on a digital camera in 2013, when she was almost one, but now lives on Google Photos.
But what if, one day, Google ceased to function? What if I lost my treasured photos forever? For many archivists, alarm bells are ringing. Across the world, they are scraping up defunct websites or at-risk data collections to save as much of our digital lives as possible. Others are working on ways to store that data in formats that will last hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of years.
The endeavor raises complex questions. What is important to us? How and why do we decide what to keep—and what do we let go? And how will future generations make sense of what we’re able to save? Read the full story.
—Niall Firth
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.)
+ Call to the pornography 49 Super Mario World tracks to its music app!
+ Congratulations are in order for New Zealand’s Mount taranakiwhich is now legally recognized as a person. 
+ I’ve got something in common with these Hollywood greats at last: they never won an Oscareither.
+ Do you prefer music or silence in your yoga class?
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