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

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

🛑 Microsoft blocks Israel’s Unit 8200 from using Azure for Palestinian surveillance.
💰 Amazon agrees to $2.5B penalty for misleading Prime enrollment.
📱 Trump signs order backing TikTok sale to U.S. investors under strict oversight.
🎮 Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser to retire at the end of 2025.
✈️ Poland scrambles jets after Russia launches massive aerial assault on Ukraine.

TECHNOLOGY

• OpenAI really, really wants you to start your day with ChatGPT Pulse

  • ChatGPT Pulse proactively delivers personalized daily briefs using your chat history, calendar, and email data.

  • It presents updates as visual cards on topics like meals, workouts, or study plans to help guide your day.

  • The feature starts in preview for Pro users, with privacy controls and feedback-based refinement built in.

• Meta unveils new AI video feed ‘Vibes’

  • Meta launched ‘Vibes,’ a feed for AI-generated short videos that users can create, remix, or share.

  • Creators can build from scratch or edit feed content, adding visuals and music as desired.

  • Vibes integrates with Meta’s existing apps so content can cross-post to Instagram and Facebook stories.

• Viral call-recording app Neon goes dark after exposing users’ phone numbers, transcripts

  • Neon was temporarily taken offline after a flaw allowed any logged-in user access to others’ calls, transcripts, and contact data.

  • The breach stemmed from inadequate server access controls, allowing broad exposure of private audio files.

  • The founder shut down services and began notifying users, but stopped short of public disclosure about the data leak.

BUSINESS

• Amazon agrees to the largest ever civil penalty in $2.5bn settlement with US regulators

  • Amazon will pay $2.5 billion over deceptive Prime enrollment practices, including fines and refunds to customers.

  • Regulators said ‘dark patterns’ tricked users into subscriptions, violating consumer protection laws across multiple states.

  • The settlement requires Amazon to implement clearer opt-out mechanisms and simplified cancellation for Prime members.

• Trump signs executive order supporting proposed TikTok sale to U.S. investors

  • Trump signed an executive order backing TikTok’s sale to U.S. investors to avoid a nationwide ban.

  • The deal would give U.S. investors majority ownership while ByteDance retains a limited minority stake.

  • Approval from Chinese regulators and U.S. agencies is required before the transaction can close.

• Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser to retire

  • Doug Bowser will step down as Nintendo of America president at the end of 2025.

  • Devon Pritchard, currently executive vice president, will assume the role after Bowser’s retirement.

  • Satoru Shibata will oversee as CEO, marking a leadership shift within Nintendo’s North American operations.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its technology in mass surveillance of Palestinians

  • Microsoft cut access to Azure and AI services for Israel’s Unit 8200 after discovering misuse in civilian surveillance.

  • The tech reportedly held and analyzed millions of intercepted Palestinian calls to support intelligence and targeting.

  • The decision marks a rare pivot by a U.S. company over human rights concerns amid ongoing Israel-Gaza scrutiny.

• Trump imposes sweeping new tariffs on trucks, furniture, and pharmaceuticals

  • Beginning October 1, the U.S. will levy 25% on heavy trucks, 50% on kitchen cabinets, 30% on furniture, and 100% on branded drugs.

  • Pharmaceutical firms building U.S. factories may receive exemptions under the new policy.

  • The plan is pitched as bolstering national security and manufacturing, but it raises cost and trade tensions.

• Poland scrambles jets amid massive Russian aerial assault on Ukraine

  • Russia launched waves of air attacks over Ukraine, prompting Poland to scramble jets in its eastern region.

  • The strikes come amid ongoing NATO intercepts of Russian aircraft near Estonia and Belarus.

  • The escalation heightens fears of regional spillover and tests NATO readiness on its eastern flank.

FUTURISM

• Nvidia is open-sourcing its Audio2Face AI voice animation tool

  • Audio2Face maps acoustic features to facial animations, enabling real-time lip sync and emotion on 3D avatars.

  • The release includes the SDK and training framework so developers can fine-tune models for custom use cases.

  • Already used in games like Chernobylite 2 and Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition, now open to all.

• Threads is developing a tool to let users tag its algorithm to configure their feed

  • Threads plans to allow users to tag algorithm preferences (e.g. ‘show more tech, less politics’) directly.

  • This gives people more control over what kind of posts the algorithm surfaces in their For You feed.

  • The feature is still in development and may help Threads differentiate on algorithmic transparency.

• Peter Thiel warns tech regulation could start the ‘Anti-Christ’ scenario

  • Thiel argues that overly aggressive AI regulation empowers centralized power and risks societal collapse.

  • He warns that regulation may play into apocalyptic themes, invoking the language of the ‘Anti-Christ’ era.

  • His position reflects broader tension between innovation and control in the tech governance debate.

CONTENT

• Using Your Nervous System to Enhance Your Immune System

  • Huberman explains the three primary layers of immune defense and how they interact with nervous system function.

  • He outlines tools like breathing patterns, sleep positioning, and supplements to enhance recovery and resilience.

  • The episode emphasizes the mind-body connection and how mindset directly impacts healing and immunity.

• From Vibe Coding to Vibe Researching: OpenAI’s Mark Chen and Jakub Pachocki

  • OpenAI leaders discuss GPT-5’s mix of fast responses and long-horizon reasoning and how progress is measured.

  • They highlight reinforcement learning’s continued success and its surprising impact on research and model planning.

  • The conversation covers agentic systems, automated researchers, and balancing fundamental science with product work.

• Why AI evals are the hottest new skill for product builders

  • Experts explain why AI evaluations have become essential for product builders and teams at major AI labs.

  • They walk through frameworks for creating effective evals, including error analysis and systematic coding methods.

  • Practical tips show how teams can implement evals efficiently and avoid pitfalls with minimal weekly effort.

EXTRAS

• Costco beats expectations as bargain-hunting fuels demand

  • Costco posted adjusted earnings of $5.87 per share on $84.4B in net sales, outpacing Wall Street forecasts.

  • Same-store sales rose 5.7%, helped by extended store hours and increased foot traffic.

  • Membership fee revenue jumped 14%, reinforcing Costco’s strategy of loyalty-driven pricing and value.

• U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian warplanes near Alaska

  • NORAD scrambled aircraft to intercept two Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters entering the Alaskan ADIZ.

  • The Russian jets remained in international airspace and did not violate sovereign U.S. or Canadian territory.

  • Such intercepts are now common, marking the ninth Russian aerial incursion around Alaska this year.

• Trump says he will stop Israel from annexing the West Bank

  • Trump declared he would not permit the annexation of West Bank territories amid mounting geopolitical pressure.

  • His stance signals divergence with far-right Israeli plans and reaffirms support for a two-state framework.

  • The announcement came during his presentation of a 21-point Gaza peace plan at the U.N. assembly.

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AND MORE

• Russia and China seek a UN vote to delay reimposing Iran sanctions.

• Executive order supports framework to keep TikTok operating under U.S. ownership.

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

• Energizer-branded laptops debut, claiming marathon battery life for productivity users.

• ChatGPT ‘Pulse’ aims to deliver personalized morning briefs from overnight research.

• U.S. criticizes Mexico’s response to screwworm threat near Texas border.

• Asian stocks retreat as GDP data and policy signals cloud rate outlook.