Welcome back to your daily memorandum talking tech, business, AI, markets, and more. 🗞️

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

📱 Google may integrate Gemini into iPhones, expanding its AI footprint on devices.
☁️ Microsoft’s Azure and productivity suites drive a strong Q3, with $25.8B in profit.
📊 Meta’s Threads gains 30M new users, reaching 350M monthly active accounts.
🛍️ Visa and Mastercard launch AI tools that shop on your behalf across platforms.
🏪 Starbucks scraps automation, hires more baristas after customer service complaints.

TECH

• Google eyes Gemini-iPhone AI deal this year, Pichai tells court

  • Sundar Pichai confirmed ongoing talks to bring Google’s Gemini AI to iPhones through a deal with Apple.

  • The partnership could embed Gemini into iOS, offering Apple users a powerful alternative to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

  • If successful, it would mark a major step in Google's AI expansion into Apple’s massive device ecosystem.

• Yale's new smart lock can disarm your ADT security system with your fingerprint

  • Yale’s new Z-Wave smart lock lets users unlock doors and disarm ADT alarms with just a fingerprint scan.

  • The system removes the need for manual codes, streamlining home entry and enhancing personal security automation.

  • Available for $279.99, it includes ADT features like Trusted Neighbors and Home Away detection for added control.

• Google Play sees 47% decline in apps since start of last year

  • The Google Play Store dropped from 3.4 million to 1.8 million apps due to policy tightening and quality enforcement.

  • Google removed low-rated, inactive, or non-compliant apps, aiming to improve safety, discoverability, and overall trust.

  • Despite the drop, global app publishing grew, showing developers are focused on creating higher-quality mobile products.

BUSINESS

• Microsoft reports strong cloud growth in Q3 earnings

  • Microsoft posted $70.1B in revenue and $25.8B in profit, fueled by a 33% jump in Azure cloud revenue.

  • Xbox content revenue rose despite hardware declines, while Game Pass for PC saw 45% year-over-year growth.

  • Microsoft 365 reached 87.7M subscribers, boosted by AI Copilot features and new productivity pricing tiers.

• Threads tops 350M monthly users after adding 30M in the quarter

  • Meta’s Threads reached 350M users in Q1, adding 30M and outpacing the previous quarter’s 20M user gain.

  • Zuckerberg said Threads is positioned to become Meta’s next billion-user platform across messaging and social interactions.

  • Threads now significantly outpaces Bluesky, which has approximately 35M users in the decentralized social media space.

• Marc Andreessen says one job is mostly safe from AI: venture capitalist

  • Andreessen says VCs are safe from AI because founder judgment and emotional intelligence can’t be easily automated.

  • He claims assessing character, resilience, and trust requires intuition that large language models cannot reliably replicate.

  • Despite AI’s rise, Andreessen argues investing remains a deeply human, relationship-driven role unlikely to be replaced.

CONTENT

• How I use AI agents to make money (Vibe Marketing Tutorial)

  • Greg Isenberg introduces ‘Vibe Marketing,’ leveraging AI agents and automation tools to streamline marketing tasks and workflows.

  • The approach utilizes tools like Replit, n8n, Gumloop, Manus, Claude, and OpenRouter for content creation and sales automation.

  • Isenberg emphasizes building systems over campaigns, enabling small teams to achieve results previously requiring larger groups.

• Bittensor’s Rise, Meta’s Llama Goes Cloud, & AI Now Writes Your Code

  • The podcast discusses Bittensor's growth as a decentralized AI compute network, positioning it alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum.

  • Meta's decision to host its LLaMA models via partnerships with Groq and Cerebras is explored as a potential AWS competitor.

  • The episode highlights that AI now contributes to writing up to 30% of code at major tech firms like Google and Microsoft.

• Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas: From Academic to $9B AI Pioneer

  • Aravind Srinivas shares his journey from academia to founding Perplexity, an AI-powered search company valued at $9 billion.

  • He discusses Perplexity's revenue-sharing model with publishers and strategies to reduce AI power consumption.

  • Srinivas emphasizes the importance of continuous iteration and product focus in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

WORLD

• Israel conducts warning strike in Syria to protect Druze minority

  • Israel struck targets near Damascus to deter extremists allegedly planning attacks on the Druze in southern Syria.

  • The move followed rising sectarian violence, with over a dozen killed in clashes between Druze and Sunni factions.

  • Israel urged Syria to protect minorities, signaling readiness to act again if the Druze face further threats.

• India-Pakistan tensions escalate after deadly Kashmir attack

  • A Kashmir militant attack killed 26 tourists, prompting India to blame Pakistan and suspend a major water treaty.

  • Pakistan denied involvement, closed airspace to India, and warned of retaliation if further action is taken.

  • Both countries have reinforced troops near the Line of Control, fueling fears of a larger regional conflict.

• France accuses Russia of decade-long cyberattacks targeting Macron and others

  • France blamed Russian group Fancy Bear for long-term cyberattacks, including hacking President Macron’s 2017 campaign.

  • Authorities said the attacks targeted lawmakers and ministries, increasing significantly since early 2021.

  • France vowed stronger cybersecurity defenses and international coordination to counter foreign state-backed cyberthreats.

AND MORE…

• Starbucks says cutting shop staff in favour of automation has failed

  • CEO Brian Niccol reverses automation strategy, increasing barista hiring to improve customer experience and satisfaction.

  • Scaling back the Siren Craft System, Starbucks focuses on simplifying menus and enhancing in-store personalization.

  • Despite efforts, the company reports a fifth consecutive quarterly decline, with a 1% drop in global sales.

• Visa and Mastercard unveil AI-powered shopping

  • Visa's ‘Intelligent Commerce’ and Mastercard's ‘Agent Pay’ enable AI agents to shop and make purchases for consumers.

  • Collaborations with tech giants aim to create personalized, secure, and convenient AI-driven shopping experiences.

  • These initiatives mark a significant shift in integrating AI into mainstream consumer financial services.

• Mark Zuckerberg is planning a premium tier and ads for Meta's AI app

  • Meta considers introducing a paid version of its AI app, offering enhanced features and computational capabilities.

  • Plans to incorporate product recommendations and ads, focusing on user engagement before monetization.

  • The standalone Meta AI app, with nearly 1 billion users, expands beyond integration with Facebook and WhatsApp.