Global Tech Roundup: Baby Shark Hits 7.04bn Views, Becomes Most Watched YouTube Video Ever

Hi Guys! It’s the end of another busy week in the world of tech. There were several interesting happening across the global tech space during the week. From the roll-out of the new iOS to the release of Uber and other big techs third-quarter reports.

Here is a quick roundup of some of the major stories around the globe you might have missed.

Baby Shark becomes most viewed YouTube video ever

Popular children’s song, Baby Shark has become the most viewed video ever on YouTube with 7.04bn views. The video created by South Korean company Pinkfong achieved this feat after more than four years since it was first uploaded.

The video edged past Despacito, the 2017 single by Puerto Rican pop stars Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

It is unclear who originally wrote the song but it became a global phenomenon after being recorded by 10-year-old Korean-American singer, Hope Segoine. It first went viral in south-east Asia, then later in the US and Europe. It reached No 6 in the UK singles chart and No 32 in the US.

Uber and Lyft win ‘Prop 22’ battle over driver status in California

Uber and Lyft will be able to keep using their gig model of business after voters in California passed a Prop 22 measure that will see freelance workers continue to be classified as independent contractors.

This comes after Uber and Lyft were ordered to classify their drivers as employees, not independent contractors, after losing their appeal in a California court.

The campaign for Prop 22 cost $205m (£157m), making it the most expensive in state history.

The measure overturns a landmark labour law passed last year that ruled gig-economy workers (Uber drivers) should have an employee status and the protections that go with it.

Uber and Lyft shares rose on Wednesday following the passing of Prop 22. Going forward, Uber plans to “loudly advocate” for more Prop-22 style legislation and is making it a priority to “work with governments across the US and the world to make this a reality.”

iOS 14.2 is finally here

Apple has finally released iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2. The latest iOS comes with a variety of new features but the most important might be the dozens of new emojis that are now available for Apple users.

Some notable emojis are the ninja, a transgender pride flag, a coin, bubble tea, a dodo, a piñata, a tamale, and more.

The new update also brings other improvements like a refreshed AirPlay menu, a new Shazam toggle for Control Center, and several big features to Apple’s HomePod products.

Check out the full log addition to the iOS in the image below

GitHub Denies Getting Hacked

GitHub has denied rumours of being hacked after a mysterious entity shared what they claimed to be the source code of the GitHub.com and GitHub Enterprise portals.

According to GitHub CEO, Nat Friedman, neither he nor GitHub got hacked in any way. He explained that the “leaked source code” didn’t cover all of GitHub’s code but only the GitHub Enterprise Server product.

He added that the posted source code had already leaked months before due to its own error when GitHub engineers accidentally “shipped an un-stripped/obfuscated tarball of our GitHub Enterprise Server source code to some customers.”

Fortnite returns to iPhones

iPhone users will soon be able to play Fortnite again through the Nvidia Cloud Gaming Service. According to BBC, Nvidia has developed a version of its GeForce cloud gaming service that runs in the mobile web browser Safari.

Unlike Android, Apple does not allow games or other apps to be loaded on to its phones via app stores other than its own. But it does not restrict which third-party services can run within Safari or other web browsers available via its store.

Using this method, Nvidia plans to help iPhone users enjoy the game without Apple getting a cut of virtual items sold within the battle royale fighting title.

The announcement comes after Fornite was banned by Apple for breaking its laws on in-game purchases. Epic owners of Fortnite claim that the 30% commission Apple charges on in-app gaming purchases is anti-competitive. But Apple has accused Epic of wanting a “free ride’.

The ensuing disagreement has led to a legal battle between Apple and owners of Fortnite, Epic that has lasted for months.

You can check out other news that happened during the week here. Have a nice weekend!!