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Top stories today:
- NVIDIA debuts Vera Rubin chips, promising 5× AI training compute
- Boston Dynamics taps Google DeepMind’s Gemini for Atlas robots
- Venezuela bondholders eye debt talks after Maduro ouster
- Lyte, founded by ex-Apple engineers, emerges from stealth
- Intel’s 2nm Panther Lake Core Ultra chips debut with major AI upgrades
- S&P 500 expected to climb <10% in 2026 by median investor: survey
0. Calendar
All values as of 6 AM ET / 3 AM PT, other than S&P500 and NASDAQ close (4 PM ET / 1 PM PT).
All times are ET.
Listen to our AI-generated podcast summarizing today’s newsletter (beware of hallucinations):
1. NVIDIA debuts Vera Rubin chips, promising 5× AI training compute over Blackwell
The chips are in “full production” and can train some LLMs with ~75% fewer chips than Blackwell, CEO Jensen Huang said.
H2 2026: products and services powered by Rubin are set to debut.
NVIDIA also unveiled its Alpamayo AI model family for autonomous vehicles and detailed a full-stack AV collaboration with Mercedes-Benz.
Demand from China for NVIDIA’s H200 chip is strong, the company said, with export license applications now under US government review.
NVIDIA has reportedly struggled to monetize Omniverse and shut down its Omniverse Cloud service in August 2025 amid weak demand.
2. Boston Dynamics taps Google DeepMind’s Gemini for Atlas humanoid robots
Coming months: Gemini-powered Atlas robots will be tested at Hyundai’s auto factories.
The partnership will focus on bringing industrial tasks to humanoids.
The data collected by Boston Dynamics robots will help improve Gemini’s ability to operate in the physical world.
Nov.: Google DeepMind hired the former CTO of Boston Dynamics.
Boston Dynamics also unveiled a new Atlas robot for Hyundai plants starting in 2028
The humanoid robot features human-scale hands with tactile sensing and fully rotational joints capable of lifting up to 110 pounds.
It can operate in temperatures ranging from −4°F (−20°C) to 104°F, Boston Dynamics said.
The new Atlas robot will be deployed at a factory in Savannah, Georgia, among other Hyundai facilities.
30K Atlas robots a year by 2028 is Hyundai’s plan.
Now, new H-1B petitions come with a $100K price tag. That’s pushing enterprises to rethink how they hire.
The H-1B Talent Crunch report explores how U.S. companies are turning to Latin America for elite tech talent—AI, data, and engineering pros ready to work in sync with your HQ.
Discover the future of hiring beyond borders.
*Disclaimer: We have equity in Athyna.
4. Venezuela bondholders eye debt talks after Maduro ouster
Venezuela’s 2027 notes +29% to ~43 cents on the dollar, returning to pre-default levels:
