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💡 Get your daily fix of innovation, gadgets, AI, cybersecurity, and the tech shaping tomorrow. Technology Daily keeps you in the loop with smart, snappy updates—perfect for busy founders, engineers, and curious minds alike.
Welcome to Technology Daily, your source for the latest in tech news. I'm your host, and today we're diving into some fascinating stories from the world of technology.
Let's kick things off with a story about drones. Antigravity's A1 360-degree drone is making waves with its first-ever discount. Through February 9th, you can grab this impressive piece of tech for 15 percent off, with the standard bundle dropping from $1,599 to $1,359. This is Insta360's first drone, and it's packed with features. It can shoot in 8K at 30 frames per second or 5.7K at 60 frames per second. What really sets it apart are the Vision Goggles, which provide a 360-degree first-person view even as the drone flies straight, letting you see things you might otherwise miss. There's even a screen on the outside of the goggles so people around you can see what you're seeing. Plus, Antigravity just launched a Flight Simulator feature that lets you practice flights without actually flying the drone, helping nervous pilots get comfortable with the controls. It's a clever way to reduce the risk of costly crashes while learning.
Now, let's talk smartphones. The Verge is making a compelling case that the telephoto camera is the only phone camera that really matters. While smartphone manufacturers have focused on improving all their camera systems, the telephoto lens has become the differentiator. Samsung's Galaxy S20 Ultra was the first phone in the US to make a big deal about its periscopic telephoto lens with its so-called Space Zoom and 5x optical zoom capability. The article explores how telephoto capabilities have evolved and why they're increasingly important for mobile photography.
Speaking of smartphones, if you're an Apple user who's ever had to replace an AirTag battery, this one's for you. Engadget has published a helpful guide on how to replace your AirTag battery. These little trackers use a standard CR2032 coin cell battery that typically lasts about a year. The good news is replacement is incredibly simple and requires no tools. Just press down on the metal battery cover, rotate it counterclockwise, pop in a new battery with the positive side facing up, and you're done. Your iPhone will automatically notify you when the battery runs low, so you'll never be caught off guard. It's one of the simplest maintenance tasks Apple devices require.
In space news, we have two significant developments. First, Blue Origin is pausing its space tourist flights for at least the next two years to focus on developing human lunar landers for NASA's Artemis program. The company will be working on landers for both the Artemis III and Artemis V missions. This means no more New Shepard launches carrying tourists to suborbital space for a while. Since its first tourist flight with Jeff Bezos back in 2021, New Shepard has flown 37 more times, carrying 98 passengers to the Karman line, including celebrities like Katy Perry and William Shatner. While it's a pause for space tourism, it's an important shift toward the goal of returning humans to the Moon.
And in a rather ambitious move, SpaceX has filed a request with the FCC seeking approval to put a constellation of one million data center satellites into orbit. Yes, you heard that right: one million satellites. The filing proposes establishing a network of solar-powered data centers in low Earth orbit that would communicate with each other via lasers. SpaceX describes this as a first step toward becoming a Kardashev Type Two civilization, one that can harness the Sun's full energy. While the FCC is unlikely to approve such a massive number, SpaceX has a history of requesting unrealistically large satellite counts as a starting point for negotiations. These orbital data centers would run on solar power and deliver computing capacity for artificial intelligence needs. To put this in perspective, there are currently only about 9,600 Starlink satellites in orbit, and SpaceX recently hit the milestone of launching its 11,000th Starlink satellite.
In artificial intelligence news, NASA has achieved something remarkable. The space agency used Anthropic's Claude chatbot to plot a route for its Perseverance rover on Mars. Between December 8th and 10th, Perseverance successfully drove approximately 400 meters through a field of rocks following a path mapped out by Claude. This marks the first time NASA has used a large language model to pilot the car-sized robot. The process wasn't simple: NASA had to provide Claude Code with years of contextual data from the rover before it could begin writing a route. Claude methodically strung together waypoints from ten-meter segments, which it would then critique and iterate on. JPL engineers double-checked Claude's work through simulations and only had to make minor changes to the route. NASA estimates that using Claude will cut route-planning time in half and make journeys more consistent, allowing scientists to fit in more drives, collect more data, and ultimately learn more about Mars. It's a fascinating productivity gain for an agency that lost about 4,000 employees last year due to administration cuts.
However, not all AI news is positive. Amazon has discovered a disturbingly high volume of child sexual abuse material in its AI training data, according to an investigation by Bloomberg. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than one million reports of AI-related CSAM in 2025, and the vast majority came from Amazon. The company says it obtained the inappropriate content from external sources used to train its AI services but claims it cannot provide further details about where the material came from. Amazon states it uses an over-inclusive threshold for scanning, which yields a high percentage of false positives, and that it's committed to preventing CSAM across all its businesses. The reports Amazon submitted proved inactionable because they lacked the data needed for law enforcement to take next steps. This highlights growing safety concerns around AI training data and the need for better oversight in the industry.
In scientific news, researchers have discovered something fascinating: a hidden quantum geometry inside materials that subtly steers electrons, similar to how gravity warps light in space. This effect, once thought to exist only on paper, has now been observed experimentally in a popular quantum material. The finding reveals a new way to understand and control how materials conduct electricity and interact with light, and it could help power future ultra-fast electronics and quantum technologies.
And astronomers have made an exciting discovery about Jupiter. The planet's swirling storms have concealed its true makeup for centuries, but a new model is finally peeling back the clouds. Researchers found that Jupiter likely holds significantly more oxygen than the Sun, a key clue to how Jupiter and the rest of the solar system came together. The study also reveals that gases move through Jupiter's atmosphere much more slowly than scientists once thought. These findings reshape our understanding of the solar system's largest planet.
Before we wrap up, here's a practical tip for budget-conscious consumers: If you're in the market for a VPN but don't want to break the bank, there are several affordable options worth considering. Surfshark, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access all offer good deals, especially on long-term subscriptions. Just remember to verify any VPN's security before subscribing, check for free trials or money-back guarantees, and read the privacy policy carefully. Not all cheap VPNs are created equal, so do your homework before committing.
And if you're planning to watch the Super Bowl this weekend, now's a great time to upgrade your TV. The weeks leading up to the big game typically bring excellent TV deals, and this year is no exception. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly option under $500 or a premium OLED display, retailers are offering significant discounts on everything from Roku and TCL sets to high-end Sony and Samsung models.
That's all for today's episode of Technology Daily. Thank you for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow with more of the latest tech news. Until then, stay curious, stay informed, and keep exploring the world of technology.