Tech Roundup: Google Hands Free, Pocket Monetisation & More

[A recurring feature on the latest in Science & Technology.]
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Alphabet/Google:

• Officially rolls out Accelerated Mobile Pages to the masses.
• Hints at system-wide dark theme in Android (Hallelujah!) with Android Support Library 23.2.
• Launches new initiative with wireless carriers across the world to accelerate adoption of rich communication services (courtesy its acquisition of Jibe last October) used in text messaging; will enable support for group chat, high-resolution photos, emoticons, location sharing, and exchanging files.
• Trials hands-free mobile payments system that relies on facial recognition to make store payments.
• Google Photos becomes the second app after Google+ to have iOS-like bottom navigation bar.

Amazon:

• Expands into fashion retail business with its own clothing lines.
• Comes under fire for disabling option for software encryption from its Fire tablets; will reinstate it back this spring through a Fire OS update.
• Unveils Amazon Echo Dot, a Chromecast Audio-like thingy that can connect to other existing Bluetooth-enabled speakers to function as a web-connected voice command service, for $89.99.

Apple:

• 32 of the world's largest internet, social media, and technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Mozilla, Box, Reddit, Pinterest, Dropbox, Cisco, Yahoo!, Evernote, Slack and Snapchat, rally behind Apple, as the Cupertino-based tech giant fights the FBI's demands to unlock the iPhone of Syed Farook, one of the San Bernardino shooters.
• Opens a Twitter support handle (@AppleSupport) to "provide tips, tricks and helpful information when you need it most."
• Apple iPad Air 3 will be an iPad Pro mini with a 9.7 inch display, latest reports suggest.
• Hires developer of encrypted chat app Signal (Edward Snowden's preferred chat app) as encryption debate rages on.

Facebook:

• WhatsApp takes a leaf out of its rivals; adds PDF file sharing, while removing support for BlackBerry platform.
• Supercharges Like button with reaction emojis "love," "haha," "wow," "sad," and "angry," as advertisers await to see users' reaction to their ads.

Microsoft:

• Continues its trojan horse approach to carve a niche for itself on competing platforms with its latest acquisition of Xamarin, a company that makes tools that help developers use Microsoft’s programming language C# (pronounced as 'see sharp') to develop applications that can run on Windows. Android, iOS, Linux and OS X.
• Project Astoria, Microsoft's plan to port android apps to Windows, is officially dead; encourages developers to look at its iOS counterpart instead.
• Shuts down Qik mobile video messaging app; asks users to switch to Skype.
• Cyanogen flaunts deeper Microsoft integration on its latest version of Cyanogen OS (not to be confused with its open-sourced variant CyanogenMod).

Others:

• Two new studies solidify Zika virus's link to microcephaly; shows the virus to target and destroy fetal cells that eventually form the brain's cortex, and damage fetuses carried by infected mothers, regardless of when in pregnancy the infection occurs.
• Lab grown sperms lead to healthy offspring in a move that could pave for infertility treatments.
• Another potential part of Flight MH370 is found on Reunion Island almost two years after the incident.
• Yemen, hit by food and water scarcity due to Saudi blockade, resorts to fog harvesting to turn fog into water.
• Inventor of email, Ray Tomlinson, passes away at 74.
• LG (G5), Samsung (Galaxy S7, S7 edge), Sony (Xperia X), and Xiaomi (Mi 5) show off their latest Android flagships at Mobile World Congress; HP surprises with a no-compromise 6-inch high end Windows phone Elite x3.
• Samsung looking at acquiring Tidal music streaming service after shutting down Milk Music, reports Variety.
• Tidal fires its CFO and COO, as it gets hit by a lawsuit for not paying artist royalties.
• Dropbox-owned email app Mailbox shuts down.
• MasterCard to bring facial recognition and heartbeat authentication to its app for mobile payments.
• Instant messaging service Telegram hits 100 million users
• Spotify moves its infrastructure to Google Cloud services.
• Uber trials motorbike hailing service in Thailand; comes under spotlight for passenger safety after shooting rampage by a Uber driver leaves six dead in Michigan.
• Read-it-later service Pocket begins monetisation after nine years of ad-free existence with well-designed sponsored posts that it wants you to read later.
• Time Inc. reportedly eyeing a Yahoo! acquisition, reports Bloomberg.
• Apple manufacturer Foxconn set to acquire Japanese display maker Sharp in a $6.2 billion deal.