Author: openjargon

• The phone cutoff for Apple's gen AI system, Apple Intelligence, is the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
• Apple's AI head, John Giannandrea,  said older iPhones can't handle the computational demands of AI.
• Apple Intelligence will roll out with iOS 18 and the new iPhone 16 lineup this fall.

Why can't you run Apple's fancy new AI features — collectively called Apple Intelligence — on your old iPhone? It wouldn't be a good time, according to Apple.

The company limited its highly anticipated generative AI system to only the latest iPhones — the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the upcoming lineup, presumably called the iPhone 16. But, fortunately, more models of Macs and iPads qualify. You just need an iPad or Mac with an M1 chip, which means models launched in recent years will work.

In an interview with John Gruber's podcast "The Talk Show" after Apple's WWDC last week, Apple's head of AI strategy and machine learning, John Giannandrea, explained that while the AI model could theoretically run on older devices, it would be "so slow, it would not be useful."

The stricter cutoff for iPhones isn't an arbitrary limit to drum up smartphone sales, according to Giannandrea.

"Otherwise, we'd been smart enough just to do recent iPads and Macs too, wouldn't we," added Apple's CMO Greg Joswiak.

According to Giannandrea, Apple's newest A17 chip is the ideal hardware for running Apple Intelligence, in part because its ANE [Apple Neural Engine].

"The inference of large language models is incredibly computationally expensive," he said. "So it's a combination of bandwidth in the device, it's the size of the ANE, it's the oomph in the device to actually do these models fast enough to be useful."

The latest iPhones also have more RAM, or memory, which is also key to running on-device generative AI features.

"The No. 1 constraint in running these models is memory," tech analyst Ben Thompson previously told Business Insider's Peter Kafka. "And every single device that supports this has 8 gigabytes of RAM as a minimum. That's just the long and short of it."

While Apple said the cutoff for Apple Intelligence on the iPhone wasn't intended to drum up sales, it could use any extra incentive to convince customers to upgrade their old device. Sales of iPhones declined 10% year over year in the first quarter, and data suggests people are holding on to their iPhones longer.

Apple Intelligence features will be free for users and are set to start rolling out in the fall with iOS 18 and the new iPhone lineup.

• Brian Paquette develops new menu items as the director of culinary at Chili's.
• Paquette owned a catering company before leading culinary innovation at Chili's.
• He told us his favorite menu item and his secret ordering hack.

To many, coming up with new chain restaurant menu items might sound like a dream job.

For Brian Paquette, the director of culinary at Chili's, it's a reality.

Business Insider interviewed Paquette while visiting Chili's headquarters in Dallas. We were able to work alongside him in the company's test kitchen, where his ideas for new Chili's menu items go from simple ideas to full-fledged menu items.

He revealed how he comes up with menu ideas, shared the biggest challenges of the job, and gave us his best ordering hacks.

Before Chili's, Brian Paquette ran his own catering company.

Paquette ran a catering business for five years before becoming a managing partner at Chili's in 2007.

In 2014, he advanced in the company to become a senior culinary and beverage operations manager, before assuming his current role as director of culinary in 2020.

Paquette's day-to-day work involves everything from brainstorming new menu ideas to conducting quantitative and qualitative testing to get something on the menu.

Based on data and consumer feedback he collects through surveys or focus groups, he'll determine the best new ideas and present them to Chili's leadership team.

The best of the best ideas, like the chain's baby-back ribs and fajitas, can end up on the company timeline, which lines the walls of Chili's headquarters in Dallas.

"We're going to have thousands of ideas over our career, and if we get three right, we're probably in pretty good company," he told Business Insider.

His biggest advice for those wanting to become culinary directors is to work hard and care about the customer.

While Paquette's culinary background helped him get to where he is, he says a strong work ethic is still the most important trait.

"I've watched a number of people come through, many that did have a background in formal culinary education, and then many that just had worked their way through the ranks," he said.

"We just had our contingent of 65 managers here earlier today and every one of them in the room says, 'I want to do what you do someday.' That's aspirational.

