21 states see rising unemployment...

Insights and outlook in today's Morning Byte

Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom for trending insights plus specific advice for small businesses, investors, workers, and entrepreneurs based on today’s bytes.

Don’t fall behind.
Get ahead.”
- Keith Andrade, Founder

1. Windsurf vs Cursor AI battle reshaping coding
2. AI Drives Ad Industry Shift
3. M4 MacBook Air delivers triple display power


🧑‍💻 The AI coding assistant war heats up with Windsurf's "agentic" approach challenging Cursor AI's precision.
X (formerly Twitter), 5 min read
• Windsurf: $15/month with automatic context-pulling
• Cursor AI: $20/month with controlled suggestions
• Both reshaping how developers code


🤖 AI is taking over ad campaigns from budgeting to targeting, transforming the entire industry.
WSJ, 6 min read
• Meta's Advantage+ grew 70% year-over-year
• Could generate $20 billion annually
• Algorithms may manage 80% of digital media by 2030


💻 Apple's new M4 MacBook Air starts at $999 with unprecedented productivity power.
9to5Mac, 5 min read
• 16GB RAM standard (double previous generation)
• Can drive two external displays while open
• Research shows 42% productivity boost with three screens

1. Venture funding hits 12-month low
2. Best Buy's Q4 digital sales boom
3. Job numbers show trouble ahead


💸 Global venture funding plummeted to just $19 billion in February, marking a concerning 12-month low.
Crunchbase News, 4 min read
• US startups captured 54% ($10 billion)
• AI dominated with $5.7 billion (30% of all funding)
• Hardware/software combos secured largest rounds


🛒 Best Buy defied retail challenges with computing and tablet sales jumping 9% in Q4.
Reddit, 5 min read
• Laptop sales grew specifically by 10%
• Achieved 0.5% comparable sales growth
• Increased dividends for 12th consecutive year


⚠️ Unemployment is rising in 21 states, signaling potential economic trouble ahead.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6 min read
• National rate now at 4.0%, up 0.4% from last year
• Rhode Island jumped dramatically by 1.3%
• South has lowest unemployment (3.7%)

1. Trump tariffs push China shift
2. Utah app stores must verify age


🇨🇳 Trump's 20% tariffs on China are accelerating a historic economic pivot in the world's second-largest economy.
Bloomberg.com, 7 min read
• China shifting from exports to consumer spending
• Planning $1 trillion investment in social safety nets
• Creating parallel innovation ecosystems in quantum, AI, 6G


👶 Utah becomes first state requiring Apple & Google to verify user ages on app stores.
AP News, 5 min read
• Eight other states considering similar laws
• Meta wants verification at app store level
• Apple/Google push responsibility to developers

Capitalize on the multi-screen productivity trend. Data shows employees with three screens are 42% more productive, yet most businesses underinvest here.
For example, outfit your team with M4 MacBook Airs ($999) plus two external displays ($300 each) for a total $1,600 investment per employee that delivers measurable ROI through increased output and faster project completion—particularly for design, coding, and data-heavy roles.

Target AI hardware-software combinations to maximize venture funding opportunities. Despite the funding slowdown to $19B in February, hardware-software AI solutions secured the largest rounds.
For example, develop products that bundle physical sensors with proprietary algorithms or pair specialized chips with unique software that solves industry-specific problems—positioning your startup in the sweet spot where 30% of all venture dollars are currently flowing.

Adopt AI coding assistants immediately to stay competitive. The Windsurf vs. Cursor AI battle shows these tools are becoming essential.
For example, use Cursor AI ($20/month) for precision-focused work requiring exact syntax and controlled development environments, while leveraging Windsurf ($15/month) for rapid prototyping where its automatic context-pulling can accelerate ideation. Test both with a 2-week trial to determine which increases your output more.

Follow the macroeconomic signals pointing to retail technology. Despite rising unemployment in 21 states, Best Buy's 9% computing sales growth and 10% laptop sales jump indicate targeted strength.
For example, invest in companies supporting the work-from-home ecosystem—particularly those providing hardware, productivity software, and digital infrastructure that enable remote work arrangements, which remain resilient despite broader economic headwinds.

1. 🛒 Best Buy / $BBY ( ▼ 0.95% )  
2. 🍎 Apple / $AAPL ( ▲ 0.02% )  
3. 🔍 Google / $GOOGL ( ▼ 0.56% )  
4. 📱 Meta / $META ( ▲ 0.55% )  
5. 💻 Microsoft / $MSFT ( ▼ 0.34% )  

Advantage+

Meta's AI-driven ad optimization system. For example, this technology automatically adjusts bidding, targeting, and placement to maximize campaign performance without human intervention, growing 70% year-over-year.

Agentic AI

Artificial intelligence systems that work autonomously to complete complex tasks. For example, Windsurf's coding assistant proactively pulls context from your codebase to suggest solutions without explicit human direction.

M4 Chip

Apple's latest processor designed for high performance with minimal power consumption. For example, the M4 enables the new MacBook Air to drive multiple external displays while maintaining all-day battery life.

Comparable Sales

Retail metric measuring year-over-year performance excluding new store openings. For example, Best Buy achieved 0.5% comparable sales growth in Q4, indicating organic improvement in existing locations.

Hardware-Software Combo

Products combining specialized physical components with proprietary software. For example, these integrated solutions received the largest venture funding rounds in February, particularly in the AI sector.

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