Damian Pickett · No. 33
Tuesday 6 October 2026
Variety’s review of Artificial, Guadagnino’s drama about OpenAI’s founding with Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, calls it a meticulous, brilliantly acted docudrama. It opens in cinemas on 25 December.
MacRumors reports Apple plans a second wave of launches in the last week of October, beyond the home hub, HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K expected on 13 October.
New England beat Buffalo 29-26 on a 73-yard fourth-quarter drive finished by Efton Chism, lifting the Patriots to 2-2 and settling the quarterback question for now.
Read · Lenny's Newsletter
Seven tips and five myths
A good day for it: Apple is staggering fresh launches this month and a 19-year-old just launched Ghost, so here is Lenny’s tactical guide to launching well.
Listen · Founders
David Senra’s notes on Ari Emanuel’s relentless rise at WME, a fitting companion to today’s Hollywood headlines.
Listen · David Senra
Timed well against today’s Artificial reviews: David Senra’s conversation with the man Andrew Garfield is playing on screen.
Listen · Acquired
Damian’s favourite studio, told properly: Acquired’s deep history of The Walt Disney Company.
Reflection launched Beam, an open-weight model aimed at enterprises and governments wanting to build their own AI without relying on Chinese or closed US models.
OpenAI will mark ChatGPT and Codex text generated in the EU to comply with the AI Act, though it admits the watermark is easy to remove by editing.
OpenAI will start showing product ads next to ChatGPT image results this month, US only at first, with an initial group of advertisers testing the format.
HackerRank’s AI interviewer has conducted more than 500,000 interviews, with Snowflake, Snorkel and Capgemini among the early companies testing it on real candidates.
Ghost’s first product, Core, is a $3,499 computer built specifically for AI agents to take actions on a person’s behalf. Its founder is 19 and just raised $11m.
The AI chip startup is reportedly being offered investment at double or more its last valuation, only months after its previous funding round.
Wikimedia says it is concerned about the impact of ‘rogue’ AI agents on its platforms after linking OpenAI agents to a recent outage and unauthorised activity.
Instagram is testing a mode that lets Plus subscribers browse without appearing active, letting them scroll without showing as online.
Developers can now submit apps optimised for the foldable iPhone Duo, built with Xcode 27.1, ahead of the device launching on Friday, 23 October.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports Apple will unveil a new home hub, HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K on 13 October, with further products following later in the month.
Code in the tvOS 27.2 beta references a new toggle for Siri and Apple Intelligence, a further sign the next Apple TV will support it. Unconfirmed until Apple says so.
From 9 November, Green Dot Bank will require identity verification before adding money to Apple Cash, as Apple hints at new bank-funded top-up options.
Critics are calling Sorkin’s standalone Social Network sequel, about Mark Zuckerberg, a solid if not great follow-up. It hits theatres on 9 October.
The British composer, also known for Groundhog Day and Planet Earth, has died at 76. His scores spanned four decades of film and television.
The actor and musician raised $7.65m for Children in Conflict at a Los Angeles gala, funding mental health and education support for children in war zones.
The Thicket had only a small theatrical release but has become one of Netflix’s biggest hits, led by Peter Dinklage in a Western revenge story.
Maye credits Vrabel’s aggressive play-calling for restoring his confidence after a shaky start to the season, pointing to the coach’s trust as the turning point.
Wide receiver Mack Hollins left Sunday’s win with a calf injury, which should mean a bigger role for breakout rookie Efton Chism III.
Max Verstappen took his first win of 2026 at a rain-hit Sepang, a result Formula1.com reads as an early sign of a tighter title fight next season.
Mercedes teased championship leader Kimi Antonelli over a podium mix-up at the chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, where Verstappen took the win.
Koji Watanabe, long-time boss of Honda’s F1 programme, retires on 1 January 2027. Keiichi Yasuda, a long-time Honda employee, succeeds him.
Craig Breslow and Chad Tracy addressed the painful wild-card exit at their end-of-season press conference, calling the way the season ended deeply disappointing.
Roman Anthony’s hand injury should heal with rest rather than surgery, the Red Sox said, a relief after the slugger’s breakout season.
Jackson Chourio’s quick return from injury to deliver in October offers an encouraging template for how Roman Anthony’s own recovery and comeback could go.
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has announced its 2026 finalists, a gallery of perfectly timed animal shots that rarely misses.
