New-Fangled News for Boomers, Gen X and Anyone Else Trying to Keep Up with Technology

Skelley’s Snippets ✂️

 🐶🗞️ Robot dogs are out here peeing on command with cheerful whistling and fake toilet flushes, while real dogs still sneakily mess on your carpet in total silence. If someone can program a plastic pup to celebrate bathroom breaks, why hasn’t anyone invented a collar that sets off an alarm when your real dog does the deed indoors?

💸 In a recent interview, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared that Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, is offering $100 million signing bonuses and matching salaries to lure away his top AI researchers. Is it a serious talent grab or is it Zuckerberg’s latest power move? Or is it just his latest attempt to make Facebook cool again for users under forty? 🤑

🕵️🕹️ Sony just revealed 007: First Light, a new Bond origin story from the makers of Hitman, coming in 2026 to PS5, Xbox, PC, and the upcoming Switch 2. The game takes a younger, more cinematic approach to Bond, with clear Uncharted vibes and a fresh angle on the franchise. It’s a far cry from the blocky charm of GoldenEye 007 on the N64, but that classic still holds a special place for redefining console shooters and making split-screen multiplayer a rite of passage.

🤖 The Imminent Acceleration of Robotics

Consider how smartphones, once dismissed as novelties, became indispensable in less than a decade. The true impact wasn’t the device itself, but the ecosystem it enabled—reshaping communication, commerce, and daily routines. Today, we’re witnessing a similar inflection point, but this time, it’s driven by robotics.

Robots are no longer confined to science fiction or factory floors. Their integration is accelerating across sectors, often unnoticed. In logistics, Amazon’s Proteus robot exemplifies this shift: it autonomously navigates warehouses, adapting in real time to people and obstacles, optimizing efficiency beyond human capability. In healthcare, Diligent Robotics’ Moxi assists with routine hospital tasks, freeing medical staff to focus on patient care—a subtle but profound reallocation of human attention and skill.

Construction, traditionally slow to automate, is being redefined by Built Robotics. Their technology transforms standard excavators into autonomous machines, capable of operating continuously and safely, even in hazardous conditions. These are not isolated experiments; they’re operational realities, quietly altering the nature of work.

Domestic life is also evolving. Devices like iRobot’s Roomba Combo j9+ and Samsung’s Ballie are making autonomous cleaning and home management routine. Temi, a mobile personal assistant, brings robotics into the realm of companionship and caregiving. These machines don’t announce themselves as revolutionary, but their cumulative effect is significant: they’re shifting expectations about what machines can and should do for us.

Perhaps most visibly, the advent of robotaxis signals a transformation in urban mobility. Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are already providing commercial rides in several major cities. Tesla’s promised Cybercab, whether realized soon or not, underscores the direction of travel: transportation as an autonomous, on-demand service.

This is not a spectacle of humanoid robots or dramatic disruptions. Instead, it’s an “Invisible Revolution”—a gradual, pervasive integration of robotics into the fabric of society. Most will only recognize its scale in retrospect, when daily life feels fundamentally altered.

The real question isn’t whether robots will take over, but how quietly—and how thoroughly—they already have. Oh, and they play badminton now too. 🏸

Can pickleball be far behind? -CP

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🧠 Perplexity’s Vision: From AI Chat to Everyday Intelligence

Perplexity, the AI-powered search and answer tool, is aiming to become much more than just a chatbot. In a recent Q&A, the company’s leaders—including CEO Aravind Srinivas—explained how they see the future: making AI a helpful part of everyday life for people everywhere, not just tech experts.

Right now, Perplexity is best known for answering questions in a chat format. But the company is building new tools, like Perplexity Labs and the Comet browser, to help people do more. With Labs, users can ask complex questions and receive research, reports, charts, or even simple apps—no technical skills needed. The upcoming Comet browser will bring AI help directly into your web browsing and voice assistants, making it easier to get answers or complete tasks as you go about your day.

Perplexity is growing quickly, especially in places like Japan and Korea. The team is working with local partners to make sure the tool works well in different languages and cultures. They want everyone, everywhere, to have access to the same powerful features.

The company’s leaders say they’re always looking for feedback. They’re working on features like better ways to share and export your work, and ways for businesses to customize Perplexity for their own needs.

Perplexity’s goal is simple: make AI a reliable, easy-to-use helper for work, learning, and everyday life. As CEO Srinivas puts it, “AI should do more than chat—it should help you get things done.” -CP

🍬 John Candy: “Between Two Pillows”

That timeless line from Planes, Trains and Automobiles—delivered by John Candy’s Del Griffith as he lay sleeping next to Neal Page, played by Steve Martin—still gets a laugh decades later. It’s one of the most iconic scenes from one of the most beloved films of the '80s.

Laugh Lines 🤣

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DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this newsletter is financial advice or any other kind of advice for that matter. This is strictly for entertainment and fodder for occasional thoughtful reflection. The owners of The Skelley may benefit financially when readers click on links in the publication.