#NewsBytesWeeklyRecap: Light-powered headphones, Realme buds, Facebook's leak, DNA dating, more
In the third week of December, the world of tech witnessed plenty of activity, both good and bad. The good part included the launch and announcement of tempting gadgets like the Realme buds and JBL's light-powered headphones, while the scary stuff included internet shutdowns, leaks from Facebook, Amazon, and other security issues. Let's take a look at the biggest news from this past week.
Several Indian cities witnessed internet shutdown recently
The most concerning news of the week was undoubtedly the internet blackout triggered by the Indian government. Over the last few days, several Indian cities, including New Delhi, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, and Mangalore, have witnessed instances of internet suspension called by the government to maintain law and order amid ongoing CAB/CAA protests. The move has left people needing internet infuriated and helpless.
Facebook and Amazon's Ring plagued by data leaks
Facebook and Amazon-owned Ring also drew flak from the public but for a completely different reason - data security. First of all, the personal data of 26 crore Facebook users and thousands of Ring camera owners (their passwords too) was found online. Then, in another case, Facebook-owned WhatsApp was found carrying a bug that allowed hackers to crash the app for entire groups.
Also, Facebook is working on an operating system
Meanwhile, Facebook was reported to be working on a new operating system that would replace Google's Android on its Portal and Oculus devices. The company also released the ability to warn users about fake posts appearing in its main app and Instagram.
Twitter, SonyLIV also suffered from critical bugs
The flurry of bugs appearing this week even included an issue in the Twitter Android app and SonyLIV's app and website. Twitter's issue could have exposed the protected tweets and DMs of a user and allowed a hacker to send out tweets and control a person's account, while the SonyLIV bug risked names, emails, and phone numbers of people. Both have been fixed now.
Google Chrome bug deleted app data; DNA-dating proposed
Adding to the case of bugs was Google. The company introduced an issue with the latest release of Chrome (79), which started deleting data from people's third-party Android apps. Plus, in another scary (but unrelated case), a researcher fanned fears of eugenics by suggesting the development of an app that would match people on the basis of their DNA and cut down genetically-transmitted diseases.
Apple offered discounts on services
While Google and others struggled with security issues, Apple doubled down on its products by offering discounts/deals. The company launched a cheaper annual plan of Apple Arcade at Rs. 999 and then released a Christmas offer giving six-months of free Apple Music to new subscribers. Additionally, some reports also claimed that the company is developing satellite tech for beaming internet to its devices.
Finally, there were some tempting hardware launches, announcements
In the hardware category, Realme unveiled its X2 mid-range smartphone as well as truly wireless earbuds, while Vivo launched X30 Pro and X30 in China and Y11 in India. HMD Global, meanwhile, launched its entry-level Nokia 2.3 in India, and LG launched its dual-screen smartphone, the G8X ThinQ, at Rs. 50,000. Notably, JBL also drew attention by announcing headphones that could charge with light.
