> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://spyglass.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Inklings #028 πŸ“§ - URL: https://spyglass.org/inklings-apples-homehub-a-nimble-apple-spacex-phone-mountdancewarbrodisco-argons-conquest-flight-club/ - Published: 2026-10-02T14:41:33.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-02T19:59:02.000Z - Description: Apple's HomeHub β€’ A Nimble Apple β€’ SpaceX Phone! β€’ MountDanceWarBroDisco! β€’ Argon's Conquest β€’ Flight Club - Author: M.G. Siegler - Tags: inklings, newsletter I'm [still](https://spyglass.org/facepod-ipad-robot-arm/) [not](https://spyglass.org/the-imac-desk-lamp-homepod/) [sure](https://spyglass.org/apples-new-hip-to-be-square-home-device-2/) I quite understand the point of Apple's forthcoming new home device, but I'm also quite sure they wouldn't release it after months – [if not *years*](https://spyglass.org/apple-homepad-delay-siri/) – of delays if they didn't have one. Especially under [a new CEO](https://spyglass.org/john-ternus-the-apple-natural/) seemingly hellbent on creating a leaner, meaner Apple (see below). So instead I'll mostly speculate on other fun things like the name, the cost, and the release date... πŸ”— Questions Around Apple's Would-Be 'HomePod Hub' β€’ Spyglass ****Inklings** is a [newsletter](https://spyglass.org/newsletter/) featuring links and commentary from ****M.G. Siegler** on timely topics found around the web. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ### I Note... **🍎** [**A More Nimble Apple**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-29/apple-s-new-ceo-moves-to-overhaul-company-to-run-faster-and-leaner?ref=spyglass.org) **–** While Apple has had some layoffs here and there over the past few years, the reality is that unlike their Big Tech peers, they haven't done the big shakeup, both post-COVID and now to reorient for the Age of AI. As unfortunate as it is for those losing jobs, this is the most obvious and [natural time](https://spyglass.org/the-ternus-note/) for Apple to do this [with](https://spyglass.org/the-pledge-the-ternus-the-prestige/) John Ternus [taking charge](https://spyglass.org/john-ternus-the-apple-natural/). That said, Apple has never operated like the other Big Tech companies, so the most interesting element will be if they can actually operate at a more nimble cadence, moving away from once or twice-a-year [big launches](https://spyglass.org/google-io-2026/) and more towards constant iteration. The body may well reject such organs! But yeah, you sort of have to try if you truly believe AI is going to fundamentally alter the way business is done. **\[**[**Bloomberg**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-29/apple-s-new-ceo-moves-to-overhaul-company-to-run-faster-and-leaner?ref=spyglass.org) **πŸ”’\]** **πŸ›°οΈ** [**AT&T CEO Scoffs at Notion of SpaceX Phone Service**](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/29/att-ceo-john-stankey-spacex-elon-musk?ref=spyglass.org) **–** Is it viable for Starlink to [build out a network](https://spyglass.org/signal-iphone-ram/#:~:text=%F0%9F%9B%B0%EF%B8%8F%20SpaceX%20Buying%20EchoStar%20Spectrum) and service to [*fully* compete with](https://spyglass.org/apple-starlink-spacex/) the [big players](https://spyglass.org/comcast-nbc-universal-netflix-spacex/) in telecom? I don't know, Elon Musk says [a lot of things](https://spyglass.org/data-centers-in-space-elon-musk/), and [his timetables](https://spyglass.org/teslas-tenuous-timelines/) are always off. But I do know that if I were John Stankey, I probably wouldn't be giving such juicy quotes on the record that can easily come back to bite him in the ass. This space already contains two of the most well-known scoffs in business history – Palm CEO Ed Colligan [dismissing](https://daringfireball.net/2006/11/colligan%5Fhead%5Fstuck?ref=spyglass.org) the notion of the "PC guys" figuring out the smartphone space