Top stories today:

1. Vision Pro expected for ”late Jan. or early Feb.”: top analyst
2. YouTube: 4B video uploads in 2023, taking total to 13.3B
3. Global banks announced 62K job cuts in 2023

0. Data and calendar

1. Vision Pro expected for ”late Jan. or early Feb.”, 500K units for 2024: top analyst in Taiwan

• “Vision Pro is currently in mass production and is expected to begin mass shipments in the first week of January 2024,” reported top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

• Bloomberg's Mark Gurman had the same prediction last Monday, but changed it to just February later in the week.

2. YouTube: 4B video uploads in 2023, taking total videos to 13.3B

4. Global banks announced 62K job cuts in 2023, vs. 140K+ in 2007-2008

Metro Bank cut 20% of staff, while most U.S. banks cut <5%

5. Covid recession, high inflation correlate with low consumer sentiment

• Our view: Consumer sentiment may continue to rise with inflation normalizing at ~3%, but it is unlikely to return to its pre-Covid levels.

6. Credit card rates reach 432% in Brazil, vs. 24% in U.S., led by 55% rate in 90-day debt overdue

7. Interesting videos, posts, and memes

8. Other headlines

AI

• Entrupy AI has 99.1% accuracy rate in detecting fake products.

• Apple quietly released open-source multimodal LLM in October.

• Sam Altman: WSJ profile (WaPost version here).

Tech

• NASA to send 2 spacecraft to the moon: Jan. 8, mid-Feb.

• Samsung may delay production at new U.S. factory until 2025.

• Date-me docs replace Tinder, Hinge for some singles.

• YouTube’s 34% market share among 2-11-year-olds beats Netflix's 21%.

• folk: click to subscribe and learn more about their All-in-one CRM.*

*Sponsored.

Tech & law

• China approves 105 online games after new restrictions tanked stocks.

• Intel gets $3B from Israel for $25B chip factory, biggest ever in country.

• TikTok: how it shows wars to teens.

Biotech

• AstraZeneca to buy China's Gracell (cell therapy) for $1.2B.

• BMS acquires Karuna (antipsychotic drug developer) for $14B.

• Longeveron raises $2M more after positive Phase 2a Alzheimer's data.

• Medical tourism of anti-aging therapies may be needed to accelerate FDA.

• Top longevity clinics to present at Rejuvenation Startup Summit 2024.

• Bryan Johnson has $25K experimental follistatin gene therapy.

Business

• Maersk to restart shipments through Red Sea as U.S.-led force deploys.

• PBoC loses power to Xi, CCP.

• Mickey, Minnie Mouse to lose copyright on Jan. 1.

• Homeowners spend $9,924/year on upkeep, repairs, maintenance.

• AP News Guild reaches agreement with AP on 3-year deal.

• Bonner Private Wines: remote wines delivered to your doorstep.*

*Sponsored.

Crypto

• Solana active addresses hit 15M as market cap reaches $70B.

• Binance's Yi He: profile on CZ's business, romantic partner.

• Top 5 protocols by revenue in 2023: Maker, Lido, Pancake, Convex, GMX.

U.S. politics

• Trump asks appeals court to grant him immunity on election case.

• Joe Manchin to appear at NH forum, could announce bid.

• Project Veritas loses 1A claim related to diary of Biden's daughter.

World

• Netanyahu: peace requires Hamas’s destruction, demilitarization, deradicalization.

• Hamas, PIJ reject Egyptian ceasefire proposal.

• Houthis attack 2 more commercial ships near Yemen.

• Putin quietly signals he is open to ceasefire.

• Navalny moved to remote Arctic prison before Russia's Mar. elections.

• Biden convinced Netanyahu not to attack Hezbollah on Oct. 11.

• CIA chief: we 2x+ our China budget over past 3 years.

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

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.