Axios

Uber has signed a long-term lease for a 50,000-square-foot Houston depot, with plans to house 40 EV chargers and 15 maintenance bays, laying the groundwork for a robotaxi launch in the Bayou City in 2027.

Why it matters: Behind every robotaxi fleet is a lot of physical infrastructure — and Uber's race to secure it is taking place in cities well before its driverless cabs ever hit the streets.

NaukNauk has raised $20 million to expand its AI video app that turns photos of toys into short animated videos, co-founder Daniel Liu tells Axios.

Why it matters: The company says it's targeting the growing market of "kidults" who want to use technology to indulge their playful side.

Tropical Storm Arthur is expected to form Wednesday and make landfall later that night near the Texas-Louisiana state line, the National Hurricane Center said in its Tuesday forecast.

Why it matters: Arthur will be the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Snap on Tuesday unveiled its long-awaited Specs augmented reality glasses, making them available to consumers after several years of private development.

Why it matters: Snap is betting its future on Specs, but the consumer smart glasses race is getting more competitive and investors want the company to focus more on growing its core ads business.

Disney is using custom Adobe Firefly AI models trained on its own characters to help Imagineers design concepts and prototypes for theme parks and hotels.

Why it matters: The partnership shows Disney is willing to deploy generative AI when it can control how its intellectual property is used and protected.