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

In today’s edition, we are tackling the following:

🤖 OpenAI launches Sora, a TikTok-style AI video app with friend cameos.
🗣️ Meta to mine AI chatbot conversations for personalized ads on Instagram.
🍎 Apple halts Vision Pro revamp to focus on Meta-like AI smart glasses.
🎮 EA sold for $55B in a record leveraged buyout led by Silver Lake and Saudi PIF.
🌍 EU leaders propose $200B Ukraine loan backed by frozen Russian assets.

TECHNOLOGY

• Meta will begin using AI chatbot conversations to target ads (WSJ)
  _{^{More: TechCrunch, CNBC, CNN}}

  • Meta will use conversations with the Meta AI chatbot to personalize ads and content on Facebook and Instagram starting December sixteen.

  • Over one billion people use Meta AI monthly, providing a rich data stream for targeting ads based on user discussions and interests.

  • Users cannot opt out globally except in South Korea, the UK, and the EU, where privacy laws prevent this type of data collection.

• Apple shelves Vision headset revamp to prioritize Meta-like AI smart glasses (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: MacRumors, 9to5Mac, NotebookCheck}}

  • Apple paused development on the Vision Pro headset to redirect resources toward AI-powered smart glasses competing with Meta Ray-Bans.

  • The first model will pair with the iPhone without a display launching in 2027, while the second version includes an integrated display.

  • Apple shifts strategy after Vision Pro sales failure, while Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses sold over two million units successfully.

• Philips Roku Ambilight LCD TV backlights bias lighting (The Verge)
  _{^{More: Ecoustics, TechRadar, Trusted Reviews}}

  • Philips launched Ambilight Roku TVs in the US, featuring edge-lit LEDs that project on-screen colors onto walls in real-time.

  • The technology reduces eye strain and creates an immersive viewing experience for movies and gaming with dynamic, reactive lighting.

  • Available in forty-three to sixty-five inch sizes at Sam's Club, combining Philips Ambilight with Roku's streaming platform is convenient.

BUSINESS

• Microsoft Promotes Sales Chief Althoff to Help Free Up Nadella (Bloomberg) 
  _{^{More: Reuters, GeekWire, CNBC}}

  • Judson Althoff became CEO of Microsoft's commercial business, overseeing sales, marketing, and operations, representing 75% of revenue.

  • The reorganization allows Nadella to focus on data centers, systems architecture, AI science, and product innovation.

  • Althoff joined Microsoft from Oracle in 2013 and built the company's Customer and Partner Solutions division.

• Elon Musk Just Became the First Person Ever Worth $500 Billion (Forbes) 
  _{^{More: Axios, Fox Business, Bloomberg}}

  • Musk reached $500 billion net worth on October 1, driven by Tesla stock rising 4% and SpaceX's valuation.

  • His wealth stems from a 19.7% Tesla stake worth $191 billion, a 42% SpaceX stake worth $168 billion, and xAI holdings.

  • Tesla's board proposed $1 trillion compensation package tied to achieving $8.5 trillion market cap over 10 years.

• Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab launches Tinker, an AI fine-tuning API (Wired) 
  _{^{More: VentureBeat, The Information, TechCrunch}} 

  • Thinking Machines unveiled Tinker, a Python API allowing developers to fine-tune open-source models while handling infrastructure.

  • The startup raised $2 billion at $12 billion valuation from a16z, Nvidia, and others before launching the product.

  • Tinker entered private beta, with early users including Princeton, Stanford, and Berkeley research teams achieving performance gains.

MARKETS

WORLD

• UK makes new attempt to access Apple cloud data (Financial Times) 

  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, Bloomberg, Reuters}}

  • The UK Home Office issued a September order demanding Apple create a backdoor for British citizens' encrypted iCloud data access.

  • New order targets only UK users after previous global access demand triggered a diplomatic clash with the Trump administration.

  • Apple withdrew the Advanced Data Protection feature from the UK in February, stating it never built backdoors into products.

• Macron applauds probe of suspected 'shadow fleet' tanker anchored off French coast (Reuters) 

  _{^{More: France24, ABC News, Euronews}}

  • France detained two crew members of the Boracay tanker suspected of belonging to Russia's sanction-evading shadow fleet.

  • EU-blacklisted vessel investigated for crew's refusal to prove nationality and possible connection to Denmark drone incidents.

  • Macron said the shadow fleet contains 600 to 1,000 ships transporting Russian oil despite Western sanctions on Moscow.

• Europe's Emerging Plan: Give Ukraine $200 Billion in Russian Money (Wall Street Journal) 

  _{^{More: Euronews, Al Jazeera, Fortune}}

  • EU leaders discussed a €140 billion reparations loan using frozen Russian central bank assets as collateral.

