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

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

🔐 Uber Freight investigates breach after hacking group claims it stole company data.
📺 Twitch will train Amazon's AI on streamers' content unless they opt out.
🏦 Trump returns to economic pressure after military campaign fails to break Iran.
⚖️ Kansas town pays $850k to settle reporter's lawsuit over 2023 newspaper raid.
📈 Korean stocks rise 23% in 10 days as chip rally regains steam.

TECHNOLOGY

• Uber Freight investigates breach after hacking group claims it stole company data (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: TNW, Yahoo!, TechCrunch}}

  • An extortion gang called Helix claims responsibility for a cyberattack and data breach at Uber Freight.

  • Uber Freight said business operations were unaffected and that its systems continued running normally throughout.

  • Hackers claim they took mailboxes, cloud drives, accounts payable files, and dispatch documents from the logistics firm.

• Twitch will train Amazon's AI on streamers' content unless they opt out (The Verge)
  ^{_{More: IGN, Yahoo!, TechCrunch}}

  • Twitch now uses creator content to train Amazon's generative AI models, with everyone opted in by default.

  • Creators fear surrendering thousands of hours of recorded audio and video without ever realizing it.

  • Twitch executives admitted the policy is not opt-in because almost nobody would voluntarily agree.

• Google puts Gemini at the center of its Pixel 11 AI battle (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: The Verge, TechCrunch, Mashable}}

  • Google devices chief Rick Osterloh says Pixel and iPhone are heading in very different directions.

  • Osterloh believes Gemini could eventually become the primary way people use phones, laptops, and other devices.

  • A memory shortage is pushing electronics prices higher, and Google expects it will raise prices further.

BUSINESS

• Trump returns to economic pressure after military campaign fails to break Iran (WSJ)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, CNN, Japan Times}}

  • The U.S. military campaign has failed to force Iran's regime to capitulate after nearly six months.

  • Trump is turning to increased sanctions and a naval blockade to stifle Iranian oil exports.

  • The shift follows munitions shortfalls and reflects a return to the first term's 'Maximum Pressure' playbook.

• Kansas town pays $850k to settle reporter's lawsuit over 2023 newspaper raid (AP)
  ^{_{More: NBC, ABC, Seattle Times}}

  • Marion, Kansas agreed to pay $850k to former Marion County Record reporter Phyllis Zorn.

  • Zorn argued the raid violated press freedoms and protections against unreasonable searches under the U.S. Constitution.

  • She said the raid triggered health problems, returning seizures that medication had controlled for years.

• AI code-testing startup Blacksmith sees valuation jump nearly 10x in under a year (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Crypto Briefing, Tech Buzz}}

  • Blacksmith raised a $45M Series B led by Peak XV, valuing it at $550M.

  • The startup was worth just $60M less than a year ago, bringing total funding to $58.5M.

  • Customers grew from more than 700 to over 5k, including Mercury, Supabase, and Expensify.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Korean stocks rise 23% in 10 days as chip rally regains steam (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: Business Times, Yahoo!, CNBC}}

  • The Kospi gained as much as 4.8% Thursday, up roughly 22% since its July 30 low.

  • Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each jumped more than 5% as AI hardware enthusiasm returned.

  • Government curbs on leveraged ETFs and falling margin debt helped stabilize the market after July's rout.

• Ukraine strikes Russian Black Sea grain terminals, raising global food market fears (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: Reuters, SCMP, BBC}}

  • Ukraine launched a major drone and missile attack on Novorossiysk, a Russian naval and export hub.

  • Grain facilities sustained damage, and Ukraine said several Russian warships were struck in the assault.

  • Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter, so Black Sea shipping risks are pressuring grain markets.

• Italy's Meloni faces growing youth problem as the 2027 election approaches (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Japan Times, Washington Post}}

  • Meloni's government holds just 25% approval among under-35s, a trend that could prove costly.

  • Analysts say she has done little economically for the young while passing law-and-order measures affecting them.

  • Young Italians mainly back leftist parties, though the new hard-right Vannacci movement is drawing support.

FUTURISM

• Google unveils Pixel Watch 5 with smarter Gemini & advanced health monitoring (Engadget)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, 9to5Google}}

  • Google's Pixel Watch 5 starts at $399 and tracks blood pressure patterns, insulin resistance, and sleep.

