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

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

🍎 Apple’s OLED MacBook Pro is coming in 2026 with a built-in touch screen layer.
🤖 Google Gemini 2.5 wins ICPC gold medal, solving problems human finalists couldn’t.
💰 Fed cuts rates a quarter point, warns against deeper moves amid inflation risks.
🌍 China bans Nvidia AI chip sales, tightening tech self-reliance push.
🚀 Amazon debuts AI Seller Assistant to automate pricing, inventory, and tasks.

TECHNOLOGY

• Kuo: OLED MacBook Pro to feature touch screen display

  • Apple’s OLED MacBook Pro, expected late 2026, will include advanced on-cell touch panel technology.

  • Touch sensors will be built directly into the display layer rather than added separately.

  • A thinner chassis and smaller notch are also anticipated alongside the OLED upgrade.

• Google Gemini earns a gold medal in the ICPC World Finals coding competition

  • Gemini 2.5 Deep Think delivered a gold-medal performance in the ICPC World Finals under strict contest rules.

  • The model solved 10 of 12 algorithmic problems, some of which human finalists could not complete.

  • The achievement highlights AI’s rapid progress in abstract reasoning and competitive programming challenges.

• Meta launches $799 glasses with screen in bid for mainstream hit

  • Meta Ray-Ban Display features a right-lens screen showing messages, video calls, navigation, and AI query results.

  • Comes with a Neural wristband for gesture controls alongside classic swipe and voice inputs for hands-free use.

  • On sale starting September 30 at $799 with upgraded battery life and camera in other Ray-Ban and Oakley models too.

BUSINESS

• Fed cuts rates, cautions against larger cut, citing inflation risks

  • The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by a quarter point, its first rate cut since December 2024.

  • Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized that while job growth has softened, inflation remains a concern.

  • Some governors dissented, arguing that deeper cuts could jeopardize price stability amid lingering economic uncertainties.

• Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns, citing loss of independence under Unilever

  • Jerry Greenfield resigned after 47 years, saying Unilever stifled Ben & Jerry’s social activism and values.

  • He openly criticized decisions reversing political positions and hampering the brand’s independent voice.

  • The brand’s progressive roots are challenged by ownership changes; cofounders are exploring whether buyback or autonomy is possible.

• Starmer cites £150bn US investment to counter criticism over Trump state visit

  • Prime Minister Starmer announced a £150bn inward investment package to boost jobs and technology during Trump’s visit.

  • Key contributors include Blackstone, Palantir, and Prologis; investments focused on clean energy and life sciences.

  • Critics claim the deal prioritizes foreign capital over strengthening homegrown innovation in Britain’s tech sector.

MARKETS

WORLD

• US House panel asks online forum CEOs to testify after Charlie Kirk assassination

  • Hearing summoned platform executives, Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit to appear on October 8 after the murder of Charlie Kirk.

  • Committee probes potential link between radicalization on online forums and political violence following Kirk’s assassination.

  • Congress to examine content policies, incitement, and violent rhetoric, emphasizing oversight of digital platforms.

• Trump and Europe are at odds over how to sanction Russia

  • Trump disputes European calls for tougher sanctions, preferring pressure via tariffs and oil import bans.

  • Europe urges action on Russia's banking, energy, and crypto sectors while wary of economic fallout from oil cutoff.

  • Disagreement delays unified sanctions package tied into broader transatlantic tensions over strategy versus risk.

• China tells its tech companies they can’t buy AI chips from Nvidia

  • China’s internet regulator bans firms like ByteDance and Alibaba from acquiring Nvidia’s RTX Pro 6000D chips and cancels pending orders.

  • The move aims to reduce reliance on U.S. tech amid the trade war while promoting domestic chip production alternatives.

  • Ban extends earlier restrictions on older H20 chip signals, growing assertiveness in China’s tech policy posture.

FUTURISM

• Irregular raises $80 million to secure frontier AI models

  • AI security startup Irregular scored $80M in funding led by Sequoia and Redpoint at a $450M valuation.

  • It aims to secure future models against risks from human-AI and AI-AI interactions breaking current security practices.

  • Expansion includes building simulated attack/defense environments and the SOLVE framework for vulnerability assessments.

