# Google Says Its New Gemini Tops the AI Charts, Wall Street's Plumbing Goes on a Blockchain, and a Moon Rocket Stands Up Evening Edition No. 3 · Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 8:00 PM ET · Singularity Nightly Covers Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 6:00 PM ET to Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 6:00 PM ET Edited by Dennis W. Davis. AI-assisted; see How We Make This: https://singularitynightly.com/how-we-make-this/ > Google's Gemini 4 Carbon claims the top AI score and goes first to cyber defenders, DTCC switches on tokenized stocks and bonds for 20 big banks, New York sets rules for AI chatbots that talk with kids, NASA stacks the Artemis III rocket, and a head and neck cancer drug halves the risk of death. ## In 60 Seconds - Google released Gemini 4 Carbon, which it says now scores highest of any AI on a widely watched test; it goes first only to people who defend computer networks, because it is so good at finding software holes. - DTCC, the company behind nearly every U.S. stock and bond trade, switched on a service that turns stocks, funds and Treasury bonds into digital tokens, with 20 big banks signed up. - New York signed a law that stops AI chatbots from pretending to be human or acting like a boyfriend or girlfriend with kids, with fines of up to $25,000 for each violation. - NASA stood the giant core of its Artemis III Moon rocket up between its two side boosters in Florida, and a cancer drug from Genmab cut the risk of death in half for people with advanced head and neck cancer in a large trial. ## Lead Signal **Google says Gemini 4 Carbon is now the smartest AI, and hands it first to cyber defenders** ![Illustration: a glowing green crystal lattice floats over a dark field of tiny server lights](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/gemini-carbon-lattice-1376.jpg) *Gemini 4 Carbon, Google's strongest model so far. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* Google [released Gemini 4 Carbon](https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/introducing-gemini-4-carbon/) on Wednesday, two weeks after Gemini 4 Argon, and calls it its most capable model, built for coding and agent work that runs for days. Google says Carbon scores 59 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, one point above the 58 held by Anthropic's Claude Opus 5.5. As of this evening, the [Artificial Analysis leaderboard](https://artificialanalysis.ai/models) has not yet listed Carbon, so that score is Google's own claim for now. Google says Carbon found software weaknesses on 88.2% of the SEC-bench Pro test and fixed them on 71.0% of CWE-bench, and that no prompt injection attack in Gray Swan's test got through. Because a model that finds holes this well could also help attackers, Google is giving it first to a small group of cyber defenders this week, then to more than 650 partners in government, healthcare and telecom through its Fairwind Program. There is no date for the public. The price is $2 per million words fed in and $10 per million produced at first, rising to $4 and $20 later. > **Why it matters:** think of every app, bank and hospital system as a house with thousands of doors, and some doors have broken locks nobody has noticed. An AI that can walk the halls, find the broken locks and fix them could make the software you depend on much safer. The same skill in the wrong hands could open those doors, which is why Google is handing it to the locksmiths first. You cannot use it yet, and the score has not been checked independently, but the top of the AI race just got more crowded. Disclosure: Singularity Nightly is drafted with help from Anthropic's Claude. We cover Anthropic like any other company. ## The Ticker - [AI] Google released Gemini 4 Carbon and says it scores 59 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, first place; access starts with cyber defenders only. [source](https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/introducing-gemini-4-carbon/) - Why it matters: the most capable AI tools are now being released in stages, starting with the people who keep systems safe. - [AI] Nvidia released Nemotron 3.5 Transcribe, a free-to-download speech model that writes down 40 languages, tells up to 8 speakers apart and runs on one graphics chip. [source](https://siliconangle.com/2026/10/28/nvidia-releases-all-in-one-adaptable-nemotron-3-5-audio-transcription-and-translation-model/) - Why it matters: accurate, free transcription helps with captions for people who are hard of hearing and notes from long meetings. - [AI] Oracle business apps now work inside ChatGPT, so employees can use approved company data and run work tasks without leaving the