The Comunicano For Friday May 16th 2025
Fabulous Friday
Today, we bring you a riveting, relentless, and, dare I say, resplendent rundown of modern marvels, mishaps, and maneuvers from the ever-evolving world we call... now.
First, to the cable canvas where giants are colliding—Charter Communications and Cox Communications are toe-to-toe in a $35 billion merger showdown! That’s right, folks—two titans of telecom tango toward what could be the largest cable operator in the land. It's consolidation with a capital “C,” and with it comes a new heavyweight contender that could shake up your streaming, bump your broadband, and prompt regulators to put on the gloves. Who wins? Consumers, maybe. Competitors? Shaky. Washington? Watching closely.
Now pivoting to Europe, where Microsoft, the perennial Goliath of software, is bending the knee to the antitrust gods. Stripping Teams from Office in a proposed peace offering to the EU, Big Tech dances delicately with regulation. A gesture, some say. A strategy, others murmur. But folks, this is monopoly chess—not checkers.
Meanwhile, in sunny Los Angeles, the Olympics are getting... wings. You heard me! Air taxis. The future has touched down. Archer Aviation's flying Ubers—four seats, vertical liftoff, ten-minute flights. Beam me up, Bezos, someone shouted—but it’s Boeing and United who’ve backed this airborne dream. FAA approval still pending, but the countdown has begun.
In sports tech, Canada is not skating on thin ice—they’re charging ahead! Toronto's Future of Sport Lab is nurturing a new generation of AI-infused, athlete-boosting startups. These are no garage gimmicks; these are game changers.
Now to Washington, where Silicon Valley’s long arm grows longer. Musk, Thiel, Andreessen—these aren’t just names, they’re nexuses of influence, embedding allies across agencies like linebackers in a power blitz. Billions in contracts, and critics crying foul.
And finally—Meta. Besieged by scams. Dented by developer doubt. And trying desperately to steer Llama AI back into the innovation race. Will it run? Or stumble?
Folks, the future is here—and as always, it’s here. Always, in THE COMUNICANO!!!
Andy Abramson
Cable Watch
Charter and Cox in $35 Billion Merger Talks (Reuters)—Charter Communications is deep in negotiations to merge with Cox Communications, a move that would reshape the U.S. broadband and cable landscape. According to Bloomberg, the deal is valued at approximately $35 billion and includes both cash and debt. If finalized, this merger would combine two major players in the telecommunications space, potentially creating the largest cable operator in the U.S. by subscribers. The combined company would intensify pressure on Comcast and other rivals, raising fresh questions about consumer pricing, service innovation, and regulatory scrutiny. Read more here
Telecom Consolidation: Charter and Cox Communications Merge in $35B Deal (Axios)—Charter Communications will acquire Cox Communications for roughly $34.5 billion, which includes taking on $12 billion of Cox’s debt. The merger forms the largest broadband and cable TV provider in the country, overtaking Comcast. The unified company will retain the Cox Communications name. Charter CEO Chris Winfrey will continue in his role, while Cox Enterprises CEO Alex Taylor will become chairman. As part of the agreement, Cox Enterprises receives a 23 percent stake and $4 billion in cash. The deal includes a $50 million charitable foundation and a $5 million employee relief fund, continuing Cox’s legacy initiatives. Read more here
My Take on The Cox-Charter Merger….The Andy Analysis.
