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  • Apple scores big victory with ‘F1,’ but AI is still a major problem in Cupertino

    Apple scores big victory with ‘F1,’ but AI is still a major problem in Cupertino

    Apple had two major launches last month. They couldn’t have been more different.

    First, Apple revealed some of the artificial intelligence advancements it had been working on in the past year when it released developer versions of its operating systems to muted applause at its annual developer’s conference, WWDC. Then, at the end of the month, Apple hit the red carpet as its first true blockbuster movie, “F1,” debuted to over $155 million — and glowing reviews — in its first weekend.

    While “F1” was a victory lap for Apple, highlighting the strength of its long-term outlook, the growth of its services business and its ability to tap into culture, Wall Street’s reaction to the company’s AI announcements at WWDC suggest there’s some trouble underneath the hood.

    “F1” showed Apple at its best — in particular, its ability to invest in new, long-term projects. When Apple TV+ launched in 2019, it had only a handful of original shows and one movie, a film festival darling called “Hala” that didn’t even share its box office revenue.

    Despite Apple TV+ being written off as a costly side-project, Apple stuck with its plan over the years, expanding its staff and operation in Culver City, California. That allowed the company to build up Hollywood connections, especially for TV shows, and build an entertainment track record. Now, an Apple Original can lead the box office on a summer weekend, the prime season for blockbuster films.

    The success of “F1” also highlights Apple’s significant marketing machine and ability to get big-name talent to appear with its leadership. Apple pulled out all the stops to market the movie, including using its Wallet app to send a push notification with a discount for tickets to the film. To promote “F1,” Cook appeared with movie star Brad Pitt at an Apple store in New York and posted a video with actual F1 racer Lewis Hamilton, who was one of the film’s producers.

    Although Apple services chief Eddy Cue said in a recent interview that Apple needs the its film business to be profitable to “continue to do great things,” “F1″ isn’t just about the bottom line for the company.

    Apple’s Hollywood productions are perhaps the most prominent face of the company’s services business, a profit engine that has been an investor favorite since the iPhone maker started highlighting the division in 2016.

    Films will only ever be a small fraction of the services unit, which also includes payments, iCloud subscriptions, magazine bundles, Apple Music, game bundles, warranties, fees related to digital payments and ad sales. Plus, even the biggest box office smashes would be small on Apple’s scale — the company does over $1 billion in sales on average every day.

    But movies are the only services component that can get celebrities like Pitt or George Clooney to appear next to an Apple logo — and the success of “F1” means that Apple could do more big popcorn films in the future.

    “Nothing breeds success or inspires future investment like a current success,” said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

    But if “F1” is a sign that Apple’s services business is in full throttle, the company’s AI struggles are a “check engine” light that won’t turn off.

    Replacing Siri’s engine

    At WWDC last month, Wall Street was eager to hear about the company’s plans for Apple Intelligence, its suite of AI features that it first revealed in 2024. Apple Intelligence, which is a key tenet of the company’s hardware products, had a rollout marred by delays and underwhelming features.

    Apple spent most of WWDC going over smaller machine learning features, but did not reveal what investors and consumers increasingly want: A sophisticated Siri that can converse fluidly and get stuff done, like making a restaurant reservation. In the age of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini, the expectation of AI assistants among consumers is growing beyond “Siri, how’s the weather?”

    The company had previewed a significantly improved Siri in the summer of 2024, but earlier this year, those features were delayed to sometime in 2026. At WWDC, Apple didn’t offer any updates about the improved Siri beyond that the company was “continuing its work to deliver” the features in the “coming year.” Some observers reduced their expectations for Apple’s AI after the conference.

    “Current expectations for Apple Intelligence to kickstart a super upgrade cycle are too high, in our view,” wrote Jefferies analysts this week.

    Siri should be an example of how Apple’s ability to improve products and projects over the long-term makes it tough to compete with.

    It beat nearly every other voice assistant to market when it first debuted on iPhones in 2011. Fourteen years later, Siri remains essentially the same one-off, rigid, question-and-answer system that struggles with open-ended questions and dates, even after the invention in recent years of sophisticated voice bots based on generative AI technology that can hold a conversation.

    Apple’s strongest rivals, including Android parent Google, have done way more to integrate sophisticated AI assistants into their devices than Apple has. And Google doesn’t have the same reflex against collecting data and cloud processing as privacy-obsessed Apple.

