THE DAILY BRIEF

Following Google's legal settlement with Epic Games, the Google Play Store now features a dedicated section for third-party app stores, with Aptoide launching as the first entrant. This marks a significant shift in Android's walled-garden model.

► App distribution monopoly is cracking open—developers and users now have legal alternatives within Google's own store, fundamentally changing mobile app economics.

OpenAI launched GPT-5.6-Cyber, a model designed for cybersecurity that answers 98.5% of previously-blocked security queries and has already uncovered two unknown Chrome vulnerabilities. The model aims to give defenders a head start against attackers.

► AI-powered vulnerability discovery moves from theoretical to operational reality, potentially compressing the window attackers have to exploit unknown flaws.

Anthropic signed a 20-year, $9.1 billion compute agreement with Riot Platforms for 191 MW of AI data center capacity in Texas, underscoring the startup's race to secure sufficient computing power. Riot's stock jumped ~25% after hours on the announcement.

► Long-term compute deals signal that AI companies are betting on sustained demand, shifting infrastructure from spot-market volatility to locked-in capacity.

Valve disclosed that CEVA Logistics, its European shipping partner for Steam hardware, suffered a data breach exposing customer names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. The breach affected Valve customers who ordered hardware in Europe.

► Third-party supply chain breaches remain a persistent risk even for major tech companies with strong security practices, highlighting the challenge of controlling vendor security.