Howdy there! Welcome to our weekly roundup of all the biggest updates from the world of tech.
Without further ado, let’s dive right in and unbox the latest developments in the tech world! Here are some of the stories that highlighted this week.
Elon Musk’s X challenged Youtube with a dedicated Smart TV App
Yep, that happened. Musk’s social media platform X made a move to take on Google-owned free video-sharing platform YouTube, saying that X is currently launching a dedicated app for smart TVs reportedly within the week, offering long-form video content and a user interface similar to YouTube.
He also confirmed the launch via a tweet on X, highlighting the ability to use Apple AirPlay for easy streaming to larger screens as this dedicated app makes it more convenient for users to watch X’s long-form videos on their televisions.
It was also reported that the app will be initially available on Amazon Fire OS and Samsung Tizen OS and that the company is also planning to expand the app’s reach to include Google TV OS and Apple tvOS.
Spotify began testing full music video for premium users in select countries
Not just Musk but Spotify too announced the next day that it was rolling out music videos in the beta version for the company’s Premium users across 11 markets. With this, Spotify seems to be in direct competition with Google’s YouTube.
The Swedish company said that it will begin testing full-length music videos in countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya.
“The beta version of music videos on Spotify begins rolling out today with a limited catalog of music videos, including hits from global artists like Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, and Ice Spice, or local favorites like Aluna and Asake,” Spotify said in a blog.
Xiaomi’s SU7 starts to hit the road
Amidst all this, Chinese tech giant Xiaomi announced that it was set to begin delivering the first batch of the Speed Ultra 7 (SU7) sedan as soon as this month, Reuters reported, citing a Weibo post by Xiaomi.
A launch event, where the new EV’s sticker tag is also expected to be made public, is set for March 28. Additionally, 59 of Xiaomi’s stores in 29 cities in China will take orders for the new EV. A unit of state-owned BAIC Group will produce Xiaomi’s cars in a factory in Beijing with an annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles. Xiaomi has has pledged to invest $10 billion in autos over a decade.
Tiktok VS The United States
After being banned in a dozen countries, Tiktok faces the heat in the United States as 19 US lawmakers pushed forward a bill on Thursday that could potentially ban the popular Chinese short-video app “TikTok” nationwide and on all devices, US has now moved a step closer to banning TikTok after the House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday demanding ByteDance, the app’s Chinese developer, to either divest from the company or face expulsion from US app stores.
The bipartisan consensus was resounding as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act sailed through with an impressive 352 votes in favor, while encountering only 65 dissenting voices against the decision.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew during his congressional testimony in March despite the fact that the Chinese government owns 1 percent stake in ByteDance and controls one of three board members. Marco Rubio, the Republican vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, offered a contrasting perspective. During a recent annual hearing on “worldwide threat assessments,” Rubio articulated his concerns by asserting that “every company in China is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, including Bytedance” Well, we need to see what Tiktok does before its 6 month time period.
An Apple a day, makes news for weeks
American tech giant Apple has had two rough weeks. The previous week saw American multinational tech major Apple ending its long-standing feud with Epic Games, allowing the return of Fortnite and the launch of Epic’s game store on iOS devices in Europe. This decision came under the weight of the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) enforcement by the European Union. Apple seemed to cope up with the 24% sales dip it faced in China the week before but yeah it looks as if the year is off to a bad start for Apple.
Nikon buys RED
Nikon Corporation announced its agreement to acquire RED Digital Cinema, one of the pioneering brands in the digital cinema camera industry. This acquisition marks a significant milestone in Nikon’s pursuit of expanding its footprint in the professional filmmaking realm, solidifying its position as a major player in the ever-evolving world of visual storytelling.
The origins of RED Digital Cinema can be traced back to 2005 when Jim Jannard, the visionary founder of Oakley Sunglasses, recognized a critical gap in the market. At the time, television and movie productions were caught between two extremes: the rapidly growing demand for digital workflows and the lack of digital video cameras capable of delivering the exceptional quality required for high-end productions.
Well, i hope we covered pretty much the most important news of the week. Until then, catch you soon readers!