    Some analysts have said they believe Apple has a few years before the company’s lack of competitive AI features will start to show up in device sales, given the company’s large installed base and high customer loyalty. But Apple can’t get lapped before it re-enters the race, and its former design guru Jony Ive is now working on new hardware with OpenAI, ramping up the pressure in Cupertino.

    “The three-year problem, which is within an investment time frame, is that Android is racing ahead,” Needham senior internet analyst Laura Martin said on CNBC this week.

    Apple’s services success with projects like “F1” is an example of what the company can do when it sets clear goals in public and then executes them over extended time-frames.

    Its AI strategy could use a similar long-term plan, as customers and investors wonder when Apple will fully embrace the technology that has captivated Silicon Valley.

    Wall Street’s anxiety over Apple’s AI struggles was evident this week after Bloomberg reported that Apple was considering replacing Siri’s engine with Anthropic or OpenAI’s technology, as opposed to its own foundation models.

    The move, if it were to happen, would contradict one of Apple’s most important strategies in the Cook era: Apple wants to own its core technologies, like the touchscreen, processor, modem and maps software, not buy them from suppliers.

    Using external technology would be an admission that Apple Foundation Models aren’t good enough yet for what the company wants to do with Siri.

    “They’ve fallen farther and farther behind, and they need to supercharge their generative AI efforts” Martin said. “They can’t do that internally.”

    Apple might even pay billions for the use of Anthropic’s AI software, according to the Bloomberg report. If Apple were to pay for AI, it would be a reversal from current services deals, like the search deal with Alphabet where the Cupertino company gets paid $20 billion per year to push iPhone traffic to Google Search.

    The company didn’t confirm the report and declined comment, but Wall Street welcomed the report and Apple shares rose.

    In the world of AI in Silicon Valley, signing bonuses for the kinds of engineers that can develop new models can range up to $100 million, according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

    “I can’t see Apple doing that,” Martin said.

    Earlier this week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sent a memo bragging about hiring 11 AI experts from companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google’s DeepMind. That came after Zuckerberg hired Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang to lead a new AI division as part of a $14.3 billion deal.

    Meta’s not the only company to spend hundreds of millions on AI celebrities to get them in the building. Google spent big to hire away the founders of Character.AI, Microsoft got its AI leader by striking a deal with Inflection and Amazon hired the executive team of Adept to bulk up its AI roster.

    Apple, on the other hand, hasn’t announced any big AI hires in recent years. While Cook rubs shoulders with Pitt, the actual race may be passing Apple by.

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  • Insta360 8K Action Camera Drops Below Amazon’s Early Prime Day Price at Best Buy, Limited Stock Available

    Insta360 8K Action Camera Drops Below Amazon’s Early Prime Day Price at Best Buy, Limited Stock Available

    Capturing life in motion has come a long way in recent years. From strapping cameras to helmets on mountain trails to filming immersive city walks, creators today are looking for gear that does more than just record. And rightly so. It’s hard enough to know when you’re going to be able to capture a moment, let alone know that you’re covered with whatever camera you have. Enter the action camera. It can do all that and then some. And right now, you can get one for a great price thanks to this Best Buy deal.

    Check out Best Buy right now to get the Insta360 X4 8K 360 Degree Action Camera for $350, down from its usual price of $500. That’s $170 off and a discount of 34%.

    See at Best Buy

    Capture all your coolest tricks and more with this camera

    The Insta360 X4 is built for action, but it’s also meant to be super easy to use, so you can have it around for whatever needs it should fit in your life. But it’s made to give you gorgeous cifeo. It captures 8K video at 30 frames per second in full 360 degrees, allowing you to shoot first and frame later. You don’t need to think about lining up the perfect angle while filming—just record everything and choose your perspective in post. For creators who are used to filming in tight windows or on unpredictable adventures, that kind of flexibility is a game changer.

    There’s also a standard single-lens mode, which lets you record in 4K using just one side of the camera. This is useful for more traditional content when you don’t need the full 360-degree field of view. It extends battery life and simplifies the editing process without sacrificing quality.

    It also has plenty of battery if you’re worried that it might not last. You can shoot an hour of continuous 8K footage or more than two hours at lower resolutions. That’s plenty of time for trail runs or record-breaking swims or even bike tricks. That’s not the only trick this camera has up its sleeve, though. It also has advanced stabilization, horizon leveling, and a responsive touchscreen.

