10 things in tech you need to know today
Good morning! Here is the tech news you need to know this Thursday.
1. Intel has thrown its weight behind President Trump. Speaking at the White House, CEO Brian Krzanich promised $7 billion to complete the construction of an Arizona factory and said he supported Trump's tax reform policies.
2. Augmented reality startup Magic Leap will present its smart glasses to its board next week, but still doesn't have a prototype. Engineers are "scrambling" to build a working version of the product.
3. Apple CEO Tim Cook told Scottish students that the company doesn't support the immigration ban. Cook received an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow on Wednesday and acknowledged Apple wouldn't exist without immigration.
4. Social media app Fling burned through $21 million in less than three years. The founder spent money on expensive flights, parties, and Michelin star meals, according to insiders.
5. Uber is partnering with Zipcar in Boston for a new service called Uber Xchange. Drivers will be able to rent ZipCar vehicles at a reduced rate if their own car is out of commission, or if they just want to try out Uber.
6. Facebook is shutting hundreds of Oculus VR pop-ups in US retailer Best Buy because no one was trying it out. The company is shutting 200 of its 500 in-store demo stations.
7. A French man is suing Uber for $45 million over an alleged flaw that sent his wife notifications of his whereabouts. She eventually suspected him of an affair, leading to the collapse of their marriage.
8. Pinterest will now let you photograph real-world items so you can buy them online. Called Lens, the new app can recognize items you snap, then pull up information from Pinterest alongside.
9. Snapchat has hired an engineer to stop Facebook copying its product. Laurent Balmelli cofounded Strong.Codes, which makes it more difficult to reverse-engineer code.
10. Facebook has poached an MTV exec to help it create its own programming. Former executive vice president and head of scripted at MTV Mina Lefevre confirmed she would be helping to build the company's "original content ecosystem."