Tech Roundup: Adobe Figma Acquisition, TikTok Now & More

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

• Snap rolls out web version of Snapchat Web globally for all users, after rolling it out to select markets and for Snapchat+ subscribers in July.
• Adobe to acquire popular digital design platform Figma (and also one of its biggest rivals) in a deal reportedly worth US$ 20 billion to "make design and developer tools more collaborative and accessible"; reports Q3 2022 revenue up 13% YoY to US$ 4.43 billion, Digital Media revenue up 13% YoY to US$ 3.23 billion and Digital Experience revenue up 14% YoY to US$ 1.12 billion.
• ByteDance-owned TikTok introduces Now, a dual camera feature that taps into the surging popularity of BeReal, prompting users to capture a 10-second video or a photo using both front and back cameras.
• The U.S. state of California signs into law an online safety bill that puts limits on the data companies collect on minors; to go into effect in July 2024.

• The E.U. is expected to launch an in-depth investigation into Microsoft's US$ 75 billion Activision bid due to size and competition fears, following similar moves by the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
• Google redesigns the Memories feature in Photos to spotlight more videos; launches a collage editor and to let users share Memories with friends and family.
• Ethereum activates its long-awaited The Merge upgrade to transition from proof of work to proof of stake to reduce energy consumption by more than 99%; also represents the shift from mining — using computing power to produce blocks for rewards — to validating, where it is no longer a competitive environment for validating transactions.
• The European Central Bank selects Amazon, the European Payments Initiative, CaixaBank, Worldline and Nexi to prototype digital euro user interfaces by Q1 2023.
• Google's YouTube introduces new feature encourages creators to reply to questions in video comments in form of Shorts.