WHAT’S INSIDE:

• Feature: The Dawn of the Hypersonic Travel Age

• Tesla Flying Car, Sub-$1k MacBook, Locket Rollcall, WhatsApp Apple Watch,

  Perplexity/Getty, xMEMS AI Loudspeakers, AI Singer Xania Monet, Disney/Epic

  Arts and culture news, intersection of tech and entertainment

• Latest food and dining and food technology news

• The latest sports news and sports tech

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

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

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TOP CONSUMER TECH NEWS:

Tesla Flying Car — Elon Musk suggests to Joe Rogan that Tesla may soon unveil a flying car: [Tesla] is “getting close to demonstrating the prototype” of “crazy, crazy technology.”

Apple — Plans a sub-$1,000 MacBook with iPhone A-series chips for mid-2026, aiming to compete with Chromebooks and budget Windows laptops. + Launched a web-based App Store for browsing apps across devices.

Gen Alpha Takeover — Locket's Rollcall feature, using Apple's Live Activities, has driven over a million shares in a week, becoming a primary social tool for Gen Alpha. With 91M installs. Plans to expand into video and interactive features.

WhatsApp on Your Wrist — Meta introduces a dedicated WhatsApp app for Apple Watch Series 4 and later, enabling users to read, write, and send messages. With full message display and voice messaging, it enhances wearable messaging.

Perplexity Partners with Getty — Perplexity has secured a multi-year deal with Getty Images to incorporate their images in its AI tools. This move aims to address past content issues by ensuring proper attribution and enhancing ux respecting IP.

xMEMS Boosts AI Tech — xMEMS Labs secures $21M to enhance piezoMEMS technologies to produce advanced loudspeakers and cooling chips, addressing performance and thermal challenges in AI-enabled devices. It holds 250+ patents.

WEEKEND CRYPTOGRAM:

Ripple secured $500M at $40B valuation, transitioning from cross-border payments to crypto banking platform with stablecoins and custody services.

FEATURE ARTICLE

The Dawn of the Hypersonic Travel Age

TechBuzz Editorial

The sky over California’s Mojave Desert shimmered with early light as a sleek jet lifted off. It wasn’t a rocket, but NASA’s X-59, a jet built to fly faster than sound without the sonic boom of its predecessors such as the Concorde. 

Also Hypersonix in Australia just secured $46M in funding to develop the world's first reusable hydrogen-fueled hypersonic aircraft, capable of reaching speeds of Mach 12.

These developments, as well as recent progress from others like Boom Supersonic, mark the dawn of a new era where high-speed travel may once again fit into daily life, not as spectacle, but as convenience. 

If alternative fuels like Hydrogen can continue to trend towards being produced in a more efficient and green way, it’s also possible that prices could come down, making this hypersonic innovation accessible for a much wider group of travellers than the Concorde ever was.

A New Sound of Travel

The X-59 changes the hypersonic travel equation. Its shape and design scatter the shockwaves that once created the boom, replacing it with what NASA calls a “sonic thump.” If successful, this sound will be quiet enough for communities to accept flights over land again, making it possible to cross the US or the Atlantic in a few hours instead of a day.

It’s not just about flying faster. It’s about restoring a kind of grace to the experience in which progress doesn’t feel like disturbance.

Design That Feels Like Tomorrow

The jet looks almost unreal. It’s long and slender, with a nose that stretches nearly half its length. There’s no cockpit window; instead, the pilot sees through a 4K monitor that streams live images from outside. Every detail is crafted for quiet speed and elegant precision.

When it reaches cruising altitude, the X-59 will fly at 55,000 feet, above the clouds and twice as fast as today’s airliners. From that height, you could see the curve of the Earth.

It feels like the beginning of something travelers once dreamed about: the return of supersonic flight, built for comfort and efficiency rather than noise and display.

A Future in Motion

In the next phase, NASA will fly the X-59 over small towns and cities, collecting feedback from people below. The aim is to help the FAA set sound standards rather than speed limits that would allow supersonic travel without the noise that once grounded it. If the sound passes the test, commercial builders could soon begin designing the next generation of passenger jets, ones that make long distances feel local again.

Imagine leaving Sydney in the morning and walking through San Francisco by lunch, or taking a weekend trip that once required a full day in the air. The boundaries of travel could change again, not with rockets or spaceports, but with jets that whisper through the sky.

The Supersonic Age

If the first age of flight made the world smaller, this new one may make it even smaller again. The age of hypersonic travel isn’t about escaping Earth. It’s about redefining what it means to roam it. 

ARTS & CULTURE

First AI Singer on Billboard — Xania Monet became the first AI-generated singer to chart on Billboard, marking a historic milestone in the music sector.

Disney — Invested $1.5B in Epic Games to launch a Disneyland Game Rush within Fortnite. This initiative merges branded experiences with gaming, enabling player engagement with Disney content. It serves as a pilot to gather data in the metaverse.

Stability AI — UK court ruled in favor of Stability AI against Getty Images, dismissing copyright claims over AI image generator training.

Studio Ghibli vs OpenAI — The Content Overseas Distribution Association demanded OpenAI stop using Studio Ghibli content for AI training, citing Japan's strict copyright laws.

