AIInnovationStartups

Sam Altman’s Merge Labs Taps Caltech Scientist for Non-Invasive Brain Tech

Sam Altman is building a brain-computer interface startup called Merge Labs that will take a dramatically different approach from Neuralink. The OpenAI CEO has recruited Caltech biomolecular engineer Mikhail Shapiro, whose work focuses on using ultrasound and gene therapy to read brain activity without surgery. The hiring signals Altman’s preference for non-invasive neural interfaces over approaches that require implanting electrodes in the brain.

A Different Path to Brain-Computer Interfaces

Sam Altman is quietly assembling the pieces for his next major venture, and it’s shaping up to be a direct challenge to Neuralink’s vision of how humans should interface with machines. According to sources familiar with the matter, Altman has recruited Caltech professor Mikhail Shapiro—an award-winning biomolecular engineer—to join Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface startup expected to launch publicly in the coming weeks.

InnovationScienceTechnology

Google’s Quantum Echoes Algorithm Achieves Unprecedented 13,000x Speed Boost Over Classical Supercomputers

Google has announced a breakthrough quantum computing achievement that reportedly outperforms classical supercomputers by a factor of 13,000. The company’s new Quantum Echoes algorithm completed a complex simulation in just two hours that would have taken conventional systems approximately 3.2 years, according to research published in Nature.

Quantum Computing Milestone Reached

Google Quantum AI researchers have reportedly achieved what sources indicate is the first “verifiable quantum advantage” using a revolutionary new algorithm called Quantum Echoes. The breakthrough, detailed in a recent Nature publication, demonstrates a measurable computing superiority over conventional supercomputers that analysts suggest could represent a significant step toward practical quantum computing applications.

BusinessInnovationTechnology

Meta Platforms Stock Analysis Points to Potential High-Reward Moves Amid Historical Volatility

Historical data shows Meta Platforms has experienced multiple rapid price surges exceeding 50% within two-month periods. However, analysts caution that even strong companies face substantial risks during market corrections.

Meta’s Historical Price Surges

Meta Platforms stock has demonstrated remarkable capacity for rapid appreciation, according to analysis of historical trading patterns. The company’s shares have reportedly surged by more than 50% within two-month periods on six separate occasions, with notable instances occurring in 2012 and 2023. Furthermore, sources indicate the stock has achieved gains exceeding 30% within similar timeframes eleven times throughout its history, including significant movements in 2013 and 2025.

AIBusinessSoftware

Microsoft Integrates AI Copilot Mode in Edge Browser to Challenge Chrome Dominance

Microsoft is rolling out Copilot Mode for its Edge browser, enhancing AI capabilities to compete with Chrome and emerging AI-native browsers. The update includes multi-step task automation and contextual browsing assistance. This move signals Microsoft’s intensified focus on AI integration in the browser space.

Microsoft Elevates Browser Competition with AI Integration

Microsoft is significantly upgrading its Edge browser with a new Copilot Mode feature, according to reports, as the company seeks to strengthen its position in the increasingly competitive AI browser market. Sources indicate this development comes at a crucial time when Chrome maintains market dominance while new AI-native browsers continue to emerge.

HardwareStartupsTechnology

Oxford Quantum Startup QFX Secures €2.2M Seed Funding for Modular Hardware Expansion

Oxford-based quantum technology startup QFX has raised €2.2 million in seed funding to advance its modular hardware platform. The investment round was reportedly led by Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham, positioning the University of Oxford spin-out within Europe’s growing quantum ecosystem.

Funding Round and Investor Backing

Oxford-based quantum startup QFX has secured €2.2 million in seed funding to expand its modular hardware platform for quantum technologies, according to recent reports. Sources indicate the investment round was led by Silicon Valley investor and Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham, signaling strong confidence in the UK quantum sector.