10 things in tech you need to know today

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

1. There’s growing doubt about whether China successfully infiltrated American firms by placing tiny microchips into servers. US and UK government security agencies both said there’s no reason to double Amazon and Apple’s denials that their supply chains were compromised.
2. Microsoft has “paused” the rollout of a huge new update to Windows 10, which had started going out to users earlier this week. Some users said that installing the update resulted in the loss of huge amounts of personal files, while others said that it had a significant detrimental impact on battery life.
3. Tech site Engadget apparently got hold of a Google Pixel 3 XL days before its release. Engadget said the device, bought in Hong Kong, was the real deal and that it felt solid and well-built.
4. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg held an internal meeting Friday to try and quell outrage over the fact a senior comms staffer, Joel Kaplan, attended Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing in support of the Supreme Court nominee. Kaplan acknowledged that he should have cleared his attendance with senior leadership before going.
5. Saudi Arabia will invest $45 billion in SoftBank’s second Vision Fund, the follow-up to its current $92 billion cashpile. SoftBank chief executive Masa Son wants to raise a similar fund every few years to find the new Googles, Apples, and Facebooks.
6. Google CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly met with Pentagon officials during a recent trip to Washington DC. Pichai sought to “smooth over tensions” after Google decided to sever an agreement to help the military analyze drone video footage.
7. Deliveroo’s chief executive, Will Shu, has said the company is not for sale amid rumours it’s in acquisition talks with Uber in a deal worth up to $6 billion. Shu flatly said the firm was not for sale, and nor was it focusing on an IPO right now.
8. WeWork almost tripled its European losses in 2017, but reported that its flagship London building is now profitable. The company will see this as vindication of its model, though sceptics query whether the firm can ever trim down its expenses.
9. Foursquare has raised $33 million in Series F funding, according to Crunchbase. Foursquare pivoted two years ago from location social network to location data provider.
10. Amazon has fired an employee who allegedly shared user email addresses with a third-party seller. Amazon hasn’t given much further detail except to warn affected customers, and to confirm that the person’s employment had been terminated.

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