The Straight Scoop on TikTok in the US - DTNS 5104

We explain what’s really happening with TikTok in the US, and make a pretty good guess about what products OpenAI is working on.

Starring Tom Merritt and Robb Dunewood.

TOM: This is the Daily Tech News for Monday, September 15, 2025. We tell you what you need to know, follow up on the context of those stories and help each other understand.

ROBB: Today we tell you what’s really going on with the US TikTok sale.

I’m Tom Merritt,

I’m Robb Dunewood.

TOM: Let’s start with what you need to know with the big story.

[[BIG STORY]]
[[SOLO story of the day. Basic details, monitor commentary and sound when possible.]]

"Bessent: TikTok deal 'framework' reached with China"
"U.S., China Reach TikTok Deal Framework - WSJ"
"China Targets Nvidia Over 2020 Deal, Straining Trade Talks - Bloomberg"

TOM: Since January 19th, TikTok has been operating in the US thanks to the administration's decision not to enforce a law requiring it to be sold by that date. While it's debatable if that's legal, nobody has sued, so things have carried on. The president of the US has signed three executive orders extending the non-enforcement of the law, first to April 5th, then to June 20th, and finally, to September 17th.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Monday that the September 17th deadline may need to be extended once more to get a deal signed.

But that extension may be much shorter than the previous three. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that the US and China have agreed on a framework that would see both China and the US approve a deal between two private parties that would satisfy the US law. Secretary Bessent said, “It’s between two private parties, but the commercial terms have been agreed upon.”

The US and Chinese presidents will hold a call on Friday and discuss the terms. Representatives from the two countries are conducting trade talks in Madrid, and one can assume the TikTok deal will not be the only subject of that call.

China's State Administration for Market Regulation just found that Nvidia violated antitrust law after it acquired Mellanox Technologies in 2020. China also announced an anti-dumping investigation against Texas Instruments. Anti-dumping laws prohibit foreign companies from selling below market value to undermine domestic competitors. Some experts believe the decisions let China appear to still be tough on the US, while agreeing to a TikTok deal.

As for TikTok, Nobody gave any hints about who might take control of TikTok's US operations, or how the US version of TikTok would interact with the version still controlled by ByteDance in the rest of the world. Oracle's Larry Ellison, Elon Musk, Frank McCourt's Project Liberty, and Perplexity have all reportedly been considered or submitted offers. It will also be notable whether TikTok's recommendation algorithm is part of the deal. It's currently listed on China's export control list. Ellison is considered the frontrunner, since Oracle runs the servers that host all of TikTok's US user data for a separate company called USDS, which is ByteDance-owned but has an independent board of directors with former US government officials on it.

[[DISCUSS]]

ROBB: DTNS is made possible by you, the listener. Thanks to
Chris Allen
Reid Fishler
Larry Bailey
[[BREAK]]
[[PAUSE]]

TOM: There’s more we need to know today. Let’s get to the briefs.

[[BRIEFS]]
[[3-9 more solo reads with sound to complete the day in tech news. These are informational with minor commentary.]]

"Amazon Announces Hardware Event on September 30"
"Amazon may be announcing new Echo and Kindle devices on September 30"

ROBB: Amazon has scheduled a press announcement to take place in New York on September 30th at 10 AM Eastern time. An image sent with the invites shows a person reading, Amazon Echo-like glowing blue rings, and a TV. We'd expect new Kindle e-readers, new Fire TV devices, and new Amazon Echo assistant devices. Amazon last refreshed the Echo line in November 2024. Former Microsoft executive Panos Panay has been head of Amazon's Devices and Services for two years now.

"Snap's AR glasses are getting a better browser and support for Spotlight video"

TOM: Snap's "Specs" are available for developers now, but it wants to start selling "specs" for everyone next year. In preparation, Snap has updated Snap OS to make it easier to switch between websites and to resize windows. It's also faster and more power-efficient. And there is a dedicated lens for browsing Snapchat's short-form video platform, Spotlight. You can also now preview photos you've taken with the glasses and scroll through them with hand gestures. It’s another entrant in 2026’s year of the smart glasses.

"Spotify will now let free users pick and play tracks | TechCrunch"

ROBB: Spotify announced Monday that free users worldwide will be able to pick and play any song, search for any song and play it, and play songs shared by others on social media. These features are called “Pick & Play,” “Search & Play,” and “Share & Play,” and were previously only available on paid plans. Previously, free users could only shuffle songs with limited skips. Out of Spotify's 696 million monthly active users, 433 million are free customers.

"Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 announced, coming first to Xiaomi 17"
"Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Naming Explained | Qualcomm"

TOM: Qualcomm announced that its new flagship processor will be called the “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.” The Xiaomi 17 series and the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will use the new chip. Details on the specs will be announced at the Snapdragon Summit, which starts September 23rd. Astute listeners will note that the previous version was just called the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and may ask why this version is not called the Snapdragon 9 Elite or the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2. Why skip right to 5? Well, Qualcomm explains that this is the 5th version of the Snapdragon 8. The fourth was the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Which they did not call Gen 4, but now, sort of imply that they should have.

"The most popular Android phones in Q2 2025 also beat the cheapest new iPhone"

ROBB: Counterpoint Research released its list of the best-selling individual phone models in Q2 this year. Apple has the first three slots, with the iPhone 16, 16 Pro Max, and 16 Pro, in that order. The mid-range Samsung Galaxy A16 5G and A06 4G take the next two slots, in front of the iPhone 16E. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is in the 8th spot, and the only other phone maker in the top 10 is Xiaomi with the Redmi 14C 4G in 9th place.

"iPhone 17 demand strong, with the Pro Max the star performer"
"Apple’s New iPhones Appeal With Core Engineering, Not AI - Bloomberg"
"Apple's new iPhone charger dynamically switches between 40 and 60W"

TOM: As for iPhone sales now, Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says his signals indicate demand for the new iPhone 17 lineup is strong, with initial orders beating last year's iPhone 16. The iPhone 17 Pro Max, the most expensive, appears to lead the way. Bloomberg's Austin Carr speculates that one appeal of the iPhone 17 lineup is that it showed solid improvements in battery life, heat dissipation, improved camera features, and performance rather than focusing on AI. And since we're talking about Apple, the new Apple phone charger is the first to support USB PD 3.2 AVS (adjustable voltage supply). That means the 40 Watt charger can deliver 60 Watts for up to 18 minutes to charge your iPhone 17 faster. It costs $40.

"Rolling Stone’s parent company sues Google over AI Overviews | The Verge"

ROBB: Penske Media, which operates Rolling Stone, Billboard, Variety, and more, filed a lawsuit against Google for its AI Summaries. Penske alleges that Google violates its copyright by using its articles to train the AI Overviews function. This follows lawsuits over the AI summaries from education company Chegg and a group of independent publishers in Europe. Penske claims revenue from affiliate links has fallen by 1/3 this year because of a drop in traffic from Google, and it cannot block Google from AI summaries without blocking all of search.

"OpenAI Ramps Up Robotics Work in Race Toward AGI | WIRED"

TOM: Wired reports that OpenAI has accelerated hiring of scientists with expertise in developing algorithms for controlling robots. Wired's sources say OpenAI is recruiting people to work on Humanoid robots with full or partial human forms.

"Microsoft reminds of Windows 10 support ending in 30 days"
"What to expect at Meta Connect 2025: 'Hypernova' smart glasses, AI and the metaverse"

ROBB: And finally, a couple of important dates. This Wednesday evening, September 17th at 5 PM, Meta Connect kicks off with a keynote from CEO Mark Zuckerberg. And Microsoft is reminding folks that the official end of free public support for Windows 10 is coming on October 14th. Extended Security Updates are available for $30 for home users and $61 per device for enterprise users. You can also receive the updates as a home user if you enable Windows Backup to Microsoft's cloud or use Microsoft Rewards points.

TOM: What do YOU want to hear us talk about on the show? One way to let us know is in our subreddit. Submit stories and vote on them at www.reddit.com/r/DailyTechNewsShow/

[[BREAK]]
[[PAUSE]]

[[HELPING EACH OTHER UNDERSTAND]]
[[Short missives from people with experience. Could be written email or pre-recorded from the person.]]

ROBB: We end every episode of DTNS with some shared wisdom. Today Kiwi Graham has a concern about Andy Beach’s story from last week about versions of audiobooks that are customized to various people and regions.

TOM: Graham writes: I’m worried about the idea of stories/books that are changed to reflect the circumstances of the reader. I’m thinking this is likely to reinforce the bubble effect. By “localising” the content the reader isn’t learning “different” things.

[[DISCUSS]]

ROBB: What are you thinking about? Got some insight into a story? Share it with us feedback@dailytechnewsshow.com

TOM: Thanks to Kiwi Graham for contributing to today’s show. And thank YOU for being along for Daily Tech News Show. You can keep us in business by becoming a patron, at Patreon.com/dtns