chat. [source](https://openai.com/index/oracle-apps-in-chatgpt/) - Why it matters: chat assistants are turning into the front door for everyday office work. - [AI] OpenAI plans to buy Google's TPU AI chips outright instead of only renting them, Reuters reports, citing The Information; neither company confirmed it. [source](https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-plans-buy-googles-ai-chips-information-reports-2026-10-28/) - Why it matters: if true, rivals are now also each other's suppliers, and Nvidia has more competition. - [AI] Xreal Aura, the first wired glasses running Google's Android XR with Gemini built in, opened for orders at $1,279 and up, shipping by mid-November. [source](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/28/xreal-aura-is-a-new-wired-headset-powered-by-android-xr/) - Why it matters: an AI helper that sees what you see is moving from phones to glasses. - [WILD] Alphabet said Google Cloud revenue more than doubled to $30.7 billion for the quarter, and it spent $51.4 billion on data centers and equipment. [source](https://abc.xyz/files/doc_financials/2026/q3/2026q3-alphabet-earnings-release.pdf) Not investment advice. - Why it matters: businesses are paying real money for AI, and the companies are pouring it back into building more. - [WILD] Microsoft said its Azure cloud grew 48% to $33.2 billion for the quarter, and total revenue rose 19% to $92.3 billion. [source](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Investor/earnings/FY-2027-Q1/press-release-webcast) Not investment advice. - Why it matters: much of the AI you use at work and school runs on clouds like this one. - [WILD] ServiceNow, which sells software that runs office workflows, said subscription revenue rose 21% to $3.99 billion and raised its AI sales target for 2026 to $1.7 billion. [source](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001373715/000137371526000092/erq3fy26.htm) Not investment advice. - Why it matters: companies are now paying for AI agents that do office work, not just testing them. - [WILD] The Energy Department offered Constellation Energy a conditional loan of up to $5 billion to get about 1.1 gigawatts more from 11 existing nuclear reactors, much of it already sold to data centers. [source](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/28/trump-doe-loans-5b-to-nuclear-plants-that-will-power-data-centers) - Why it matters: squeezing more out of plants that already exist is the quickest way to add clean power for AI without new towers. - [WILD] The Commerce Department signed letters of intent for up to $175 million to fusion company Helion for power chips and up to $85 million to Commonwealth Fusion Systems, taking small ownership stakes in return. [source](https://www.ans.org/news/2026-10-28/article-8526/fusion-companies-sign-lois-for-federal-rd-awards/) - Why it matters: fusion, the power that runs the Sun, is getting government backing, though working power plants are still years away. - [LAUNCH] NASA stacked the 212-foot core stage of the Artemis III Moon rocket between its two solid rocket boosters at Kennedy Space Center. [source](https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/artemis-iii-sls-core-stage-joins-boosters-at-kennedy/) - Why it matters: the rocket for the next crewed Moon mission is taking shape. - [ORBIT] NASA is go for a spacewalk Thursday at 8:00 AM ET to install the seventh of eight new roll-out solar arrays on the space station. [source](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/10/28/astronauts-are-go-for-thursdays-power-upgrade-spacewalk/) - Why it matters: when all eight are up, the station's power rises from about 160 to about 215 kilowatts, enough for more experiments. - [ORBIT] SpaceX fired six engines on Starship's upper stage, Ship 42, at Starbase, Texas, ahead of Flight 15, which still waits on final FAA approval. [source](https://teslaoracle.com/2026/10/28/spacex-completes-flight-15-pre-launch-static-fires-and-simulations-on-starship-42-and-super-heavy) - Why it matters: SpaceX plans to try catching both halves of Starship on this flight, a big step toward a fully reusable rocket. - [ORBIT] Europe signed 2 contracts with Indra Space to build new ground stations for its next generation of Galileo navigation satellites. [source](https://www.esa.int/Applications/Satellite_navigation/New_contracts_to_modernise_Galileo_ground_segment_for_next_generation) - Why it matters: satellites need antennas on the ground to stay accurate, and Galileo helps keep phone maps precise. - [ORBIT] Flexell Space and Satoro agreed to test next-generation solar cells in orbit on 2 SpaceX rideshare flights in 2027 and 