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

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

🍎 Apple chooses Google Gemini to power Siri upgrades later this year.
🧠 AI boom strains high-bandwidth memory supplies as chipmakers stay cautious.
📈 Alphabet reaches four trillion market cap driven by accelerating AI momentum.
🧬 Nvidia partners with Eli Lilly on a billion-dollar AI drug laboratory.
⚖️ UK watchdog probes X over Grok non-consensual image risks.

TECHNOLOGY

• Apple picks Google's Gemini to run AI-powered Siri coming this year (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: CNN, TechCrunch}}

  • Apple confirmed a multi-year partnership with Google to use Gemini AI technology for Siri enhancements.

  • The collaboration addresses Apple's delayed AI assistant upgrade, positioning Gemini as the foundation for improvements.

  • Apple reportedly pays Google approximately one billion dollars annually for access to the advanced models.

• UK regulator launches investigation into X over Grok concerns (Reuters)
  _{^{More: Bloomberg, Variety, Euronews}}

  • UK communications regulator Ofcom opened a formal probe into whether X violated online safety obligations.

  • The investigation focuses on Grok AI's misuse for creating non-consensual intimate images and potential child exploitation material.

  • Malaysia and Indonesia have already blocked access to Grok after widespread concerns over harmful content.

• Meta taps Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chairman (Axios)
  _{^{More: CNBC, TechCrunch, Bloomberg}}

  • Former Goldman Sachs executive and Trump adviser will oversee Meta's strategic direction and AI infrastructure.

  • Powell McCormick brings extensive global finance relationships to help Meta scale its ambitious computing investments.

  • The hire reflects Meta's shift toward building physical AI infrastructure rather than defending legacy businesses.

BUSINESS

• Alphabet hits $4 trillion market capitalization (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: Reuters, Axios, Bloomberg}}

  • Alphabet became the fourth company to reach four trillion dollars in market value after Nvidia.

  • The stock surged sixty-five percent in 2025, making it the top performer among Magnificent Seven companies.

  • Strong AI momentum and the Apple-Google Gemini partnership drove investor confidence and record valuations.

• Global smartphone shipments grew 2% year-over-year in 2025 (Counterpoint Research)

  • Worldwide smartphone shipments increased modestly at two percent, signaling market stabilization after years of decline.

  • Premium segment growth and emerging markets offset weakness in China's saturated smartphone market environment.

  • AI-enabled devices and extended replacement cycles are reshaping industry dynamics and manufacturer strategies ahead.

• Nvidia to invest $1 billion in AI drug laboratory with Eli Lilly (Bloomberg)

  • Nvidia will partner with Eli Lilly to accelerate drug discovery using advanced AI computing infrastructure.

  • The collaboration aims to reduce pharmaceutical development timelines and costs through machine learning and simulations.

  • This marks Nvidia's expansion beyond medical imaging into molecular design and therapeutics discovery domains.

• Explore the essential startup reading database*

  • Learning from the best is how you become the best. We've curated a list of top-notch articles, blogs, and readings that are pivotal for startup founders.

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  • As aspiring leaders and innovators, this list serves as a bridge to absorbing the knowledge that has propelled others to success.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Trump says he will talk to Musk about restoring the internet in Iran (Reuters)
  _{^{More: Fox Business, Iran International, IBTimes}}

  • President-elect Trump plans to discuss deploying Starlink satellite internet services across Iran with Elon Musk.

  • The initiative could provide uncensored connectivity to Iranians facing government restrictions on information access nationwide.

  • Implementation faces significant technical, diplomatic, and regulatory obstacles given ongoing tensions with Tehran's authorities.

• Powell says Justice Department served Fed with subpoenas (Bloomberg)
  _{^{More: NBC News, CBS News, NPR}}

  • Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed the central bank received subpoenas from Justice Department investigators.

  • Powell said the threatened indictment relates to his June testimony but is part of broader pressure.

  • Powell emphasized that the threat of criminal charges stems from the Fed setting rates independently rather than following Trump's preferences.

• Gustavo Petro bets on world's biggest wealth tax to fix Colombia's finances (Bloomberg)
  _{^{More: Colombia One, KPMG}}

  • Colombian President Petro proposed an unprecedented wealth tax targeting the nation's richest citizens and corporations.

  • The aggressive plan aims to generate revenue for social programs while addressing Colombia's growing deficit.

  • Economists warn that the taxation could trigger capital flight and damage investor confidence in Colombia's economy.

