Today's Newsletter Highlights:

• The latest AI news we announced in December

• Meta just bought Manus, an AI startup everyone has been talking about

• US approves Samsung, SK Hynix chipmaking tool shipments to China for 2026, sources say

• Best AI Tools

🎇AI NEWS TODAY🎇

A big 2026 starts now

Most people treat this stretch of the year as dead time. But builders like you know it’s actually prime time. And with beehiiv powering your content, world domination is truly in sight.

On beehiiv, you can launch your website in minutes with the AI Web Builder, publish a professional newsletter with ease, and even tap into huge earnings with the beehiiv Ad Network. It’s everything you need to create, grow, and monetize in one place.

In fact, we’re so hyped about what you’ll create, we’re giving you 30% off your first three months with code BIG30. So forget about taking a break. It’s time for a break-through.

Start building for 30% off today.

The latest AI news we announced in December

Google wrapped up 2025 by upgrading key AI features. These improvements aim to boost everyday products and tools for creators and developers. These improvements also focus on verifying and organising information.

🚀 Gemini Enhancements & Speed

Gemini 3 Flash launched as a faster, more efficient version of Google’s leading AI model. It’s now the default in the Gemini app and AI Mode in Google Search. This version combines strong reasoning skills with quick responses at a lower cost.

Gemini 3 Pro and Nano Banana Pro are now accessible to more users. This includes people in the U.S. with higher usage limits. This brings enhanced reasoning and creative capabilities to Search and other interfaces.

AI Verification & Responsible Use

New AI video-verification tools launched in the Gemini app. Users can upload short videos to check if they were created or edited with Google’s AI. This aims to tackle misinformation and improve brand safety with built-in watermarks.

New Productivity & Browsing Experiments

Google introduced Disco, an experiment from Google Labs. It uses GenTabs to turn open browser tabs and chat history into interactive apps. This makes scattered sessions more organised.

🎤 Voice and Translation Upgrades

Gemini audio models got upgrades for smoother voice interactions in AI Studio, Vertex AI, and Search Live.

Google Translate now offers live translation that keeps the speaker's tone and pace. It supports more than 70 languages. This allows real-time multilingual communication on earbuds and devices.

Read more

AI-native CRM

“When I first opened Attio, I instantly got the feeling this was the next generation of CRM.”
— Margaret Shen, Head of GTM at Modal

Attio is the AI-native CRM for modern teams. With automatic enrichment, call intelligence, AI agents, flexible workflows and more, Attio works for any business and only takes minutes to set up.

Join industry leaders like Granola, Taskrabbit, Flatfile and more.

👉Start for free today

Meta just bought Manus, an AI startup everyone has been talking about

Meta Platforms has announced it will acquire Manus, an AI startup from Singapore. Manus is known for its general-purpose autonomous AI agents. This deal, valued at over $2 billion, is one of Meta’s largest AI acquisitions and a key part of its AI strategy.

Key Points:

• Manus builds autonomous AI agents that go beyond chatting. They can perform multi-step tasks independently with minimal guidance. These tasks include research, data analysis, workflow automation, and coding jobs. Its main agent has managed large token volumes and served millions of users and businesses worldwide.

• The company found great success, reaching over $100 million in annual recurring revenue just eight months after launch. This makes it one of the fastest-growing AI startups ever.

Read More

US approves Samsung, SK Hynix chipmaking tool shipments to China for 2026, sources say

Samsung wins U.S. annual approval to ship chipmaking equipment to China

The U.S. government has given Samsung Electronics a yearly licence. Sources say this lets the company bring American chipmaking equipment to its Chinese factories by 2026.

Key points:

• This gives Samsung some temporary relief. Washington ended broader licence waivers, called “validated end-user status,” on 31 December 2025. Now, chipmakers need specific permissions each year. They can't rely on a blanket exemption to send tools to China.

• The same annual licence also applies to SK Hynix, a key memory-chip maker in South Korea. This system replaces the earlier waiver regime. Previously, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSMC got wider exemptions from U.S. export controls on semiconductor equipment going to China.

• China remains a vital production hub for memory chips. This is especially true for those used in AI data-centre infrastructure, where demand is high and supply is limited. This approval allows Samsung and SK Hynix to continue their operations in China. This comes even as the U.S. works to tighten export controls on advanced technology.

  Read More

🎇TOP NEW AI TOOLS🎇

 🔥 Free AI Tools You Shouldn’t Miss 🔥

 🔥 Recall - Chat with everything you’ve read, heard, watched, or noted!

🔥 Finden - AI workspace to unify, automate, and run your business!

🔥 v0.app by Vercel - The AI builder for everyone!

🔥 PopHop - Turn your audience into an active economy!

🔥 Sellinger AI - Autonomous AI LinkedIn Outreach!

Move us from the 'Promotions' to your 'Primary Inbox' and get AI news, tips, and tutorials delivered straight to you. Don't miss your chance to stay on top of the AI industry's latest buzz!