Microsoft Ends Windows 11 SE Support, Apple Invests in AI, Reddit Eyes Search Engine Dominance

Windows 11 SE Support Concludes

• ❌ Microsoft is discontinuing support for Windows 11 SE in October, five years after its launch.
• 🏫 This operating system was designed for low-cost laptops in the education market and encouraged progressive web apps over traditional Win32 applications.
• 📉 The decision aligns with recent declines in the Chromebook market share and Microsoft's focus on Windows 11 upgrades.

Apple's AI Investment Strategy

• 🚀 Apple plans to significantly increase its investment in artificial intelligence.
• 🤝 CEO Tim Cook confirmed the company is open to mergers and acquisitions of any size to accelerate its AI roadmap.
• 💰 This move comes amid pressure for Apple to increase its AI infrastructure spending to match other tech giants.

Reddit's Search Engine Ambitions

• 🔍 Reddit aims to become a leading search engine by leveraging its user-generated content and AI-powered QA product, Reddit Answers.
• 📈 The platform boasts 70 million weekly search users and plans to expand Reddit Answers globally, integrating it with search and redesigning its app with a prominent search bar.
• 💰 This initiative follows a strong second quarter with revenue up 78% to $500 million, partly due to new ad tools.

AI and Tech Updates

• 🧠 Google DeepMind is launching Gemini 2.5 DeepThink, an advanced AI reasoning model that explores multiple ideas simultaneously.
• 🔒 Nvidia addressed concerns about potential backdoors in its H20 AI chip, stating its products lack such features, following inquiries from China's cyberspace administration.
• 🚫 OpenAI removed a ChatGPT feature that allowed public conversations to be discoverable by search engines, citing accidental sharing risks.

Legal and Regulatory Developments

• ⚖️ Epic Games secured another victory against Google, with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upholding a jury verdict that found Google's app store and payment system to be illegal monopolies.
• 🏛️ This decision aims to open up Android and dismantle these monopolies, with Epic Games planning to bring its Android store to the Google Play Store.
• 💸 The White House administration has reportedly eliminated the IRS Direct File program, which allowed free direct tax filing, with efforts underway to find a replacement.