Oracle reportedly in talks to acquire TikTok's operations in Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand

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It looks like Microsoft isn't the only company looking to acquire TikTok from Chinese company ByteDance. New reports claim Oracle is holding preliminary talks with ByteDance to acquire its operations in Canada, the US, Australia, and New Zealand. The company is reportedly working with US venture capital firms General Atlantic and Sequoia Capital, which already have a stake in TikTok. TikTok is facing a ban in the US after the country's lawmakers accused it of being a threat to national security. 

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Apple renames Beats 1 to Apple Music 1, introduces two new radio stations

In line with keeping its brands aligned, Apple renames its Beats 1 radio station into Apple Music 1. At the same time, the company introduces two new radio stations: Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country. The former play top hits and favourites from the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, while the latter highlights country music.

"For the past five years, if ever there was a meaningful moment in music culture, Beats 1 was there bringing human curation to the forefront and drawing in listeners with exclusive shows from some of the most innovative, respected, and beloved people in music," Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music, Beats, and International Content, said in a statement. "Now, Apple Music radio provides an unparalleled global platform for artists across all genres to talk about, create, and share music with their fans, and this is just the beginning. We will continue to invest in live radio and create opportunities for listeners around the world to connect with the music they love." 

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Google Pixel Buds show up in Find My Device app

Small earbuds like the Google Pixel Buds tend to get lost. Thankfully, it looks like you might be able to keep track of them soon. The second-generation wireless earphones show up on the Find My Device app for a lot of Pixel Buds owners. According to 9to5Google, logging into Find My Device on Android or the web will list connected Pixel Buds. 

As it exists now, the integration shows what phone they were "last seen connected to" and the time and date. It's shown against a map with a pin showing a generic headphones icon against a gray background. If you wanted to try the "find device" query on Google Search, it doesn't work right now. Location integration isn't showing up in the Pixel Buds app under the Find device menu, either. 

An upcoming update might bring these features all together soon. For now, we're getting a taste of what to expect. And as far as functions go, this integration is a useful one.

Microsoft's Panos Panay joins Sonos' board of directors

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Panos Panay, Microsoft's chief product officer, has recently been appointed to Sonos' board of directors. Chairman Mike Volpi announced Panay's appointment as part of the premium audio hardware maker's board. He said in a press release, "Panay's comprehensive background in developing tightly-integrated hardware and software platforms, coupled with a track record of innovation in product design and development, makes him an exciting addition to the Sonos board."

As The Verge points out, the optics might be a bit weird from Panay's perspective. Microsoft seems to be in good standing with Google recently, with the company close to releasing a Microsoft-branded, Android 10-powered smartphone in the Surface Duo. Meanwhile, Google and Sonos are still in the midst of a legal battle over accusations that Google stole its smart speaker tech. Those issues aside, Panay will be bringing years of expertise when it comes to hardware to Sonos.