Morning Brief

1. Micron shuts down Crucial consumer business
2. Apple’s head of interface design Alan Dye resigns
3. Dyson releases Spot+Scrub AI vacuum robot
4. Let’s Encrypt to shorten certificate validity from 90 days to 45 days
5. Apple confirms iPhone 17 Pro will no longer support Night mode in Portrait mode
6. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation releases Basic Requirements for Food-Delivery Platform Services
7. Apple Beijing Huiju retail store to open on December 6
8. Google launches automation tool Workspace Studio
9. App Store Awards 2025 winners announced

Micron shuts down Crucial consumer business

Micron has announced its exit from the consumer storage business under its Crucial brand, shifting its focus to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) as demand for artificial intelligence and data-center infrastructure surges.

AI-driven data center expansion has created strong demand for high-performance storage and memory. As a core component, HBM uses vertically stacked designs to reduce power consumption and improve data-processing efficiency, making it widely used for AI model training and inference. Compared with consumer products, HBM commands higher pricing and better margins, becoming one of the most competitive markets among Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung.

Amid ongoing global semiconductor supply constraints—from mobile flash storage to HBM chips—Micron will cease selling consumer-grade products through retail, e-commerce, and distribution channels. However, shipments will continue until February 2026 to ensure a smooth channel transition. Analysts note that consumer storage has never been a major revenue driver for Micron, and the company has already been shifting its strategic focus toward the HBM product line. Source

Apple’s head of interface design Alan Dye resigns

Apple’s design team faces another major adjustment as interface design chief Alan Dye departs the company. He will join Meta on December 31 as the company’s newly appointed Chief Design Officer.

According to Bloomberg, Meta is establishing a new cross-disciplinary design studio, led by Dye, to unify hardware, software, and AI interface design. Dye will report directly to CTO Andrew Bosworth. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that the studio’s mission is to merge design, fashion, and technology, exploring new product forms that treat “intelligence as a design material.” With devices like AI glasses expected to reshape human–computer interaction, the new team aims to create more natural and human-centered experiences.

Apple has confirmed that veteran designer Steve Lemay will step into Dye’s role. Lemay, who joined Apple in 1999, has contributed to nearly all major interface design projects. CEO Tim Cook said that Lemay has helped define the high standards of Apple’s interface design, reflecting the company’s culture of collaboration and innovation. With former COO Jeff Williams now retired, Apple’s design team reports directly to Cook.

Dye’s departure is part of a series of ongoing leadership changes at Apple. Prior to this, Apple announced that its longtime AI chief John Giannandrea would step down, while chip chief Johnny Srouji is reportedly evaluating future plans. Former Apple designer Billy Sorrentino has also confirmed he will be joining Meta. Source

Dyson releases Spot+Scrub AI vacuum robot

On December 4, Dyson announced its new Spot+Scrub AI robot vacuum. According to official information, the device uses a dual-line laser paired with an HD camera, enabling it to recognize around 200 common household objects while running and updating its models entirely on-device. In mopping mode, the robot features a 27 cm-wide roller, supports 60°C hot-water cleaning and self-cleaning, and can lift the roller when needed. In vacuuming mode, the motor provides 18,000 Pa of suction and includes an edge brush. The base station supports cyclone dust collection, up to 100 days of hands-free dust disposal, 60°C deep roller cleaning, and 45°C hot-air drying.

The robot can be controlled via a mobile app for quick mapping, zone management, virtual boundaries, and scheduled cleaning. Dyson states that image data is never uploaded to the cloud, and the device does not store images locally, ensuring user privacy. The product is now available on JD.com at a price of 5,499 RMB. Source

Let’s Encrypt to shorten certificate validity from 90 days to 45 days

On December 2, Let’s Encrypt announced it will further shorten the validity period of its TLS/SSL certificates—from the current 90 days to 45 days—with full implementation planned for 2028. Meanwhile, the “authorization reuse period” for domain validation will be reduced from 30 days to 7 hours, meaning domain ownership will almost always be revalidated during renewal. Let’s Encrypt emphasizes that modern ACME clients already support high automation, so most website administrators will not need to take action, as automatic renewal will continue working seamlessly.

Under the planned timeline:

• May 2026: An optional 45-day certificate profile will be introduced for testing.
• February 2027: Default certificate validity will be shortened to 64 days.
• February 2028: Full transition to 45-day validity.