FUTURISM

• Are You Dead?: The viral Chinese app for young people living alone (BBC)
  _{^{More: Dexerto, TechRepublic, 9to5Mac}}

  • Chinese app requires daily check-ins to confirm users' well-being, alerting contacts if responses stop completely.

  • The platform addresses growing concerns about isolation among young urban dwellers living independently in cities.

  • Viral adoption highlights broader societal anxiety around loneliness and emergency response for solo residents nationwide.

• Anthropic joins OpenAI's push into health care with new Claude tools (NBC News)
  _{^{More: Fortune, Fierce Healthcare, Silicon Republic}}

  • Anthropic enhanced Claude with specialized medical knowledge capabilities to compete in the healthcare AI sector.

  • New features include clinical documentation assistance and medical literature analysis for healthcare professionals and researchers.

  • The update intensifies competition with OpenAI's GPT models already deployed across numerous healthcare institutions.

• AI is causing a memory shortage; why producers aren't rushing to make a lot more (WSJ)
  _{^{More: CNBC, Fast Company, NPR}}

  • Surging AI demand is depleting high-bandwidth memory supplies, but manufacturers remain cautious about capacity expansion.

  • Chipmakers fear that overproduction could trigger price collapses similar to previous industry boom-and-bust cycles historically.

  • Supply constraints may persist through the late decade, potentially slowing AI infrastructure deployment and development timelines.

CONTENT

• Why We’re Only Using 1% of AI (Grit)

  • Glean CEO Arvind Jain explains why most organizations barely tap existing AI capabilities despite rapid model advances.

  • Jain discusses building focused enterprise AI assistants that scale employee productivity instead of chasing broad, unfocused platforms.

  • Conversation explores product obsolescence, founder mindset shifts, and why depth beats breadth in competitive AI markets.

• Why Most AI Products Fail (Lenny’s Podcast)

  • Former OpenAI, Google, and Amazon engineers break down why AI products differ fundamentally from traditional software systems.

  • Episode outlines recurring patterns, failure modes, and trust issues observed across more than fifty real-world AI deployments.

  • Hosts share a practical framework for iterating AI products, emphasizing reliability, evaluation limits, and builder skill shifts.

• CES Gadgets, Smart Glasses, and Meta’s Wearables Push (The Vergecast)

  • Alex and Ellis recap CES highlights, from strange gadgets and slogans to unexpected sensory experiences on the show floor.

  • Meta wearables head Alex Himel discusses smart glasses momentum following the Meta Ray-Ban Displays launch.

  • Discussion covers AI hardware experimentation, including rings and niche devices, revealing lessons from early consumer adoption.

EXTRAS

• Apple TV viewership update from Eddy Cue reveals streaming strategy (Hollywood Reporter)
  ^{_{More: Deadline, 9to5Mac, Yahoo}}

  • Apple executive Eddy Cue shared rare viewership metrics indicating that December set a record with thirty-six percent growth.

  • Apple TV continues prioritizing quality over quantity with selective content investments and award-winning productions only.

  • The platform's subscriber base remains smaller than rivals but demonstrates strong engagement among premium audiences.

• Meta shuts 550,000 accounts on Australia's kids social media ban (Bloomberg)
  _{^{More: CNBC, Engadget, UPI}}

  • Meta removed over half a million accounts in Australia to comply with new age restrictions.

  • Australia's legislation prohibits social media access for children under sixteen years old nationwide, with penalties.

  • The enforcement action demonstrates tech companies' compliance efforts amid global regulatory pressure on youth protection.

• Thiel gives $3 million to block California wealth tax (NYT)
  _{^{More: Bloomberg, Inc., Fortune}}

  • Billionaire investor Peter Thiel donated three million dollars to a group opposing California's proposed wealth tax.

  • The move highlights wealthy individuals' tax migration strategies in response to progressive state fiscal policies.

  • California's proposed five percent levy could accelerate the exodus of billionaires to lower-tax states like Florida and Texas.

AND MORE

• Death toll from nationwide protests in Iran rises to at least 599 amid government crackdown.

• Trump says he will talk with Musk about restoring internet access in Iran.

• Russia condemns foreign interference in Iran during talks with the Iranian security chief.

• Turkey warns that foreign intervention in Iran could worsen regional instability.

• China’s record 2025 export surge expected to slow in December amid global trade shifts.

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• UN forecasts global economic growth will slow to about 2.7 % in 2026.

• Overwhelmed morgue footage from Tehran highlights the severity of Iran’s protest crackdown.

• U.S. President considers “strong options” for response to Iran unrest, including military measures.