Apple is set to move its OS naming convention to year-based versioning, and X is pausing encrypted direct messages in its app to make room for unspecified improvements.
Starring Jason Howell and Huyen Tue Dao.
JASON: This is the Daily Tech News for Thursday, May 29, 2025. We tell you what you need to know, follow up on the context of those stories and help each other understand.
HUYEN: Today Nvidia throws a life jacket to Steam Deck users!
I’m Jason Howell,
I’m Huyen Tue Dao
JASON: Let’s start with what you need to know with the big story.
BIG STORY
Nvidia beats on earnings and revenue as data center sales jump 73%
Nvidia CEO Warns That Chinese AI Rivals Are Now ‘Formidable’
NVIDIA GeForce NOW launches a native Steam Deck app, unlocking 4K cloud gaming & extended battery life for Valve's handheld
JASON: Nvidia shared incredibly positive earnings for the quarter, beating expectations with a 69% jump in revenue and a 73% surge in data center sales amidst global demand for AI infrastructure. All this despite a multi-billion-dollar hit from US export restrictions to China. CEO Jensen Huang warned that Chinese competitors like Huawei are quickly catching up as US policy closes off the enormous China AI chip market.
But bigger Nvidia news for gamers: Nvidia's native GeForce NOW app is officially launching for the Steam Deck handheld console. It transforms the Steam Deck's capabilities, allowing users to stream more than 2,200 PC games at up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second along with HDR10 and DLSS 4 support. It's all supported by Nvidia's RTX cloud infrastructure which means all of those gains are handled in the cloud on Nvidia’s servers.
Previously, users had to rely on a much less integrated browser-based workaround to do this. Now, Steam Deck owners can access their libraries from Epic, Xbox, Ubisoft, and more on the handheld with settings and performance levels that were previously impossible. The new app is excellent for battery life as well, with some players noticing a 50% increase in battery life on a charge.
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JASON: There’s more we need to know today, let’s get to the briefs.
BRIEFS
Apple to Launch iOS 26, macOS 26 in Major Rebrand Tied to Software Redesigns
HUYEN: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that Apple is set to overhaul its operating system branding by shifting version numbers to a year-based naming convention. Upcoming releases targeting a launch in late 2025 would be named iOS 26 and macOS 26, for example. The changes are expected to be announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9 along with Apple's big unification redesign that will bring all of its operating systems into a more cohesive user interface, dubbed Solarium.
Court says Trump doesn't have the authority to set tariffs
JASON: A federal trade court has ruled the US presidential administration lacks the authority to impose sweeping global tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. It immediately halts most of the US's recently enacted tariffs which has immediate implications for tech supply chains, importers, and global markets. The administration has appealed, but for now, the tech industry is undoubtedly breathing a sigh of relief.
HUYEN: X has temporarily disabled the ability for users to send encrypted DMs on its platform, stating that the feature is on pause while unspecified improvements are made. Users can still view old encrypted messages but new ones can't be sent for the time being. The company has not specified when or if encrypted DMs will return. A rumored “XChat” platform is expected to offer enhanced security features like PIN-protected chats, but X has not acknowledged if this change has any direct connection to that unannounced service.
Thousands of Asus routers are being hit with stealthy, persistent backdoors
JASON: Thousands of Asus home and small office routers have been compromised by a cyberattack that stealthily installs a backdoor that grants attackers full admin control. The backdoor also persists after reboots and firmware updates. A mixture of brute-force logins, authentication bypasses, and a patched command-injection vulnerability enable the access which then enables SSH access on a non-standard port and inserts the hackers’ own public encryption key. That key is stored in the device's non-volatile memory making it immune to updates and reboots. Researchers estimate more than 9,000 routers have been affected globally. Users are advised to search for and remove that key and port setting before performing a full factory reset.
Tesla says it has been testing driverless Model Ys in Austin for 'several days'
HUYEN: Tesla announced it has begun testing fully self-driverless Model Y vehicles on public streets in Austin, Texas. This was originally expected to take place sometime next month, but Tesla says it's already underway “on Austin public streets with no incidents.” The tests involve no one at the driver's seat but rely on remote human assistance, according to CEO Elon Musk, and are part of a wider launch of 10 to 20 vehicles in a limited area of Austin. The commercial rollout had previously been reportedly to target June 12, though Tesla hasn't disclosed many operational details to local authorities or regulators at this time, so that timetable could be delayed.
Victoria’s Secret takes down website after security incident
JASON: Victoria's Secret has taken its website and some in-store services offline after a security incident began earlier this week. The company announced the shutdown as a precaution while it actively investigates the breach along with cybersecurity experts. Physical stores will remain open while the online shopping component along with other services are temporarily disabled. Further details have not been shared, but the outage along with immediate involvement of third parties suggests a serious event, possibly similar to recent ransomware attacks against other major retailers. Customers are also advised to monitor their accounts for suspicious activity.
Google Photos adds Pixel-exclusive AI features to redesigned editor
HUYEN: Google Photos is rolling out a major update that redesigns its editor, bringing features once exclusive to Pixel owners to more users. The new interface highlights Magic Editor AI tools with Auto Frame for cropping suggestions and AI gap filling, and Reimagine for adding almost anything to images with a text prompt. The editor redesign also offers a simplified menu and smarter suggestions for potential edits along with a new QR code album sharing option. The features will be available to more Android devices globally next month with iOS support coming later this year.
The New York Times’ first generative AI deal is with Amazon
JASON: The New York Times has officially entered into its first generative AI licensing deal with Amazon, allowing for access to The Times, The Athletic, and NYT Cooking in its AI products and services. The multi-year deal gives Amazon the ability to provide real-time summaries and excerpts from Times articles as well as use the publication's content for AI model training. No financial terms were disclosed.
PROMO
HUYEN: If you have feedback about anything that gets brought up on the show… Get in touch with us on the socials. @DTNSshow on X, Instagram, Threads!, Blue Sky and Mastodon (mstdn.social). For TikTok and YouTube you can find us at Daily Tech News Show.
HELPING EACH OTHER UNDERSTAND
JASON: We end every episode of DTNS with some shared wisdom. Today AnonJr is helping us understand.
HUYEN:
The printed skin being made of the patient's cells, negating fears of rejection, is the biggest part for me. Who knows what we'll print next.
As for Pocket, I'm really good at remembering to use it to save for later reading... It's the remembering to read later that I struggle with.
[[DISCUSS]]
JASON: What are you thinking about? Got some insight into a story? Share it with us at feedback@dailytechnewsshow.com
JASON: Thanks to AnonJr for contributing to today’s show. And thank YOU for being along for Daily Tech News Show. The show is made possible by our patrons onpatreon.com/dtns.
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