#BrainUp Daily Tech News – (Thursday, October 30ᵗʰ)

Welcome to today’s curated collection of interesting links and insights for 2025/10/30. Our Hand-picked, AI-optimized system has processed and summarized 27 articles from all over the internet to bring you the latest technology news.

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1. AI chipmaker Nvidia is the first $5 trillion company

@Nvidia has become the first company to reach a $5 trillion market valuation. This milestone follows just three months after it first broke through the $4 trillion barrier. The rapid ascent underscores the strong demand for AI hardware and investor confidence in leading chipmakers. It also signals how advances in #AI and #semiconductors are reshaping market leadership and expectations for the tech sector.


2. Microsoft Azure suffers significant outage affecting multiple customers

Microsoft Azure experienced a widespread outage impacting numerous customers and services. The disruption was linked to a configuration issue that caused failures in multiple data centers, leading to service interruptions for cloud users globally. Microsoft’s engineering teams quickly identified the root cause and implemented a fix to restore normal operations. This incident highlights the complexity of managing large-scale cloud infrastructures and the importance of rapid response mechanisms to minimize downtime. Overall, the event underscores ongoing challenges in cloud reliability and Microsoft’s commitment to improving service resilience.


3. Microsoft, Google, and Meta’s 2025 earnings will reveal if AI hype matches the money

Microsoft, Google, and Meta are positioned to significantly impact the technology landscape with their AI investments, and their 2025 earnings will test if the financial returns match the industry hype. These tech giants have invested heavily in #generativeAI and #machinelearning, integrating AI features across products, attracting growing consumer and business interest. However, profitability and revenue growth hinge on widespread adoption and the ability to monetize AI innovations efficiently amid competition and regulatory scrutiny. The outcome will clarify whether AI is a sustainable growth driver or primarily a marketing narrative. This financial milestone will shape investor expectations and the strategic direction of the broader tech sector.


4. TSMC to break ground on 1.4nm fab on 5 November | Electronics Weekly

TSMC will break ground on a 1.4nm fab in Taichung’s Central Taiwan Science Park on 5 November, expanding from an original plan of two fabs to four that can run the 1.4nm process. The project is expected to cost about $49bn and target mass production in H2 2028, with potential annual revenue up to $15.9bn and 8,000–10,000 jobs. Demand for the 1.4nm node is strong enough to justify building four fabs at once, while the 1nm facilities will be located later at Shalun in the Southern Taiwan Science Park. TSMC will not use high NA EUV for this node due to cost and maturity, as rivals such as @Intel and @Samsung push ahead on their own versions, signaling a competitive race for process leadership. This expansion reinforces @TSMC’s lead in #1.4nm #fab technology amid ongoing industry competition.


5. Grammarly rebrands to ‘Superhuman,’ launches a new AI assistant | TechCrunch

Grammarly is rebranding as #Superhuman and launching an AI assistant called #SuperhumanGo integrated into its extension, signaling a shift toward a broader productivity platform. The move follows Grammarly’s July acquisition of the email client #Superhuman, and the company says the Grammarly product will continue to be known as Grammarly while it considers rebranding other acquisitions like #Coda in the long run. The AI assistant can provide writing suggestions, offer email feedback, and connect to apps such as @Jira, @Gmail, @GoogleDrive, and @GoogleCalendar to add context, including logging tickets or checking availability when scheduling. The company plans to fetch data from external sources like CRMs and internal systems to suggest changes to emails, and users can enable Superhuman Go in the Grammarly extension with an agent store that includes a plagiarism checker and a proofreader. All Grammarly users can try Superhuman Go now, with Pro at $12 per month (billed annually) and Business at $33 per month (billed annually) for access to Superhuman Mail, while broader AI features for the Coda document suite and Superhuman email are on the roadmap, signaling a broader push to compete with Notion, ClickUp, and Google Workspace.


6. Meta’s Q3 Pummeled By $16 Billion, One-Time Tax Charge   

Meta’s Q3 profits were hit by a surprise $15.93 billion one-time tax charge, even as the company reported solid underlying numbers, per @MarkZuckerberg. Net income fell 83% to $2.7 billion while revenue rose 26% to $51.4 billion and ad prices climbed about 10%, with shares dropping about 8% after hours. The company also flagged strong user engagement, with 3.54 billion daily active users on average in September 2025, Instagram at 3 billion MAUs, and Threads surpassing 150 million. To fuel its AI push, Meta raised its full-year capex outlook to $70-72 billion and is pursuing a $27 billion data-center JV with Blue Owl Capital to support AI, including its open-source Llama 4, while warning of regulatory risk in the US and Europe and referencing #OneBigBeautifulBillAct. With more than a billion monthly actives using Meta AI, the strategy signals a commitment to leadership in the #AI race, even as it weighs high compute outlays and regulatory headwinds.