• Microsoft Paint is getting its own Photoshop-like project files

  • Paint will soon support project files, allowing users to save layered work-in-progress much like PSDs.

  • New features include adjustable brush opacity and transparency tools alongside layers already in development.

  • Updates are being tested in Windows 11 Insider Dev and Canary builds before wider rollout.

• Amazon launches an AI agent to help sellers complete tasks and manage their businesses

  • Amazon rolled out an enhanced Seller Assistant agent to automate routine seller tasks while keeping control in the hands of the seller.

  • Capabilities include monitoring inventory health, flagging slow-moving products, and offering pricing or removal recommendations.

  • The agent will also analyze demand patterns, prep shipment suggestions, and ensure compliance across multiple markets.

CONTENT

• Tesla and Uber team up! Plus Weave Robotics’ Isaac and $OPEN bull Eric Jackson

  • Tesla and Uber announce their first freight partnership while Jason and Alex discuss broader startup and market dynamics.

  • Weave Robotics’ Isaac robot shows real-world domestic utility by folding laundry with advanced grippers instead of human-like hands.

  • Investor Eric Jackson touts Opendoor as a Carvana-like 100-bagger and considers bringing Drake on board as an investor.

• Apps make $50K/mo like THIS

  • Greg Isenberg and Cody Schneider explain why creator marketing outperforms influencers in reach and cost effectiveness.

  • Strategy leverages short-form daily content with algorithmic distribution, enabling small creators to drive large-scale app growth.

  • Case studies show low-cost campaigns scaling apps like Focus Tree to millions of users with compound learning effects.

• The Death of Search: How Shopping Will Work In The Age of AI

  • a16z partners explore how AI shopping agents threaten Google’s ad-driven search dominance and affiliate marketing.

  • AI agents reshape impulse versus considered purchases with dynamic pricing and new attribution challenges for retailers.

  • Commerce shifts toward aggregators trusted for value as AI recommendations risk hallucinations and polluted experiences.

• The end of overpriced software

  • AppSumo helps entrepreneurs save big on the tools they actually need to grow.

  • Lifetime deals mean you pay once and own it forever—no endless subscriptions.

  • Get 10% off with a 60-day money-back guarantee on every deal.

EXTRAS

• Cracker Barrel stock sinks on earnings miss after logo backlash

  • Cracker Barrel's revenue slightly beat estimates, but same-store traffic dropped sharply following the rollout of the new logo.

  • The company projects traffic will decline up to 8% in early fiscal 202,6, hurting near-term financial performance.

  • After backlash, the chain scrapped the simplified logo and paused remodels to restore its traditional Americana branding.

• Ultra-low-cost model is ‘alive and well,’ Frontier Airlines CEO says

  • Frontier CEO Barry Biffle dismissed United’s criticism of budget carriers, calling the ultra-low-cost model resilient and effective.

  • Despite predicting larger losses, Frontier is expanding routes aggressively and moving into former Spirit Airlines markets.

  • The airline expects tighter seat supply across carriers and plans to boost loyalty revenue and passenger yields.

• Pharaoh’s 3,000-year-old gold bracelet goes missing from Egyptian Museum

  • A priceless gold bracelet vanished from Cairo’s Egyptian Museum during inventory checks in the restoration laboratory.

  • The 3,000-year-old artifact, believed to belong to ancient Pharaohs, sparked alarm over museum security protocols.

  • Authorities are investigating staff reviewing CCTV and tightening border controls while delaying public announcements.

AND MORE

• ExxonMobil pauses €100 million plastic-recycling investment in Europe over draft EU rules.

• Judge rules that Trump’s climate panel must follow transparency laws.

• Google commits £5 billion investment and a new data centre to the UK market.

• India faces the risk of its economic momentum eroding under high tariffs and global tension.

• Your brand deserves to be in front of people who actually make decisions. That’s Memo’s audience.*

• U.S. dollar steadies after plunging to a four-year low, then rebounds post-rate cut.

• Fed’s Standing Repo Facility expected to face stress at month-end liquidity demands.

• Global stocks hit new records as U.S. yields rise following Fed rate cut.

• Transforming global food systems could unlock $121 trillion of economic value by 2070.