“If I'm curt with you, it's because time is a factor. I think fast, I talk fast, and I need you guys to act fast if you wanna get out of this.”
– Winston "The Wolf" Wolfe, Problem Solver
1. Mass-Produced Heroes
Agility Robotics is slated to produce 10,000 units annually of its humanoid robot, Digit, at its 70,000-square-foot factory. While Digit isn’t here to take anybody’s job, it will take the jobs that nobody is willing to fill – or should fill. After all, workplace tragedies damage employee health and morale and are often followed by costly litigation and red tape. But if a robot gets damaged or destroyed, it’s an expense item. So, if Digit takes your job, nobody will owe you anything. But you may owe Digit your life.
2. Apple To 3D Print Watch Series 9 Case
I’m not the biggest fan of Apple, but it’s become a better company in recent years. For instance, while the Apple Watch will (likely) never win the hearts of pompous wannabe horologists such as myself, they’ve gotten creative over the years with the case material, and Series 9 is no exception. Ask QuesTek about their involvement in helping Apple develop specialty alloys for the early generations. An Apple Watch will never push the envelope of material design like Richard Mille, but it’s not far off.
3. Wall Street Bets on Robotics
Hey investors, good news! Humanity may finally start reaping benefits from investing in robotics a century after coining the term. Thanks to cutting-edge hardware, superior software, chronic labor shortages, rising wages, and shifts in attitudes, robotics might be your ticket to multibillion dollar returns! Full disclosure: I am not a financial advisor, wealth manager, broker, or accountant. Do not use this as advice. I am not responsible for your losses.
4. Build a Deep Learning Rig on a Budget
Don’t get it twisted – it’ll still cost you a couple grand, but here’s how to avoid dropping over $60,000 on a Silicon Mechanics GPU server. After having seen one in person, though, I highly recommend picking one up if you have the means. This guide explains how to build a cost-effective multi-GPU system for deep learning training in computer vision and LLMs models.
5. Manufacturing Refuge
U.S. businesses are facing more trouble than it’s worth in China. Between intellectual property theft, problematic political “approval” processes, and the potential economic clapback from China's human rights abuses, things aren’t looking good. Plus, China’s Made in China 2025 plan threatens to shut U.S. manufacturers out. All this adds up to bringing factories back stateside being the smarter move rather than continuing to risk it across the pond.
To get the latest tech developments delivered directly to your inbox, subscribe to the weekly Tech Report here.
To access Tech Trends, log in to or register for an MTInsight account at https://www.mtinsight.org/
