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

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

🧠 OpenAI to buy Jony Ive’s AI device startup for $ 6.5B.
📱 Spotify subscriptions surge after enabling external payments on iOS.
🪙 Bitcoin hits a new record as lawmakers advance crypto regulation.
🕵️ Google launches SynthID Detector to flag AI-generated content.
🚀 Tesla’s Optimus robot now does household chores like cooking and vacuuming.

TECHNOLOGY

• Spotify says support for external payments on iOS has already boosted subscriptions

  • Spotify reports a significant increase in iOS users upgrading to Premium after enabling external payment links within its app.

  • The update allows users to view pricing and subscribe directly through Spotify’s website, bypassing Apple's in-app purchase system.

  • This change follows a court ruling mandating Apple to permit alternative payment options for developers in their iOS applications.

• Google has a new tool to help detect AI-generated content

  • Google introduced SynthID Detector, a tool that identifies AI-generated content by detecting invisible watermarks in media files.

  • The detector analyzes images, audio, video, and text for watermarks embedded by Google's AI models like Gemini and Veo.

  • Initially available to early testers, the tool aims to enhance transparency regarding AI-generated content across various platforms.

• Meta launches program to encourage startups to use its Llama AI models

  • Meta's ‘Llama for Startups’ program offers funding and support to U.S. startups integrating its Llama AI models into their products.

  • Eligible startups can receive up to $6,000 monthly for six months, along with direct assistance from Meta's Llama team.

  • The initiative seeks to expand Llama's adoption amid competitive pressures from other AI model providers in the industry.

BUSINESS

• OpenAI to buy Apple veteran Jony Ive's AI device startup in $6.5 billion deal

  • OpenAI will acquire Jony Ive's AI hardware startup, io, in a $6.5 billion all-stock deal, marking its largest acquisition to date.

  • The partnership aims to develop AI-native consumer devices, with Ive leading design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI's operations.

  • LoveFrom, Ive's design firm, will remain independent but will collaborate closely with OpenAI on future hardware projects.

• Trump's crypto dinner cost over $1 million per seat, on average

  • Trump hosted an exclusive dinner for top $TRUMP coin holders, with attendees paying between $55,000 and $37.7 million.

  • The top 220 investors attended, while the top 25 received perks like a VIP reception and a potential White House tour.

  • The event sparked criticism over possible conflicts of interest and foreign influence, with many investors based outside the U.S.

• Bitcoin hits record high on hopes US lawmakers will finalise rules

  • Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of $109,760, driven by optimism over impending U.S. digital asset regulations.

  • Over $3.6 billion flowed into U.S. bitcoin-tracking ETFs in May, marking the largest monthly inflow since January.

  • The proposed Genius Act aims to regulate stablecoins, potentially expanding the market significantly by 2028.

MARKETS

WORLD

• A suicide car bomber strikes a school bus in Pakistan, killing 5

  • A suicide car bomb targeted a military-run school bus in Khuzdar, Balochistan, killing five people, including three girls and two soldiers.

  • The attack injured 53 others, mostly children, and is suspected to be the work of Baloch separatist groups amid ongoing regional insurgency.

  • Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blamed Indian-backed terrorists, citing hostility toward education; no group has claimed responsibility yet.

• European unity against Putin will be in peril if Trump moves to ease sanctions

  • European leaders face challenges in maintaining unity on Russian sanctions after President Trump wants to resume trade with Moscow.

  • The EU approved its 17th sanctions package, targeting Russia's shadow oil fleet and expanding asset freezes, amid internal disagreements.

  • Ukraine urges harsher actions, including a lower oil price cap, but such measures seem unlikely without U.S. support.

• Tepid demand for US Treasury auction shows investor jitters about tax bill, deficit

  • The U.S. Treasury's $16 billion 20-year bond auction saw weak demand, with yields rising to 5.127%, the highest since November 2023.

  • Investor concerns over the proposed tax and spending bill, which could add trillions to the national debt, contributed to the tepid response.

  • The auction's softness reflects broader market anxiety about fiscal policy, inflation, and the sustainability of U.S. government borrowing.

