10 things in tech you need to know today

Come to my island. Everything will be fine.

"Animal Crossing: New Horizons"/Nintendo

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1. The SEC sued Ripple. The SEC says XRP, which Ripple describes as a cryptocurrency, is an "unregistered securities offering to investors in the US and worldwide." 
   
   
2. Ripple's XRP token fell by more than 30%. The token fell to its lowest since November 20, effectively wiping out all of last month's 177% gain.
   
   
3. China is investigating Alibaba. The antitrust probe is part of a growing crackdown on anti-competitive behavior among China's internet giants.
   
   
4. The Covid-19 stimulus bill makes illegal streaming a felony. The stimulus was combined with a $1.4 trillion government-funding omnibus bill with a wide range of provisions.
   
   
5. Exclusive: Google Health is in disarray. The unit has lost several of its top executives, and employees say the group is struggling to find focus.
   
   
6. Google wants a positive tone in its AI research. According to Reuters, the firm instructed its AI researchers to check with its legal and policy departments before releasing papers that relate to contentious topics.
   
   
7. We reviewed Amazon's smart glasses. We found that many of the things that the Echo Frames are designed for, like playing music and delivering phone notifications, are still better executed by other wearables like wireless headphones and smartwatches.
   
   
8. DeepMind has made progress on a self-learning AI program. The program, MuZero, mastered chess, old Atari games, and board games without being taught the rules, the BBC reported.
   
   
9. Joe Biden will inherit a clean Twitter account. Twitter told the transition team that the millions of followers on the official presidential accounts, including @POTUS, wouldn't transfer to Biden when he takes office.
   
   
10.  Video game revenue may exceed film and TV for the first time. Between explosively popular hits like "Animal Crossing: New Horizons," which sold nearly 30 million copies between March and October, and COVID shutdowns impacting live sports and moviegoing, the game industry is comparatively dominating other entertainment media in revenue. 

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