2028. [source](https://spacenews.com/flexell-space-and-satoro-agree-to-collaborate-on-in-orbit-demonstration-of-next-generation-space-solar-cells/) - Why it matters: lighter, cheaper solar cells mean more power for every satellite launched. - [AIR] Virgin Galactic flew its first new Delta-class spaceship, Apeiron, under its carrier jet from Arizona to Spaceport America in New Mexico to begin flight tests. [source](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261026367828/en/virgin-galactic-sets-october-28-for-lead-delta-class-spaceships-arrival-at-spaceport-america-marking-start-of-flight-test-preparations) - Why it matters: short trips to the edge of space for paying passengers are on the way back after more than two years. - [AIR] UK startup Skyfly showed its two-seat Axe personal electric aircraft at the Fort Lauderdale boat show, aiming at first deliveries in 2027. [source](https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/rolling-business-aviation-daily-briefs-october-2026) - Why it matters: small personal aircraft that take off straight up are starting to be sold as a hobby, not just a dream. - [MED] Genmab said its drug petosemtamab plus Keytruda cut the risk of death by 50% against Keytruda alone in advanced head and neck cancer. [source](https://ir.genmab.com/news-releases/news-release-details/genmab-announces-statistically-significant-clinically-meaningful) - Why it matters: a cancer that has been hard to treat may get a much stronger first treatment. - [MED] Final results of the NEOTORCH trial showed that adding toripalimab to chemotherapy before and after lung cancer surgery cut the risk of death by about a third after 4 years. [source](https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/28/3389841/0/en/junshi-biosciences-announces-final-analysis-results-of-the-phase-3-neotorch-study-at-esmo-congress-2026.html) - Why it matters: giving immune drugs around surgery is helping more people stay cancer free for years. - [MED] Actinogen froze the data in its 247-patient trial of a daily Alzheimer's pill, Xanamem, with results due in mid-November. [source](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/28/3390207/0/en/actinogen-pivotal-alzheimer-s-disease-trial-database-lock-milestone-topline-results-on-track-for-mid-november.html) - Why it matters: a simple pill for memory loss would be a big change, and we will know soon whether this one works. - [MED] The FDA cleared United Therapeutics to start a trial of a single mist inhaler that combines two lung blood pressure medicines. [source](https://www.morningstar.com/news/business-wire/20261028830210/united-therapeutics-announces-fda-clearance-to-proceed-with-clinical-trial-for-treprostinil-iloprost-smi-in-pulmonary-arterial-hypertension) - Why it matters: one inhaler instead of two could make a hard daily routine easier for patients. - [DEF] The Pentagon gave startup Biosphere $21 million for a plant where engineered microbes brew military chemicals, about 100 tons a year from late 2027. [source](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/10/startup-biosphere-wins-pentagon-contract-to-scale-up-production-of-key-chemicals/) - Why it matters: it is a bet that biology can replace chemicals the U.S. now buys from China. - [POLICY] The CFTC, which oversees futures markets, held its first Frontier Forum on very advanced AI and AI agents that trade on their own; no new rules were proposed. [source](https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9301-26) - Why it matters: regulators are starting to ask who is responsible when a computer, not a person, makes the trade. - [DEF] The Navy awarded Integer Technologies $23.1 million to research "zero trust" cyber defenses that let a warship's power system keep running through a hacking attack. [source](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4636156/contracts-for-oct-28-2026/) - Why it matters: ships now run on computers, so keeping the lights on during a cyberattack is part of defense. - [DEF] The Army Corps of Engineers awarded $54.8 million for a microgrid and backup power plant in Savannah, Georgia, and $9.9 million to design cable hardening for the Brooklyn Bridge. [source](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4636156/contracts-for-oct-28-2026/) - Why it matters: power that keeps flowing when the main grid fails, and a stronger landmark bridge, both protect people at home. - [POLICY] New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed laws barring AI chatbots from posing as human or as a romantic partner to kids, and requiring internet baby monitors to block strangers. [source](https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-nation-leading-legislation-protect-kids-ai-chatbots-and-ensure-baby) - Why it matters: AI companions and smart