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

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

🏭 Intel joins Elon Musk's Terafab project to build Texas chip factory.
🛡️ Anthropic previews new Mythos model for cybersecurity defensive work.
💰 PIMCO weighs $14B debt deal for Oracle's Michigan data center.
🕊️ U.S., Israel, Iran agree to two-week ceasefire as Trump softens threats.
📈 European stocks surge after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire eases global market tensions.

TECHNOLOGY

• Intel joins Elon Musk's Terafab project to build Texas chip factory (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, CNET, Yahoo!}}

  • Intel will join SpaceX and Tesla to build an AI computing semiconductor factory in Texas.

  • Musk's Terafab aims to produce 1 TW/year of compute for AI, robotics, and space data centers.

  • Intel brings chip fabrication expertise that SpaceX and Tesla both lack for the ambitious project.

• Chrome finally adds vertical tabs to better manage too many open tabs (CNET)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, MacRumors, The Verge}}

  • Google Chrome now lets users move tabs to the side for easier title reading and tab management.

  • Vertical tabs stay as the default once enabled and work alongside a refreshed Reading Mode feature.

  • The update reflects growing competition from modern browsers like Arc, which popularized vertical tabs.

• Anthropic previews powerful new Mythos model for cybersecurity defensive work (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!, AOL}}

  • Anthropic's Mythos model is debuting via Project Glasswing, with 12 partners doing defensive security work.

  • Mythos has already identified thousands of zero-day vulnerabilities, many one to two decades old.

  • Partners include Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Cisco, CrowdStrike, and Broadcom, among other major tech firms.

BUSINESS

• PIMCO weighs $14B debt deal for Oracle's Michigan data center (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, MSN, Business Times}}

  • PIMCO is in talks with Bank of America to provide roughly $14B in debt financing for Oracle's Michigan data center.

  • The financing could be structured as a 144A private bond offering, potentially syndicated to other large institutional investors for distribution.

  • Oracle is raising up to $50B this year through debt and equity sales to fund its rapidly expanding build-out of AI infrastructure.

• Trump administration plans to cut CISA's budget by $707M in 2027 (Firstpost)
  ^{_{More: Politico, MSN, TechCrunch}}

  • The proposed $707M cut is part of a broader omnibus budget proposal released last week.

  • The administration claims cuts will refocus CISA on securing federal networks and critical infrastructure.

  • Trump falsely accused CISA of censorship, citing its efforts to counter 2020 election misinformation.

• Eclipse VC launches $1.3B fund targeting physical AI startups (Tech in Asia)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, Tech Buzz}}

  • Eclipse split its $1.3B fund between a $591M early-stage incubation fund and a growth fund.

  • The firm has backed physical-world companies like Arc, Redwood Materials, Wayve, and Mind Robotics.

  • Partner Jiten Behl says physical AI marks the first era where intelligence moves from screens to reality.

MARKETS

WORLD

• U.S., Israel, Iran agree to two-week ceasefire as Trump softens threats (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: AP, Bloomberg}}

  • Iran, the U.S., and Israel tentatively agreed to a two-week ceasefire after the conflict disrupted Middle East energy markets.

  • Disputes remain as Iran insists on controlling Hormuz shipping & continuing uranium enrichment.

  • Israel backs a ceasefire with Iran, but fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon continues.

• European stocks surge after U.S.-Iran ceasefire eases global market tensions (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: CNBC, Yahoo!}}

  • European stocks are expected to jump sharply after the U.S. agreed to a conditional ceasefire with Iran.

  • Global markets rallied while oil prices plunged following Trump's pause on planned Iran attacks.

  • The deal depends on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran signaling defensive operations will stop.

• Russian hackers hijacked thousands of home routers to steal user credentials (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, The Times}}

  • Fancy Bear, linked to Russia's GRU, hijacked routers worldwide to intercept traffic and steal passwords.

  • Hackers targeted unpatched MikroTik and TP-Link routers using known vulnerabilities over several years.

  • At least 18k victims across 120 countries were compromised, including government and law enforcement agencies.

FUTURISM

• Apple's first foldable iPhone remains on track for September launch (CNET)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, CNBC, TechCrunch}}

  • Apple's foldable iPhone is set to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in September.