LG Heir's AI Film Venture — An LG Founder’s son, Brian Koo launched Utopai East to integrate AI in filmmaking for the global Korean film market, boosting efficiency while respecting creators' rights.

Alexa+ in Amazon Music — Amazon integrated Alexa+ AI assistant into its Music app, enhancing discovery and increasing user engagement.

Grand Egyptian Museum Opens — Egypt unveiled the Grand Egyptian Museum with 100,000 artifacts, targeting 5 million annual visitors to boost tourism.

FOOD & DRINK TECH:

New FDA GRAS Rule — The FDA plans a 2026 rule change eliminating self-affirmed GRAS status for food ingredients, requiring direct submissions, though critics warn it may hinder innovation.

New Wine Hotspot — Sauced East Village opens March 12 with a bespoke wine experience, featuring Chef Quentin Peron's menu of lobster toast bao and Wagyu tartare in a vibrant space.

Tyra Banks' Hot Ice Cream — Tyra Banks debuts Hot Mama, the world's first hot ice cream from her Smize & Dream line, launching in the U.S. this winter after its viral Australian debut.

MartinBauer Expands Botanicals Portfolio — MartinBauer acquires American Botanicals, known for organic and conventional botanicals across food, health, and cosmetics sectors, aiming to boost growth while preserving heritage.

Corn-Free Popcorn Startup — Novak Djokovic invests in Solely Snacks, a startup creating innovative corn-free popcorn alternatives aimed at health-conscious consumers.

Reviving Meat Alternatives — MyForest Foods launches mycelium-based bacon and pulled pork in over 2,500 Whole Foods locations, targeting operational profitability by 2027 using patented fermentation.

SPORTS & TECH DESK:

Dodgers Triumph Again — The LA Dodgers clinched their second straight World Series title with a thrilling 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Yoshinobu Yamamoto earned MVP honors, while Will Smith hit the decisive homer.

College Basketball — Arizona's Koa Peat shone on opening day with 30 points in his debut. BYU edged Villanova 71-66. Notable upsets: New Orleans over TCU, & Hawai'i Pacific over Boise State.

Record-Breaking NYC Marathon — Hellen Obiri set a new women's course record of 2:19:51 at the NYC Marathon. Benson Kipruto narrowly won the men's race, highlighting Kenyan dominance.

AI Soccer Strategy — Seattle Reign FC coach Laura Harvey used ChatGPT to craft a successful "back-five" defensive strategy. The team's improvement to fourth place in the NWSL highlights AI's role as a tactical consultant.

Gen Z Viewership Drop — F1 and tennis are losing Gen Z fans due to restrictive media policies, while the NBA thrives with accessible highlights. Embracing the creator economy could boost engagement by allowing more flexible sharing.

YouTube TV Blackout — YouTube TV dropped Disney networks like ABC and ESPN over renewal disputes. Google refuses to meet price hike demands, impacting millions. A $20 credit is offered if the standoff persists.

NASCAR Cartel Case Dismissed — A federal judge dismissed NASCAR's cartel claims against Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing due to lack of evidence. A jury trial on NASCAR's alleged monopoly power misuse is set for December 1.

FUTURISM:

Tesla's AI Time Machine — Explore a speculative 3D video on Nikola Tesla's imagined invention of AI in 1900, projecting accelerated tech evolution from early neural networks to today's implications.

Dynamic Dark Energy — New studies propose that dark energy may be dynamic and evolving, challenging the traditional view of a constant force. Models with axion-like particles better align with current observations.

SpaceX's AI Ambitions — SpaceX's fully reusable Starship is crucial for launching large-scale AI data centers in space, aiming for sub-$80M launch costs. Starcloud's 5GW AI center plans face hurdles with solar and launch cost assumptions.

Not in a Simulation — Physicists claim to have proven the universe cannot be a simulation, as computational theories fail to fully describe reality. Theorems highlight the need for non-algorithmic understanding in a complete Theory of Everything.

AI Flippening — Companies are increasingly adopting China's AI models over American ones, a trend dubbed the "AI Flippening" by Balaji Srinivasan. This shift was underscored by a major deal announced on November 4, 2025.

Muscle Bots — Researchers unveil an artificial muscle from a magnetic shape-memory polymer that can lift 4,000 times its weight. With applications in soft robotics and medical tools, it combines stretchability with strength.

WELLBEING AND HEALTH TECH:

AI Healthcare Boom — Hippocratic AI secures $126MB valuation. Led by Avenir Growth, the investment fuels expansion in AI-driven healthcare, addressing labor and patient access challenges through strategic mergers and partnerships.

Streamlined CRISPR Trials — Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine innovate "umbrella" trials for personalized CRISPR therapies, aiming to expedite FDA approval for rare disease treatments.

Chromosome Clarity — Yale researchers simulate aging-related chromosome errors in mouse eggs, offering insights into infertility, genetic disorders, and reproductive longevity.

$40B Deal — Kimberly-Clark plans to acquire Kenvue, Tylenol's maker, for over $40B. The merger aims for $32B ARR and ten billion-dollar brands but faces litigation risks. Completion is expected in the second half of 2026.

Holi's Healthtech — A Polish healthtech startup secures €3M to boost digital health services across Europe. The funding, completed on November 4, 2025, supports its operational growth and innovation efforts.