☕️ Apple raises Mac mini price

Q: The Pentagon signed AI access deals with SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and AWS for clas

The Pentagon signed AI access deals with SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and AWS for classified networks, while banning Anthropic as a supply-chain risk over military guardrail disputes.

Q: Meta acquired robotics startup Assured Robot Intelligence to supply the AI intelligence layer for hu

Meta acquired robotics startup Assured Robot Intelligence to supply the AI intelligence layer for humanoid robots, competing with Google DeepMind's Gemini Robotics strategy.

Q: xAI launched Grok 4.3 with a 1M-token context window and voice cloning from 120-second clips at $1.2

xAI launched Grok 4.3 with a 1M-token context window and voice cloning from 120-second clips at $1.25/$2.50 per million tokens — 40-60% cheaper than Grok 4.2.

Techpresso·Saturday, May 2, 2026·1 min read

Technology AI/ML Business

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AI Summary

The Pentagon signed AI deals with seven companies including SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, notably excluding Anthropic after a dispute over military guardrails. Apple quietly removed its $599 Mac mini, raising the entry price to $799 amid supply constraints driven by AI workload demand. xAI launched Grok 4.3 with a 1M-token context window, voice cloning from 120-second clips, and pricing 40-60% cheaper than its predecessor.

Key Facts

✓The Pentagon signed AI access deals with SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and AWS for classified networks, while banning Anthropic as a supply-chain risk over military guardrail disputes.

✓Meta acquired robotics startup Assured Robot Intelligence to supply the AI intelligence layer for humanoid robots, competing with Google DeepMind's Gemini Robotics strategy.

✓xAI launched Grok 4.3 with a 1M-token context window and voice cloning from 120-second clips at $1.25/$2.50 per million tokens — 40-60% cheaper than Grok 4.2.

Contrarian Angle

Meta's 'Android of Humanoids' Strategy

Meta is positioning itself as the intelligence-layer supplier for humanoid robots rather than building the physical hardware, acquiring Assured Robot Intelligence to execute this strategy.

Instead of vertically integrating like Tesla or 1X, Meta is betting on an open-platform model that supplies AI to any robot manufacturer, similar to how Android commoditized smartphone software.

GameStop Bidding for eBay at 4x Its Own Size

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen is pursuing an acquisition of eBay (valued ~$46B) using $9B in cash, targeting a company nearly four times GameStop's market cap.

A retail gaming company using its cash reserves to acquire a major e-commerce platform four times its own size is an unconventional capital deployment strategy for a company widely considered in decline.

Lerrel Pinto (Ex-Fauna Robotics) building in stealth

Ex-Fauna Robotics co-founder who co-founded Assured Robot Intelligence, which was acquired by Meta.

Former Co-founder at Fauna Robotics now exploring Robotics AI (whole-body robot control models and tactile sensors)

Xiaolong Wang (Ex-NVIDIA) building in stealth

Former Nvidia researcher who co-founded Assured Robot Intelligence, acquired by Meta.

Former Researcher at NVIDIA now exploring Robotics AI (activation-aware weight quantisation for on-robot compute)

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