"My response to that is, 'Work hard. Don't let people think that you have another aspiration. Give them clear direction. This is what I want to do with my career and how I want to grow.' That's what I did, and people believed in me."

He added, "I think the biggest thing is just having a heart for this client, this guest, this vein of business, and wanting to feed a lot of people every day."

One of the biggest parts of the job is being able to spot trends.

Paquette told BI that the biggest trends he's seeing — including at Chili's — are a sweet-and-spicy flavor combination and the popularity of appetizers among customers.

"Sweet and spicy is definitely something that's coming up. A lot more Asian [flavors] in food," he said.

"Then, it seems like appetizers, eating more off small bites, is getting more and more popular, and we're looking at appetizers now to see if we can answer that call as well," he continued.

Paquette said there will "always be a guest" who comes in and only wants to order appetizers. However, he doesn't want customers to see appetizers as a "replacement entrée."

"We want it to be incremental. It's something that people are really excited about, to come in and share and then have a meal post. But there'll always be that guest that wants that bar experience, potentially; sit down and have a couple of drinks and just have an appetizer," Paquette said.

He says even if a product is doing well, he always wants to find ways to make it better.

"Tenacity is imperative. You've got to keep pushing. You've got to be willing to take a little bit of a leap sometimes," he said.

For example, customers enjoyed the chain's chicken crispers, "but I thought they needed to be bigger and I think they need to be juicier," he said, so he worked with his team to create the best version possible.

"I'm always reminding my team; I say, 'If you make a small change, it affects 50,000 people today.' It's a big deal. It's a responsibility," he said. "So I think, in the end, it's also having a heart for the responsibility of feeding a lot of people every day and getting it right."

His favorite Chili's menu item is the Big Mouth Burger Bites.

The Big Mouth Burger Bites are Chili's version of sliders. They can be served as an entrée or as part of the Triple Dipper appetizer combo platter.

"Crispy bacon bits, sautéed onions, our burger, which is already amazing," Paquette said. "I personally think that piece of bread is the best piece of bread we have in the restaurant for those Burger Bites."

We tried the Burger Bites for ourselves as part of the Triple Dipper, and thought they were satisfying sliders, especially when dipped in the chain's ranch. The bacon bits were crispy and salty, and the cheese was melted over every inch of the bite-sized burger.

He's also created his own "secret menu" Chili's hacks over the years.

"Salsa and ranch mixed together is next level. We make them both in-house, you mix them together 50/50, and for chips, it's just out of this world," he told BI. "Dip your fries in it, dip your chips in it. It's awesome."

We were convinced to give it a go and had to agree — it was awesome.

The job does have its challenges — he says dessert is the hardest menu section to innovate.

Paquette told BI that while he finds it easy to get creative on other areas of Chili's menu, desserts pose a challenge.

"We keep trying to come up with some unique ideas and things that'll fit the bill for our guests, and that the chocolate molten [lava cake] is a pretty big hit," he said.

Chili's chocolate molten cake, one of the chain's most popular desserts, is a chocolate cake with a molten chocolate lava center, topped with vanilla ice cream in a chocolate shell, and drizzled with caramel sauce.

Paquette said that coming up with new ideas isn't the only challenge — it can also be hard to get people to order more than one dessert per table.

"Getting people to think of an 'also' dessert, not just one, is hard,
he said. "So we're working on desserts, working on other platforms, not just chocolate, to see if we can get some more traction."

• Kevin Costner cast his son Hayes in his Western film "Horizon: An American Saga" for companionship, he told "Today."
• Costner acknowledged the criticism of nepotism in Hollywood.
• "I realize there are so many young actors out there that would just kill to be in this movie," he said.

Kevin Costner cast his son Hayes in his upcoming epic Western "Horizon: An American Saga" for a simple reason: he wanted his companionship on set.

"He's a beautiful boy, and he's quiet," Costner told "Today" of his 15-year-old son Hayes. "And I have not shoved my children into the business."

