Tech Roundup: Google Topics, Reddit NFT & More

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

• Google kills its controversial FLoC ("Federated Learning of Cohorts") approach to replacing third-party web cookies used for advertising tracking; floats another proposal called Topics API, which categorises the sites users visit into more than 300 topics, to track users for advertisers.
• Topics, like FLoC, continues Google's approach of browser makers baking a user tracking technology directly into the browser for the benefit of advertising, but gives users more control over the tracking process even if it doesn't eliminate behavioural ad targeting altogether.
• Microsoft's reports revenues of US$ 51.7 billion and a net income of US$ 18.8 billion; cloud revenue grows 32% YoY to US$ 22.1 billion in Q2, with Intelligent Cloud revenue of US$ 18.3 billion, up 26% YoY, as revenues from Windows OEM, LinkedIn, and Surface surge 25%, 37% and 8%.
• Google's YouTube mulls the idea of embracing Web3 technologies, including NFTs — or non-fungible tokens, a way to certify digital assets stored on the blockchain — as a means of helping YouTube creators make money.
• Chipmaker Nvidia reportedly abandons plans to acquire chip maker Arm (the companies originally announced the US$ 40 billion merger in September 2020) after failing to secure approvals from regulators and being hit by a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission blocking the deal, alleging that allowing the acquisition to move forward would stifle "innovative next-generation technologies" and would "unfairly undermine" Nvidia's competitors.
• Newsletter platform Substack tests native video player that allows creators upload videos directly to a post; to open up the option to all users in the coming weeks.
• Indian smartphone shipments hit a record 162 million in 2021, up 12% YoY, led by Xiaomi at 40.5 million, Samsung at 30.1 million, Vivo at 25.7 million, Realme at 24.2 million, and Oppo at 20.1 million.

• Samsung reveals what it calls the "industry's first" all-in-one fingerprint security chip (IC) for payment cards; S3B512C chip reads biometric information via a fingerprint sensor, stores and authenticates data with a tamper-proof secure element (SE) and analyzes it with a secure processor.
• Meta's plans for cryptocurrency with Diem (formerly Libra) is likely winding down, with the company exploring a sale of its assets to California-based bank Silvergate Capital, which serves crypto companies, for about US$ 200 million after meeting resistance by U.S. regulators who opposed the initiative.
• Samsung reports Q4 operating profit of US$ 11.6 billion, up 53% YoY, on revenue of US$ 63.8 billion, up 24% YoY, as it readies to unveils the next-generation Galaxy S22 smartphone.
• Amazon abandons influence campaign that paid warehouse workers in its fulfillment centers to tweet about positive work experiences as a way to fight negative press and repair its reputation; to end its third-party "Sold by Amazon" program following investigation that found the company "engaged in unlawful price fixing and unreasonably restrained competition in order to maximize its own profits." (The program, which ran from 2018 to 2020, allowed third-party sellers entered into an agreement with Amazon that set a minimum payment rate for products sold on the platform.)
• Reddit begins conducting a "small, internal test" of a feature that lets users set any NFT they own as their profile picture, joining Twitter in the NFT bandwagon.

• Walt Disney-owned Disney+ streaming service to 42 additional countries in Europe and the Middle East as well as 11 new territories in the second half of the year, including Egypt, Israel, Poland, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
• Microsoft plans to launch a public preview of Android apps for Windows 11, alongside taskbar improvements, redesigned Notepad and Media Player apps as part of upcoming changes to the operating system; Microsoft Teams tops 270 million monthly active users in the December quarter, up from 250 million monthly active users in July 2021.
• Dating app Tinder announces new care and safety features in a bid to overhaul its approach to handling reports of sexual violence and harassment on the platform.
• Smartphone sales in China fall 9% YoY in Q4 2021 as full-year sales drop 2% YoY; Apple becomes China's top vendor in Q4 after six years with 23% market share.
• Google rolls out new Assistant feature that enables users to say just "stop" (no "Hey Google" needed) to make its virtual voice assistant stop talking on the company's speakers and smart displays.
• Apple is reportedly working on a service that will let businesses accept payments directly on their iPhones without requiring Square-style extra hardware following its purchase of contactless payment startup Mobeewave in 2020; releases a new safety guide for AirTags to address concerns related to technology-enabled abuse and stalking.