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

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

📱 Apple postpones iPhone Air due to weak global sales.
🏠 Newcastle housing crisis worsens as prices soar 40% in three years.
💼 Buffett names Greg Abel as Berkshire successor after decades at helm.
💳 Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees for merchants.
🤖 Lovable’s AI coding platform reaches nearly eight million users.

TECHNOLOGY

• Apple Delays Release of Next iPhone Air Amid Weak Sales (The Information)

  _{^{More: Reuters, MacRumors, TipRanks}}

  • Apple postponed the ultra-thin iPhone Air model originally planned for an early 2026 launch.

  • The delay follows the disappointing sales performance of current iPhone models in key global markets this year.

  • Company executives are reassessing product strategy and pricing amid increased competition from Android manufacturers worldwide.

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus Renders Show New Design and Camera Island (The Verge) 
  _{^{More: Android Central, Digital Trends, Android Headlines}}

  • Leaked renders reveal Samsung's Galaxy S26 Plus will feature a redesigned camera island configuration and slimmer bezels.

  • The updated design includes repositioned rear cameras and refined edges for improved ergonomics and a premium feel.

  • Samsung plans to launch the flagship device in early twenty twenty-six with enhanced AI capabilities.

• Nintendo Switch 2 Black Friday Games, Amiibo Deal Sale (The Verge)
  _{^{More: 9to5Toys, Nintendo Life, Business Wire}}

  • Nintendo announced Black Friday discounts on first-party games and Amiibo figures ahead of the Switch 2 launch.

  • Popular titles, including Zelda and Mario games, will see price reductions of up to 30%.

  • The promotional sales strategy aims to clear inventory before the next-generation console arrives in early spring.

BUSINESS

• Warren Buffett's Berkshire Farewell (The New York Times)

  _{^{More: CBS News, CNN, Fortune}}

  • Warren Buffett announced his formal transition plan from Berkshire Hathaway leadership after decades as chairman and CEO.

  • The 95-year-old investor will step back from day-to-day operations while maintaining an advisory role through transition.

  • Greg Abel has been confirmed as the successor to lead the conglomerate's diverse portfolio of insurance and industrial businesses.

• Visa, Mastercard Reach Revised Swipe Fee Settlement With Merchants (Reuters) 
  _{^{More: CNBC, CBC, Payments Dive}}

  • Visa and Mastercard agreed to a revised settlement reducing merchant swipe fees after the previous agreement faced court rejection.

  • The new deal includes lower interchange rates and increased transparency for merchants processing card transactions nationwide.

  • Settlement worth billions of dollars still requires final court approval before implementation across the payments industry.

• Elon Musk’s $1 Trillion Tesla Pay Award Can Earn More Money for You (Barron's)
  _{^{More: NPR, CNN, Bloomberg}}

  • Elon Musk's compensation package dispute continues as Tesla shareholders debate the fairness of historic equity awards.

  • The controversial pay plan tied to company valuation milestones could reach trillion-dollar territory with stock appreciation.

  • Delaware court proceedings examine whether the board properly disclosed conflicts of interest when approving the compensation structure.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Deadly Car Blast Near Red Fort in New Delhi (AP News)

  _{^{More: CNN, NPR, Al Jazeera}}

  • A vehicle explosion near New Delhi's historic Red Fort killed multiple people and injured dozens of bystanders.

  • Indian authorities launched an investigation into the blast's cause while security forces cordoned off the tourist area immediately.

  • The incident occurred during peak tourist hours, raising concerns about safety protocols at major cultural landmarks.

• Ukraine Corruption Energy (The New York Times) 
  _{^{More: Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, RFE/RL}}

  • Ukrainian prosecutors opened a corruption investigation into senior energy sector officials accused of embezzling reconstruction funds.

  • The probe targets alleged misappropriation of Western aid designated for repairing war-damaged electricity infrastructure across the country.

  • President Zelensky pledged accountability measures as Ukraine seeks continued international support for post-war recovery efforts.

• The Housing Crisis Reaches Newcastle (The Guardian) 
  _{^{More: Crisis UK, Housing Today, London Councils}}

  • Newcastle faces a severe housing affordability crisis as property prices surge to levels comparable with London's market pressures.

  • Average home prices increased 40% in three years, pushing first-time buyers out of the market entirely.

  • Local officials call for government intervention as rental costs and homelessness rates reach unprecedented levels in the region.

FUTURISM

• Lovable Says It's Nearing 8 Million Users as the Year-Old AI Coding Startup Eyes More Corporate Employees (TechCrunch)
  _{^{More: Business Insider}}

  • Lovable reached nearly 8 million users within one year as the AI coding platform expands into enterprise markets.

  • The startup targets corporate employees with no-code solutions that enable non-technical workers to build applications with AI assistance.

