The new RCS messaging standard makes encryption universal, and even Apple is getting on the bandwagon. OpenAI calls for a US ban of DeepSeek. Is Apple about to turn your AirPods into the Universal Translator from Star Trek? And, of course, The Weekend Longreads Suggestions.

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Links:

• Apple will soon support encrypted RCS messaging with Android users (The Verge)
• OpenAI calls DeepSeek ‘state-controlled,’ calls for bans on ‘PRC-produced’ models (TechCrunch)
• Apple Plans AirPods Feature That Can Live-Translate Conversations (Bloomberg)
• Gemini can now personalize its answers based on your search history (The Verge)
• Sony’s new RGB backlight tech absolutely smokes regular Mini LED TVs (The Verge)

Weekend Longreads Suggestions:

• ‘Ne Zha 2’s $2B+ Box Office Run: How It Happened And What Does Blockbuster Behemoth Mean For China & Hollywood Ahead (Deadline)
• The End Of Children (The New Yorker)

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Intel has a new boss and they seem to want to double down on the Foundry strategy. Meta is testing community notes. Sonos is abandoning its big streaming video hardware project. Is Adobe falling behind in AI? Is Oracle the leader to take over TikTok US? And why is John Gruber so mad at Apple?

Sponsors:

• Shopify.com/ride

Links:

• Intel appoints chip industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as CEO (Reuters)
• Intel CEO Signals That He’ll Stick With Contentious Foundry Plan (Bloomberg)
• Meta unveils new community notes program; will not apply distribution penalties nor limit flow of information (Fox News)
• Sonos has canceled its streaming video player (The Verge)
• Microsoft’s new Xbox Copilot will act as an AI gaming coach (The Verge)
• Adobe shares drop 13% as concerns about AI growth overshadow better-than-expected results (CNBC)
• Oracle Is Leading Contender to Help Run TikTok in New Deal (The Information)
• Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino (Daring Fireball)

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Niantic officially sells to that Saudi-owned game developer. iRobot says it might not be alive in about 12 months time. Sam Altman believes he has an AI that can write believable fiction. Is the cavalry coming to save Intel? And why can’t we create a true AI Einstein in a data center?

Sponsors:

• Acorns.com/ride

Links:

• Pokémon Go developer Niantic to sell gaming business to Saudi group (The Verge)
• Saudi-owned Scopely buys Pokémon Go in $3.5bn gaming deal (FT)
• One-Time Amazon Takeover Target iRobot Warns Doubt on Future (Bloomberg)
• Google calls Gemma 3 the most powerful AI model you can run on one GPU (TheVerge)
• Sam Altman says OpenAI has trained a fiction writing AI model that’s actually decent (SiliconAngle)
• Google changes Chrome extension policies following the Honey link scandal (TheVerge)
• Exclusive: TSMC pitched Intel foundry JV to Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom, sources say (Reuters)
• Hugging Face’s chief science officer worries AI is becoming ‘yes-men on servers’ (TheVerge)

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