August 13, 2024 | Listen Online | Read Online

Brought to you by:

0. Data and calendar

All values as of 6 AM ET / 3 AM PT, other than S&P500 and NASDAQ close (4 PM ET / 1 PM PT).

All times are ET.

1. Trump, Elon conversation on X sees delay, 1M concurrent listeners, Trump returning to X

YouTube video by Solving The Money Problem

Elon Musk & Donald Trump Full Conversation (Uncensored)

19M total listens.
Commission to ensure that taxpayer money is spent effectively was proposed by Elon, pitching himself to be a part of it. Trump liked the idea.
Trump returns to X after 1 year of not posting. If he will continue posting is uncertain.
89M followers on X, vs. 8M on Truth Social.

Elon blamed the 40-minute delay on a DDoS attack, without providing evidence

X: Elon Musk.

8M concurrent listeners: test that Elon says was conducted previously.
2-hour interview ended up starting at 8:40 PM ET.
Relatedly, EU threatened Elon with more fines if X doesn't remove hateful speech on X.
Elon's America PAC is seeking to turn out 800K voters in battleground stakes, with a potential budget of $160M.

2. Apple threatens to remove Patreon from App Store over in-app billing

Creators using monetization platform may soon raise memberships on iOS:

Patreon.

"Apple is requiring us to switch over to their in-app purchase system for all iOS transactions or else risk being kicked out of the App Store altogether."
Nov. 2024: Opt-in option for creators.
Nov. 2025: All creators must use Apple's in-app billing.
30% tax: how much Apple charges for in-app billing.

Separately, Epic has submitted its marketplace app to Apple for EU launch

X: Epic Games Newsroom.

Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe were also submitted for Apple approvals.
July: Apple accepted Epic's marketplace app in the EU after public callout.

3. Save up to 80% on Your Next Top Hire!*

Athyna.

We have been using Athyna to hire our global team.
Engineers, Designers, Bookkeepers, Product Managers, and more…
Pay nothing until you find the perfect match.
Get $1,000 OFF on your next offshore employee by mentioning us.

Try Athyna today!

*Disclaimer: Athyna is a partner of the Bay Area Times.

4. Made by Google event starting at 1 PM ET: what to expect

Pixel 9 Pro Fold: early Google preview of what it looks like.

Pixel 9 family with smaller 6.3-inch Pro alongside larger 6.8-inch option.
G4 Tensor chip to power Pixel 9 lineup.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold with taller, slimmer build than earlier foldable.
Gemini AI deeper integration.
Pixel Watch 3 in 41mm, 45mm sizes with larger screens.
Pixel Buds Pro 2 with wing tip design.

5. a16z led VC investments in July in U.S. with 11 deals

a16z closed 11 deals in July, led or co-led 3 big rounds, with the largest being $200M (Astranis).
30 deals announced in the past 3 months have a16z as investor.

6. Global EV sales +21% YoY in July to 1.35M, led by China (+31%), with Europe -8%

Reuters.

7. U.S. funds adapting strategies to attract Middle East investments

~$4T in assets are controlled by the top gulf funds:

Bloomberg, PIF and Global SWF data.

$7.6T by 2030: what Middle Eastern sovereign fund assets are projected to hit.
Apollo Global sent 200 people to Abu Dhabi this year for local fund meetings.
Blackstone has also been increasing relationships with Middle Eastern funds.

8. QSBS limit change to $150M would boost employee QSBS ownership by 43.7%: Carta

Carta.

Current gross asset limit is $50M for the tax incentive, meaning only very early employees get to access it.

9. Interesting videos, posts, and memes

YouTube video by 20VC with Harry Stebbings

Shaun Maguire: Why Iran is the World's Greatest Evil & Trump is the Only Hope for Peace | E1189

How to write a book with AI [step-by-step guide]

Regulating Artificial Intelligence: A Conversation with Yoshua Bengio and Scott Wiener(Episode #379)

10. Other headlines

AI

Meta, UMG sign multiyear contract for AI and monetization of artists.
Polymarket ties up with Perplexity, Tako to show news summaries, AI visuals.
Artists' lawsuit against gen. AI companies can move forward, judge says.
7 AI startups that may be looking for acquirer: Reka, Imbue, Cohere, others.

