Tech Roundup: Apple Self Service Repair Program, China VPN Rules & More

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

• China's Cyberspace Administration drafts new VPN regulation that would fine entities (and even have their business licences revoked) for helping internet users bypass the "Great Firewall" and access censored information from overseas by providing "programs, tools, routes" or services, including internet access, server hosting, technical support, promotion, app downloads, payment and settlement for "penetrating and bypassing the cross-border data security gateway", a move that could strengthen the government's control over the internet.
• Apple performs a dramatic U-turn on right to repair as it launches a new Self Service Repair program that allows iPhone owners in the U.S. to repair their devices with Apple-certified parts and tools starting in early 2022, in a move that could become a new revenue stream for the company; hopes to preempt regulations in the U.S. and Europe that would require manufacturers to provide information, parts, and tools to end users and third-party repair shops. (Let's not forget that the E.U. has also tabled a proposal for a single charging standard for all handsets that's set to go into effect in the future.)
• Brave updates its desktop browser with Brave Wallet, a built-in crypto wallet that lets users buy, sell and swap with "almost any" asset.
• Google raises the participant limit on its Meet video conferencing platform to 500 in a single call, up from 250, for subscribers of Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, and Education Plus tiers; other Workspace customers as well as free users to remain at their current limit of 100 participants in a room.
• Meta's Instagram shut down its dedicated Threads apps for Android and iOS by the end of the year as it begins to consolidate its messaging services; begins prompting users for video selfies as a means to verify their identities and tackle spam accounts, and reiterates that the video "will never be visible on Instagram and will deleted after 30 days," and that it "won't use face recognition or collect biometric data."

Right to Repair (Image: iFixit)

• Netflix debuts new weekly Top 10 hub that will be updated every Tuesday with lists of its top films and TV series in the categories: Films (English), Films (Non-English), TV (English), and TV (Non-English).
• Photo-sharing social platform Instagram begins rolling out Badges for Instagram Live as a way for users to pay and support creators, as reports emerge that WhatsApp is working on native apps for iPadOS and macOS after enabling multi-device capability, allowing users to use the app on up to four different linked devices even when their primary devices is not connected to the internet.
• Medium acquires Knowable, an audio-based learning platform, its third purchase this year following Projector, a browser-based graphic design tool, and Glose, a social book-reading app.
• Contra, a professional network for freelance workers, partners with TikTok to allow users to showcase their resumes and portfolios via TikTok Jump, the social media service's third-party integration tool, enabling users to showcase their work.
• Epic Games calls for a single, universal app store that works across all platforms in renewed attacks against Apple and Google, as it becomes knows that the search giant created a "Fortnite Task Force" to counter the game company's efforts to sidestep its Play Store by distributing the app through Samsung's Galaxy Store and directly via its own website in 2018 over concerns that it contained "security vulnerabilities that could compromise consumers' data."
• Meta details a haptic glove prototype that uses air pockets to simulate touching objects in VR and has been in development for seven years; faces flak for its use of surveillance advertising to track teens for ad targeting on its social media platforms.
• Chipmaker Nvidia reports record Q3 revenues of US$ 7.1 billion, up 50% YoY, with Gaming revenue of US$ 3.22 billion, up 42%, and data centre revenue of US$ 2.94 3.22 billion, up 55%.
• Music streaming service Spotify expands paid podcast subscriptions outside of the U.S. to 33 new markets, including Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Denmark, Canada, Germany, and France.
• Retail and entertainment giant Amazon to stop accepting Visa credit cards issued in the U.K. from January 19, 2022, citing high transaction fees.