Tech Roundup: Aral Sea, iPhone 6 (Plus) & More

[A recurring feature on the latest in Science & Technology.]

• Ebola deaths hit 3,439 (of a total suspected 7,492 cases as of October 1) as first case is reported in the USA; the patient, who is said to have lied about his history of contact with the disease on an airport questionnaire, is purportedly in a critical condition.
• Concentration of greenhouse gases hit record high in 2013, reports World Meteorological Organization.
• Once the world's fourth largest lake, Aral Sea is now almost dry for the first time in 600 years due to unsustainable agricultural practices and recent drought.
• A pregnant woman in Sweden gives birth to a baby boy using a transplanted womb in a medical first.
• NASA's Maven and ISRO's Mangalyaan satellites enter Mars orbit using "Hohmann transfer orbit — a special trajectory to Mars that is only available every 26 months — to get there with minimal fuel consumption" to study the planet's atmosphere.
• The U.S. government threatened to fine Yahoo $250,000 a day in 2008 if it failed to turn over user data as part of PRISM program, and used it to put pressure on other tech companies.
• Home Depot and JPMorgan Chase suffer a new wave of widescale cyber-attacks; compromises credit card data of 56 million and 76 million customers each respectively.
• Privacy-focussed search engine DuckDuckGo joins an already extensive list of websites banned in China for its no filter policy of search results; photo sharing network Instagram too blocked in mainland China as part of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
• Ozone layer, Earth's protective shield that absorbs harmful UV radiation, is rebuilding itself following phasing out of aerosols and other chlorofluorocarbons, reveals a new UN study.

Apple's new iPhones (Image: Apple)

• Apple showcases 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and 6 Plus accompanied by Apple Watch, the latter marketed more like a high-fashion accessory offering a range of personalisation options; tech giant's image takes a media beating after phones were found to be susceptible to bending (ah, the infamous and overblown #bendgate/ #bendghazi!), a botched iOS 8.0.1 update meant to fix a HealthKit bug crippled cellular reception and TouchID, and spammed everyone's music library with U2's latest album Songs of Innocence thereby prompting it to release a removal tool.
• Microsoft replaces Nokia and Windows Phone brands with just Windows; unveils Windows 10, a new unified operating system for computers, tablets and phones in addition to bringing back the much craved Start Menu alongside other features like universal apps that run across all platforms and Continuum - a new feature that presents the appropriate user interface when users switch between touch and non-touch (i.e. a keyboard and mouse) modes.
• Apple and Google to adopt encryption features by default in iOS and Android; U.S. government says it's concerned and labels the development "worrisome".
• Popular news reading app Flipboard lands on Microsoft Windows Phone devices; adds video ads but won't autoplay them.
• Adobe acquires cross platform photo-editing app Aviary.
• Samsung follows the footsteps of Sony; exits from laptop and Chromebook business in Europe.
• European Union regulators approve Facebook's WhatsApp acquisition; now officially owns the app.
• Google shuts down Orkut as planned on September 30; makes Google+ optional while signing up and said to be readying a WhatsApp rival according to a report by Economic Times.
• Note taking service Evernote's web interface gets a much needed facelift; adds chat for real time collaboration to take on Quip.
• India becomes the "IT" destination as Google's affordable Android One smartphones with 2 year software upgrade support (allows you to watch YouTube videos offline too!) and Jolla's Sailfish phone land in the country.
• Chrome OS (and Chrome browser version 37 and above) can now run Android apps (follow the steps here).
• Apple to unveil next-gen iPads and Macs at an October 16 event, reports Re/code; Google's next 5.9-inch Nexus smartphone too set for release this month.
• Larry Ellison steps down as Oracle CEO.
• E-tailer Amazon refreshes its Fire tablets lineup; updates Fire OS to Android 4.4 and also introduces Kindle Voyage e-reader.