The day in tech.

Google will allow third-party app stores inside the Google Play Store in the US starting next week, dropping its challenge against a court order from the Epic Games lawsuit. The company withdrew its alternative proposal after US District Judge James Donato ordered it to enable rival marketplaces through the Play Store.

Spectro Cloud raised $100 million in a Series D round led by Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, with participation from AMD Ventures, Ericsson, LG Technology Ventures, and Maximus. The San Jose-based company provides AI infrastructure management software, bringing total funding to over $260 million. It plans to expand its PaletteAI platform, target geographic growth, and deepen hardware integrations.

Energy IPOs and M&A are surging as AI boom demand drives a wave of deals and public offerings in the sector. The activity reflects the growing need for power to support AI infrastructure and data centers.

Shares of Alibaba and Baidu jumped after Apple partnered with both for AI in China. Alibaba's Qwen model will integrate into Apple Intelligence across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS. Baidu is developing an AI-powered search and Siri enhancements. China's cyberspace administration approved Apple Intelligence on Wednesday.

Apple released AirPods public beta firmware version 9.0.314 (build 9A314b), adding a long-requested custom EQ feature. The three-band equalizer lets users adjust lows, mids, and highs in the Settings app under Audio and Routing. It works on AirPods with an H2 chip, including AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2.

Syntetica, a French startup recycling mixed nylon textile waste, closed a $30 million Series A led by Bpifrance's Ecotechnologies 2 fund. Lululemon and apparel manufacturer MAS Holdings invested. The company uses a low-temperature green chemistry process to recycle Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6 together without separation. Funding will build a commercial demonstration facility with Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand.

State-owned BSNL's satellite phone, priced at Rs 1,34,166, has gained attention after a social media post. The Global Satellite Phone Service has been available since January 1, 2018, offering encrypted voice and SMS via geostationary satellites. The device uses a separate SIM and requires a physical antenna for calls.

The NTSB confirmed the driver of a Tesla pressed the accelerator pedal 100% before a June crash in Katy, Texas that killed 76-year-old Martha Avila. The vehicle was traveling over 70 mph in a 30 mph zone while using Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Driver Michael Butler faces manslaughter charges and a lawsuit from the victim's family.

SpaceX shares fell for a fourth straight session on Wednesday, briefly dropping below their $135 IPO price for the first time before closing at $135.27. The decline wipes out nearly $1 trillion in market value since the stock's $225.64 post-IPO peak. The selloff comes ahead of SpaceX's 13th Starship test flight.

Google released Android 17 QPR1 Beta 7 for Pixel testers, fixing Battery Share, Wi-Fi button UI gaps, and font size controller crashes in Quick Settings. The update arrives two weeks after Beta 6 and is build CP31.260623.005 for compatible Pixel devices.