| | | The four ghosts in Pac-Man are not random. Blinky hunts you directly. Pinky positions herself ahead of where you’re going. Inky runs a complex calculation using both your position and Blinky’s to move unpredictably. And Clyde chases you aggressively until he gets within eight tiles, then panics and wanders off. | A 1980 arcade game gave one of its villains a full anxiety response and commitment issues. Clyde has been having a moment for 45 years and nobody gave him the credit. | What’s in store: | DeepSeek gets the boot from US government. Big Tech discovers money can't buy friendly neighbours. Mindstream Picks: Adobe Lightroom can now fix closed eyes in photos with AI. Get our top 100 prompts for Claude!
| Read Time: 5 minutes |
| |
|
| | | | | DEEPSEEK | | | The US government has ordered most civilian federal agencies to remove AI technology from Chinese company DeepSeek, as competition between the US and China over AI continues to grow. | The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the ban on Monday, although it has been in place since late July. | It covers DeepSeek's AI models and any technology built using them, but does not apply to the Department of Defense. | Here's what else you need to know: | The Trump administration sees China as a major AI competitor, while OpenAI and Anthropic have accused Chinese companies, including DeepSeek, of copying their AI models. DeepSeek previously said it spent around $6 million training its first model, compared with an estimated $100 million for OpenAI's GPT-4, although the figures cover different costs. Companies including Snowflake, Vercel and OpenRouter offer DeepSeek models to customers. Its latest release has also received praise online, especially for coding.
| The world's most geopolitical uninstall | DeepSeek has become a major player in AI since launching publicly in 2025. | Its open-source models are free to access and much cheaper to use than many competing tools, making them popular with developers and businesses. | The ban comes as US officials and AI companies raise concerns about Chinese competition. | However, the DHS has not explained the specific security risks behind its decision. | Please return your charger to reception. -MG | Would you still use DeepSeek after the US government ban? | | Vote for live results and see results + opinions from yesterday at the bottom of the email. |
| |
|
| | | | | AI PROMPTS | | | Most people use Claude like a search engine. That's leaving serious output on the table. This free prompt pack covers seven real work categories — research, data analysis, code review, content, marketing, strategy, and workflow automation — with every prompt labeled by the exact Claude product built to run it. | Get instant access to: | Copy-paste prompts across 7 work categories — ready to deploy right now Plain-English breakdowns of Claude.ai, Claude Code, Claude Cowork, and Claude Design Proven prompting structures that consistently produce stronger, faster output [BRACKET] fields throughout — swap your details and go
| Stop experimenting and start getting results from Claude. | |
| |
|
| | | | Where do you take a sick boat? | Find the answer at the bottom of the email! |
| |
|
| | | | I have a monthly required training for approximately 200 people. I take the lists of who attended virtually (Webex report), who attended in person (attendance record from TMS), and the list of who was required to be there. In seconds it tells me who didn't attend. | | | | Lori, Michigan |
|
| Tell us how you’re using AI! → |
| |
|
| | | | | AI INSURANCE | | | As more US communities push back against AI data centres, one insurance company has spotted a new business opportunity: protecting developers when governments put construction on hold. | New York-based insurer Arbol has launched a new policy that pays developers and investors if government restrictions delay or stop their data centre projects. | Unlike regular insurance, which usually covers physical damage, this policy covers delays caused by government decisions. | The move comes as Big Tech faces growing concerns over how much electricity, water and space its data centres need. | According to Data Center Watch, at least 106 US data centre projects worth around $198 billion were blocked or delayed in the first half of 2026. | In brief: | Developers receive a set payout if government restrictions last longer than an agreed period. Insurance costs depend on the location, available water and electricity, and local government rules. Companies with tens of billions of dollars in planned data centre projects have already shown interest.
| The insurance industry smells blood. And premiums | The insurance is available across the US, although places with existing construction bans aren't covered. | Experts say it could help ease investors' concerns, but offering the policy on a larger scale may prove difficult. | This has big “the job you will do when you’re older doesn’t even exist yet” vibes -MV |
| |
|
| | | | Space: Japan has successfully launched its historic MMX mission towards Mars, aiming to explore the moons Phobos and Deimos and return the first-ever samples from Phobos to Earth.
Business: A US judge has dismissed a sexual abuse lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman after his sister repeatedly failed to attend a court-ordered medical examination, with Altman denying the allegations.
Music: Cyndi Lauper has criticised music industry executives for prioritising profits over creativity, arguing that corporate greed is damaging artistic freedom and New York's once-thriving creative scene. | Don’t Miss: Adobe has added a new AI-powered Open Eyes feature to Lightroom mobile, allowing users to fix photos where someone blinked with a single tap. The tool uses generative AI and reference photos to create natural-looking open eyes, with two free uses before a subscription is required. |
| |
|
| | | | Image of the Day |  | Artwork submitted by Mindstream reader Maureen: “Classic snake game as a PS5 game” |
| Daily Image Prompt | A gigantic futuristic white city |
|
| Submit your artwork to Mindstream → |
| |
|
| | | | “How thoroughly do you read terms and conditions?” | Every word. My lawyer raised me right. - 23% | There are terms and conditions? - 77% ✅ | Your Views: | “Read, that is scan all do not read in detail unless something catches my eyes” - kencoa | “In the banking world, when we changed terms, we generally called out what changed. In credit unions, we typically explained why and how this would affect the end user. Transparency!” - wealthca | “It really depends on why I need to agree. Bottom line, if you want to use a service, you really don't have a choice but to agree.” - rkilroy | Submit your opinions in our polls to be featured! |
| |
|
| Riddle Me This Answer: To the dock-tor! | #1239
Now calm down, Nedily-diddly-diddly-diddly | | | | |
|
