WHAT’S INSIDE:

• Top consumer tech news this week

• History Meets Luxury At Round Hill, Montego Bay Jamaica

• Latest food and dining and food technology news

• Arts and culture news, intersection of tech and entertainment

• Sports: Super Bowl | NBA goes AI, more sports news and sports tech updates

• Futurism, the latest in future concepts and cutting edge deep tech

• Latest news in wellness and wellbeing tech, biotech, medtech and more

TOP CONSUMER TECH NEWS

Apple Ships — Apple's Powerbeats Pro 2 workout-designed earbuds in partnership with Beats were leaked. Exploring humanoid + non-humanoid robots for its smart home ecosystem, for 2028. Dropping 4th gen iPhone SE budget model for $429.

OM-3 Camera Launch — A new $2,000 Micro Four Thirds camera combines vintage design with 20.37MP stacked sensor, 50fps shooting, and 4K video.

T-Mobile Starlink Beta — Free satellite texting is available until July for beta testers, then $15/month for T-Mobile customers ($20 for others). Voice and data coming later.

OnePlus Watch 3 — Smart Watch Launching February 18 with $30 early-bird discount, 16-day battery life, dual chipsets, and WearOS support.

Sky Glass Gen 2 — The updated TV features brighter 4K Quantum Dot display, seven-speaker Dolby Atmos system, starting at .

BYD Self-Drive — The Chinese EV maker brings high-end automated driving features to its entire lineup, including a newly released $10,000 hatchback.

FEATURE ARTICLE

History Meets Luxury At Round Hill Jamaica

The partly Ralph Lauren styled Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Montego Bay, Jamaica, combines history with modern luxury and design aesthetic to enhance the timeless elegance. Nestled on a secluded 110-acre peninsula, this former pineapple plantation has been a haven for discerning travelers since 1953.

Timeless Elegance with Modern Touches

Step into a world where classic old-world Jamaican charm meets modern luxury. Ralph Lauren, who owns a villa at Round Hill, has infused his signature style into the Pineapple House guestrooms and common areas. Guests can wake up in a four-poster mahogany bed, step onto cool white stone floors, and take in the breathtaking Caribbean ocean views from a private balcony. The rooms were recently refurbished by Lauren with beach living and luxury style in mind. 

Round Hill seamlessly integrates technology to enhance the guest experience. Rooms are all equipped with modern amenities like complimentary Wi-Fi, (available across the property) ensuring you stay connected in this tropical paradise.As a gated community, the resort offers controlled access and expedited arrival experiences. 

Villas: Your Private Oasis

For the ultimate in privacy and space, choose one of the villas, ranging from two to six bedrooms. Each villa boasts its own unique design, with features like private pools, spacious living areas, and outdoor showers, all while maximizing indoor/outdoor living.

Sustainability and Family Fun

Round Hill is committed to sustainable practices, minimizing its environmental impact while offering an unparalleled guest experience. The resort emphasizes fresh, organic ingredients sourced from its on-site garden. Families are more than welcome at Round Hill. The resort offers an exceptional "Family Program" to cater to guests of all ages. Children can enjoy supervised activities and entertainment at the Pineapple Kids Club, while parents relax and unwind.

Personalized Service and Culinary Delights

At Round Hill, personalized service is paramount. From the moment you arrive, you're greeted with warmth, setting the tone for an unforgettable stay. The staff's dedication to exceeding expectations and genuine hospitality creates a sense of belonging. Round Hill's culinary offerings are as diverse as its activities. Indulge in Jamaican staples at the Seaside Terrace or savor international favorites at The Grille. For a truly special experience, opt for a private chef's meal at your villa or participate in culinary events like rum and chocolate tastings.

Activities for Every Taste

Round Hill offers a wealth of activities to cater to every guest's desires. Unwind on the golden sand beach, take a dip in the infinity pool, or pamper yourself at the oceanfront spa. For the active traveler, there's tennis, pickleball, a fully equipped fitness center, and an outdoor fitness trail. Explore the underwater world with snorkeling and complimentary glass-bottom boat tours. The 10-acre Wellness and Spa area offers a state-of-the-art gym, outdoor yoga pavilion, and outdoor cross-fit course, as well as hiking trails. Nearby option include golf courses, and outdoor adventures like waterfall swimming, bamboo raft river cruising and much more.

A Legacy of Luxury

Round Hill has maintained its reputation for exceptional service and classic luxury for decades. The staff's warm hospitality and attention to detail create an unforgettable experience. Whether you're seeking a romantic escape, a family getaway, or a solo adventure, Round Hill offers a unique blend of history, luxury, and modern convenience that will leave you wanting to return year after year.