ahead of the iPhone and Steve Ballmer [laughing off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eywi0h%5FY5%5FU&ref=spyglass.org) the prospect of the iPhone competing with his Windows Mobile strategy – "Nothing beats it" (with regard to the fiber network AT&T is laying) seems like one to keep track of, but there are a few in here. Then again, Stankey is not new to the old foot-in-mouth game – this is the guy who [nearly ran HBO](https://500ish.com/its-not-hbo-it-s-tv-apparently-851c2afd469e?ref=spyglass.org) [into the ground](https://500ish.com/at-t-monkeys-with-hbos-swing-403b3812bf52?ref=spyglass.org) before he was eventually elevated to CEO of all of AT&T and spun out/merged the media properties ([smart move](https://spyglass.org/dispatch-026/#:~:text=%E2%98%8E%EF%B8%8F%20AT%26T%20Gave%20Up%20on%20the%20Media%20Business%2C%20and%20Its%20Stock%20Has%20Surged)) with David Zaslav's Discovery. Which, of course, paved the way for today's [MountDanceWarBroDisco mega merger](https://spyglass.org/paramount-skydances-blockbuster-bid-for-warner-bros-discovery/). **\[**[**Axios**](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/29/att-ceo-john-stankey-spacex-elon-musk?ref=spyglass.org)**\]** **πŸ”οΈ** [**MountDanceWarBroDisco's Musical Merger Chairs**](https://puck.news/the-mike-and-pam-era-at-warner-bros-is-ending/?ref=spyglass.org) **–** Speaking of, Matt Belloni has the latest on who is staying and going, when the deal actually and [finally](https://spyglass.org/netflix-warner-bros-paramount-deal/) closes [next week](https://ir.wbd.com/news-and-events/financial-news/financial-news-details/2026/Paramount-Skydance-and-Warner-Bros--Discovery-Announce-Anticipated-Closing-Date-of-Paramount-Merger/default.aspx?ref=spyglass.org). (One [prediction](https://spyglass.org/10-big-predictions-for-2026/#:~:text=Netflix%20%26%20Warner%20Bros%20fend%20off%20Paramount%20Skydance%20but%20don%27t%20seal%20the%20deal) I will have gotten decidedly *wrong* for 2026.) I cannot wait to hear/see what name and logo they actually choose; [so many options](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/david-ellison-name-paramount-warner-skydance-1236712904/?ref=spyglass.org)! (I would [still advise](https://spyglass.org/paramount-skydance-logo/) to keep it simple and [have Skydance](https://spyglass.org/skydance-paramount-scale/) the overall parent with each studio retaining their names, that's it. Especially if [Skydance keeps buying](https://spyglass.org/skydance-paramount-scale/) up [some other brands](https://spyglass.org/a-decree-for-paramount-to-buy-imax/) down the road...) So many butts, so few seats. [Casey Bloys gets all of streaming](https://www.wsj.com/business/media/ellison-picks-hbo-content-chief-to-run-paramount-warner-streaming-business-db33649c?ref=spyglass.org) (Paramount+ Plus HBO Max – can't wait for that [eventual](https://spyglass.org/its-hbo-max-again/) new name/[brand](https://spyglass.org/hbo-max-logo/) too!) as Cindy Holland seemingly gives her two minutes notice when not picked. Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy are out after following up their [insanely great 2025](https://spyglass.org/warner-bros-wins-one-battle-oscars/) with an insanely awful 2026\. They'll be replaced by another duo, Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg to expand from running Paramount to Warner Bros as well with the comically bad mandate to hit *quantity* targets for film output ([what could possibly go wrong?](https://spyglass.org/paramount-aims-to-lower-the-lowest-bar-on-movie-theaters/)). Mark Thompson staying to run CNN with some sort of assurances that [Bari Weiss won't go near it](https://spyglass.org/signal-financial-funny-business/#:~:text=%F0%9F%93%B0%20Paramount%20Buys%20The%20Free%20Press). Etc. **\[**[**Puck**](https://puck.news/the-mike-and-pam-era-at-warner-bros-is-ending/?ref=spyglass.org) **πŸ”’\]** ****Update:** [Skydance](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/business/media/skydance-paramount-warner-bros.html?ref=spyglass.org)[ it is](https://x.com/ellisonskydance/status/2106006299909505523?ref=spyglass.org)! **πŸ‰** [**Gemini 4 Argon's Conquest?