Core Viewpoint - The tech market is currently volatile, with significant impacts on companies like NVIDIA and Apple due to emerging competition and AI developments, particularly from the Chinese company DeepSeek [1][2]. Company Performance - Apple's stock has shown resilience, rebounding by 7% after a slight dip related to DeepSeek's advancements in AI [2]. - Despite challenges, Apple's diverse portfolio, primarily tied to hardware, may help mitigate risks associated with the AI sector [7]. AI Development and Strategy - Apple's in-house generative AI, Apple Intelligence, has underperformed compared to larger models from competitors like OpenAI and Google, leading to concerns about its effectiveness [3][4]. - The company has paused the feature due to inaccuracies in news summaries, which could impact investor confidence [5]. - Apple is exploring partnerships to enhance its AI capabilities, including a deal with OpenAI and potential future collaborations with Google's Gemini [9]. Market Challenges - Apple experienced an 18% drop in iPhone sales in China, facing stiff competition from local brands [6]. - The performance of Apple's Vision Pro, which relies on AI, has also been disappointing in terms of sales [7]. Future Outlook - The upcoming earnings report is critical for Apple, as it needs to outline a clear strategy for AI and address challenges in the Chinese market under the new administration [14]. - The relationship between U.S. and China, particularly regarding DeepSeek, poses uncertainties for Apple's future ambitions in China [10][12].

Group 1 - Waymo plans to test autonomous vehicles in 10 new cities this year, starting with Las Vegas and San Diego, but will not launch commercial operations or test in autonomous mode [1] - The company currently operates a commercial robotaxi service in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, with plans to expand to Austin, Atlanta, and Miami this year [2] - Waymo has not confirmed plans to launch a robotaxi service in the new test cities, focusing instead on testing human-driven fleets to adapt to various driving conditions [3] Group 2 - In 2024, Waymo tested its vehicles in Michigan and upstate New York to evaluate performance in harsher winter conditions [3]

Core Viewpoint - MGM Resorts has agreed to a $45 million settlement related to class action lawsuits stemming from two significant data breaches affecting millions of customers [1][4] Group 1: Data Breaches - The 2019 breach involved the theft of millions of customer names, home addresses, phone numbers, and other personal information, confirmed by MGM in 2020 after data was published on a cybercrime forum [2] - The 2023 ransomware attack caused extensive outages across MGM's properties, including the Bellagio, Aria, and Cosmopolitan, and resulted in the theft of personal information such as Social Security and passport numbers, costing the company over $100 million in damages [3] Group 2: Settlement Details - The settlement proposal was reached after both data breaches affected more than 37 million customers, although MGM has not disclosed the exact number of affected individuals [4] - Approximately 30% of the $45 million settlement fund will be allocated to attorney fees, with class action victims potentially receiving up to $75 each based on the type of information stolen [4]

Tesla earnings day is upon us — the quarterly check in with one of the world’s largest EV makers and its controversial CEO Elon Musk. Tesla’s fourth-quarter and full-year earnings are expected to be released Wednesday after market close. A webcast, in which Tesla management will answer questions from analysts and retail investors, is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET. Ever since Tesla’s public debut in June 2010, the quarterly report and accompanying earnings call has delivered surprises, often from Musk ...

Core Insights - Waymo is expanding its autonomous robotaxi service to Los Angeles freeways, marking a significant step in its operational strategy [1][5] - The company plans to initially allow employees to use the driverless vehicles on freeways before opening the service to the public [2] - Access to freeways is crucial for Waymo's competitive advantage, as it enables faster travel times compared to traditional ride-hailing services [3][4] Company Strategy - Waymo's testing will include major Los Angeles freeways such as Interstates 10, 110, 405, and 90 [1] - The company has been mapping neighborhoods in Los Angeles since 2019, preparing for its commercial launch [4] - In March 2024, Waymo received regulatory approval to operate a commercial robotaxi service in Los Angeles and expanded areas in the Bay Area [5] Market Position - The ability to utilize freeways can make Waymo's service 50% faster for certain routes, enhancing its appeal to customers [4] - Waymo's presence in Los Angeles is part of a broader strategy that includes operations in Phoenix and San Francisco [4]

Group 1 - Apple released updates for iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating systems, enabling Apple Intelligence by default for newer devices [1] - The updates included security patches for several bugs, notably a zero-day bug that may have been actively exploited against users with iPhones running software older than iOS 17.2 [1][2] - The zero-day bug was found in Core Media, affecting a range of Apple devices, and allowed hackers to elevate privileges and access device data [2] Group 2 - Apple did not credit any researcher for the discovery of the bug, which is customary but not always followed [3] - This is the first bug in iOS this year that was exploited in the wild, with at least seven bugs fixed in 2024 that may have been actively exploited [3]

In Brief President Donald Trump told reporters that Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations, Bloomberg reports. Although Trump didn’t elaborate, he stated that “there’s great interest in TikTok” and that there will be “a lot of people bidding on it.”Microsoft and Oracle were in the running to acquire the ByteDance-owned app back in 2020 when Trump first pressured the social network to shed its Chinese ownership or face a ban. Trump signed an executive order last week to delay the TikTok b ...

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, became the talk of the proverbial AI town when it released its R1 model on Friday. R1’s functionality and accuracy compared to its U.S. counterparts, despite using fewer resources and less compute power, seems like a win for the overall AI industry. But it isn’t necessarily good news for everyone.Semiconductor giant Nvidia finds itself in the headwinds of DeepSeek’s recent achievement. The chip giant saw its stock plummet 16.9% from the close of Friday’s public markets to the ...

Deal Structure - The Trump administration is negotiating a deal where Oracle would take over TikTok alongside new US investors, with ByteDance retaining a minority stake [1][2] - Trump initially proposed a joint venture where the US would get 50% ownership of TikTok [2] Political and Legal Context - Lawmakers passed a bill last year forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a US ban, which was delayed by an executive order from Trump [1] - Some senators who supported the ban-or-sell bill expressed confusion about Trump's plans and reiterated that the law requires ByteDance to fully divest [3] Potential Buyers - Trump mentioned being open to either Elon Musk or Oracle chairman Larry Ellison buying TikTok [3] - Oracle previously emerged as a potential buyer during Trump's first term, and TikTok later shifted all its US traffic to Oracle servers [3]

Core Insights - UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare unit experienced a ransomware attack in February 2024, affecting approximately 190 million individuals, nearly double the initial estimate of 100 million [1][4] - The cyberattack is noted as the largest breach of medical data in U.S. history, leading to significant outages across the healthcare system [2] - The breach involved the theft of extensive health and insurance-related information, with some data published online by the responsible hackers [3][5] Company Impact - Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth, is a major player in handling health data and processing healthcare claims in the U.S. [2] - The company has communicated that the majority of affected individuals have been notified, and the final number will be confirmed with the Office for Civil Rights [2] - UnitedHealth has stated that there is no evidence of misuse of the stolen information, and electronic medical record databases have not been compromised [2] Cybersecurity Details - The breach was attributed to the ALPHV ransomware gang, which gained access through a stolen account credential lacking multi-factor authentication [6] - Change Healthcare paid at least two ransoms to prevent further publication of the stolen data [3] - The stolen data includes personal information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and health-related information including diagnoses and treatment plans [5]