Here is the top trending news from the world of technology. News that every tech enthusiast should keep a tab on.
1)
Google won’t be scrapping third party cookies in Chrome
Google has finally decided to give up on its ambitious plan to completely eliminate third party cookies from its Chrome browser. This decision spells bad news for privacy conscious browsers but will bring huge sigh of relief for advertisers who heavily rely on third party cookies to promote their products in the digital world. The plan to kill third party cookies was going to prove immensely challenging even for Google since it earns more than 50% of its revenue from online advertising. Instead, the search giant will NOW be pivoting to a new project called ‘Privacy Sandbox’ where it aims to give users more control over their data while at the same time tracking third party cookies.
2)
Wiz reportedly gives up on its $23 Bn Google Deal
According to CNBC, cybersecurity firm Wiz has reportedly given up on its plan to be acquired by Google for around $23 Bn. Instead Wiz will now opt for its original plan to pursue for an IPO and doubling its annual revenue to $1 Bn. The exact reason for the deal’s collapse is still not known. Had the deal gone through then it would have been Google’s biggest acquisition till date. Wiz’s cutting-edge cloud-based cybersecurity products would have given Google a decisive edge in its cloud computing business where it continues to face intense competition from Microsoft’s Azure and Amazon’s AWS.
3)
Meta planning to buy Minority stake in sunglass maker EssilorLuxottica
As per The Wall Street Journal, Meta is seriously considering to acquire nearly 5% stake in EssilorLuxottica, which is the world’s largest eyewear company and also owns popular brand Ray Ban. The deal is estimated to be around $5 Bn. EssilorLuxottica has already been collaborating with Meta for Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses, which the latter claims that it is witnessing huge demand from the public and the customer demand is exceeding the current production. The deal will not only help Mark Zuckerberg’s company in ramping up the production of Meta for Ray-Ban Stories but also help in improving its AR and VR products.
4)
Reddit strikes deal with NBA & NFL to boost its Revenue
With an aim to bolster its ad revenue, Reddit has struck deals with several prominent sports leagues in the US including the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. The move would allow Reddit to obtain video highlights, behind-the-scene-videos and other sought-after content of NBA, NFL and other popular leagues. By offering exclusive content and highlights, it aims to attract and retain large sports enthusiastic audience, which are among the most sought-after audiences for online advertisers. Recently the social media company had also signed a content deal with Google, allowing the latter to use its content for training its AI models.
5)
You may soon connect people on WhatsApp without phone number
In recent months WhatsApp has been busy in adding slew of new features and it may add another new feature to its growing list. The instant messaging app is exploring the possibility of users to connect with other people without relying solely on phone number. It plans to achieve this by introducing the username feature, allowing users to create unique username for themselves and thereby letting them to connect with other users through user names. This move will help in enhancing WhatsApp users’ privacy as they no longer have to share their phone numbers. However, this feature is still in the testing phase and there is no information when WhatsApp plans to launch this feature.