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👋 Good Morning. OpenAI’s first hardware device might be a pocket AI assistant. Alexa’s already gotten a brain upgrade. And missile launches in the Middle East just tested market nerves.

Let’s unpack what actually matters today.

(As always, send tips or cool tools—I'm all ears.)

What’s Merging Today:
• 🧠 OpenAI’s mysterious “io” AI device
• 🗣️ Alexa+ passes 1M users
• 🌍 Iran fires missiles at U.S. base in Qatar
• 🛠️ New AI tools to analyze, automate, and scale you

MERGE MINDBLOWERS

🌳 There’s a tree that can literally suck your blood
The vampire tree in the Philippines (Jatropha curcas) produces sap that attracts and feeds off insects—and some believe it can draw small amounts of blood from animals through cuts.

🧠 The human brain processes images faster than Google’s AI
You can recognize a familiar face in just 13 milliseconds—faster than most image recognition systems can respond.

🪐 Uranus spins on its side
Unlike any other planet, Uranus rotates at a 98° tilt, essentially rolling through space. It gets 42 years of day, followed by 42 years of night on each pole.

🐌 There’s a species of snail that can survive being digested by a bird
Eremina desertorum can pass entirely through a bird’s gut and live to crawl another day.

🧊 Water can boil and freeze at the same time
Called the triple point, it happens under the right temperature and pressure—proof that physics is magic in disguise.

TODAY IN AI

OpenAI’s secret “io” device is real

New court filings reveal that OpenAI’s hardware division—powered by the acquisition of Jony Ive’s team—is working on a non-wearable AI device scheduled for release in 2026. Despite early prototypes involving earbuds and headgear, the actual product will likely be a standalone AI assistant meant for the pocket, desk, or home.

Internal discussions suggest it will combine natural language, ambient sensors, and constant LLM access, positioning it somewhere between an iPhone replacement and a personal AI concierge.

Legal filings also detail OpenAI’s effort to secure the trademark “io,” which it’s currently battling over with an unrelated startup.

Why it matters: This isn’t a knockoff Humane pin or Rabbit AI toy. With Jony Ive’s industrial design, Microsoft’s cloud, and OpenAI’s core models behind it, the “io” device could redefine how people interact with digital assistants—without ever touching a screen.

TODAY IN TECH

Alexa+ hits 1M users

Amazon’s Gen-AI powered Alexa upgrade—Alexa+—is now in the hands (or homes) of more than 1 million early users. The premium voice assistant offers significantly more humanlike conversations, better memory, real-time smart home control, and productivity skills like summarizing emails and setting multistep reminders.

Available free for Prime members (and $19.99/month for everyone else), Alexa+ is Amazon’s answer to ChatGPT Voice, Gemini Live, and Apple Intelligence—just inside a device you already own.

Amazon is also testing custom personalities, where Alexa can reflect user tone or respond in the voice of favorite creators or celebrities (with opt-in permission).

Why it matters: Amazon doesn’t want to be left behind in the LLM race. And it might already have the edge: Echo devices are in 500M homes worldwide. A smarter, more natural Alexa could become the go-to AI layer for casual users, without needing to install a new app or switch platforms.

TODAY IN BUSINESS

Iran strikes U.S. base in Qatar

On June 23, Iran launched 14 missiles at the Al-Udeid U.S. airbase in Qatar in response to American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Most missiles were intercepted by U.S. and Qatari defense systems. No casualties were reported.

The incident is the latest escalation in a series of proxy moves between Iran, Israel, and U.S. forces across the region. In a press appearance, former President Trump called the attack “very weak,” while Biden’s administration has not commented on further retaliation.

Brent crude briefly jumped above $84/barrel but retraced after initial panic cooled. Wall Street indexes closed slightly down, reflecting investor uncertainty, not full-blown panic.

Why it matters: Markets are trying to price geopolitical flashpoints into an already fragile macro environment. A full-blown regional conflict could shock oil, inflation, and global trade—while investors also weigh the Fed’s next move and incoming AI infrastructure plays.

MERGE TOOLS

AI tools worth your time

🔥 Blaze.ai 
Generate high-converting marketing copy in seconds—blogs, ads, emails, you name it.

🎞️ CapCut 
Edit viral videos fast with templates, captions, and AI effects—even if you’ve never touched Premiere.

✍️ SEOWritingAI 
Long-form blog content that ranks on Google, written and optimized by AI.

🎨 Pikzels 
Create scroll-stopping images, carousels, and social content in minutes—no design skills required.

📬 Beehiiv 
Launch and grow your newsletter like a pro.
→ Your audience gets a 30-day free trial + 20% OFF for 3 months.

🛠️ Want More? Check out our Top 50 AI Tools.

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WHAT ELSE IS MERGING

Beyond the feed

🗣️ ElevenLabs launches “11AI”—your voice across everything
Their new platform lets creators clone, manage, and deploy their AI voice across audiobooks, ads, podcasts, and more.
Read more →

👁️ Reddit may test iris-scanning “orb” from Sam Altman’s Worldcoin
The social giant is in talks to pilot Worldcoin’s controversial biometric verification tool to fight bots.
Read more →

🎬 Disney is fighting to protect Darth Vader from AI clones
Lucasfilm is lobbying hard to limit AI-generated voice clones from replicating legacy characters without studio permission.
Read more →

🛰️ China’s DeepSeek reportedly helped the military dodge U.S. chip bans
A new report says DeepSeek, one of China’s top LLM developers, assisted in routing compute resources to state-linked entities.
Read more →

🎹 Google launches Magenta Studio Realtime for live music generation
This new browser-based AI tool lets you compose and manipulate melodies in real-time using your keyboard.
Read more →

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Until next time,

Matt & The Morning Merge team.