**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-30/google-grapples-with-employee-skepticism-about-new-gemini-model?ref=spyglass.org) **–** That sound you hear around the Gemini 4 'Argon' release is... near silence. Which is weird since it's the first flagship from Google in [nearly](https://spyglass.org/google-deepmind-hassabis-dean-gemini/) a year – after [failing to launch](https://spyglass.org/google-gemini-fiasco/) [3.5 Pro](https://spyglass.org/google-io-2026/). Then again, it's only [in select security preview](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/technology/google-gemini-4-argon-ai-safety.html?ref=spyglass.org) with a few customers. But when Anthropic and OpenAI use that strategy – I mean, [Mythos is *still* in such testing](https://spyglass.org/claude-mythos-quandry/) – there are seemingly endless headlines and talk still about the models. The major headline around Google's new model is that some people internally think it still might not be good enough. Oof. [All Wall Street wants](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/01/google-gemini-4-arrives-as-wall-street-shifts-to-personal-agents.html?ref=spyglass.org) to know is: [where is their Muse answer](https://spyglass.org/why-didnt-google-build-muse/)? One million output tokens [seems wild](https://www.mindstudio.ai/blog/gemini-4-argon-million-token-output?ref=spyglass.org) though! **\[**[**Bloomberg**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-30/google-grapples-with-employee-skepticism-about-new-gemini-model?ref=spyglass.org) **πŸ”’\]** **πŸ‘Š** [**David Fincher Backs Away from Netflix**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-29/david-fincher-to-end-deal-with-netflix-adding-to-string-of-departures?ref=spyglass.org) **–** First and foremost I'm sad that seemingly no headline went with 'Flight Club' here. Second, this does seems like [yet more bad optics for Netflix](https://spyglass.org/netflix-binge-distribution-model/). Not only does it follow The Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, and Noah Baumbach taking their talents elsewhere, Fincher was the OG in working with Netflix, starting with *House of Cards* and continuing on through many projects – including my beloved and missed *Mindhunter*. The upcoming *Cliff Booth* movie may not be his absolute last with Netflix, but it will be his last that's exclusive to them. Interestingly, that movie *is* getting a big theatrical release (thanks [in part](https://spyglass.org/can-barbie-break-netflix/) to *Narnia* [shifting to next Spring](https://spyglass.org/inklings-big-tech-earnings-new-disney-boss-tested-siri-camera-mode-the-ai-button-netflixs-narnia-to-theaters/#:~:text=%F0%9F%A6%81%20Netflix%20Shifts%20Narnia%20to%20Theaters)), so presumably that's not the reason for ending the marriage, but it clearly was with both the Duffers and, to some extent, Levy, as [Ted Sarandos directly confirmed in an interview](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/ted-sarandos-stranger-things-netflix-1236718320/?ref=spyglass.org) this week (though he also [downplayed](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-01/sarandos-says-netflix-not-growing-as-fast-as-i-want?ref=spyglass.org) the idea of it being a trend – yeah, I mean what else would he say?). So yeah, it [sure](https://spyglass.org/netflix-movies-movie-theaters/) [feels](https://spyglass.org/netflix-theatrical/) [like](https://spyglass.org/stranger-things-box-office-netflix/) Netflix may be [on the verge](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/netflix-report-box-office-theatrical-releases-1236854834/?ref=spyglass.org) of doing [a bigger theatrical push](https://spyglass.org/netflix-movie-theaters/), with