10 things in tech: Tim Cook testifies, Microsoft on Gates, Theranos trial
Good morning and welcome to 10 Things in Tech. If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.
Let's get started.
1. The family behind viral video 'Charlie Bit My Finger' sold it as an NFT. The original video is set to be deleted from YouTube after the $760,000 sale. More on the auction here.
2. We may hear details of Elizabeth Holmes' lavish lifestyle during the Theranos founder's fraud trial. Judge Edward Davila ruled the government can bring up evidence that shows Holmes wished to become wealthy using her blood-testing company's status. More on the upcoming trial.
3. A current Googler shared his account of the firm's ethical AI team turmoil. Engineer Blake Lemoine highlighted differences in the way he and fired researcher Timnit Gebru were treated, saying "Timnit was blackballed." Why he thinks Google is bleeding talent.
4. Tim Cook testified on Friday in the Epic Games lawsuit. The Apple CEO made a rare appearance to defend his company against Epic's claims that its App Store is a monopoly. Meanwhile, Snap's Evan Spiegel and Barry Diller remain conflicted - here's what business leaders are saying about the App Store.
5. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addressed the controversies surrounding Bill Gates for the first time. "The Microsoft of 2021 is very different from the Microsoft of 2000," he told CNBC. More from the interview here.
6. Google is partnering with e-commerce platform Shopify. This will allow sellers to show their products across Maps, Images, Search, and YouTube. Plus, Shopify recently made headlines after its CEO emailed managers to remind them they are a sports team - not a family. Read the email.
7. Microsoft released a video showing what the future of hybrid meetings might look like. The video showed a preview of a new, Teams-enabled conference room that is aimed at optimizing hybrid work. Check it out here.
8. Amazon halted construction after several nooses were discovered inside a new Connecticut facility. The police are investigating, and Amazon and the site developer are offering $100,000 for information. Here's what we know so far.
9 Microsoft and SAP are quietly pulling the plug on a key piece of their flagship cloud partnership. The two companies have decided to end the go-to-market element "to lead with Azure." The reasoning behind that decision.
10. Atomic's Jack Abraham is turning Wynwood into the heart of Miami's tech scene. We sat down with Abraham, who detailed how he unexpectedly started the Silicon Valley-to-Miami tech movement. How he helped Miami become a tech hotspot.
Compiled by Jordan Erb. Tips/comments? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @JordanParkerErb.
Sign up for more Insider newsletters here.