Sapere Aude || The Quizarc Newsletter. Vol 6
Sixth edition of Quizarc's "week in review" newsletter
This is Business!
⛏️ Minecraft is coming to the real world via a partnership with UK-based Merlin Entertainments.
Quizarc Insight
Minecraft is the No. 2 bestselling video game of all time, with 300m+ copies sold, beaten only by “Tetris” with 520m copies sold.
🐲 Niantic is using user data to produce a large geospatial model.
Quizarc Insight
Nicantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, is creating an AI model that can navigate the real world, using the geospatial data it has collected from millions of Pokémon hunters
⚖️ US indicts Adani over bribery allegations.
Quizarc Insight
Billionaire Gautam Adani and other executives allegedly paid more than $250 million in bribes to obtain solar energy supply contracts with New Delhi, ultimately raising capital on false statements. The indictment came just weeks after the Adani Group pledged to invest $10 billion in US energy and infrastructure projects.
🧄 Satirical website “The Onion” acquired Alex Jones’s InfoWars in auction.
Quizarc Insight
The auction sale came as the result of a 2022 ruling that found Jones liable for nearly $1.5bn in damages for defaming the families of the victims of a mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, by calling the attack a hoax.
🍌 Elon Musk's SpaceX launched its mega rocket, Starship, on its sixth test flight with a banana as its cargo.
Quizarc Insight
Starship is the latest project in SpaceX's reusable launch system development program and plan to colonize Mars.
🚀 SpaceX successfully launched the ISRO’s GSAT-N2 communication satellite from Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Quizarc Insight
This launch, carried aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, marks the first commercial collaboration between ISRO and SpaceX.
֎ Amazon invests additional $4B in OpenAI rival Anthropic.
Quizarc Insight
Anthropic is known for its AI-powered text-generating chatbot Claude 2. Anthropic recently revealed a new model of Claude that can perform a range of computer tasks on behalf of a person.
🫰🏻 Prime Video launches Channel K, new add-on subscription for Korean entertainment in India.
Quizarc Insight
Hallyu, meaning Korean Wave, is a Chinese term that refers to the global popularity of South Korean culture
📱 LG announced world's first stretchable display.
Quizarc Insight
LG stands for Lucky-Goldstar and not Life’s Good which is a marketing slogan.
🌊 Prasar Bharati launched OTT platform 'Waves' at the 55th International Film Festival of India.
Quizarc Insight
Prasar Bharati is India’s state-owned public broadcaster which comprises of Doordarshan and Akashvani. It is a statutory autonomous body set up by an Act of Parliament.
📺 Comcast bundled most of its cable channels into a new publicly traded company, “SpinCo”.
Quizarc Insight
SpinCo will include channels CNBC, MSNBC, E!, Syfy, Golf Channel, USA, and Oxygen, as well as the ticketing site Fandango, and review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, Comcast will retain Bravo, NBC properties, Telemundo, its film and TV studios, theme parks, and most importantly, the streaming service Peacock.
🏭 Tata Electronics has acquired a 60% stake in Pegatron’s iPhone plant in Tamil Nadu, strengthening Tata’s role as a major Apple supplier.
Quizarc Insight
Foxconn is the largest manufacturer of iPhones in the world, producing about two out of every three iPhones.
🤝 DPIIT has approved the ₹10,000-crore acquisition of Reliance Capital by IndusInd International Holdings, backed by the Hinduja Group.
Quizarc Insight
This acquisition helps resolve RCAP's ₹40,000-crore liabilities and moves the troubled financial entity closer to finalizing the deal.
🛵 Zepto launches 'Jarvis', an ad service for brands and sellers.
Quizarc Insight
In the Marvel universe J.A.R.V.I.S. stands for Just a Rather Very Intelligent System.
♫ Tips Music partners with TikTok to expand global reach of Indian music.
Quizarc Insight
Tips Music was founded by Kumar S. Taurani and Ramesh S. Taurani in 1975.
🌌 NASA and Microsoft have partnered to develop "Earth Copilot," an AI-powered chatbot designed to simplify access to NASA's vast geospatial data.
Quizarc Insight
By utilizing Microsoft’s Azure cloud and advanced AI, Earth Copilot enables users to interact with complex Earth Science data through simple, plain-language queries.
