Latest news with #R2-D2
Daily Record
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Star Wars Lego set hailed as 'challenging but fun build for big kids' slashed by 30%
Star Wars fans are "obsessed" with the Lego set that is part of Amazon's impressive Prime Day reductions If you're ever wondering how you can pass the time on a rainy summer's day, or what activity you do while soaking up some rays on holiday, you might want to consider this Lego set that has customers simply "obsessed". A Star Wars Lego set is becoming a firm favourite for shoppers, particularly those who are fans of the massive space franchise. Impressively, the set has an impressive 31 per cent off on Amazon's Prime Day sale. That means the set, featuring a detailed LEGO figure of one of the most beloved Star Wars characters, is down from £89.99 to £61.99. Complete with a Play and Display Droid Figure with Rotating Head, Periscope & Tools, and a Darth Malak Mini-figure, this set is perfect to snap up for yourself or as a gift for any 10+ kids or adults in your life. The R2-D2 figure has a 360-degree rotating head, detachable third leg for mobility, an attachable periscope and tools, while a fun centrepiece includes an R2-D2 information plaque and a stand with the Lego Star Wars 25th anniversary logo for the Darth Malak mini figure. With the Lego Builder app kids can build in 3D, track their progress and save all of their sets. If you're looking for more uses for it, the Lego building set makes a cool kids' bedroom decoration and a fun Star Wars-themed birthday gift. After all, who doesn't love adventures in a galaxy far, far away? If you'd rather shop around before committing, Argos is selling the Lego Star Wars Darth Vader Helmet Set for £55 which has also garnered 4.9 stars out of 5. Elsewhere, LEGO Star Wars Ahsoka Tano's T-6 Jedi Shuttle is going on eBay for £54.95, which is 15 per cent off at the moment. Otherwise, the Star Wars LEGO set has gained a stellar 4.8 out of 5 rating on Amazon. Customers find it easy to assemble and appreciate its display quality and good size, with one customer highlighting its amazing details with moving parts. They consider it good value for money and say it's challenging enough to keep them entertained. "Been a lover of Star wars and Lego this was an easy purchase for me," said one glowing review. "As always the Lego parts are constructed to a high quality and the details of the model make a great looking display which is highly detailed. It prove the challenging but fun build even for the big kids. "No parts missing and as always the Lego instructions are easy to follow especially if used on an iPad or tablet. "Would highly recommend for anybody is a fan of Star wars or Lego in general." Another gushed: "I bought this as a 60th birthday gift for my friend, he's a Star wars obsessed "He says its one of the best Lego builds he's had, really enjoyable. Basically, he loved it. What more can I say, other than money well spent." A third concluded: "Excellent product from Lego." Not everyone was so taken with the product, though. Some people noted missing pieces and issues with the box. One penned: "It's a shame it didn't come in an additional box for the name and address sticker to go on. It's stuck to the actual box and you can't get it off with out destroying the box cover. The game looks good it's just a shame about the box." Another wrote: "Enjoyable build. Nice mini figures. R2 a lot smaller than the box makes you think," while a third shared their experience: "It would have been 5 stars had it not been for a missing piece at the end otherwise I would have sent it back. Still a good piece though." Others were still happy with their buy, writing: "Bought this for my brothers birthday present, he absolutely loved making it, looks great." To purchase the Star Wars Lego set, please click here. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
ChatGPT-like breakthrough in humanoid robotics expected in 2-3 years, says Vinod Khosla
From industrial automation to autonomous electric vehicles (EVs) and delivery drones, artificial intelligence has already been shaping the physical world which has led to the emergence of a separate branch known as embodied or physical AI. While generative AI models are all the rage these days, they could also potentially drive breakthroughs in physical AI. It could usher in a new era of multi-tasking, humanoid robots which may be here sooner than you think, according to billionaire venture capitalist (VC) Vinod Khosla. 'Robotics will take a little longer, but I think we'll have the ChatGPT moment in the next two to three years,' Khosla said in an appearance on a podcast titled 'Uncapped' on YouTube last week. The 70-year-old VC's prediction that fully autonomous robots will be here in the next few years is noteworthy given that he has a strong track record of spotting what's next. For instance, Khosla was an early stage investor in OpenAI. DoorDash, Block, and Impossible Foods are some of the other notable companies in his investment portfolio. 'Almost everybody in the 2030s will have a humanoid robot at home. Probably start with something narrow like do your cooking for you. It can chop vegetables, cook food, clean dishes, but stays within the kitchen environment,' Khosla said. He also said that they will be available at lower costs due to high demand. These robots could cost between $300 to $400 a month, Khosla estimated. On the progress of Chinese companies in building humanoid robots, Khosla called it 'pretty damn amazing.' However, he said that these robots currently had a major drawback. 'They're not learning robots. You change the environment and they don't do as well. If you walk a human in here and say clean up, they'll know what to do. A robot needs to do that,' he said. When asked why big tech companies like Apple are not focused on building humanoid robots, Khosla suggested that breakthroughs in physical AI would come from smaller players as opposed to large incumbents. Uber, for example, did not come from Hertz, nor was Netflix a product of major networks, he said. Khosla's remarks are in line with those of several tech leaders who are betting big on robotics and physical AI. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has repeatedly said that robots will play a significant role in both industries and daily life in the future. 'I love the idea that I'll have my own R2-D2, my own C-3PO — my R2 will be following me, and for many people just growing up now, they'll have their own personal R2 with them for their lives,' Huang said at an event last year. While speaking at the chipmaker's annual investor meeting last week, Huang further said that AI and robotics represent 'a multitrillion-dollar growth opportunity' for Nvidia, which is shifting focus toward autonomous vehicles and other commercial applications of robotics. Besides Nvidia, Amazon also considers robotics to be a growth area with CEO Andy Jassy recently saying, 'We're going to hire more people in AI and more people in robotics.' In an interview with Bloomberg last month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman not only predicted breakthroughs in robotics but also warned about their impact on jobs. 'I don't think the world has really had the humanoid robots moment yet, and I don't think that's very far away […] What happens when the humanoid robots get here? I mean, obviously do a lot of jobs,' he said.