    To control things and tweak settings as you like, there’s a special companion app and AI editing tools. You can remove selfie sticks from shots, reframe your footage, and create share-ready clips all from your phone. The app makes things a lot easier than just forcing you to manually edit on your own without help.

    If you’re the kind of person who wants to take video of everything cool that you do while out and about, this camera is for you. It’s just $350, which is a great price. Whether you’re upgrading your gear, starting a new content channel, or just want the freedom to film everything around you in super high definition, this is your best bet.

    See at Best Buy

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  • Pakistan halts action against Afghan PoR holders – Samaa TV

    1. Pakistan halts action against Afghan PoR holders  Samaa TV
    2. Torkham Prepares for Influx of Afghan Deportees  TOLOnews
    3. UNHCR-IOM Pakistan Flash update # 49 on Arrest and Detention/Flow Monitoring, 15 Sep 2023 to 28 June 2025  ReliefWeb
    4. Over 500,000 refugees returned to Afghanistan since April 1: Pak Interior Ministry  Press Trust of India
    5. Uncertainty Looms as Deadline Expires for Over 1.4 Million Afghan PoR Cardholders in Pakistan  KabulNow

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  • Market share over margins; Sazgar holds off on price hike as competitors pass on additional tax

    Market share over margins; Sazgar holds off on price hike as competitors pass on additional tax

     

    It is a rare sight for a corporation to act out of sheer benevolence, and rarer still when that corporation operates in the fiercely competitive, tightly regulated, and cash-strapped confines of Pakistan’s auto industry. 

    In a market where margins are thin, customer bases are limited, and price sensitivity is razor-sharp, altruism tends to take a back seat to survival. So, when Sazgar Engineering proudly announced that it would keep prices unchanged for its Haval lineup despite the post-budget tax shock, it was marketed as a gesture of goodwill. However, beneath the surface of the PR glitter, it is clear as day that this was not charity—it was chess. With Hyundai undercutting the market through aggressive pricing on the new Tucson, and Kia forced to follow suit, Sazgar found itself on the defensive. The only move left was to hold ground—freeze prices not to pamper the consumer, but to preserve market relevance.

    The chess of SUV-pricing

    Earlier this year when the 2025 Haval H6 facelift was announced in all the three variants, namely the 1.5T, the 2.0T and the H6 HEV, the company did not give it a price bump over the previous price, despite the car boasting a redesigned grill, LEDs, 14.6″ touchscreen, upgraded steering wheel, hybrid engine etc. The market hailed this as a highly altruistic decision lauding Haval for being considerate unlike other companies. But when the bar has been in the gutter in an industry for so many years, anything can be spun off as a relief for the consumer.

    But the question remains, why did Sazgar not raise the prices? Sazgar Engineering’s decision to maintain ex-factory prices for the facelifted Haval H6 wasn’t a gift—it was a calculated competitive move. 

    Because at the time, rival Hyundai had just launched the new Tucson aggressively priced, undercutting competition with one clean sweep. 

    This forced Kia to respond with a price cut. In this war, Haval couldn’t risk losing share therefore it had to keep its price the same and therefore somewhat competitive. Meanwhile Haval’s premium hybrid variant the Haval H6 HEV was already a price outlier, a car priced at Rs 11.7 million, higher than the competition, making relative positioning critical.

    In fact, a lot of consumers believed that the Haval H6 2.0T, was also slightly overpriced at around Rs 10.5 million being a non-hybrid vehicle. Making only the Haval 1.5T, priced at just under Rs. 9.1 million, a competitive option.

    Another reason why Sazgar did not reduce its prices was that reducing a car’s price often comes with the added weight of perception and future expectation. Perception, while not such a big motivator for globally established brands like KIA, is the trump card for a novel brand like Haval. Had Sazgar reduced its price at the time, not only would it have harmed its perception but also the trust of its existing costumers.

    A price decrease means an even higher fall in value in the secondary market, i.e; the used car market. In a country like Pakistan where a car is often times (though fallaciously) bought as a store of value, a fall in a car’s “resale value” creates a domino affect for that company’s brand value. So in introducing the newer model in the same price, Sazgar essentially cashed the opportunity to decrease its price without effectively having to decrease its prices at all.

