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

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

🧠 Meta purges 635K accounts targeting underage users, expanding teen safety tools.
⌨️ Meta reveals neural wristband that types with gestures from muscle signals.
📱 Apple introduces ‘AppleCare One’, a flexible device coverage plan for $19.99/month.
🚗 Uber tests female-only driver option in three major U.S. cities for safety.
🇷🇺 Russia and Ukraine resume backchannel peace talks in Switzerland.

TECHNOLOGY

• Instagram alerts teens with new safety tools

  • Meta removed over 635,000 accounts targeting under-13s and added DM context labels and one-tap block/report features.

  • Teen users see account age info for unknown DMers, receive safety notices, and take action a million times last month.

  • AI tool rollout underway to detect under-13 users lying about age and auto-convert them to restricted teen accounts.

• Apple debuts $20/month AppleCare One plan covering up to three devices

  • AppleCare One offers unlimited repair, 24/7 support, battery and theft coverage for three Apple devices at $19.99/month.

  • Plan allows adding products up to four years old for $5.99/month each, a major improvement over previous 60-day window.

  • Available July 24 in U.S., it flexibly adjusts when devices are traded in and helps Apple boost its services revenue stream.

• Meta prototypes wristband enabling computer control via muscle signals

  • Meta’s research team built a wrist device that reads forearm muscle signals to control computers without touch.

  • Drawing on Thomas Reardon’s CTRL‑Labs work, the prototype decodes gestures into text input, reducing reliance on keyboards.

  • The wearable signals emergence of neural-interface tech offering intuitive, unseen input methods for future AR/VR use.

BUSINESS

• Uber tests option in the US for women to opt for a female driver

  • Uber is piloting a ‘Women Preferences’ feature in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, letting female riders request women drivers.

  • The feature also allows women drivers to seek women passengers, boosting comfort and control during rides.

  • Launched initially in Saudi Arabia in 2019 and now in 40 countries, Uber aims to reduce safety incidents and improve rider experience.

• Tesla reports Q2 earnings: profits slide 16% with future-looking pivot

  • Tesla’s Q2 profit fell about 16%, with revenue down 12% to $22.5 billion—its largest quarterly revenue drop in over a decade.

  • Elon Musk emphasized focus on robotaxi rollout, AI/robotics investments, and an upcoming affordable EV model later this year.

  • Stock fell ~5% after hours; Musk warned of potential “rough quarters” as federal EV incentives expire post‑September.

• Trump’s huge deal with Japan worries U.S. automakers

  • A Trump-negotiated trade deal with Japan reduces tariffs, prompting fears that U.S. automakers may lose competitive advantage.

  • Critics argue Japanese vehicles could flood the U.S. market, pressuring domestic manufacturers already struggling with costs.

  • Automaker groups are urging safeguards to ensure U.S.-made EVs aren't sidelined in favor of imports.

MARKETS

WORLD

• White House unveils sweeping AI action plan to boost development

  • The Biden administration introduced a comprehensive strategy outlining federal support for AI R&D, infrastructure, and talent pipelines.

  • The plan includes new funding, public–private partnerships, and regulatory frameworks to encourage safe, beneficial AI innovation.

  • Agencies will coordinate on standards and ethics, aiming to accelerate AI deployment across sectors like healthcare and education.

• Protests erupt in Ukraine after Zelensky passes anti-corruption weakening law

  • Large crowds gathered in Kyiv condemning a newly signed law that curtails autonomy of key anti-corruption bodies NABU and SAPO.

  • Protesters warned the measure jeopardizes Ukraine’s EU aspirations and reverses democratic reforms since 2014’s Maidan uprising.

  • President Zelensky defended the law as necessary to combat foreign influence, but critics fear it centralizes power.

• Russia and Ukraine resume informal peace talks in Switzerland

  • Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met privately in Switzerland to explore ceasefire terms without formal mediation.

  • Discussions included phased troop withdrawals, security guarantees, and agricultural export corridors, but no binding commitments.

