Fazmina Imamudeen explores our wacky and wonderful world

MAR-A-LAGO HUB This Florida landmark has always been a symbol of wealth stateside. But recently, it transformed into something even more exclusive – a political and social power hub where the price of entry keeps climbing. Once a private club for Palm Beach’s elite, it is now a ‘pay to play’ gateway into US President Donald Trump’s inner circle.

The initiation fee, which was once a hefty US$ 200,000, has skyrocketed to a million dollars – and that’s only for membership.

A seat at an intimate candlelit dinner with Trump himself could cost another million greenbacks. For some, it’s about status; for others, it translates into an investment that helps gain access to the President of the United States.

Mar-a-Lago members have been appointed to prestigious roles including ambassadorships, and this is raising concerns about the intersection of wealth and political power. Critics argue that it sets a dangerous precedent – a place where influence isn’t earned but bought and where it’s auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Yet, for many the price is worth it. Mar-a-Lago has become an exclusive high stakes marketplace where access and influence come with a multimillion dollar price tag.

REVIVED DEVICE The Humane Ai Pin, once hailed as a futuristic alternative to smartphones, was shut down when its pa­rent company Humane Inc. went out of business. Priced at US$ 700, the device relied entirely on cloud servers to function. And once the servers were deactivated in February, the devices became useless.

Disappointed users, who had already been struggling with its underwhelming performance, were left with nothing more than a costly paperweight.

However, a group of determined hackers and tech enthusiasts refused to accept the device’s fate. Having gathered on the Discord community, they collaborated to crack the Ai Pin’s security system. One member obtained encryption keys allowing them to bypass Humane’s controls – and effectively brought the device back to life.

This breakthrough restored essential functions such as capturing photos, recording videos and running AI powered features without the use of Humane’s servers.

The revival of the Ai Pin highlights a growing issue in modern tech where companies sell expensive cloud dependent devices without long-term support. Though Humane abandoned its creation, users took matters into their own hands and proved that innovation isn’t limited to corporations. The Ai Pin’s story is a testament to the power of community driven technology.

TESLA DISPUTES Once the undisputed king of electric vehicles (EVs), Tesla now faces a storm of challenges that threaten its dominance. For the first time since 2011, its annual vehicle deliveries dropped, falling short of 1.8 million units. The EV giant is feeling the heat – and the competition isn’t slowing down.

Chinese carmaker Build Your Dreams (BYD) surged ahead, and sold a record 4.3 million EVs and hybrids last year – that’s more than double Tesla’s numbers. With aggressive pricing and a strong grip on the hybrid market, BYD is proving to be a formidable rival. Meanwhile, legacy car manufacturers such as Ford and GM are ramping up their EV game, putting even more pressure on Tesla’s market share.

But its problems aren’t only about the cars. CEO Elon Musk’s support for President Donald Trump contributed to alienating a chunk of the company’s customer base. Once seen as a progressive eco-friendly brand, it is now facing a backlash with sales dipping in key regions such as California and Europe.

It is also taking a hit financially. The company’s market value has plummeted and Musk lost billions of dollars in net worth not long ago. Profits are down and investors are becoming nervous.

Nevertheless, Tesla is still pushing forward. A self-driving Tesla Cybercab is in the works for 2027 and a more affordable car priced under US$ 30,000 is expected to launch next year.

BOSTON BOTS Boston Dynamics is pushing robotics into a new era. Its machines, once famous for their precision and agility, are now developing something even more powerful – the ability to learn on their own.

Using reinforcement learning, these robots no longer rely solely on pre-programmed instructions. Instead, they improve through trial and error. Spot, an agile robot with four legs, tripled its running speed and can move over rough terrain with increasing confidence. Atlas, a humanoid machine, refined its balance and movements, making its actions more fluid and natural.

The key to these breakthroughs lies in simulation. Before executing movements in the real world, these robots train in virtual environments where they test, fail and refine their skills thousands of times. This speeds up learning while protecting the machines from unnecessary wear and tear.

At the forefront of this advancement is the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI), which was established by the founder of Boston Dynamics Marc Raibert. The focus is clear: creating robots that can think, adapt and respond to their surroundings with minimal human intervention.

The future of robotics is shifting and machines are no longer simply following commands – they are evolving and Boston Dynamics is leading the way.