VoIP Watch
Policy and Regulation
Microsoft Offers to Sell Office Without Teams at Lower Price Amid EU Antitrust Probe (Reuters)—Microsoft has proposed selling Office 365 and Microsoft 365 without Teams at a discounted rate to address an ongoing European Union antitrust investigation. The proposal responds to a 2020 complaint by Slack, which claimed Microsoft unfairly bundled Teams with Office. Microsoft’s offer includes allowing competitors to embed Office Web Apps like Word and Excel in their own tools, as well as providing data portability for Teams chat logs. The pricing would apply for seven years, while interoperability commitments would last ten. The European Commission is reviewing the proposal and gathering industry feedback before deciding whether to settle the case. Read more here
Travel Watch
LA 2028 Olympics Plans Air Taxi Service for Spectators (BBC News)—The LA28 Olympic committee is teaming up with Archer Aviation to introduce air taxis during the 2028 Summer Games, aiming to reduce Los Angeles’ notorious traffic. Archer’s electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, called Midnight, can carry four passengers and function similarly to helicopters. Though not yet certified by the FAA, Archer hopes to secure approval by year-end. If approved, spectators will be able to book 10 to 20 minute flights via an app, with fares similar to premium Uber rides. The project, backed by Boeing and United Airlines, marks a major push into urban air mobility. Read more here
SportsTech Watch
Future of Sport Lab Selects Sixth Cohort of Sports Tech Startups (Sports Business Journal)—Toronto Metropolitan University’s Future of Sport Lab, in collaboration with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, has named ten startups to its sixth accelerator cohort. Chosen from over 150 applicants, the companies focus on areas like AI, athlete performance, and fan engagement. Noteworthy selections include CoachThem, a digital coaching platform founded by former NHL players; Coordle, a team travel planner; Elev8 & Perform, which develops cardiovascular wearables; and HooperIQ, an AI-based basketball training tool. The eight-week hybrid program offers mentorship, industry exposure, and networking. A new initiative, FSLW, will spotlight women-founded startups during the espnW Summit Canada. Read more here
Valley Watch
Silicon Valley’s Expanding Influence in Washington (Wall Street Journal)—Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Palmer Luckey have significantly expanded their reach into the U.S. government, embedding their allies in key roles across federal agencies. A Wall Street Journal investigation finds more than three dozen employees, advisers, and investors connected to their companies now hold government positions often in agencies that regulate or contract with their firms. Companies like SpaceX and Anduril have secured over $6 billion in contracts since 2017. The growing overlap between tech and government raises ethical concerns, with watchdogs warning of an unprecedented revolving door. Read more here
Meta Watch
Meta Faces Surge in Scams Across Facebook and Instagram (Wall Street Journal)—Meta is grappling with a sharp rise in scams on Facebook and Instagram, according to internal documents and testimony. Nearly half of Zelle scam reports to JPMorgan Chase between 2023 and 2024 were tied to Meta's platforms. Many of the fraudulent ads originate from organized crime rings in Southeast Asia, exploiting Meta's limited enforcement and focus on ad revenue. Small businesses like Half-Off Wholesale have been impersonated in fake ads. Despite measures like facial recognition and fraud detection tools, critics argue Meta has failed to contain the threat. A lawsuit by Andrew Forrest may challenge Meta’s legal immunity. Read more here
Meta's Llama AI Faces Developer Discontent Amidst Delays and Performance Gaps (Business Insider)—Meta's Llama AI models, once seen as pivotal in the open-source AI race, are now drawing criticism from developers for lagging innovation and missed expectations. At the first-ever LlamaCon, hopes for a new advanced reasoning model went unfulfilled. The newly released Llama 4 Scout and Maverick models have failed to match the performance of competitors like DeepSeek’s V3 and Alibaba’s Qwen. Developers point to missing features like tool use and advanced reasoning, essential for agentic AI. Still, Llama’s low cost makes it attractive for enterprise use. To remain competitive, Meta must close the innovation gap. Read more here
Threads Adds Multiple Profile Links and Post Analytics (Social Media Today)—Threads now lets users add up to five links in their bio, making it easier to share podcasts, stores, newsletters, and more—similar to Instagram’s link-sharing tools. The change reduces reliance on platforms like Linktree. Threads also introduced post and profile link analytics, helping users track views and engagement. Soon, users will receive week-over-week post metrics, follower trends, and personalized content tips to boost reach and interaction. Read more here
