This Week in Tech - Satellites, AI & What You Might Have Missed

This week, tech was doing its usual mix of impressive, weird, and important stuff. Satellites orbiting overhead, developers swapping Windows for Linux, AI stretching into new corners. It all adds up to a lot happening, even if it wasn't obvious at first. Here’s what caught our eye.

Wikipedia Turns 25

Wikipedia has been around for 25 years, and somehow it’s still running the internet’s memory. From humble beginnings to a site most lean on for quick facts or deep dives, it proves that careful systems and community effort can outlast trends, hype, and even AI assistants.

Windows Developers Try Linux

Some developers are stepping away from Windows and landing on Linux, and they’re sticking around. Whether it’s tweaking zsh prompts, automating workflows, or just exploring, there’s a pull that Windows rarely matches. It’s part productivity, part culture, and totally addictive once you get the hang of it.

Cloudflare and Italy

Cloudflare got fined €14 million by Italy, but the story isn’t just about the number. It’s about a global service running into local rules. Decisions here ripple far beyond copyright, touching how the internet works, where servers are placed, and who really decides what’s online.

Starlink Prepares Data for AI

Starlink updated its privacy policy to say some operational data might help train AI. We’re not talking about snooping on messages, just network diagnostics, congestion patterns, and predictive maintenance. The satellites keep orbiting, the internet keeps running, and now it’s learning a bit more along the way.

OpenAI Expands ChatGPT and Tests Ads

ChatGPT Go is rolling out wider, and OpenAI is testing labeled ads in free versions. The AI’s responses won’t change, but ads let more people keep using it without paying. It’s subtle, but it shows how the company is balancing access and sustainability.

Anthropic Cuts Off xAI’s Claude Access

Users of Claude suddenly found xAI blocked. It’s a reminder that AI isn’t just about models, it’s about access, partnerships, and the little decisions that shape what people can actually use.

Iran Pulls a Starlink Kill Switch

Starlink went dark in Iran when authorities flipped a kill switch. Satellites aren’t just shiny tech. They’re also tools in geopolitics, reminding us that the internet isn’t neutral everywhere.

Apple Chooses Google’s Gemini for Siri

Siri got a new engine: Google’s Gemini. It’s subtle, but it shows Apple quietly leveling up its assistant with one of the most advanced AI models around. Small announcement, big implications.

Looking Back and Ahead

Nothing exploded this week, but lots changed. Satellites, AI, infrastructure, developers, all moving at their own pace. Keep an eye on the details, because what seems small now can shape the next few months in ways you don’t notice at first.