Major Players

The point exchange service DotMoney, suspended due to unauthorized access, has resumed operations with GMO Town WiFi taking over the business.

• •The service resumption was announced on August 12, allowing users to access it again.
• •GMO Town WiFi took over the business, reorganizing the infrastructure and operational structure.
• •The point exchange function, which had been temporarily suspended, is now available again.

Amazon's summer sale, running until August 17, offers discounts on the Echo series, including smart speakers and displays, with the 2025 Echo Show 8 priced at 31,480 yen.

• •Amazon.co.jp is holding an Amazon device-exclusive summer sale until August 17.
• •The Echo series of smart home devices is included in the sale with discounted prices.
• •The 2025 model Echo Show 8 is being sold for 31,480 yen.

A bug in the iOS Google Home app caused indoor lighting to turn on unintentionally upon launch, affecting smart home device control.

• •Launching the Google Home app on iOS caused a bug where lights turned on automatically.
• •This issue was confirmed among some users and affected smart home control.
• •The app's launch action caused malfunctioning control of various indoor lighting devices.

Photos of a prototype for the Surface Phone, canceled by Microsoft in 2014, leaked online, sparking interest in the company's past technical direction.

• •Photos of the Surface Phone prototype, canceled by Microsoft in 2014, have leaked.
• •Images of this prototype were shared online, generating discussion among users.
• •Revealing the canceled product's appearance has increased attention to the technical strategy at that time.

The Japan Coast Guard released free Minecraft seafloor terrain world data, allowing users to enjoy pseudo-exploration of the deep seabed.

• •The Japan Coast Guard released Minecraft-compatible seafloor terrain world data for free.
• •Users can virtually explore deep seabed terrain using the released data.
• •This serves as a notable case of public agency geographic data being used as game content.

Amazon's summer sale features significant discounts on e-book readers like Kindle Colorsoft and Paperwhite, reporting on model prices and the sales period.

• •As part of the Amazon Device Summer Sale, the Kindle series is being sold at limited-time prices.
• •The color-display 'Kindle Colorsoft' is priced at 31,980 yen, while the monochrome 'Paperwhite' is 22,980 yen.
• •The sale period runs until August 17, offering a reference price range for those considering purchasing an e-book reader.

Domestic cloud-based task management tool 'Jooto' announced it will end its service in July 2027, closing the curtain on over a decade of service history.

• •It has been decided that the cloud-based task management tool 'Jooto' will end its service in July 2027.
• •Although the service has been used for many years, it is ending because future maintenance has become difficult.
• •Users need to complete data exports or migration preparations to alternative tools by the end date.

X (formerly Twitter) announced it is abolishing its traditional revenue program to introduce a new monetization system supporting original content creators, while tightening eligibility criteria.

• •X is abolishing its existing revenue program and transitioning to a new system focused on original content.
• •The new program adopts mechanisms to more appropriately support creators of unique content on the platform.
• •Eligibility review criteria have been tightened, with a direction that places greater emphasis on providing high-quality content.

Amazon's summer sale offers the Fire TV series starting at 4,980 yen, reporting on price ranges for 4K and Wi-Fi 6 models and the sale duration.

• •As part of the Amazon Device Summer Sale, the 'Fire TV' media player series is being discounted.
• •The 'Fire TV Stick Plus', which supports 4K resolution and Wi-Fi 6, is available for 7,980 yen.
• •The sale runs until August 17, providing a reference for those considering setting up a streaming viewing environment.

A New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay $567 million for facilitating child sexual exploitation, comparing mental health harms to factory pollution.

• •Meta lost a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Attorney General, which alleged it caused harm to children.
• •The court described the mental harm caused by Meta's platform as 'factory pollution' and held it accountable.
• •This ruling may set a legal precedent strengthening content moderation responsibilities for social media companies.