December 13, 2020 2:13:59 pm
A weekly summary of the latest news and developments in the world of technology.
This week in tech news, Apple surprised many people when it revealed its new AirPods Max wireless over-ear headphones. The $ 549 headphones cost more than similar offerings from Bose and Sony, a strategy Apple first implemented with the HomePod. Earlier this week, Apple also announced that its Fitness Plus subscription will be available on December 14. Meanwhile, the long-awaited sci-fi game Cyberpunk 2077 went on sale after being delayed three times in the past. The highly publicized video game stars Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves.
It’s Sunday, so it’s time to check out all of the top tech news that circulated this week.
Apple AirPods Max released
This week, Apple took center stage with the launch of AirPods Max, its first pair of on-ear headphones. The AirPods Max retails for Rs 59,900, making them the most expensive pair of over-ear headphones in the premium segment where players like Bose and Sony lead the market. Experts claim that the launch of AirPods Max will revolutionize the premium wireless earbuds market. The high-end headphones support active noise cancellation, spatial audio, and transparency mode. Apple says AirPods Max will offer up to 20 hours of music playback with active noise cancellation and spatial features. The AirPods Max will be available in India from December 15.
Cyberpunk 2077 surpassed eight million copies before its release.
Cyberpunk 2077 finally debuts after a long delay
Cyberpunk 2077, the long-awaited game created by CD Projekt Red, is finally available. Set in a dystopian future, starring Keanu Reeves, Cyberpunk 2077 has received mixed critical acclaim. While the game has been praised for its scope and ambition, some gamers reported glitches with the game on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. CD Projekt Red is known for making the hit Witcher series. Cyberpunk 2077 was originally scheduled to debut earlier this year, but experienced a number of delays due to challenges caused by employees working from home.
Fuchsia OS is rumored to be an Android replacement. (Image credit: AP)
Google continues to work on the mysterious Fuchsia operating system
For the past few years, Google has been secretly developing a new operating system, Fuchsia. Not much is known about the project, but Google said Tuesday that it would open Fuchsia to outside contributions. The company plans to support and expand the Fuchsia open source community and open it up to contributors to make it easier for the public to contribute to the development of Fuchsia. However, Fuchsia OS is far from complete. Fuchsia is said to be able to run on a variety of devices, from smartphones, laptops to IoT products. It remains to be seen whether the next Fuchsia OS will replace Android or Chrome OS.
The lawsuits target two of Facebook’s priced possessions: Instagram and WhatsApp. (Image credit: Bloomberg)
Federal Trade Commission calls for Facebook breakdown
The Federal Trade Commission and 48 attorneys general filed separate lawsuits Wednesday, accusing the social media giant of illegally crushing competition to maintain its dominance. Facebook, which owns Instagram and WhatsApp, has become the global technology company due to its highly successful acquisitions in the past. Facebook said the deals under scrutiny were approved by regulators years ago. But Facebook has come under increased scrutiny for its dominance of the market in the social media landscape. The attorneys general allege that the Instagram and WhatsApp agreements violated competition law.