Apple is pushing back against the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), claiming it forces the company to delay the launch of some features in the EU, impacting user experience and security. Apple argues that DMA's interoperability requirements compromise user privacy and increase risks of scams and malware. The company has called on the European Commission to repeal the DMA. However, the EU Commission argues that DMA is about user choice and fair competition, not about lowering privacy or security standards.

Y Combinator (YC) is shifting its stance on the necessity of dropping out of college for startup founders. The accelerator has launched a new 'Early Decision' track that allows students to apply, get accepted, and receive funding while still in school, deferring their participation in YC until after graduation. This initiative aims to cater to students who want to finish their education before fully committing to a startup. The program reflects a change in Silicon Valley's culture, acknowledging the value of completing college while pursuing entrepreneurship, potentially broadening YC's applicant pool to include more deliberate student founders. Early Decision gives students an option that competes with other programs like Thiel Fellowship, Neo Scholars, Founders Inc, as well as Big Tech internships and grad school pipelines.

Y Combinator (YC) has introduced a new 'Early Decision' application track designed for students who want to start companies but also want to graduate. The program allows students to apply while still in school, get accepted and funded immediately, and defer their participation in YC until after they graduate. This initiative marks a shift from Silicon Valley's traditional valorization of college dropouts, offering a middle ground between academic completion and entrepreneurship. The move could broaden YC’s applicant pool to include more cautious, deliberate student founders who are committed to startup life but unwilling to sacrifice education.

Zoox, owned by Amazon, has requested a federal exemption to commercially deploy its custom-built robotaxis, which lack traditional controls. The company has submitted a petition for a '555 exemption' and is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA is reviewing Zoox's application and will seek public comment after its initial review. This request follows the launch of a free robotaxi service in Las Vegas and an earlier NHTSA exemption for demonstrating robotaxis on public roads. This new application would broaden the scope and pave the way for Zoox to launch a commercial robotaxi service.

Microsoft is expanding its AI capabilities by integrating Anthropic's AI models into its Copilot assistant, previously powered mainly by OpenAI. This move signifies a shift in Microsoft's reliance on OpenAI, following a recent deal to use Anthropic's AI in Office 365 apps. Copilot business users can now choose between OpenAI's models and Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.1 and Claude Sonnet 4 for tasks such as complex research and building custom AI tools. Opus 4.1 is suited for reasoning and coding, while Sonnet 4 is better for data processing and content generation.