Transcript
Rob Dunwood (0:01)
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Raj (0:12)
Hey, it's Raj and Noah and we're back with a new season of Am I Doing It Wrong? The show that explores the all too human anxieties we have about trying to get our lives right.
Noah (0:20)
Because we're still doing a lot of stuff wrong.
Raj (0:22)
But who isn't? That's why each week we're talking about the topics that we could all use a little helping hit with, whether it's making new friends as an adult, managing our emotions, or even dreaming talking to.
Noah (0:32)
Experts in their fields who are definitely doing things right. So the rest of us can be a bit wiser and a lot better equipped to handle whatever life throws at us.
Raj (0:40)
Subscribe now and listen to new episodes of Am I Doing It Wrong? Dropping every Thursday starting January 1st, wherever you get your podcasts.
Noah (0:47)
And for the first time ever, we're gonna have full video episodes on YouTube. Because as long as there are things to get wrong, we're gonna be right here to help you do them better.
Rob Dunwood (0:56)
Love you. All too Foreign. These are the daily tech headlines for Friday, January 2, 2026. I'm Rob Dunwood. Darlink plans to lower the orbits of approximately 4,400 satellites from 550 kilometers to about 480 kilometers as a safety and reconfiguration measure. Announced by engineering VP Michael Nichols, this adjustment aims to reduce collision risk in a less crowded region and allow satellites to deorbit much faster if needed, addressing concerns from recent incidents. The move is also due to the coming solar minimum, which will decrease atmospheric density. The lower orbit will cut ballistic decay time by over 80% for more than four years to just a few months. The IDC reports that rising AI infrastructure demand is shifting memory production toward high capacity data center components, causing a memory crunch that raises costs for conventional consumer electronics memory. This is predicted to significantly cut 2026 PC and smartphone shipments and potentially increase PC prices by 6 to 8%. The situation undermines the PC industry's strategy to revitalize the market with memory intensive AI PCs, suggesting a less innovative and more expensive near future. Though Apple and Samsung may have a temporary installation due to their financial strength and existing supply chains, OpenAI is unifying its engineering and research teams to overhaul its audio models and plans to launch an audio first personal device in about a year, signaling a major industry shift towards prioritizing audio interfaces. This trend is also evident in products like smart speakers, Metasmart glass assets, Google's audio overviews and Tesla's integration of Xai's Grok. OpenAI's new model, expected in early 2026, aims for more natural, interruptible conversation, potentially leading to a family of companion devices designed by Jony I's firm IO to focus on audio first design and combat device addiction. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri predicts that AI generated content will soon overshadow non AI imagery on the platform, challenging creators who rely on authentic content. Masseri suggests solution is shifting to focus on fingerprinting real media by camera manufacturers rather than slowly detecting fake content. This move acknowledges the difficulty in combating AI slop and signals a shift in the platform's aesthetic where creators will need to prioritize raw and unflattering images over polished ones to establish authenticity in an AI saturated environment. TSMC has secured a new annual license from the US Department of Commerce, allowing it to continue importing American chip manufacturing equipment to its Nanjing, China facility. This license ensures continuous operation and product deliveries at that plant, which produces less advanced 16nm chips and contributes to a small percentage to TMC's revenue, effectively bypassing general US export restrictions. Aiming at limiting China's technological advancements, Tesla reported a disappointing fourth quarter in 2025, with deliveries falling 15.6% to 418,227 missing expectations. This decline, attributed to rising competition and the negative impact of CEO Elon Musk's controversial public activity in the company's customer base, contributed to an 8.5% drop for the full year, the second consecutive annual decline. The results raised concerns about Tesla's aging product lineup and damaged brand image as the company awaits a potential rebound from future ventures like robo taxis and humanoid robots. The UK introduced new tax rules on January 1, requiring cryptocurrency exchanges to automatically share user account data with HMRC under the Cryptoassist Reporting framework. This measure is designed to Recover an estimated £300 million in unpaid capital capital gains tax on crypto transactions and aligns with international efforts to curb non compliance. Separately, the Financial Conduct Authority is consulting on stricter regulations for the crypto sector, including new standards for exchanges and rules to prevent insider trading. Aiming to promote consumer protection, innovation and trust, Europe's major banks are projected to cut over 200,000 jobs, about 10% of their workforce, by 2030, driven by the adoption of AI and the closure of physical branches. This trend, which Morgan Stanley estimates could boost efficiency by 30%, will mainly affect back office risk management and compliance roles, mirroring similar moves in the US While some institutions are already announcing reductions. There is a concern that relying on AI could hinder training of future bankers. And finally, Xai's Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot on the social media platform X acknowledged on Friday that images depicting minors in minimal clothing appeared due to lapses in safeguards, and the company stated that improvements were being implemented to prevent recurrence. This issue was brought to light through user shared screenshots on X, which showed Grok's Public Media tab containing images that users claimed the bot had altered after they uploaded photos and requested modifications. For more analysis of the tech news of the day, subscribe to DailyTreeNewsHow.com you can find show notes and links to all the headlines there as well. Thanks for listening. We'll talk to you next time.