10 things in tech: Bezos tax credits, Facebook smartwatch, Mars helicopter landing
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1. Jeff Bezos reportedly claimed a tax credit intended for families earning less than $100,000 - but he was worth $18 billion. In 2011, Bezos received a $4,000 tax credit for his children, according to tax documents obtained by ProPublica. We explain how he was able to do that.
2. Facebook's first-ever smartwatch is slated to roll out next summer. The company has purportedly spent $1 billion on the product since 2019. Along with a $400 price tag, here are some of the watch's specs.
3. It's an ideal time to be a tech-startup job candidate. As startups rake in capital and grow their teams (and as some employees "rage quit" low-paying jobs in search of those with better working conditions and culture) the power is back in the hands of job candidates. Why now's a good time for tech employees to job hunt.
4. Someone just bought a $22.5 million Miami penthouse entirely in cryptocurrency. The deal is considered to be the largest known cryptocurrency real estate purchase to date. Check out the luxury home.
5. The Senate passed a $250 billion cash injection to help US tech companies build more semiconductor chips. In addition to ending the global semiconductor chip shortage, the money is meant to help the US compete against China. Read up on the bill.
6. Jeff Bezos will spend just three minutes in space. The trip's short duration made the billionaire's surprising announcement even more surprising. Add to that the fact that there won't be a pilot, and you have a spaceflight unlike any prior US launch.
7. Ingenuity has done it again: NASA's Mars helicopter landed in a new spot. In its seventh successful mission, the drone is settled in an airfield that had only been imaged by a Mars-orbiting spacecraft. More on that here.
8. What's it like to ditch the iPhone for a "dumb phone"? In an attempt to curtail her tech addiction, an Insider reporter swapped her iPhone for the Light Phone 2, a basic cell phone that only allows for texts and calls. Here's what she learned after two weeks of staying offline.
9. Pegasus Tech Ventures is acquiring Garage Technology Ventures. It's extremely rare for one VC firm to buy another - and Pegasus CEO told Insider that the deal will boost its Silicon Valley deal-sourcing prowess. Get the full scoop from our exclusive report.
10. VCs weigh in on Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman's diversity and hiring comments. The industry's top VCs jumped in after an interview in which Slootman said he doesn't want diversity to "override merit" (though he has since walked back the comments). See what VCs had to say.
Compiled by Jordan Erb. Tips/comments? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @JordanParkerErb.
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