Additionally, Let’s Encrypt revealed plans to introduce a new DNS-PERSIST-01 validation method in 2026. This will allow users to configure a DNS TXT record only once; subsequent certificate renewals will no longer require frequent manual DNS TXT updates. Source

Apple confirms iPhone 17 Pro will no longer support Night mode in Portrait mode

On December 4, Apple confirmed in an official support document that a previously available camera feature has been removed from the iPhone 17 Pro: Portrait mode will no longer support Night mode. Previously, when shooting portraits in low-light environments, Portrait mode would automatically work in tandem with Night mode to produce better image quality. Notably, Apple has removed this feature only from the iPhone 17 Pro — Portrait + Night mode remains available on the iPhone 12 Pro through iPhone 16 Pro. Source

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation releases Basic Requirements for Food-Delivery Platform Services

On December 4, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation officially released the recommended national standard Basic Requirements for Food-Delivery Platform Service Management.

According to the announcement, the new standard addresses real-world industry needs and focuses on four key areas. In merchant management, platforms must enforce strict onboarding reviews and daily operational oversight, implement primary responsibility for safety, and are encouraged to promote “Internet + Transparent Kitchens” to uphold food safety. In pricing and promotions, the standard calls for greater transparency in platform fees and more regulated promotional tactics, ensuring a fair and orderly competitive environment. In labor management, platforms are urged to optimize delivery workers’ schedules, strengthen training and social protection, and further improve rights safeguards. The standard also requires establishing multi-party complaint and appeal channels to enhance transparency and facilitate public supervision.

In addition, the standard explicitly limits delivery workers’ working hours:

Daily order-taking time should not exceed 8 hours; if 8 hours is reached, riders must confirm before accepting more orders… After 4 consecutive hours of order-taking, a fatigue alert must be issued and dispatching paused for 20 minutes… Platforms must not use algorithmic optimization, bonus incentives, or other indirect methods to force riders into overtime labor.

The State Administration for Market Regulation stated that the new standard is expected to promote healthier and more orderly development within the industry, creating a win–win outcome for all parties involved. Source

Ele.me’s Response

Ele.me stated that it will voluntarily implement the national standard Basic Requirements for Food-Delivery Platform Service Management, integrating its guidelines into platform operations and service workflows. The company will continue optimizing platform rules, improving merchant and courier management, enhancing user experience, and protecting the rights of couriers, consumers, and merchants.

Apple Beijing Huiju retail store to open on December 6

On December 4, Apple announced that the Apple Beijing Huiju retail store will officially open on the morning of December 6, becoming Apple’s sixth retail location in Beijing. Apple stated that the new store integrates sustainability and accessibility elements to enhance the shopping experience for all customers. Universal design principles—such as flexible seating heights, accessible pathways, and enhanced hearing systems—ensure inclusivity and support a wide range of needs. Source

Google launches automation tool Workspace Studio

On December 4, Google officially launched Workspace Studio, an automation tool designed for the Workspace ecosystem that enables users to rapidly create intelligent work agents powered by Gemini 3’s multimodal understanding capabilities. Previously tested under the name Workspace Flows, the tool is now available to a wider user base.

Google says Workspace Studio allows users to describe business needs in natural language without writing any code, enabling them to build AI Agents in minutes. These agents can automatically process emails, documents, communications, and task management. The tool is deeply integrated with core Google Workspace apps such as Gmail, Drive, and Chat, and can connect with third-party services including Asana, Jira, Mailchimp, and Salesforce to cover broader business workflows.

Compared with traditional rule-based automation tools, the new agents offer stronger reasoning and contextual understanding. They can identify issues and emotional tone in emails, extract invoice numbers or key task details, and automatically generate content, set priorities, or send smart notifications based on context—significantly improving workflow efficiency. In Workspace Studio, each AI agent is built from three components: triggers, steps, and variables. Enterprises can combine them as needed to create workflows of varying complexity, with support for team sharing. Source

App Store Awards 2025 winners announced

Apple has officially announced the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards, recognizing apps and games that demonstrated excellence in technological innovation, user experience, and cultural impact.

In mainland China, CapWords won App of the Year for its clever design that seamlessly integrates language learning into everyday life. Valorant: Radianite Rising, developed by Tencent TiMi, took home Game of the Year, praised for its stunning visuals and fast-paced competitive gameplay. Source

Globally, Tiimo, Detail, Essayist, Explore POV, Strava, and HBO Max were awarded App of the Year on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch, and Apple TV respectively. In the games category, Pokémon TCG Pocket, DREDGE, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Porta Nubi, and WHAT THE CLASH? won Game of the Year for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Arcade.

In addition to the main awards, Apple announced six “Cultural Impact Award” winners, honoring apps and games that promote inclusion, understanding, and improved quality of life. The recipients are Art of Fauna, Chants of Sennaar, despelote, Be My Eyes, Focus Friend, and StoryGraph. Source