home gadgets are getting their first firm safety rules for children. - [POLICY] The CFTC set a Dec. 15 public roundtable on letting futures markets trade around the clock, including with tokens. [source](https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9318-26) - Why it matters: markets that never close could let you react to news at any hour, with new risks to sort out. - [TOKEN] DTCC switched on its Tokenization Service, letting 20 big firms turn stocks, index funds and U.S. Treasury bonds it holds into digital tokens. [source](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261027462327/en/DTCC-Tokenization-Service-Goes-Live-Marking-Major-Milestone-in-the-Adoption-of-Digital-Assets) Not investment advice. - Why it matters: the system behind nearly every U.S. trade now speaks blockchain. - [TOKEN] Moody's gave Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin an A2 rating, which counts as investment grade. [source](https://www.theblock.co/news/web3/2026-10-28-moodys-ripple-rlusd-stablecoin-431969) Not investment advice. - Why it matters: a credit rating lets cautious institutions judge a digital dollar the same way they judge a bond. - [TOKEN] Coinbase listed RLUSD for its regular customers, swapping one for one with U.S. dollars. [source](https://www.theblock.co/news/business/2026-10-28-coinbase-adds-ripple-rlusd-stablecoin-432009) Not investment advice. - Why it matters: bank-backed digital dollars are reaching ordinary app users. ## The Desks ### AI Models **Nvidia gives away an AI that writes down 100 hours of talk in minutes** ![Illustration: glowing green sound waves turn into neat rows of blocks](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/speech-to-text-waves-1376.jpg) *Sound waves turning into written words. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* Nvidia [released Nemotron 3.5 Transcribe](https://siliconangle.com/2026/10/28/nvidia-releases-all-in-one-adaptable-nemotron-3-5-audio-transcription-and-translation-model/), an open-weight speech model, meaning anyone can download it and run it on their own computer. It turns speech into text in 40 languages, can translate, handles recordings up to 100 hours long and labels up to 8 different speakers. Nvidia says it runs on a single graphics chip and turns 100 hours of audio into text in under 3 minutes on its newest Blackwell hardware. It was trained on about 843,579 hours of recorded speech. Those speed figures are Nvidia's own and have not been tested independently. > **Why it matters:** picture a grandparent's stories, a doctor's visit or a school board meeting, written down word for word in a few minutes, in your own language, with each speaker named. Free tools like this power live captions for people who are hard of hearing and searchable notes for everyone else. Because it can run on a company's own machine, recordings do not have to leave the building. It is a tool for developers today, and it will show up inside the apps you use. ### [LAUNCH] Launch and Orbit **NASA stands up the rocket for the next crewed Moon mission** ![The Artemis III SLS core stage being joined to its solid rocket boosters inside NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/artemis-iii-sls-stacking-1920.jpg) *Teams join the Artemis III core stage to its boosters inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, Oct. 26. Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux* Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, teams have [placed the 212-foot core stage](https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/artemis-iii-sls-core-stage-joins-boosters-at-kennedy/) of the Artemis III Space Launch System rocket between its twin solid rocket boosters, NASA said Wednesday. The core stage is the giant central tank that holds the super-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen for its 4 main engines. Next, the rocket rolls out to Launch Pad 39B for a tanking test, a fueling rehearsal without a launch. NASA did not give a launch date. Artemis III will carry NASA astronauts Bresnik, Rubio and Douglas and ESA's Luca Parmitano, and will practice meeting up and docking with commercial spacecraft from Blue Origin and SpaceX. No orbital rockets launched anywhere in the world in the last 24 hours, by the [Launch Library 2](https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.3.0/launches/previous/?net__gte=2026-10-27T22:00:00Z&net__lte=2026-10-28T22:00:00Z) count. The next is India's GSLV on Friday. > **Why it matters:** a rocket taller than a 20-story building has to be stacked piece by piece like a giant toy, and every piece in place means the next trip with people toward the Moon is closer. Artemis III is a practice run for the docking that future Moon landers will need. There is still a lot of testing ahead and no launch date, but the rocket is standing. ### Air Mobility **Virgin Galactic's new spaceship rides a jet to its new home** ![Illustration: a winged spaceplane rides beneath a twin-fuselage carrier jet over a desert at dusk](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/spaceplane-carrier-jet-1376.jpg) *A spaceplane rides beneath its carrier jet to the launch site. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* Virgin Galactic [flew its first Delta-class spaceship](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261026367828/en/virgin-galactic-sets-october-28-for-lead-delta-class-spaceships-arrival-at-spaceport-america-marking-start-of-flight-test-preparations), named Apeiron, Greek for "boundless," beneath its carrier aircraft VMS Eve from its factory in Mesa, Arizona, to Spaceport America in New Mexico on Wednesday. The name was picked by a public vote with entries from 83 countries, [Space.com reports](https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/meet-apeiron-virgin-galactics-1st-delta-class-space-plane). Before anyone rides it, Apeiron goes through software checks, flights attached under the jet, unpowered glides and then rocket-powered flights. Delta seats 6 passengers, up from 4 on the old ship, and the company's goal is up to 8 flights a month per ship. Virgin Galactic has not flown people since June 2024. > **Why it matters:** this spaceplane is carried high by a jet, let go, fires its rocket to the edge of space, gives riders a few minutes floating and a view of the curve of the Earth, then glides home to a runway like an airplane. More seats and more flights could slowly bring the price down from a fortune toward something more people could dream about. Testing comes first, and the company has not set a date for paying passengers. ### Medicine **A head and neck cancer drug halves the risk of death in a big trial** ![Illustration: a Y-shaped antibody grips two points on a glowing cell](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/antibody-tumor-1376.jpg) *An antibody built to grab two targets on a cancer cell at once. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* Genmab said its Phase 3 LiGeR-HN1 trial [met its main goals at an early planned check](https://ir.genmab.com/news-releases/news-release-details/genmab-announces-statistically-significant-clinically-meaningful). Adults with head and neck cancer that had spread or come back, whose tumors carry a protein called PD-L1, got either petosemtamab plus the immune drug Keytruda or Keytruda alone as their first treatment. The combination cut the risk of death by 50% (hazard ratio 0.50) and made tumors far more likely to shrink. Genmab reported no new safety concerns. Petosemtamab is a bispecific antibody, a lab-made protein that grabs two targets on cancer cells at once. Genmab did not give patient numbers or a date to apply for FDA approval, and says it will share full results at a medical meeting. > **Why it matters:** head and neck cancers, in the mouth, throat and voice box, are hard to treat once they spread. Halving the risk of death in a large trial is a big result. If regulators agree, patients could get a stronger first treatment. It is not approved yet, and the full data still has to be published and reviewed. ### Defense **The Pentagon bets on microbes to brew military chemicals** ![Illustration: steel bioreactor tanks in a dim hall with glowing microbe shapes](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/bioreactor-microbes-1376.jpg) *Engineered microbes at work in large steel tanks. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* The Pentagon gave startup Biosphere [$21 million](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/10/startup-biosphere-wins-pentagon-contract-to-scale-up-production-of-key-chemicals/) for a 20,000-liter facility where engineered microbes will make chemicals the military uses, including a bio-cement for helicopter landing pads and binders that hold explosives together in munitions such as the Hellfire missile. The plant would make about 100 tons a year and start up in late 2027, Breaking Defense reports. The stated goal is to cut reliance on chemicals from China. > **Why it matters:** brewing materials with living cells is like making yogurt or beer, only the tiny workers are programmed to make industrial chemicals. It is a public bet that biology can build supply chains at home. This is a small contract for a plant that does not exist yet, and part of what it makes goes into weapons. ### Law and Policy **New York sets rules for AI chatbots that talk with kids** ![Illustration: a glowing shield stands between a green chat bubble and a tablet on a child's desk](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/chatbot-kid-shield-1376.jpg) *New rules for AI chatbots that talk with children. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* New York Gov. Kathy Hochul [signed a law](https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-nation-leading-legislation-protect-kids-ai-chatbots-and-ensure-baby) that bars companies from giving users under 18 chatbot features the state calls unsafe. Bots may not pretend to be a real person, claim a romantic or personal relationship with a child, push kids to keep secrets from trusted adults, encourage self-harm or drug use, or produce sexual content. The rules apply to every user unless the company first checks that the user is an adult, and companies must offer more than one way to check age, including one that does not need a government ID, then delete that age information. The attorney general can seek fines of up to $25,000 for each violation, and can even order a company to destroy AI models trained on data it collected illegally, [Fortune reports](https://fortune.com/2026/10/28/new-york-state-kathy-hochul-bans-ai-chatbots-romantic-baby-monitors/). A second law requires new internet-connected baby monitors sold in New York to have security that blocks strangers from watching or listening, starting 90 days after signing. The state did not give a start date for the chatbot rules. > **Why it matters:** many kids now chat with AI for homework, games and company, and some bots were built to keep them talking by acting like a best friend or a crush. New York is drawing a line: a chatbot can help a child, but it cannot pretend to be a person who loves them. Other states often copy New York's tech laws, so this could spread. Companies still have time to make the changes. ### Tokenized Assets **The company behind nearly every U.S. trade turns stocks and bonds into tokens** ![Illustration: a stone vault door dissolves into streams of glowing green cubes](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/vault-to-tokens-1376.jpg) *Traditional securities stepping onto a blockchain. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, or DTCC, [launched its Tokenization Service](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261027462327/en/DTCC-Tokenization-Service-Goes-Live-Marking-Major-Milestone-in-the-Adoption-of-Digital-Assets). Its subsidiary DTC, which holds more than $114 trillion in securities for the market, can now turn some of them into tokens that move into firms' digital wallets and back again. Twenty firms have signed on, including Bank of America, Citi, Fidelity, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and State Street. At launch, 34 securities qualify, worth about $30 trillion, including some large company stocks, index funds and Treasury bills, notes and bonds, [CoinDesk reports](https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/10/28/wall-street-backbone-dtcc-brings-usd30-trillion-securities-closer-to-blockchain-with-major-banks). It runs on the Canton Network and DTCC's own private network. Tokenized real-world assets now total [$39.33 billion](https://app.rwa.xyz/), per RWA.xyz. > **Why it matters:** when you buy a share, a company called DTCC quietly keeps the official record of who owns what. Now that same record keeper can hand out a digital token for the share, which can move in seconds and, in time, at any hour. It is like the post office starting to deliver by email: the trusted middleman is the one making the switch. For now it is for big banks and brokers, not your brokerage app. Not investment advice. ### Wildcard **Google and Microsoft show AI turning into real money, and real spending** ![Illustration: rows of server racks with green light columns rising like a bar chart](https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/cloud-growth-racks-1376.jpg) *Data centers growing like a bar chart. Credit: Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)* After the market closed, Alphabet [reported](https://abc.xyz/files/doc_financials/2026/q3/2026q3-alphabet-earnings-release.pdf) that Google Cloud revenue more than doubled to $30.7 billion for the quarter, the Gemini app passed 1 billion users and spending on data centers and equipment reached $51.4 billion, more than twice a year ago. The stock fell as much as 8% after hours, [Fortune reports](https://fortune.com/2026/10/28/alphabet-google-stock-drops-cloud-revenue-doubles-free-cash-flow-negative/), as heavy spending left free cash flow negative. Microsoft [reported](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Investor/earnings/FY-2027-Q1/press-release-webcast) that its Azure cloud grew 48% to $33.2 billion and total