GGD Weekly Hit List: Oxygen on Mars, Uber’s New Service and More — GGD NEWS
The top innovations in science and tech transforming our world this week .
NASA is Launching a New Streaming Platform
Later this year NASA will introduce NASA+, a new streaming service. The platform will be free to access and feature no ads. You can watch live events (like rocket launches), original video space content, and documentaries.
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.
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.
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.
GGD Top Pick: Air Afrique Magazine Takes Flight
As an ode to the airline and its iconic publication, Air Afrique officially launched its first issue earlier this summer. With support from Italian label Bottega Veneta, the magazine aims to highlight contemporary creative work of artists across the African diaspora.
Jay-Z’s New AI Investment
Marcy Venture Partners, the investment firm backed by Jay-Z has led a $16.5 million funding round into Stellar Pizza. The L.A. based food truck company uses robotic technology to make pizza. A single pie can be cooked within five minutes.
What Exactly is Google Bard?
With all the hype over ChatGPT, it seemed like Alphabet was getting nervous, so voilà! Google Bard was rolled out. Bard is an AI chat service that pulls info directly from the web.
New Apple iPhone 15 Design Leaks
The iPhone 15 series is expected to be unveiled in September. But until Apple’s official showcase, rumors of what the new iPhone will feature have been leaking everywhere online. Developers, beta testers, tech journalists, and Apple’s partnering manufacturers have all been dropping hints. Even though we officially won’t see the latest iPhone until about six months from now; we’ve rounded up our favorite predictions below.