Business Insider
03-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
As AI agents gain autonomy, trust becomes the new currency. Mastercard wants to power both.
By Matthew Driver, executive vice president, services, Asia Pacific Today, AI helps us research, plan, and decide. Tomorrow, it will act. The rise of agentic AI marks a shift from assistance to execution —where AI not only suggests but also completes tasks like booking, buying, and managing on your behalf. Agentic commerce isn't just about where you buy — it's about why, when, and how intelligently those purchases are made. This means that AI "agents" will be empowered to initiate tasks, as well as make decisions within clear parameters defined by you. And there are huge implications for digital commerce. Whether it's booking a flight, buying multiple products from different e-commerce merchants, or fulfilling orders digitally from buyers, agentic AI works proactively — often in the background — to get things done. Agentic AI in practice To appreciate the paradigm shift this technology represents, consider a few near-future scenarios. • Autonomous retail concierge that shops on your behalf — blending personal taste with real-time price hunting, inventory checks, shipping optimization, and seamless return handling. Whether assembling an outfit from multiple brands or sourcing a rare gadget at the best price, it acts as your behind-the-scenes strategist, delivering a frictionless retail experience across platforms. • Intelligent home steward that takes the stress out of home and digital life management. It notices when supplies run low, reorders essentials, fine-tunes lighting and climate preferences, and prunes unused subscriptions — all without prompts. It's like having a quiet, invisible house manager who knows your rhythm and keeps everything running without ever needing to be asked. • Smart business quartermaster that acts as your behind-the-scenes enabler — quietly managing inventory, sourcing supplies, renewing software, and handling operational details before they become bottlenecks. It's like having an always-on business partner who keeps your tools sharp, your shelves stocked, and your systems running, so you can stay focused on building what matters. By taking on execution, agentic AI shifts technology from being simply helpful to genuinely timesaving, reducing manual effort, and eliminating everyday friction from our lives. Know your agent: AI agency, with accountability Naturally, the idea of giving an AI agent any degree of autonomy to act on our behalf raises important questions about security and safety. Invoking sci-fi movie examples, we want our agent to act more like R2-D2 from Star Wars or TARS from Interstellar — rather than inadvertently ending up with a malicious and self-interested HAL from 2001 or Ultron from The Avengers. Perhaps the most pressing issue is consent. How does a user grant an AI permission to access sensitive data — but only certain types for certain tasks — and operate within well-defined limits while still retaining meaningful control? Much of this starts with smart design: Clear interfaces that allow users to set parameters, define triggers, and establish thresholds for when the agent should act, pause, or ask for confirmation. These guardrails are relatively straightforward in more structured tasks — say, planning an overseas holiday. An agent might be asked to build an itinerary and source the best deals on flights, hotels, and activities within a range of time and cost parameters. Once the options are presented, the user can select their preferences and authorize the AI to complete bookings. But the challenge deepens when full automation is the goal. Imagine an agent tasked with monitoring secondhand marketplaces and purchasing specific collectibles the moment they appear. In this case, the user needs to set clear parameters — how many items to buy, the maximum spend per item, and whether to prioritize rarity or price. The more autonomy the agent has, the more critical it becomes to define these components and limit thresholds up front, as well as its operating domain. Transparency is a vital part of the guardrail system — not just for building trust, but for defending against manipulation. As agents take on more decision-making power, users need visibility into how and why those decisions are made. Whatever an AI recommends, the user should be able to see why it was chosen and verify that it truly was the best option available. That visibility becomes even more important in an environment where bad actors may attempt to game the agent's logic — inflating prices, mimicking legitimate offers, or triggering purchases through misleading signals. Building the infrastructure for trusted autonomy Mastercard is taking a proactive stance in shaping the infrastructure that will support agentic commerce. Through our newly launched Mastercard Agent Pay, we're integrating the power of tokenization into this new technology, enabling AI agents to transact securely, with human authorization and authentication embedded from the outset. At the heart of this is the Agentic Token, a next-generation credential designed to ensure that every payment request an AI makes is traceable with predefined rules and permissions. As the program matures, merchants will be confident they're receiving legitimate transactions from verified, authorized agents. In the future, users can retain control over where, how, and under what conditions their agents can act. And in case there is a dispute or error, the full record of what was ordered, bought and delivered is securely logged and recorded. While we are still in the nascent stages of this technology, this is the beginning of a new conversation. As these systems see wider adoption, new questions will emerge around accountability, interoperability, and ethics. By taking measured, careful steps towards giving agency to AI — while embedding trust into its foundations — we can build confidence from the outset in an autonomous future for commerce. Big you. Small you. Always-on you. (Or you, multiplied?) Think of agentic commerce as your parallel digital self: An always-on version of you, quietly navigating the noise, transacting, optimizing, and executing in the background, according to your defined parameters. While you focus on the big moments, it takes care of the small ones: booking, buying, scheduling, syncing. It's not just assistance — it's amplification and a new way to transact. A tireless counterpart built for speed, precision, and flow. And the most powerful part? It works so seamlessly, you'll forget it's there until you realize how much more you're getting done. And that's exciting.
Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Robotics will have a ChatGPT moment in the next 2 or 3 years, says Vinod Khosla
A new age of human-looking, multi-tasking robots may be here sooner than you think, says Vinod Khosla. In an episode of the "Uncapped" podcast published on Tuesday, the billionaire venture capitalist predicted that robots that don't need to be programmed would be available in a few years. The 70-year-old VC's notable investments include OpenAI, DoorDash, Block, and Impossible Foods. "Robotics will take a little longer, but I think we'll have the ChatGPT moment in the next two to three years," he said. Khosla said that these robots will most likely be humanoid. He said there will be enough demand for them to lower costs. "Almost everybody in the 2030s will have a humanoid robot at home," he said. "Probably start with something narrow like do your cooking for you. It can chop vegetables, cook food, clean dishes, but stays within the kitchen environment." He estimated that these robots would cost $300 to $400 a month, which would be affordable for anyone who already gets house help. Khosla said that some robots already exist and those made by Chinese companies are "pretty damn amazing," but they come with a big drawback. "They're not learning robots. You change the environment and they don't do as well," he said. "If you walk a human in here and say clean up, they'll know what to do. A robot needs to do that." In response to a question about why a hardware company like Apple has not already built a robot like this, Khosla said innovation has rarely come from large incumbents. Uber, for example, did not come from Hertz, nor was Netflix a product of major networks. Several tech leaders have said they are making big bets on robotics and physical AI. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, has been vocal about a future dominated by physical AI, where robots will play a significant role in both industries and daily life. "I love the idea that I'll have my own R2-D2, my own C-3PO — my R2 will be following me, and for many people just growing up now, they'll have their own personal R2 with them for their lives," he said in September. Last week, at the company's annual investor meeting, Huang said that AI and robotics are one of the biggest growth areas for the chipmaker. They represent "a multitrillion-dollar growth opportunity." He added that autonomous vehicles, which he said will be the first commercial application of robotics, are a big focus for Nvidia. On Monday, Amazon's CEO, Andy Jassy, said robotics represent a growth area for head count. "We're going to hire more people in AI and more people in robotics," he said in an interview with CNBC.
Gizmodo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Amazon Shows No Mercy for LEGO, Star Wars R2-D2 Set Crashes to a Record Low Before Prime Day
The LEGO Star Wars R2-D2 set is arguably the most iconic in the series, and it's now at a record low price. Star Wars and Harry Potter are the most popular LEGO licenses – be it for kids or adults worldwide. Among the iconic Star Wars sets, the R2-D2 building toy consistently ranks as a top seller. This collection has received an amazing 4.9 out of 5 stars from Amazon reviewers based on over a thousand reviews, with thousands of them being sold last month alone. You now have a great opportunity to own this collection at its lowest price ever on Amazon – even lower than the prices during the Black Friday or Prime Day sales. For just $79, a reduction from its regular $99 price tag, this is a chance to grab a LEGO Star Wars R2-D2 set at an all-time low which is something that doesn't happen very often as this popular set very rarely see discounts. See at Amazon Collector's Edition The LEGO Star Wars R2-D2 set is a collector's edition that was designed for fans aged 10 years and above – but it is certain to excite any Star Wars fan. It includes a highly detailed brick-built R2-D2 model that is an excellent centerpiece for any room and which measures over 9 inches (24 cm) tall, 6 inches (16 cm) wide and 4 inches (11 cm) deep. The build itself is challenging and fun with 1,050 pieces offering plenty of enjoyment for seasoned builders. The completed model features a 360-degree rotating head, a removable third leg for posing, and add-on tools and a periscope. Along with the main R2-D2 build, the set also comes with an exclusive bonus: a LEGO Star Wars 25th anniversary Darth Malak mini-figure which is one of the most wanted characters by fans of the franchise. The set also comes with an information plaque for R2-D2 and a stand featuring the LEGO Star Wars 25th Anniversary logo which makes it an excellent fit for any Star Wars room or collection. With this deal's limited-time nature and the rarity of LEGO Star Wars sales, there's no better moment to act. Make sure you grab yours before it's gone. See at Amazon