🏎️ General Motors joined Formula 1 as its 11th team beginning in 2026 under GM's Cadillac brand.
Quizarc Insight
Cadillac was named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac (1658–1730), who founded Detroit, Michigan.
🤖 Chipmaker Nvidia debuts Fugatto, an AI model that creates audio from text prompts and can modify existing songs.
Quizarc Insight
Fugatto is short for Foundational Generative Audio Transformer Opus 1, hailed by Nvidia as a "Swiss Army knife for sound."
🪟 Microsoft announced that Teams users will soon be able to clone their voices so they can speak in different languages during meetings.
Quizarc Insight
In 2019, Microsoft phased out Skype for Business in favor of Teams.
🥪 Blackstone is buying Jersey Mike’s Subs in a deal that values the sandwich chain at ~$8B.
Quizarc Insight
It’s Blackstone’s latest food franchise move, following investments in 7 Brew Coffee and Tropical Smoothie Cafe
👴🏻 NPCI revives R.K. Laxman’s Common Man to promote digital payment safety.
Quizarc Insight
The Common Man was the mascot for the now defunct low budget airline Air Deccan.
🥗 Zomato founder wants Chief of Staff: No salary, pay Rs 20 lakh instead.
Quizarc Insight
Deepinder Goyal later announced that the fee requirement was no longer part of the plan and was a part of screening criteria.
⌚ Tech Burner and Neel Gogia launch smartwatch brand Anarc.
Quizarc Insight
Shlok Srivastava, aka Tech Burner said that within the first 24 hours, Anarc generated over Rs 4 crore in sales.
✈️ Spirit Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, marking the first major US airline bankruptcy in over a decade.
Quizarc Insight
The move follows a failed merger attempt with JetBlue Airways, which a federal judge blocked in January on antitrust grounds.
🫙 Wahter has launched Shot by Wahter, a bottled water designed for Gen Z.
Quizarc Insight
The product serves as an advertising platform with customizable label space, allowing brands to connect with young audiences.
🧠 Meta has begun allowing military use of its artificial intelligence model Llama.
Quizarc Insight
Llama stands for Large Language Model Meta AI
🖥️ Streambox Media launched a new line of TVs called Dor with subscription-based OS in India.
Quizarc Insight
Backed by Micromax, Streambox Media also counts Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath and Stride Ventures as investors. Anuj Gandhi is the co-founder and CEO of Streambox Media.
🎩 Indian billionaire and Essar Group co-founder Shashi Ruia passed away at 81.
Quizarc Insight
Alongside his brother Ravi, he established Essar and played a key role in crafting its strategy, growth, and diversification.
🛍️ Milan’s Via Monte Napoleone beat out New York’s Fifth Avenue as the most expensive shopping street for the first time with rents jumping to $2k+ per square foot.
Quizarc Insight
Delhi's Khan Market holds its spot as the 22nd most expensive retail location globally, with annual rents at $229 (Rs 19,330) per sq ft.
MELA
🖼️ René Magritte’s painting “Empire of Light” sells for record $121 million.
The paintings inspired a scene in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist, which was also used on the film's posters.
🎨 The National Gallery of Ancient Art unveils Caravaggio’s Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini publicly for the first time.
Quizarc Insight
Caravaggio's innovations inspired Baroque painting which was marked by exuberant detail, deep color and grandeur.
🎤 Rapper Drake accused Universal Music Group and Spotify of conspiring to artificially inflate the streaming numbers for Kendrick Lamar's diss track song "Not Like Us".
Quizarc Insight
"Not Like Us" received five nominations at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, including for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
📕 Barbara Taylor Bradford, romance novelist best known for "A Woman of Substance," died at age of 91.
Quizarc Insight
Ten of Bradford's books were made into television mini-series and TV movies, produced by her husband Robert E. Bradford.
🪩 A soundscape created by Icelandic pop star and climate activist Björk blends the sounds of extinct and endangered animals with the singer’s voice.
Quizarc Insight
Regarded as the "Queen of Experimental Pop," Björk is one of the most influential pioneers in electronic and experimental music.
🎬 Maharaja set to be the 1st Indian film to release in China after agreement to resolve the standoff along LAC.
Quizarc Insight
Maharaja was tentatively titled VJS50 as it was Vijay Sethupathi's 50th film as a lead actor.
