10 things in tech you need to know today

April 27, 2021

10 things in tech you need to know today

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1. You can finally unlock your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask. Apple's latest update will allow you to unlock your iPhone with facial recognition - but only if you have an Apple Watch. Here's how to enable the pandemic-era feature.

2. The Pentagon's explanation for why a Florida company took over part of its internet leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The Pentagon's response doesn't explain why it entrusted Global Resource Systems LLC, a firm that appears to have just launched in September and that lacks experience working with government contracts. Read its full explanation.

3. People are flocking to sextech startups in preparation for a summer of hookups. With half of American adults equipped with at least one dose of the vaccine, experts are predicting the end of a yearlong dry spell - and both consumers and VC funding are flowing to sextech. Five startups told us about changing consumer habits.

4. Tim Cook told Mark Zuckerberg Facebook should delete all data it collected after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Per The New York Times, Zuckerberg was "stunned" by the suggestion, which came about during a discussion on user privacy. The two tech heavyweights have long feuded over privacy and antitrust concerns; here's a timeline of their rivalry.

5. A Dogecoin investor reportedly became a millionaire in two months. The 33-year-old Los Angeles resident claims to have become a millionaire after his $180,000 investment - and after being inspired by Elon Musk to pile into the meme currency. More on that here.

6. Tesla had another quarter of profits that topped Wall Street's expectations. Tesla reported its first-quarter earnings yesterday, which beat expectations for profit but fell short on revenue. Here are the important numbers.

7. Doctors and patients in India are turning to social media in desperate pleas for COVID-19 help. As the country hit a world record of 350,000 new cases on Sunday, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp became inundated with desperate calls for oxygen, blood plasma, and ICU beds. More on the crisis in India.

8. Cisco's CEO expects the global computer chip shortage to last another six months. The supply-chain disruptions in semiconductors that have impacted many tech firms - caused by a surge in demand - will likely last for most of this year. The latest updates on the chip shortage.

9. Uber and Lyft asked Congress to bail out their drivers, but can't get enough of them to come back to work. Riders in the US are expected to flock back to ride-hailing apps as COVID-19 cases wane, but there aren't enough drivers to pick them up. Here's how safety nets and gig options are making it hard to lure drivers back onto the road.

10. Black and minority founders are being excluded from venture capital funding, a new study shows. In the UK, only about 3% of founders who had received venture-capital backing identified as Black, while 7% described themselves as Asian, according to new research. Read more on the study here.

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

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