Turns out Elon Musk's FDA prediction was only off by about a month. After reportedly denying the company's overtures in March, the FDA approved Neuralink's application to begin human trials of its prototype Link brain-computer interface (BCI) on Thursday. 

Founded in 2016, Neuralink aims to commercialize BCIs in wide-ranging medical and therapeutic applications — from stroke and spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation, to neural prosthetic controls, to the capacity "to rewind memories or download them into robots," Neuralink CEO Elon Musk promised in 2020. BCIs essentially translate the analog electrical impulses of your brain (monitoring it using hair-thin electrodes delicately threaded into that grey matter) into the digital 1's and 0's that computers understand. Since that BCI needs to be surgically installed in a patient's noggin, the FDA — which regulates such technologies — requires that companies conduct rigorous safety testing before giving its approval for commercial use. 

In March, the FDA rejected Neuralink's application to begin human trials reportedly in part due to all the test animals that kept dying after having the prototype BCI implanted. According to internal documents acquired by Reuters in December, more than 1,500 animals had been killed in the development of the Neuralink BCI since 2018. The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Inspector General has since launched an investigation into those allegations.  

The FDA's reticence was also born from concerns about the design and function of the interface when implanted in humans. "The agency’s major safety concerns involved the device’s lithium battery; the potential for the implant’s tiny wires to migrate to other areas of the brain; and questions over whether and how the device can be removed without damaging brain tissue," current and former Neuralink employees told Reuters in March.

While Neuralink has obtained FDA approval to begin its study, the company is not yet seeking volunteers. This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA and represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people," Neuralink Tweeted on Thursday. "Recruitment is not yet open for our clinical trial."  

Last February, the Biden administration unveiled its $5 billion plan to expand EV charging infrastructure across the country. Not only with the Department of Transportation help states build half a million EV charging stations by 2030, the White House also convinced Tesla to share a portion of its existing Supercharger network with non-Tesla EVs. On Thursday, Ford became the first automaker to formalize that pact with Tesla, announcing during a Twitter Spaces event that "Ford electric vehicle customers access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada," starting in Spring 2024, per the company release.

Because Teslas uses a proprietary charger port design for its vehicles, Ford owners will initially need to rely on a Tesla-developed adapter connected to the public charging cable in order to replenish their Ford F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit vehicles. Ford also announced that, beginning with the 2025 model year, it will switch from the existing Combined Charging System (CCS) port to Tesla's now open-source NACS charge port. These 12,000 additional chargers will join Ford's 84,000-strong Blue Oval charging station network.   

“Tesla has led the industry in creating a large, reliable and efficient charging system and we are pleased to be able to join forces in a way that benefits customers and overall EV adoption,” Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer of Ford Model e, said in the release. “The Tesla Supercharger network has excellent reliability and the NACS plug is smaller and lighter. Overall, this provides a superior experience for customers.”

Twitter’s API roller coaster under Elon Musk continues. The company announced a new “Pro” tier for developers today. At $5,000 per month, it falls between the $100 / month Basic and custom-priced Enterprise plans.

The new Twitter API Pro plan offers monthly access to one million retrieved tweets and 300,000 posted tweets at the app level. It also includes rate-limited access to endpoints for real-time filtered streams (live access to tweets based on specified parameters) and a complete archive search of historical tweets. Finally, it adds three app IDs and Login with Twitter access.

However, the $5,000 / mo. pricing for companies wanting to “experiment, build, and scale [their] business” leaves an enormous gap between it and the $100 / mo. basic plan, the next tier down. The latter only offers a tiny fraction of the access in the Pro plan, leaving small businesses to choose between a level that may not provide enough for a $100 monthly fee vs. a $5,000 plan that stretches beyond many startups’ budgets. 

Some users also voiced their belief that its limits were too tight for that price. “That’s cool, but you already killed most Twitter apps by now,” Birdy developer Maxime Dupré responded to Twitter’s announcement. “And 5K is still too much for most of us. A 1K plan could make sense... but then again it’s too late.” The pricing also doesn’t likely do much for researchers, who the platform has been trying to charge tens of thousands of dollars for access.

Twitter’s recent API changes have created quite a bumpy ride for developers who still want access to the company’s data. First, the company effectively killed most third-party clients in January before quietly updating its terms to reflect the change. Then, it announced in February that it was ending free API access, only to delay the move after widespread blowback while promising that a new read-only version of the free tier would remain available for “testing” purposes. (The old version of the free API was cut off entirely in April, although Twitter reenabled it for emergency services in May.) The platform rolled out the new API’s initial three tiers (free, basic and enterprise) in March before adding today’s $5,000 pro tier. However, as the company has already alienated many of the developers that once relied on its platform, it remains to be seen how effective it will be at luring new customers — especially smaller operations — into the expensive new plan.

