From Space to the Streets: SpaceX, Fintech, and AI Take Center Stage
Emerging Tech Roundup — April 7
The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.
This week in tech: 2000-Year-Old Egyptian Graffiti Unlocked, VR Lab Aims to Eliminate Public Speaking Anxiety, Fatboy Slim Hosts “Eat Sleep VR Repeat” Concert, Companies Race to Release Early Text-to-Video AIs, Acorns Acquires Fintech Company GoHenry, AirTree Backs Generative AI Content Creation and Management Platform Narrato, and SpaceX’s Starship Mega-Rocket Readies for Launch.
2000-Year-Old Egyptian Graffiti Unlocked, Thanks to High-Tech
(Interesting Engineering, March 31)
Researchers from Simon Fraser University are using cutting-edge techniques to create a state-of-the-art, 3D recording of the Temple of Isis in Philae, Egypt, which goes beyond conventional two-dimensional imaging. The project will enable scholars to explore and study the graffiti, as well as the interior and exterior of the temple, from nearly anywhere without sacrificing accuracy. The various techniques used in the project will completely change how the graffiti and the temple can be studied.
Virtual Reality Lab Aims to Eliminate Public Speaking Anxiety
(Mixed News, April 1)
The University of Hawaii at Manoa has opened a VR lab to improve public speaking skills in the university community and help overcome the fear of public speaking. The lab has headsets and software that measures eye contact and hand gestures, evaluates word choice, and provides real-time feedback during the virtual presentation. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation and is being studied to determine its effective use at universities across the U.S.
Fatboy Slim’s “Eat Sleep VR Repeat” Concert was like a Psychedelic Trip
(Mixed News, April 2)
Fatboy Slim held “Eat Sleep VR Repeat,” an immersive extravaganza entirely in the metaverse on March 30 and 31, 2023. The free concert was available on the Meta Quest 2, Quest Pro, and Pico headsets. The VR concert allowed users to explore various locations in a virtual theme park filled with rollercoasters, diners, and a Mount Rushmore-inspired mountainside.
The Beautiful, Hilarious Surrealism of Early Text-to-Video AIs
(New Atlas, April 2)
An Alibaba research unit has developed an open-source AI system, ModelScope, that creates two-second videos based on users’ prompts, but its creations are still far from perfect. Other companies including Meta and Runway AI have also developed text-to-video models that generate brief videos based on user prompts. While Meta’s Make-a-Video is not yet publicly available, Runway AI’s Gen-2 has quickly become the “first publicly available text-to-video model” on the market.
Acorns Acquires UK’s GoHenry, a Fintech Focused on 6- to 18-Year-Olds
(Tech Crunch, April 3)
US savings and investing platform Acorns has acquired GoHenry, a London-based money management and financial education service aimed at children ages six to 18. The companies did not disclose the deal’s valuation, but it is thought to be one of the larger fintech M&A deals if their valuations remain steady. GoHenry’s acquisition will give Acorns international growth opportunities, as GoHenry operates in France, Italy, Spain and the UK, and brings new backers to the cap table.
AirTree Backs Generative AI Content Creation and Management Platform Narrato
(Tech Crunch, April 3)
Narrato, an AI content creation and collaboration platform, has raised $1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by AirTree Ventures, with participation from OfBusiness and serial entrepreneur Shreesha Ramdas. Narrato offers an AI content assistant to help with planning, content creation, optimization, and automated publishing features, among others. The San Francisco-based startup plans to use the funding to expand across the US in partnership with AirTree.
SpaceX’s Starship Mega-Rocket Could Finally Launch into Orbit in the Coming Days
(Interesting Engineering, April 3)
According to reports, SpaceX’s Starship rocket could launch for its first orbital flight test as early as April 10th. The test, expected to have a 50 percent chance of reaching orbit on its first attempt, is contingent on Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) approval. If the launch goes according to plan, SpaceX will have the world’s most powerful operational rocket to date.
