Weekly Tech Recap: Sergey Brin wants you to kidnap your AI and more

As the week unfolded with a barrage of technological news, we’ve gathered the highlights to keep you in the loop. Microsoft has revamped Notepad, introducing exciting new features that allow users to format text in bold and italic styles, as well as support hyperlinks and Markdown. This update is currently available on Notepad Canary and the Dev Channel, with users eagerly awaiting its release for the stable version. The new formatting options are housed in a conveniently placed format tab alongside the traditional File, Edit, and View menus. In another development, WhatsApp has enhanced its Status feature, incorporating interactive elements inspired by Instagram. Users can now enjoy options like image layouts, music integration, photo stickers, and the 'Add Yours' feature for sharing pictures. An intriguing comment from Google co-founder Sergey Brin caught attention this week during an episode of the All-In podcast. Brin suggested that AI models might perform better when subjected to threats, such as the concept of kidnapping or violence. He noted, "It's a strange thing, but not just our models, but all models tend to respond more effectively if you threaten them, as if they are more engaged when faced with physical violence." On the political front, former President Donald Trump's threats of a 25% tariff on iPhones manufactured in India have sparked potential legal repercussions from California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Bonta stated that if any laws are broken, they will be prepared to take appropriate legal action. Lastly, the International Data Corporation (IDC) has revised its global smartphone shipment growth forecast, lowering it from 2.3% to a mere 0.6%. This adjustment comes amid rising uncertainties, tariff fluctuations, and broader economic challenges such as inflation and unemployment. IDC anticipates that growth will remain sluggish in the low single digits for the foreseeable future, projecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.4% from 2024 to 2029 as smartphone penetration increases and the market experiences longer refresh cycles.