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American investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, acquire majority stake in TikTok, averting US ban. New US-based board to oversee data protection, algorithm security, and content moderation. TikToks algorithm for US users may change, potentially impacting user experience.

Rokus New Year Streaming Deals: Get Apple TV for Free, Howdy for $1, and More!

Stravas Year in Sport feature, once free, now requires an annual subscription, causing user discontent. The apps core benefits remain free, but the added insights and storytelling are now part of the paid package. This move follows a trend of popular digital services moving free features behind a paywall.

Rocket Lab secures record-breaking $816M contract from U.S. Space Development Agency, marking a significant expansion into defense sector. The companys subsidiary, Rocket Lab USA, will design and build eighteen satellites for the agencys Tracking Layer Tranche three program, enhancing missile warning, tracking, and defense capabilities. This deal, combined with an existing $515M agreement for the Transport Layer-Beta Tranche two program, totals over $1.3B in contracts, solidifying Rocket Labs role in both commercial space and national defense.

This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen delves into the complexities of building startups in regulated industries. She interviews Gabriel Sanchez, CEO of Enspectra Health, who shares his decade-long journey to FDA clearance for a groundbreaking skin biopsy device. Gabriel also discusses financial stability and team motivation during lengthy regulatory processes. Later, Isabelle speaks with Tom Harries, co-founder of Earth Funeral, who pioneered a new process to transform human remains into soil. Despite not needing FDA approval, Earth Funeral faces legislative challenges, requiring public acceptance and lawmaker support for expansion. New episodes drop every Thursday.

Former Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario is leaving Rivians board, reducing it from eight to seven members. Her departure coincides with Rivians plans to launch a more affordable SUV and expand production. Marcario, who joined in 2021, will remain chair of the Rivian Foundation, which has awarded over $12.6 million in grants since 2024.

The Delaware Supreme Court has reinstated Elon Musks $56 billion Tesla pay package from 2018, ending a years-long legal battle. The package was tied to performance goals, all of which were met. The ruling comes after a shareholder lawsuit and a Chancery Court decision that was later appealed. Tesla had previously moved its incorporation to Texas due to the dispute, highlighting its impact on corporate governance. The company may now revoke a separate $29 billion pay package offered to Musk earlier this year. A separate $1 trillion package remains in place, setting ambitious targets for Musk to unlock its full value.

Cursor, an AI coding assistant company, acquires Graphite, a startup specializing in AI code review and debugging, for a significant sum. This move combines powerful AI tools to streamline software development, with Graphites stacked pull request feature allowing multiple related code changes to be worked on simultaneously. The acquisition is expected to dramatically speed up the development cycle, as more companies rely on AI for software needs. Other startups like CodeRabbit and Greptile are also making strides in AI-powered code review, highlighting growing interest and investment in this area.