Tech News

1. Tech / AI:

   • TikTok's US transition: TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, a new entity led by Oracle and Silver Lake, now controls TikTok's US operations after a deal with ByteDance, avoiding a federal ban. The platform will collect more detailed user data, including precise location tracking, and leverage AI interactions for targeted ads. 👉 wired.com 👉 nytimes.com^$ 👉 cnn.com
   • Anthropic's AI hiring challenge: Anthropic had to redesign its hiring test three times after its AI model, Claude, outperformed human candidates, showcasing AI's rapid advancement. The original test is now open for public challenge. 👉 anthropic.com 👉 techcrunch.com
   • Google Photos AI meme feature: Google Photos introduces "Me Meme," an AI-powered feature allowing users to create memes from their own images, launching first in the US. 👉 techcrunch.com 👉 engadget.com
   • Meta AI characters for teens: Meta temporarily pauses teens' access to its AI characters globally, citing ongoing development of a specially tailored version. 👉 techcrunch.com 👉 theverge.com

2. Business / Economy:

   • Capital One acquires Brex: Capital One agrees to acquire Brex, a fintech company specializing in corporate credit cards, expenses, and rewards management, for $5.15B. 👉 wsj.com^$ 👉 bloomberg.com^$
   • LinkedIn hiring trends: Global hiring remains 20% below pre-pandemic levels, with job switching at a 10-year low, impacting new university graduates the most. 👉 giftarticle.ft.com^$
   • Solo 401(k)s rising: Solo 401(k)s, favored by freelancers, are becoming a mainstream Wall Street sales pitch as more self-employed Americans seek tax-advantaged retirement options. 👉 bloomberg.com^$

3. Geopolitics / Diplomacy:

   • White House photo controversy: The White House digitally altered a photo of Minnesota protester Nekima Levy Armstrong, dismissing it as a "meme," despite objections from her attorney and comparisons to propaganda. 👉 theguardian.com 👉 thehill.com
   • China electric vehicles market shift: Major economies cautiously open their markets to Chinese electric vehicles despite past tariff barriers, with Germany and Canada adjusting policies. 👉 bloomberg.com^$

4. Cybersecurity / Privacy:

   • Fortinet FortiCloud vulnerability: Fortinet confirms an active FortiCloud SSO authentication bypass vulnerability affecting fully patched FortiGate firewalls. 👉 thehackernews.com 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • Kimwolf botnet: A new IoT botnet, Kimwolf, infects over 2 million devices, using residential proxies to spread and participate in DDoS attacks. 👉 krebsonsecurity.com
   • Microsoft BitLocker keys: Microsoft provided the FBI with BitLocker encryption keys to unlock encrypted data on suspects' laptops in a federal investigation. 👉 techcrunch.com 👉 forbes.com^$

5. Energy / Environment:

   • Renewable energy milestone: Wind and solar power overtook fossil fuels as the primary source of electricity in the EU for the first time in 2025. 👉 semafor.com
   • Toto's chipmaking growth: Japanese toilet maker Toto sees stock surge after Goldman Sachs predicts growth in its chipmaking materials operations due to AI infrastructure buildout. 👉 finance.yahoo.com

6. Health / Science:

   • ChatGPT data loss: A professor lost two years of academic work after disabling ChatGPT's data consent option, highlighting the risks of AI data handling. 👉 nature.com

7. Legal / Regulation:

   • DOJ probe into Deel: The US Department of Justice opened a criminal probe into allegations that Deel recruited a spy inside rival Rippling. 👉 wsj.com^$ 👉 techcrunch.com

8. Entertainment / Media:

   • TikTok deal finalized: TikTok’s deal to form a US joint venture, avoiding a potential ban, is finalized, with Adam Presser named as the CEO of the new entity. 👉 variety.com 👉 deadline.com
   • Pilot fraud: A Toronto man posed as a pilot for years to obtain hundreds of free flights from airlines, charged with wire fraud. 👉 theguardian.com

9. Automotive / Transportation:

   • Tesla Autopilot discontinuation: Tesla discontinues Autopilot in favor of boosting adoption of its Full Self-Driving software. 👉 techcrunch.com

10. Crypto / Blockchain:

    • Binance reintroduces stock tokens: Binance considers reintroducing stock tokens, joining other exchanges like OKX and Kraken in expanding tokenized stock offerings. 👉 theinformation.com 👉 coindesk.com
    • BitGo IPO: BitGo, a crypto custodian, debuts on the NYSE with shares surging and then falling below IPO price on the second day of trading. 👉 theblock.co 👉 coindesk.com

11. Hardware / Manufacturing:

    • Apple supplier cyberattack: Luxshare, a major supplier for Apple, suffered a cyberattack that reportedly stole over 1TB of confidential Apple information. 👉 macrumors.com

12. Finance / Investments:

    • UBS crypto trading: UBS plans to make cryptocurrency investing available for some private banking clients in Switzerland, starting with Bitcoin and Ethereum. 👉 bloomberg.com^$ 👉 reuters.com

13. Education / Workforce:

    • Farcaster VC repayment: The R&D firm Merkle, which sold Farcaster, plans to repay $180M to venture backers, signaling a pivot towards a developer-focused direction. 👉 bloomberg.com^$ 👉 decrypt.co

14. Social Media / Tech Trends:

    • Google Personal Intelligence: Google introduces Personal Intelligence in AI Mode, using Gmail and Photos data to provide more tailored search responses for US AI Pro and Ultra users. 👉 techcrunch.com 👉 theverge.com

15. Legal / Privacy:

    • Microsoft Teams impersonation warnings: Microsoft plans to add brand impersonation warnings to Teams calls to combat social engineering attacks. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com

16. Healthcare / Biotech:

    • Vimeo layoffs: Vimeo lays off employees worldwide, months after being acquired by Bending Spoons for $1.38 billion. 👉 businessinsider.com^$

17. AI / Robotics:

    • Google invests in Sakana AI: Google invests in Sakana AI to boost Gemini’s presence in Japan, gaining access to Google’s LLMs. 👉 bloomberg.com^$ 👉 asia.nikkei.com

18. Legal / Regulation:

    • US DOJ probe into spy allegations: The US DOJ opened a criminal probe into allegations that Deel recruited a spy inside rival Rippling. 👉 wsj.com^$ 👉 techcrunch.com

19. Cybersecurity / Privacy:

    • Malicious VSCode extensions: Malicious AI extensions on the VSCode Marketplace, collectively installed 1.5 million times, exfiltrate developer data to China-based servers. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com

20. Global Markets:

    • China Nvidia H200 orders: China signals it is close to approving imports of Nvidia's H200 AI chips, allowing companies like Alibaba and Tencent to prepare orders. 👉 bloomberg.com^$ 👉 reuters.com

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