⛵ Paramount Wins Warner Bros.
Good Morning, Early Adopters!
The future is less about products and more about who controls the pipes, the power, and the platforms.
Paramount Wins Warner Bros. Discovery
TL;DR: Netflix refused to raise its $82.7 billion all-cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery after Paramount Skydance, owned by David Ellison and backed by Oracle chair Larry Ellison, offered $31 per share, valuing WBD at about $111 billion. Calling a higher price financially unattractive, Netflix walked away, triggering a $2.8 billion breakup fee. Paramount will acquire Warner Bros., HBO, CNN and other assets, assume roughly $33 billion in debt, as Netflix shares jumped up to 10% and Paramount rose 4.5% in after-hours trading.
Lilly's AI Drug Supercomputer Is Now Live
TL;DR: Eli Lilly officially unveiled LillyPod in Indianapolis, the world’s most powerful pharma-owned AI factory, built on NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD systems with 1,016 Blackwell Ultra GPUs delivering over 9,000 petaflops. Designed to train protein, small-molecule, and genomics models, the system enables large-scale “dry lab” simulations to accelerate drug discovery, clinical development, and manufacturing.
$7M Wall Fails to Silence xAI Plant
TL;DR: In Southaven, Mississippi, residents say xAI’s $7 million sound barrier has failed to dampen the relentless noise from 27 temporary gas turbines installed to power its AI operations. As the company seeks permits for 41 permanent turbines, community groups are protesting, citing health, pollution, and transparency concerns while threatening legal action to halt the expansion.
Smartphones Face Historic Slump
TL;DR: Global smartphone shipments are projected to fall 12.9 percent in 2026, their steepest drop in over a decade, as AI data centers from companies like Microsoft, Amazon, OpenAI, and Google absorb scarce memory chips. IDC says average prices will climb 14 percent to $523, squeezing budget brands and potentially reshaping market share in favor of Apple and Samsung.
Google’s $1B Bet on 100-Hour Batteries
TL;DR: Google is paying about $1 billion to deploy Form Energy’s iron-air battery at a new Minnesota data center, pairing it with 1.4 gigawatts of wind and 200 megawatts of solar. The 300-megawatt system can discharge for 100 hours, marking Form’s first major customer as it raises $500 million and eyes an IPO next year.
US Judge Keeps Binance Case in Court
TL;DR: A federal judge in Manhattan ruled that Binance cannot compel customers to arbitrate claims that it illegally sold unregistered crypto tokens that later plunged in value. The court found Binance did not adequately notify users of arbitration and class-action waiver terms added in 2019, allowing claims arising before February 20, 2019 to proceed in court.
Walmart Settles Spark Driver Lawsuit
TL;DR: Walmart agreed to pay $100 million to settle claims by the Federal Trade Commission and 11 states that its Spark Driver program misled gig workers about earnings. Since 2021, Walmart allegedly inflated promised base pay and tips, split or removed tips without notice, and falsely told customers drivers received 100% of tips. The settlement requires earnings verification and bans misleading pay claims.
Mars Orbiter Puts Infrastructure First
TL;DR: An internal objectives document shows NASA’s $700 million Mars Telecommunications Network mission is structured primarily as a communications and navigation relay through 2035, with scientific instruments optional and potentially penalized if they threaten the schedule. Unlike past Mars orbiters that centered on discovery, this mission is mainly framed as infrastructure support,
READ MORE
Let the Future Come to Your Inbox
Stay ahead without drowning in information. We turn the most important signals across AI, tech, marketing, and future products into 5-minute reads you can actually finish.
- AI Secret uncovers what really matters in AI
- Bay Area Letters decodes tech and business shifts from Silicon Valley
- Robotics Herald tracks how robots move from labs into daily life
- Marketing Secret breaks down real growth and go-to-market playbooks
- The Hardwire explores hardware, consumer tech, and what’s coming next
- Oncely helps you discover the next wave of AI products and launches
TOGETHER WITH US
AI Secret Media Group is the world’s #1 AI & Tech Newsletter Group, reaching over 2 million leaders across the global innovation ecosystem, from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Microsoft to top AI labs, VCs, and fast-growing startups.
We've helped promote over 500 Tech Brands. Will yours be the next?
Email our co-founder Mark directly at [email protected] if the button fails.
