Tech Roundup: Google Continuous Scrolling, WhatsApp Avatars & More

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

• E.U. privacy regulators rule that Meta's Terms of Service should not require that users agree to personalised ads based on their online activity, effectively upending its business model and making it "harder for Meta and other platforms to show users ads based on what they tap and watch within those platforms' own apps." (The development comes on top of the revenue hit the company took when Apple last year required iPhone app developers to seek users' explicit consent before tracking their activities across other apps.)
• Google brings Google One VPN and Clear Calling to Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, automatic speaker labels when recording and transcribing conversations through the Recorder app to Pixel 6 and up, and a new unified security and privacy settings.
• Microsoft plans to increase the price of new, first-party Xbox Series X and S games from US$ 60 to US$ 70 in 2023.
• Meta begins testing age verification tools on Facebook Dating, letting users upload IDs or video selfies, following tests on Instagram.
• Google introduces "Continuous Scrolling" on desktop for search results by loading six pages of results in one go, following a similar change on mobile in October 2021; to bring new filters to mobile search results to "dive deeper and explore topics that are related to a search."
• Apple launches its self-service repair program in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K., marking the first expansion outside the U.S.
• Amazon offers select customers US$ 2 per month in exchange for routing their DNS traffic through an Amazon server as part of an invite-only Ad Verification program to "confirm which ads from Amazon they saw on their device." (Remember Facebook's Onavo fiasco and its covert attempts to get teens to install a research VPN app?)
• Google introduces new @tabs, @bookmarks and @history shortcuts to "directly search through your Chrome tabs, bookmarks and history right from the address bar."
• Apple changes App Store pricing to range from US$ 0.29 to US$ 10,000 (the current pricing is from US$ 0.49 to US$ 999.99), starting with subscription apps; top 100 prices require Apple's approval.
• Microsoft has reportedly considered building a "super app" that would combine shopping, messaging, search, news, and other services into a one-stop smartphone app like WeChat.
• Messaging app Telegram crosses one million Premium subscribers since its June 2022 launch.
• Amazon reaches a deal with the E.U. regulators to end two antitrust investigations; to increase visibility of rivals' products by giving them equal treatment on Amazon's "buy box," and add offers for non-Prime orders.
• ConsenSys, the company behind the MetaMask crypto wallet, to releases updates to stop logging user IP address information directly alongside their transaction data, in addition to rolling out a new advanced settings page to opt out of third-party services.
• Apple announces Apple Music Sing, a karaoke experience built into the Apple Music app with adjustable vocals and real-time lyrics.
• Google kills Duplex on the Web, a Google Assistant feature that automates website navigation to make online purchases and check in to flights.
• Amazon to launch Prime Gaming, its subscription service that offers free access to a number of titles and which ships bundled with Amazon Prime and Video plans, to its members in India.
• Meta's WhatsApp begins rolling out cutomisable avatars, already available on Facebook and Instagram, letting users choose from 36 stickers.
• Switzerland-based privacy company Proton launches iOS and Android apps for its Proton Drive end-to-end encrypted cloud storage service, offering 200GB storage for US$ 3.99/month.
• Telegram partners with Fragment to let users create an anonymous number to join the service, removing the need for a SIM card; adds temporary QR codes and a global auto-delete timer to automatically remove messages across all chats.