Get ready to pay a bit more to watch live-streamers without being constantly interrupted by ads. Twitch’s ad-free Turbo subscription plan is raising its price, jumping from $9 to $12 per month in the US. Twitch has offered no feature changes or add-ons to accompany this price hike. The monthly cost for Turbo is increasing throughout the globe, so click this link to find your country’s modified pricing.

Current Turbo subscribers were informed about the pricing changes via emails sent out Thursday, but there’s some good news for long-time users. Some countries boast a new lower monthly price, though you’ll have to cancel and resubscribe. Also, current users get a three-month grace period until being forced to opt-into the new price. New subscribers get no such grace period.

This substantial increase comes just after the Amazon-owned Twitch got a new CEO and laid off around 400 employees as part of mandated cost-cutting measures throughout its parent company. Though no new features were announced alongside the price hike, Twitch did announce that updates are “on the way for Turbo to make it even better and more relevant.” Look for more information “in the coming months.”

The primary hook of Turbo is an ad-free experience across the entire Twitch platform, but it also offers some smaller perks, like more emojis, custom chat username colors and increased broadcast storage. The updated pricing model starts today. 

TikTok could soon have a new way for users to discover content. The company is in the “early stages” of testing an AI-powered chatbot, called Tako, which will be able to recommend videos and respond to queries about what users are watching.

The bot, which was first reported by TechCrunch, is currently being tested in the Philippines, TikTok said in a statement. “Tako is powered by a third-party chat assistant and is designed to help make it easier to discover entertaining and inspiring content on TikTok,” the company said.

Despite being in an early phase of testing, TikTok is apparently featuring Tako fairly prominently in the app. A shortcut to the assistant sits in the main right-hand menu alongside shortcuts for bookmarks, and likes, according to TechCrunch, which got a peek at the feature.

That’s similar to the prominence Snap gave its chatbot, My AI, in its app, pushing it to the top of user’s chats. But unlike My AI, it seems TikTok is positioning Tako as a way to find new content and learn more about what’s being discussed in the clips. Users should “feel free to ask me anything and I’ll do my best to help you find what you’re looking for,” the bot says in a screenshot of the chat interface.

Tako isn’t the only way TikTok is experimenting with generative AI. The company is also testing AI-generated avatars, but hasn’t announced plans for a broader rollout. However it’s for now unclear how serious TikTok is about the technology. In its statement, the company said it has “no current plans for this beyond these early tests" of Tako.

Google’s take on AI-powered search begins rolling out today. The company announced this morning that it’s opening access to Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) and other Search Labs in the US. If you haven’t already, you’ll need to sign up for the waitlist and sit tight until you get an email announcing it’s your turn.

Revealed at Google I/O 2023 earlier this month, Google SGE is the company’s infusion of conversational AI into the classic search experience. If you’ve played with Bing AI, expect a familiar — yet different — product. Cherlynn Low noted in Engadget’s SGE preview that Google’s AI-powered search uses the same input bar you’re used to rather than a separate chatbot field like in Bing. Next, the generative AI results will appear in a shaded section below the search bar (and sponsored results) but above the standard web results. Meanwhile, on the top right of the AI results is a button letting you expand the snapshot, and it adds cards showing the sourced articles. Finally, you can ask follow-up questions by tapping a button below the results.

Google describes the snapshot as “key information to consider, with links to dig deeper.” Think of it like a slice of Bard injected (somewhat) seamlessly into the Google search you already know.

In addition, Google is opening access to other Search Labs, including Code Tips and Add to Sheets (both are US-only for now). Code Tips “harnesses the power of large language models to provide pointers for writing code faster and smarter.” It lets aspiring developers ask how-to questions about programming languages (C, C++, Go, Java, JavaScript, Kotlin, Python and TypeScript), tools (Docker, Git, shells) and algorithms. Meanwhile, as its name suggests, Add to Sheets lets you insert search results directly into Google’s spreadsheet app. Tapping a Sheets icon to the left of a search result will pop up a list of your recent documents; choose one to which you want to attach the result.

If you aren’t yet on the Search Labs waitlist, you can tap the Labs icon (a beaker symbol) on a new tab in Chrome for desktop or in the Google search app on Android or iOS. However, the company hasn’t announced how quickly or broadly it will open access, so you may need to be patient.

MoviePass has been gearing up for a wide relaunch since 2022 when it started beta testing a new subscription format in several cities, and now it’s here. Introducing MoviePass 2.0, or 3.0 depending on who you ask. The phoenix has risen from the ashes to once again offer you access to a bunch of theatrical films for a monthly subscription cost, and just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

The nationwide re-launch includes over 4,000 movie theater locations throughout the country, such as those operated by AMC Theaters, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark and a slew of smaller regional chains. So what’s the catch? The subscription model now costs more, likely because the company figured out the hard way that charging $10 per month for unlimited in-person movies makes it tough to turn a profit.

