#WeeklyRecap: US blocks out ByteDance; Apple, Google unveil new devices
This week, we witnessed some major hardware launches, but the biggest news in the world of tech was US President Donald Trump's crackdown on TikTok's parent ByteDance and WeChat's parent Tencent. He issued an executive order that is set to restrict Americans from engaging in business with the two Chinese giants in a matter of weeks. Let's take a look at all the updates.
Ban on business transactions with ByteDance, Tencent
On Thursday, August 6, Trump signed two executive orders barring American entities from conducting all transactions with ByteDance and WeChat-related transactions with Tencent. The move was taken due to a "national emergency" stemming from the companies' information and communications technology and, it has already hit both the firms hard with Tencent losing nearly $30 billion following the order, per Bloomberg.
At the same time, Microsoft is moving to buy TikTok
The action against ByteDance was announced just a few days after Microsoft confirmed it is moving to buy TikTok US with Trump administration's approval. The Redmond giant said it intends to complete the discussions by September 15 (just before when the ban goes into effect).
Twitter launched new features, dealt with issues
Microblogging giant Twitter, which is also in talks to buy TikTok, fixed two major bugs this week: one that kept users from tweeting out and the other that risked the information, including direct messages, of people using the service on Android 8 and 9.
Additionally, the company also launched labels for the accounts of state-affiliated officials and media outlets.
Intel, Canon hit by cyber-attacks
While Twitter dealt with bugs, Intel and Canon investigated data breaches. Canon, as BleepingComputer reported, was hit by Maze Ransomware, which stole as much as 10TB of its data and left its services disabled. Meanwhile, Intel investigated a hack after 20GB of its confidential chip-related database was published online as the first batch of a much-larger chunk - stolen earlier this year.
Apple's iMac, Google's Pixel 4a, Samsung Note 20 series
For tech buffs, Apple launched a refreshed 27-inch iMac with SSD standard across the board and Intel's 10th-generation Comet Lake processors, with up to 10 cores, and enhanced graphics under the hood. Google and Samsung, on the other hand, drew attention with their latest smartphones, Pixel 4a for $350 and Galaxy Note 20 series, respectively. Samsung also unveiled a much-improved Galaxy Z Fold 2.
Google also launched new features for Docs, Sheets, and Slides
Google also launched a new set of features for Docs, Slides, and Sheets apps for G Suite users on Android and iOS. The changes include some handy capabilities such as smart compose for documents and vertical scrolling for Slides' presentations.
Other major hardware launches
In the hardware category, along with Samsung, Apple, and Google, other technology companies also chipped in. Xiaomi launched a new Mi TV Stick and Redmi 9 Prime, and Asus and Acer (1, 2) unveiled new notebooks, while HMD Global launched Nokia C3, OPPO unveiled K7 5G, and LAVA launched Z66. Meanwhile, Realme introduced new colors for its C3, 5 Pro, and 6 Pro smartphones.
