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

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

🤖 Tech CEOs boast and bicker about AI at Davos.
📧 Google says it’s fixed Gmail issues with spam and misclassification.
⚖️ SEC drops lawsuit against Winklevoss twins’ Gemini crypto exchange.
🔍 Republicans push for a deeper investigation into the fatal Minneapolis shooting.
🍁 Carney says Canada won’t pursue free trade with China amid tariffs.

TECHNOLOGY

• Tech CEOs boast and bicker about AI at Davos (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!, FindArticles, The Guardian}}

  • Tech CEOs dominated Davos stages, turning the World Economic Forum into an AI-heavy tech showcase.

  • Executives promoted AI’s transformative promise while openly acknowledging fears of overvaluation and a potential bubble.

  • Global issues drew fewer crowds as tech companies marketed aggressively and subtly sparred with competitors.

• Apple will reportedly unveil its Gemini-powered Siri assistant in February (MacRumors)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, MSN}}

  • Apple plans to unveil a more personalized Siri in February, with demos ahead of iOS 26.4 release.

  • The upgraded Siri will access personal data and on-screen content available for iPhone 15 Pro users.

  • Apple is already planning iOS 27, turning Siri into a chatbot rivaling Gemini and ChatGPT.

• Google says it’s fixed Gmail issues with spam and misclassification (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Engadget, Forbes, MSN}}

  • Gmail users experienced widespread inbox issues on Saturday, including email misclassification and unexpected spam warnings.

  • Messages appeared in the wrong tabs, while spam emails reached inboxes, and trusted senders triggered alerts.

  • Google confirmed the problem was fully resolved Saturday evening and promised a follow-up investigation report.

BUSINESS

• Vimeo is laying off staff after its $1.38B sale to Bending Spoons (AOL)
  ^{_{More: Business Insider, Tech in Asia, TechCrunch}}

  • Vimeo, once a filmmaker-focused alternative to YouTube, has lost its original creative identity.

  • Italian tech firm Bending Spoons acquired Vimeo last year and has now conducted major staff layoffs.

  • Former employees say the layoffs nearly emptied the company, signaling a dramatic shift for Vimeo.

• SEC drops lawsuit against Winklevoss twins’ Gemini crypto exchange (NY Times)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, TechCrunch, Yahoo!}}

  • SEC dropped its lawsuit against Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.

  • The case focused on the Gemini Earn collapse, but investors were fully repaid after a 2024 settlement.

  • Dismissal reflects broader Trump-era regulatory leniency, with most crypto lawsuits dropped, paused, or reduced.

• Republicans push for a deeper investigation into the fatal Minneapolis shooting (AP)
  ^{_{More: ABC, NY Times}}

  • Republicans are demanding deeper scrutiny after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis.

  • House leaders seek testimony from immigration agencies, signaling possible bipartisan concern over the administration’s account.

  • Officials claim the victim was armed, but videos raise questions about excessive force and transparency.

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MARKETS

WORLD

• China’s Eastroc Beverage aims to raise $1.3B via Hong Kong listing (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: Business Times, MSN, Reuters}}

  • Eastroc Beverage plans to raise up to HK$10.14 billion through its Hong Kong stock listing.

  • The company is offering 40.9 million H shares, with final pricing expected on February 2nd.

  • Hong Kong listings surge as Chinese firms seek capital, following regulatory changes and growing market demand.

• Carney says Canada won’t pursue free trade with China amid tariffs (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: BBC, CNN, CBC}}

  • Canada has no plans for a free trade deal with China after Trump’s tariff threat.

  • Ottawa and Beijing recently agreed to lower some tariffs on bilateral exports.

  • Carney emphasized respecting CUSMA obligations, avoiding agreements without notifying the U.S. and Mexico.

• Ex South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan dies in Vietnam, aged 73 (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, Korea Times, U.S. News}}

  • Lee Hae-chan, a former South Korean Prime Minister, passed away at 73 in Ho Chi Minh City.

  • Vietnamese authorities provided medical care, but his illness was ultimately too severe to survive.

  • Vietnam’s leaders expressed condolences to South Korea and Lee’s family following his death.

