Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
An initial report identified what caused deadly turbulence on last week’s Singapore Airlines flight. Rapid changes in gravity were at fault in the incident, which happened on an older-model Boeing 747-300, and injured 104 passengers and left one dead.
Apple’s App Store sales aren’t tanking under Europe’s tough new rules. The company was forced to make major changes to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act, but one analyst isn’t seeing any big changes to revenue.
American Airlines stock tumbled after it lowered its profit expectations. That sent investors on a selling spree. The airline also got hit with a lawsuit that accused it of kicking Black passengers off a flight over “body odor” complaints.
Walgreens slashed prices on more than 1,000 items. The bargain battle is gaining another player as the retailer joins others in offering customers discounts on prices this summer.
A Nivida-backed AI stock is on a tear almost as strong as Nvidia. SoundHound AI is feeling the rush, just as Nvidia closes in on the world’s second-highest market cap — which would dethrone Apple. But Apple may have something up its sleeve (more on that below).
Ring the IntelliPhone
Apple helped popularize smartphones. Now it’s going to push the world into the next era of telecommunications, this one characterized by a new type of device: AI-powered “IntelliPhones,” according to senior Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan.
Apple has been quiet on AI but is expected to debut AI tools in its next big mobile software update, iOS 18, during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in mid-June. The release marks a step towards what Mohan calls an “IntelliPhone” — a device that offers everything from virtual and augmented reality experiences to AI-generated personal assistance.
“While we do not expect all these features at WWDC, we do expect a pathway for the IntelliPhones to become mainstream especially as conversational AI gets more integrated into daily use along with the backend of AI agents,” said Mohan.
One big number: 560 million
Customers allegedly affected by a Ticketmaster data breach, according to hackers
The group, called ShinyHunters, said it obtained data from the ticket seller and its parent, Live Nation, that spans customers’ names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, and order details. Their ransom? Reportedly $500 million.
More from Quartz
🚗 A $25,000 Jeep EV is coming to the U.S. ‘very soon,” Stellantis boss says
🚔 Man who allegedly stole $6 billion in COVID relief was arrested
🌿 A ‘green steel’ startup has raised more than $300 million to make steel from electricity
💣 Boeing got a $7.5 billion U.S. military contract for ‘smart’ bombs…
🚀 … and it’s not letting gas leaks stop it from launching the Starliner
🤖 AI is so good at predicting company results that it can beat some analysts, researchers claim
Surprising discoveries
Invasive wild pigs from Canada are coming to the U.S. The feral swine may make for good memes, but they also are quite terrorizing.
A Chinese spaceplane put a mystery object into orbit. The U.S. Air Force has an eye on whatever was deployed.
More than 6 million cars in the U.S. still have dangerous Takata airbags, according to Carfax. Agencies have spent 10 years trying to replace all the defective bags.
The first doctors to treat cancer were ancient Egyptians. Old skulls show where surgery was used around the tumors.
There’s a contest in Seoul for humans to get to the lowest resting heart rate. Wet yoga mats and blank stares are involved.
Did you know we have two premium weekend emails, too? One gives you analysis on the week’s news, and one provides the best reads from Quartz and elsewhere to get your week started right. Become a member or give membership as a gift!
Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, feral swine solutions, and dry yoga mats to talk@qz.com. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner.