10 things in tech you need to know today

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

1. Hundreds of Facebook employees have called on Mark Zuckerberg to change the social network's controversial rules on political ads. Over 250 Facebook staff have reportedly signed an open letter on an internal company forum which states that letting politicians lie in ads is "a threat" to the firm.
2. China has created a $29 billion state-backed fund to invest in semiconductor technology. According to Bloomberg, the fund's goal is to reduce Chinese dependency on US equivalents of the tech.
3. Alphabet's Q3 earnings missed Wall Street's expectations by a mile. Google's parent company reported a third-quarter profit that declined even farther than what analysts had forecast.
4. Apple unveiled 'Pro' AirPods that cost almost $100 more and have a brand-new design. AirPods Pro costs $250 and are scheduled to arrive on October 30.
5. A senior Facebook exec defended the firm's decision to include Breitbart News in its 'high quality' news tab and was shredded by critics. Instagram boss Adam Mosseri's argument is that a platform of Facebook's size shouldn't ban a news outlet based on its ideology.
6. Google's parent company is reportedly in talks to buy fitness-smartwatch maker Fitbit. According to Reuters, Google is said to have made an offer, but the terms were not disclosed in the report.
7. Instagram has said it will remove images drawings and cartoons that depict self-harm, BBC News reports. The image-sharing service has faced intense criticism after the death of British teenager Molly Russell in 2017.
8. Microsoft says Russian hackers are targeting sports organisations in the run up to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. In a blog post on its website, the company said "at least 16 national and international sporting and anti-doping organizations across three continents" have been targeted.
9. Microsoft is bringing back its all-inclusive Xbox One subscription deal, and it includes an upgrade plan for the next-generation Xbox. Xbox All-Access pricing starts at $19.99 per month for the Xbox One S All Digital Edition, and the program will be available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.
10. Apple CEO Tim Cook quietly changed his Twitter avatar to feature the new AirPods Pro. Apple debuted its newest AirPods on Monday, which have a new design, noise-cancelling abilities, and cost $250.

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