Daily Tech Headlines: Fortnite Returns to Apple's App Store in U.S. - May 21, 2025

Hosts: Sarah Lane, Robb Dunewood, and Tom Merritt
Release Date: May 21, 2025

1. Fortnite Resurfaces on Apple's App Store

Sarah Lane opens the episode with breaking news about Fortnite's return to the Apple App Store in the United States. This comeback follows a significant court injunction that temporarily barred Apple from restricting developers to its own payment systems.

"Fortnite officially returned to the App Store for iPhone and iPad users in the US following a recent court injunction," Sarah Lane states at [00:42].

Apple reinstated the game without any public comment, signaling a pivotal shift in its App Store policies. However, this move hasn't been welcomed by all. Microsoft attributes the delay in launching its Xbox Mobile store on iOS to Apple's restrictive App Store policies.

Sarah Lane explains, "Microsoft is blaming Apple's App Store policies for delaying its planned Xbox Mobile store launch in support of Epic Games' legal battle." ([00:42])

2. Microsoft Challenges Apple's Anti-Steering Rules

Continuing the discussion, Sarah Lane delves deeper into Microsoft's legal stance against Apple. Microsoft has filed a court brief that criticizes Apple's anti-steering rules, which currently prevent developers from informing users about alternative payment methods outside the App Store.

"Microsoft argues the recent injunction allowing such links should be enforced immediately, letting it move forward with its Xbox mobile initiatives on iOS," she adds ([00:42]).

This legal battle underscores the ongoing tension between major tech companies over app store regulations and developer freedoms.

3. Massive Data Scraping on Discord

The conversation shifts to data privacy concerns as Sarah Lane reports on a study conducted by Brazil's Federal University of Minas Gerais. Researchers scraped over 2 billion messages from 3,167 public Discord servers, encompassing approximately 10% of the servers listed in Discord's Discovery tab.

"The data spans 2015 through 2024 and was collected using Discord's public API and anonymized before release," Sarah Lane notes ([00:42]).

While the researchers claim adherence to ethical and API guidelines, there is controversy surrounding the legitimacy of this data collection. Critics argue that Discord's policies explicitly prohibit scraping, raising concerns about user privacy, especially for minors who may not have anticipated their messages being included in a public data set.

4. Volvo Partners with Google’s Gemini AI

In an exciting development for the automotive industry, Volvo announces its partnership with Google to integrate the Gemini AI chatbot into its vehicles. Sarah Lane highlights that Volvo aims to enhance the driver experience by enabling more natural interactions with their cars.

"Gemini is meant to let drivers interact with their cars more naturally for things like navigation, translations, and user manual queries," she explains ([00:42]).

This collaboration not only benefits Volvo drivers but also positions the company as a reference platform for Google's future automotive technologies, granting Volvo early access to new updates and features prior to their wider release.

5. Amazon’s Zoox Expands Autonomous Vehicle Testing to Atlanta

Sarah Lane shares updates on Amazon's autonomous vehicle unit, Zoox, which is set to expand its testing operations to Atlanta, marking its seventh U.S. city for trials later this summer.

"Zoox has been testing its robo taxi service without safety drivers in San Francisco, Foster City, which is also in the Bay Area, and Las Vegas and plans to launch public rides there by year end," she reports ([00:42]).

This expansion aligns Zoox with Waymo, another major player in the autonomous vehicle sector, which has recently extended its testing to Atlanta as well.

6. Nvidia CEO Criticizes US Export Bans on GPUs to China

At Computex, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivered a critical stance on the U.S. export bans targeting high-end GPUs to China. Sarah Lane summarizes Huang's perspective, emphasizing the negative impacts of such policies.

"They harm Nvidia's revenue, global AI collaboration, and innovation," Huang asserts ([00:42]).

He further argues that these bans are counterproductive, as they encourage China to develop its own chip technology, thereby reducing Nvidia's market advantage and complicating compliance efforts.

7. Amazon Addresses Unresolved Customer Returns

Sarah Lane reports on Amazon's initiative to issue refunds for unresolved returns dating back to 2018. This move follows an internal review that uncovered instances where payments failed or items weren't properly verified as returned.

"Amazon is issuing refunds for unresolved returns dating back as far as 2018," she states ([00:42]).

This action comes amidst a pending class action lawsuit accusing Amazon of improperly handling customer refunds, highlighting ongoing challenges in the company's customer service protocols.

8. Elgato Launches New Stream Deck Everywhere Products

Concluding the headlines, Sarah Lane outlines Elgato's latest product launches in the realm of streaming technology. The company has introduced the Stream Deck Everywhere lineup, which includes:

• Modular Keypads available in 6, 15, and 32 key versions, tailored for DIY projects
• A new Scissor switch variant designed for enhanced tactile feedback
• A software-only virtual stream deck for desktop users

Additionally, Elgato unveiled an $80 network dock featuring Power over Ethernet (PoE) support, catering to the needs of modern content creators.

Closing Remarks

Sarah Lane wraps up the episode by directing listeners to dailytechnewshow.com for more in-depth analysis, show notes, and links related to the day’s headlines.

"For more analysis of the tech news of the day, subscribe to dailytechnewshow.com," she concludes ([00:42]).

She thanks the audience for tuning in and promises to return with more updates in the next episode.

Key Takeaways

• Fortnite's reinstatement on Apple's App Store marks a significant victory in the battle over app store payment policies.
• Microsoft's legal actions highlight ongoing friction with Apple regarding developer freedoms and platform limitations.
• Data privacy remains a critical issue, exemplified by the massive scraping of Discord messages by Brazilian researchers.
• AI integration in vehicles, as seen with Volvo and Google's Gemini, represents the future of automotive technology.
• Autonomous vehicle advancements continue with Zoox expanding its testing footprint.
• Nvidia's criticism of US export policies underscores the global implications of technology regulation.
• Amazon's refund initiative is a response to both internal findings and external legal pressures.
• Elgato's new products demonstrate ongoing innovation in the streaming and content creation space.

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of today's tech headlines, providing listeners with insightful information on the latest developments across the technology landscape.