YouTube Watch
YouTube Suspends Major AI Movie Trailer Channels from Monetization (PC Gamer)—YouTube has suspended two popular AI-generated movie trailer channels, Screen Culture and KH Studio, from its Partner Program, cutting off their ad revenue. Together, these channels had over 2 million subscribers. The action follows a Deadline investigation into AI-generated trailers featuring fake footage or altered clips of real actors promoting nonexistent films. YouTube confirmed it also removed monetization from other affiliated channels owned by the same creators. Interestingly, major studios like Warner Bros. and Sony had been monetizing these trailers through copyright claims, highlighting a murky relationship between content creation, AI, and IP rights. Read more here
Robotaxi Watch
Tesla’s Robotaxi Plans Under Federal Scrutiny (Yahoo Finance)—Tesla’s upcoming robotaxi rollout in Austin is now under review by federal regulators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has requested detailed safety information about how Tesla’s driverless vehicles will navigate adverse weather and visibility challenges. This follows ongoing concerns about Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system and its safety record. Tesla must respond to the inquiry by June 19, and the outcome could impact the timeline and scope of its robotaxi expansion nationwide. Read more here
Wealth Watch
King Charles’ Wealth Surges as UK Billionaire Count Falls (BBC News)—The 2025 Sunday Times Rich List reveals King Charles III’s personal fortune has grown by £30 million, now totaling £640 million. This places him alongside Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty at 238th. His wealth, significantly higher than Queen Elizabeth II’s at the time of her death, is largely attributed to assets like the Duchy of Lancaster. Meanwhile, the number of UK billionaires has dropped from 165 to 156—the sharpest decline in the list’s history. The Hinduja family tops the list with £35.3 billion, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe lost over £6 billion. Dua Lipa is the youngest under-40 entrant. Read more here
Google Watch
Gmail Simplifies Replies with Docked Toolbar on Android (9to5Google)—Gmail for Android is rolling out a new docked reply bar to replace the quick reply interface. This persistent toolbar stays visible at the bottom of the screen, offering options like Reply, Reply All, Forward, and emoji reactions, even as users scroll through messages. The aim is to streamline the reply experience without forcing users to scroll to the bottom of emails. The feature is appearing on select devices using Gmail version 2025.05.04.x. Read more here
Google Adds AI-Powered Accessibility to Android and Chrome (TechCrunch)—Google is introducing a new suite of AI-based accessibility upgrades for Android and Chrome. Android’s TalkBack now integrates Gemini AI, allowing users to ask questions about screen images. Expressive Captions can now reflect voice inflections and background sounds like whistling. Chrome gains Optical Character Recognition support for scanned PDFs, helping screen readers read embedded text. Chrome for Android also adds adjustable Page Zoom, improving usability without disrupting layout integrity. Read more here
AI Watch
DeepMind’s AlphaEvolve Designs Algorithms Beyond Human Expertise (Artificial Intelligence Made Simple)—DeepMind has unveiled AlphaEvolve, an AI system that uses evolutionary strategies to create algorithms outperforming those built by humans. By combining Gemini AI's code generation abilities with evolutionary search methods, AlphaEvolve has produced advanced solutions, including an update to the 56-year-old Strassen algorithm. It also delivered optimizations in chip layout and data center scheduling. Researchers emphasize these results are genuinely novel, not derivative, marking a leap in the creative capabilities of AI. Read more here
New Technique Offers Greater Control Over Large Language Models (TechXplore)—A research team at UC San Diego has introduced a technique that allows more precise control over large language models like ChatGPT. By identifying internal features that influence specific behaviors, researchers can adjust outputs to be more accurate or less harmful. The method helps reduce hallucinations and toxicity while improving efficiency, potentially eliminating the need for extensive retraining. The development marks progress in making AI models more steerable and safer for deployment. Read more here
Chip Watch
U.S. Lawmakers Target AI Chip Smuggling with New Bill (SCMP)—A bipartisan group in Congress has introduced the Chip Security Act to curb illegal shipments of AI chips, especially to China. The proposed law would require chipmakers like Nvidia to install tech that verifies the location of chips before export. The move is a response to rising concern over chips bypassing U.S. export restrictions. Lawmakers say the bill is critical to safeguarding national security and controlling the flow of advanced technology. Read more here