    The move worked, in May 2025, right after the facelift launch, the company’s four-wheeler sales went up by 67%, to 919 units and in June, the company saw yet another 47% increase taking its monthly sales to over 1300 units. 

    Why no hike now?

    But after absorbing the shock once, one would believe that the company would increase the prices now, as the government rolls out the NEV (New Energy Vehicle) Adoption Levy Act, 2025—effectively introducing fresh taxes on vehicles. Yet this is where the game of chess really starts for Sazgar. 

    As the tax was announced Kia was the first to react, promptly raising prices and passing the burden directly onto consumers, since it had already been too reactive to Tuscon’s price in April. Hyundai, though still silent, is widely expected to follow suit given the mounting cost pressures and thinning margins in an already saturated and competitive C-SUV segment.

    Haval, however, has chosen the same unorthodox route. Rather than hike prices, Sazgar—the local assembler of Haval vehicles—has strategically held prices steady, employing, once again, the same strategy it did when introducing the facelift.

    In doing so, it has seized this unique moment to reposition its lineup. The move gives the hybrid and 2.0T variants a newfound price advantage relative to the competition, while turning the facelifted 1.5T into perhaps the most value-packed budget C-segment SUV in the market.

    With a single, calculated step, Sazgar has effectively turned the tables—forcing pricing teams at Hyundai Nishat and Kia Lucky to return to the drawing board. For now, the pricing war has a new frontrunner.

    It also reinforces one’s belief that in auto‑retail, maintaining prices amid rising costs isn’t benevolence—it’s business warfare disguised as consumer kindness and anyone who lags behind, might possibly stay behind for a while.


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  • Mass Drug Administration Reduces Malaria Incidence but Requires Sustained Effort in Southeast Senegal

    Mass Drug Administration Reduces Malaria Incidence but Requires Sustained Effort in Southeast Senegal

    Michelle Hsiang, MD, MS and Michelle Hsiang, MD, MS

    Image credits: UCSF

    Malaria elimination progress in Africa has stalled despite scale-up of standard control interventions. Mass drug administration (MDA) shows promise for reducing transmission, but evidence is limited for low-to-moderate transmission settings. To inform clinical practice, we interviewed study authors Michelle Hsiang, MD, MS, and Michelle E Roh, PhD, for expert insights on their recent trial.

    Coverage of MDA improved across rounds, with 74%, 79%, and 81% of eligible participants receiving treatment in cycles one through three. No serious adverse events were reported, confirming safety. The adjusted reduction in malaria incidence was approximately 55% (95% CI, 28 to 71) during the intervention year but declined to 26% (95% CI, –17 to 53) post-intervention. Malaria incidence during the post-intervention transmission season remained 126 cases per 1000 population in the intervention arm versus 146 cases per 1000 in controls.1

    This open-label, cluster-randomized controlled trial in southeast Senegal randomized 60 villages with moderate-to-low seasonal malaria transmission (60–160 cases per 1000) to either three cycles of MDA with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine plus single low-dose primaquine at 6-week intervals or standard seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was Plasmodium falciparum incidence in the post-intervention season (July–December 2022). Safety, coverage, and incidence during the intervention year were secondary outcomes.1
    Hsiang and Roh emphasized that “in our study setting, where malaria transmission was moderate-to-low and highly seasonal and coverage of standard malaria control interventions (eg, vector control, surveillance, case management) was high, three rounds of MDA with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and single low-dose primaquine rapidly reduced malaria incidence by ~55%.” Although, “this effect was not sustained upon discontinuation of MDA, with none of the villages reaching pre-elimination levels (<5 cases per 1000 population) in the subsequent transmission season.”1

    What You Need To Know

    Three rounds of MDA rapidly reduced malaria incidence by approximately 55% during the intervention year with no serious adverse events reported.

    The protective effect declined after discontinuation, underscoring the importance of covering the entire transmission season and achieving >80% population coverage.

    Sustained malaria control via MDA likely requires annual repetition over multiple years combined with strong community sensitization and targeted strategies to maintain low incidence levels.

