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# AI Eats the Stack, Regulators Gonna Regulate, Money, Merch, and Margins
- URL: https://adjacent.media/scan/2026-10-09-am/
- Published: 2026-10-09T10:15:25.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-09T10:15:25.000Z
- Description: Friday’s mix: AI is generating record profits for chipmakers, Meta’s Muse is turning up everywhere (including a Zendesk CEO’s expense report), and Washington keeps finding new things to ban, sue, or roll back. Samsung’s quarter dwarfs everyone else’s.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #scan-am, #scan

Friday's mix: AI is generating record profits for chipmakers, Meta's Muse is turning up everywhere (including a Zendesk CEO's expense report), and Washington keeps finding new things to ban, sue, or roll back. Samsung's quarter dwarfs everyone else's.

> **$80B** — Samsung's record Q3 profit estimate, driven by the AI chip boom. *(SamMobile)*

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### Machines & Minds

#### [Samsung earns record-breaking $80 billion profit, thanks to the rise of AI](https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsung-q3-2026-profit-usd-80-billion-record-breaking/?ref=adjacent.media)

Samsung holds the largest position in memory, the chip category the AI boom depends on. *(SamMobile)*

#### [Zendesk CEO Tom Eggemeier says Meta's Muse saved him $3,105 in five days](https://thenextweb.com/news/tom-eggemeier-zendesk-meta-muse-ai-revenue-tnw-podcast?ref=adjacent.media)

Zendesk expects roughly $400M in AI revenue this year, up from about nothing two years ago. *(The Next Web)*

#### [Microsoft releases new Nvidia-chip AI PCs with revamped Windows 11](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/07/microsoft-releases-new-nvidia-chip-ai-pcs-with-revamped-windows-11/?ref=adjacent.media)

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra puts AI on the desktop, not just in the cloud. *(TechCrunch)*

#### [Manus' parent company Butterfly Effect raised $500M+, led by Boyu Capital and IDG](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/08/manus-fund-raise-meta-muse-tencent.html?ref=adjacent.media)

First round since Beijing forced Meta to unwind its $2B acquisition. *(CNBC)*

#### [Claude Haiku 5.5](https://simonwillison.net/2026/Oct/7/claude-haiku-5-5/?ref=adjacent.media)

Anthropic's new fast, cheap model arrives as promised, and Simon Willison has the first look. *(Simon Willison's Weblog)*

### Connected World

#### [TP-Link problems in US grow amid FCC router ban and four state lawsuits](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/10/florida-sues-tp-link-claiming-it-hides-router-security-risks-and-links-to-china/?ref=adjacent.media)

Florida and three other states say TP-Link hid security risks and China ties from consumers. *(Ars Technica)*

#### [How the Trump Administration Is Eroding Airline Passengers' Rights](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/travel/airlines-flights-passenger-rights-trump.html?ref=adjacent.media) (paywall)

Advocates say the Transportation Department's rollbacks tilt the field firmly toward airlines. *(NYT)*

#### [Talk To Your Vendors About Quantum Security Readiness](https://www.forrester.com/blogs/talk-to-your-vendors-about-quantum-security-readiness/?ref=adjacent.media)

CISA and the G7 want post-quantum readiness on the agenda now, which means longer vendor calls. *(Forrester)*

#### [Standard Chartered to expand crypto custody services in Singapore](https://www.theblock.co/news/business/2026-10-08-standard-chartered-crypto-custody-singapore-418017?ref=adjacent.media) (paywall)

Singapore joins the UAE, Luxembourg, and Hong Kong on the bank's custody map. *(The Block)*

### Connected World

#### [Fast Retailing Annual Profit Jumps 32%, Beats Expectations](https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/retail/fast-retailing-annual-profit-jumps-32-beats-expectations/?ref=adjacent.media)

Uniqlo's parent posted its fifth straight record year, with strength in every region. *(The Business of Fashion)*

#### [Levi's Growth Slows After Marketing Misstep](https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/retail/levis-growth-slows-after-marketing-misstep/?ref=adjacent.media)

Pushing baggy over low rise cost Levi's a quarter, though it still raised its sales outlook. *(The Business of Fashion)*

#### [Endeavor Catalyst raises $320M for founders 'elsewhere'](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/07/while-vcs-crowd-into-san-francisco-endeavor-catalyst-raises-320m-for-founders-elsewhere/?ref=adjacent.media)

While most startups pile into San Francisco, half the profits here flow back to a nonprofit. *(TechCrunch)*

### Connected World

#### [Steven Spielberg to Oversee Entire 'Transformers' Franchise](https://hypebeast.com/2026/10/steven-spielberg-oversee-entire-transformers-franchise-eighth-sequel-arriving-paramount-pictures-news?ref=adjacent.media)

Robots in disguise, now with a very famous chaperone. *(Hypebeast)*