January 9th 2025

Author

Max Gray
January 09, 2025

In partnership with

The Daily Innovation Newsletter

January 9th 2025

When Beyoncé Gets Paid, So Could You

  • JKBX (pronounced “Jukebox”) lets you invest in royalties from global streaming platforms.

  • Earn potential quarterly payouts tied to music revenue.

  • Diversify with an uncorrelated, market-independent asset.

Visit www.jkbx.com/legal/offering-circulars for important Reg A disclosures. This content is not investment advice, nor is it an offer of securities. All investments involve risk and may result in loss.

💻 Technology

Swippitt, a US-based startup, has introduced the Instant Power System (IPS), allowing iPhones to regain full battery capacity in just two seconds. The system combines a toaster-like hub that swaps out depleted external battery cases with fully charged ones and a companion app for management. Initially compatible with iPhone 14, 15, and 16 models, the system aims to revolutionize charging convenience but comes with a hefty price tag. Swippitt plans to expand compatibility to Android devices later in 2025.

Lotte Innovate has unveiled the enhanced Caliverse platform at CES 2025, offering a hyperrealistic metaverse that bridges virtual and physical worlds. The platform integrates real-time digital twin technology, AI-driven content creation, and immersive VR zones, allowing users to attend concerts, shop virtually, and receive real-world product deliveries. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Caliverse enables seamless user interaction and customization, showcasing the future of blended online and offline experiences in entertainment, retail, and beyond.

⚡️ Energy

Deep Fission and Endeavour Energy are collaborating to develop underground small modular reactors (SMRs) to power data centers. These reactors, buried a mile deep in 30-inch boreholes, use the Earth's natural properties for containment, eliminating the need for large concrete structures. This approach reduces costs, enhances safety, and delivers clean energy at just 5–7 cents per kWh. The first reactors, part of a 2 GW project for Endeavour’s Edged data centers, are expected to be operational by 2029.

🚘 Transport

HD Hyundai Mipo has started building the world’s first ammonia-powered ships for Belgian company EXMAR. These dual-fuel vessels can operate on both traditional fuels and ammonia, a zero-carbon alternative gaining traction in the maritime industry for its potential to decarbonize shipping. Equipped with eco-friendly technologies like shaft generators and ammonia leak mitigation systems, the ships highlight a commitment to sustainable innovation. The first two vessels, Champagny and Courchevel, are set for completion by 2026, with four additional ships running entirely on ammonia to follow.

🌎 Environment

Canadian startup Plantaform has created an automated indoor gardening system using NASA-inspired fogponic technology. This technique delivers a nutrient-rich mist to plant roots, promoting faster growth and higher yields while using 98% less water than traditional soil methods. The system automates lighting, temperature, and hydration via a smartphone app, making it easy for anyone to grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers indoors. Already a CES 2025 Innovation Award winner, Plantaform offers a sustainable, low-mess solution for urban gardening enthusiasts.

💉 Biotechnology

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have introduced mvGPT, a groundbreaking gene-editing platform that can edit DNA, activate gene expression, and repress genes all at once. This single, versatile tool simplifies genetic interventions, allowing precise treatment of multiple genetic conditions in the same cell. Initial tests on human liver cells showed mvGPT successfully corrected a mutation causing Wilson’s disease while simultaneously addressing genes linked to diabetes and amyloidosis. The innovation, published in Nature Communications, holds promise for advancing genetic disease treatments and understanding DNA mechanisms.

Researchers at Macquarie University in Australia have developed a novel genetic modification technique called the "Toxic Male Technique" (TMT). This method, published in Nature, alters male mosquitoes to produce venom proteins in their semen, killing female mosquitoes shortly after mating and preventing them from spreading diseases like malaria, dengue, and Zika. Unlike previous methods, TMT targets the current generation of female mosquitoes, significantly reducing disease transmission rates. Preliminary tests on fruit flies showed reduced female lifespans, with computer models predicting a 40–60% drop in mosquito blood-feeding rates if implemented. Rigorous safety testing for mosquitoes is still required.

💊 Healthcare

Florida-based ALAFIA AI has introduced AIVAS, a high-performance supercomputer tailored for healthcare AI workflows, at CES 2025. Capable of over 1,000 trillion operations per second, AIVAS accelerates tasks like PET scans and genomic analysis, reducing imaging time from 30 minutes to just 30 seconds. Equipped with advanced GPU cores and 128 CPU cores, it enables real-time, secure AI applications. Early adopters, like Stanford’s Department of Neurology, report dramatic workflow improvements, showcasing AIVAS’s potential to revolutionize diagnostics and improve patient outcomes.

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