10 things in tech you need to know today
Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Thursday.
- Apple has altered its Maps and Weather apps to show Crimea as part of Russia, and not Ukraine, for Russian users. Russia announced that it had been in talks with Apple for some months on 'correcting' the way Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, is displayed.
- TikTok issued a public apology for suspending the account of the teen behind the viral Chinese takedown video disguised as makeup tutorial. The firm reinstated one of her accounts, although they acknowledge that its moderation process "will not be perfect."
- Twitter backed off on a plan to give away unused old accounts after people complain that it would mean erasing their dead loved ones from the internet. Twitter said it would hold off until it found a way to memorialize the accounts of those who have passed away.
- Leaked numbers show $200 million fintech startup Curve has far fewer active users than the number of 'customers' it has claimed. During its September crowdfunding campaign, Curve said it would reach 4 million customers by the end of 2020 but didn't say how many people used its product on a regular basis.
- US firms have been profiting from Chinese efforts to surveil its population as part of its crackdown on Uighurs. A Wall Street Journal investigation found that HP, Intel, and other companies provided financing or knowledge to Chinese tech companies which then supplied the government.
- Trump could hit France with more tariffs in battle over taxes on big tech. The Trump administration is scheduled to decide next week whether to retaliate against France for a new digital services tax that hits American technology giants like Amazon and Facebook.
- An investigation found 'potentially deadly' products like exploding hairdryers sold on the 'Wild West' of Amazon, Wish, and eBay. In the most extreme example, a hairdryer purchased on Wish's site set alight when non-profit Electrical Safety First tested what would happen if it restricted its airflow.
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said there have been 250,000 pre-orders for Tesla's futuristic Cybertruck pickup truck in an ultra-brief tweet on Monday. Early on Wednesday morning, Musk tweeted the word "250k", implying the new pre-order figure.
- A former world champion of the game Go says he's retiring because AI is so strong: 'Even if I become the No. 1, there is an entity that cannot be defeated.' Lee Se-dol, 36, told the Yonhap News Agency that he would no longer play professionally, because AI is impossible to overcome.
- European Uber rival Bolt is hoping to step into the gap left by its competitor, which faces being thrown out of London after losing its operating license. Bolt CEO Markus Villig says his $1 billion company takes a more collaborative and sustainable approach to ride-hailing.
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