    Regarding future malaria control strategies, they recommend: “Ensure that the number of MDA rounds administered covers the full transmission season. It is likely that, in our study, partial coverage of the transmission season contributed to the weak sustained effect in the post-intervention year.” Furthermore, programs should “aim to reach >80% coverage of the population (supported by WHO recommendations), which may require strong community acceptance and engagement by the local health and administrative officials.” They also noted, “MDA is costly and resource-intensive and may require sustained commitment over several years to maximize benefits.”1

    On challenges to sustaining MDA’s impact, their recommendations include: “MDA will likely need to be repeated annually over several years until malaria incidence drops to low levels, at which point programs can consider transitioning to more targeted strategies such as focal MDA.” They stress that “to effectively reduce the parasite reservoir, the timing and frequency of MDA rounds should cover the entire transmission season.” Finally, “community sensitization and engagement are critical to reaching high coverage,” with additional efforts needed “to engage groups who may be less likely to participate in standard chemoprevention campaigns, including adults, adolescents, and highly mobile populations.”2
    The study’s open-label design and geographic focus limit generalizability. The diminished effect after cessation of MDA highlights the challenges of achieving sustained malaria control with limited intervention rounds.1
    MDA with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine plus single low-dose primaquine is safe and reduces malaria incidence significantly during active administration in a moderate-to-low transmission African setting. Although, Hsiang and Roh conclude, “MDA will likely need to be repeated annually over several years until malaria incidence drops to low levels, at which point programs can consider transitioning to more targeted strategies such as focal MDA.” Successful malaria control via MDA requires optimized timing, full seasonal coverage, and strong community engagement to maintain gains.1

    References
    1.Effect of mass drug administration on malaria incidence in southeast Senegal during 2020–22: a two-arm, open-label, cluster-randomised controlled trial. Ba, El-hadji Konko Ciré et al. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 25, Issue 6, 656 – 667. June 2025. Accessed July 7, 2025.
    2.Brady OJ, Slater HC, Pemberton-Ross P, et al. Role of mass drug administration in elimination of Plasmodium falciparum malaria: a consensus modelling study. Lancet Glob Health. 2017;5(7):e680-e687. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(17)30220-6

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  • UK shares mixed as investors assess fiscal worries, rate cut path – Reuters

    1. UK shares mixed as investors assess fiscal worries, rate cut path  Reuters
    2. FTSE 100 Recovers While Tariff Threat Rattles European Stocks  Bloomberg.com
    3. Lunchtime market roundup: FTSE dips on China tariffs, US trade jitters, 4 Jul 2025 12:04  Shares Magazine
    4. London midday: Stocks stay down ahead of tariff deadline; housebuilders hit  Sharecast News
    5. FTSE 100 flat as Trump sends out tariff letters, warns of 70% levies  Yahoo

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  • New Gemini icon comes to Android and iPhone

    New Gemini icon comes to Android and iPhone

    Updates this week to the Gemini app on Android and iPhone introduce a new app icon that adopts the four Google colors.

    The new four-color logo takes after every other Google icon. It’s still predominantly blue at the right, while the other points are red, yellow, and green. There’s also a nice gradient at center-left like the current ‘G’ icon.

    The four points are rounded and not as sharp as before for a friendlier look. At small sizes, like on your homescreen, it means the icon doesn’t fade out into very thin lines.

    Finally, the new logo is slightly larger than the last one and takes up more of the white circular background, which always helps. Ultimately, Google moving to red, yellow, green, and blue brings Gemini into the fold, and can be seen as a sign of confidence. The sparkle shape is unique enough so it shouldn’t be easily confused with other first-party applications.

    Advertisement – scroll for more content

    After Android and iPhone, we’re still waiting for the new Gemini icon on gemini.google.com.

    Old vs. new

    new Gemini icon update

    With this update, Google has also tweaked the homescreen widget on Android. (There are no changes to the iOS version.) Besides the new icon, there are now shortcuts for Video and Screenshare that launch those Gemini Live modes directly. It’s pretty convenient, with Google emphasizing those new actions in smaller configurations.

    Overall, the widget is less dense than before, with one less shortcut at some sizes. At 3×3 and above, you get all eight shortcuts: open app (with keyboard activated), voice input, Camera, Gallery, Files, Video, Screenshare, and Live. Lastly, the “Ask Gemini” field is now just the “Gemini” bar with Google no longer giving it a separate Dynamic Color background.

    As of Friday, version 1.0.776555963 of the Gemini app is now widely available via the Play Store. On iOS, version 1.2025.2562103 rolled out on Wednesday, with Google making official the ability to search past conversations, like on the web. Tap the chat icon in the top-left corner for the new search field, with this feature not yet on Android.

