Technology
Jet suit racers dot skies as real-life Iron Man takes flight
Dubai, a city known for its architectural wonders and cutting-edge innovation, recently played host to an extraordinary event that could have been plucked from the pages of a sci-fi novel or a comic book.
Picture this: Jet-suited racers, like real-life Iron Man figures, zooming through the desert cityscape, their powerful engines propelling them forward.
That was the amazing scene as the world’s first jet suit race unfolded against the backdrop of Dubai’s towering skyscrapers.
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Jet suit race in Dubai (Gravity Industries)
Dubai’s first ever jet suit race
On a sunny day, against the backdrop of Dubai’s towering skyline, pilots lined up on a runway, not for a traditional takeoff but to ascend into the sky as the aircraft themselves. The ear-splitting roar of seven jet engines marked the beginning of a race unlike any other. This event was not just about speed; it was a demonstration of human ambition and technological skill, blurring the lines between reality and the world of superheroes.
A jet suit race in Dubai (Gravity Industries)
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Iron Man comes to life
The imagery of racers, equipped with jet suits, zooming past the skyscrapers of Dubai Marina, might remind many of Tony Stark suiting up as Iron Man. Richard Browning, the mastermind behind Gravity Industries and the jet suit race, likened the experience to the dream of flying straight out of comic books. But here, CGI is replaced with real, gravity-defying technology, offering the closest experience to superhero flight achievable today.
Two competitors in a jet suit race in Dubai (Gravity Industries)
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The technology and speed of the jet suits
The jet suits, boasting 1,500 horsepower – more power than most luxury sports cars – use the same kind of fuel that powers the giants of the skies like the Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s.
This race was not just a demonstration of sheer power but also a testament to the safety and maneuverability of these futuristic suits. Competitors took off, navigated obstacles and even recovered gracefully from midair bumps, all while flying at speeds of up to 80 mph.
A man competes in a jet suit race in Dubai. (Gravity Industries)
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Jet suit racer crashed into the water
During the race, there was a dramatic moment when Emirati pilot Ahmed al-Shehhi crashed into the water during his heat, entering feet-first but promptly resurfacing to give a thumbs-up to the rescuers.
You can see him in the photo below being pulled from the water and carried away on a boat. The announcer noted that al-Shehhi had received only 12 days of training before the race.
Racers after a jet suit race in Dubai (Gravity Industries)
Jet suit jitters lead to triumph in the skies
Pilot Issa Kalfon, who ultimately won the race and triumphantly raised a golden jet turbine, admitted to feeling nervous before each flight. However, he said that the jet suit was both safe and easy to handle.
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“Everything’s hot, it’s running, the engines are screaming at you … and then the flag drops, and it’s just – you absolutely go for it.”
Contestants after a jet suit race in Dubai (Gravity Industries)
Could the jet race become an annual event?
The event showcased not just skilled pilots like Issa Kalfopn but also Dubai’s commitment to hosting unique global events. Gravity Industries and the Dubai Sports Council envision this event as the start of an exciting new chapter in aerial sports, one that could pave the way for it to become an annual event and lead to more widespread adoption and innovation in jet suit technology.
Jet suit race contestants (Gravity Industries)
Kurt’s key takeaways
Dubai recently hosted the world’s first jet suit race, where real-life Iron Man figures zoomed through the skies against the backdrop of towering skyscrapers. These jet-suited racers defied gravity, showcasing human ambition and technological skills. The event blurred the lines between reality and the world of superheroes and signaled that this could become an annual event in the future.
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Amid public backlash over its smart glasses, Meta announced that it will be updating its glasses with a new feature that will disable the camera when it detects that someone has tampered with or destroyed the glasses’ privacy LED light. The update is meant to address modders who have taken actions such as physically drilling into the LED light.
Meta has previously tried to discourage tampering with the LED light. For example, starting with its second generation glasses, blocking the light with tape or other objects will trigger a prompt asking users to uncover the recording light. However, many modders have found various workarounds for that particular measure.
Meta’s VP of wearables Alex Himel told The Verge that the privacy-focused update was on the way a few weeks ago after launching cheaper Meta Glasses without Ray-Ban branding. At the time, Himel acknowledged that the company was aware of increasing misuse alongside wider adoption of the devices.
Technology
Discord accidentally banned over 8,000 people for posting grids and other ‘benign’ images
Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord co-founder and chief technology officer, writes that the bug impacted around 200 users who posted “grid-like” pictures, in addition to about 8,000 people who posted “other benign images” since May 2026. “Everyone affected has now been unbanned,” Vishnevskiy says.
In a thread on X, Discord writes that its safety system is designed to flag content by “matching it against known harmful material.” This system can produce “false positives,” Discord explains, which is when an employee would step in to review the flagged content. But instead of just temporarily preventing the account from uploading content during the review, a glitch led its system to ban users entirely.
“When our staff reviewed and cleared those accounts, the same bug prevented the ban from being lifted automatically, so it just stayed in place,” Discord says.
If your Prime Day purchases included a new desk, TV stand, bookshelf, or other furniture you still haven’t assembled, Hoto’s PixelDrive cordless screwdriver can help speed up the process. It’s currently on sale for $59.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, matching its best price to date.
From tightening loose screws on furniture to repairing electronics, the PixelDrive is designed to handle a wide range of household projects. Hoto includes 30 screwdriver bits that cover many of the most common screw types, all neatly organized in a small cylindrical case. It also offers six adjustable torque settings, allowing you to use less power when working with fragile electronics or increase it when putting together a desk, bookshelf, TV stand, or other furniture. You can also switch between a slower 80RPM mode for more precise work and a faster 200RPM mode with the press of a button.
Hoto also added several features that make assembling projects a little easier. A built-in display lets you quickly check your current torque setting and remaining battery life, while an integrated LED light helps illuminate dim spaces, whether you’re working under a desk or inside a cabinet. The rechargeable 2,000mAh battery also charges over USB-C, so you won’t need to keep buying disposable batteries.
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