Don’t Mess with Texas
The CEOs of 14 tech companies that are opposed to the Texas bathroom bill have written to Governor Greg Abbott, urging him not to pursue this “discriminatory legislation.” This bathroom bill would require transgender students and employees to use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender on their birth certificate. Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook and 12 other CEOs worry that this law will diminish the inclusive and friendly relationships these companies have with their communities. A previous letter was used to speak against a similar bill in North Carolina last year, and as a result the administration partially repealed the bill. This ain’t their first rodeo, Governor Abbott. Fun Fact: The iconic “Don’t Mess with Texas” slogan was originally a slogan for a campaign to stop littering. (Source: The Verge)
Uber’s Got Waymo Problems Than You
Uber fired its lead engineer in its self-driving efforts, Anthony Levandowski, after being in the center of an ongoing legal fight with Waymo. Waymo, the company behind Google’s self-driving car project, accused Levandowski of stealing its trade secrets to further Uber’s development in driverless technology. Levandowski invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and was effectively fired for his lack of compliance with the investigation. (Sources: Mashable & Bloomberg Tech)
Apple’s Video Debut
Marking the company’s first step toward original video content, Apple Music has taken over Carpool Karaoke and will premiere the series on August 8. This spinoff from James Corden’s Late Late Show will still include the original host in a few episodes while jam-packing its set with A-listers such as Will Smith, Ariana Grande and John Legend. Apple Music subscribers will enjoy exclusive access to new episodes each Tuesday, another incentive for users to switch over from Spotify. While it’s uncertain whether this move will be enough to get Apple Music back in the game, we’re still looking forward to watching the new series once someone gets it up and running on YouTube. (Source: TechCrunch)
