Hello, tech friends. Reporting to you from New York City, I'm your host, Jordan Parker Erb.
Today is a big day for Apple fans, as the company is hosting its much-anticipated "Far Out" event. It's been widely reported that Apple will reveal the Apple Watch Series 8 and iPhone 14 — though Mark Gurman, Bloomberg's resident Apple guru, has predicted that updates to the iPhone will be "more modest than mind-blowing."
If you're interested in watching the event, you can tune in on Apple's website or YouTube at 1 p.m. ET.
There's more to talk about today than new gadgets and gizmos, so let's get started.
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1. Leaked audio reveals Google's plan to "simplify the company." To help make employees more productive, CEO Sundar Pichai has announced a raft of changes — including fewer meetings, fewer goals, and fewer distractions.
- In a recording of the company's monthly all-hands meeting acquired by Insider, Pichai reiterated that Google is operating in a "challenging macroeconomic environment," and laid out plans to simplify the firm.
- One of the biggest changes, Pichai said, is to reduce the number of company-wide OKRs ("Objectives and Key Results") — a system of setting and achieving goals used by Google and other tech companies — by a third going into 2023.
- Pichai also said Google would cut back on unnecessary meetings and help employees better manage their calendars.
Everything else we learned from the leaked audio.
In other news:
2. How likely are you to be laid off? A study of 17,000 professionals who've been let go since March reveals the four kinds of workers who are getting laid off the most — and recent hires and millennials top the list. See who's most likely to be laid off.
3. Meta was just fined $400 million. Ireland's data watchdog slapped Instagram with the fine, which Meta said it intends to appeal, for failing to protect children's privacy on its platform. Get the full rundown here.
4. Insiders say Gopuff "destroyed" its operations by trying to be like Amazon. The $15 billion delivery startup hired more than two dozen Amazon veterans to run its operations — and employees described the result as a failed attempt at applying Amazon strategies to a smaller company. A look at the Amazonification of Gopuff.
5. Elon Musk cited a Putin speech in private texts with a banker. Before formally attempting to back out of the $44 billion Twitter acquisition, Musk sent a text to a Morgan Stanley banker on May 8 to say: "Putin's speech tomorrow is really important. It won't make sense to buy Twitter if we're heading into World War 3."
6. Amazon is secretly testing another virtual care venture. Code-named "Katara," the initiative offers online care for common conditions, such as acne or hair loss, without going through employers and health plans. Inside Amazon's latest attempt to disrupt the healthcare industry.
7. Apple cars appear to be more popular than Tesla — even before they hit the road. Even though no plans for an Apple car have been solidified, a recent survey found that more buyers would consider a car made by Apple than a Tesla. What else the survey found.
8. The James Webb Space Telescope captured brilliant new photos. Images of the Tarantula Nebula, about 160,000 light-years away, captured thousands of never-before-seen young stars, shrouded in cosmic dust. Get a look at the stunning photos.
Odds and ends:
9. These are the cheapest electric cars with at least 250 miles of range. In the budding EV market, more range typically means a higher MSRP. We've put together a list of eight cars that offer at least 250 miles of driving range — for less than $50,000. Check out our top picks.
10. If you use Google Docs, you should know these hidden features. From translating an entire document to creating custom shortcuts, we listed a few lesser-known features that can make your life easier. See the 11 features every Google Docs user should know.
What we're watching today:
Keep updated with the latest tech news throughout your day by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here.
Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.
