Tesla's Optimus Gets Grok Integration

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This week, we’re serving up a digital smorgasbord of shiny new toys and brain-tickling questions. From iPad apps finally getting the big-screen love they deserve to AI video tools that might just make human actors nervous, we’re diving into the tech soup with a wink and a nudge. Because let’s be real: if we’re not poking a little fun at the robot revolution, are we even paying attention?

In this week's tech buffet:

• 📱 Instagram’s iPad app escapes the “maybe later” pile

• 🎥 Captions rebrands to Mirage, chasing AI video stardom

• 📸 Google Photos’ Veo 3 turns your snaps into mini-movies

• 🤖 Tesla’s Optimus gets chatty with Grok and a gold makeover

• 🔍 + 4 handpicked tools for the curious

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Tech

Instagram Finally Lands on iPad

After 15 years of “we’ll get to it,” Instagram finally ships an iPad app. No more blown-up iPhone UI or web workaround; this one’s tuned for the big screen and even defaults to Reels—because of course it does.

You get nearly everything from the phone: Stories up top, a left sidebar for Feed, DMs, Search, Explore, and notifications. The Feed now offers All, Friends, and Latest (chronological), and you can reorder them. Nice touches: comments sit beside reels, and messages show your chat list alongside a conversation. It runs on iPads with iOS 15.1+, so third-party stopgaps like Retro can finally relax.

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Tech

Captions Becomes Mirage, Chasing AI Video

Creator app Captions just did a costume change: now "Mirage"—and it's not just a new logo. The team says it's building AI models tuned for short-form video (think TikTok, Reels, Shorts), not generic text-to-video.

Mirage Studio lets brands spin up ads from an audio file, add AI backgrounds and avatars (even from a selfie), and promises natural speech and movement—no stock footage, voice cloning, or lip-sync. Plans start at $399/month for 8,000 credits, with half off month one.

Cool, but cue the big questions: What happens to human talent—and how do we spot deepfakes? Mirage says it blocks impersonation and requires consent, but claims the real fix is media literacy: squint at video like you do headlines.

AI

Veo 3 Animates Your Photos

Google Photos just leveled up its “photo to video” trick with Veo 3, turning still images into short, higher-quality clips right from the Create tab. Translation: your vacation pics can finally stretch their legs. It’s U.S.-only for now.

This upgrade builds on the existing tool (formerly powered by Veo 2) but promises crisper, more lifelike motion—great for reviving dusty albums or sketching out mood clips without setting up a shoot. It’s part of a new Create hub alongside remix, collages, cinematic 3D photos, and GIFs, putting serious playtime in front of 1.5 billion users.

Previously, Veo 3 lived inside the Gemini app with subscription limits. Now it’s in your camera roll.

AI

Tesla's Optimus Meets Grok, Goes Gold

Salesforce’s Marc Benioff shared a new clip of Tesla’s next-gen Optimus: it answers questions via Grok and takes careful, very robot-y steps—now wearing a flashy gold finish.

The headline change is the hands. Musk says the prototype moves finger cables from palm to forearm, like humans, for better dexterity. In the clip, though, the hands look a bit mannequin-ish, so this may be more costume than capability (for now).

Why it matters: Musk claims Optimus could become 80% of Tesla’s value, starting with tedious factory tasks. If the hands catch up, expect robots that can thread needles—or play piano—in your studio. Golden age incoming, or just gold paint?

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