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

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

🤖 Google races to center Gemini AI within Android ahead of Apple reboot.
🛡️ Microsoft MDASH AI security system discovers 16 vulnerabilities in updates.
🔗 Wall Street uses blockchain in $13T repo market operations.
📉 LinkedIn cuts up to 1k jobs even as revenue rises 12%.
🌐 Trump arrives in Beijing for the first U.S.-China summit since 2017.

TECHNOLOGY

• Google races to center Gemini AI within Android ahead of Apple reboot (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: CNET, The Verge}}

  • Google rolls out Gemini-powered Android features ahead of next week's developer conference.

  • AI can understand screen context and perform multi-step tasks, such as shopping cart and reservation workflows.

  • Android chief Sameer Samat says the human remains always in the loop for actions.

• Microsoft MDASH AI security system discovers 16 Windows vulnerabilities in updates (The Verge)
  ^{_{More: PCMag, Axios, GeekWire}}

  • AISI reports that Claude Mythos Preview and GPT-5.5 significantly outperform previous cybersecurity benchmarks.

  • XBOW data shows that frontier AI models are advancing rapidly in their vulnerability-discovery capabilities.

  • Microsoft says MDASH discovered sixteen CVEs and leads CyberGym security evaluation framework testing.

• Google debuts Googlebook, an AI-first laptop platform to rival Windows & Mac (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: Digital Trends, Business Standard, Google Blog}}

  • Google unveiled Googlebook laptops, integrating Gemini AI deeply across Android-based desktop interactions & workflows.

  • Dell, Lenovo, HP, ASUS, & Acer will launch premium Google Book devices globally this fall.

  • Gemini Intelligence automates complex Android tasks across apps & Chrome, debuting on Samsung & Pixel devices.

BUSINESS

• Wall Street uses blockchain in $13T repo market operations (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!, MSN}}

  • JPMorgan invested hundreds of millions in developing blockchain systems, though broad market disruption has not materialized.

  • Repo market, worth nearly $13T, underpins short-term funding across the global financial system.

  • Blockchain enables faster, customizable repo transactions, improving capital efficiency and risk management for traders.

• LinkedIn cuts up to 1k jobs even as revenue rises 12% (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Straits Times, CNA}}

  • LinkedIn is cutting nearly 1k jobs across marketing, engineering, and product teams worldwide.

  • CEO Ryan Roslansky blamed changing customer behavior and slowing revenue growth despite a recent 12% quarterly acceleration.

  • The layoffs mirror broader Big Tech restructuring trends that prioritize AI efficiency over workforce expansion in 2026.

• Denise Powell wins Democratic primary in Nebraska’s blue dot 2nd District (Washington Post)
  ^{_{More: NBC, AP, NPR}}

  • Denise Powell wins Democratic primary in Nebraska’s 2nd District, focused on blue dot status.

  • The district is a major Democratic target as Republican Don Bacon retires ahead of the midterms.

  • Powell will face Brinker Harding, a Trump-endorsed GOP candidate, in the upcoming general election.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Trump arrives in Beijing for first U.S.-China summit since 2017 (CNN)
  ^{_{More: Al Jazeera, CNBC, Foreign Policy}}

  • Trump arrived in Beijing with Cook, Musk, and Huang, emphasizing tech and trade priorities.

  • Talks include trade board creation, agriculture, rare earths, semiconductor controls, Taiwan, and Iran’s Strait of Hormuz.

  • Analysts say Xi holds leverage after China resisted tariffs by threatening rare-earth exports in 2025.

• Russia test-fires Sarmat 'Satan II' ICBM, pledging combat deployment by year-end (Al Jazeera)
  ^{_{More: NPR, CNN, Moscow Times}}

  • Russia test-fired the RS-28 Sarmat ICBM, reportedly carrying up to 16 nuclear warheads.

  • Test follows the New START treaty's expiration, removing formal limits on the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals.

  • First Sarmat-armed regiment expected to enter combat duty by the end of 2026 amid rising tensions.

• Gaza digital workers continue coding amid bombs, blackouts, & restrictions (Washington Post)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!, AP, TOI}}

  • Gaza freelancer Tarik Zaeem codes a Saudi app while airstrikes and drones continue nearby.

  • Freelancers rely on coworking spaces for power, internet access, and essential income for remote work.

  • Platforms like Upwork and Freelancer connect thousands of Gaza developers with global clients.

