10 things in tech you need to know today

In this Aug. 6, 2020 file photo, New York State Attorney General Letitia James takes a question at a news conference in New York.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

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1. Exclusive: How Google Loon imploded. The company's desire for a global, balloon-driven internet dwarfed to financial woes, a failure to attract more outside capital, and a sinkhole of skyrocketing costs.
   
   
2. New York's Attorney General sued Amazon over its COVID-19 measures. Letitia James said in a filing that Amazon "repeatedly and persistently failed" to implement reasonable measures.
   
   
3. Epic Games complained to the EU about Apple. The 'Fortnite' maker filed a complaint stating that Apple imposes impossible burdens on developers.
   
   
4. Premium: Amazon quietly bought e-commerce startup Selz. Selz offers various Shopify-like services, such as the technology needed to build an e-commerce website and accept online payments. 
   
   
5. Microsoft is testing a browser streaming service. The firm is reportedly testing a web version of its xCloud game streaming service.
   
   
6. LastPass is curtailing its free tier. Now free users of the password manager will be restricted to using the service on one type of device.
   
   
7. Robinhood's CEO received death threats. Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev is staying at a hotel due to backlash following the late-January GameStop trading rally, Bloomberg reported. 
   
   
8. Parler's web service says it's pro free speech. Though SkySilk "may disagree" with some of the content posted on Parler, the company believes the social media site - which is popular with the far-right - is taking the right steps to better moderate its platform, SkySilk CEO Kevin Matossian told NPR.
   
   
9. Exclusive: tech giants' efforts in healthcare are being held back by infighting. The way in which big tech companies are funding and handling their current bets can make it difficult for them to take off.
   
   
10. Exclusive: We spoke to Bill Gates about climate change. Gates, who has a new book out, spoke about what he calls green premiums, or the extra cost of using an environmentally friendly product over its conventional counterpart.

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