Business
WhatsApp borrowing Apple’s Private Cloud Compute approach to AI privacy. Apple is absolutely spot-on when it relies on privacy and security as a point of differentiation. Even if that choice means they have to sacrifice a bit on the business side. More companies should follow. I am usually not a fan of Meta, but this time, their action merits some praise.
‘We don’t care’: A defiant China looks beyond Trump’s America. Make no mistake, a tariff war will hurt all parties. China; however, will outlast Trump in this case, in my opinion. The country lacks no other suitors for the endless supply of cheap goods. Yes, the economy will suffer and it’s already in crisis mode, but the one advantage Xi has is that he is the ultimate power in China and can do whatever he wants. GOP politicians like Rand Paul already oppose tariffs. At some point, Congress will step in and force Trump’s hands.
The Indian company forcing Uber to change its business model. This is the first time I have heard of a ride-hailing app that makes drivers pay a subscription fee to drive for them and keep all earnings.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ stern rebuke of Apple. The judge did not hold back here. She called out Apple for lying and not complying with her original order in good faith. One Finance executive may even be charged criminally for lying under oath. Tim Cook and the former CFO, Luca Maestri, were shown to be the proponents of the 27% commission rate. In light of this case, I wonder how much it played a role in Luca’s decision to step away from the CFO role. The only person that got off positively is Phil Schiller, who advocated for a commission-free structure and came across as honest. I imagine Apple users will see languages saying that if they pay via the web, it will be cheaper than paying in-app using Apple’s payment system. That will impact Apple’s services revenue. I am sure the company will appeal this, but let’s see what they have in store to offset this likely loss of revenue.
Inside the spectacular rise and crash of India’s largest EV company. It’s rare to have a founder who is both a visionary and a great operator. Sometimes, what you need is a visionary who starts out a company and puts it on a map, and an operator who takes over when the company needs adult management and discipline. Uber did. Apple did when it kicked out Steve Jobs.
Car Prices Expected to Rise as Tariffs on Parts Kick In. Car manufacturers cannot wait for Trump to leave office, but they can’t make any long-term decisions now because of the uncertainty.
Farmers are making bank harvesting a new crop: Solar energy. “On average, that energy savings and revenue added up to $124,000 per hectare (about 2.5 acres) each year, 25 times the value of using the land to grow crops. Collectively, the juice generated in the Central Valley could power around 500,000 households while saving enough water to hydrate 27 million people annually“
Other Stuff I Find Interesting
Despite global opposition, Trump just fast-tracked deep-sea mining. A horrible decision.
Vietnam on the move. My country has come quite a long way since opening up the market again some 30-40 years ago. The progress is there, but if I have to summarize my opinion, it will be that we sacrifice long-term sustainable growth for short-term gains.
Senate overturns EPA rule on seven highly toxic air pollutants. I don’t know about you, but I’d love for my son not to inhale any of the toxic chemicals. For any amount!
Which cities have the most trees? See how yours stacks up. Washington DC is arguably my favorite city in the US. It has an urban vibe, a great transportation system, a lot of things to do for free and a lot of green. I understand the need to balance between growing trees and sparing room for housing, but the benefits of having trees, in my opinion, are just too big to ignore.
The artichoke so prized that people sell fakes. On my to-do list the next time I am in Venice. “Just a few kilometres north of Venice’s warren of tourist-packed streets are the islands of Sant’Erasmo and Le Vignole, known as “the vegetable garden of Venice” for their lush, fertile ground – and for a rare flower that grows for only 10 days a year. Spring is a busy time of year for da Camerino as the violet artichokes come into bloom and must be harvested during a short window of about two weeks, with each plant only producing one castraùra a year. The tiny artichokes, half the size of a human palm, are highly prized, both for their rarity and their unique, saline taste. Any Venetian will tell you that a true Sant’Erasmo artichoke tastes nothing like its terraferma counterparts. That’s because the islands are positioned at the lagoon’s opening to the Adriatic, which makes the soil distinctively salty – a salinity that is tempered by rainwater.”
Stats
“About 80% of search users rely on AI summaries at least 40% of the time”
Grocery accounted for nearly 60% of Walmart U.S.’s total net sales
Minh Quang Duong 
Leave a comment