Tech Roundup: Amazon Belei, Google Stadia & More

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

• Walt Disney completes US$ 71.3 billion takeover of 21st Century Fox; becoming owner to 20th Century Fox Film and Television studios, the FX stable of networks, National Geographic, Star India, Tata Sky and Endemol Shine Group as it readies to launch its much awaited video streaming service Disney+ later this year with an "unprecedented collection of content." (Disney is also now a majority stakeholder in Hulu, while Fox News, FOX News, FOX Business and other cable networks have been spun-off into a separate company called Fox Corporation.)
• Nokia 7 Plus Android smartphone found to be sending sensitive information (every time the phone was switched on, the screen activated or unlocked, location, SIM card number and the phone's serial number) to a server with a vnet.cn domain owned by China Telecom; HMD Global, which owns the Nokia brand, confirms the issue, adding a software update was issued at the end of February to fix the problem as Finnish data protection ombudsman begins investigating if the data breach was a violation of GDPR laws.
• Music streaming service Slacker, banking company Fidelity and AT&T's DirecTV reportedly testing a new single sign-on (SSO) method (something like Login with Google/ Facebook/ Twitter) that allows users manage their identity across different websites and apps using a mobile authentication solution designed by U.S. cellular carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon called Project Verify.
• Google unwraps Stadia (previously Project Stream), its new cloud gaming platform at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco; lets users stream games straight from the cloud to Chrome browser, Chromecast and Pixel devices, offloading gameplay to Google's cloud data centres (thus obviating the need for specialised hardware to be able to run the games), and control them via a new Wi-Fi enabled Stadia controller with Google Assistant voice features built-in. (Google has so far been tight-lipped about the new platform, refusing to get into the details of pricing, release, support for iOS, and game selection, and concerns about graphics rendering quality and internet bandwidth required to stream the games. While this is undoubtedly a big initiative for the search giant, will it do a Google Allo a few years down the lane?)
• New research by Bitwise, an asset management firm in the cryptoasset space, shows that 95 percent of bitcoin spot trading is faked by unregulated exchanges, casting further doubts on the legitimacy of the cryptocurrency trading.
• Apple quietly unveils new iPad mini with Apple Pencil support (for US$ 399), 10.5-inch iPad Air (for US$ 499) and second generation AirPods with capabilities to summon Siri hands-free ahead of its Show Time event next week where it's expected to launch a new video streaming app and update Apple News with improved subscription features as it pivots from hardware to software services; Netflix CEO Reed Hastings confirms it will not be part of Apple's OTT streaming video platform.

Google testing new layout for
AMP articles in mobile search results

• Amazon launches skincare line called Belei to sell items including moisturisers, eye cream and spot treatments, ranging in price from US$ 9 to US$ 40, as it continues to threaten rival brands on the platform with private labels of its own.
• Instagram rolls out new checkout features weeks after Google brings shoppable ads on Google Images, letting users to shop for products (Adidas, Burberry, Dior, H&M, Nike, Prada, Uniqlo, Warby Parker, and Zara, among others) tagged on posts with a click of a single button (assuming your payment details are saved, of course!) and without even having to leave the app.
• Erstwhile music-based social networking service MySpace says that all music, photos and videos uploaded between 2003 and 2015 have been irrevocably lost in a botched server migration.
• Social interest network Pinterest files to go public by listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PINS; reportedly made US$ 755.9 million in revenue for 2018, and a net loss of US$ 63 million, with over 250 million monthly active users as December 2018.
• WhatsApp begins testing reverse image searches via in-app browser to allow users trace the origin of images sent in conversations and prevent the spread of hoaxes.
• Microsoft Teams, Slack's enterprise competitor, hits 500,000 organisations (150 of them with more than 10,000 users each) as it adds Microsoft Whiteboard integration and support for live events, allowing users create broadcasts for up to 10,000 people; brings Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) antivirus software to macOS targeting businesses and subscribers of Microsoft 365 service.
• Android Q beta disables option that lets third-party apps turn on/off Wi-Fi without user input, crippling apps like IFTTT and Tasker.
• Facebook announces new Oculus Rift S VR headset for US$ 399 with new features such as built-in cameras and sensors for tracking your hands in the virtual world, improved image quality, and a new head strap design.
• Online marketplace eBay adds support for Google Pay as a payment option to its Android app, mobile web, and desktop site; feature set to roll out early next month. (Apple Pay became available as a payment option last Fall.)
• Mozilla rolls out Firefox v. 66 (for desktop) with support for automatically blocking autoplaying audio and video, improved Pocket recommendations and more.
• Video streaming service Netflix begins testing a new mobile-only streaming plan in India that costs (US$ 3.63) half the basic streaming plan (US$ 7.27).