Magnificent 7 Weekly Briefing

February 20, 2026

Apple reveals new products, Tesla faces production and sales challenges, Google and Microsoft advance AI, Amazon tackles outages, and Nvidia expands partnerships, and more.

• Apple is set to release several new products and updates, including a $599 MacBook, an iPhone 17e, refreshed iPads, and a possible touchscreen MacBook Pro, with a product launch event confirmed for March 4 and iOS 26.4 introducing new security features and RCS message encryption. ^{1234567891011}
• Tesla introduced a new affordable Cybertruck trim level, began production of its Cybercab, reiterated its goal to sell the Cybercab for $30,000 or less by 2027, but faced scrutiny over robotaxi crashes, security vulnerabilities, and declining sales in key markets. ^{121314151617181920212223}
• Google announced its new Gemini 3.1 Pro model with record benchmark scores, launched an AI Professional Certificate, and is investing significantly in AI infrastructure and challenges for government and science, while also facing charges of trade secret theft and an antitrust investigation. ^{242526272829303132333435363738394041424344}
• Microsoft confirmed a glitch blocking legitimate emails and Teams messages, exposed confidential emails to its AI tool Copilot, and is facing an antitrust investigation, despite also announcing a $50 billion AI investment for the Global South and reaching its 100% renewable electricity target. ^{454647484950515253545556575859606162636465}
• Amazon's cloud unit experienced outages involving AI tools and the company laid off hundreds of New York employees, while also achieving its fastest delivery speeds ever and leading in carbon-free energy purchases. ^{6667686970717273}
• NVIDIA announced strategic partnerships with Meta and Indian integrators for AI factories and enterprise AI agents, leveraging its GPUs and AI platforms, and reported that 90% of telecom companies saw revenue gains and cost reductions from AI. ^{7475767778798081}
• Other notable developments include Meta's preparations for the 2026 US midterm elections, its long-term partnership with NVIDIA for AI infrastructure, and breaking ground on a $10 billion data center in Indiana. ^{82838485868788899091}

