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Apples General Counsel, Kate Adams, and Vice President for Environment, Lisa Jackson, are retiring. Jennifer Newstead, formerly of Meta, is set to replace Adams, bringing extensive government experience to the role. Tim Cook praises Newsteads skills and Jacksons contributions, as Apple navigates antitrust scrutiny and AI competition, following recent executive departures.

Large language models struggle with logical reasoning tasks like Sudoku, even with extra help. A study from the University of Colorado at Boulder highlights this limitation and emphasizes the need for transparent explanations from AI. Newer models like OpenAIs GPT-five show improvement but still fall short in true reasoning and spatial understanding. The ability to explain ones reasoning is crucial for trust in AI, especially in critical jobs.

Apples App Store Awards 2022 showcase AIs growing influence, with Tiimo, Detail, and Essayist winning top honors. Tiimo, App of the Year, is an AI visual planner for individuals with ADHD. Detail, iPad App of the Year, simplifies video editing with AI. Essayist, Mac App of the Year, uses AI for academic paper formatting. These apps demonstrate AIs role in making everyday tasks simpler and more accessible.

Apples Vice President for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, is retiring, along with other high-profile departures. Jennifer Newstead, Metas chief legal officer, will join Apple as the new general counsel, taking over from Kate Adams. Newstead will also oversee Government Affairs, with her new title reflecting this expanded role. The Environment and Social Initiatives teams will now report to Apples COO, Sabih Khan. These changes signal a new chapter for Apple, bringing in fresh perspectives and reconfiguring their executive team.

Last Christmas and other high-energy holiday tunes may be causing anxiety for pets, according to a new report. Music experts analyzed ninety popular Christmas songs and found that slow-tempo tracks with few percussive elements are generally best for pets. The study, compiled by Fanatix, identified Last Christmas as the most nerve-racking song for pets, with a tempo of 200 beats per minute. Pet-friendly alternatives include songs with a tempo between 50 and 60 beats per minute, such as John Williams Carol of the Bells and Brenda Lees Rockin Around the Christmas Tree.

Pentagon Inspector General report reveals former Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, used a private Signal group chat to discuss classified military intelligence, potentially compromising sensitive data. The report, which relied on information from a journalist, found Hegseth violated Department of Defense policies but only recommended a review of classification procedures. Senator Mark Kelly suggests Hegseth may have broken the law.

Spotlight on Spotifys Wrapped 2025: A Record-Breaking Year-End Music Summary Spotifys annual Wrapped recap for 2025 has shattered records, with over 200 million users engaging within the first 24 hours, a 19% increase from last year. The new features, including a multiplayer game and listening age tool, have boosted sharing activity by 41%, with over 500 million shares recorded in the first day. Spotifys Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Partnerships, Marc Hazan, attributes this success to users desire to express themselves through music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, expressed optimism about AIs potential but warned of risks in the industry. He criticized a competitor for making timing errors and taking unwise risks, using the term YOLO to describe those pushing the risk dial too far. Amodei also discussed the rapid depreciation of AI chips and the importance of conservative planning due to uncertain future growth. Anthropic has seen remarkable growth, but Amodei stressed the need for careful planning to meet future computing needs.

Join us as we explore the world of startup acceleration with Isabelle Johannessen, head of TechCrunchs Startup Battlefield program. Isabelle, with her unique background in entrepreneurship and singing, helps founders from over ninety-nine countries craft compelling stories and secure crucial funding. Her work underscores the importance of a strong network and effective presentation for early-stage startups.