TikTok's US Sale Preparations and Windows 11's Dominance

TikTok's US Operations Sale

• 📱 TikTok is reportedly developing a US-specific version of its app, internally codenamed M2, in preparation for a potential sale of its US operations.
• 🗓️ The plan suggests launching the new app by September 5th, encouraging US users to migrate, and ending support for the old app in March 2026.
• 🤝 Reports indicate the US is nearing approval from the Chinese government for the sale, with non-Chinese investors, potentially including Oracle, lined up.
• ❓ A key unresolved question is whether ByteDance will relinquish its proprietary algorithm, which is central to TikTok's success.

Windows 11 Becomes Most Popular Version

• 📊 Windows 11 has surpassed Windows 10 in usage, now accounting for 50.88% of the Windows market, with approximately 700 million monthly active devices.
• 📈 This marks a significant increase from 36.65% in January, driven partly by the approaching end-of-support for Windows 10 on October 14th.
• ⚠️ Device incompatibility remains a barrier for many users, leading Microsoft to offer extended security support options for older machines.
• 🏢 Businesses are likely a major driver of recent upgrades, as they cannot afford to run unsupported operating systems.

Other Tech News Briefs

• 📱 Samsung is expected to announce new foldable devices and the Galaxy Watch 8 at its upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.
• 🏠 Samsung has also officially launched an LLM for its SmartThings platform, enabling users to create routines using natural language.
• ⚖️ Apple has filed an appeal against a 500 million euro fine from the EU for violating the Digital Markets Act regarding app store payment restrictions.
• 💡 VentureBeat reports on advances in large language models, including Germany's TNG R1T2 Chimera and Japan's Sakana AI multiLM ABMCTS, which aims to intelligently select the best AI model for a given task.
• 🖱️ The Ploopy Knob, an open-source peripheral, offers pixel-by-pixel scrolling for Windows and Linux systems at $50 CAD or as free downloadable design files.
• 🇨🇳 China's instant delivery apps saw record order numbers amidst a fierce price war, with Meituan handling over 120 million orders on a single Saturday.
• 🛂 The US online passport renewal system is proving highly successful, handling nearly half of all renewals with a 94% positive user review rate.