Tech Roundup: Amazon Smart Home Blitz, Snap Inc. Crash & More

[A wrap-up of everything that Amazon, Microsoft, Samsung, Snap, Twitter and Uber announced in the last few weeks.]

Amazon:

• Adds Hindi language option on its website as it expands its footprint in India; begins offering bill payment and mobile recharge services in the country in its latest attempt to take on Google Pay.
• Said to be planning to introduce as many as eight new Alexa-powered gadgets (a microwave oven, an in-car gadget, and a set of higher-end home audio gear, including an amplifier, receiver, and subwoofer) later this year, according to a report from CNBC, as the market for smart home devices heats up.
• Crosses US$ 2 billion in profits for the first time, as Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company's enterprise cloud service, continues to remain the biggest driver. (ICYMI, Jeff Bezos is now the world's richest man in modern history with fortunes of over US$ 150 billion, US$ 55 billion more than Bill Gates!)
• Reportedly set to launch an ad-supported video streaming service, in addition to working on a new Fire phone and a Tivo competitor that will let users record live TV with the goal of letting users play content back on their phones later.
• In talks to buy Medplus, India's No. 2 pharmacy chain.
• Updates Alexa with information about working hours and phone numbers of local businesses.
• Moves Echo Spatial Perception (ESP), a service to make sure that only the Echo device closest to you in your home will respond when you have multiple Echo devices, to the cloud.

Microsoft:

• Takes down six phishing domains linked to Russian government hackers that were found to mimic legitimate non-profit organisations and think tanks in an attempt to disrupt elections and sow discord by spreading disinformation and steal informaion.
• Gives To-Do and Outlook a design refresh on the web.
• Purchases Lobe, a startup that develops drag-and-drop based machine learning model building tool, Bonsai.ai, a deep reinforcement learning platform, and Semantic Machines, a conversational AI platform.
• Adds new features to Windows 10 that makes possible to sync photos and SMS messages with Android devices.
• Redesigns Skype once again after facing criticism for its Snapchat-like features and adds call recording feature 15 years after its debut.
• Kills off its Groove music and Office Sway apps for iOS and Android.
• To fight spam calls in India using Blockchain technology in collaboration with Tech Mahindra.
• Adds voice messaging to LinkedIn apps for Android and iOS; reports tremendous user growth in the platform from 3.4 million in November 2009 to 50 million users in India.
• Employs machine learning to stop Windows 10 updates from installing when a PC is in use.

Samsung:

• Makes Galaxy Note 9 official with 6.4" Super AMOLED display, 6/8 GB RAM, 4,000mAh and S Pen with Bluetooth connectivity (allows it to function as a remote) and flaw detection in camera for US$ 999/US$ 1,300; debuts Galaxy Home speaker with Bixby smart assistant (props to Samsung for trying, the question is who will buy it!).
• Announces a surprise event on October 11th for a new Galaxy device, the invitation promising "4X fun."
• Opens its biggest mobile store in the world in India.
• Teases world's first foldable smartphone for launch later this year, but keeps mum on the exact timeline.
• Announces its first Android Go phone, the Galaxy J2 Core.
• Enters into a long-term partnership with Spotify; will be the default music service on all future Samsung devices.

Snap:

• Battles declining business and user growth, stiff competition from Facebook and series of executive departures as stock price crashes below US$10, more than 60 percent below the company's first day of trading 18 months ago.
• Shuts down its P2P money transfer service Snapcash on August 30.
• To partner with news organisations to help journalists find, verify and share breaking news, according to Axios.

Twitter:

• Battles decline in user growth after the social media company said monthly users dropped by 1 million quarter-over-quarter and predicts further drop as it continues to fight against spam, fake accounts and malicious propaganda.
• To give users the option to switch between reverse chronological and algorithmic timeline feeds in an upcoming update.
• Makes live new Twitter API much to the chagrin of third-party developers; breaks existing functionality like real time updates and push notifications on apps like Twitterific, Tweetbot etc.
• Begins testing threaded replies, online status indicators and suggestions to unfollow, even as it readies a mobile-like user experience on the web.
• To put live streams and broadcasts started by accounts users follow at the top of their timelines.

Uber:

• Says it's on track to go public in 2019.
• Hits 10 billion trips; attempts to forget its troublesome past (remember the time ex-CEO Travis Kalanick apologised to the driver he yelled at?) with a brand redesign.
• Brings spotlight and canned message features to let drivers and riders spot each other.
• Begins looking at adding scooters and bike sharing on its platform, as rival Lyft takes lead in integrating them, along with rolling out real-time transit information and planning a multi-modal trip.
• Brings an end to its self-driving truck program Uber Freight, after it finds that developing autonomous trucks was not necessary to stay competitive in the freight logistics industry.
• Changes flat fees in Uber Eats to delivery fees based on distance.
• Ordered by New York Labour Board to classify Uber drivers as "employees" for unemployment purposes.