Better late than... wait your just late.

CNN is undergoing layoffs, and I first read about it from Aftermath, which linked to an internal CEO memo from Mark Thompson via The Hollywood Reporter. Interestingly, The Hollywood Reporter article displays a TIME favicon.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Thompson joined CNN last year following the firing of Chris Licht. The former CEO of The New York Times Company has been tasked with turning around the venerable cable news channel and, in particular, determining a digital future for the business.

Thompson, as the former CEO of The New York Times Company, oversaw significant digital subscriber growth year-over-year in recent years.

The digital video market is already heavily saturated. I wonder how much of a dent CNN can make in such a competitive space. Many influencers have filled the void left by CNN in the digital realm, and I’m curious if the company’s strategy will involve partnering with smaller, left-leaning news personalities or creating their own digital-first talent.

The rise of right-wing influencers played a key role in the 2024 election, so CNN’s push could signal an attempt to regain digital influence for legacy media companies.

Hopefully, this marks a return to honest, thorough reporting—helping people understand events rather than simply react to them emotionally.

No, I don't like that

 David Sparks of macsparky.com recently posted, about if all cars were trackable. The gist is that if your vehicle is stolen, the police would track it. 

Maybe I'm cynical, but I would be very surprised if they aren't monitoring that data always. If it's registered to the consumers IPhone, how can law enforcement have access to it? Isn't secure end to end part of Apple's selling point?

The original story is from AppleInsider found here.

The Fundamental Misunderstanding of Apple Intelligence.

Apple has lagged significantly in the "AI" product race since OpenAI's ChatGPT took the world by storm a few years ago. Their rushed and poorly executed launch of "Apple Intelligence," awkwardly shoehorned into their existing product ecosystem, has been botched at best.

A telling sign of this misstep? Apple Intelligence is conspicuously absent from the website banner promoting their flagship offerings. In stark contrast, the Vision Pro platform is front and center, reflecting Apple’s heavy bet on augmented reality.

This framing problem isn’t just a marketing misfire—it highlights a deeper strategic issue. Apple continues to present Apple Intelligence as a feature rather than a standalone product. Until they reposition it as its own ecosystem, it’s likely doomed to fail.

Historically, it’s been difficult to get the public to fully embrace digital products unless they’re tied to physical objects. For years, video games, and even movies, have relied on physical copies in stores despite the growing dominance of digital downloads. Apple’s strength as the world’s largest hardware company makes it uniquely vulnerable here—its audience isn’t used to valuing intangible services on their own.

To succeed, Apple must lead a shift in public perception, helping the "average Joe" see value in Apple Intelligence as a core product. Until then, Apple’s AI efforts are likely to remain in the shadow of competitors like OpenAI, who understand that AI is most powerful when it’s a product, not an accessory.

 

Bill Gates Reccommends books?

In his article on Gates Notes, Bill Gates hypes up the book The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman. The cynical side of me wonders how much this review cost the publisher of The Coming Wave, or if Bill was genuinely interested in the book, or if he did it to bolster his portfolio since Mustafa is the CEO of Microsoft AI.

Bill states:

In my conversations about AI, I often highlight three main risks we need to consider. First is the rapid pace of economic disruption. AI could fundamentally transform the nature of work itself and affect jobs across most industries, including white-collar roles that have traditionally been safe from automation. Second is the control problem, or the difficulty of ensuring that AI systems remain aligned with human values and interests as they become more advanced. The third risk is that when a bad actor has access to AI, they become more powerful—and more capable of conducting cyber-attacks, creating biological weapons, even compromising national security.

He highlights these issues, yet goes on to state that the book holds the containment solution.

I respect Mr. Gates for promoting the book, but if the book is worth reading, it should offer something new, not just a retelling of current discourse on AI risks. So, either the book isn't actually that good or interesting, or Mr. Gates is hiding the safety we all need behind a paywall put up by his Microsoft colleague.

It’s important to note that Bill has an overall positive outlook, finishing the write-up with:

I’ve always been an optimist, and reading The Coming Wave hasn’t changed that. I firmly believe that advances in AI and biotech could help make breakthrough treatments for deadly diseases, innovative solutions for climate change, and high-quality education for everyone a reality. But true optimism isn’t about blind faith. It’s about seeing both the upsides and the risks, then working to shape the outcomes for the better.

So at least that's nice.