The Comunicano Sunday Edition for June 8th 2025
Simply Sunday
Today, I bring good news. The world is not ending. It’s evolving. Technology is not stealing our humanity. It’s challenging us to define it. This week, at Apple’s WWDC, we will see a giant at the crossroads: Siri must rise or fall, privacy must win or stall. And even as Apple flirts with its future, predators exploit its platforms, reminding us that innovation without integrity is risk, not revolution.
Across the globe, Gulf tech giants are building super-apps that rewrite what it means to live digitally. Ride, pay, connect, and learn are all under one roof. Meanwhile, YouTube lets creators speak your language, and Tesla’s humanoids prepare to clock in beside us. Not to replace us. To work with us.
Strange? Yes. Bots speaking in cryptic code is unsettling. But fear doesn’t halt progress. It demands responsibility. The truth is: we’re building a new kind of world. One where cars drive, cabins entertain, robots collaborate, and chemistry labs open to every mind and every hand.
Yes, some things break. United’s Wi-Fi, WordPress trust, and even trust itself is being hacked by silent trackers inside our apps. But when systems crack, we don’t retreat. We rebuild. Better. FAIR, AI-optimized, decentralized. Because freedom online isn’t nostalgia. It’s necessity.
And work? Work is no longer where you go . It’s what you scale. AI isn't replacing workers. It's making the best of us better. The rest of us faster. And all of us more valuable, if we choose to learn.
This isn’t utopia. This is effort. This is the test of our time: Can we humanize our machines faster than they mechanize us?
If we do, the metaverse becomes our canvas, not our cage. Digital sneakers walk beside real shoes. And children, protected, play again. Not become prey again.
So I ask you, as a fellow citizen of now: Will you see a world out of control? Or will you see it for what it is? A world finally ready for leadership. Yours. A world not collapsing, but converging.
This is not the end. This is the start of a new way we interface with the world. This is why you read THE COMUNICANO!!!
Andy Abramson
What I Wrote Last Week
All Hail Agent Watch
The Secret Force That Makes Brands Irresistible: Understanding Narrative Gravity
The Andy Analysis: Search in 2025 Sees A Shifting Landscape Brands Can’t Ignore
The Double Win of AI Marketing Operations: Automation and Human Connection
It’s The Interface Baby
It’s The Interface (Part 2)
CCaaS Reimagined: From Cost Center to Experience Catalyst
Apple Watch
WWDC 2025: Apple’s Make-or-Break Moment for AI (Business Insider)—All eyes are on Apple as WWDC kicks off. Expect a rebranding to iOS 26, a UI overhaul inspired by visionOS, and on-device AI tools like Genmoji, live translations, and smarter Shortcuts. Siri, still lagging, needs a serious upgrade. Apple’s privacy-first approach to AI could set it apart — or hold it back if execution falls flat. With investor pressure high and developer loyalty wavering, this year’s WWDC is about more than features. It’s about proving Apple still knows how to lead. Read more here
‘Sextortion’ Scams Involving Apple Messages Ended in Tragedy for These Boys (WSJ)00Predators posing as teens use iMessage to coax young boys into sharing images, then extort them with threats of exposure. In 2024 alone, over 5,000 such cases were reported — though the emotional cost isn’t quantifiable. In tragic instances like Elijah Heacock and David Gonzalez Jr., inability to pay led to suicide. Apple’s built-in safety tools are weak, lacking reporting mechanisms and robust parental controls. Victims pay real money — $50, $200, even $3,200 — and suffer devastating outcomes. Experts and families demand better protections in messaging apps, where trust in blue bubbles turns deadly. Read more here
AI Watch
AI Bots’ Casual Talk Swerves into Cryptic “Code Mode” (News18)—In a now-viral video, two AI bots begin by chatting in natural language—until suddenly, they break into an indecipherable stream of coded phrases. The bizarre shift has viewers speculating: are these bots developing their own language? Or is this just a glitch? While experts suggest it may stem from compression algorithms or token errors, the unnerving clip has reignited concerns around AI transparency. When machines start speaking in code, the question becomes—who’s still in control? Read more here
Gulf Tech Giants Race to Build Super-Apps (Rest of World)—In the Middle East, especially the Gulf, tech firms are going all-in on super-apps — combining ride-hailing, payments, food delivery, remittances, and more under one roof. Careem, Botim, Talabat, and local telecoms are consolidating services and user bases with strategic support from governments. More than 60 percent of UAE residents now use at least one super-app regularly. Unlike China’s WeChat, these platforms are growing with regulatory green lights rather than tight restrictions. The super-app wars are on — and the winner may shape how daily life works in the digital Arab world. Read more here
