#NewsBytesWeeklyRecap: Microsoft's data leak, OnePlus 8 specs, ISRO's Vyommitra, more
This week, some major developments were noted in the tech space. First, Google's CEO Sundar Pichai advocated AI regulation, and OnePlus 8 Pro and Samsung's next foldable phone surfaced in new leaks. Then, ISRO unveiled its "Vyommitra" humanoid for the Gaganyaan mission, while Elon Musk made the bold claim of sending a million humans to Mars. Let's look back at all the big stuff.
Major developments from Google and its boss
Google's CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the potential risks and benefits of AI in an FT editorial and made a case for balanced regulation of the technology. Pichai also confirmed that Google I/O 2020 will start from May 12, where we could see the new mid-range Pixel devices as well as a new "Nearby Sharing" feature that was seen in a recently leaked video.
Google also promised to make Search better, released addiction-tackling apps
Beyond the big announcements, Google also promised to make "Search" better, which has been criticized by a number of people following a poor redesign, and introduced three new apps to help you curb smartphone overuse too.
Facebook translated Xi Jinping's name to 'Mr Shithole'
Meanwhile, Facebook drew major criticism for giving offensive translations for China's President Xi Jinping's name and referring to him as "Mr. Shithole" in a number of posts. The social network also ditched the IGTV button from the Instagram app and has started testing the dark mode for its main Android app. Notably, WhatsApp also got the Dark Mode update, although only in beta.
ISRO unveiled Vyommitra, Musk detailed plans for Mars
Coming to space tech, ISRO unveiled a humanoid robot that will go into space as part of the Gaganyaan mission and mimic astronauts' behavior. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency tested the tech to extract oxygen from Moon's surface. Elon Musk claimed his company SpaceX will conduct its first manned flight in the coming months and send around one million humans to Mars by 2050.
Then, the case of bugs, leaks
Apple dealt with two key issues this week: complaints of degraded noise cancellation in AirPods after a firmware update and vulnerabilities in the Safari browser flagged by Google (now fixed). Meanwhile, in two separate cases, Microsoft disclosed that it leaked over 250 million service request records from five unprotected servers, while a hacker exposed passwords of over 5 lakh IoT devices.
Finally, some major hardware launches, leaks
In the hardware category, we have witnessed the launch of new smartphones, including Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite, while Motorola announced that it will launch the foldable RAZR on February 6. Meanwhile, the specs of OnePlus 8 Pro and Galaxy Z Flip surfaced in new leaks, while Nokia and Xiaomi made a bunch of their phones cheaper.
