There’s always something new and exciting happening in the world of technology. Here’s a roundup of some of the top tech news from the past week.
According to Reuters, the country New Zealand is proposing new legislation which will require from platforms such as Google and Meta/Facebook to pay the publishers for the content they share. New Zealand proposal will be based on a very similar law that exists in Australia as well as already introduced legislation in Canada. The legislation will be designed to act as an incentive for digital platforms to reach voluntary deals with local news outlets, according to a statement from New Zealand Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson.
“It’s not fair that the big digital platforms like Google and Meta get to host and share local news for free,“ Mr. Jackson said Sunday. “It costs to produce the news, and it’s only fair they pay.”
This move is reigniting the global debate about whether tech giants unfairly benefit from news shared on their platforms.
Apple’s global supply chain management strategy appears to be shifting quickly to reduce its dependence on China for iPhone and MacBook products assembly. Based on Ming-Chi Kuo (Apple analyst) words, the move is part of the trend towards deglobalization and also focuses on reducing interdependence between business units distributed throughout the world.
The company will focus its manufacturing in other parts of Asia including India and Vietnam to reduce its reliance on the Taiwan-based assembler FoxConn. FoxConn’s Zengzhou factory was in the media eye last week as workers protested and clashed with police.
Starting from yesterday, Google’s Chrome desktop web browser has two new performance modes — Memory Saver and Energy Saver. The new features allow users to extend their battery life when a device is running low on power as well as to reduce Chrome’s memory usage by up to 30 percent. The memory Saver mode frees up memory from tabs that are not currently in use and will provide a smoother browsing experience to the user. Important websites can be marked as exempt from Memory Saver to keep them operating at its max performance.
The energy saver mode optimizes the potential life of the battery by limiting background activity and visual effects on websites with animations or videos. This feature is activated when the battery of the device reaches 20%. Although it is not clear how long the battery life could potentially be extended, every minute counts when you do not have your charger with you.
Starbucks is offering a web3 loyalty programme and NFT community, Starbucks Odyssey to U.S. beta testers. Instead of using the existing loyalty program Starbucks Rewards where customers were receiving free drinks and discounts, Odyssey introduces a new platform where customers can engage with interactive activities called “Journeys” that, when complete, allow members to earn collectible Journey Stamps — which is Starbucks’ less geeky name for NFTs.
Activities such as shopping, engaging with content, and participating in NFT auctions will allow the customers to receive such rewards. They will also be able to use their rewards to purchase exclusive NFTs. The program is intended to reward customers for their loyalty, provide them with deeper engagement opportunities, and create an immersive community experience.
