Tech and Culture Collide This Week

GM is betting $900 million on solid-state EV batteries — a gamble that could change the game for electric vehicles. Solid-state batteries promise better range and lower costs than today’s lithium-ion tech. But they’re still experimental — no manufacturer has yet cracked the reliability challenges.

Why GM is taking this risk: the EV market is heating up. Tesla is dominating, and startups are innovating fast. GM needs to differentiate — solid-state is seen as the next big leap. But the gamble is huge: manufacturing solid-state batteries at scale is still a mystery. If it doesn’t work, GM’s EV division could lose $900 million — and the tech could stay experimental for years.

Why this matters for us: If GM succeeds, EVs become more affordable for Brown and Black communities. If not, the gamble could delay better tech for years.

NASA has revealed the first-of-its-kind spacesuit base layer that astronauts will wear under Prada's AxEMU spacesuit on Artemis IV. The Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) is the critical layer that keeps astronauts cool and comfortable during spacewalks — water circulates through tiny tubes embedded in the suit, drawing heat away from the body. If the main system fails, a backup kicks in — a first for spacesuit design. This marks the first time astronauts will have reliable cooling while wearing the AxEMU suit. Why this matters for us: it brings us closer to Artemis IV's 2028 human return to the Moon — the first time Brown and Black astronauts will walk on the Moon since Apollo 17.

Llama 2.5B has surpassed human performance on the CodeSearchNet dataset. For the first time, LLM-powered reviews are faster and more accurate than human code reviews.\n\nWhy this matters for us: Brown developers are finally getting tools that work — no more waiting for human reviews, no more endless feedback loops.

Red-light therapy is blowing up for hair loss — and it's not just for Instagram influencers.\n\nWired tested three red-light devices on 50 testers with hair loss. The results: 47% saw visible regrowth in 12 weeks.\n\nWhy red light works: it targets mitochondria in hair follicles, boosting energy production and stimulating growth. The best device? The $299.99 Nuance Pro — clinical trials show it outperforms minoxidil.\n\nCost is a barrier: the cheapest device is $199.99 (La migra app is faster, but red light is the gold standard).\n\nWhy this matters for us: This is the first therapy proven to work for Brown women with genetic hair loss.

Gears of War: E-Day, the hotly anticipated sequel to Gears of War 5, will not be coming to PlayStation 5. Microsoft revealed today that E-Day is an Xbox Series X/S console exclusive, launching on October 6th. The trailer showed urban combat in familiar settings: an electronics store and grocery shop under attack by alien invaders — the same cover-based gameplay that made Gears a classic.

Why this matters for us: This is the first major console-exclusive game Microsoft has announced since the Xbox acquisition by Amazon and Apple. The PS5 community will have to wait for another Gears title.

Microsoft announced Fable's release date: February 23rd, 2027. If you preorder the Premium Edition, you'll get early access starting February 18th — just in time for the Super Bowl. This comes after months of delays: Microsoft pushed the game from 2026 to 2027 earlier this year, citing production challenges.

The new trailer shows gameplay that feels familiar to the original trilogy: the fantasy RPG setting, British humor, and the ability to upgrade your character. Microsoft also released a gameplay overview in July that showed combat mechanics and the open-world design. The game is expected to launch exclusively on Xbox and PC — no PlayStation release yet.

Why this matters for us: Fable was one of the first AAA games that introduced Latinx characters with depth — the 2008 original trilogy had a bilingual cast, with characters speaking both English and Spanish. This is a game that feels personal to Brown gamers.