Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Tuesday.
- Tim Cook said Apple will be donating to help preserve the Amazon in the wake of devastating forest fires. Scientists have already recorded more than 74,000 fires in Brazil this year, almost doubling the number of fires recorded in 2018.
- Apple and Samsung phones are reportedly being investigated by the FCC for emitting too much radiation. Specifically, the Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 — as well as the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy J3 — were found to emit higher levels of radiation than they’re supposed to.
- LGBTQ tech group Lesbians Who Tech ditched Palantir as a conference sponsor over human-rights concerns. Palantir has faced multiple protests over its work with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the role its tech is suspected of playing in the deportation of immigrants.
- PewDiePie became the first solo YouTuber to reach 100 million subscribers. PewDiePie launched his YouTube channel in April 2010 and dropped out of college to build his career.
- An early image of the PlayStation 5 may have been revealed by a Sony patent. A new patent render discovered by Dutch blog LetsGoDigital appears to show a development version of the PlayStation 5, designed by Sony technical director Yasuhiro Ootori.
- SpaceX aborted the final launch of its shiny Starhopper rocket ship less than a second before liftoff. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the company will try again Tuesday.
- A group of major US companies including Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia took out a full-page NYT ad pushing Apple, Amazon, and Walmart to “get to work” prioritizing social responsibility over profits. The ad is part of a bigger movement of “B Corporations” — a private certification that signifies a business “balances purpose and profit.”
- Oracle is trying once again to get itself put back into the running for JEDI, the $10 billion cloud contract that Amazon is the favorite to win. Oracle said it was appealing a federal judge’s decision to reject its bid and be reconsidered for the $10 billion Pentagon JEDI cloud project.
- Apple was secretly working a feature that would have reportedly let iPhones text each other without cell service. Plans for the feature have been postponed indefinitely, according to The Information’s Aaron Tilley.
- Facebook is testing a new messaging app for Instagram called Threads, the Verge reports. The app encourages users to share not only messages but your location and battery life with you ‘Close Friends’ list on Instagram.
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