CONTENT

• ChatGPT Codex Is Like 10 AI Software Developers

  • Greg Isenberg and Ben Tossell demonstrate how OpenAI’s Codex allows non-technical users to build websites through simple text commands.

  • The tutorial covers GitHub basics, adding new website features, managing pull requests, and debugging with ChatGPT support.

  • Codex bridges the gap between no-code and real development by generating code without users needing coding knowledge.

• The Catastrophic Risks Of AI — And A Safer Path

  • AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio warns that current AI models exhibit deceptive and self-preserving behaviors that could spiral out of control.

  • He proposes a safety-first framework to regulate AI development, prioritizing human flourishing over unchecked machine autonomy.

  • Bengio urges global collaboration to ensure AI progresses in ways that enhance society without existential risks.

• Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella On The Future Of AI

  • Satya Nadella shares how Microsoft is embedding AI into products, emphasizing the shift toward personal AI agents in workplaces.

  • He discusses the decline of traditional SaaS, AI’s role in delivering ‘zero-cost intelligence,’ and the economic impact of automation.

  • Nadella predicts AI will become the foundation of the next operating system, transforming work, productivity, and digital infrastructure.

FUTURISM

• Elon Musk showcases 'biggest product ever' Tesla Optimus robot

  • Tesla's Optimus robot performs household tasks like stirring, vacuuming, and cleaning, learned via human demonstration videos.

  • The robot uses real-time machine learning and object recognition to adapt to chores without needing pre-programmed instructions.

  • Elon Musk calls Optimus Tesla's ‘biggest product ever’, emphasizing its potential for both domestic and industrial applications.

• Amazon's new warehouse robot has a 'sense of touch' that could see it replace human workers

  • Amazon's Vulcan robot uses tactile sensors to gauge pressure and texture, handling roughly 75% of warehouse inventory tasks.

  • It combines cameras and a suction-equipped wand to identify, grip, and manipulate items with adjustable force and precision.

  • Now operating in Spokane and Hamburg, Vulcan aims to reduce repetitive labor while complementing human warehouse workers.

• Ray Kurzweil's humanoid robot startup in talks for $100 million investment

  • Beyond Imagination, led by Ray Kurzweil, is securing a $100 million investment from Gauntlet Ventures, valuing it at $500 million.

  • The company’s Beyond Bot serves industrial sectors like pharmaceuticals and chip manufacturing.

  • Beyond is also developing Aura, an operating system that integrates humans, robots, and legacy machines for smart manufacturing.

EXTRAS

• Google unveils Android XR glasses with Gemini AI integration

  • Google introduced Android XR smart glasses powered by Gemini AI, offering real-time translation, navigation, and hands-free assistance.

  • Built in partnership with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster, the glasses blend AI with stylish, functional eyewear.

  • Features include an in-lens display, speakers, and a camera, enabling seamless interaction with digital content in real-world settings.

• Nvidia chief Jensen Huang condemns US chip curbs on China as ‘a failure’

  • Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang criticized U.S. export restrictions on AI chips to China, calling them counterproductive and harmful to U.S. interests.

  • He said Nvidia’s China market share dropped from 95% to 50%, fueling domestic chip innovation within China.

  • Huang praised recent moves to ease restrictions, emphasizing that limiting AI access weakens global cooperation and competitiveness.

• Android Auto will get weather and video apps soon, Google says

  • Google announced Android Auto will soon support weather, video, and browser apps, expanding in-car entertainment and utility options.

  • Weather apps are moving out of beta, while video apps will require Android 16 and only work when parked.

  • The update aims to improve user experience with broader functionality, while maintaining strict safety requirements for drivers.

AND MORE

• Amazon tests AI-generated audio summaries, with voice-assisted shopping experiences.

• Zoom raises annual forecasts amid robust demand and AI-driven expansion.

• Google expands AI Overviews to 200 countries, adding 40 new languages to its search.

• Meet your next data expert in five days and build a world-class remote team effortlessly.*

• Bezos Earth Fund gives $1.2M in AI climate grants, funding projects worldwide.

• Intel considers selling $5.8B NEX unit, refocusing on core chip business.

• If your current provider is too slow, get compliant with Delve.*

• Prolific Machines joins FDA Emerging Tech Program.