7. YouTube Will Use AI to Sharpen Lower-Resolution Videos on TVs

YouTube is introducing an AI-powered feature to enhance lower-resolution videos on televisions by sharpening image quality. This technology uses advanced machine learning algorithms to upscale content and improve viewing experiences without requiring higher bandwidth. The implementation is designed to benefit users watching videos in lower resolutions due to internet constraints or original content quality. By leveraging AI, YouTube aims to maintain visual clarity and user engagement even for less-than-HD videos. This innovation aligns with ongoing efforts by streaming platforms to optimize content delivery and viewer satisfaction through #artificialintelligence.


8. Lock Screen Ads Are Coming to Some Smartphones

Lock screen ads are coming to smartphones, with @Nothing introducing a feature called Lock Glimpse to subsidize costs and help keep its mid-budget pricing. Lock Glimpse rotates wallpapers that link to content at the bottom, such as a strawberry sundae that links to a recipe, and permissions point to the Chinese ad company BOYUAN. Although the feature is off by default, Nothing says it will start including a carefully selected set of third-party apps and services, which could appear on select non-flagship devices and raise questions about user control. The move echoes earlier efforts like @Motorola’s Glance and @OnePlus’ Lock Screen Magazine, pointing to a broader trend toward #LockScreenAds in mid-range devices. This development signals a potential shift in how smartphones subsidize costs and how users experience lock screens in the future, with implications for user choice and brand image #LockGlimpse.


9. 1X Neo is a $20,000 home robot that will learn chores via teleoperation

1X is taking pre-orders for NEO, a $20,000 home humanoid robot designed to automate everyday chores and provide personalized assistance, controllable by button or voice. Autonomous basics will be available at shipping next year, including opening doors, fetching items, and turning lights on or off, but more complex tasks may require a human teleoperator to control the robot remotely and view inside the home, a point discussed in a WSJ interview with @JoannaStern. Owners must agree to data collection so the AI can learn from real-world experiences, and they can use an app to schedule teleoperator access and specify tasks; privacy protections include blurring people, no-go zones, and operators who cannot act without owner approval, with multiple security layers to prevent harm. Pricing includes a $200 deposit, with the option to pay $20,000 upfront or $499 per month for a subscription, and NEO comes in tan, gray, and dark brown. The approach relies on gathering training data under owner-controlled privacy safeguards to improve autonomy, underscoring a broader trend in consumer robotics where human-in-the-loop learning is used to reach self-governed performance #teleoperation #privacy #robotics #NEO.


10. NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Jet Just Aced Its First Flight

The X-59 Quiet Supersonic Jet completed its first test flight in a subsonic phase conducted by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works in partnership with @NASA, marking a step toward quiet #lowboom #supersonic travel. The flight took off from Palmdale, California at 8:14 am PT on October 28, lasted 1 hour and 7 minutes, reached 12,000 feet and speeds up to 250 knots with pilot Nils Larson, and performed exactly as planned. The X-59’s needle nose, shockwave-smoothed fuselage and top-mounted engine are designed to minimize sonic boom intensity, enabling future transonic and supersonic tests while @NASA will measure its sound signature and gauge community acceptance. Commercial supersonic flights over the U.S. were banned in 1973, but a June executive order moved to lift the ban, paving the way for projects like Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 and Overture, Spike Aerospace’s S-512 Diplomat, while Aerion and Exosonic faced funding challenges. This milestone underscores U.S. leadership in aviation and could change how the public flies.


11. Meta Loses Bid to Block Internal Docs on Teen Mental Health (1)

In a ruling with potential ripple effects for ongoing litigation, @Judge_Yvonne_Williams of the DC Superior Court held that Meta cannot shield certain internal documents from the DC attorney general by invoking #attorney-client-privilege because the crime-fraud exception applies. The judge said the communications show Meta researchers relaying counsel’s advice to ‘remove’, ‘block’, ‘limit’, and ‘update’ their research in order to reduce liability, and ordered Meta to produce four documents dated November 2022 to July 2023. The ruling ties to a broader #MDL in California over teen addiction and mental health harms, involving state attorneys general including Washington, DC, and many private suits. Meta (@Meta) maintains the discussions were routine and that no findings were deleted, a stance the company articulated in a statement. This decision underscores how courts balance privilege against potential fraud when legal advice appears to target limiting corporate liability, and it may influence discovery in the related MDL.


