🤖💼 Microsoft & OpenAI Clash: AI Power Struggle Heats Up

TECH

Iran orders officials to ditch connected devices

🛰️🧠Iran’s top officials have been ordered to stop using connected devices, reflecting a sharp pivot driven by fears of high-level digital sabotage. The concern isn't hypothetical; Israel has previously weaponized everyday tech, embedding explosives into modified devices to target adversaries with precision. Now, with military conflict intensifying, Tehran’s move suggests it sees ordinary connectivity as an open door for surveillance, interception, or worse.

Israel is widely regarded as a cyber superpower, with unmatched synergy between government and private sector expertise, enabling stealthy and advanced digital strikes. Iran, while a formidable cyber actor, focuses more on espionage than disruption. The difference in posture reveals more than capability; it shows intent. As the boundaries between kinetic warfare and cyber operations blur, connected tech is no longer a convenience; it’s a vulnerability. Read More

Amazon CEO says it will cut jobs due to AI’s ‘efficiency’

🤖📉Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, is clear: AI isn’t coming for corporate roles, it’s already inside the walls. In a memo to employees, he outlined a future where generative AI and intelligent agents don’t just assist workflows, they replace entire layers of them. With over 1,000 AI-driven tools already in motion and many more planned, Amazon sees human efficiency as negotiable when automation can scale faster, cheaper, and without burnout.

But this isn’t just about layoffs. It’s a reshuffling of value. Workers who become fluent in AI tools, who can build with them and think alongside them, will shape what the next version of the company looks like. And Amazon isn’t alone; other tech giants are making similar shifts, tying job security to how quickly individuals can adapt to an AI-first environment. The message is subtle but urgent: survival isn't about titles anymore, it's about adaptation. Read More

A million SMS two-factor authentication codes were intercepted; here’s what to do

🔐📲A recent whistleblower report uncovered a staggering vulnerability: around one million two-factor authentication (2FA) codes sent via SMS were intercepted through a shadowy telecom company with ties to government surveillance. These codes, designed as a critical second layer of security, passed through an unencrypted network that exposed users from tech giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon, as well as major banks and encrypted chat apps. This revelation highlights a chilling reality: hackers or state actors with access to your login credentials could bypass 2FA protections simply by intercepting these texts.

The takeaway is urgent and clear: relying on SMS for 2FA is no longer safe. Security experts urge users to switch to authenticator apps or passkeys, which provide encrypted, local verification methods that cannot be easily intercepted. Apple’s proprietary system, for example, uses secure device-to-device code delivery, offering a safer alternative. In a world where digital security is constantly under siege, the way we verify identity needs to evolve faster than the threats targeting it. Read More

Tesla stock slips after report EV maker is pausing Cybertruck and Model Y production

🚗⚠️Tesla’s shares dipped nearly 4% following reports that production of the Cybertruck and Model Y will pause for a week in Austin, Texas, starting June 30. This maintenance break marks the third such stoppage at the Austin facility in the past year, coinciding with Tesla’s tentative launch of a Model Y robotaxi pilot on June 22. The robotaxi will feature an upgraded version of Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” technology, a move that has already sparked protests over safety concerns and ethical questions about autonomous driving readiness.

The controversy runs deep: Tesla’s partially automated systems have been linked to numerous collisions, with the latest robotaxi rollout using an unsupervised Full Self-Driving software not yet available to the public. Critics highlight real risks, demonstrated by safety groups simulating dangerous scenarios where Tesla’s current tech failed to stop for a school bus or a pedestrian. As Tesla pushes boundaries in autonomous transport, the tension between innovation and safety is reaching a boiling point. Read More

Trump Mobile and the T1 Phone Don't Make Any Sense, Even for Trump Fans

📱🧐 The Trump Organization just unveiled the T1 Phone alongside a $47.45 service plan, tying the pricing directly to Donald Trump’s status as the 45th and 47th president. The gold-colored device grabs attention fast, but the details unravel quickly: a missing processor spec, jumbled storage info, and a 5,000mAh “long life camera” that likely meant to describe the battery. Even the display size is uncertain, with two conflicting numbers. The site proudly claims it’s “MADE IN THE USA,” though sourcing clues point to a $169 Chinese model beneath the branding.

As for the mobile plan, the 47 Plan offers exactly one choice, despite a copy that suggests otherwise. Device protection isn’t insurance, health benefits are oddly vague, and compatibility instructions include removing your phone’s battery, something modern devices rarely allow. With alternatives like the Pixel 9A delivering clear specs, trusted support, and carrier flexibility at the same price, the real takeaway may be this: if the branding is louder than the value, take a closer look. Read More

BUSINESS

Canva expands from design into analytics with acquisition of MagicBrief

📊🚀 Canva just made a bold move that goes far beyond design. With the acquisition of MagicBrief, a Sydney-based ad analytics startup, the $32 billion company is stepping squarely into the world of performance data. While most people know Canva for its drag-and-drop ease in creating visuals, its newest play brings the power to track ad spending, engagement, and even what competitors are doing. With 240 million users and $1 billion in the bank, Canva isn’t just experimenting, it’s evolving.