Still, he's seemingly aware that the "nepo baby" reactions to his casting are soon to come. "I realize there are so many young actors out there that would just kill to be in this movie," Costner continued, "and I don't want to take those parts away from them just 'cause I can place my own children in."

"Horizon" marks Hayes' screen debut. He plays Nathaniel Kittredge, the teenage son of Sienna Miller's character, Frances. Meanwhile, Costner's character, Hayes Ellison, is named after his son.

"It was a smaller part," Costner said of his son's role. "I selfishly wanted him with me for the week, two weeks, he was with me. And we would drive to the set every day."

Costner described his son's performance in the film as "really beautiful." "It's a really complicated scene. In the end, there's a nobility, there's an absolute fatalness about it. It's what you want in a son," he said.

The movie, opening June 28, is the first chapter of Costner's four-part franchise about America's westward expansion post-Civil War. Chapter Two will be released in theaters on August 16.

• Pay TV just suffered its worst quarter in history — a stunning 6.9% drop.
• The TV industry used to hope that digital services like YouTube TV could make up for losses from regular TV.
• But that's not happening. In fact, YouTube TV just had its first quarterly subscriber loss ever.

If you pay any attention to the TV business, you know that pay TV subscriptions have been falling for years. People who used to pay for TV are cutting the cord, and younger people aren't bothering to sign up for pay TV at all.

The trend is only accelerating: The first three months of 2024 were the worst the pay-TV business has ever seen, according to analysts at MoffettNathanson. They estimate that the industry lost a record 2.37 million subscribers — a drop of 6.9%.

A few years ago, optimists in the industry thought that growing digital pay TV services, like YouTube TV, would help make up for the decline of conventional pay TV providers like Comcast.

But that hasn't panned out. And worse than that — those digital TV subscription services are also starting to wobble.

Hulu Live TV, Fubo, and Sling also lost subscribers in the first quarter, MoffettNathanson estimates.

Most startling is that even YouTube TV, which has been growing steadily over the past few years, shrank last quarter — the first time that's ever happened. MoffettNathanson estimates that Google's pay TV service lost 150,000 subscribers in Q1.

For context: YouTube reported that it had more than 8 million subscribers back in February. I've asked YouTube for comment.

The most obvious rationale for the loss: People who were using YouTube TV to watch the NFL — the most powerful draw on TV — canceled the service once the season ended. If that's true, then the glass-half-full perspective is that those subscribers will return this fall when the season starts up again.

But the glass-more-than-half-empty take is that the churn problem that bedevils most pure-play streaming services like Disney+ and Max is also a problem for the digital pay TV services that give you a bundle of channels.

Of course, the fact that all of these digital TV services are easy to add and drop is a good thing for you, the person who pays for TV. And it has been a selling point for those services.

But it's also one reason why the TV industry is increasingly trying to get consumers to sign up for long-term contracts — just like the old-timey cable TV days.

Back to the future!

• My parents are both Greek, and they took me back to Greece every summer to learn about my roots.
• Thessaloniki is a mainland city with incredible food, beautiful history, and plenty of nightlife. 
• Islands like Corfu and Rhodes will give you amazing beaches without as many tourists.

As a kid, I spent nearly every summer with my family in Greece.

My parents immigrated to California from Greece in the 1980s, but they made sure I grew up learning about our family's roots. We spent almost every summer of my childhood in Greece, where beach days were filled with that perfect turquoise Aegean Sea and big fresh bowls of horiatiki.  

Friends now frequently ask me for advice on their Greece trips, but the only places they ever want to visit are Mykonos, Santorini, and Athens. My answer to them is always the same: You can experience so much of Greece's incredible food, culture, and beaches without setting foot in its packed tourist destinations.

So, with the help of my lovely parents, I've brought you a list of seven incredible spots in Greece that hold some of our favorite memories.

Thessaloniki is a beautiful city packed with great food and incredible history.

Most of my summers in Greece were spent in Thessaloniki, where both of my parents grew up. It's the second biggest city in the country after Athens and dates all the way back to 316 BC. 