Athyna: hire incredible global talent with up to 80% savings vs. U.S. hires.*
Don't miss the AI exhibition's US debut, brought to you by Swissnex on 8/22. Free!*

*Sponsored.

Tech

Apple approves iDOS 3 on App Store following emulator rule update.
Google cuts off Russian AdSense accounts after confirming final payments.
TikTok adds group chats with up to 32 people for users above the age of 15.
Waymo plans to test fully autonomous robotaxis on SFO freeways this week.
Reddit gets focus from NYT, Puck for potentially generating traffic.
Polish billionaire Rafal Brzoska plans to sue Meta over fake ads.

Rippling: maximize HR impact and hire global teams in one unified system.*
Sidebar is a personal board of advisors for the next generation of leaders.*
Pipedrive helps you drive more deals from day one.*
Mercury now allows you to pay your bills faster and more accurately.*

*Sponsored. Clicking on ad links may share your email with Mercury for remarketing purposes.

Tech & law

FBI probing alleged Iran hack attempts aiming at Trump, Harris camps.
Austria's NOYB files data use complaint against X over AI training.
India's antitrust body recalls reports on ongoing Apple probe.

Biotech

Moderate drinking linked to higher mortality in study with 135K older adults.
Halda secures $126M to advance "hold and kill" solid tumor drugs.
Lykos' MDMA-related articles pulled over "unethical conduct."
3D printing of vascular networks method developed.

Business

Scotiabank to buy 14.9% of KeyCorp for ~$2.8B, KeyCorp's stock +13%.
JetBlue downgraded by 3 largest ratings firms.
Singapore revises 1H growth to 3.0%.

Crypto

SEC sues NovaTech alleging $650M+ in fraudulent raises.
HEX investor lawsuit against Binance revived by appeals court.
DeFi dominance hits 3-year low of 2.84%.
3AC liquidators seek $1.3B from also bankrupt TerraForm.
Detained Binance exec's health bad in Nigerian prison: wife.

tea Protocol: click to subscribe to tea's newsletter and learn more about how to get rewards for your open-source contributions.*

*Sponsored.

U.S. politics

RFK barred from NY ballot by judge, arguing he falsely claimed being resident.
Trump plans $100M lawsuit against DOJ over FBI's Mar-a-Lago search.
Harris-Walz first ad blitz launched by DNC.
Harris at 52%, Trump at 46% on Polymarket.

World

Iran attack on Israel could be this week, says White House.
Gaza peace talks to continue, with ceasefire possibility: State Dept.
New Zealand sees record exodus as economy struggles.

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here. Liked it? Forward it to friends and get rewards (see below).

Share Bay Area Times

Share our newsletter with your friends and get free Bay Area Times rewards!

You currently have 0 referrals, only 1 away from receiving our Generative AI Unicorns Database.

Click to Share

Or copy and paste this link to others: https://www.bayareatimes.com/subscribe?ref=UbEAXR818y

What did you think of today's newsletter?

Advertise on the Bay Area Times

Disclaimer: The Bay Area Times is a news publisher. All statements and expressions herein are the sole opinions of the authors or paid advertisers. The information, tools, and material presented are provided for informational purposes only, are not financial advice, and are not to be used or considered as an offer to buy or sell securities; and the publisher does not guarantee their accuracy or reliability. You should do your own research and consult an independent financial adviser before making any investments. Neither the publisher nor any of its affiliates accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss howsoever arising, directly or indirectly, from any use of the information contained herein. Assets mentioned may be owned by members of the Bay Area Times team.

Please read our Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy before using Our Service.