🚗 Bezos’ EV Bet, Samsung’s Ballie Bot, Microsoft Pauses

Newslit Daily

0:00

-1:29

🚗 Bezos’ EV Bet, Samsung’s Ballie Bot, Microsoft Pauses

Plus: China’s Humanoids Rise; Google Expands Gemini Tools.

Jose Montes de Oca

Apr 09, 2025

Transcript

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, April 09. Today we are covering:

Inside the EV startup secretly backed by Jeff Bezos
Samsung Taps Google AI to Launch Long-Promised Ballie Robot With Video Projector
Microsoft backs away from $1bn data center plans in Licking County, Ohio
China gains dexterous upper hand in humanoid robot tussle with US
Google announces 'Workspace Flows' automation with Gems, audio in Docs, and more Gemini

Let’s dive in

Inside the EV startup secretly backed by Jeff Bezos

By Sean O'Kane via TechCrunch

Jeff Bezos is secretly backing a Michigan-based EV startup called Slate Auto, which is developing a $25,000 two-seat electric pickup and aims to start production by late 2026 near Indianapolis.
Slate has quietly raised at least $111M in Series A and authorized nearly 500M preferred shares for Series B, with backing from figures like Mark Walter and Thomas Tull, and deep ties to Amazon and Re:Build Manufacturing.
The startup is flipping the traditional EV playbook by starting with a low-cost vehicle and supplementing margins through a high-margin ecosystem of accessories and apparel, leaning on talent from Harley-Davidson, Stellantis, and Amazon.

𝕏: Interesting. Since 2022, Jeff Bezos has been backing an electric pickup truck company that aims to start production next year - Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart)

Samsung Taps Google AI to Launch Long-Promised Ballie Robot With Video Projector

By Mark Gurman via Bloomberg

Samsung and Google are launching Ballie, a soccer-ball-shaped AI-powered home robot that can project videos onto walls.
The device marks both companies' first major push into the consumer robotics market, amid growing competition from Meta, Apple, and robotics startups.
Originally previewed in 2020, Ballie is set to finally debut this summer, following years of development delays.

𝕏: Samsung Electronics Co. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google are partnering to launch the Ballie, a soccer-ball-shaped home robot that uses artificial intelligence and can project video onto walls. - Mark Gurman (@markgurman)

The best way to reach new readers is through word of mouth. If you click THIS LINK in your inbox, it’ll create an easy-to-send pre-written email you can just fire off to some friends.

Microsoft backs away from $1bn data center plans in Licking County, Ohio

By Georgia Butler via Data Center Dynamics

Microsoft has paused its planned $1 billion investment in three data center campuses in Licking County, Ohio, including projects in New Albany, Heath, and Hebron, originally slated to begin construction in mid-2025.
The decision follows broader strategic pullbacks, with Microsoft reportedly cancelling or deferring up to 2GW of global data center capacity due to concerns of oversupply relative to demand.
Microsoft says it will retain ownership of the land and may develop it later, while continuing roadway and utility upgrades; leadership emphasizes that despite selective slowdowns, the company’s $80 billion annual infrastructure spend remains on track.

China gains dexterous upper hand in humanoid robot tussle with US

By Ryan McMorrow via Financial Times

China’s Unitree is leading a new wave of humanoid robotics, showcasing low-cost, open-source robots like the G1 and H1, and leveraging China’s extensive electronics and EV supply chain to push ahead of the US in hardware dexterity and scalability.
Backed by state funding, industrial policy, and top investors, China is aggressively scaling its humanoid ecosystem, with robot training farms, municipal subsidies, and increasing experimentation in sectors like security, retail, and factory automation.
Despite hardware dominance, US firms still lead in software and AI, with companies like Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Meta competing at the frontier; technical hurdles and limited commercial applications remain, tempering investor enthusiasm.

Google announces 'Workspace Flows' automation with Gems, audio in Docs, and more Gemini

By Abner Li via 9to5Google

Google Workspace Flows, announced at Cloud Next 2025, lets users automate multi-step workflows using AI-powered Gems, enabling tasks like customer support triage, marketing copy reviews, and policy approvals—no coding required.
Gemini integrations expand across Workspace: Docs adds podcast-style audio and a “Help me refine” writing coach; Sheets introduces “Help me analyze” for on-demand insights; Meet and Chat get real-time recaps and summaries; Vids can generate realistic video clips via Veo 2.
Google adds data residency controls for Gemini, letting users limit processing to regions like the US or EU to meet compliance requirements such as GDPR and ITAR.

We're thrilled to bring you ad-free news. To keep it that way, we need your support. Your pledge helps us stay independent and deliver high-quality insights while exploring new ideas. What would you love to see next? Share your thoughts and help shape the future of Newslit Daily. Thank you for being part of this journey!

Pledge your support