FUTURISM

• Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics raises additional $400M funding round (WSJ)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, Yahoo!}}

  • Mind Robotics raises $400M two months after securing $500M earlier funding round.

  • Kleiner Perkins leads the round, joined by Volkswagen and Salesforce venture arms, investing in robotics.

  • The company aims to automate industrial work with human-like robotics, now valued at over $3B.

• Android Auto supports odd screen shapes & adds parked video streaming (CNET)
  ^{_{More: The Verge, InsideEVs}}

  • Google rolls out a major Android Auto update with a redesigned interface and Gemini AI features.

  • Google Maps receives its largest update in a decade alongside new in-dash video playback capability.

  • Update targets over 250M vehicles, boosting competitiveness against Apple CarPlay in the automotive space.

• Campbell Brown questions who controls what AI systems tell users (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: MSN, Hollywood Reporter}}

  • Campbell Brown, former Meta News chief, focuses on accuracy in AI-driven information systems.

  • Her company, Forum AI, evaluates foundation models on complex, high-stakes topics such as geopolitics and finance.

  • Forum AI uses expert-designed benchmarks and AI judges to achieve 90% expert consensus alignment.

• Explore the essential startup reading database*

  • Learning from the best is how you become the best. We've curated a list of top-notch articles, blogs, and readings that are pivotal for startup founders.

  • And here's the kicker: we've organized it all in a user-friendly Notion database for easy access and tracking. Double win!

  • As aspiring leaders and innovators, this list serves as a bridge to absorbing the knowledge that has propelled others to success.

CONTENT

• Turner Caldwell & Drew Baglino on powering America's AI economy (a16z)

  • The U.S. lags China by over 50 years in critical minerals and century-old grid infrastructure.

  • Automation and vertically integrated supply chains can compress timelines for mining and domestic manufacturing.

  • Solid state transformers and autonomous systems are key to modernizing America's aging energy grid.

• Inside Anthropic's $100B compute commitment with CFO Krishna Rao (Invest Like The Best)

  • Anthropic CFO Krishna Rao reveals how compute powers the company's global generative AI operations.

  • Anthropic sources gigawatts of processing power from Amazon, Google, and NVIDIA to fuel exponential growth.

  • Rao predicts AI breakthroughs in healthcare and shares how Claude is transforming internal finance teams.

• Why compute ownership will define the next wave of AI wealth (This Week in Startups)

  • AI is evolving beyond chatbots into models that watch screens and act autonomously in real time.

  • Personal $10M data centers signal a growing divide between those who own compute and those who don't.

  • A widening layoff wave reflects the 10x productivity gap between AI-first and non-AI-first employees.

EXTRAS

• Sam Altman takes the stand in Elon Musk's OpenAI lawsuit (Axios)
  ^{_{More: NPR, OPB, CNBC}}

  • Sam Altman defended OpenAI’s for-profit transition as essential to funding advanced, safe development of artificial intelligence.

  • Altman dismissed Elon Musk’s ‘steal a charity’ accusation, calling the characterization difficult to comprehend entirely.

  • Musk’s legal team cited former OpenAI insiders to challenge Altman’s credibility during courtroom testimony.

• Some Japanese snack packages turn black & white amid ink shortage (NBC)
  ^{_{More: MSN, FOX}}

  • Calbee is shifting 14 snack packages to black and white due to disruptions in ink supply.The

  • Iran conflict has disrupted naphtha supply, impacting colored ink production used in packaging materials.

  • The company says product contents are unchanged, but the duration of packaging changes remains uncertain amid geopolitical instability.

• Anduril doubles valuation above $60B as defense tech funding grows (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: Financial Times, Yahoo!}}

  • Anduril raises $5B led by Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, doubling valuation to $61B.

  • CEO Brian Schimpf says the company will aggressively invest in manufacturing, research, and infrastructure expansion.

  • Defense startup positions itself as key player in U.S. military reindustrialization under President Donald Trump.

AND MORE

• The live-action Zelda movie is now coming out a week earlier.

• Notion just turned its workspace into a hub for AI agents.

• Roko’s Basilisk skips the buzz words and cuts straight to what moves markets, products, and careers.*

• X launches a History tab for bookmarks, likes, videos, and articles.

• Cisco cuts about 4k jobs in AI-focused restructuring amid rising orders.

• Instagram’s new ‘Instants’ feature combines elements from Snapchat and BeReal.

• A man with an assault rifle shoots at drivers near Boston, wounds two before being shot.