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

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

🏷 Apple is coming for Google's ad business with move into ad sales.
💍 Oura's $5 billion valuation set in strategic Series D round.
📲 Instagram is preparing to let users reset their algorithm.
🤖 Trump's social media group eyes Bakkt acquisition.
🌍 Possible ‘Hybrid Warfare’ with undersea cables in Baltic disrupted.

TECH

• Apple is selling Apple News ads directly for the first time

  • This move gives publishers more control over ad sales and potentially higher revenue margins.

  • This aims to offer a shared revenue model, reducing reliance on Apple's existing ad framework while maintaining the platform's user experience.

  • Publishers have expressed concerns about the ad pricing structure and competition with Apple's direct sales efforts.

• Instagram will let you ‘reset’ your recommendations

  • Meta is testing a new feature that will allow users to reset the algorithmic suggestions.

  • The company is framing the change as part of its push to bring new safety features to teens.

  • This move aligns with Meta's effort to provide better customization and transparency in social media algorithms.

• Smart ring maker Oura raised a $75M Series D from medical device company Dexcom at a $5B+ valuation

  • Oura Rings will soon integrate with Dexcom, allowing users to track activity, food, and blood sugar levels in one platform.

  • The collaboration aims to provide users with a clearer picture of how lifestyle choices impact glucose levels and overall health.

  • This partnership highlights growing trends in personalized health technology that connect wearables with medical data for better insights.

BUSINESS

• Trump's social media group in talks to buy Bakkt, FT reports

  • Bakkt, a digital asset platform, has struggled financially, and the acquisition could help it expand its services.

  • The potential deal indicates Trump's continued interest in expanding his media and tech presence amid ongoing controversies.

  • Trump Media and Technology Group's shares, which closed up 16.7% on Monday, slipped 6.7% before the bell.

• Coca-Cola causes controversy with AI-made ad

  • The ad has sparked controversy for being perceived as impersonal and lacking human creativity, drawing mixed reactions from audiences.

  • The experimental marketing campaign, showed AI-generated visuals, which some viewers found impressive while others criticized as soulless.

  • This sparked industry debates on AI's role in advertising, raising questions about authenticity and human creativity.

• Robinhood To Acquire Custodial and Portfolio Platform TradePMR in $300M deal

  • TradePMR is a firm that offers technology and custodial services to financial advisors.

  • This is aimed at helping Robinhood cater more effectively to registered investment advisors (RIAs).

  • Robinhood's CEO stated the move will enhance their mission of democratizing finance by empowering advisors.

CONTENT

• Javier Milei: President of Argentina - Freedom, Economics, and Corruption

  • Milei discusses his libertarian ideology, emphasizing a free-market economy, and reduced government intervention.

  • The President mentioned Argentina’s past economic policies, which he views as harmful due to high government spending, and inflation.

  • Milei also touches on his unorthodox communication style, using it to connect directly with people, especially younger generations.

• The real story behind Sam Altman's $240,000,000 Orb

  • The discussion delves into what it means to retain our humanity amidst AI advancements, questioning the boundaries of technology.

  • Who owns the data collected by AI technologies, raising ethical concerns about privacy and transparency.

  • The design process and intention behind the ‘Orb,’ highlight its potential influence on how humans interact with future technologies.

• Why Status is Making You Miserable & Why Parents Want Their Kids to Fail

  • Alain de Botton argues that pursuing status, especially through social media, leads to anxiety, and the happiest people desire it the least.

  • He also critiques meritocracy as flawed and advises against bringing your full self to work for better boundaries.

  • Alain stresses finding meaningful work by focusing on your strengths, accepting your averageness, and seeking balance over sacrifice.

WORLD

• Two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea disrupted, sparking warnings of possible ‘hybrid warfare’

  • A major undersea telecommunications cable linking Germany and Finland was disrupted, causing significant issues.

  • Authorities suspect sabotage as the cause, and both countries are investigating possible links to recent regional geopolitical tensions.

  • This has raised concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, highlighting the risks associated with undersea cables.

• El Salvador Is Getting Its First Tokenized U.S. Treasuries Offering

  • This set to receive its first tokenized US Treasuries offering, providing a new way for local investors to access U.S. government bonds.

  • Bitfinex Securities leads the initiative and aims to make traditional financial products more accessible through blockchain technology.

  • The move is part of El Salvador's strategy to diversify its economy, leveraging crypto-based solutions to integrate with traditional financial markets.

• Brazil arrests five suspects in alleged Lula assassination plot

  • Four G20 security guards were reportedly among those arrested.

  • The suspects are reportedly connected to right-wing extremist groups, indicating political motivations behind the plot.

  • This heightened security concerns, particularly for upcoming political events, as tensions remain high in Brazil's polarized political climate.

AND MORE…

• Bluesky tops 20M users, narrowing gap with Instagram Threads

  • This new social network and X competitor, has been benefiting from a surge of departures from the Elon Musk-owned app.

  • Bluesky’s user base is still much smaller than Threads, which recently reported north of 275 million monthly active users.

  • Appeal lies in its focus on a decentralized social network model, attracting users interested in privacy and platform transparency.

• MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough brushes off backlash to his meeting with Trump

  • Scarborough and co-host, Mika Brzezinski, revealed during Monday’s broadcast that they personally met with Donald Trump last week.

  • Scarborough discussed tensions with Trump regarding media coverage, seeking a resolution to their differences.

  • He emphasized maintaining journalistic integrity and keeping a neutral stance despite disagreements with Trump.

• Top Apple Podcast charts for 2024 show what everyone's been listening to

  • The 2024 top podcasts list, has ‘The Daily’ ranking first in the U.S.

  • True crime podcasts remain a major draw, topping the charts with consistent listener engagement.

  • Health, tech, and comedy podcasts also showed strong growth, reflecting diverse interests among listeners this year.