🌙 The viral duct-taped banana art piece “Comedian” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan sold for $6.24 million at a Sotheby’s auction.
Quizarc Insight
It was purchased by crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, the founder of TRON.
🕺 Ranveer Singh launched SuperYou, a protein food and supplements brand.
Quizarc Insight
Ranveer Singh is a co-owner of Bold Care, a men's sexual health and wellness brand
🎥 Rakesh Roshan announced his retirement from directing films.
Quizarc Insight
Rakesh set up his production company Filmkraft in 1980 and their first production was Aap Ke Deewane. Khudgarz in 1987 was his directorial debut.
🍿 Beyoncé to Perform at halftime during NFL Christmas Gameday live on Netflix.
Quizarc Insight
Taking place in Beyonce's hometown, the Houston Texans will host the Baltimore Ravens in the matchup.
🎹 AR Rahman and Saira announced their separation after 29 years of marriage.
Quizarc Insight
Rahman, originally named AS Dileep Kumar, converted to Islam at the age of 23.
🕷 Tom Holland launched non-alcoholic beer brand Bero.
Quizarc Insight
Holland joins the ranks of Kylie Minogue with her No Alcohol Sparkling Rosé that mirrors her supremely popular alcoholic Prosecco Rosé.
🔫 Alec Baldwin’s Rust premiered at a film festival in Poland and included a dedication to Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was fatally shot on the set in 2021.
Quizarc Insight
Hutchins was accidentally killed when a live round was discharged from a prop revolver that Baldwin was using.
It’s in the game!
🏏 Tilak Varma became the first batter to score three consecutive T20 centuries.
Quizarc Insight
His first two centuries came against South Africa and the third against Meghalaya in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
🏏 Bhuvneshwar Kumar became the first Indian fast bowler to reach the milestone of 300 wickets in T20 cricket.
Quizarc Insight
Only spinners Yuzvendra Chahal (354), Piyush Chawla (314) and R Ashwin (310) have picked up more wickets than Bhuvneshwar in the T20 format among Indians.
🏏 Urvil Patel hits fastest T20 century by an Indian.
Quizarc Insight
The Gujarat opener smashed a 28-ball century during a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Tripura.
The record for the fastest ever T20 hundred belongs to Sahil Chauhan of Estonia, who got there in 27 balls against Cyprus.
🏏 Yashasvi Jaiswal broke the record for most sixes in Tests in a calendar year.
Quizarc Insight
He scored his 34th six against Nathan Lyon, eclipsing the previous record of 33 scored by Brendon McCullum in 2014.
🏏 Vaibhav Suryavanshi at 13 years 8 months, became the youngest cricketer ever to be picked by an IPL franchise.
Quizarc Insight
He was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for ₹ 1.10 Crores.
♟️ Magnus Carlsen is missing the world Chess championship and starting his own chess venture!
Quizarc Insight
Carlsen has received $12 million in VC backing for his startup, Freestyle Chess, whose matches will use the Fischer Random chess variant, which gives players 960 possible starting positions for pieces along the back row.
🏈 Los Angeles Dodgers hitter Shohei Ohtani and New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge were named MVP of the National League and the American League, respectively.
Quizarc Insight
Former Colts and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has won the most NFL MVPs in history with five awards.
🏆 FIFA has unveiled the 2025 Club World Cup trophy, designed in collaboration with Tiffany & Co.
Quizarc Insight
The golden trophy features a 24-carat gold-plated finish with intricate engravings, drawing inspiration from NASA's Voyager missions, the periodic table, and astronomical maps.
🔴 Jhulan Goswami will be honored with a stand named after her at the Eden Gardens, making her the first woman cricketer to receive such recognition.
Quizarc Insight
With 255 wickets, she holds the record for taking the most number of wickets in Women's ODIs.
🏅 Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia was suspended for 4 years by NADA for violation of antidoping code.
Quizarc Insight
Bajrang recently joined Congress alongside fellow wrestler Vinesh Phogat and assumed leadership of All India Kisan Congress
⚽︎ Lewandowski becomes third player after Messi and Ronaldo to score 100 Champions League goals.
Quizarc Insight
Lewandowski trails the 129 goals of Messi and the 140 of Ronaldo.
