Tech Roundup: Spotify Merch Hub, X Australia Fine & More

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

• Australia's eSafety commissioner fines X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, AU$ 610,500 for failing to properly disclose information about how it is cracking down on child abuse content; calls out Google and Discord for not blocking links to known child sexual exploitation material.
• Huawei overtakes Apple to take the top spot in China's smartphone market, in part driven by lower-than-expected shipments of iPhone 15.
• Xiaomi unveils HyperOS, an Android-based operating system set to debut with Xiaomi 14 series smartphones and eventually replace the company's 13-year-old MIUI OS.
• X throttles traffic to Patreon, WhatsApp, and at times Messenger by 2.5 seconds on average, a new analysis from The Markup reveals.
• Spotify launches an in-app Merch Hub that provides merchandise recommendations based on users' listening habits and allow users to purchase items through artists' stores powered by Shopify.
• Apple debuts its online store in Chile.
• Netflix begins testing its cloud gaming service in the U.S. after initially launching limited trials in Canada and the U.K.
• Live game streaming platform Twitch adds support for stories on the Following page that expire after 48 hours.
• Snapchat officially makes it possible to embed public content on other websites.
• Meta's WhatsApp enables support for passkeys to login into the service; comes as Amazon debuts support for the passwordless login technology on the web.
• X enforces new requirement that mandates a linked source for proposed community notes; tests a program, Not A Bot, in New Zealand and the Philippines requiring new, unverified users to sign up for a US$ 1 annual subscription to be able to post in an attempt to tackle spam. ("New users who opt out of subscribing will only be able to take 'read only' actions, such as: Read posts, Watch videos, and Follow accounts," X says.)
• Meta lets Instagram users control specific activity that third-party websites share with the app, an ability previously only available on Facebook; bring its Telegram-like broadcast channels feature to Facebook and Messenger after rolling it out to Instagram and WhatsApp earlier this year.
• Microsoft's Windows 11, which released in October 2021, surpasses 400 million monthly active devices; tests support for hearing aids in Windows 11 and launches Radius, a new open-source, language-agnostic application platform for building and running cloud-native applications.
• Google unveils new accessibility features in Maps to easily surface wheelchair-accessible walking routes and places; launches a Magnifier app that integrates with Pixel phone's camera to "magnify small text, see object details, or zoom in on faraway text."
• China proposes security requirements for firms offering services powered by generative artificial intelligence, including a denylist of sources (e.g., terrorism, violence, as well as information that can damage the country's image and undermine national unity and social stability) that cannot be used to train AI models.
• AI chatbot can infer a user's location and race based on contextual or language cues, according to a new research.
• Google adds a stable volume feature to YouTube to reduce jarring differences in volume, an option to forward videos at 2x speed, a new You tab that replaces Library, and search for a song by playing, singing or humming; also brings a dedicated news page to its mobile apps that suggests content from "authoritative sources." (In related news, YouTube is also experimenting with a new feature that allows creators to pause commenting on their videos.)
• Amazon begins offering drone deliveries for prescription medications in the U.S. state of Texas for medications purchaed from Amazon Pharmacy; to expand its Prime Air drone delivery system to the U.K., Italy, and a third U.S. city in late 2024 and integrate Prime Air into its delivery network.
• Google has introduces a new feature in its Wallet app for Android that allows users to convert any barcode or QR code into a virtual pass; expands state ID support to Arizona, Colorado and Georgia, joining the ranks of Maryland which introduced the feature in December 2022.
• Google adds smarter autocompletion, automatic typo corrections, improved suggestions for popular sites and the ability to search within bookmark folders to the address bar in Chrome web browser; brings skin smoothing and teeth whitening effects for video calls in Google Meet.
• Meta's WhatsApp plans to let users switch between accounts on Android in the coming weeks (It's worth noting that a second account will still need a separate phone number and SIM card); rolls out a view once mode for voice notes to some beta users on iOS and Android and tests option to create polls in post comments.
• Google plans to start assembling the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in India and begin India-made shipments in 2024; adds YouTube Music support on Apple HomePod to all Premium and Music Premium members globally.
• Discord shuts down Gas nine months after acquiring the app, which let users anonymously compliment friends and had about 1 million daily active users in October 2022; overhauls its moderation tools with a new warning system and a teen safety assist feature, and plans to roll out an in-app store for all users.
• Universal Music Publishing Group, Concord Music Group, and ABKCO sue Anthropic for allegedly violating their copyrights by using song lyrics to train AI models.
• OpenAI rolls out DALL-E 3 access to ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise subscribers.
• Poshmark announces plans to shut down its international operations in Australia, India and the U.K. as the social shopping marketplace shifts attention to "core markets."
• OnePlus officially launches its debut foldable, OnePlus Open, for US$ 1,699 in collaboration with parent company Oppo.
• Amazon launches a social shopping feature called Consult-a-Friend that lets consumers to ask trusted friends for advice while shopping online through the Amazon app.
• Meta draws flak after its "see translation" feature in Instagram translates Arabic phrase Alhamdulillah, when used in conjunction with Palestinian, as "Palestinian terrorists are fighting for their freedom."
• Twitch now lets creators simulcast across any live streaming service and adds doxxing and swatting to its Off-Service Conduct enforcement list.
• Meta releases Habitat 3.0, a simulator that supports robots and humanoid avatars for collaboration, and HomeRobot, a home robot hardware and software platform.