    More on Gemini:

    FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

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  • CM KP unveils action plan for good governance, vows strict accountability

    CM KP unveils action plan for good governance, vows strict accountability

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has unveiled a comprehensive roadmap for good governance, pledging strict monitoring of all government departments and firm accountability for non-performance.

    Speaking at the KP Good Governance Map ceremony, Gandapur stressed that the plan is action-driven, not symbolic, with equal focus on service delivery and holding officials accountable.

    He criticized widespread disregard for departmental Rules of Business and highlighted serious issues in the education sector, including missing furniture and the unexplained disappearance of school washrooms. “No child in my province should be without furniture in school — if there is, then what are we even doing?” he remarked.

    Gandapur revealed that the Education Department has Rs 33 billion in its account, yet the current minister was unaware of it. He recalled personally ensuring furniture provision in Dera Ismail Khan schools when he served as a minister, contrasting it with a recent Rs 40 billion demand just for DI Khan schools.

    The Chief Minister also alleged misuse of government resources and described a “joint venture of corruption” between bureaucrats and politicians. He warned that departments failing to meet performance standards will be systematically removed.

    He further accused the Education Department of embezzling billions annually and demanded transparency in the use of travel allowances and other scattered funds. “We must fix this system together,” he said, calling for immediate reform.


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  • Octopus Arms can Sense & Taste Microbes

    Octopus Arms can Sense & Taste Microbes

    Octopuses have many amazing abilities and characteristics; they have huge brains and can solve puzzles; their ink can disguise them and disorient attackers; and their ancestors are thought to be about 330 million years old. There are about 500 million neurons in octopus arms, and the suction cups on those arms may hold as many as 10,000 sensory cells each. Scientists have now shown that octopus arms can move over the seafloor to taste the stuff that’s there, and determine whether it is safe to eat. The arms can sense the biochemicals in microbial communities, and figure out whether they are harmless or dangerous. The findings have been reported in Cell.

    Microbes surround and coat many things in our world, even underwater. Marine microbiomes are dynamic, changing in response to environmental conditions constantly. They release different chemicals that reflect their surroundings, and the octopus can sense some of them, like those that grow on eggs or crabs. This enables them to understand their habitat, explained first study author Rebecka Sepela, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University.

    This work aimed to decipher some of the sensory capabilities of octopuses, which can taste by touching. The researchers observed saltwater tanks containing California two-spot octopuses, which are enclosed by a lid that is fastened on with velcro and weighted down by bricks. “We’ve had them open their tanks and get out,” noted senior study author Nicholas Bellono, a Harvard Professor.

    When fiddler crab shells or octopus eggs were placed in the tanks, there were strong reactions from the octopuses. They are able to eat blindly, foraging in the dark by relying on the sensory information that comes in through their suction cups and arms. The octopuses quickly ate live fiddler crabs, which they typically enjoy, but opted not to consume decaying crabs. Octopus moms also cared for healthy eggs, while rejecting dead or infertile ones.

    The stuff that was put in the tanks, whether it was good or bad crabs or eggs, hosted significantly different microbiomes. Live crabs didn’t carry many microbes, while decaying crabs had tons of different kinds of bacteria. Rejected eggs were found to host spirillum-shaped bacteria, which were absent from healthy eggs.

    A genetic analysis revealed even more about the microbiomes, and the molecules they emit. The investigators identified these compounds and tested their impact on octopus receptors.

    This work showed that some microbial compounds elicited a response from certain octopus receptors. 

    When one of the compounds that is a product of the spirillum-shaped bacteria was put onto a fake egg and placed in the octopus tank, it was briefly groomed, then rejected by the mother octopus.

    This study also opens up new questions about how widespread this type of interaction might be.

    “There is a lot more to be explored,” said Bellono. “Microbes are present on almost every surface. We had a nice system to look at this in the octopus, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening across life.”

    Sources: Harvard University, Cell

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  • Global PMI signals subdued growth as confidence and hiring sentiment slide lower – S&P Global

    1. Global PMI signals subdued growth as confidence and hiring sentiment slide lower  S&P Global
    2. PMI surveys indicate elevated US price growth as tariffs drive inflation differential with rest of world  S&P Global
    3. Global manufacturing activity expands for first time in three months, JP Morgan reports  Australian Manufacturing
    4. Global PMIs: Inflation divergence watch – Standard Chartered  FXStreet

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