Tech Roundup: Apple iPhone 13, Microsoft Passwordless Login & More

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

• Apple officially debuts iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max with a smaller notch, new A15 Bionic chip, high refresh rate 120Hz displays, incremental upgrades to camera such as macro photography mode, support for dual eSIM, and 128GB storage (and upto 1TB for the Pro models) but drops iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone XR from its lineup (iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 11, and iPhone SE continue to be still available); also launches Apple Watch Series 7 with thinner borders, sixth generation iPad mini with 5G, USB-C, and larger 8.3-inch display, ninth generation entry-level iPad with A13 Bionic chip and 12-megapixel front camera, and a new version of the MagSafe Wallet with support for Find My network.
• China pushes stricter online content controls, including review by national "rumour debunking" mechanism as part of a set of guidelines for building "cyberspace civilisation" by urging government bodies to further increase and improve control over online content, amid the government's wider campaign to rein in the country's internet giants.
• Russia's Tagansky district court fines U.S. social media companies Facebook and Twitter for failing to delete content that Moscow deems illegal following a wider crackdown that aims to strengthen its control of the internet, including a push that requires foreign internet companies to open offices in Russia and to store Russian users' personal data on its territory; hands Facebook five fines amounting to 21 million roubles (US$ 287,850), with Twitter receiving two fines for a total 5 million roubles and messaging app Telegram getting a fine of 9 million roubles.

• Kazakhstan's parliament approves new bill requiring owners of foreign social media and messaging services to set up offices in the country or risk being blocked as part of a campaign against cyberbullying and removing illegal content.
• South Korea's antitrust regulator, the Korea Fair Trade Commission, fines Google US$ 177 million for abusing its mobile market dominance to stifle competition by blocking smartphone makers like Samsung from using modified versions of the Android operating system, known as "Android forks," by forcing them to agree to an "anti-fragmentation agreement" (AFA) when signing key contracts with the internet giant over app store licenses and early access to the operating system.
• India and Singapore announce plans to link India's Unified Payments Interface and Singapore's PayNow by 2022, seeking to enable "instant, low-cost" cross-border transactions.
• Ireland's Data Protection Commission opens "own volition" investigations into ByteDance's TikTok to look into how the platform processes data by its underage users and whether it's in line with the E.U.'s strict data protection rules.
• Microsoft begins allowing users to access their accounts without a password by using Microsoft Authenticator, Windows Hello, a security key, or a verification code.
• Chinese handset maker Xiaomi launches flagship 11T series, including the 11T Pro with 120W fast charging, claiming 100% charge in 17 minutes, starting at €649; also unveils 11-inch Pad 5 tablet starting at €349, an updated Mi Smart Band 6 with NFC for €55, and Mi Smart Projector 2 with Google Assistant for €599.
• Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp debuts its first test of a public directory for businesses within the app, starting in the Brazilian city of São Paulo, making it possible to search for businesses right from the app in what's Facebook's latest drive to bolster e-commerce across its platforms.