Hello! Welcome to everyone-has-an-out-of-office week! But not me. I’m here. At least today. I am taking Friday off. Then we’ll be back next week for the start of Techtember!
But today, we’ve got a jam-packed newsletter! First, Apple just announced its big Sept. 9 event. Then, Ring’s new encryption and security promise, Apple’s new Macs—and, yes, a new polishing cloth. Plus, Meta’s big settlement, more LED-covering tips and a LOLz Pro Max featuring the World Humanoid Robot Games AND John Oliver rightfully making fun of me.
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Great news: Our end-of-summer sale is on!
These prices won’t last! And apparently neither will my transformation into a used-car salesperson.
Mark the calendars. Apple’s iPhone event is set for Wednesday, Sept. 9. The invite above landed in my inbox just a few minutes ago. We’ll be in Cupertino covering all the news. Folding iPhone? A smart home device? AirPods with cameras? Could be some, could be none!
But this is shaping up to be one of the more exciting Apple events in years.
Right now, people trust tech companies about as much as they trust a contractor who says, “We’ll be done with the job in a month.” Today’s Ring news seems to be keenly aware of that.
The news: Ring, the Amazon-owned company that put cameras in millions of doorbells, has created a new security standard called TAKE, or Throw Away the Key Encryption. It’ll be turned on by default for all accounts. The company will continue to offer end-to-end encryption of its devices’ video feeds, which is the highest level of protection.
But this announcement is about more than encryption. Ring is putting more cameras in more places—and adding AI features like facial recognition and object descriptions—at a time when people are increasingly asking: Who exactly can see what these cameras see?
I talked to Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff about TAKE, and why building a camera-everywhere future doesn’t work if people don’t actually trust the companies behind the cameras.
Mercury’s latest report is packed with interesting stats, whether you’re running a business or just curious about how AI is changing one.
This figure jumped out: 40% of companies using AI heavily say that inflation actually helped their business this year. Among non-AI adopters? Just 12%. Same economy. Very different vibes.
And that divide shows up all over Mercury’s survey of 1,500 early-stage founders and builders. Companies leaning hardest into AI are raising more, hiring differently and even experiencing the economy differently.
Read Mercury’s new report to explore:
The 31-point confidence gap between heavy AI adopters and everyone else
What startups spend on AI each month
How junior hiring looks at AI-forward companies and beyond
Plus more on how founders are spending, raising and hiring in 2026. Read the report.
Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.
Fun fact: Mood rings (which are really just temperature-sensing rings) were invented in the 1970s by Marvin Wenick, a New York jeweler who realized that the liquid crystal elements found in thermometers could be used in jewelry. Someone from Oura must have been around taking notes.
This newsletter was written and curated by Joanna Stern and Adele Lowitz.
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