12. WordPress Security Plugin Exposes Private Data to Site Subscribers

A vulnerability in a popular WordPress security plugin allowed unauthorized site subscribers to access private data, highlighting serious risks in plugin security. Researchers found that the flaw exposed sensitive user information due to improper access controls within the plugin’s code. This issue demonstrates how even security-focused plugins can introduce vulnerabilities if not thoroughly audited and updated. The exposure potentially compromised user privacy and could lead to further exploits if attackers leveraged the data. This incident underscores the importance of vigilant plugin management and security testing to protect #WordPress sites from internal data breaches.


13. Tesla Cybertruck Fleet Ordered For Las Vegas Police Department

Las Vegas is set to deploy a fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks as police vehicles, marking a significant shift towards sustainable law enforcement transportation. The city plans to replace some traditional police vehicles with the futuristic #Cybertruck due to its durability, electric powertrain, and advanced technology features such as autopilot. This move highlights Tesla’s growing influence in the public sector and the potential for electric vehicles to meet demanding service roles. Early adoption by a major city like Las Vegas may encourage other municipalities to consider electric patrol cars, accelerating the transition to greener police fleets nationwide. The integration of Tesla’s vehicles into law enforcement demonstrates a practical application of #EV technology beyond personal use, supporting efforts to reduce emissions and operational costs.


14. EA employees are reportedly frustrated by a mandate to use AI, mocking the policy in Slack and suspecting it’s being used as justification for layoffs

EA employees are frustrated by a near-universal mandate to use AI, with Slack memes mocking the policy and suspicions that the push is used as justification for layoffs. The C-suite has spent the past year urging nearly 15,000 employees to adopt AI for almost everything, including AI training courses, an internal chatbot @ReefGPT, and full-on task automation; an anonymous former Respawn QA worker laid off in April says AI helped review tester feedback, and ReefGPT can hallucinate and produce buggy code. The concerns mirror broader data, such as an Upwork study showing 77% of workers say AI tools add to their workload, while adoption is widespread with about 87% of game developers already using it, underscoring a gap between optimism and reliability #AI #ReefGPT #Slack. The piece frames EA’s push as part of a broader 2020s pattern in which AI is used as a justification for layoffs, a spurious excuse critics note as investors bet on the tech and most developers already use it, with @Microsoft having made AI non-negotiable for its staff.


15. Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI fuels record earnings and AI advancements

Microsoft’s strategic investment in OpenAI has significantly contributed to its record earnings, driven by rapid growth in AI-powered products. The company’s Azure cloud platform has seen increased adoption due to integration with OpenAI’s technologies like ChatGPT, enhancing enterprise AI capabilities. This partnership has positioned Microsoft as a leader in the AI industry, as evidenced by rising revenues and strong customer demand. The collaboration exemplifies how investing in cutting-edge #AI developments can drive substantial financial and technological gains. Overall, Microsoft’s OpenAI connection highlights the importance of innovation in maintaining competitive advantage in tech markets.


16. Mexican Government To Tax Violent Video Games It Says Make Kids Violent

The piece criticizes a Mexican government plan to tax violent video games as a means to curb violence, arguing that parental responsibility should govern children’s exposure. It notes that such taxes would likely drive buyers to black markets and won’t stop the alleged social contagion, and it frames the debate as part of #policy discussions about the harms of various products like tobacco, alcohol, and vaping. It questions whether violent games truly cause aggression and considers the possibility that aggressive youths might gravitate toward more violent games, suggesting that the relationship could go in reverse. It proposes alternatives such as skateparks to reduce crime and calls for policies grounded in evidence rather than revenue. It also nods to critics like @Jack_Thompson in the broader debate over censorship and policy.


17. OpenAI loses bid to dismiss part of U.S. authors’ copyright lawsuit

OpenAI failed to have portions of a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by U.S. authors dismissed, which alleges the AI developer unlawfully used their copyrighted works to train its large language models, including #ChatGPT. The court’s decision allows the case to proceed against OpenAI regarding claims the company scraped texts from the internet without authorization, raising legal questions about AI training practices. This ruling highlights the growing conflict between #AI innovation and intellectual property rights, emphasizing the challenges developers face in balancing data use and copyright laws. The outcome will influence how training data for AI systems is sourced and the extent to which creators can control their original content. As AI technologies expand rapidly, the case underscores the evolving legal landscape governing AI and copyright.


