The Seattle tech scene saw significant executive movement this week. Expedia appointed its first-ever chief AI officer, while Textio’s co-founder returned to Microsoft. Meanwhile, a key T-Mobile leader is stepping down after 12 years.
Fortnite players are accusing Epic Games of using generative AI to create some of the new art in Chapter 7. The drama centers on odd details like a nine-toed yeti. CEO Tim Sweeney recently argued against mandatory AI tags on storefronts like Steam.
India’s government is privately demanding that all smartphone makers pre-install its Sanchar Saathi app on devices sold in the country. The app cannot be deleted and must be installed via a software update on older phones, too.
Professors are integrating AI into negotiation courses, having students use tools like Perplexity Pro and custom GPTs to practice. The goal is to simulate real-world scenarios and get targeted feedback before the big meeting.
Stronghold isn’t your typical fintech. It launched a stablecoin in 2017, partnered with IBM in 2018, and pivoted during the pandemic. Now it’s a full financial infrastructure play.
India’s telecom ministry has issued a confidential directive requiring major smartphone brands to preload the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices within 90 days. The move, aimed at curbing phone fraud, is set to clash with Apple’s policies and ignite privacy debates.
Legendary adventure game designer Ron Gilbert has released a surprise action game, Death by Scrolling. It’s a rogue-lite runner where you outrun the Grim Reaper, funded after his dream of a Zelda-like RPG collapsed due to harsh publisher deals.
According to Phoronix, November 2025 was a pivotal month for the open-source world. Key developments include Steam on Linux finally surpassing 3% market share, major projects like Debian’s APT tool mandating Rust, and the final abandonment of the X11 display protocol by GNOME and KDE.
Walmart’s Cyber Monday event is live with massive discounts on big-ticket items like TVs and Apple gear. According to Tom’s Guide, deals include an LG 48-inch OLED TV for $550 and AirPods 4 for $79. These are some of the last major savings of the year.
Consumers turned to AI-powered shopping assistants in record numbers this Black Friday, driving ecommerce sales to $11.8 billion. The technology helped streamline gift discovery during a period of economic uncertainty where 26% of consumers reported trouble paying bills in September.
