Axios

Google is engaged in a bitter dispute with the U.S. Labor Department over allegations that the Internet giant pays its female employees less than their male counterparts

Digital trade is one of the tech industry's policy priorities since Trump moved to pull the U.S. out of the TPP and to renegotiate NAFTA—two trade agreements tech generally supported because they included policies allowing data to cross borders freely.

We caught up with Victoria Espinel, former White House trade and IP advisor and current head of BSA, The Software Alliance (which represents companies like Microsoft, Apple, IBM, Salesforce) just before she hopped on a plane to Tokyo and Beijing to talk about this very issue. Here are excerpts from her conversation with Axios, edited for length.

Alphabet's self-driving car unit is attempting to halt Uber's own efforts with a preliminary injunction, claiming it stole its technology, but the ride-hailing company is pushing back. It's argument: Its cars currently on the road are using LiDAR tech from vendors, namely Velodyne—not sensors built in-house.

Not the same: Uber also provided a detailed description of the custom LiDAR design it has been working on, including how it differs from Waymo's. Uber also noted that it has been developing LiDAR designs since before its acquisition of Otto, the startup founded by former Waymo employees, and provided a description of that technology as well.

Remaining questions: It's still unclear why Levandowski, who has pleaded the Fifth to avoid self-incrimination, downloaded 14,000 files and attempted to hide that fact. The court also still has to decide whether to move the lawsuit to private arbitration, as Uber has requested, citing the arbitration clause in Levandowski's employment contract.

Just a day after filing a lawsuit against the U.S. government to protect the identity of an anti-Trump user account, Twitter is withdrawing it as the federal information request has been dropped.

At the center of the lawsuit was a user account, @ALT_USCIS, which has been tweeting critically of Trump and his immigration policies. Twitter argued that the account was protected by free speech so it shouldn't have to turn over information that would reveal the account holder's identity. Twitter also said that the Dept. of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection agencies misused a law directed at illegal merchandise imports, which was not applicable in this case.

Tim Cook says getting more American women into technical careers is imperative for the future of the industry.

"I think the U.S. will lose its leadership in technology if this doesn't change," the Apple CEO said in an interview with The Plainsman, the college newspaper of Auburn University, his alma mater. "Women are such an important part of the workforce. If STEM-related fields continue to have this low representation of women, then there just will not be enough innovation in the United States. That's just the simple fact of it."

Cook discussed other diversity issues in the interview, including a few thoughts on the movement for LGBTQ civil rights.

"The impatient side says we're not moving fast enough," Cook said. "Everyone deserves the same human rights. I don't hear anybody asking for special rights – just the same rights. I think that's true not only in the gay community but many other communities as well."

In a first, Microsoft's Surface owners are more satisfied than those with an iPad, at least according to the latest J.D. Power survey.

With a score of 855 out of 900, the Surface narrowly edged out the iPad's 849. Samsung finished third at 847, ahead of the average of 841. The other firms included, Amazon, LG, Asus and Acer all had below-average satisfaction numbers.

Why it matters: Though not a serious ding on the iPad, the numbers reflect an improvement for Microsoft's Windows 10 effort. The initial Surface won praise for its design, but many early customers found Windows 8 and the availability of compatible apps too limited.

Facebook announced Friday it's adding call-to-action buttons within Instant Articles to make it easier for publishers to build their digital audiences using Facebook. Buttons include an email sign-up button and a page "like" button that consumers can access within the Instant Article framework.

The feedback: Facebook says test partners have seen incredible results. Slate, for example, had 41% of their total newsletter subscription growth over the past two months result from use of the new email sign-up button.

What's next: Because of case studies like Slate, Facebook is also testing more buttons that will allow users to sign up for free trials of a publisher's digital subscription and automatically download a publisher's mobile app.

Why it matters: Facebook has been meeting regularly with publishers as part of its Facebook Journalism Project to find ways to elevate their publishing partners, rather than boxing them out of revenue. Facebook needs publisher content to continue to grow its audience and business model, so they are creating tools that will incentivize publishers to stay on their platform.

Google said Friday it will expand the visibility of fact checks in its search results around the world.

The details: Now, when a user searches for something that has been reliably fact-checked by a reputable source (think Politifact or Snopes), that information will appear directly in the search results. The company has been testing the feature in some countries since last year.

Key context: This is part of a larger effort on the part of platforms to deal with the rise of fake news propagated online. It also comes as rival Facebook makes increasingly visible efforts to address the issue.

Hyperloop One, a company trying to bring Elon Musk's "pipe" dream of high-speed transportation via a super-sized tube to market, is looking for believers.

The company knows it needs transportation regulators on its side and it's also a crucial time to bend the ear of those looking seriously at a major infrastructure package. So the company's executives talked at a glitzy event in Washington, D.C. on Thursday about why they see their potential product as revolutionary for transportation.

The dream: The basic concept involves capsules carrying cargo or passengers through a frictionless tube at speeds of roughly 750 miles per hour, connecting 80% of the U.S. population in five hours or less. In Hyperloop One's plan, "pods" would transport 6 to 100 passengers between destinations. There would also be off-ramps so people could be ferried more precisely to their destination. Riding in a "Hyperpod" would be like sitting in a living room or a lounge, the company says. Families can "think of it as a long-distance minivan."

Data: Hyperloop One; Map: Lazaro Gamio / Axios

Samsung Electronics late Thursday released its preliminary first quarter earnings, saying it sees things shaping up better than many analysts had forecast. The company said it sees first quarter operating profits of about 9.9 trillion Korean won ($8.7 billion), on sales of 50 trillion Korean won ($44 billion).

Why it matters: Samsung's earnings show the company has continued to execute on the business front despite the Galaxy Note 7 recall and the arrest of a top executive in a corruption scandal that brought down Korea's prime minister.

The White House has announced that President Trump plans to nominate Derek Kan, Lyft's general manager for Southern California, as Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy. Kan's nomination for the job has been rumored for a few weeks.

If he gets the job, Kan will have to resign from Lyft, the company confirmed to Axios. "Derek is a valued member of our team and we wish him luck in whatever path he chooses," a Lyft spokesman added.

Prior experience: Kan has served on the board of Amtrak since the beginning of 2016. He's also worked as a policy advisor to Sen. Mitch McConnell, and a chief economist for the Senate Republican Policy Committee, and has worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget.

His prior work with McConnell is noteworthy as he's married to Elaine Chao, the Transportation Secretary, and Kan's would-be boss.