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

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

🔐 Google fixes WhisperPair Fast Pair bug exposing Bluetooth pairing to hijacks
💼 Thinking Machines cofounders return to OpenAI as Soumith Chintala becomes CTO
🏭 Apple squeezed by TSMC capacity crunch as wafer prices rise in 2026
🧊 European troops deploy to Greenland after Trump renews US takeover push
🤖 Anthropic launches Claude Cowork agent to automate complex workplace tasks

TECHNOLOGY

• ChatGPT can now translate your voice in real time (Android Authority)
  _{^{More: Tom's Guide, Slator, MultiLingual}}

  • OpenAI enables real-time voice translation across multiple languages using ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode feature for subscribers.

  • Users can speak in one language while ChatGPT translates continuously into another without switching apps or menus.

  • Feature currently available to Plus and Pro subscribers supporting Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and other major languages.

• Google Fast Pair Bluetooth vulnerability fixed after researcher disclosure (Wired)
  _{^{More: BleepingComputer, Android Authority, 9to5Google}}

  • Security researchers discovered a critical vulnerability called WhisperPair in Google's Fast Pair protocol affecting millions of devices.

  • A flaw allows attackers within Bluetooth range to hijack device pairing and potentially eavesdrop through device microphones.

  • Google awarded a maximum of $15,000 bounty and coordinated with manufacturers to release patches for affected audio accessories.

• Spotify raises Premium subscription price in the US to $13 per month (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: Variety, CNBC, Reuters}}

  • Spotify announces price increase for individual Premium plans from $11.99 to $12.99 monthly for US subscribers.

  • Move marks third US price hike in less than three years as streaming service pursues sustained profitability.

  • Family and Duo plan pricing also increased upward with changes taking effect on February billing dates.

• From prototype to production, faster*

  • At Athyna, we connect you with the innovators and change-makers who drive real growth—because exceptional people build exceptional companies.

  • From engineering and product to design and operations, we’ve got you covered.

  • Get AI-matched with vetted talent from companies like Google, AWS, Uber, Accenture, and more.

BUSINESS

• Thinking Machines lab cofounders leave for OpenAI (Wired)
  _{^{More: TechCrunch, Analytics Insight, GuruFocus}}

  • Founders Barret Zoph and Luke Metz depart Mira Murati's AI startup to rejoin OpenAI less than a year after launch.

  • This shows continued talent consolidation as major AI companies compete for experienced research teams and technical leadership.

  • Thinking Machines appoints Soumith Chintala as new CTO following departures despite $2B funding round last year.

• Wikipedia, Microsoft, Meta, and Perplexity reach AI training agreement with Wikimedia Foundation (The Verge)
  _{^{More: Reuters, Business Standard, Associated Press}}

  • The Wikimedia Foundation announces licensing agreements allowing tech companies to use Wikipedia content for AI model training commercially.

  • Deals provide financial support for Wikipedia's infrastructure while establishing a framework for the sustainable use of the encyclopedia's knowledge.

  • The agreement addresses the ongoing debate about fair compensation for content creators powering the AI development ecosystem landscape.

• Apple forced to compete for chip capacity and pay higher TSMC prices (9to5Mac)
  _{^{More: Culpium, Analytics Insight, TrendForce}}

  • Apple faces increased competition for TSMC manufacturing capacity as AI chip demand from Nvidia and AMD intensifies.

  • TSMC CEO informed Apple of significant price increases with wafer costs rising 3% to 10% starting in 2026.

  • Situation reflects broader semiconductor industry challenges as the AI boom drives unprecedented demand for advanced chip manufacturing.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Backlash against ICE policing tactics grows in Silicon Valley (Wired)
  ^{_{More: WebProNews, Washington Post, City of Chicago}}

  • Tech industry workers and advocacy groups mobilize against increased immigration enforcement activities in Bay Area technology communities.

  • Concerns rise over a fatal shooting incident during an ICE operation and aggressive tactics targeting immigrant populations across the nation.

  • Multiple cities, including Chicago and Minneapolis, have filed federal lawsuits challenging immigration enforcement tactics as unlawful overreach attempts.

• European military personnel arrive in Greenland as Trump says US needs island (BBC)
  _{^{More: CNN, NBC News, NPR}}

  • France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Finland deploy military personnel to Greenland following Trump's renewed annexation threats.

  • Denmark announces a permanent increase in military presence after talks with the US reveal fundamental disagreement on the island's future.

  • European NATO allies demonstrate solidarity with Denmark as Trump declares US control of Greenland necessary.

• Another construction crane collapsed in Thailand, killing 2 people, a day after a deadly train derailment (NBC News)
  ^{_{More: CNN, Al Jazeera, NPR}}  

  • A second construction crane collapses near Bangkok, killing two, the day after a separate crane kills 32 on a train.

  • Both incidents involve the Italian-Thai Development company working on infrastructure projects with controversial safety records nationwide.

