10 things in tech you need to know today

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10 things in tech you need to know today
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

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1. Jeff Bezos said employees aren't treated like "robots" in his final letter to shareholders. The CEO defended working conditions for Amazon's employees - who had a median salary of $29,007 last year - but admitted the company needs to "do a better job" for them. Read Bezos' full note, and its key takeaways.

2. Two Coinbase execs are worth nearly $1 billion after the crypto company's direct listing. Despite joining the company less than 15 months ago, the company's IPO showered wealth on its employees. Meet the people who just made bank.

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3. A leaked poll shows how employees really feel about working at Microsoft. Nearly 132,000 responded to the company's annual survey - and topics like "inclusion" and "work group health" fared better than others. We have an exclusive look at the results.

4. Wall Street Bets has abandoned its "No Cryptocurrency" rule. Kind of. After years of limiting posts on digital assets, the subreddit that kickstarted GameStop's epic trading frenzy will allow members to discuss bitcoin, Ethereum's ether, and dogecoin. The reason behind the change.

5. Dogecoin's cocreator explained how the "parody" currency turned into a billion-dollar movement. Created as a joke in 2013, Dogecoin has since exploded. Billy Markus, an IBM engineer and the altcoin's cocreator, helped us understand how that happened. How the meme transformed into a movement.

6. Mercedes-Benz unveiled its first electric vehicle for the US. The EQS sedan, hitting dealerships later this year, will have a 478-mile range and an optional 56-inch "Hyperscreen." It'll also boast a hefty price tag. See the car - and more specs - here.

7. A Facebook content moderator who quit wrote a blistering letter detailing the job's traumas. The note said moderators are "paid to look at the worst of humanity for eight hours a day," and that it's impossible not to take the work home. Read more from the letter.

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8. Jeff Bezos' aerospace company just got one step closer to launching astronauts. The company, Blue Origin, launched the New Shepard rocket into space for the 15th time, pushing it closer to its goal of sending people on a 62-mile journey above Earth's surface. See photos from the rocket launch.

9. You can view nearly 350 pitch decks that startups like Uber, Postmates, and Airbnb used to raise millions. Startups use pitch decks, or presentations that combine facts with storytelling, to persuade investors to fund their ideas. We created a searchable database so you can see how major startups got their funding. Search the database here.

10. Symphony's CEO is stepping down from the $1.4 billion Wall Street messaging startup. As the company gears up for an acquisition push, David Gurle is stepping down, and Brad Levy, Symphony's current president and chief commercial officer, will take over. We spoke with them about their plans; here's what they told us.


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Compiled by Jordan Erb. Tips/comments? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @JordanParkerErb.

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