Episode 390: Meta's AI Catch-Up, Amazon's Satellite Challenge, and the Cost of Weaponized Choke Points

Brian breaks down five major stories reshaping tech and markets: Meta's Watermelon model matching GPT-5.5 performance (though the frontier keeps moving), Amazon's Leo satellite constellation reaching commercial readiness to challenge Starlink, Nvidia's new revenue-sharing model for AI compute access, significant investor outflows from U.S. stock funds despite record highs, and persistent fertilizer price inflation from Iran conflict damage that won't resolve until 2028. Plus: AI quant funds crushing human traders in China, heat waves stressing power grids, Anthropic's Claude Fable 5 returning with enhanced guardrails, SpaceX's Cursor launching mobile AI coding tools, and a deeper look at how weaponized choke points—like Iran's Strait of Hormuz control—become wasting assets as countries build alternatives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.