The newsletter also highlights the use of police drones in Chula Vista, California, which has raised concerns over privacy and overpolicing. It ends with a roundup of interesting internet finds, including the sweetest slug, the best British rappers, easy weeknight dinners, the story of the Noguchi Table, and the Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners.
Key takeaways:
- Google is rolling out Gemini, its family of large language models, across almost all its products, including Android, the iOS Google app, Gmail, Docs, and more. A new subscription plan will also give users access to Gemini Ultra, the most powerful version of the model.
- Virtual power plants (VPPs) are shaping the future of energy systems, with their potential to help keep costs down and prevent the grid from becoming overburdened.
- Researchers are making progress in improving the lifetime of perovskite materials, a class of materials that are increasingly being incorporated into solar panels due to their high efficiency and low cost.
- Chula Vista, California is one of a dozen departments in the US that operate drone-as-first-responder programs, where drones are dispatched by pilots listening to live 911 calls. However, the rapid adoption of drones by police forces is raising concerns about privacy regulations and overpolicing.