This marks Canva’s 12th acquisition, but it’s the first that signals a serious pivot into data-driven marketing. MagicBrief, a young company with just 14 employees, has already built a product pulling in tens of millions in annual revenue. And now, it's being folded into something bigger, launching later this year. As rivals like Adobe, Meta, and Amazon double down on AI-powered ad tools, the next wave of competitive edge won’t just come from great design; it’ll come from knowing exactly what works. Read More

The real G7 story is the quiet reassertion of Canadian energy

🔥 The most unexpected takeaway from the recent G7 summit wasn’t found in speeches or policy documents; it was in a lapel pin. As President Trump sported a USA-Canada badge, the spotlight quietly shifted to a bigger narrative: the reawakening of Canada's global presence through energy. Held in Alberta, the summit underscored how Canada’s conventional energy sector is being reframed not as a legacy burden but as a launchpad for innovation, prosperity, and global stability. The message? Energy security and climate progress don’t have to be opposites.

For the first time in over a decade, private investors, public policymakers, and industry leaders are walking in step. By reigniting tools like flow-through shares, carbon market reforms, and strategic venture funds, Canada could unlock billions in capital without tapping taxpayer dollars. The window is narrow, but the potential is enormous. This isn't about choosing between fossil fuels and the future. It's about using today’s strengths to finance tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Read More

A 6-cents-a-day school in Nigeria turns students into strivers and problem-solvers

🚀📚 In a small Nigerian town, an innovative school charges just six cents a day to transform students into creative problem-solvers tackling real-world challenges. Under the guidance of passionate educators, these young minds dive into community issues, like empowering local women entrepreneurs through mentorship programs. This hands-on approach pushes students to think critically, collaborate, and realize they hold the power to design solutions, sparking a wave of confidence and agency rarely seen in traditional classrooms.

Behind this effort is a vision to break barriers in education for those often overlooked families living below the poverty line who cannot afford quality schooling. With support from “education angels” and a curriculum blending practical skills with academic rigor, the school nurtures resilience and ambition in its students. Stories like that of Mustapha, who dreams of becoming an aeronautical engineer, remind us how a single opportunity can ignite potential and inspire a lifelong commitment to giving back. What other untapped talents might be waiting to soar with the right support? Read More

‘One person’s pessimism is another person’s opportunity’: Inside Blackstone’s $500 billion bet on Europe

💼🌍 Blackstone’s $500 billion commitment is reshaping Europe’s investment landscape, building on 25 years of transforming iconic assets like the Savoy Hotel, Centre Parcs, and the Merlin Group, which includes Madame Tussauds and Legoland. By focusing on sectors such as data centers, logistics near cities, and affordable housing across the U.K., Blackstone is capitalizing on Europe’s unique challenges and opportunities, from Germany’s trillion-dollar infrastructure push to the U.K.’s evolving post-Brexit economy. Their approach hinges on three key principles: right neighborhood, right price, and right intervention.

At the heart of this strategy is a culture defined by relentless ambition and thoughtful patience, led by CEO Steve Schwarzman and co-chief investment officer Lionel Assant. Despite regulatory hurdles in countries like Denmark and Spain, and skepticism linked to private equity’s past, Blackstone continues to prioritize growth and sustainable impact. As Schwarzman says, Europe’s cautious outlook is a wellspring of opportunity where others see pessimism, they find potential. What could be the next transformative investment waiting just beneath the surface? Read More

China internet pioneer urges students to skip graduate school, defer start-up plans

🎓🚀 Charles Zhang, the visionary behind Sohu.com, is challenging the traditional path of graduate studies for young talent in China. Drawing from his own journey, earning a PhD at MIT yet finding real-world experience far more valuable, he urges college graduates to postpone startups and postgraduate degrees in favor of gaining hands-on skills by working within established companies. Zhang highlights the vast consumer market in China as fertile ground for growth, suggesting newcomers focus on companies serving everyday users rather than complex B2B models.

Despite Sohu.com’s dramatic rise as China’s first internet firm to secure venture capital in 1996, Zhang candidly admits to missing key internet trends over the past decade. Yet his advice remains sharp and grounded: with limited capital, aspiring entrepreneurs might start small, like becoming online influencers with lean teams, before scaling bigger ideas like AI. This perspective sparks a fresh debate about how emerging professionals should navigate an increasingly competitive, evolving tech ecosystem. What could this mean for the next wave of innovators? Read More

GOOD TO KNOW

On This Day: On this day, U.S. President James Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain, initiating the War of 1812, which arose chiefly from U.S. grievances over oppressive maritime practices during the Napoleonic Wars.

Fun Riddle: Emerald Fennell wrote and directed Saltburn, but she also appeared in the Barbie movie. Which Barbie did she play?

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ANSWER TO RIDDLE

Question: Emerald Fennell wrote and directed Saltburn, but she also appeared in the Barbie movie. Which Barbie did she play?

Answer: Midge AKA Pregnant Barbie