10 things in tech you need to know today

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10 things in tech you need to know today
AUDI AG

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1. Audi's new prototype is a self-driving electric car that can change its shape. The Skysphere EV can expand and contract at the push of a button, adding more or less leg room as needed. Take a look at the futuristic electric Audi.

2. Amazon plans to track its customer service employees by their keyboard strokes and mouse movements. The e-commerce giant intends to implement the technology as a way to prevent workers and hackers from accessing confidential customer data. More on that here.

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3. Over 100 Amazon delivery companies are teaming up to compete with UPS and FedEx. Known as the Frontdoor Collective, the scrappy new company hopes to challenge current delivery giants - and says it has the capacity to deliver one million packages a day virtually anywhere in the US. Here's how it plans to compete with behemoths like UPS and FedEx.

4. Astronauts on the space station held their own Olympics. In the first-ever "Space Olympics," the seven-person ISS crew faced off in ball games, target practice, and synchronized air swimming. Watch videos of the fierce competition.

5. Mailchimp is reportedly eyeing a sale at a $10 billion valuation. The startup is still fully owned by its founders, who may be considering selling a minority stake in the company, Bloomberg reported. Here's what we know so far.

6. Instagram and Facebook are designed to mimic addictive painkillers. Several ex-employees of Apple, Google, and Facebook say apps are designed to be addictive, and one app developer said Facebook and Instagram users can become dependent on apps as one would painkillers. Here's what you need to know.

7. A forked road in Yosemite tricked Tesla's autopilot system. A Tesla that lost control on the road is reportedly the fifth to wreck at the same spot. See photos of the road that's been tripping up Teslas left and right.

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8. An 82-year-old engineer designed a machine that makes drinking water out of thin air. By extracting water from the air, the machine can make water out of virtually nothing - and could potentially serve as a remedy to water scarcity. Here's how it works.

9. Some employees say Stitch Fix is losing its way. Stylists - who work with an algorithm to send clothes to millions of customers - worry that changes to their schedules are pushing away talent, and that the company lacks enough trendy clothes. Here are some of the challenges facing Stitch Fix.

10. Amazon's former consumer CEO Jeff Wilke just backed a new digital ad startup. Founded by CivicScience, the startup is aiming to take on Google and Facebook. Wilke explains why he invested in the company.


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

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