10 things in tech you need to know today

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Wednesday.

AP

1. Apple has acquired the weather app Dark Sky, and will shut down the Android version. Dark Sky's creators initially pitched the app on Kickstarter and raised just shy of $40,000 to build it.
2. Palantir is reportedly providing software to help the CDC track the coronavirus pandemic. Palantir's software uses data from hospitals and public health agencies - such as test results, bed capacity, and ventilator supply - to give the CDC insight into where additional resources are needed.
3. New York City has opened a human rights probe into Amazon's firing of a warehouse worker. Amazon fired employee Chris Smalls after he had helped organize a walkout to protest the company's coronavirus response.
4. Xerox has dropped its $30 billion hostile takeover bid for for HP. Xerox said the decision was disappointing but that it had to prioritize the health and safety of employees and customers.
5. SoftBank-backed hotel chain Oyo has furloughed the majority of its UK staff, according to Yahoo Finance. In an email to staff, Oyo said it was experiencing a sharp downturn in business thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
6. The chief executive of buzzy British startup bank Monzo, Tom Blomfield, will forgo his salary for 12 months as a precautionary step to weather the coronavirus downturn. A number of Monzo's employees will also take voluntary furlough.
7. WeWork is offering tenants up to 50% off their rent in order to get them to sign longer leases. Bloomberg reports that the offer is targeted at users of the co-working company in the US who often sign shorter deals.
8. Apple has agreed to pay hourly workers having previously suggested that contract workers would have their roles suspended without pay. The tech giant has hundreds of workers at its California campus including janitors and bus drivers.
9. Video-call app Houseparty says rumors it's been hacked are a paid smear campaign and that it will offer a $1 million reward for proof. In the last 48 hours, Houseparty users complained on social media that their other online accounts such as Netflix and Spotify were hacked thanks to the app.
10. Doctor-staffing startups boom in usage as healthcare systems scramble to respond to the pandemic. Locum's Nest, a UK app that helps connect physicians with work, has seen a 37% month-to-month spike because of COVID-19.

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