Happy Monday! Here’s last week in one quick read.
Robots moved into the real world. Tesla started Optimus production, set a Q2 2027 target for owner robotaxis and saw profit fall 43%. Apple’s first foldable iPhone launched. Cities pushed back on who controls robotaxis, and a Philadelphia arrest over a blocked delivery robot raised the question of who the sidewalk belongs to.
Security had a rough week. The PHP2Shell flaw pulled government sites offline, while the UK said it used AI to find 500 vulnerabilities in its own systems. Chrome made scam warnings a default, and the US barred DeepSeek from federal civilian systems.
Big tech made big moves. Meta’s Muse app hit 10 million downloads, Tesla and SpaceX formed merger committees, Google and Amazon went after Nvidia’s PyTorch lock-in, and Walmart opened its doors to AI shopping agents as Amazon shut them out. Disney went in-house on character AI, and Anthropic pledged 5% of its equity to a public benefit fund.
EDITORS PICKS
1.
CONSUMER TECH
Meta's EU Ad Revenue Slows as Privacy Choice Hits Bottom Line
Less-Personalized Ads model shows measurable financial impact nine months after rollout, validating long-debated privacy-vs-profit trade-off
2.
CONSUMER TECH
Google's Googlebook launch stumbles on broken software
Five premium laptops ship with polished hardware but beta-level Android OS, exposing the timing gap between platform ambition and execution readiness.
3.
AI
Huang Dismisses 2029 Memory Glut as Stocks Sell Off
Nvidia's CEO counters market fears of AI memory oversupply while semiconductor stocks face their sharpest correction in months on demand concerns.
4.
AI
DeepSeek Raises $15B Days After US Ban
Chinese AI lab secures record funding 48 hours after federal restrictions, marking the moment AI development splits into competing superpowers
5.
AI
Nirva Raises $33M for Voice-Only AI Pendant
Series A signals investor bet on selective-listening wearables as ambient AI shifts from always-recording to privacy-first hardware.
That’s your Monday reset. Here’s what to carry into the week:
1. Privacy now has a price tag. Meta’s EU numbers show what a privacy choice can cost, and the cost is visible nine months in.
2. Money is flowing despite the rules. DeepSeek is reportedly raising about $15 billion just after a US ban, and Nirva raised $33M for a wearable that only listens to you.
3. Hardware still has to deliver. Googlebook shipped with unfinished software, and chip stocks are wobbling over memory-supply fears.
Know someone who follows tech? Forward this to a friend and tell them to subscribe.