Ancient ruins can be seen in the city's downtown area, along with the majestic Byzantine churches. But the most important landmark is the White Tower, which was built in the 15th century after Thessaloniki fell to the Ottomans. The White Tower now has an exhibition on the city's history, and you can go up to the top for spectacular views from its balcony. 

Thessaloniki is also packed with so many delicious tavernas and restaurants that the city landed on Time Magazine's list of "The World's Greatest Places of 2022." My mom recommends visiting the Ladadika neighborhood at the city's center for dinner, or going to Aretsou for views of the water. Try the bougasta — a Greek dessert of custard wrapped in phyllo — or koulouri, Greek sesame bread rings that were my mom's childhood favorite. 

"Walk in the Thessaloniki promenade to enjoy a sunset and, if the sky is clear, a perfect view of Mount Olympus," she added.

I'll let you in on a secret: The best beaches in Greece are actually in Halkidiki.

Sure, Santorini's got those gorgeous white buildings, and Mykonos has the wild nightlife. But if you're looking for an incredible beach vacation, you might be better off on the mainland. 

Even as a kid, I remember being stunned by the beaches in Halkidiki. The sand is soft and white, the water is warm, and the colors of the sea are the brightest blues you'll ever see. One summer my mom and uncle took me to a different beach every day, and she still loves to tell the story of how I gave all the Halkidiki beaches an "A++" because I loved them so much. 

Halkidiki is near Thessaloniki, so it's also a great place to visit if you want to combine a city escape with a beach destination. Plus, with so many local tavernas by the sea, you're sure to have a great meal of octopus, ouzo on the rocks, and some calamari. 

"If all you want for your vacation is to lie on a beach and listen to the waves, Halkidiki is your destination," my mom said. 

A trip to Meteora will give you an unforgettable hike.

Meteora is another childhood trip I'll always remember. Located in central Greece, the Meteora monasteries — now a UNESCO World Heritage Site — are perched on huge cliffs that will take your breath away. 

Orthodox Christian hermit monks first began coming to the cliffs of Meteora around the 9th century, looking for peace and isolation. In the 14th century, the first Meteora monastery was built, spearheading the beginning of the site's monastic community, according to Visit Meteora. Six of the 24 monasteries remain active today with more than 60 nuns and monks. 

"It's absolutely amazing to realize that monks built these monasteries and lived there for centuries," my mom said. "The unique rock formations and nice sunsets offer many photo opportunities. It's a really special place that makes me feel close to heaven." 

Delphi is a dream destination for history lovers.

Ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the "navel of the world." The myth goes that Zeus released one eagle from the east and one from the west and the birds met in the middle at Delphi, where the famous oracle was built. 

In addition to being an incredible archaeological site, Delphi also has a stunning natural backdrop. My mother said she still remembers the sweeping views of the valleys and the lovely olive trees in addition to the incredible ancient ruins. 

"I loved visiting Delphi because of its history, but also because of the beautiful natural surroundings," she added. 

And how could you not be wowed by the birthplace of the Olympics?

For as long as I can remember, the Olympics have been a huge point of pride in our household. My parents always loved reminding me why Greece walks first in the Parade of Nations, and why the Greek flag is always flown during the closing ceremony. 

So as a kid, it was incredibly special to visit Olympia, where the Olympics first began. The games were held in Olympia every four years from 776 BC to 393 AD, and ruins from the sporting events still stand there today. 

"Olympia has always had an emotional impact on me," my mom said. "To be able to walk in the same field where the Olympics started moved me very much when I visited for the first time." 

"I think this would be a special place for someone who loves sports or history," she added. 

Corfu is one of my family's favorite islands in Greece.

I have this distinct memory of seeing beautiful candy-colored houses along the water in Corfu. The stunning city is a great option if you want to visit a beautiful Greek island without fighting hundreds of other tourists for a picture of the sunset. 

Once under Venetian rule, the Italian influence is still apparent in much of Corfu's beautiful architecture and delicious food. Along with stunning beaches, the island is known for its lush flora and fauna. My parents took my sister and me to Corfu when we were kids and said it was a great spot for family vacations. 

