10 things in tech you need to know today
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1. Tesla has applied to sell electricity in Texas. The company wants to enter the retail electric space under the name Tesla Energy Ventures, and plans to sell directly to the deregulated energy grid, Texas Monthly reports. More on that here.
2. Facebook's under-the-radar $400 million Giphy acquisition is completely legal. Because Giphy paid dividends to shareholders before being bought by the tech giant, it was exempt from sharing details with officials before the deal closed. Read how the move highlights possible holes in antitrust laws.
3. Some tech companies are extending big-city salaries to small-town America. Employees that relocated to cheaper cities during the pandemic still want the same compensation - but not all tech firms are willing to do so. Here's how remote salaries could change how everyone gets paid.
4. The Discord server where Apple employees discuss workplace issues has a waitlist of 250 people. Per a software engineer, the chat has over 400 current and former staffers right now, where they can anonymously discuss work away from upper management. Here's what we know so far.
5. Salesforce's Marc Benioff says employees aren't returning to the office because they're being 'so productive at home.' In-office attendance isn't as high as CEOs expected while the global work culture shift continues. This is how execs are trying to entice workers to get back in person.
6. Big tech firms pledge over $31 billion and 250,000 jobs to the cybersecurity sector. CEOs from Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google all met at the White House and agreed to a renewed emphasis on cybersecurity following a spate of recent digital attacks. Here's their plan to bolster security solutions.
7. The president of SpaceX said it's harder to launch rockets amid liquid oxygen shortage - and she's asking the public to email her if they have any spare. Liquid oxygen has been used in assisting the treatment of COVID-19 patients. See the SpaceX exec's full comments.
8. Peloton's flagship bike is now $400 cheaper. The fitness brand's stock fell Thursday after a weak earnings report, and this marks the second price drop within a year. The brand rode the pandemic's home-workout wave - but now growth has stalled.
9. Slack has become Salesforce's secret weapon against the dominance of Microsoft Office. Most Salesforce customers buy the whole platform, not just individual apps, marking a pivotal shift as the brand looks to compete as the ultimate work platform. Here's how Salesforce plans to leverage Slack as the definitive employee tool.
10. Amazon CEO's top tech guru spent years living on a boat and now he's coming ashore to help steer the company. James Hamilton, the eccentric engineer and former auto mechanic, is getting a bigger role as CEO Andy Jassy takes over. See why Jassy considers him one of his closest confidants.
Compiled by Phil Rosen. Any feedback? Email prosen@insider.com or tweet @philrosenn.
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