🧠 Apple Intelligence

Good morning. For many, Tuesday happens to be the most productive day of the week.

Hope today proves this theory 🍞 💪 

- Ruchirr Sharma & Shatakshi Sharmaa

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 🇺🇸 Antitrust

• 🧠 Apple Intelligence

• 🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

  • ❌ No more disguised betting

  • 💳️ Farmer IDs

  • 👀 Investments in India might be hitting new heights soon

• 🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

• 🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

MARKETS

🇮🇳 India

• Indian equity indices BSE Sensex and Nifty 50 closed higher on Monday despite weak Asian markets due to a US stock sell-off. FMCG, banking, and financial sectors led gains. However, broader markets underperformed, with SmallCap and MidCap indices declining. Oil & Gas, IT, and Metal sectors saw losses.

🌍️ International

• U.S. stocks rose, following European markets, driven by optimism for upcoming Federal Reserve rate cuts. The S&P 500 aimed to end a four-session losing streak, while the dollar strengthened as expectations for a smaller rate cut increased.

US NEWS

🇺🇸 Antitrust

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) is again taking Google to court, challenging the tech giant's digital advertising business practices. 

While antitrust probing is quite common in the US, this particular lawsuit seems to be part of the Biden administration's broader effort to regulate Big Tech companies using antitrust laws.

Let’s dive in a little: 

• The case centres on Google's ad tech business, which connects publishers with advertisers and accounts for over 75% of Google's revenue. 

• The DoJ alleges that Google has monopolised various parts of the digital advertising ecosystem, including ad servers, ad networks, and ad exchanges. 

• This follows a significant court victory for the DoJ in August when a judge ruled that Google had illegally monopolised the online search market. That decision paved the way for more aggressive antitrust enforcement against Big Tech.

• In the current case, the DoJ is seeking to break up at least part of Google's ad business, potentially forcing the divestiture of its Google Ad Manager suite. 

• Google argues this would "slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder" for small businesses and publishers.

The case will likely focus on Google's dominant position, with the DoJ claiming it controls over 90% of some ad tech markets. Google counters that its share is lower when considering competition from social media, streaming, and apps.

Overall: This legal battle is just one front in Google's broader antitrust challenges. The company is facing investigations and lawsuits in the US, EU, UK, India, and elsewhere over issues like its app store policies and Android operating system dominance.

With the high-stakes nature of this case and the Biden administration's tech crackdown, the outcome could have major implications for Google, the digital advertising industry, and the future regulation of Big Tech platforms.

Read more: Economic Times

APPLE EVENT

🧠 Apple Intelligence

Apple's "It's Glowtime" event unveiled exciting new iterations of their flagship products.

Here’s what you missed:

• iPhone

  • The star of the show was the iPhone 16 lineup, featuring the standard iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and the premium iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models.

  • The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max boast larger displays (6.3" and 6.9" respectively), thinner bezels, and a lightweight yet durable titanium design.

  • These models introduce the A18 Pro chip, optimized for AI workloads, and feature significant camera upgrades, including a 48MP ultra-wide lens and improved zoom capabilities.

  • The standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, starting at $799 and $899, introduce the A18 chip and a new 48MP main camera.

  • All iPhone 16 models will support "Apple Intelligence" features, with the first set launching in beta next month.

• Apple Watch

  • Apple also revealed the Apple Watch Series 10, touting the thinnest design and largest display yet in the lineup.

  • It offers improved brightness, faster charging, and new health features, including sleep apnea detection.

  • The Apple Watch Ultra 2 debuts in black, targeting outdoor enthusiasts with advanced GPS and fitness tracking capabilities.

• Airpods:

  • In the audio department, Apple introduced AirPods 4 with improved comfort and sound quality, starting at $129.

  • The AirPods Pro 2 now include health-focused features like hearing protection and a clinical-grade hearing aid function.

  • Additionally, the AirPods Max received a refresh with new colour options and USB-C charging.

Read more: Apple

GENERAL OVERVIEW

🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

❌ No more disguised betting - The government has officially banned over two dozen illegal offshore betting websites disguised as e-commerce and forex trading portals, following an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation. These platforms, including OctaFX and Mahadev Online Book, were involved in laundering approximately ₹10,000 crore through fake e-commerce sites, forex platforms, and unauthorized payment aggregators, with operations linked to Spain, Dubai, Russia, and Pakistan. The money laundering network used fake shell companies, dummy directors, and mule accounts to legitimize funds. ED has conducted extensive searches, freezing ₹2,200 crore in assets, including bank accounts, properties, and cryptocurrency holdings.

💳️ Farmer IDs - Starting in October, the government will begin registering farmers nationwide for Aadhaar-style unique IDs under the ₹2,817 crore Digital Agriculture Mission, aiming to register five crore farmers by March 2025. The IDs will streamline access to agricultural schemes, such as the Minimum Support Price and Kisan Credit Card, reducing verification hassles. The data collected will assist in policy planning and providing targeted services. A pilot project was conducted in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, with 19 states already on board. Camps will be held nationwide to facilitate the registration process and promote awareness among farmers.

👀 Investments in India might be hitting new heights soon - AngelList has launched a new platform targeting India's private equity market, enhancing its offerings for angel investors and startups. The platform allows custom parameters for leads, offers institutional-grade reporting, and provides real-time portfolio data. It is designed around ownership as the core value unit, enabling flexibility in adapting to evolving market regulations. Future plans include adding features for compliance with fund structures and possibly introducing a mobile app. AngelList manages assets worth over ₹2,000 crore and has launched 1,050 special purpose vehicles (SPVs) and 215 roll-up vehicles (RUVs) across 800 companies.

HEADLINES

🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

What’s happening in India (and around the world 🌍️)

• Delhi government bans production, sale, use of firecrackers till January 1.

• Ola Electric competitor Ather Energy files for IPO to raise ₹3,100 Cr.

• Flipkart quietly launches Flipkart Minutes in Gurugram.

• 98.1% Bengaluru respondents push for EV transition of fleets for last-mile delivery.

• Ather Energy files for Rs 3,100-crore IPO.

• Morgan Stanley quietly walks away from its plastics financing goal.

CULTURE

🍿 Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment

• Akshay Kumar drops first look of his new film Bhooth Bangla on his birthday.

• Siddhant Chaturvedi and Malavika Mohanan starrer Yudhra song Sohni Lagdi is out now.

• Creative Arts Emmys: ‘The Bear’ sweeps guest acting in comedy categories and 'Shogun' takes home 14 awards, more than any other program. - night one and night two highlights linked.