As the tech world wraps up another week, several major developments have emerged, shaping the industry's future. From SXSW's exciting announcements to Intel's new CEO and TikTok's potential sale, there's a lot to unpack.

Kicking off with SXSW, TechCrunch was on the ground in Austin, covering the latest innovations and trends. One notable highlight was Waymo's presence, offering attendees rides in its self-driving taxis. Mark Cuban also shared his thoughts on AI, emphasizing its role as a tool rather than a panacea. Bluesky's CEO, meanwhile, made a subtle jab at Mark Zuckerberg with her T-shirt choice.

In a significant leadership change, Intel has appointed Lip-Bu Tan as its new CEO. Tan, a seasoned tech investor and former CEO of Cadence Design Systems, has pledged to make Intel an "engineering-focused company" under his leadership. With the company facing numerous challenges, Tan's vision will be crucial in shaping Intel's future.

TikTok, meanwhile, is nearing its deadline to finalize a sale to a US company. Oracle has emerged as a potential suitor, with sources indicating that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is favoring the tech giant. This development comes as US lawmakers continue to scrutinize the app's data handling practices.

In environmental news, a recent court filing has revealed that the FBI, EPA, and Treasury Department requested that Citibank freeze accounts of several nonprofits and state government agencies. The accounts were frozen in February, but the new documents provide previously unknown details about the situation.

Rad Power Bikes has appointed Kathi Lentzsch as its new CEO, just days after its previous CEO stepped down. Lentzsch, an experienced turnaround expert, will lead the e-bike company as it shifts its focus from direct-to-consumer sales to a retail-based approach.

In the UK, lawmakers are pushing for an open hearing to challenge a secret government order that allegedly compelled Apple to create a "backdoor" in its cloud storage. The move raises concerns about government overreach and the potential impact on user data.

Bryan Johnson, the founder behind the Don't Die movement, has announced plans to create a "foodome" sequencing project. The initiative aims to test a wide range of foods for toxins, creating a public database that users can access and contribute to.

Waymo's driverless vehicles in San Francisco have racked up an impressive 589 parking violations, resulting in $65,065 in fines last year. The company's expansion into Silicon Valley, offering robotaxi rides to users in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, and parts of Sunnyvale, is expected to continue growing.

Sesame, an AI company, has released the base model used for its super-realistic voice assistant, Maya. The open-source model can be used commercially, marking a significant development in the AI space.

In other news, Y Combinator has urged the White House to support Europe's Digital Markets Act, which aims to curb Big Tech's market power. The Trump family, meanwhile, is exploring investment opportunities in Binance U.S., a cryptocurrency exchange that pleaded guilty to violating anti-money laundering regulations in 2020.

Finally, Niantic, the company behind Pokémon GO, has sold its gaming division to Scopely for $3.5 billion. The move will allow Niantic to focus on building real-world 3D maps through a new entity called Niantic Spatial.

As the tech landscape continues to evolve, these developments will have far-reaching implications for the industry and beyond. Stay tuned for further updates and analysis on these stories and more.