  • Gemini proactively suggests actions from message context and works offline for timers, alarms, and workouts.

  • The watch face dynamically surfaces timely updates like flight information, ETAs, and other helpful reminders.

• Google adds tap-to-share mode to Quick Share alongside Pixel 11 launch (The Verge)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, 9to5Google}}

  • Quick Share now lets Android users swap contacts, photos, and videos by tapping two devices together.

  • The update brings Pixel closer to iPhone, following Apple's NFC-powered NameDrop feature in iOS 17.

  • Rolling out on Pixel 6 and newer, with Samsung Galaxy Fold8 and Flip8 next.

• Northrop's robotic space mechanic aims to keep aging satellites working for years (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Tech Buzz}}

  • Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle just unplugged from an Optus communications satellite after more than a year.

  • Four replacement spacecraft launched in July, including a robotic vehicle with two arms developed by DARPA.

  • In 2027, robotic arms will attach a propulsion pod, potentially extending the 2009 satellite's life by six years.

• Stay ahead of AI at work*

  • 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.

  • Join 100k+ readers who start decisions here each morning.

CONTENT

• Benchmark's Eric Vishria argues everyone is still undersizing the AI market (Invest Like The Best)

  • Benchmark general partner Eric Vishria says the competitive frontier for SaaS has fundamentally shifted under AI.

  • He argues companies destroy value by faithfully executing outdated plans, drawing lessons from the cloud wars.

  • Vishria sees energy as a potential bottleneck to intelligence, with room for many enormous winners.

• Chelsea Finn on the reliability problem holding back general-purpose robots (Y Combinator)

  • Physical Intelligence cofounder Chelsea Finn says reliability, not capability, is robotics' hardest remaining problem.

  • Reinforcement learning doubled robot throughput, letting their systems run autonomously for hours without human supervision.

  • Finn believes robotics is entering its GPT era, shifting from specialized models toward general-purpose systems.

• Pulitzer winner Andrew Sean Greer shares his approach to teaching writing (David Perell)

  • Andrew Sean Greer, who won the Pulitzer for his 2018 novel "Less," discusses his writing process.

  • He explains how he builds characters, develops a narrator's voice, and writes scenes out of order.

  • Greer argues honesty beats wit in comedy, and that editors should treat writing like doctors treat patients.

EXTRAS

• Chinese chipmaker YMTC overtakes Micron & Kioxia in global NAND memory shipments (SCMP)
  ^{_{More: CNBC, Tom's Hardware}}

  • Yangtze Memory Technologies reached third place globally in NAND shipments with a 14% share last quarter.

  • YMTC now trails only Samsung and SK hynix, beating U.S. rival Micron and Japan's Kioxia.

  • Counterpoint expects YMTC to pull further ahead in 2027 and 2028 as AI demand grows.

• Facebook launches stand-alone Creator Studio app with AI tools for growing audiences (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Mashable}}

  • Facebook officially rolled out its Creator Studio app on iOS, weeks after testing with select creators.

  • A built-in AI assistant gives personalized recommendations based on content style, performance, audience engagement, and goals.

  • Meta wants creators active on Facebook as it competes against TikTok and YouTube for attention.

• Tata chairman's exit leaves the group's $120B spending ambition in limbo (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: Economic Times, NewsBytes}}

  • Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran is preparing to step down after nearly a decade in charge.

  • His exit puts succession, a potential Tata Sons listing, and power with Tata Trusts under scrutiny.

  • RBI rules could force a listing, adding urgency ahead of the August 18 shareholders’ meeting.

AND MORE

• Solar eclipse pushes European hotel prices past $1k a night.

• Claude users object as Anthropic's new watermarks expose AI use at work.

• Hire vetted LATAM engineers in as little as five days, and save up to 70% on salary costs.*

• AI coding startup Cognition reportedly in talks to raise at $40B valuation.

• China's answer to Boeing and Airbus completes its first international flight.

• As AI safety concerns mount, three pioneers argue for staying open.

• Inside the Google executive moves that led to its big AI reshuffle.

• Mesh, Automattic's CRM built for everyone, arrives on Android devices.