10 things in tech you need to know today
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1. Facebook faces $14 million in fines tied to a federal probe. The company settled claims with the US government that it illegally reserved lucrative jobs for immigrant workers, rather than seeking out US workers for the roles. More on the settlement, the latest in a string of blows for Facebook.
2. Amazon and Starbucks held talks to launch a cafe together. The co-branded lounge would sell Starbucks craft beverages and food products sold at Amazon Go stores - and would utilize "Just Walk Out" technology so customers could skip the line. What we know about the project, codenamed "Verde."
3. Facebook is reportedly looking to change its name as it wants to become known for its focus on the 'metaverse'. The Verge reported the tech giant was planning a rebrand that could be revealed as early as this week. More details on the move here.
4. Apple is selling a piece of cloth for $19. In addition to the next-gen AirPods and updated MacBook Pro released yesterday, Apple unveiled another gadget: a piece of cloth designed to clean your tech (but most devices don't actually need it). Check out the $19 "Polishing Cloth."
5. Seven in 10 tech workers are considering quitting their job. A new survey found that 72% of IT, software, and tech workers are thinking about leaving their jobs within a year, citing working hours, limited career progression, and toxic work environments as reasons. The survey results reflect a wider trend of tech and healthcare workers leaving their jobs. Here's how to tell if your employees will get swept up by "The Great Resignation."
6. Amazon-owned Zoox will start testing driverless cars in Seattle. The self-driving robotaxis need to learn to cope with lots of rain - so they're headed to Seattle, the company told Bloomberg. More on Zoox's bad-weather training grounds.
7. Martha Stewart is selling her viral "thirst trap" selfie as an NFT. The lifestyle guru is reportedly releasing a line of non-fungible tokens, the first of which will be Halloween-themed, eventually followed by her pool-side selfie. More on Stewart's contribution to the NFT craze.
8. Amazon is offering up to $3,000 in signing bonuses as it tries to hire 150,000 seasonal workers. The jobs have a base pay of $18 - but some offer an additional $3 as well as bonuses up to $3,000. From Arizona to Virginia, these 20 states are hiring for the most seasonal roles.
9. Exclusive: Google says it had its lowest attrition rate in a decade in 2020 - but the number is picking up. According to a recording of an all-hands meeting obtained by Insider, employees are beginning to wonder whether "the Great Resignation" is coming for Google. Here's what else we learned from the meeting.
10. Tech salaries, revealed. We analyzed federal pay data to figure out how much tech companies are paying their engineers, analysts, marketers, and more. Most key Facebook employees, for example, make upwards of six figures. The same is true for Dell - see how much workers at the hardware giant are paid.
Compiled by Jordan Erb. Tips/comments? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @JordanParkerErb.
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