This latest iteration of MoviePass offers several subscription plans to suit how often you like sitting in a darkened movie theater. Plans still start at $10 per month, but this is only good for up to three movies each month, instead of one each day like the MoviePass of old. Subscription tiers go all the way up to $40 per month, which allows for up to 30 theatrical screenings. In other words, it’s four times as expensive as the OG plan. Still, $40 for 30 movies is a great deal, considering a single ticket costs $10 to $14 in most places.

Just like before, you can make arrangements to see a film right on the MoviePass app, as long as the theater has partnered directly with the company. You should be able to reserve a space and even select your seats, just like you were buying an actual movie ticket. It also looks like MoviePass reservations are exclusive to 2D screenings, so toss those 3D glasses in the trash.

The movie-reservation subscription app has had a long and storied history, capturing the hearts of theater-goers upon its launch in 2011. This love affair couldn’t last, however, as it ceased operations in 2019 and filed for bankruptcy in 2020. Since that time, original co-founder Stacy Spikes acquired the company’s assets, brought on new investors and went ahead with this re-launch. Cheaper movies are never a bad thing, so here’s hoping the app has some staying power this time.

YouTube creators can wave goodbye to Stories, as the service is killing off its version of the feature. Starting on June 26th, it'll no longer be possible to create a new YouTube Story. Any Stories you post before that date will vanish seven days after they're uploaded.

YouTube first said in late 2017 that it was testing the format (funnily enough, YouTube Stories were originally called "reels"). The platform changed the name and it started rolling out the feature more broadly the following year.

We've seen many social platforms incorporate a Story feature over the last several years after Snapchat popularized the format, most notably Instagram. As with Twitter and LinkedIn, though, YouTube is ditching its take on the feature.

In truth, YouTube probably doesn't need both Stories and its TikTok-style Shorts, which aren't going anywhere anytime soon. The service also noted creators can use Community posts to share quick updates with their audiences. YouTube said that, among creators who use "posts and Stories, posts on average drive many times more comments and likes compared to Stories."

Virgin Galactic is finally on the cusp of launching its space tourism business. After a late start, the company has completed its last VSS Unity flight test before commercial service starts. The Unity 25 mission tested both technical functionality and the overall experience for astronauts, and reached space at roughly 12:26PM Eastern. The launch also made a little history: crew member Jamila Gilbert became the first female astronaut from New Mexico, according to Virgin. Gilbert and fellow crewmates Chris Huie, Luke Mays and Beth Moses are all Virgin employees.

The company has delayed this test multiple times. The final delay stemmed from difficulties upgrading the VMS Eve host aircraft, which ferries Unity to 50,000 feet. Virgin completed an unpowered test flight in late April, but its first crewed flight dates back to July 2021, when founder Richard Branson joined Moses, Sirisha Bandla and Colin Bennett for Unity 22. Unity 25 is Virgin's fifth spaceflight of any kind.

The successful test is important for Virgin. It has operated at a loss for years as it kept pushing back its space tourism plans, and lost over $500 million in 2022 alone. While the company hasn't said when it expects to fly paying customers, it needs those passengers' $450,000 tickets to help recoup its investment. Now, it's more a matter of firming up details than overcoming technological hurdles.

Virgin trails Blue Origin, which is already launching civilians into space. It's closer to passenger spaceflights than SpaceX, though. While Elon Musk's outfit announced its lunar tourism plans years ago, it has yet to send a Starship rocket into space with crew aboard. Not that SpaceX is necessarily concerned. Virgin is focused on less ambitious (if also less expensive) suborbital flights where Starship will be used for both tourists' lunar orbits and NASA's Moon landings.

The second-gen Apple Pencil is one of the best iPad accessories around, especially for those who do creative work or like to write out notes on their tablet. Best of all, it’s once again on sale. You can pick up the latest Apple Pencil now for $85. That matches a record low and it's $44 off the regular price.

The stylus has a double-tap feature that enables you to quickly switch between tools. Low latency is useful as well, especially if you're trying to quickly sketch out an idea. Other functions include tilt capabilities and pressure sensitivity. If you have the latest M2-powered iPad Pro, you'll also be able to take advantage of a Hover feature. This allows you to hold the Pencil just above the screen and see a preview of what will happen before you actually make changes to your design or document by touching the display with the stylus.

Being able to attach the Apple Pencil to the side of your tablet magnetically is both a neat touch and a convenient way to charge it — you won't have to futz around with yet another charging cable. Most importantly, before you buy the peripheral, make sure it’s actually compatible with your iPad.

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