Sources

1. Apple to Hold Product Launch on March 4 with New Macs Imminent bloomberg.com
2. Apple’s March 4 Surprise: A $599 MacBook, iPhone 17e Reportedly Lead the Lineup techrepublic.com
3. iPhone 17e And New MacBook Release Date Twist: Apple May Announce Products Early forbes.com
4. Apple's Special March 4th Event: Everything We Know iphonelife.com
5. Apple Confirms iOS 26.4: Why Your iPhone Is About To Get Much Harder To Steal forbes.com
6. What the Tech? Apple's emergency iPhone security update kaaltv.com
7. Apple May Be Adding Support for Conversational AI in CarPlay cnet.com
8. Apple’s C1X 5G Modem Faces First Reported Failure in iPhone Air macobserver.com
9. Apple sued by West Virginia for alleged failure to stop child sexual abuse material on iCloud, iOS devices cnbc.com
10. Apple announces MLS 2026 season launch on Apple TV Apple
11. Apple weighs risky partnerships with Chinese brands YMTC and CXMT techradar.com
12. Tesla Begins Production of Cybercab. What It Means for the Stock. barrons.com
13. Tesla Shifts Full Self-Driving to Subscription Only Model finance.yahoo.com
14. Probe launched into German Tesla plant head amid row with union finance.yahoo.com
15. Tesla Sales Fall for Fourth Straight Month, Rocky Start to 2026 finance.yahoo.com
16. Tesla robotaxis involved in 14 crashes since launching in Austin, Texas, in 2025 cbsnews.com
17. Nashville airport finalizes $34M Boring Co. deal for Tesla tunnel yahoo.com
18. Tesla ditches popular driver-assist name after pressure from government agency whichcar.com.au
19. Security vulnerabilities in Tesla's Model 3 and Cybertruck reveal how connected cars can be hacked techxplore.com
20. Tesla s Robotaxis Have Had 14 Crashes In Less Than a Year of Service autos.yahoo.com
21. Elon Musk reveals price of Tesla s Cybercab foxbusiness.com
22. Tesla is dropping a bargain version of the Cybertruck businessinsider.com
23. Tesla Reveals New Cybertruck Trim, Sunsets Luxe Package benzinga.com
24. Google announces Google I/O on May 19-20 Google
25. Google is officially behind $10B data center on Northland property it bought years ago - Kansas City Business Journal bizjournals.com
26. Google proposes MapTrace system Google
27. Google releases 2026 Responsible AI Progress Report Google
28. Google is changing AI overviews in search results that rob sites of traffic phonearena.com
29. Multiple brands of Android tablets shipped with built-in malware (Updated: Google statement) androidauthority.com
30. Google announces AI partnerships at Summit Google
31. Google.org launches AI for Government Innovation Challenge Google
32. Google.org launches Impact Challenge: AI for Science Google
33. Google DeepMind partners with Indian government to bring frontier AI models to science moneycontrol.com
34. Big tech on trial: Google faces a reckoning for anticompetitive ad dominance thehill.com
35. Google unveils Pixel 10a phone Google
36. Google launches Lyria 3 for music generation in Gemini app Google
37. Google Ads Certification Process For Cryptocurrency seroundtable.com
38. Google Issues Emergency Chrome Update — 0Day Exploit Confirmed forbes.com
39. Google Brings Marketing Mix Modeling to the Masses, No Coding Needed tech.yahoo.com
40. Google launches AI Professional Certificate Google
41. Google announces Gemini 3.1 Pro Google
42. Google blocked over 1.75 million Play Store app submissions in 2025 bleepingcomputer.com
43. Google s new Gemini Pro model has record benchmark scores — again | TechCrunch techcrunch.com
44. Three Silicon Valley engineers charged with stealing Google trade secrets and sending data to Iran cnbc.com
45. Antitrust investigation into Microsoft offers one more reason to dislike Edge pcgamer.com
46. Microsoft Is Killing Publisher in October. Here's What You Should Use Instead pcmag.com
47. Microsoft: Anti-phishing rules mistakenly blocked emails, Teams messages bleepingcomputer.com
48. Microsoft says it does not think US ICE uses firm's tech for mass surveillance of civilians channelnewsasia.com
49. Microsoft discusses shift from AI assistants to agentic systems Microsoft
50. Microsoft accelerates AI innovation for utilities at DTECH 2026 Microsoft
51. Microsoft: critical privilege escalation vulnerability in Windows Admin Center heise.de
52. Officials move forward with Microsoft Data Center proposal in Granger wndu.com
53. Microsoft Says It Is on Pace to Invest $50 Billion in Global South AI Push money.usnews.com
54. Microsoft error sees confidential emails exposed to AI tool Copilot bbc.co.uk
55. Microsoft asks UK Parliament to correct US sanction evidence theregister.com
56. Windows 11 update causing BSODs and Wi-Fi issues, Microsoft confirms pcworld.com
57. Microsoft Says It Has Reached Its 100% Renewable Electricity Target wsj.com
58. Microsoft achieves 100% renewable energy matching by 2025 Microsoft
59. Microsoft's new 10,000-year data storage medium: glass arstechnica.com
60. Microsoft and CrowdStrike announce Falcon platform availability on Microsoft Marketplace Microsoft
61. Microsoft announces 2026 Imagine Cup semifinalists Microsoft
62. Microsoft Research advances Project Silica glass storage Microsoft
63. Microsoft says it hit a key climate milestone. Does the math add up? seattletimes.com
64. Microsoft publishes study on AI's impact on online trust Microsoft
65. Microsoft Glitch Blocks Legitimate Emails, Teams Messages techworm.net
66. Amazon starts construction on UK zero-carbon delivery station Amazon
67. Amazon launches Bucks County Community Fund Amazon
68. Amazon achieves fastest delivery speeds ever Amazon
69. Amazon and Nokia power Citymesh's first commercial 5G Core SaaS Amazon
70. Amazon leads in carbon-free energy purchases Amazon
71. Hundreds of NYC roles reportedly included in Amazon’s job reduction plan finance.yahoo.com
72. Amazon MGM Acquires Film Rights for Bestselling YA Novel 'A Stage Set for Villains' yahoo.com
73. Amazon's cloud unit hit by at least two outages involving AI tools, FT says reuters.com
74. Nvidia Blackwell Ultra delivers 50x better performance 35x lower costs Nvidia
75. Nvidia to sell Meta millions of chips in multiyear deal reuters.com
76. Meta announces long-term partnership with NVIDIA Meta
77. NVIDIA announces strategic partnership with Meta Nvidia
78. Nvidia partners with Indian integrators for enterprise AI agents Nvidia
79. NVIDIA collaborates with India on AI mission Nvidia
80. Nvidia partners with leaders for AI factories in India Nvidia
81. NVIDIA releases AI in telecom survey Nvidia
82. Microsoft announces $50 billion AI investment for Global South Microsoft
83. Microsoft partners with Shriram Finance on Shriram One app Microsoft
84. Meta breaks ground on $10 billion data center Meta
85. AWS collaborates with Yotta Data Services Amazon
86. FCC Allows Tesla To Use a Radio Technology To Wirelessly Charge The Cybercab, And This Is How Tesla Wants To Do It torquenews.com
87. Apple (AAPL) and Meta Discuss Collaboration on Youth Wellbeing gurufocus.com
88. Elon Musk Reiterates April Production Goal For Tesla s Cybercab, Says It Will Be Very Slow In The Beginning finance.yahoo.com
89. Tesla takes a swipe at Waymo after it denies its robotaxis are driven by remote workers in the Philippines businessinsider.com
90. Meta prepares for 2026 US midterm elections Meta
91. Apple TV F1, MLS, MLB streaming reach expands to bars & restaurants - iPod + iTunes + AppleTV Discussions on AppleInsider Forums forums.appleinsider.com