Apple is no stranger to the Supreme Court, but today its CEO and another top executive are signing on to an amicus brief for the first time.
The big picture: The brief is a passionate defense of the Dreamers, or those protected from deportation by an order established during the Obama administration, which the Trump administration wants to end.
Melinda Gates announced in Time Magazine on Wednesday that she is committing $1 billion over the next 10 years to promote gender equality and grow "women's power and influence in the United States."
What she's saying: "Gender equality in the U.S. has been chronically underfunded. ... $1 billion is a lot of money, but I also recognize that it’s only a small fraction of what's necessary. That's why I hope the financial commitment I'm making today is seen as both a vote of confidence in the experts and advocates who are already working on these issues—and an invitation for others to join the cause and make commitments of their own...."
Microsoft updated its Surface laptops and 2-in-1 tablet/laptop hybrid devices on Wednesday, while also previewing two foldable dual-screen devices due out next year. The larger runs a version of Windows 10 while the smaller combines a phone and PC and runs. a customized version of Android that supports Google's apps.
Why it matters: The Surface line serves two purposes: to present Windows in its best light for consumers and spur PC makers to keep being innovative with their own designs.
President Trump set a personal record last month by tweeting or retweeting nearly 800 times, almost 100 posts beyond what he published in any previous month of his presidency, according to a USA Today analysis.
Google is bringing incognito mode to Google Maps and allowing users to auto-delete their YouTube history, its latest moves to expand its privacy options. Customers will also be able to ask the Google Assistant to delete various types of data.
Why it matters: The company has been under fire for the amount of data it collects and said at its spring I/O developer conference that it would offer users more privacy options.
This morning, The Verge published leaked audio and transcripts from internal Facebook meetings during which Mark Zuckerberg told employees that an Elizabeth Warren presidency could create an "existential" threat to the company. Dan digs in with The Verge's Casey Newton.
"You have someone like Elizabeth Warren who thinks that the right answer is to break up the companies ... if she gets elected president, then I would bet that we will have a legal challenge, and I would bet that we will win the legal challenge. And does that still suck for us? Yeah.
California's pending European-style digital privacy law will likely be the most impactful in the country, but it won't be the first. Nevada's law takes effect Tuesday.
Why it matters: With no superseding federal law, we're at the start of, potentially, 50 different privacy laws covering each of the 50 states — all interacting, potentially conflicting, and affecting business and consumer peace of mind for years to come.