  • Prime Minister terminates contractor contracts and calls for stronger construction safety laws following twin tragedies.

FUTURISM

• Wikipedia faces existential threats from AI and misinformation (Wired)
  _{^{More: NBC News, NPR, CNBC}}

  • Wikipedia confronts challenges from AI systems that scrape content without attribution and spread AI-generated misinformation widely.

  • Platform struggles to maintain a volunteer editor base while competing with instant AI-generated answers from chatbots and assistants.

  • Foundation explores sustainability models and AI policies to preserve collaborative knowledge sharing in the evolving information landscape.

• AI systems may be running out of genuinely novel ideas (The New York Times)
  _{^{More: MIT Technology Review, TechCrunch, Tech Xplore}}

  • Research suggests AI models increasingly recycle existing patterns rather than generating fundamentally new conceptual breakthroughs independently.

  • Limitations raise questions about AI's capacity for genuine innovation versus sophisticated recombination of training data patterns.

  • Findings impact expectations for AI's role in scientific discovery and creative fields requiring original thought development.

• Google AI generates advertisements within search results, raising user concerns (Futurism)
  _{^{More: Business Insider, Search Engine Land, Browser Media}}

  • Google integrates sponsored content directly into AI-generated search overview responses, blurring lines between information and advertising.

  • Users express concerns about transparency and trustworthiness when commercial content appears within AI-written informational summaries clearly.

  • The move represents a new monetization strategy as Google adapts its business model toan AI-powered search experience paradigm shift.

CONTENT

• In The New Era: The Biggest Shift Since the Internet (a16z)

  • a16z lays out why AI is a new computing platform, reshaping software, labor, and company-building incentives.

  • The discussion tackles bubble worries, arguing that demand and revenue signals matter more than headline valuations.

  • It frames the next decade as application-driven, with differentiated products winning beyond foundational model providers.

• Are America’s tariffs here to stay? (Knowledge at Wharton)

  • Wharton’s Joao Gomes explains the economic logic behind tariffs, trade deficits, and the goals driving US policy.

  • He outlines how uncertainty is used strategically, and how companies adjust sourcing, pricing, and investment decisions.

  • The episode assesses spillover effects on allies and rivals, shaping negotiations, retaliation risks, and global supply chains.

• How to Think About Careers, Global Risk, and Teaching Money — ft. Ed Elson & Kyla Scanlon (The Prof G Pod – Scott Galloway)

  • Scott Galloway, Ed Elson, and Kyla Scanlon connect career strategy to macro forces reshaping wages and opportunity.

  • They discuss global risks and their market implications, emphasizing how headlines translate into personal financial decisions.

  • Scanlon shares approaches to teaching money clearly, linking literacy to better choices around saving, debt, and investing.

EXTRAS

• Anthropic launches Claude Cowork agent for automated workplace tasks (Wired)
  _{^{More: Fortune, VentureBeat, TechCrunch}}

  • Anthropic introduces an autonomous AI agent capable of handling complex workplace tasks, including file management and document creation.

  • Claude Cowork operates semi-independently, making decisions and executing multi-step workflows with minimal human intervention required throughout.

  • Launch intensifies competition among AI companies racing to deploy practical autonomous agents for enterprise productivity applications commercially.

• Private equity firms circle Unilever brands in potential breakup scenario (Financial Times)
  _{^{More: Food Ingredients First, Food Navigator, Women's Wear Daily}}

  • Private equity investors explore acquisition opportunities for Unilever brands as the company continues strategic portfolio optimization and restructuring.

  • Consumer goods giant sells Indonesian tea business and invests in Indian beauty brands as part of its focus strategy.

  • This reflects the broader trend of conglomerates facing pressure to unlock shareholder value through portfolio streamlining and divestitures.

• Equal1 raises $60 million to deploy quantum computing technology commercially (The Irish Times)
  _{^{More: HPCwire, The Quantum Insider, Silicon Republic}}

  • Irish quantum computing startup Equal1 secures significant funding round to advance commercial deployment of rack-mounted quantum processors.

  • The company focuses on silicon-based quantum chip technology designed for practical integration with existing datacenter infrastructure without cryogenics.

  • Investment signals growing confidence in quantum computing's transition from research phase to viable commercial applications in HPC.

AND MORE

• U.S. sanctions senior Iranian officials over violent protest crackdowns nationwide.

• Macron calls emergency defense meeting after renewed Greenland tensions.

• Putin warns global situation worsening, avoids commenting on Iran unrest.

• Explore all the tools and more here to outperform the competition.*

• Scientists label 2025 near-record heat a warning of accelerating warming.

• Winter Olympics host options shrink as warming erodes reliable snowfall.

• WhatsApp updates rules to block general-purpose AI chatbots on the platform.

• CES 2026 highlights show major shifts in gadgets, AI, and mobility.

• Microsoft’s Copilot exits WhatsApp to comply with updated platform policies.