Nvidia's $5B Intel bet

It's Monday. Nvidia just made a stunning $5 billion bet on Intel, transforming two former rivals into strategic partners focused on building next-generation AI infrastructure.

Will this partnership finally give Intel the boost it needs to compete in the AI chip race?

In today's recap:

• Nvidia's $5B Intel investment for AI chips

• Meta debuts neural-controlled smart glasses

• Waymo brings self-driving to public transit

• Tesla & Uber partner on electric trucking

• NASA launches triple spacecraft protection mission

NVIDIA & INTEL

Nvidia bets $5B on Intel in massive AI deal

Recaply: Nvidia just dropped $5 billion on Intel stock, sending shares soaring over 22%. The two former rivals are teaming up to build next-gen chips for data centers and PCs, marking a major turnaround play for struggling Intel.

Key notes:

• Nvidia bought Intel stock at $23.28 per share, securing roughly 4% ownership.

• Partnership will create custom x86 processors with Nvidia's NVLink technology.

• Intel posted its best trading day since 1987 following the announcement.

• Deal comes one month after US government took 10% stake in Intel for $8.9 billion.

• Companies plan multi-generation roadmap of AI infrastructure products.

Impact: This partnership signals a dramatic shift in chip industry dynamics. While Intel has struggled to keep pace with AI demands, Nvidia's backing provides both capital and credibility. The collaboration could reshape how we think about processor design, potentially creating more powerful systems by combining Intel's manufacturing expertise with Nvidia's AI dominance.

META

Meta's neural wristband smart glasses

Recaply: Meta just dropped something that feels straight out of sci-fi. Their new $799 Ray-Ban Display glasses are the first consumer smart glasses with an actual built-in display. The real magic happens with the neural wristband that reads muscle movements to control the glasses without touching or talking.

Key notes:

• Launch September 30 for $799 with neural band control system.

• Display appears when needed, disappears to avoid blocking vision.

• Six hour battery plus 30 hours from collapsible charging case.

• Features messaging, video calls, AI help, and real-time translations.

• Controlled through muscle signals detected by wrist device.

Impact: Meta beat Apple and Google to market with display glasses that actually work. The neural band technology feels genuinely futuristic - writing messages by moving fingers in air. Whether this becomes mainstream or stays niche, we're watching smartphone replacement tech unfold in real time.

WAYMO

Waymo brings self-driving cars into public transit

Recaply: Waymo is expanding beyond premium ride-hailing into public transportation through a strategic partnership with transit tech company Via. The collaboration will place autonomous vehicles within city-operated transit networks, starting with Chandler, Arizona's popular Flex service this fall. This approach could accelerate mainstream adoption of self-driving technology.

Key notes:

• First deployment integrates Waymo cars into Chandler's existing $2-per-ride transit service.

• Via's algorithms will match riders with autonomous or traditional vehicles based on demand.

• Waymo operates hundreds of thousands of weekly trips across five major cities.

• Partnership creates replicable framework for cities nationwide to adopt autonomous transit.

• Strategy ensures higher vehicle utilization while expanding access to affordable mobility.

Impact: By embedding autonomous vehicles within existing public transit infrastructure, Waymo is positioning itself for mass market adoption rather than competing solely in the premium mobility space. This could fundamentally change how cities approach transportation planning and accessibility.

TESLA

Freight tech gets electric makeover

Recaply: Tesla and Uber Freight just launched a game-changing program to help trucking companies go electric without breaking the bank. The Dedicated EV Fleet Accelerator Program tackles the biggest hurdle in electric trucking - those hefty upfront costs that make fleet owners nervous.

Key notes:

• Program offers subsidized pricing on Tesla Semis with guaranteed freight demand.

• Tesla Semi delivers 500-mile range and charges up to 1.2 MW for faster turnaround.

• Two-month pilot covered 12,377 miles with impressive 1.72 kWh per mile efficiency.

• Uber Freight handles finding consistent loads so fleets focus on operations.

• Partnership targets zero-emission transportation across supply chains.

Impact: This partnership could be the breakthrough electric trucking needs. By removing financial risk and infrastructure worries, more carriers might finally make the electric switch. That means cleaner highways and potentially lower shipping costs for everyone.

NASA

NASA launches triple shield mission

Recaply: NASA's getting ready for something big this Tuesday. Three spacecraft are heading to space together on what scientists are calling a groundbreaking mission to map our solar system's invisible protective bubble. The IMAP mission, along with two companion spacecraft, will study how the Sun shields us from dangerous cosmic radiation while monitoring space weather threats.

Key notes:

• IMAP spacecraft carries 10 advanced instruments to map the heliosphere boundaries for the first time.

• Mission launches September 23 from Kennedy Space Center aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

• Three spacecraft will operate from Lagrange Point 1, positioned one million miles toward the Sun.

• Princeton University leads the international collaboration with 25 partner institutions.

• Real-time space weather alerts will protect astronauts on future Artemis missions.

Impact: This mission represents a new era in space protection technology. As humans venture deeper into space, understanding our cosmic neighborhood becomes critical for safety. The data collected will improve predictions for everything from power grid disruptions to satellite communications, making our increasingly connected world more resilient against solar storms.

NEWS

📰 What matters in Tech right now?

• Axiom Space partnered with Spacebilt to deploy an orbital data center node to the International Space Station in 2027, enabling AI workloads and data processing for satellites with petabyte-scale storage capacity.

• Chung-Ang University developed chloride-resistant ruthenium nanocatalysts that achieve 37x higher hydrogen production from seawater than platinum catalysts, maintaining stable performance over 100 hours.

• Microsoft mandated employees return to offices at least three days per week, ending its flexible remote work policy implemented during the pandemic.

• Atlassian acquired DX for $1 billion, gaining developer intelligence capabilities used by 350+ enterprise customers including Pfizer and Pinterest to measure AI productivity gains.

• OpenAI plans to spend approximately $100 billion over five years on backup server infrastructure to support its AI operations and ensure service reliability.

• Snap rolled out Snap OS 2.0 on its Spectacles AR glasses, introducing enhanced augmented reality features and improved user interface capabilities for developers.

• Apple is in talks with Taiwanese suppliers to establish test production facilities for its rumored foldable iPhone, signaling potential entry into the foldable device market.

• Microsoft announced a $4 billion investment in a second Wisconsin data center, with the first facility housing hundreds of thousands of Nvidia chips opening in early 2026.

EVENTS

• Adobe MAX 2025 : Oct 26 – Oct 30, 2025 · Los Angeles, California, USA

• Tech Week 2025: Oct 06 – Oct 12, 2025 · San Francisco, California, USA

• SPLASH 2025: Oct 12 – Oct 18, 2025 · Singapore

• Oracle AI World 2025 : Oct 13 – Oct 16, 2025 · Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

• Ada Lovelace Day 2025 : Oct 14, 2025 · Global

• Tech in Asia Conference 2025 : Oct 22 – Oct 23, 2025 · Jakarta, Indonesia

• Dreamforce 2025 : Oct 14 – Oct 16, 2025 · San Francisco, California, USA

• NVIDIA GTC 2025 : Oct 27 – Oct 29, 2025 · Washington, D.C., USA

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Cheers, Jason

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