My dad also recommends adding a trip to Ioannina on the way to Corfu to visit the stunning Perama Cave. 

Rhodes is a stunning Greek island that feels straight out of the Middle Ages.

Ruled by the Knights of St. John from the 14th to 16th century, Rhodes still feels steeped in medieval history. I remember being wowed as a kid while walking past the majestic castles, under the stone arches, and through the tiny cobblestone alleys on the island's Old Town. 

Rhodes also has plenty of beautiful beaches, as well as Butterfly Valley — my mom's favorite part of the island.

• Kate and Anthony's sweeping romance wrapped in "Bridgerton" season two. 
• But, c'mon — who wouldn't watch more Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey? 
• There's fertile ground for a Kanthony spinoff series — and the show teased that they're going to India.

Kate and Anthony's love story on "Bridgerton" is done — but if there's any couple on the show so far who could carry a spinoff series, it's them.

Not every "Bridgerton" couple demands excessive rumination. In fact, the show is stronger for its ability to finish the stories of each lead couple and move on to another in subsequent seasons without getting too tied up in previous storylines. Even Kate and Anthony's sweeping love story has concluded, and they've settled into marital bliss.

But here's the thing: Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey are just so damn fun to watch. And the people — me! — want more of them.

Kate and Anthony are still extraordinarily charming

Sure, people complained about the lack of outright sex in season two, but that didn't make Kate and Anthony's romance any less sexy. By the time we see them in total marital bliss in season three, it feels like they really had to fight for it. They spent most of the third season enjoying an extended honeymoon, dispensing advice to Anthony's wayward siblings, and bickering — and they earned it.

To best understand their current dynamic, take a look at their conversation with Colin in season three, episode seven. While they're ostensibly there to assuage Colin's pre-marital worries, it turns into affectionate bickering.

"Marriage takes hard work," Kate tells Colin. "But it is work that is worth it."

"Our marriage is not hard work," Anthony quips.

"You are wearisome tonight," Kate replies, exasperated.

Ultimately, Kate's sage advice — and Anthony's empathy — seem to right Colin's headspace. But the exchange, which makes up one of the season's best scenes, is more a testament to their enduring ability to entertain, and Anthony's newfound comedic relief status.

Of course, a good dynamic does not a full television series make. Executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers told Town & Country that the show tells complete stories. To tell further ones would require further conflict.

"There are no spinoffs to be had because we'd have to find some reason to break a couple up, and that feels very artificial," Rhimes said.

Luckily, "Bridgerton" has just given us the perfect set-up for a potential Kanthony spinoff — one that feels like it could generate another story.

Kate and Anthony are going to India — and we should follow them

During Colin and Penelope's wedding breakfast, Anthony and Kate discuss their next steps. Kate is envious of her sister Edwina's life, presumably back in India, and describes her "charming" hometown to her husband Anthony. With a baby on the way, Anthony is thinking about the future of his family and proposes that they have their child in India.

"Our child will always be a Bridgerton. But I should like them to know that they are a Sharma as well," Anthony says. "Know their history. And it is important for me to know it so that we can share that history with our child together."

The entire exchange feels like a reason to comfortably skirt around Kate and Anthony by removing them from the picture altogether, while still leaving the door open for future appearances in season four and beyond. But it's also fertile ground for a spinoff: We still don't know much about Kate and Edwina's heritage and life in India.

As Vice reported, season two of "Bridgerton" presented the Sharmas' cultural heritage as a mishmash of language and customs from across India. And while Kate spoke about her childhood, the show wasn't able to visually render it. A spinoff set in India — and hopefully featuring Charithra Chandran back as Edwina — would help flesh out their characters, and lend some credence to Anthony's desire to know about his wife's family.

Of course, there are also demands like actor's schedules to contend with. But Ashley told French entertainment outlet Premiere that she would be down for a Kanthony spinoff in the future. And when it comes to the main series, the actor has had discussions with showrunner Jess Brownell about Kate's future.

Ashley told People that both she and Bailey "adore" their characters on the show, and would do their best to return for season four.

