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

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

📱 Apple leads China as shipments fall and memory costs rise.
🧠 OpenAI hires key Thinking Machines Lab researchers amid fundraising.
🏛️ UK plans biggest antitrust overhaul in decades targeting tech giants.
💹 NYSE builds tokenized stock rails for 24/7 trading and settlement.
🚆 Spain reels after deadly train crash as survivors describe terror.

TECHNOLOGY

• China Smartphone Shipments Slip 1.6% YoY in Q4 2025; Apple Leads With 22% Share (Counterpoint Research)
  _{^{More: GizmoChina, TelecomLead, PhoneArena}}

  • Apple reclaimed China's smartphone market lead with 22% share, driven by the iPhone 17 series.

  • China's market declined 1.6% year-over-year as rising memory costs pressured low-end models significantly.

  • Huawei topped full-year shipments despite a quarterly decline; memory shortage threatens further industry consolidation ahead.

• Asus Confirms Its Smartphone Business Is on Indefinite Hiatus (GSMArena)
  _{^{More: Android Central, Android Authority, NotebookCheck}}

  • Asus chairman confirmed no smartphone releases planned, redirecting resources to commercial PCs and AI hardware.

  • The company will focus on AI-powered products, including robotics and smart glasses, instead of phones.

  • Existing phones receive continued maintenance and updates; the shift follows years of declining market share.

• OpenAI Poaches Thinking Machines Lab AI Talent (TechCrunch)
  _{^{More: The Information, Fortune, Sherwood News}}

  • Mira Murati's startup lost two co-founders to OpenAI amid fundraising efforts at fifty billion valuation.

  • Barret Zoph and Luke Metz returned to OpenAI along with researcher Sam Schoenholz recently.

  • Departures highlight talent retention challenges for AI startups competing against established labs with resources.

BUSINESS

• NYSE Builds Venue for 24/7 Trading of Tokenized Stocks, ETFs (Bloomberg)
  _{^{More: Markets Media, Yahoo Finance, CoinDesk}}

  • NYSE is developing a blockchain platform enabling round-the-clock trading and instant settlement for tokenized securities.

  • The platform combines the Pillar matching engine with blockchain post-trade systems supporting multiple chains for custody.

  • Partnership with BNY and Citi supports tokenized deposits for clearing outside traditional banking hours.

• Google's Gemini Sees Skyrocketing Business Sales (The Information)
  _{^{More: MarketScreener, Second Talent, Business of Apps}}

  • Gemini API calls more than doubled to $85B by August; enterprise seats grew significantly.

  • Google Cloud revenue reached $15B, up 34% year-over-year, with AI infrastructure.

  • Enterprise adoption shows 70% of Google Cloud customers using Gemini-powered tools for workflows.

• A Business That Scales With the Value of Intelligence (OpenAI)
  _{^{More: TechBooky, Leonis Capital, Sacra}}

  • OpenAI revenue exceeded $20B, with compute capacity tripled over the past year.

  • Business model aligns with AI value delivery through subscriptions, platform APIs, and usage-based pricing.

  • The company now serves one million business customers with seven million ChatGPT for Work seats total.

• 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.

  • And here's the kicker: we've organized it all in a user-friendly Notion database for easy access and tracking. Double win!

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

MARKETS

WORLD

• Elon Musk Donates $10 Million to Kentucky Senate Campaign (Axios)
  ^{_{More: The Hill, Fox News, Courier Journal}}

  • The billionaire donated $10M to the Fight for Kentucky PAC supporting Republican candidate Nate Morris.

  • Contribution marks Musk's largest donation ever to a single Senate candidate running for McConnell's seat.

  • Morris, a business outsider and Trump supporter, competes against Andy Barr and Daniel Cameron in the primary.

• 'Europe Is at a Total Loss': Russia Gloats Over Greenland Tensions (BBC)

  • Russian state media praises Trump's Greenland annexation plans, calling it the potential greatest presidential achievement ever.

  • Moscow views US-Europe tensions over Greenland as beneficial, as it weakens the transatlantic alliance and NATO cohesion.

  • Rossiyskaya Gazeta urges Trump not to back down, warning retreat would harm midterm prospects.