  • Company executives plan an enterprise-tier launch in early twenty twenty-six to capture the growing demand for workplace automation.

• Google Gemini Home Rollout Is Going Great (The Verge) 
  _{^{More: 9to5Google, Droid Life, Android Authority}}

  • Google's Gemini AI assistant integration with smart home devices proceeds smoothly despite initial technical concerns from users.

  • The rollout includes voice control improvements and expanded device compatibility across Nest and third-party connected products.

  • Early adopters report enhanced responsiveness and natural language understanding compared to previous Google Assistant versions.

• Tim Berners-Lee World Wide Web AI Future Interview (The Verge) 
  _{^{More: WebProNews, Fudzilla, CNBC}}

  • Tim Berners-Lee discussed artificial intelligence's impact on the World Wide Web in a new interview covering technology's evolution.

  • The web inventor expressed concerns about AI concentration among major tech companies, threatening decentralized internet principles.

  • Berners-Lee advocates for open standards, ensuring AI systems remain accessible and transparent to preserve the web's democratic foundations.

CONTENT

• Meet the AI Agent Turning Simple Prompts into Viral Content

  • This video demonstrates an AI agent that converts short text prompts into shareable, viral-style videos for social platforms.

  • It explains the underlying workflow from ideation to final content and how creators optimize for engagement over perfection.

  • The takeaway is that automation and prompt engineering are now enabling creators to rapidly test, refine, and scale content production.

• Michael Truell: How Cursor Builds at the Speed of AI

  • Michael Truell (Cursor) discusses how his team built an AI-powered code editor while the market was focused on agents.

  • The talk highlights developer productivity, leveraging generative models, and differentiating by experience rather than hype.

  • The key insight: startups can win by combining deep domain tools with generative interfaces rather than rehashing the broad agent narrative.

• “Sell the Alpha, Not the Feature”: The Enterprise Sales Playbook

  • This session focuses on transitioning from selling product features to selling business impact (“alpha”) when scaling enterprise software.

  • Key topics include positioning, value quantification, and aligning engineering narratives with executive ROI conversations.

  • The core message: in enterprise markets, features matter far less than outcomes, and sales strategy must reflect that shift.

• Want to deploy conversational AI in weeks, not months?*

  • ElevenLabs’ Building Voice Conversational Agents at Scale reveals the frameworks, architectures, and approaches that balance speed, control, and compliance.

  • With case studies from leading enterprises. Learn the fastest route from prototype to production voice AI.

  • Download the report and see how leading enterprises are making AI conversations real.

EXTRAS

• Kyiv Targets Russia's Energy Supply After Massive Attack on Ukraine Power Grid (Politico)

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

  • Ukraine launched retaliatory strikes targeting Russian energy facilities following widespread attacks on Ukrainian electricity infrastructure.

  • The counter-offensive damaged multiple oil refineries and power stations in western Russia, disrupting fuel supplies to Moscow.

  • Ukrainian officials justified strikes as a legitimate military response to restore strategic balance after grid attacks left millions without power.

• Takaichi stands firm on controversial Taiwan contingency remarks (The Japan Times) 
  _{^{More: Taipei Times, Newsweek, Focus Taiwan}}

  • Japanese minister Sanae Takaichi made strong statements supporting Taiwan amid rising regional tensions with China over the island.

  • Takaichi emphasized Japan's security interests are directly linked to Taiwan Strait stability in rare explicit diplomatic messaging.

  • The remarks signal a potential shift in Japan's traditionally cautious approach to cross-strait relations under new government leadership.

• India Air Pollution Surge Causes Delhi Protests (AP News) 
  _{^{More: Al Jazeera, ABC News, US News}}

  • Thousands of Delhi residents protested hazardous air quality levels as pollution reached dangerous concentrations exceeding safety limits.

  • Activists demanded immediate government action, including stricter vehicle emissions standards and industrial regulation enforcement.

  • Air quality index readings hit the severe category, forcing school closures and health warnings for vulnerable populations throughout the region.

AND MORE

• Senate passes bill to end U.S. government shutdown, sending it to the House.

• Taiwan evacuates 3,000 people as Typhoon Fung-Wong barrels toward the island.

• Canada officially loses its measles elimination status after renewed outbreaks.

• Roko’s Basilisk skips the buzz words and cuts straight to what moves markets, products, and careers.*

• China launches a visa regime modeled on the U.S. H-1B to attract foreign tech talent.

• At the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, leaders urged renewed global cooperation amid gridlock.

• Brazil ramps up oil-drilling plans even as Amazon rainforest protection commitments are spotlighted.

• Global markets tumble as concerns grow over AI valuations and economic data weakness.

• Japanese retail group launches a discount-store brand to challenge convenience-store dominance.