In the current day and age, you can miss out on important tech updates in a blink of an eye. As technology moves forward at a rapid pace, it is impossible to keep up with everything that is happening. Do not worry, we have you covered!
As the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm, it has pushed the tech world to new heights. We are confident that the tech industry will continue to witness fast-paced developments in the last few months of 2021.
From established tech companies to young and budding tech startups, everyone has had an opportunity to scale and grow this year. In this article, we cover some eventful, exciting, and interesting tech updates as of August 2021.
Are social media platforms becoming more popular? What are the big players doing to cruise past their competitors? Which merger and acquisition shook the tech industry? If you are looking for answers to these questions, you may want to continue exploring this blog.
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Important Tech Updates as of August 2021
1. Salesforce Acquires Slack for $27.7 Billion
Salesforce scooped up collaboration vendor Slack in a $27.7 billion deal this year. This expands the software giant’s product offerings and position itself as an alternative for Microsoft’s Teams.
Salesforce initially confirmed this deal in December 2020, the biggest in the company’s history. Post this development, Slack will transition into Salesforce’s operating unit. Slack’s CEO, Stewart Butterfield, and his team will lead this unit.
Fun Fact: The headquarters of Salesforce and Slack is just one block away from each other in San Francisco.
2. China Set to Introduce Algorithm Restrictions, Leaves Investors in Pickle
China continues its push toward tightening its grip on the domestic technology industry. The Chinese government has introduced a number of unfavorable and hostile legislation over the past months. This ongoing movement has certainly intimidated investors and taken away over billions of dollars in value from China’s largest internet companies.
The ongoing incursion started in November 2020 when Jack Ma’s fintech company Ant Group was suspended. Over the course of 2021, authorities have consistently introduced anti-monopoly legislation that primarily targets the “platform economy”
In simple terms, this mainly refers to the internet companies that operate a bunch of food delivery and e-commerce platforms. Some regulations are also introduced to strengthen the protection and data security laws.
A number of noteworthy Chinese tech companies are now being investigated and punished if found guilty of malpractice. For instance, e-commerce stalwart Alibaba had to pay a fine of around $2.8 billion in an anti-monopoly investigation.
Investors are on the fence and uncertain about investing in Chinese tech stocks at the moment.
3. SpaceX Launches Rocket to the International Space Station Carrying Shrimps and Avocados
Here is a space tech update for all the space lovers!
There is always an element of uniqueness and sheer surprise when news about Elon Musk’s companies makes the headlines. Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched a rocket that is destined for the International Space Station (ISS) on 29th August.
The rocket capsule called the Dragon is carrying an array of items such as robotic arms, ants, shrimps, and avocados. This journey to the ISS will go down as SpaceX’s 23rd supply mission for NASA.
According to the company, this is a shipment of food for seven astronauts that are currently stationed at the ISS. A lot of things SpaceX is carrying to the ISS will also be used for research.
The Girl Scouts have been collecting brine shrimp, seedlings, and ants for experimental use at the space station. The astronauts are expected to conduct a bunch of interesting experiments in the foreseeable future. In one of the experiments, astronauts will inspect how plants grow in a weightless environment. In addition, the brine shrimp will be utilized to evaluate whether a colony of crustaceans can grow and survive in space to offer protein for astronauts.
The Dragon capsule successfully reached the ISS on Monday.
4. Tesla’s Autopilot System Under Scrutiny as Tesla Model 3 Crashes Into Parked Police Car
Tesla has come under the radar again after a Tesla Model 3 slammed into a parked police vehicle and a Mercedes on Saturday. The good news is that there were no injuries or fatalities.
In her defense, the driver said that she was using the autopilot feature when the 2019 Tesla Model 3 hit the other vehicles. The accident comes at a time when Tesla’s advanced driver assistance system has received considerable scrutiny from federal regulators.
Even before this case, The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has started investigating Tesla’s Autopilot feature. According to the authorities, they are investigating Tesla’s system as it has been part of a series of collisions over the past few years that have led to around 17 injuries.
Democratic Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumental have asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to look into the company’s claim about its Full Self-Driving and Autopilot capabilities.
5. Apple Acquires Popular Classical Music Streaming Platform Primephonic
In an attempt to widen its classical music range, Apple announced that it has completed the acquisition of Primephonic. Primephonic is a Dutch-based classical music streaming service that was launched in 2014.
This acquisition will allow Apple to focus on a music genre that it has overlooked over the past few years.
Primephonic services will discontinue after September 7th as a standalone offering as it blends into Apple Music. Meanwhile, Apple is roping in considerable efforts to launch classical music streaming application on its streaming platform in 2022.
Apple said that Apple Music Classical fans will be given a unique experience with some of the best features of Primephonic. These features include improved search and exceptional browsing experience capabilities. Besides, current Primephonic users will also be able to use Apple Music for free for six months.
For more latest IT news and tech updates, keep reading iTMunch
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Feature Image Source: rawpixel.com
Image 1 Source: Salesforce
Image 2 Source: SpaceX Image Gallery
