10 things in tech you need to know today

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1. Meet the most transformative CEOs of 2021. Insider’s inaugural list of CEOs celebrates four executives who are best meeting the needs of their many stakeholders, and includes the leaders of Adobe and Nvidia. Read their full profiles.

2. Not sure what to watch? Netflix’s new “Play Something” feature will pick for you. The shuffle-play button will pick a series or movie on your behalf based on your interests. Here’s how it works.

3. Google faces lawsuits surrounding user privacy. The search giant is facing a $4 billion lawsuit in the UK over claims it secretly tracked iPhone users’ internet activity, and another in the US after a privacy flaw in its contact tracing tech exposed Android users’ data to third-party apps.

4. Dozens of hopeful Silicon Valley home-buyers camped out to try to nab $1.2 million townhouses. The homes were listed at a fixed price, meaning they were first come, first serve – no bidding war required. See video of the wait – and pictures of the homes they were vying for.

5. Uber just launched a handful of new services. The new features include in-app vaccine appointments, bundling meal and convenience store deliveries, and tacking on Uber Grocery to rides. Get a full look at the new services.

6. Apple kicked off 2021 with $47.9 billion in iPhone sales as the iPhone 12 lineup remains a hit. The company’s Q2 saw all of its stores open for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The key numbers here.

7. The Florida company that took over part of the Pentagon’s internet could be a shell organization. Cybersecurity experts think the anonymity of a small company managing a huge chunk of the internet could be part of the Pentagon’s plan. Here’s what four experts said about the mysterious company.

8. Rivals who objected to low-flying Starlink satellites now say they’re happy with the decision. Amazon and others previously opposed SpaceX being able to fly satellites at a lower orbit, but after the FCC granted the company permission – under certain conditions – they’ve come to terms with the decision.

9. A Google shareholder is pressuring it to better protect whistleblowers, but the tech giant is pushing back. The shareholder is working with a nonprofit to create a proposal that would better defend whistleblowers – but Alphabet, Google’s parent company, issued a statement asking other shareholders to vote against the proposal. More on the proposal, which will be put to a vote on June 2.

10. Basecamp is offering severance packages in the wake of its controversial policy changes. After banning political conversations and ending fitness benefits, the company is giving severance packages to employees who disagree with the move. More on that – and the story behind the policy changes.

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

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