Twitter vs. Facebook vs. ‘truth.’ After Twitter debuted a fact-check feature that countered a tweet from President Donald Trump on mail-in voting, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg countered that he disagreed with the move, saying a social platform shouldn’t be an “arbiter of truth.” Meanwhile, a new executive order from the White House was signed with the aim of rolling back legal protections that some experts say are essential to running any kind of social platform. Meanwhile, Twitter placed a warning on a Trump tweet concerning the protests of George Floyd’s killing on Friday morning. [Engadget + NBC News]
The great remote pay debate. With major companies leaning into remote work, the next question is what remote workers who leave the Bay Area should get paid should they opt to live somewhere with a much lower cost of living. Zuckerberg has suggested these employees will see pay “adjustments” but others argue that a pay cut like this, despite the cost-of-living rationale, might cause some workers to jump ship. [SF Chronicle + Marker]
ThousandEyes acquired. In one of the most notable recent acquisitions on the SF tech scene, the SF-based software company has been snatched up by Cisco for a reported $1 billion, though that number has not been publicly confirmed. ThousandEyes helps companies monitor their networks and its customers include Slack, Microsoft and PayPal. [CNBC]
Zipline’s drone delivery goes stateside. The SF startup began testing its drone program delivering medical supplies in Rwanda in 2016. Now, it’s bringing its approach to the United States with an aim to help outfit hospitals with the supplies and PPE they need to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. To start, it’s partnering with Novant Health to serve hospitals in North Carolina. [Built In SF]
Futuremood’s mood-lifting sunglasses. This SF-based research and development lab comes from Bose and its first release are Aura sunglasses, which are meant to have mood-altering effects. They come in four colors — from an energizing red to a relaxing blue — and are described as a “wearable drug.” Honestly? Sign us up. [TechCrunch]
Autonomous dog training is a thing. SF-based startup Companion has developed a device that uses computer vision and infrared cameras to train your pooch. The machine teaches basic obedience commands and can be particularly helpful for shelters. We talked to Google veteran John Honchariw, Companion’s founder and CEO, to learn about the tech behind the machine. [Built In SF]
Globe vs. the city. SF-based Globe is a lot like Airbnb except it offers home rentals by the hour, instead of the day. The company has 10,000 hosts throughout the world and SF is one of its biggest markets. The city claims its business is violating the stay-at-home order that is still in effect and the business is now at risk of some pretty significant fines. [TechCrunch]