  • Approximately €200 billion in Russian assets are frozen in Europe, with €185 billion held in Belgium's Euroclear depository.

  • The plan requires Ukraine to repay the loan only after Russia pays war reparations, effectively leveraging seized sovereign reserves.

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FUTURISM

• Google launches Gemini for Home and redesigned Home app (9to5Google) 
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, Google Blog, Android Authority}}

  • Google redesigned the Home app launches with Gemini AI integration, offering 70% faster startup and 80% fewer crashes.

  • New Ask Home feature enables natural language control, automation creation, and video history search via conversational interface.

  • Gemini replaces Google Assistant on all smart speakers and displays released since 2016 with contextual awareness.

• Trump announces 'TrumpRx' website for pharmaceutical drugs after Pfizer deal (The Verge) 
  _{^{More: CBS News, NBC News, CNN}}

  • Trump unveiled the TrumpRx website for direct-to-consumer drug purchases at discounts averaging 50% and reaching 85% off.

  • Pfizer agreed to sell drugs at most-favored-nation pricing to Medicaid and committed $70 billion in manufacturing.

  • A website will launch early in 2026, directing consumers to manufacturers' sites. Pfizer will receive a three-year tariff grace period exemption.

• Automakers Extend $7,500 EV Discount After Federal Subsidy Expires (Bloomberg) 
  _{^{More: CNBC, Car and Driver, Reuters}}

  • GM, Ford, Hyundai, and Stellantis extended $7500 discounts on EVs after the federal tax credit expired on September 30.

  • Automakers are offering discounts through leasing programs or cash incentives to maintain sales momentum following a record third quarter.

  • Hyundai reduced 2026 Ioniq 5 pricing by $9800 and offers $7500 cash on 2025 models.

CONTENT

• How To Think Like A Hacker

  • Holman shares hacker principles, showing how unconventional problem-solving can fuel breakthroughs in technology, science, and invention.

  • He reflects on projects from Blue Origin and Intellectual Ventures, emphasizing experimentation and embracing the unconventional.

  • The discussion covers human nature, freedom, and why hacking mindsets are essential for shaping future technology responsibly.

• Block CTO Dhanji Prasanna: Building the AI-First Enterprise with Goose

  • Prasanna details Goose, Block’s open-source AI agent, and how it boosts productivity across enterprise teams.

  • He explains why swarms of smaller AI models may outperform monolithic systems, highlighting swarm intelligence applications.

  • The conversation covers organizational restructuring, open-sourcing core tools, and predictions for AI’s role in enterprise innovation.

• Fully autonomous robots are much closer than you think

  • Levine predicts general-purpose robots capable of running households will arrive by 2030, transforming daily life dramatically.

  • He outlines how robotics foundation models and large-scale data will accelerate autonomous capabilities and self-improvement loops.

  • The episode explores scaling hardware, simulation learning, and robotics development in China versus the U.S.

EXTRAS

• Carnival raises annual profit forecast on resilient cruise demand (Reuters) 
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, BNN Bloomberg, gCaptain}}

  • Carnival raised its fiscal 2025 profit forecast to $2.14 per share from $1.97, beating analyst expectations of $2.76 billion.

  • The company reported record third-quarter net income of $1.9 billion, driven by strong bookings and onboard spending increases.

  • Carnival invested $600 million in Celebration Key, a private resort destination, to maintain a competitive edge in the cruise market.

• Israel issues last opportunity for Gaza City residents to leave (The Guardian) 
  ^{_{More: ABC News, Al Jazeera, CNN}}

  • Israel issued a full evacuation order for approximately one million Gaza City residents ahead of the intensification of the military operation.

  • Residents are ordered to move south to the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone despite overcrowding and safety concerns in designated areas.

  • Only 70,000 Palestinians have been evacuated as of September, with many citing exhaustion, lack of resources, and transportation costs.

• Afghans rejoice as internet returns after Taliban blackout (BBC) 
  ^{_{More: CBS News, NBC News, The National}}

  • Internet and mobile services were restored in Afghanistan after a 48-hour nationwide blackout disrupted banking, travel, and other operations.

  • Taliban blamed the outage on decaying fiber-optic cables after initially ordering a shutdown to combat immorality under the leader's decree.

  • Blackout grounded flights, suspended cross-border transportation with Pakistan, and left 43 million people unable to contact the outside world.

AND MORE

• U.S. government begins shutdown after Senate fails funding vote.

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• Wall Street closes higher, driven by healthcare gains amid shutdown.

• Trump says China is using soybean purchases as negotiation leverage.

• U.S. cancels nearly $8 billion in climate project funding.

• Jane Goodall, famed primatologist and conservationist, has died at 91.

• Assam, India, withdraws its clean energy policy, deterring investment.

• Europe’s top weather center opens access to real-time data globally.

• European oil refineries pivot into green transition projects to survive.