revenue rose 19% to $92.3 billion. > **Why it matters:** the cloud is the rented computer power behind the AI in your search box, email and office apps. Both companies are seeing businesses pay for it as fast as they can build it, and they are spending tens of billions every three months on new data centers to keep up. That spending is why power plants, chips and AI keep showing up in the same story. Not investment advice. ## Watch In case you missed them, two recent conversations worth your time: [Video: Moonshots with Peter Diamandis, episode 292: Robinhood's Vlad Tenev on turning everything into tokens, a good companion to tonight's DTCC story (Sep. 20).](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNBzLTLuLUo) [Video: Moonshots with Peter Diamandis, episode 295: Palmer Luckey on autonomous weapons and why Anduril will not build humanoid robots (Sep. 29).](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRY9XCrT0eg) ## Voices - Elon Musk posted that 10,000 Starship launches a year would come from SpaceX's planned Louisiana site alone; he gave no timeline, and the site is not built. [source](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/elon-musk-says-spacex-louisiana-112219894.html) (opinion) ## By the Numbers - 0: orbital launches worldwide in the last 24 hours; 252 so far in 2026. [Launch Library 2](https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.3.0/launches/previous/?net__gte=2026-10-27T22:00:00Z&net__lte=2026-10-28T22:00:00Z) - 59: Google's reported Intelligence Index score for Gemini 4 Carbon; the official leaderboard top is still 58, Claude Opus 5.5. [Google](https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/introducing-gemini-4-carbon/), [Artificial Analysis](https://artificialanalysis.ai/models) - $30.7 billion: Google Cloud revenue for the quarter, up from about half that a year ago. [Alphabet](https://abc.xyz/files/doc_financials/2026/q3/2026q3-alphabet-earnings-release.pdf) - $33.2 billion: Microsoft Azure revenue for the quarter, up 48%. [Microsoft](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Investor/earnings/FY-2027-Q1/press-release-webcast) - 212 feet: height of the Artemis III core stage. [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/artemis-iii-sls-core-stage-joins-boosters-at-kennedy/) - 215 kilowatts: space station power once all 8 new solar arrays are up, from about 160. [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/10/28/astronauts-are-go-for-thursdays-power-upgrade-spacewalk/) - $1.85 billion: one more year of the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan, which covers about 174,705 military family members through 6 health systems, in Pentagon option awards dated Sept. 30 and announced Oct. 28. [Department of War](https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4636156/contracts-for-oct-28-2026/) - 47: novel drugs approved by the FDA in 2026. [FDA](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/novel-drug-approvals-fda/novel-drug-approvals-2026) - $39.33 billion: tokenized real-world assets, excluding stablecoins, at 6:00 PM ET. [RWA.xyz](https://app.rwa.xyz/) Not investment advice. ## Tomorrow's Watchlist - Thu Oct. 29, 8:00 AM ET: spacewalk by Anil Menon and Canada's Joshua Kutryk to install a new solar array; NASA coverage starts 6:30 AM ET. - Thu Oct. 29, 10:30 AM ET: the FCC votes on opening cellphone airwaves to commercial drones. - Fri Oct. 30, 2:21 PM ET: India's GSLV launches the NVS-03 navigation satellite. - Fri Oct. 30, 11:48 PM ET: Falcon 9, Starlink 15-18, Vandenberg. - Sat Oct. 31, 9:00 AM ET: The Week No. 1, our first weekly newsletter. - Sat Oct. 31, 11:00 AM ET (may change): Mistral Large 4 open weights. - Sat Oct. 31, 3:00 PM ET: NASA's pretend Mars crew exits after 378 days. - Sun Nov. 1: clocks fall back one hour; times below are Eastern Standard Time. - Mon Nov. 2, 3:45 AM ET: Rocket Lab Electron launches a radar imaging satellite for Japan's iQPS from New Zealand. - Mon Nov. 2, 8:42 PM ET: Falcon 9 launches the USSF-432 Space Force mission from Vandenberg. - Coming up: Joby results Nov. 4, 5:00 PM ET; second solar array spacewalk Nov. 5; Starship Flight 15 waiting on FAA approval; Alzheimer's pill Xanamem results mid-November; Hera's first detailed Dimorphos images Nov. 25; CFTC round-the-clock trading roundtable Dec. 15. --- Source: https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-10-28-evening-3/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Cite: Singularity Nightly, "Google Says Its New Gemini Tops the AI Charts, Wall Street's Plumbing Goes on a Blockchain, and a Moon Rocket Stands Up", Wednesday, October 28, 2026, https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-10-28-evening-3/. CC BY 4.0.