Overview
Today is a builder’s day. A London hack sprint for Grok opens its doors, a nimble robot hand turns heads, and a desk-friendly iPhone stand looks like sci-fi made real. Creators are remixing endings with text-to-video tools, VR scenes are getting thicker with fog, and X itself says new users are sticking around longer. Mixed in are viral curios and a charged debate on UK demographics.
The big picture
Grokathon 2.0 promises a caffeine-fuelled sprint in London
Mario Nawfal is rallying developers for a 12-hour Grok buildathon in central London on 17 January. The pitch is simple - real apps, Grok in the loop, prizes for the top three, and early access to fresh Grok models plus X APIs. It follows months of xAI courting developers to grow its ecosystem.
UMA’s Wuji Hand moves faster than expected
Remi Cadene shared a 22-second clip of UMA Robots’ Wuji Hand running rapid finger sequences at 1x speed, crediting better heat dissipation in the actuators. Cadene, ex-Hugging Face robotics lead and Tesla Optimus contributor, founded UMA to back open-source humanoid work in Europe. Replies are already dreaming up guitar solos.
A playful robot stand turns the iPhone into a desk companion
Mukul Sharma flagged the Yoona Deskmate at CES - a MagSafe iPhone stand with animated eyes, pan-tilt tracking, and chatty AI features that hook into apps like Slack. It doubles as a multi-port charger and aims for sub-$300 crowdfunding in March. Feels like a pocket sci-fi sidekick, made with today’s parts and APIs.
Fans rewrite endings with InVideo Vision’s prompt-to-video tool
InVideo is nudging viewers to redo that “strange ending” they did not love. Vision spins text prompts into storyboards and clips, with a demo that recuts Stranger Things into an Avengers-style crossover. There is a 7-day window of free unlimited use on paid plans, which is already drawing creators in.
VRChat gets thicker air - and higher load
@noriben327 shows a custom Unity shader for dense fog particles that catch a mirror ball’s light in VR. It supports VRC Light Volumes and keeps the flat billboard look to a minimum, with colour swaps that change the mood. It is a looker, but performance cost is clear.
X says new users are spending more time in app
@cb_doge cites platform stats that new users spent 43% more time in the app over the last six months, a fresh high. The clip runs a Matrix-style counter over the X logo. It matches a broader rise in daily minutes reported this year.
Yes, that Windows 7 key from the Epstein files activates
@possiblyazure boots a Windows 7 Home Premium install using a product key visible on a Toshiba underside photo from DOJ-released Epstein files. The video runs through entry to activation on modern hardware. It has gone viral among retro-computing fans and document sleuths, mixing morbid humour with tech trivia.
A stark take on UK demographics fuels debate
@XFreeze claims the UK’s native birth rate is near 1.3, below replacement, with growth driven by net migration, while non-native fertility is higher. Recent ONS data shows a gap between UK-born and foreign-born mothers, and replies push hard narratives about identity and strain on services. As ever, headlines and reality can diverge - the long-run picture depends on economic conditions, migration policy, and regional differences.
Why it matters
Developer gravity is moving to where the tools and access are. A Grokathon with early model access and X APIs signals xAI’s intent to court builders quickly, which sets the tone for 2026 platform competition.
Robotics is inching from lab demos to fast, resilient hardware. If compact hands can run cooler and quicker, tasks that need dexterity come into play sooner - think assembly, service work, and music-grade control.
Consumer-friendly agents are arriving in familiar shapes. A sub-$300 desk stand that tracks you and ties into work apps shows how far you can go by reusing a phone’s camera, mic and screen.
Storytellers want control. Tools that let fans rewrite endings will fuel new formats and communities, but they also raise licensing and IP questions that platforms and studios will need to sort out.
Virtual worlds keep chasing depth. Volumetric fog and richer light make scenes feel alive, yet every visual flourish has a performance price. Creators will keep juggling mood against frame rate.
X is an attention engine, for better and worse. Higher user time helps product and ad stories, but the feed’s mix - edgy hacks, civic charts, and memes - demands more context and media literacy from all of us.