"I think we'll do all we can with our schedules to make it work so that we can, hopefully," she said.

All episodes of "Bridgerton" season three are now streaming on Netflix.

• North Korea and South Korea have sent weapons to opposing sides of the war in Ukraine.
• North Korea's support for Russia puts it in a position to get assistance and test its weapons.
• Meanwhile, South Korea is setting itself up as a global arms supplier by sending ammo to Ukraine.

North Korea and South Korea have been fueling opposite sides of the war in Ukraine, positioning themselves as players in this conflict.

Both states have much to gain from their involvement: North Korea's support for Russia strengthens a useful partnership, while South Korea's contributions to the Ukrainian war effort reinforce its role as a global arms supplier. The North also gets to challenge the world order while the South strives to preserve a world where tyrants aren't able to tear down vulnerable democracies.

North Korea's earliest involvement in the conflict is believed to have begun roughly two years ago, when the US accused it of providing ammunition to Russia in September 2022. Last summer, the Russian defense minister visited Pyongyang. And then, last fall, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met for a summit on a potential bigger arms deal between the two nations, one that got Russia the ammo it needed to replenish strained stockpiles at a critical moment.

What North Korea received from this partnership is a little more opaque, but speculation has pointed to food and petroleum products, possibly even Russian technologies, as likely trades.

South Korea, on the other hand, has been indirectly funneling artillery ammunition to Ukraine by way of the US, working a loophole through the Yoon administration's restrictions on providing lethal aid.

Last month, Chris Park, a research assistant and the program coordinator for the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, addressed this situation on CSIS' The Impossible State podcast.

He said that "with South Korea providing artillery shells to Ukraine via the United States and North Korea directly sending weapons to Russia, you get a situation where the two Koreas are engaged in what's essentially a proxy war 5,000 miles away from the peninsula."

While North Korea and South Korea, longtime foes that are technically still at war (the Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a formal treaty), aren't necessarily in this conflict to fight one another, it's still a unique situation that could have reverberations and consequences in Europe, on the Korean peninsula, and in the wider Indo-Pacific region.

Kim and Putin's meeting last fall was noteworthy. It marked the first time Kim had left his so-called "Hermit Kingdom" in four years, and it signaled a turning point in North Korean foreign policy, which had shuttered after the 2019 Hanoi summit with then-US President Donald Trump and was further hurt by COVID-19.

For years, Kim positioned himself as an observer, watching closely as Russia invaded Ukraine and tensions flared between China and Taiwan after former US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited the island, though it still engaged in provocations of its own.

Coming out of pandemic lockdowns, North Korea is navigating international relations to find the situations that are most advantageous for it.

One example is its close ties with Russia, which are becoming stronger. North Korea has provided Moscow with hoards of weapons, likely including 152mm shells, 122mm rockets, and KN-23 ballistic missiles. Fragments of KN-23s have been discovered in Ukraine since earlier this year, and the Ukrainians have previously found what they suspect are North Korean rockets.

White House and South Korean estimates of just how much ammunition has been sent have varied, but generally, it is a significant amount in the millions. By South Korea's latest estimate, North Korea has sent as many as 10,000 containers.

Arms deals with Russia, another of which could be in the works, are notably also opportunities for North Korea to improve its ammunition production capabilities. The quality and overall performance of the ammunition sent have been called into question.

Producing shells for Russia, or working with Moscow to produce shells, gives North Korea a chance to address inadequacies. Earlier this year, one US official stressed that North Korea was gaining invaluable data from letting Russia use its weapons in a real combat situation, which could help it develop better and more accurate weapons. South Korean officials have expressed similar concerns.

This week, Putin is expected to visit Pyongyang for the first time in almost 25 years for further arms deal discussions. The continued cooperation with Russia could be valuable for North Korea, especially if it can receive support, either economic or military for its own ends.

On the other side of the 38th parallel, South Korea has ambitions of being a global arms supplier and opening up its defense industry for increased international cooperation, making its partnership with the US to supply weapons to Ukraine notably beneficial.