18. Italy’s Bending Spoon Acquires AOL From Apollo

Milan-based unicorn app developer Bending Spoons has agreed to acquire AOL from Apollo, financing the biggest deal of its history with $2.8 billion in debt and signaling its ongoing expansion into legacy internet brands #unicorn #debt. The deal will hand Bending Spoons AOL’s email platform and homepage, assets described as still substantial, with AOL reportedly generating about $400 million in annual revenue and around 8 million daily users, per The Wall Street Journal #AOLMail. CEO @Luca Ferrari says AOL Mail can be improved and that the investment will fund underlying tech upgrades, part of a buying spree that has already included Evernote, Meetup, Brightcove, and Vimeo, the latter taken private for $1.38 billion #M&A. With about 300 million monthly users and revenue on track for around $1.2 billion this year, the AOL acquisition strengthens Bending Spoons’ growth trajectory and underscores its status as Italy’s leading tech startup #growth #Italy.


19. Donald Trump Is the First AI Slop President

Donald Trump, @Donald Trump, is portrayed as America’s first generative #AI president, with #AI-generated videos shaping his public presence on his official accounts. Notable examples include an #AI-generated Top Gun clip in which a jet labeled ‘KING TRUMP’ dumps imagery on No Kings protesters in Times Square, along with other AI depictions such as a racist portrayal of @Hakeem Jeffries and a ‘Trump Gaza’ video. The posting of these videos is not done by Trump himself but by staffers; a senior White House official says he sometimes saves clips to post, while more often clips are identified and approved by others. Key players include @Dan Scavino and @Natalie Harp, with Laura Loomer estimating that 95 percent of posts are executed by them, a pattern tied to the #TruthSocial era. Much about who makes AI videos for the president remains unknown, highlighting how #AI-generated content has become a central yet opaque part of his messaging.


20. Adobe’s ‘Corrective AI’ Can Change the Emotions of a Voice-Over

Adobe’s Corrective AI previews a practical tool that can touch up an existing voice performance to change its emotional tone and streamline audio workflows, demonstrated at the MAX Sneaks ahead of the MAX Creativity Conference. In a demo, after highlighting a transcript and choosing preset emotions, the voice-over shifts from flat to confident to a whisper in seconds, and the same tech can separate a single track into voices, ambient noise, and sound effects in Project Clean Take. It can replace background music with a similar track from Adobe Stock and apply effects to match the original ambience, addressing copyright concerns on platforms like YouTube, and it can analyze a video to automatically add scene-specific sound effects with AI-generated assets. The results show the tool’s promise for editors and sound designers, but also imperfections such as an unrealistic alarm and an awkward rustle in a hug scene, signaling ongoing refinement before broader release. Ultimately, these Sneaks demonstrations show how #AI-assisted fixes and #sounddesign features are being woven into @Adobe’s workflow, hinting at a broader trend toward practical AI tools that aid editors without fully replacing human creativity.


21. Adobe MAX conference highlights AI partnerships and platform expansion

Adobe’s MAX conference underscores its emerging role as the central Creative OS for AI in the creative industries, with @Adobe positioning its platform expansion around partnerships and new AI features. Evidence from @Stifel shows the keynote dominated by generative AI and that @Stifel believes Adobe is strengthening its position through web and mobile developments and collaborations with leading model providers. They noted the addition of features such as #FireflyVideoEditor and embedding Express into @ChatGPT, signaling an expanding #AI toolset across the suite. UBS highlighted reduced transparency, noting that Adobe will stop segment-level ARR disclosures after the quarter, and warned that AI workloads carry more COGS with gross margins potentially dipping a few points, offset by cost controls; UBS kept its Neutral rating with a $375 price target. Overall, the event suggests early-stage AI-driven revenue uplift but stronger positioning for Adobe as the Creative OS in a rapidly evolving market.


