Tech Brew Ride Home – “Nvidia And Intel Get Together”

Date: September 18, 2025
Host: Brian McCullough

Episode Overview

This episode of Tech Brew Ride Home dives into a surprising new partnership between Nvidia and Intel, explores Meta’s ambitious smart glasses reveal and upgrades, touches on the ongoing evolution of the Metaverse, and highlights recent advances in AI for health prediction. While keeping the fast-paced, news-driven tone, host Brian McCullough breaks down why these headlines matter and how they’ll shape the next wave of consumer and enterprise tech.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nvidia and Intel Announce Strategic Partnership

[00:04 – 05:00]

• Nvidia and Intel’s Collaboration:

  • Nvidia and Intel, historically fierce rivals, announced a joint development of multiple generations of x86 products.
  • Nvidia will buy $5 billion in Intel stock (about 5% ownership), signaling serious commitment.
  • The new products, dubbed “Intel x86 RTX SoCs,” will combine Intel CPUs with Nvidia RTX GPU chiplets for consumer gaming PCs.

• Data Center Power Play:

  • Intel will also build custom x86 data center CPUs for Nvidia’s AI products targeting hyperscale and enterprise sectors.

• Technology & Manufacturing Details:

  • Although only at the early partnership stages, the companies aim for a multigenerational product roadmap.
  • Nvidia is not abandoning its ARM-based architectures (like Grace Blackwell and Vera CPUs), suggesting the partnership is additive rather than substitutive.
  • It’s not yet clear which manufacturing fabs (Intel’s or TSMC’s) will be used for the various components.

• Significance for Intel:

  • The deal is seen as a potential lifeline for Intel’s foundry business, which seeks big customers as it attempts to win back production from TSMC.
  • Intel’s shares jumped 33% in pre-market trading following the announcement.

  Notable Quote:

  “Nvidia says that the partnership between the two companies is in the very early stages, so the timeline for product releases ... will be disclosed at a later unspecified date. ... The companies are committed to multi-generation roadmaps for the co-development products, which represents a strong investment in the x86 ecosystem.”
  – [Brian McCullough, 00:45]

2. Meta’s Smart Glasses: A New Reality for Wearables

[05:01 – 11:15]

• Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses:

  • The flagship “Meta Ray-Ban Display” launches in the US on September 30 for $799, rolling out more broadly in 2026.
  • Features a color display in the right lens showing messages, maps, video calls, and AI-generated content.
  • Pairs with a neural wristband using EMG (electromyography) sensing for gesture controls.

• Smart Glasses Features:

  • Six-hour battery (plus 30 more via carrying case).
  • Camera, speakers, mic, live translation, captions, and video calls with real-time point-of-view sharing.
  • Functions aimed at keeping your phone in your pocket more often.

  Notable Quote:

  “This feels like the kind of thing where you can start to keep your phone in your pocket more and more throughout the day... the phone isn’t going away, but glasses offer a more convenient way to access its most popular features.”
  – Andrew Bosworth, Meta CTO (quoted by Brian), [06:25]

• Gestural Interface via Neural Band:

  • Pinch, swipe, tap, and twist gestures are used to navigate, input commands, and interact with Meta’s AI assistant.
  • Text input still mainly relies on dictation; handwriting input is coming soon.

• Other Meta Wearable Upgrades:

  • Gen 2 Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses: double battery life, 3K video, better audio and low-power AI features.
  • Oakley Meta Vanguard Smart Glasses: $499, specialized for athletes—integrates with Garmin/Strava, IP67, better sound and wind reduction, up to 9-hour battery.

• Hands-On Reality Check:

  • Display is glanceable, not immersive AR—positioned off-center for subtlety.
  • The approach to input via EMG on a wristband stands out for real everyday use, sidestepping social awkwardness of voice commands.
  • Socially, “very high” acceptability given subdued interface and minimal need for overt interactions.

  Notable Quote:

  “The neural band ... feels like the perfect input device for all day wearable glasses because it’s detecting muscle activity instead of visually looking at your fingers. No line of sight is needed.”
  – Road to VR, [10:40]

3. Metaverse Revamp: Horizon Studio and Horizon TV

[16:50 – 18:50]

• Meta Horizon Studio & Creator Push:

  • New editor lets creators build VR worlds using generative AI (for textures/audio) and an AI assistant (coming later in 2025).
  • Demo showed developers conversing with a chatbot to modify VR environments in real time; Meta is also incentivizing this ecosystem with a $50 million creator fund.

• Horizon TV for Quest Headsets:

  • Adds a hub for Disney, ESPN, Universal, and Blumhouse, including 3D movies.

  Notable Quote:

  “Meta is trying to get more creators on board with making things for the Metaverse, including opening up a $50 million creators fund earlier this year. ... The Metaverse part of Meta lives on, y’all.”
  – Brian McCullough, [17:55]

4. AI Advances: Gemini DeepThink & Health Prediction

[18:51 – End]

• Google Gemini 2.5 DeepThink:

  • Achieved gold medal performance at the 2025 ICPC World Finals—AI solved 10/12 programming problems, showing continued rapid progress.

• Delphi 2M: AI for Health Forecasting

  • New model predicts susceptibility to over 1,000 diseases decades before onset.
  • Trained on UK Biobank (400,000 records), tested on 1.9M Danish records—successfully transfers between populations.
  • Outperforms specialized prediction tools for conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and blood poisoning.
  • Will soon help at a population level (public health), with clinical decision tools several years away; patents filed for commercialization.

  Notable Quote:

  “Our model is a proof of concept showing that it’s possible for AI to learn many of our long-term health patterns and use this information to generate meaningful predictions ... we were surprised at how well the model transferred from the UK to Denmark, though it had never seen a single bit of Danish data.”
  – Ewan Bernie, EMBL Interim Executive Director, [19:45]

  Notable Quote:

  “I want to stress the power of the straightforward medical record.”
  – Ewan Bernie, [20:37]

Memorable Moments & Key Timestamps

• Start: [00:04] – Brian introduces the day’s headlines
• Nvidia & Intel Announcement: [00:04–05:00]
• Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses Breakdown: [05:01–11:15]
• Meta’s Expanded Wearables Lineup: [08:30–11:15]
• Meta Horizon Studio/TV & Metaverse Update: [16:50–18:50]
• AI for Programming & Health Prediction: [18:51–End]

Tone & Impressions

The episode maintains McCullough’s brisk, newsy tone—balancing excitement, skepticism, and practicality. Quotes from industry sources, hands-on testers, and news outlets ground the hype in reality, especially around smart glasses. The show remains tightly focused on essential updates for busy tech professionals or enthusiasts.

Summary

This episode marks a turning point for industry partnerships (Nvidia x Intel), consumer wearables (Meta’s smart glasses shift), and AI’s direct implications—from coding competitions to real-world healthcare. If you missed it live, consider this your cheat sheet to September 18, 2025’s top tech headlines!