YouTube Watch
YouTube Tests Multilingual Thumbnails to Boost Global Reach (Business Insider)
YouTube is experimenting with multilingual thumbnails, letting creators upload custom thumbnails for each language version of their videos. Initially available to those using its AI-powered dubbing system, the feature aims to make global content more personal and accessible. Tools like DittoDub help translate text in thumbnails while human reviewers ensure tone and context are preserved. The goal is simple: show viewers something that speaks their language — literally. As creators compete for international audiences, localized presentation is the next frontier. Read more here
Robotics Watch
Tesla Optimus Robotics Chief Resigns — as Elon Musk Eyes Trillion-Dollar Bet (Electrek)—Milan Kovac, the VP overseeing Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot project, has stepped down for family reasons. Leadership now shifts to Ashok Elluswamy, head of Tesla's Autopilot team. This leadership change lands at a pivotal time, as Elon Musk claims Optimus could become a trillion-dollar product category, with thousands of robots in production by 2025. Challenges remain, including global supply issues, but the transition signals that Optimus is not just a sci-fi experiment — it’s a cornerstone in Tesla’s vision of an autonomous future. Read more here
Robochemistry: Collaborative Robots in CU Boulder Wet Labs (Colorado.edu)
Carson Bruns of CU Boulder is rethinking how chemistry gets done by introducing collaborative robots into wet labs. These bots handle repetitive and hazardous tasks, making labs safer and more efficient, while expanding access for researchers with disabilities. The field, which Bruns calls “robochemistry,” challenges the old narrative that labs are too unpredictable for robots. As the chemistry job market grows, this shift aims to modernize how scientists work—human-machine collaboration that enhances precision, productivity, and inclusivity. Read more here
Marketing Watch
Digital Marketing Trends to Watch in 2025 (Programming Insider)—Digital marketing is getting a major upgrade in 2025. Five trends are rewriting the playbook: AI automation, privacy-first data, voice search, immersive experiences, and multichannel audience engagement. Brands are leaning on AI for personalization at scale, while privacy regulations are forcing cleaner, more ethical data practices. Voice search is booming thanks to smart assistants, and AR is turning passive viewers into active participants. The brands that blend tech with authenticity — and show up across platforms — will outpace the rest. Read more here
EV Watch
Mapped: Electric Vehicles Per Capita by U.S. State (Visual Capitalist)
California leads the nation with 3,026 EVs per 100,000 people, followed by Washington, Hawaii, and Oregon. The visual breakdown reveals a clear divide — coastal and urban states embrace electrification, while many rural and southern states, like Mississippi, lag far behind. This per-capita lens offers a sharper view of EV adoption than total numbers alone, highlighting where infrastructure, incentives, and culture are pushing momentum — and where they’re not. Read more here
U.S. EV Adoption Plummets Despite Growing Sales (OilPrice)—Even as EV sales rose by 11.4% in Q1 2025, overall adoption in the U.S. is cooling. Market share dropped from 8.7% to 7.5%, and consumer interest has hit a post-2019 low, with only 16% of Americans considering an EV for their next car. Tesla still leads but has lost ground, falling from 55% to 43.4% of U.S. EV sales. High prices, fading novelty, and limited charging infrastructure are eroding momentum. The EV wave isn’t crashing but it’s no longer surging either. Read more here
Travel Watch
The Car of the Future Will Transform the Great American Road Trip (WSJ)—As autonomy inches closer to reality, carmakers and startups are reimagining the iconic American road trip. The narrative shifts from driver control to in-trip experience — think panoramic screens, sleeping pods, and smart cabins designed for leisure. These company concepts aren’t just fantasies; they’re blueprints for future mobility. Designers envision interiors that adapt to socializing, entertainment or productivity, turning the act of travel into something more akin to a retreat. The long haul becomes leisure. The road trip isn’t disappearing. It’s evolving into a new kind of mobile experience. Read more here
Wi-Fi Watch
United Grounds Starlink Wi‑Fi on Regional Jets Amid Static Reports (The Points Guy)—United Airlines has hit pause on its Starlink-powered Wi‑Fi service across regional jets after reports of static interfering with pilot communications. Though not a safety issue, the glitch has raised enough concern to warrant grounding the satellite internet temporarily. United says fixes are already underway in coordination with SpaceX, and expects the issue to be resolved fleet-wide by year’s end. For passengers, it’s a minor hiccup in an otherwise promising high-speed connectivity rollout.
