Tech Roundup: Spotify DJ, WhatsApp Newsletter & More

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

• The European Commission bans TikTok on corporate devices and personal devices using corporate apps, asking staff to uninstall the app by March 15, 2023, citing data protection concerns; says the measure aims to secure against "cybersecurity threats and actions which may be exploited for cyber attacks against the corporate environment of the Commission."
• Instagram founders' personalised news app Artifact becomes generally available to all users on Android and iOS; allows users to control their reading experience without having to provide their phone numbers.
• Microsoft brings its new OpenAI-powered Bing chatbot to mobile web and its namesake app for Android and iOS amid its ongoing push to make the search engine mainstream; also meshes the chatbot to Skype.
• Stripe expands Tap to Pay to Android in six countries, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, Australia and Singapore, supporting payment methods via Google Pay, Mastercard, Visa, and American Express debit and credit cards.
• Mercedes-Benz partners with Google to bring navigation software and YouTube to its next-gen car OS and strikes a multibillion-dollar deal with Luminar to integrate LIDAR technology.
• Google officially adds support for a third-party billing system for Google Play Store purchases in India; to cut service fee by 4% for purchases through an alternative billing system. (It remains to be seen how Google plans to allow downloading of competing app stores as well as uninstalling pre-loaded Google apps from the devices.)
• Meta reportedly working on a new Newsletter option in WhatsApp as a one-to-many broadcast tool to send information to "undefined and large" number of users.

• Spotify launches DJ, an AI-powered radio DJ feature that offers curated music and commentary about the tracks and artists in a "stunningly realistic voice"; tests "token-enabled playlists", letting select NFT holders connect their wallets and listen to curated music.
• Microsoft implements more severe restrictions to its new AI-powered Bing to end chats following prompts mentioning "feelings" or "Sydney," the internal alias for the software, after adding tighter controls on last week.
• Uber launches a redesigned version of its app globally, including adding a simpler homescreen, a Services tab and live tracking on iOS 16.
• Turkey's telecom watchdog BTK blocks Eksi Sozluk, one of the country's biggest social media websites, after blocking Twitter following the recent earthquakes.
• India's capital Delhi bans motorbike taxis from its roads, dealing a blow to companies such as Uber, Ola and Rapido.
• Popular note-taking service Notion debuts new AI features to "help with your daily work."
• Google's Cloud division partners with Tezos blockchain to bring Web3 technology to its customers; expands Magic Eraser, which lets users remove parts of a picture, from Pixel devices to Google One subscribers using Google Photos on Android or iOS
• Google rolls out multi-language audio tracks to more YouTube creators worldwide; to bring audio podcasts to YouTube Music and debuts a Material You design refresh for Google Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides.
• Samsung announces a standardised 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) modem that will enable two-way communication between smartphones and satellites.