TLDR 2026-05-13
Googlebooks π», Starship v3 π, Android's overhaul π±Β
Google's Android-powered laptops are called Googlebooks, and they're coming this year (4 minute read)
Googlebooks are designed from the ground up with Gemini intelligence. Wiggling the cursor on a Googlebook activates a full-screen Gemini experience. The AI can view screen content to make contextual suggestions, and it can pull in data from multiple apps. Googlebook devices will run Android and have access to the Play Store. Most manufacturers that make Chromebooks will also offer Googlebooks when they launch.
Android is getting a big AI overhaul in 2026 (8 minute read)
Google is expected to make several AI-related announcements at its I/O conference next week. App automation will be a major element of Android going forward. Gemini will power several new convenience features, including a custom widget feature. Almost everything new will arrive via Play Services, app updates, or on specific devices through partnerships rather than as a part of Android 17, which is slated to launch in June.
π
Science & Futuristic Technology
Once again, SpaceX has set a new record for the tallest rocket ever built (4 minute read)
Starship Version 3, taller and more powerful than previous iterations, comes with numerous upgrades, including higher thrust, more efficient Raptor engines, a new reusable lattice-like structure at the top of the booster for hot staging, and three modified grid fins to help bring the first stage back to Earth for recovery and reuse. This version should be capable of in-orbit refueling. At a height of 408 feet, the rocket's upcoming flight (date yet to be determined) will mark the first liftoff from a new launch pad at Starbase.
SpaceX and Google Are in Talks to Launch Data Centers in Orbit (5 minute read)
Google is in talks with SpaceX and other rocket-launch companies for a rocket launch deal. Last year, Google announced Project Suncatcher, a moonshot initiative aimed at launching orbital data centers. Many industry leaders see orbit computing as a solution to the limitations of Earthbound data centers. SpaceX is also looking to launch orbital data centers. The speculative technology was the center of SpaceX's pitch to investors ahead of its planned IPO.
Apple Plans Customizable Camera for Pros, Siri Design Changes in iOS 27 (4 minute read)
Apple plans to upgrade its Camera app to make it fully customizable. Users will be able to choose which features appear and where they're placed. The next major iPhone update will include other design changes, including system-wide changes such as new animations and redesigned tab bars. The update, which will include a revamped Siri, will be unveiled on June 8 at WWDC.
Amazon employees are βtokenmaxxingβ due to pressure to use AI tools (3 minute read)
Amazon's MeshClaw product allows employees to create AI agents that connect to workplace software and carry out tasks on their behalf. It can initiate code deployments, triage emails, and interact with apps such as Slack. Some employees are using the software to complete unnecessary tasks to increase their consumption of tokens as the company is tracking their usage on internal leaderboards. Many employees have raised concerns about the security risks of AI tools that can act on users' behalf.
Plaid adds $382k in pipeline with TLDR campaign (Sponsor)
Plaid achieved their best-performing direct buy to date, adding $382k in pipeline, earning 70 leads, and achieving 20.1x ROI.
Read the Plaid case study.Free course: Build prod-grade AI evals like OpenAI, Replit, and Notion (Sponsor)
Braintrust's free 1-hour course shows you how leading teams run thousands of evals a day and ship updates within 24 hours. Improve your AI with data, not vibes.
Start the courseSpaceX eyes global spaceports as Starship launch ambitions grow ahead of IPO (2 minute read)
SpaceX is targeting thousands of Starship launches per year, a cadence that will require many different launch locations.
eBay rejects GameStop's $56 billion takeover bid, calling it βneither credible nor attractive' (5 minute read)
eBay has several concerns with the offer, including uncertainty around GameStop's financing, operational risks, and the debt load that would result from the proposed transaction.
AI economics (5 minute read)
Every lab is playing this same game: squeeze more tokens per watt, price highly, and acquire more power.
Massive leak reveals Google's Aluminium OS with a 16-minute video (3 minute read)
Google's Aluminium OS is essentially plain Android with several desktop experience features.
What Is Code? (17 minute read)
The future of coding is building better conceptual models, vocabularies, and foundations on top of which both humans and LLMs can work.
Amazon launches 30-minute delivery across the US (3 minute read)
Amazon Now is now widely available in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, and Seattle.
Get the most interesting stories in startups, tech, and programming delivered in a free daily email.
Join 1,600,000 readers for
one daily email