Read more here
WordPress Watch
WordPress Veterans Launch FAIR to Reinforce Decentralized Security (Fast Company)—Veterans from the WordPress community have launched the FAIR project, backed by the Linux Foundation, to decentralize the plugin and theme ecosystem. FAIR stands for Federated Application Infrastructure and aims to tackle longstanding concerns about supply chain security, software control, and Automattic’s dominance. It proposes a distributed network for updates and plugin delivery with verifiable signatures and tamper resistance. For developers, this could reduce costs and increase independence. For users, it’s about safety and choice. FAIR’s promise is simple — make the open web safer without closing it down. Read more here
Surveillance Watch
Massive US/Russian Election Big Tech Spy Operation Exposed by EU (FlyingPenguin)—European researchers uncovered covert tracking by Meta and Yandex on billions of Android users. By exploiting Android’s localhost functionality, websites could link anonymous browsing to actual app users — even in incognito mode. Meta’s scripts communicated via internal ports to Facebook and Instagram; Yandex used HTTP mapping. With presence on millions of sites and hidden in private browsing, these tracking tools essentially wiretap users — like spies orchestrated by Big Tech. Following public exposure, both companies disabled the functionality. The episode raises fresh alarms about data privacy, ad tech beyond cookies, and democracy. Read more here
Workplace Watch
What “Working” Means in the Era of AI Apps (a16z)—AI-powered startups now smash legacy benchmarks. Lovable reached $50M revenue in six months; Cursor hit $100M in a year, and Gamma hit $50M on less than $25M funding. Today, the average enterprise AI startup crosses $2M ARR in year one, and consumer AI businesses often hit $4.2M ARR — far beyond yesterday’s “good” range. The pace of monetization has propelled fundraising cycles to sub-12-month timelines. Founders face a new reality: growth velocity is the moat. In a market where “exceptional” now outpaces “baseline,” only hyper-scalers will separate themselves. Read more here
AI Jobs Boom and Wage Premium Surge (PwC)—AI is redefining work — not by eliminating jobs, but by transforming them. PwC’s 2025 AI Jobs Barometer reveals productivity quadruples in AI-exposed roles, and workers with AI skills earn 56% more than peers. Even jobs that seemed ripe for automation, like customer service or data entry, are expanding. Employers are pushing faster skill shifts, accelerating upskilling efforts in AI-heavy sectors. Far from a job-killer, AI is becoming a value multiplier across the global economy. Read more here
Culture Watch
Digital Sneakers Enter the Metaverse (New York Times)—Sneakers you can’t touch, but can flex in Fortnite or post on Instagram. Digital sneakers are the latest avatar upgrade, with brands tapping NFTs and augmented reality to unlock fashion’s virtual frontier. This isn’t just hype: it’s a new channel for monetization and identity. From tokenized exclusives to AR streetwear filters, fashion is breaking the boundary between real and rendered. In the metaverse, style is still personal. It’s just pixelated.
Read more here
Social Watch
UK Explores Social Media App Limits for Kids (The Guardian)—UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle is proposing daily two-hour limits and a 10 p.m. curfew on social media use for children. While not advocating a full ban, Kyle’s plan targets excessive screen time and its impact on mental health. The initiative adds to existing safety legislation requiring platforms to restrict harmful content and verify user ages. Surveys show that one in four children in England spends over four hours a day on devices. Additional proposals include smartphone bans in schools and delaying social media access until age 16. Read more here
Health Watch
What Works for Hay Fever Relief in 2025 (The Sun)—Pollen levels are peaking, and so is interest in effective allergy relief. Experts are pointing to quercetin, a natural plant-based antihistamine found in onions and apples, as a new favorite among hay fever sufferers. Over-the-counter options like loratadine, cetirizine, nasal sprays, and eye drops remain staples. Combining treatments—say, a tablet in the morning and a spray at night—can help control symptoms more effectively. Pharmacists advise tailoring your plan based on severity, and consulting a professional if symptoms persist or worsen. Read more here