  • The meetings mark ongoing back-channel diplomacy aiming to build initial trust before possible official negotiations.

CONTENT

• Demis Hassabis: Future of AI, simulating reality, physics, and video games

  • Demis explores AI’s role in understanding nature, simulating biology, and decoding consciousness using quantum approaches.

  • He discusses AGI development, DeepMind’s Veo 3, and how foundation models are reshaping robotics and video game realism.

  • The conversation covers scaling laws, human creativity, and why building truly helpful AI must align with human values.

• How to build $60k/Mo AI productized service

  • Greg Isenberg and Cody Schneider break down five scalable AI service business models with real-world revenue data.

  • Productized services—like med spa marketing or webinar lead-gen—offer recurring revenue and outperform custom automation agencies.

  • Each idea leverages tools like voice agents or data analytics to deliver repeatable value for niche clients quickly.

• Tech executives: AI has changed SaaS forever

  • a16z’s Martin Casado and Metronome’s Scott Woody argue that AI is shifting SaaS value from users to output.

  • AI-driven automation requires new pricing models focused on task results, not just access or headcount.

  • Founders must rethink GTM, billing, and CS strategy to align with AI-native business dynamics and evolving value metrics.

FUTURISM

• A new AI coding challenge just published its first results

  • A coding benchmark for AI agents showed poor overall performance, with many models failing real‑world programming tasks.

  • Even top-performing systems struggled with multi-step logic and context-switching typical of real developer workflows.

  • The results suggest current AI coding tools still have major gaps before they can match human software engineers’ abilities.

• Trump wanted to break up Nvidia — but then its CEO won him over

  • Trump initially proposed an antitrust breakup of Nvidia due to its dominant AI chip market share.

  • Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang persuaded him it's unrealistic—splitting Nvidia could set back U.S. AI leadership a decade.

  • Following Huang’s meeting, Trump reversed course, lifting H20 chip export ban to China and praising Nvidia’s strategic importance.

• YouTube Shorts is adding an image‑to‑video AI tool and new AI effects

  • Creators can now turn any photo into a six‑second animated video using AI‑driven ‘Photo to video’ features.

  • New generative effects let users animate doodles, apply underwater or fantasy transformations to selfies.

  • The edits are powered by advanced models with visible SynthID watermarks, ensuring transparency of AI‑generated content.

EXTRAS

• ICJ issues landmark advisory declaring climate inaction a violation of international law

  • The UN’s top court unanimously rules countries must curb greenhouse emissions under international law or risk facing reparations.

  • It defines a clean, stable environment as a human right and strengthens accountability for major emitters and private actors.

  • Though nonbinding, the opinion is expected to drive legal claims, influence global climate policy, and support vulnerable nations.

• Southwest Airlines reports mixed Q2 earnings amid travel demand stabilization

  • Southwest posted Q2 profit slightly below expectations but noted U.S. travel demand is stabilizing after recent volatility.

  • Revenue fell short of Wall Street estimates, yet the airline emphasized solid performance metrics and improved cost management.

  • Management remains cautiously optimistic, forecasting gradual recovery and disciplined capacity adjustments into Q3.

• Starlink-powered T-Mobile satellite service now live in the U.S.

  • T-Mobile and Starlink unveiled connected coverage, enabling voice and messaging in remote areas via satellite.

  • The service currently covers emergency support and text features, with broader rollout and voice calling planned next year.

  • This launch marks a key step in bridging connectivity gaps and advancing consumer satellite-mobile integration across the U.S.

AND MORE

• Oil prices climb on U.S. trade optimism and inventory draw.

• U.S. crude and gasoline stockpiles fall, distillates rise.

• ICJ rules countries must act on climate change obligations.

• Need to scale an AI team quickly? Athyna delivers vetted talent globally in under a week.*

• Columbia University agrees to pay over $220 million to restore federal funding.

• Appeals court upholds block on Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.

• EU–U.S. trade talks extend progress following Japan bilateral deal, complementing Japan news.

• Guidde revolutionizes how you document and share processes with AI-powered how-to videos.*