Check Out The Deals

FOOD AND DRINK

Netflix Nuggets — Netflix opened a restaurant in Las Vegas called Netflix Bites. The restaurant will feature food and drinks inspired by Netflix shows and is set to be open for a year at this stage. Sounds like a merch sales dream come true!

LA Restaurant Crisis — LA restaurateurs petitioned lawmakers as more and more businesses are forced to close due to the wildfires.

Coffee Price Alert — Arabica coffee hit an all-time high price of $4.04/pound, with further increases expected as supply snags exacerbate a bean shortage.

Olipop — The prebiotic soda startup is the top non-alcoholic brand in the U.S. by sales and unit growth. It is valued at $1.85B after a $50M round led by JP Morgan’s Growth Equity Partners.

Tech & Wine — 1. Rioja implements AI for yield management while facing traditional practice concerns. | 2. Chablis winemakers go organic to combat climate change. | 3. 'Share & Pair Sundays' launches March, promoting social wine drinking.

Kitchen Tech — 1. Weber's Searwood grill upgrades with reliable cooking, manual mode for open-lid cooking, and a user-friendly display at $899. | 2. The Ninja Swirl by Creami allows you to make perfect soft serve ice cream at home for $350.

ARTS & CULTURE

AI Super Bowl — 1. The SB was the most-watched Big Game ever (~128M viewers). | 2. ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta Ray Ban, and Salesforce’s Agentforce all ran SB half-time ads. | 3. Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show setlist saw a 175% spike on Spotify after the game — with “Not Like Us” popping 430%.

Augmented Intelligence — Christie’s Fine art auction house announced an AI art auction featuring artwork from human and AI artists (incl. Mat Dryhurst, founder of AI startup, Spawning AI) + live robot painting. Rockefeller Center galleries Feb 20.

The Phoenician Scheme — Wes Anderson's latest film starring Benicio del Toro and Michael Cera will get a limited release May 30, 2025, with wider release in 2026; co-written with Roman Coppola and likely to debut at Cannes.

BFisland — BuzzFeed launched a new social platform focused on positivity and human curation over algorithms, featuring AI-powered interactive storytelling.

Battle of the Biotech Bands — Boston's 10th annual charity concert series featuring bands from life sciences industry expands to San Diego, having raised $1.4M for nonprofits; bands include Almost the Cure and The Impurities.

SPORTS DESK

Super Bowl LIX — The Philadelphia Eagles rebuffed the Kansas City Chiefs' three-peat bid in a decisive 40-22 win at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Here are some of the game’s winners and losers.

"Smart Basketball" — The NBA partnered with Finnish startup SportIQ on an AI-powered basketball that tracks shots and provides feedback, joining NBA's Launchpad program to enhance analytics and fan engagement.

"NBA Vision Pro Tabletop" — NBA's Apple Vision Pro app introduces diorama-scale game viewing, expanding from select games to all League Pass content in ‘26.

Fast break AI — How Databricks helped the Indianapolis Pacers slash its machine learning costs 12,000X% while speeding up insights.

Polymarket Peaks — Over $1B in Super Bowl bets traded hands on the online betting site on super bowl weekend, including a $550,000 profit by one punter.

FUTURISM

Neom AI Hub — Saudi Arabia invests $5B in a DataVolt AI data center project, to create a digital hum in the futuristic smart city.

Dubai Loop — The Boring Company plans a 10-mile underground driverless transit system connecting 100+ stations, handling 20,000 passengers/hour.

Nylon-Eating Bacteria — GM bacteria break down nylon from clothes and fishing nets into biodegradable plastic, with potential for future commercial recycling applications.

Project Deep — An ambitious underwater habitat project allowing 28-day ocean stays, aiming to establish permanent settlements across world's oceans.

Smart Jacket — An AI-powered jacket with environmental sensors and heat-generating yarns that automatically controls temperature.

Mars Rocket Engine — Russia developed a plasma electric rocket engine targeting 1-2 month Mars travel times, planned for 2030.

WELLBEING TECH

Alzheimer's Resistance — A man in his mid-70s shows no cognitive decline despite inherited mutation typically causing early-onset Alzheimer's, offering insights.

Brain Decision Model — Princeton math model explains brain's decision-making, potentially improving neurological disorder understanding and AI systems.

Immune Breakthrough — New APMAT tool reveals T cell response patterns to infections like COVID-19, advancing vaccine and immunotherapy development.

Breast Cancer Breakthrough — Single amino acid mutation in vimentin protein causes breast cancer cells to act like stem cells, leading to new diagnostic markers.

Bariatric Surgery Benefits — Study shows 72% lower risk of complications in cirrhosis patients after bariatric surgery, offering new hope for fatty liver disease.

Synthetic Blood Progress — Two labs are near to breakthrough in creating synthetic blood that mimics natural blood behavior.