a literal vengeance. **\[**[**Bloomberg**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-29/david-fincher-to-end-deal-with-netflix-adding-to-string-of-departures?ref=spyglass.org) **πŸ”’\]** ### I Wrote... πŸ”— Where is the 'Where I've Been' Service? β€’ Spyglass πŸ”— As the AI Communication Crisis Mounts, Here's Steve Jobs β€’ Spyglass ### I Quote... > "OpenAI will become the symbol of how Silicon Valley is thoughtlessly stepping into other parts of life and leaving a mess on the carpet." – **Jack Clark**, then OpenAI's policy director, [in a 2020 memo](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/technology/microsoft-openai-publishing-industry.html?ref=spyglass.org) written to Sam Altman and Greg Brockman around the ingesting of news articles to held train their models. Perhaps it shouldn't be too surprising that Clark left the company shortly after that memo to help co-founder Anthropic... The recently unsealed documents that are a part of *The New York Times* lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft are fully of juicy, and seemingly damaging quotes. Regardless, not a great look! ### Thoughts On... πŸ”— Anthropic's Apocalyptic S-1 β€’ Meta Enterprise ### Asides... - With **SoftBank** closing out their investment into **OpenAI's** last round – ahead of the new, would-be round [at $1.4T?](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-29/openai-targets-30-billion-in-new-funding-at-1-4-trillion-value?ref=spyglass.org) – their total investment amount is now just under $65B (which makes Microsoft's $13.8B look quaint), giving them 13% (still [probably half](https://spyglass.org/the-openai-microsoft-agi-clause/) Microsoft's ownership). **\[**[**Information**](https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/exclusive-nvidia-softbank-make-final-20-billion-investment-openais-last-round?ref=spyglass.org) **πŸ”’\]** - **Amazon**, [Cloudflare](https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/10/01/cloudflare-tries-to-outplay-jev-with-open-weight-clef-models/5300649?ref=spyglass.org), [NVIDIA and Stanford](https://venturebeat.com/technology/stanford-and-nvidias-open-clm-8b-caches-reusable-agent-actions-and-runs-up-to-9x-faster-than-jev-in-tests?ref=spyglass.org) all wasting no time coming for **Jev**. How long until Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, etc join the parade? **\[**[**VentureBeat**](https://venturebeat.com/technology/amazon-unveils-a-free-fast-open-source-jev-killer-strands-decider-2b-makes-decisions-in-fractions-of-a-second?ref=spyglass.org)**\]** - **DeepSeek** and **Huawei** are coming for **CUDA**. **\[**[**Reuters**](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/deepseek-partners-with-huawei-develop-chip-programming-tools-reducing-reliance-2026-09-30/?ref=spyglass.org)**\]** - Lest you think **OpenAI** no longer cares about **consumers** with the launch of the [cute but enterprising Dots](https://spyglass.org/openai-dots-chatgpt-ai-assistant/), here's a feature to try on clothes with ChatGPT. **\[**[**TechCrunch**](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/01/chatgpt-can-now-virtually-try-on-clothes-for-you/?ref=spyglass.org)**\]** - **Apple** may make a **Whoop** competitor. They should, along with an Oura competitor too. (Luckily that rumor didn't pop-up [again](https://spyglass.org/apple-rings-and-glasses/) lest it derail the smart ring's IPO, [oh wait](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-29/some-oura-ipo-investors-were-said-to-push-back-citing-valuation?ref=spyglass.org)...) New, nimble Apple can have more options. **\[**[**Bloomberg**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-22/apple-is-developing-new-fitness-tracker-aimed-at-rivaling-whoop?ref=spyglass.org) **πŸ”’\]** - That [clever matte screen](https://spyglass.org/iphone-duo-event/) that helps hide the **iPhone Duo** crease is actually a **nano-texture layer** be fairly easy (and cheap?!) to **replace**. That doesn't feel like an accident! Let the accidents commence! **\[**[**MacRumors**](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/01/iphone-duo-cover-layer-is-replaceable/?ref=spyglass.org)**\]** - Would you like to own a piece of the **NVIDIA chips** that **Amazon** bought for their data centers? Soon, you may be able to via an **SPV** the company is setting up to *back into* a GPU-based financing model. These weird financial times continue. **\[**[**FT**](https://www.ft.com/content/97d8d346-519e-48fb-8df8-66cf5f12ef62?syn-25a6b1a6=1&ref=spyglass.org) **πŸ”’\]** - With **Googlebook OS** now out there, [it didn't seem like](https://spyglass.org/googlebook-android/) **ChromeOS** would be long for this world. Now we have a date of death: **2034** (it should be dead well before then, but that's when support will stop). **\[**[**Tom's Hardware**](https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/google-confirms-chromeos-phase-out-in-2034-10-year-support-lifetime-cut-short-for-some-devices-company-says-it-will-support-transition-to-googlebook-os?ref=spyglass.org)**\]** - Speaking of Paramount movies, **Bradley Cooper** is **G.I. Joe**! Well, technically he's Duke (since the 80s, *G.I. Joe* has been the name of the unit). Far more interesting is the **Danny McBride** creative angle on this – the previous attempts were all [mediocre](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/gi-joe-retaliation/?ref=spyglass.org)\-to-[bad](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/gi-joe-the-rise-of-cobra/?ref=spyglass.org) generic [action movies](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/snake-eyes-gi-joe-origins/?ref=spyglass.org), can this be the *actual* next *Barbie* ([sorry, He-Man](https://spyglass.org/masters-of-the-universe-streaming-success/))? **\[**[**THR**](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/bradley-cooper-g-i-joe-movie-paramount-danny-mcbride-1236720404/?ref=spyglass.org)**\]** - Speaking of Warner Bros movies, we have a date and a director to go with the name (**Aegon’s Conquest**) for the *Game of Thrones* movie: **Owen Harris** (most notably, several episodes of the [awesome](https://thoughts.spyglass.org/p/the-awkward-key-to-ai-going-forward?utm%5Fsource=post-email-title&publication%5Fid=4805853&post%5Fid=188635789&utm%5Fcampaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=bvcu&triedRedirect=true) *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*) will target a **June 1, 2029** release. Beau Willimon (most notably of *Andor* acclaim) [is writing](https://spyglass.org/dossier-005-jensen-roars/#:~:text=Aegon%27s%20Conquest%2C%20aka%20Game%20of%20Thrones%2C%20the%20movie%2C%20has%20a%20writer%20from%20Andor%20%28who%20was%20the%20showrunner%20of%20House%20of%20Cards%29%20writing...%20%5BVariety%5D). **\[**[**THR**](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/game-of-thrones-movie-aegons-conquest-warner-bros-release-1236714525/?ref=spyglass.org)**\]** ### I Spy... AI tells me that this picture that can't possibly be real [by *Reuters* reports Edmund Lee](https://x.com/edmundlee/status/2105752703922024471?ref=spyglass.org) is real. And [AI never lies](https://spyglass.org/the-age-of-ultracrepidarians/) so... Also, how long until 'ChatGPT for Lovers'? [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/ca/afcaa655-46e2-45b8-889a-2881de5cce69/content/images/2026/10/HTki618XYAAorX3-1-2.jpg)](https://x.com/edmundlee/status/2105752703922024471?ref=spyglass.org) 🎢 Listening to [****"To Whom It May Concern" by A Perfect Circle**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gvOSUZGXdo&ref=spyglass.org) 🍺 Enjoying a [****Mad Squirrel Sumo APA**](https://madsquirrelbrew.co.uk/blogs/news-our-beers/sumo?srsltid=AU7gw4Upg68kiY7jH1VF5a8K3Op4ZdLAeFk0rGRkDn476PE3ahLHw-DN&ref=spyglass.org) πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Sent from ****London, England**