Welcome back to Week in Review! We\u2019ve got tons of news for you this week, including a shakeup at X, Hugging Face\u2019s new robot, new phones from Nothing and Samsung, and a whole lot more. Have a great weekend!<\/p>\n
Off to do something else: <\/strong>X CEO Linda Yaccarino stepped down<\/a> this week after a tumultuous two-year tenure marked by advertiser backlash, Elon Musk\u2019s controversies, and the platform\u2019s AI troubles. The company\u2019s ad business improved<\/a> under her leadership, but the road ahead will still be tough.<\/p>\n See-through: <\/strong>Apple continues to tweak its new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 beta 3<\/a>, dialing back transparency in areas like Notifications and Apple Music after user complaints about readability. It\u2019s the latest step in finding the right balance before the OS launches this fall.<\/p>\n The cutest: <\/strong>Hugging Face has opened orders for its new open source desktop robot<\/a>, Reachy Mini, aimed at AI developers. Starting at $299, the build-it-yourself bots are fully programmable in Python and integrated with the Hugging Face Hub.<\/p>\n This is TechCrunch\u2019s Week in Review, where we recap the week\u2019s biggest news. Want this delivered as a newsletter to your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Whole lot of Nothing: <\/strong>Nothing\u2019s $799 Phone (3)<\/a> is its most ambitious yet, with a quirky new second screen, AI features, and flagship specs aimed at rivaling Samsung and Apple. But mixed reactions to the design and pricing may keep it in \u201calternative to\u201d rather than \u201creplacement for\u201d territory, at least for now.<\/p>\n Samsung, too: <\/strong>Samsung also released new foldable phones<\/a> this week, the new Z Fold7 and the Z Flip7. It also released a cheaper foldable phone, the Z Flip7 FE.<\/p>\n I want this car: <\/strong>Rivian\u2019s new quad-motor R1T and R1S EVs are here<\/a>, boasting 1,025 horsepower, getting you from 0 to 60 in under 2.5 seconds, and flashy new software tricks like \u201ckick turn\u201d and RAD Tuner for custom driving modes. With in-house motors and a deeper software stack, Rivian\u2019s betting this $115,000+ flagship can hold the line until its more affordable R2s arrive in 2026.<\/p>\n Cool, awesome: <\/strong>Elon Musk says xAI\u2019s new Grok 4 is a \u201cmaximally truth-seeking AI,\u201d but testing shows the chatbot often consults Musk\u2019s own X posts<\/a> and public opinions when answering controversial questions. The model\u2019s alignment with its founder raises fresh concerns about objectivity and about Grok\u2019s readiness for prime time, including being featured in Teslas<\/a>, which Musk says is coming next week.\u00a0<\/p>\n And another one: <\/strong>Apple\u2019s head of AI models, Ruoming Pang, has left for Meta<\/a>, where he\u2019ll join Zuckerberg\u2019s growing AI superintelligence unit. The move signals ongoing trouble in Apple\u2019s AI efforts and adds more on-device AI expertise to Meta\u2019s expanding bench.<\/p>\n Safety first? <\/strong>Jack Dorsey spent last weekend building a Bluetooth-based messaging app<\/a> called Bitchat, which operates through Bluetooth mesh networks, letting users chat without Wi-Fi or cell service. The app is now in closed beta, but the claims that the app is secure are already facing scrutiny<\/a> by security researchers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s time: <\/strong>After 14 years inside Intel, RealSense is spinning out as an independent company<\/a> with $50 million in funding to scale its 3D stereoscopic imaging tech used in robotics, drones, and more. CEO Nadav Orbach aims to boost go-to-market efforts and improve safety features for human-robot interaction as AI-driven demand surges.<\/p>\n Pulling back the curtain: <\/strong>Slate Auto, a stealthy Michigan-based EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, stunned the industry by unveiling plans<\/a> for an ultra-affordable, customizable electric pickup truck. After three years in the shadows, the company aims to shake up the market with production targeted for late 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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