• Spain Train Crash Survivors Describe 'Absolutely Terrifying' Scene (BBC)

  • At least 39 people were killed when a Madrid-bound train derailed and collided with an oncoming train.

  • A high-speed crash occurred Sunday evening near Adamuz, about one hour after departure from Málaga station.

  • Survivors described passengers and belongings scattered throughout carriages in an absolutely terrifying, chaotic scene.

FUTURISM

• Government Tells Tesla "Definitely Last Chance" (Yahoo News)

  • Tesla receives final warning from government amid ongoing regulatory compliance issues and safety concerns.

  • Authorities emphasize this represents absolutely last opportunity for the company to meet the required standards fully.

  • The decision follows multiple previous warnings about quality control and manufacturing oversight across Tesla operations.

• Nuclear Bunker Falling Into Ocean (Futurism)

  • Coastal erosion threatens Cold War-era nuclear bunker structure as cliff edges collapse into the sea.

  • The facility, located on an eroding coastline, faces imminent risk of complete structural failure and ocean submersion.

  • Authorities are monitoring the situation closely while assessing environmental risks from potential radioactive material exposure scenarios.

• Meta Reality VR Layoffs (Futurism)

  • Meta announces significant job cuts in the Reality Labs division responsible for virtual reality product development.

  • Layoffs reflect a strategic shift as the company reassesses metaverse investments amid financial pressure and performance.

  • Decision impacts teams working on VR hardware and software across multiple Reality Labs locations globally.

CONTENT

• The non-technical PM’s guide to building with Cursor (Lenny’s Podcast)

  • A Meta PM explains building real products using Cursor without coding experience.

  • He shares prompt patterns, iteration loops, and testing habits that reduce engineering dependencies.

  • Takeaways focus on shipping faster, documenting decisions, and avoiding fragile AI-built prototypes.

• Jonathan Haidt Strikes Again + What You Vibecoded + An Update on the Forkiverse (Hard Fork)

  • Jonathan Haidt returns with new research on social media harms and teen wellbeing.

  • Hosts highlight standout listener projects built with Claude Code and practical lessons learned.

  • PJ Vogt joins to discuss building the Forkiverse community and early platform running insights.

• Is Google’s Gemini Winning? + AI Machines Drama + Claude as a Coworker (Big Technology Podcast)

  • The show weighs whether Gemini is gaining ground across models, products, and distribution.

  • It unpacks growing friction over AI agents, workplace adoption, and reliability in real deployments.

  • Discussion turns to Claude’s coworker positioning and what it signals for enterprise AI workflows

EXTRAS

• Matt Damon: Netflix Movies Restate Plot for Viewers on Phones (Variety)

  • Actor criticizes streaming films, restating plot points repeatedly to accommodate distracted mobile phone viewers.

  • Damon argues that practice dumbs down storytelling and undermines cinematic narrative complexity for audience engagement.

  • Comments highlight the ongoing tension between traditional filmmaking and modern streaming platform viewing habits today.

• NASA Artemis Moon Rocket Launchpad (Futurism)

  • NASA prepares upgraded launchpad infrastructure specifically designed for the Artemis program's moon mission rockets.

  • Facility modifications accommodate Space Launch System's unique requirements and increased payload capacity needs significantly.

  • Launch complex readiness represents a critical milestone toward returning American astronauts to lunar surface missions.

• UK Plans Overhaul of Antitrust Regime (Yahoo Finance)

  • The British government announces a comprehensive reform of competition law enforcement and regulatory framework structure.

  • Changes aim to strengthen authorities' powers against tech giants and improve merger review processes.

  • Overhaul represents the biggest antitrust policy shift in decades, targeting digital markets and platform dominance.

AND MORE

• World Economic Forum opens in Davos with leaders focused on AI.

• Markets slide after Trump threatens tariffs tied to Greenland dispute.

• Walmart joins Nasdaq-100, prompting big index-fund portfolio rebalancing.

• UN warns global growth slows in 2026 as tariffs and risks bite.

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

• Apple previews 2026 Fitness Plus updates, adding plans and new podcast content.

• Scientists warn that the 2025 near-record heat signals are accelerating, a dangerous climate shift.

• Automakers brace for an “EV winter” as 2026 sales growth cools.

• Netflix debuts original video podcasts, expanding creator-led entertainment strategy.