GGD Profiles: Pavegen Pavements
GGD Profiles is where we put a spotlight on startups transforming the world. For our very first edition, we are featuring Pavegen; a company that produces renewable energy through electric floor tiles.
Tech Leaders Spend $800M to Build a New City
A group of Silicon Valley tycoons have been quietly buying land near San Francisco’s Bay Area. Their goal is to create a brand new city, complete with residential neighborhoods, a performing arts center, and orchards with over a million trees planted. Key investors include Reid Hoffman (the CEO of LinkedIn), Marc Andreessen, Chris Dixon, and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman. The development project is being carried out by Flannery Associates, led by Jan Sramek a former finance whiz kid and Goldman Sachs trader. Over the past five years, the firm (created by the investor group) has been purchasing land near San Francisco and Silicon Valley in Solano County.
The GGD Hit List: Brain Implant Allows Paralyzed Women to Speak, Google’s New AI Assistant and more
The top innovations in science and tech transforming our world this week .
Urbanista’s Light Powered Speaker Drops
The Swedish audio company Urbanista just released its latest Bluetooth speaker; the Urbanista Malibu. Powered through light, the wireless speaker doesn’t need to be plugged in to recharge; and can be used indoors or outdoors. The Urbanista Malibu is made from recycled plastics and fibers, and uses Powerfoyle solar cell technology to function.
A Virtual Power Play? Trump Tweets Mug Shot
Shortly after becoming inmate no. P01135809, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump tweeted his own mug shot. Taken and released by Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia; the photo currently has 170.2M views on X (formerly known as Twitter). It is the first mug shot in history taken of an American President.
After Backlash, Zoom Revamps its AI Policy
After publicizing new AI standards, Zoom has scrambled to updated its Terms of Service (TOS) twice. In late July, the video conferencing company added Artificial Intelligence terms that would require access to “Customer Content” (transcript data from video and audio calls). At first, Zoom didn’t give users the opportunity to option out.
Space Travel: Virgin Galactic’s First Tourist Flight Blasts Off
Virgin Galactic’s very first space tourism flight has officially landed back safely. The VSS Unity rocket blasted off from Spaceport America, New Mexico earlier today. Onboard were civilian tourists, a flight crew and chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses. During the 90-minute trip, passengers Keisha Schahaff (a health and wellness coach), her daughter Anastatia Mayers, and Olympian Jon Goodwin reached the edge of space.
A Flying Taxi Service Takes Off in China
In China’s major cities, flying cars will soon be just another part of busy traffic. SinoJet recently made a deal with Aerofugia, a flying car manufacturer to purchase 100 vehicles for its air taxi service.
Twitter is Now X
Elon Musk and his team have officially rebranded Twitter. The iconic blue bird was ditched in favor of a minimal ‘X’ logo in black and white. The design can already be seen on the social media app and the company’s headquarters in San Francisco.
Vintage Apple Sneakers on Sale for $50,000
A pair of limited edition Apple sneakers are now available via Sotheby’s for $50,000. Originally, the rare shoes were a giveaway at a National Sales Conference in the 90s. Never for public sale, the Omega Sports Apple Computer Sneakers were custom-made for Apple employees.