22. Deepfake videos are more realistic than ever. How can you spot if a video is real or Sora AI?

Deepfake videos have reached unprecedented realism due to advances in #artificialintelligence and #machinelearning, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish real footage from fabricated content. These videos often feature synthetic faces and manipulated voices that seamlessly mimic real individuals, raising concerns about misinformation and digital deception. Detecting deepfakes requires careful scrutiny of subtle inconsistencies such as unnatural eye movements, lighting mismatches, or irregular blinking patterns. Tools like Sora AI aim to help users identify these forgeries by analyzing biomarkers and video artifacts that humans might miss. As deepfakes become more sophisticated, understanding and employing detection technologies is crucial to maintaining trust in digital media.


23. How to get the new Windows Start menu now

The new Start menu in @Microsoft Windows 11 offers a layout that lets you view all installed apps without clicking the All button and lets you optionally hide the #Recommended section. If you hide #Recommended, a complete list of app shortcuts appears below pinned shortcuts, and you can switch the view to a grid, a list, or a category layout. To get the new Start menu, you must be on build 26100.7019 or 26200.7019 or newer, and you should install the latest updates in Settings->Windows Update. If the right build isn’t active, you can enable it with ViveTool by downloading it, opening an admin command prompt in C:\vive, and running vivetool /enable /id:57048231,47205210,56328729,48433719; after a restart the new Start menu appears. This change aims to reduce clicks and improve access to apps, reflecting @Microsoft’s ongoing #Windows11 updates.


24. MediaTek’s new Chromebook chip promises better battery life, fanless laptops in 2026

@MediaTek unveiled the Kompanio 540 Chromebook chipset, slated to debut in early 2026, promising 35% longer battery life and fanless operation in thin, ultra-portable Chromebooks aimed at students. The octa-core design includes two Arm Cortex-A78 CPUs, a dual-core GPU, and support for #LPDDR5 memory and #UFS3.1 storage to enable smooth multitasking. MediaTek says the power-efficient platform keeps devices light and cool while delivering reliable everyday performance for browsing, streaming, and light gaming. This release reinforces @MediaTek’s role in shaping future Chromebooks as #Chromebooks continue to evolve, with the 540 powering devices arriving in early 2026.


25. Early access for Gemini Home voice assistant is now available. Here’s how to get it

Gemini for Home is in early access and marks Google’s move toward a more capable, @C-3PO or Star Trek’s Data on-device assistant #GeminiForHome. The full #GeminiLive experience is available on Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Audio, Nest Mini (2nd gen) and Nest Hub Max; other models support everything but #GeminiLive. To sign up, open the Google Home app, go to your profile > Home Settings > Early Access, and follow the prompts; you may wait to be admitted, and after enrollment you’ll see a notification in the app #EarlyAccess. Gemini Live requires a Google Home Premium subscription; standard is $10 per month or $100 per year, advanced is $20 per month or $200 per year, and the difference is a camera history search feature #Pricing. You can ask quick factual questions, get explanations and even have conversations akin to text-based chatbots like @ChatGPT, though the system is still in early access and may make mistakes, a reminder that this is a work-in-progress toward a more capable #FutureOfHomeAI.


26. Please stop using AI browsers

AI-enabled browsers promise to turn browsing into an agentic experience, with built-in assistants like @Brave’s Leo, @Perplexity’s Comet, and @OpenAI’s Atlas capable of answering questions, summarizing pages, and automating multi-step tasks across sites. This convenience comes with a heavy security cost, as these browsers can access your authenticated sessions and personal data, effectively changing the browser’s security model. Risks include prompt injection, data leakage, and LLM misuse, and there have already been real incidents. Understanding how LLMs work—pattern recognition rather than true reasoning—helps explain why these agents can influence actions even if they can’t reason independently. Given these concerns, the article argues for caution about deploying agentic browsers and echoes the call to reconsider their widespread use until security and privacy issues are better addressed, aligning with the article title’s warning #agentic-browsing #LLMs #security


27. 10 gravitational-wave events hint at new generation of black holes

Researchers have identified 10 new gravitational-wave events that suggest the existence of a new generation of black holes. These discoveries were made using data from observatories such as LIGO and Virgo, which detect ripples in spacetime caused by the merger of black holes. The characteristics of the detected waves point to black holes that formed in unique ways compared to previously known populations. This implies that black hole formation is more diverse than once thought, involving complex astrophysical processes. Consequently, this advances understanding of how black holes grow and evolve across cosmic time.


That’s all for today’s digest for 2025/10/30! We picked, and processed 27 Articles. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s collection of insights and discoveries.

Thanks, Patricia Zougheib and Dr Badawi, for curating the links

See you in the next one! 🚀