Tech Roundup: Amazon Anytime, EU Planned Obsolescence & More

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

Alphabet/Google:

• Spins out a new company under the moniker Dandelion that aims to drill and install affordable geothermal systems to heat and cool homes.
• Lets users book appointments to spas and salons right from Google search results; also makes it possible for businesses to chat with customers using Allo.
• Hits 100 million installs of Duo video chat app on Android (includes devices where the app comes preinstalled) as Allo continues to flounder with no SMS support, desktop client or multi-device messaging.
• Unveils Blocks, a new app for HTC vive and Oculus Rift, to create 3D models in VR.
• Upcoming Pixel smartphone leaks well ahead of time, courtesy Android Police; to sport a near bezel-less display and squeezable frame a la HTC U11.

Amazon:

• Reportedly working on its own cross-platform messaging platform called Anytime with a focus on messaging (including business chats), voice and video calls, and photo sharing, with additional capabilities to apply filters to pictures and videos, @mention other users, use sticker and GIFs, and play games.
• Said to have passed 15,000 skills in its Alexa voice platform, up from 10,000 back in February.

Apple:

• Hits back at graphics chips supplier Imagination Technologies over its decision to develop its own chips; says it began winding down the relationship almost two years ago.
• Faces questions from Australian watchdog for banning an iMessage extension that allowed users to make payments over messaging services. (It is to be noted that unlike Android Pay or Samsung Pay, Apple prohibits third-party digital payment solutions on iOS, instead preferring to integrate banks into Apple Pay.)
• Said to be testing 3-D face scanning to unlock iPhones, according to Bloomberg, as a replacement for fingerprint sensor.

Facebook:

• Updates Instagram to allow users to respond to Stories with photos and videos.
• Tests built-in GIF maker in its flagship app. (I can't understand Facebook's logic. It has bundled so many features into the app, it keeps swelling with bloat and very little useful functionality. And to think that they removed Messenger and gave it an app of its own!)

Microsoft:

• Declares Windows Phone dead (except for a few devices running Windows 10 Mobile); ends official support for Windows Phone 8.1 as of July 11.
• To lay off 3,000 employees in new pivot to cloud business to better compete with Amazon and Google.
• Updates Outlook for Android and iOS with improved navigation and intelligent search features.
• To partner with car maker BMW to integrate Skype for Businesses in cars via iDrive infotainment system.

Samsung:

• To invest US$ 18.6 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor and OLED display businesses.
• Delays roll out of Bixby voice assistant in the United States due to big data constraints, even as it works on a new smart speaker.

Snap:

• Rolls out new Snapchat update with voice filters, backdrops, URL support (known as Paperclips) and custom geo-filters starting at US$ 5.99.
• Sees its stock plummet below IPO price (US$ 17) over renewed growth concerns and intense competition from Facebook.

In other news:

• Physicists running the Large Hadron Collider experiment announce the discovery of new subatomic particle Xi-cc++, a baryon.
• A trillion-ton iceberg, one of the biggest ever recorded, splinters off Larsen C ice shelf in western Antarctica following a rapidly growing crack last year (originally formed in 2010).
• Australian government proposes new laws that would require companies like Apple, WhatsApp and others to provide law enforcement authorities with access to encrypted communications.
• Messaging service Telegram agrees to block terrorist-related channels in Indonesia after it's threatened with a ban.
• European Parliament proposes planned obsolescence of smartphones and gadgets to make them easier to upgrade or repair instead of buying new ones.
• Ride hailing startup Uber crosses 5 billion trip milestone (cumulatively), even as rival Lyft touches 1 million daily rides.
• A review of workplace practices in the U.K. recommends that individuals working full-time in the "gig economy" should have the right to sick leave and holiday pay, in what could have serious ramifications for companies like Uber and Deliveroo, who treat them as independent contractors.
• Xiaomi enters into a broad cross licensing deal with Nokia, in addition to acquiring unspecified number of patents from the latter, as the Chinese handset maker seeks to enter U.S. market.
• Struggling music streaming service Soundcloud slashes 173 jobs and shutters its San Francisco and London offices as it continues to bleed money; CEO Alex Ljung assures the company is here to stay. (Even though it plans to stay independent, may be Google should just go ahead and acquire it?)
• Music streaming service Spotify strikes deal with Sony Music Entertainment following a similar licensing deal with Universal Music Group back in April, reports Billboard.
• Electronics giant LG announces a new trio of Q6 smartphones at a more affordable price point (but with last year's Snapdragon 435 chip).
• HTC U11 smartphone gains Alexa integration with new HTC Alexa app. 
• Password managing service 1Password upsets security experts after moving to a cloud-based password storage option (previously it allowed users to save passwords locally on the device, which is generally considered more secure).
• Photo editing app Enlight follows Day One's footsteps; becomes the latest iOS app to go free with a subscription tier (US$ 19.99 per year or $3.99 a month).
• Canonical releases Ubuntu for Windows 10 via Windows Store.
• Credit card processing company Vantiv to merge with fellow rival Worldpay in a new US$ 10 billion deal.