FUTURISM

• Humans& aims to prove AI coordination is the next major frontier (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: MSN, MEXC}}

  • Humans& wants to build AI capable of coordinating teams, not just answering questions or solving tasks.

  • The startup raised $480 million to create a “central nervous system” for human-plus-AI collaboration.

  • Its goal is to support social intelligence AI for multi-user workflows across enterprise and consumer applications.

• Tesla ends Autopilot as NTSB investigates Waymo for illegal bus passes (Engadget)
  ^{_{More: CBS, TechCrunch}}

  • The NTSB investigates Waymo after its robotaxis were spotted illegally passing stopped school buses.

  • Tesla offers robotaxi rides in Austin without human safety drivers, signaling progress toward fully driverless cars.

  • Tesla discontinues basic Autopilot, shifting focus to Full Self-Driving subscriptions to boost revenue and AI positioning.

• Former Googlers seek to captivate kids with an AI-powered learning app (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: CryptoRank, Yahoo!}}

  • Former Google employees launched Sparkli, an interactive generative AI app designed to make learning engaging for kids.

  • Sparkli replaces static text with immersive, multimedia experiences responding to children’s curiosity through exploration and interaction.

  • The app offers AI-powered learning expeditions covering modern skills, with games, quizzes, audio, video, and daily topics.

CONTENT

• Jason Cohen shares surprising advice from building two unicorn startups successfully (Lenny's Podcast)

  • Jason Cohen outlines a five-step framework addressing stalled growth: retention, pricing, NRR, marketing, and target market.

  • He explains survey tweaks, product repositioning, and insights on why customers rarely cancel due to price.

  • Cohen emphasizes evaluating growth priorities and making strategic adjustments to potentially increase revenue by up to 8x.

• Fred Almeida and Max Weiss explain why people may choose AI doctors (This Week in Startups)

  • AI general practitioners could advise patients and recommend human specialists for complex medical cases in the future.

  • Fred Almeida and Max Weiss discuss opportunities for individuals to take more control over preventative healthcare strategies.

  • The conversation also covers Japan’s tech leadership, workforce mobility, and cultural communication barriers, such as “genten shugi.”

• Boris shares lessons from creating Claude Code and Claude Cowork tools (Greg Isenberg)

  • Boris demonstrates Claude Cowork, automating tasks across files, browsers, and tools to improve real-world productivity workflows.

  • Claude Code uses parallel sessions, plan-first execution, and compounding memory to enhance output quality.

  • Verification loops and structured workflows ensure higher accuracy and effective team collaboration with AI agents.

EXTRAS

• China investigates its top general for alleged serious legal and disciplinary violations (WSJ)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, BBC, NY Times}}

  • China’s highest-ranking general, Zhang Youxia, faces investigation for “grave violations of discipline and the law.”

  • Another senior officer, General Liu Zhenli, is also under scrutiny amid a broader military crackdown.

  • The probe follows the expulsion of nine top generals, marking one of the largest recent military purges.

• Legal AI giant Harvey acquires Hexus as competition heats up in legal tech (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!, CryptoRank}}

  • Harvey acquires Hexus to expand its AI tools for legal tech amid growing competition.

  • Hexus’ San Francisco and future Bangalore teams will accelerate Harvey’s offerings for in-house legal departments.

  • Hexus previously raised $1.6 million, with the acquisition structured around long-term team incentives.

• Gold surges past $5,000 as investors seek safety amid global risks (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: MSN}}

  • Gold climbed above $5,000 per ounce, marking a new all-time high amid market uncertainty.

  • Rising geopolitical flashpoints from Greenland, Venezuela, and the Middle East drove investors toward safe-haven assets.

  • Strong demand from institutional and retail buyers, along with ETF inflows, fueled the record-breaking gold rally.

AND MORE

• Apple iPhone achieves record sales in India despite a flat overall smartphone market.

• Takaichi’s approval ratings drop as Japan prepares for the upcoming election campaign.

• AI labs face a new challenge: can they actually generate real profits?

• PopWheels helps food carts replace generators with efficient e-bike battery power.

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• Science fiction writers and Comic-Con organizers push back against AI influence.

• ChatGPT sources some answers from Elon Musk’s Grokipedia database unexpectedly.