  • Supply may be limited at launch due to the foldable device's engineering complexity, per Bloomberg.

  • Apple reportedly resolved screen quality and durability issues, with a less visible crease when the device is unfolded.

• Uber expands AWS contract, adopting Amazon's Graviton & Trainium chips (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, MSN, CryptoRank}}

  • Uber expanded its AWS deal to run ride-sharing features on Amazon's Graviton and Trainium AI chips for better performance.

  • Amazon's custom chips challenge NVIDIA while positioning AWS against cloud competitors Google and Oracle in the competitive market.

  • Uber shifts away from its 2023 multi-cloud strategy with Oracle and Google toward greater reliance on Amazon's proprietary chip technology.

• Adobe launches free AI-powered Student Spaces tool for studying smarter (Tech in Asia)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, CNET, Economic Times}}

  • Student Spaces lets students turn PDFs, notes, and links into flashcards, quizzes, and presentations.

  • Adobe is making the tool free to compete with Google's NotebookLM, Goodnotes, and Turbo AI.

  • The product was tested with 500 students from universities including Harvard, Berkeley, and Brown.

CONTENT

• Michael Nielsen explains why alien civilizations may develop entirely different tech (Dwarkesh Patel)

  • Michael Nielsen explores why alien civilizations might develop radically different technological systems.

  • Discussion covers scientific discovery, verification limits, deep principles, evolution of knowledge.

  • The conversation also examines quantum computing, credit in science, depth versus prolific research.

• Balaji Srinivasan argues Bitcoin functions as digital gold rather than digital cash (a16z)

  • Balaji Srinivasan discusses how AI lowers creation costs but raises verification costs across the economy.

  • Conversation explores 'trusted tribe' internet models, automation differences between physical tasks & digital work.

  • Srinivasan argues that AI empowers individuals to act as CEOs rather than replacing leadership roles.

• Michelle Khare reveals how extreme challenges helped build YouTube stardom (Tim Ferriss)

  • Michelle Khare built a massive YouTube following through extreme challenges on her series 'Challenge Accepted.'

  • Channel surpassed 6M subscribers and 1B views through daring stunts and intense training experiments.

  • Khare prioritizes quality over quantity, releasing a few highly produced episodes each year.

• Cut through the hype. Roko’s Basilisk distills the day’s AI breakthroughs, market moves, and workable workflows into a five-minute brief.

• Get one sharp deep dive, fast Quick Hits, and a witty pro tip, plus links that actually matter.

• Built for builders, operators, and curious leaders who need context fast. Join 100k+ readers who start decisions here each morning.

EXTRAS

• Waymo launches Nashville robotaxi service, partnering with Lyft for operations (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: AOL, CNET, Mashable}}

  • Waymo launched a public robotaxi service in Nashville after months of testing with human safety drivers.

  • Service will expand gradually, inviting riders in phases to ensure a consistent quality experience.

  • Lyft partnership includes fleet maintenance, charging infrastructure, & future ride access through its app.

• TikTok plans second €1B Finland data center to store European user data (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Tech in Asia, Economic Times}}

  • TikTok plans a €1B investment to build a second Finnish data center for storing European user data.

  • Project supports a €12B European data sovereignty initiative protecting the data of 200M users.

  • Finland attracts data centers with low-cost, low-carbon energy, cool climate, and supportive infrastructure.

• Chrysler CEO sees minivan resurgence, stays mum on future plans (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: MSN}}

  • Chrysler refreshed its Pacifica minivan at the New York Auto Show, with the CEO expecting continued sales growth in the market segment.

  • Chrysler's lineup now consists of only one minivan family, raising significant concerns about the brand's future direction and viability.

  • CEO McAlear expects sales to grow further but declined to elaborate on specific future product plans for the Chrysler brand.

AND MORE

• A selfie phone case with a screen improves the iPhone rear camera framing experience.

• A teen Minecraft YouTuber raised $1,234,567 for a meme prediction market.

• Hire AI engineers who build, deploy, and maintain models that perform reliably in production.*

• AI startup Rocket offers vibe McKinsey-style reports at a fraction of the cost

• Spotify’s prompted playlist feature will now work for podcasts, too.

• DJI drones are banned in the U.S. as the focus shifts to military applications.

• Hate jump scares? This app warns you before they happen.