Dear Studio Fam,
This week in tech, we’re seeing a collision of security concerns, regulatory battles, product innovation, and high-stakes corporate drama. Government agencies and tech platforms alike are grappling with vulnerabilities, while the tension between big tech and federal oversight continues to shape the digital landscape. Apple is making moves that hint at the future of its ecosystem, reinforcing its hold on both hardware and software. Meanwhile, the ongoing power struggle between industry giants underscores just how much influence a few key players wield over the direction of AI and online platforms.
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DOGE Website Pwned
The Department of Government Efficiency’s new website was compromised today, according to 404 Media, also known as “pwned” in Internet slang. The website was quickly created to highlight DOGE’s day-to-day work as well as serve as a recruiting portal, but visitors this morning were greeted with unofficial announcements highlighting vulnerabilities in a third-party database. As of this writing, the website has been fixed.
TikTok Is Back In The App Store
TikTok is back in the Apple App Store in the US, indicating the Chinese-owned company may be making progress towards a deal with the US government over its sell-or-shutdown law. Existing users in the US saw their apps go dark on January 19 when the TikTok app was also removed from the App Store. Service was restored shortly after newly elected President Trump triggered the law’s 90-day extension but new iPhone users could not install the app until today. Apple was reportedly refusing to reinstate the app without explicit guarantees from the Federal government given the sell-or-shutdown law’s extreme penalties, so today’s restoration is strong evidence that TikTok is nearing a deal with the Trump administration.
New iPhone Coming Next Week
Apple confirmed rumors of a new iPhone coming next week, announcing a February 19 event to welcome a “new member of the family.” The new iPhone is likely an update to the entry-level iPhone SE, the only iPhone that still has a fingerprint sensor. The news came along with the immediate release of the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds and rumors of other updates like a Macbook Air optimized for Apple Intelligence.
Elon Offers To Buy OpenAI, Altman Offers To Buy X
The feud between Elon Musk and OpenAI continued with an unsolicited offer to buy the non-profit company for $97.4 billion. The offer was probably made in bad faith in order to complicate OpenAI’s plan to convert to a for-profit company. Musk was one of the original funders of OpenAI’s non-profit mission and repeatedly-and-unsuccessfully sued the company for violating its original mission. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded by offering to buy X.