Morning 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)

Machines & Minds

Samsung earns record-breaking $80 billion profit, thanks to the rise of AI

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

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

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

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

Claude Haiku 5.5

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

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 (paywall)

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

Talk To Your Vendors About Quantum Security Readiness

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 (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

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

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'

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

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