HeyWhatsNew: PlayStation Finally Has a CEO and the AI Landscape in the US Gets an Unexpected Shakeup
Hey, what’s new? This week in tech, AI continues to push boundaries, and there have been some interesting developments in the general tech space. Let’s take a look at what went down in the week beginning 27/01/2025.
Sony Interactive Entertainment Finally Appoints a New PlayStation CEO After a Year
In an official statement, Sony has announced that Hideaki Nishino will become the new President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), the company behind PlayStation, starting April 1, 2025. This leadership change is part of Sony’s strategy to enhance collaboration across SIE. Nishino, who has been with Sony since 2000, currently leads the Platform Business Group, overseeing technology, products, services, and platform experience.
He will now oversee the entire company, while Hermen Hulst will continue as CEO of the Studio Business Group, reporting to Nishino. “I am truly honored to take the helm at Sony Interactive Entertainment,” Nishino said, signaling his excitement for the future of PlayStation and its ecosystem.
Major U.S AI Companies Lose Millions Over DeepSeek Advancements
Nvidia lost nearly $600 billion in market value, and U.S. stocks took a sharp hit on Monday after a major breakthrough from Chinese AI startup DeepSeek. The one-year-old company introduced R1, a ChatGPT-like AI model that operates at a fraction of the cost of its American counterparts.
DeepSeek claims it spent just $5.6 million on computing power for its base model, a stark contrast to the billions that companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta pour into AI development. Meta, for instance, plans to spend over $65 billion this year alone. This sudden challenge from China has shaken investor confidence in the dominance of U.S. tech giants and raised questions about the future of AI competition.
Starlink Support on iOS 18.3 and Android 15
T-Mobile has started testing an early version of the Starlink satellite service on a limited number of iPhones. This update is linked to the release of iOS 18.3, though Apple didn’t mention it in the update’s release notes.
Apple first introduced satellite connectivity with the iPhone 14 in 2022, allowing users to contact emergency services when outside of cellular coverage. With iOS 18, the feature was expanded to let users send messages to friends and family via satellite. T-Mobile informed select users about the beta test, stating: “You’re in the T-Mobile Starlink beta. You can now stay connected with texting via satellite from virtually anywhere. To start experiencing coverage beyond, please update to iOS 18.3.”
Google Maps Now Considers USA a “Sensitive Country” with a Strict Government and Border Disputes
Former President Donald Trump has announced plans to rename certain locations on official U.S. maps and government records. These changes include renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” and changing Mount Denali’s name back to Mount McKinley.
Meanwhile, Google’s maps division has classified the U.S. as a “sensitive country,” a label usually given to nations with strict governments or border disputes. CNBC reports that this move highlights the challenges tech companies are facing under Trump’s second term. Since the start of the year, major companies like Meta, TikTok, and Amazon have adjusted their policies and products to align with Trump’s political views and executive orders.
Boom Supersonic Test Plane Breaks the Sound Barrier, Bringing It Closer to Its Concord Target
Boom, the American company working on the world’s fastest airliner, has officially broken the sound barrier for the first time during a test flight in California, as reported by CNN.
The XB-1 demonstrator jet made history as the first independently developed aircraft to achieve supersonic speed. Since its maiden flight in March 2024, the XB-1 has completed 12 successful test flights. This jet serves as a prototype for Boom’s future commercial airliner, Overture, which aims to revive the ultra-fast travel once offered by the Concorde.
OpenAI Has Announced a Platform That’s Strictly for Government Use
OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, has launched ChatGPT Gov, a specialized version of ChatGPT designed for U.S. government use. The tool, which was announced on Tuesday according to USA Today, provides government agencies with access to OpenAI’s advanced language models while ensuring security and compliance with internal protocols.
Unlike the standard ChatGPT, ChatGPT Gov allows agencies to host the AI within their own secure environments and handle sensitive, non-public data. It includes features from ChatGPT Enterprise, such as saving and sharing conversations within a government workspace, uploading text and image files, and access to OpenAI’s top-tier GPT-4o model. Additionally, agencies can create and use custom AI models tailored to their needs.
From AI innovations to next-gen gaming and supersonic travel, this week’s news headlines highlight how technology is evolving at an incredible pace. Stay tuned for more HeyWhatsNew updates next week.