In a CSIS report in March, Park and Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and a senior advisor at CSIS, wrote that South Korea has noticeably upped production of 155mm shells since it indirectly sent 300,000 to Ukraine via the US, which had been revealed in earlier reporting.

The agreement details are not clear, but it appears that South Korea sent ammo to replenish US stockpiles, which was then sent to Ukraine. In return, it's possible the US will replace its stockpile with South Korean-produced ammo.

In May 2023, it was confirmed that South Korean ammo was going to Ukraine by way of the US.

There are limitations, though. South Korea's current annual production rate is only about 200,000 155mm artillery shells a year, and it likely doesn't want to dip into its own stockpile and risk shortages in the face of a conflict with North Korea.

Cancian and Park note, however, that South Korea's vast 105mm stockpile could serve as a sort of stopgap measure.

While 105mm shells have less range and power, South Korea is thought to have around 3.4 million of them stockpiled, and many of them may be expiring soon. Ukraine has the artillery to fire this kind of ammunition.

"The 155 has become the US and really Western standard artillery projectile," Cancian said on The Impossible State podcast. But the 105 used to be standard, and the US is currently sending Ukraine 105s now.

If South Korea can continue to position itself as an arms supplier through the US — or if the Yoon administration waives its policy and provides lethal aid directly to Ukraine, which it has said it will consider in the event of large-scale attacks on Ukrainian civilians, which have been occurring since the beginning of the war — it might stand to gain much from the war in Ukraine, including increased investment in its defense industrial base.

Both North Korea and South Korea also have ideological reasons to be involved in the war in Ukraine.

For North Korea, supporting Putin's belief that Ukraine is part of Russia strengthens the partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow and gives Kim an opportunity to challenge and push the limits of the US-led world order for its purposes.

Experts have previously assessed that North Korea — along with Russia, China, and Iran — all have reasons to align in an "axis of upheaval," reshaping the world to their liking.

South Korea, on the other hand, may see in the war in Ukraine reflections of tensions in its region and the potential for a conflict with North Korea or a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

Park said on The Impossible State that "it's fair to say that South Korea favors a world in which conquest is discouraged and vulnerable democracies are not abandoned to tyrants next door."

That said, the Yoon administration is unlikely to move towards providing Ukraine lethal aid directly due to concerns over reactions from China and Russia. South Korea has long had close trade relationships with China in particular and remains concerned about how Russia could influence or empower North Korea, risking war on the peninsula.

• Tesla will reward employees for "exceptional performance," according to a memo from Elon Musk obtained by BI.
• Musk told staff Tesla is working on a review that will provide merit-based stock option grants.
• The announcement follows a series of layoffs at Tesla earlier this year.

Tesla is implementing a system to reward "exceptional performance" with stock option grants.

Elon Musk told employees on Monday in a companywide email that the carmaker is working on an initiative to reward high performers at Tesla, according to three sources with knowledge of the issue and a screenshot of the email viewed by Business Insider.

"There will also ben an ongoing program to award spot option grants for anyone who does something outstanding for the company," Musk said.

Musk's announcement comes after the carmaker initiated a series of layoffs in April. The Tesla CEO told staff at the time that the company planned to eliminate more than 10% of its total workforce. The company later rehired some of the impacted employees. The carmaker has since posted dozens of jobs on its careers website, including roles in its Autopilot division and at its service centers.

Reuters was the first to report the memo. The company did not provide merit-based stock awards in 2023, Reuters reported.

Tesla, which disbanded its PR department years ago, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

One Tesla worker told BI that they felt Musk's email was proof the tide might finally be turning.

"We've been holding our breath for months and this feels like one of the first positive signs we've seen," the worker said.

It isn't the only spot of good news for Tesla over the past week. The company's efforts to reapprove Musk's pay package also came to fruition last week.

Tesla spent weeks campaigning for a proposal to reinstate Musk's compensation plan, which was valued at $55 billion when it was struck down by a Delaware judge in January. Tesla has said it plans to use shareholder approval to convince Delaware to reinstate the pay plan and Musk was quick to celebrate the vote during Tesla's annual meeting on Thursday.

