GoKawiil
Tech News
A commentary piece argues that many startups prize rapid execution over clearly articulating their mission, leaving employees and stakeholders unable to explain the company's direction. It draws a comparison between effective CEOs and evangelical preachers, both of whom must communicate a compelling vision that others can repeat and rally behind, not just move fast on their own understanding.
Harvard researchers surveyed over 100 blind and low-vision people and identified turn-by-turn directions, continuous path guidance, and obstacle detection as top needs. They responded by creating Mobilio, a standalone smartphone app that combines the camera, GPS, motion sensors, and LiDAR (when available) to steer users safely along sidewalks and paths.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center on 30 August after completing vibration testing at Goddard Space Flight Center. The telescope's wide field of view and infrared sensitivity are expected to let it survey far more sky in far less time than the Hubble Space Telescope, dramatically expanding the catalog of known exoplanets.
BenQ has introduced two new monitor light bars, headlined by the ScreenBar Max, its first ScreenBar model designed to span dual-monitor setups. The device combines a rear-facing bias light with a front-facing desk lamp, aiming to cut eye strain while also illuminating keyboards and documents. It carries a premium price tag to match its expanded size and dual-purpose lighting design.
Boston startup Eyebot has partnered with eyewear brand Quay to install self-service vision-testing kiosks at two Southern California locations. The touchscreen kiosk screens users for existing eye conditions, then uses a contactless scanner to measure refraction, lens power and visual acuity, producing a doctor-reviewed glasses prescription in under 90 seconds without an appointment or insurance.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple will raise prices by at least $100 on the iPhone 18 Pro and other devices unveiled at its September event, pushing the Pro model to roughly $1,200. The increase is linked to an AI-driven RAM shortage squeezing supply across phones, laptops and consoles, and follows earlier price hikes this summer on select MacBooks, iPads and HomePods.
Apple is eliminating more than 200 positions, including about 100 roles within the Vision Pro division and another 100 across Siri and AI software groups, according to Bloomberg. The cuts come as Apple scales back its costly in-house immersive video production for the headset, shifting more of that work to third-party developers.