📺 Sony secured Asia Cup media rights at base price of $170 million.
Quizarc Insight
In the previous rights cycle (2016-23), Star India had picked up the media rights for the Asia Cup for $100 million.
General
⚛ Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity was tested at the largest scale ever.
Quizarc Insight
Relativity theory predicts how objects will move under gravity. New research looked at how millions of galaxies have clustered over 11 billion years, looking for any anomaly that could be better explained by an alternative gravitational theory. But as always, Einstein’s predictions were proved right.
📏 Jyoti Amge, the world's shortest woman living, and Rumeysa Gelgi, the world's tallest woman living, met for the first time.
Quizarc Insight
Rumeysa Gelgi is 7 feet, or 2.13m, and Jyoti Amge is 2 feet tall.
🎓 Donald Trump has named Linda McMahon as the next education secretary.
Quizarc Insight
Linda and her husband Vince McMahon built World Wrestling Entertainment.
🏅 Narendra Modi was conferred with the highest national honors of Guyana and Dominica.
Quizarc Insight
He also became the second foreign leader after Queen Elizabeth to receive Nigeria's Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), the country’s second-highest honor.
🌝 NASA begins stacking the first stage of the Artemis II Space Launch System.
Quizarc Insight
This mission is the second step in returning humans to the moon, target launch window is late 2025.
The mission is named after Greek goddess of the hunt, the wilderness and nature, who was later identified with Selene, the personification of the Moon.
👽 Oldest direct evidence of hot water activity on Mars found.
Quizarc Insight
Scientists have discovered that a 4.45-billion-year-old zircon grain from a Martian meteorite called Black Beauty which was found in the Sahara Desert in 2011, indicates hot water once existed on Mars.
📙 Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year is "manifest."
Quizarc Insight
Dictionary.com word of year is Demure, which was popularized by TikToker Jools Lebron.
👨The small village of Dhudmaras in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district has been selected by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for its Best Tourism Village Upgrade programme.
Quizarc Insight
UNWTO is headquartered in Madrid, Spain and has 160 member nations.
🏛️ India’s first Constitution Museum was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat.
Quizarc Insight
Painter Nandalal Bose along with his students illustrated the Constitution of India.
🐦 Japan has been announced as the official partner country for the 25th Hornbill Festival in Nagaland, joining Wales as a confirmed partner.
Quizarc Insight
The festival is named after the hornbill, the large and colorful forest bird which is displayed in the folklore of most of the state's ethnic groups.
📜 Assam government renamed Karimganj district to Sribhumi.
Quizarc Insight
During a visit to Karimganj more than 100 years ago, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore had described it as Sribhumi.
💪STRONG, a new computational language was developed by researchers at the IISc for encoding the shape and structure of nanopores.
Quizarc Insight
STRONG stands for STring Representation Of Nanopore Geometry.
📜 ️Archeologists have discovered what may be the world’s oldest example of writing using an alphabet in northern Syria.
Quizarc Insight
Previously, researchers thought the first alphabet emerged in what is now Egypt around 1900 BCE, but this discovery may push the timeline back at least 500 years. The four-centimeter piece of clay appears to have functioned as a gift tag for goods and is inscribed with the word “silanu,” — which could be the sender or the recipient’s name.
Brand in focus
🛒Macy’s
🦃 Macy's 100th Thanksgiving parade marches on despite the rain.
Macy's is an American department store chain founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It has conducted the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City since 1924 and was originally intended to promote Macy’s upcoming holiday sales. Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s beagle, holds the record for the most frequent character balloon in the parade’s history, totaling 42 appearances.
Ad in focus
📱 Samsung
Samsung has reimagined Kuala Lumpur's TRX Samsung Galaxy station by transforming ordinary metro seats into interactive showcases for its latest Galaxy Z Fold6.
Pop culture recommendation
🎙️ Stuff You Should Know podcast
This is a lighthearted podcast in which the two hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant talk about one interesting topic in each episode. The topics encompass almost everything under the sun, from Tetris to ADHD!
Bonus: How is Thala Dhoni related to two historical figures? Head over to Quizarc’s Insta page to crack the code!
And that’s a wrap for this edition of Quizarc’s Sapere Aude newsletter. Let us know about your opinions about it in the comments or by emailing at query@quizarc.com.
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