Read Musk's full email to Tesla staff below:

Over the next few weeks, Tesla will be doing a comprehensive review to provide stock option grants for exceptional performance.

There will also ben an ongoing program to award spot option grants for anyone who does something outstanding for the company.

Thanks for everything you're doing to make Tesla successful,

Elon

Do you work for Tesla or have a tip? Reach out to the reporter via a non-work email and device at gkay@businessinsider.com or 248-894-6012.

• I took my first cruise on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, one of the largest cruise ships.
• I brought only a carry-on suitcase and a backpack for the seven-night Caribbean cruise.
• I was glad I packed light but had some regrets. I longed for earplugs and a bar of laundry soap.

I took my first cruise in April 2022 on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas — one of the largest cruise ships in the world. For the seven-night cruise to the Caribbean, I brought just a carry-on suitcase and a backpack.

While packing light made the trip easier, I did forget a few critical items. Here's everything I was thankful I had during my voyage — and the items I longed for and will remember to pack next time.

One of the best things I packed was a magnet.

Stateroom decks had long hallways lined with identical blue doors, so my magnet made it easier to find my cabin.

But I wished I downloaded some movies and shows to watch on my phone in my room.

The cruise ship's WiFi wasn't strong enough for me to stream videos.

For long days in the sun, I was glad I packed sunscreen.

I enjoyed a few beach days during my cruise, so sunscreen was essential. 

However, I wished I had remembered to bring some aloe vera gel for the day I forgot to lather up.

Aloe vera typically soothes and cools my burns, so I should have packed it for the day I forgot to apply sunscreen. 

I was glad I brought a rash guard to swim in the ocean.

An excursion guide told me that some beaches in the Caribbean, like Tulum, Mexico, don't allow sunscreen in the ocean to protect wildlife.

But the water was so clear that I wished I had a waterproof case for my phone to take pictures.

As other cruisers snorkeled with phones in hand, I realized I was missing an opportunity to capture ocean life. 

This sunhat also came in handy to block the sun.

I don't typically wear my sunhat, so the cruise was the perfect occasion to pull it out of my closet.

But I wished I had brought an adjustable cap for windy days on the top decks when my sunhat wouldn't stay on my head.

Mornings and evenings on the top decks of the ship were so windy that I had to leave my hat in my room. 

Even though the weather was hot during the day, this sweater came in handy for cool, windy nights and mornings.

I ended up wearing my sweater every day during the Caribbean cruise. 

But I only packed one pair of pants and had to wear them every night.

In hindsight, I should have packed a couple more pairs of pants.

I should have brought a windbreaker, too, to keep me warmer on the top decks in the morning and at night.

A windbreaker would have been more helpful than my sweater alone.

I wished I'd brought a bar of detergent to wash my clothes since I packed light, and laundry services on the ship cost extra.

On my cruise, Royal Caribbean's laundry service charged for each article of clothing — $4 a shirt, $9 a dress, and $2 per pair of underwear.

But at least I brought the right shoes.

I packed two pairs of shoes: sneakers for walking and waterproof sandals for the beach and pools. 

Thankfully, I also remembered to bring a waist pack to carry a few things when I didn't feel like lugging my backpack around.

Having a small pack came in handy during port stops and while exploring the ship.

I was also glad I brought a digital watch to keep on ship time.

Ship time is the time zone that cruise ships adhere to even when docked at ports in different time zones.

But I wish I had downloaded guidebooks for the ports I visited to get a better idea of things to do.

My ship stopped in Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and the Bahamas. 

I wanted to try my best to avoid illness and was glad I packed vitamins …

I packed vitamins made to support immune systems since I was coming in contact with many people. 

… and also medicine to combat motion sickness, which I experienced frequently.

I always pack Dramamine on my trips to avoid motion sickness. 

More than anything, I wished I had earplugs to help me sleep during rough nights at sea, which sounded like thunder in my stateroom.

It was especially loud since I was at the front of the ship, where seasoned cruisers said movement on ships feels the strongest.

Next time, I'll come prepared.