Tech Roundup: China's Sponge Cities, OnePlus 5T & More

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

• Scientists discover a new low-mass exoplanet in the orbit of the red dwarf star Ross 128 that's believed to be similar to the Earth in terms of its size and its surface temperature.
• China spends US$ 12 billion on building 30 sponge cities that can absorb water and help combat flooding in an increasingly warming world.
• US Food and Drug Administration approves the use of Abilify MyCite, a digital pill that has an embedded sensor which tracks when the medicine was taken, for the treatment of schizophrenia, acute treatment of manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder and for use as an add-on treatment for depression in adults.
• German regulator Federal Network Agency bans the use of smartwatches aimed at children citing privacy concerns; asks parents to destroy them.
• Missouri state attorney general office launches antitrust investigation into whether Google's use of information that it collects about consumers is appropriate and if the company stifles competing websites in search results.
• Social news aggregation service Reddit begins testing a new instant messaging feature on the platform.
• Google rolls out Android Pay to Brazil and Czech Republic.
• Mozilla unveils a speedier version of Firefox browser; terminates its deal with Yahoo and makes Google the default search engine.
• OnePlus announces 5T Android smartphone with 6-inch OLED display, a new dual-camera system and headphone jack for US$ 499.
• Popular ticketing service provider Ticketmaster partners with YouTube to sell tickets for music concerts on the video streaming platform.
• Pinterest unveils Pincodes, its own variant of QR codes for brands and retailers, to quickly jump to a board without having to jump through multiple taps.
• Google announces a refreshed design and a new colour scheme for Maps.
• Facebook, Google and Twitter unveil plans to add trust indicators to news articles in its latest attempt to root fake news.
• Apple releases iOS 11.1.2 to address iPhone X display's unresponsiveness in colder temperatures.
• Amazon joins hands with fashion label Calvin Klein for an exclusive clothing line as it continues to shake up online retail.
• Facebook rolls out capabilities to post Instagram Stories from the mobile web; to kill app invites on Feb. 5, 2018.
• Apple delays release of HomePod smart speaker to early 2018; says "we can't wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple's breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it's ready for our customers."
• Bitcoin crosses US$ 8,000 for the first time, prompting speculation its price could soar past $10,000 by the end of the year.
• Tesla adds a new semi-truck to electric fleet of cars and an upgraded Roadster that can accelerate to speeds of 60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds and travel 620 miles before needing to recharge.
• Chinese search giant Baidu unveils Raven H smart speaker that resembles a stack of coloured squares.