10 things in tech you need to know today (MSFT, AMZN, AAPL, NTDOY, GOOG, TSLA)

Phil Spencer

Good morning! Here is the tech news you need to know this Thursday.

1. Microsoft has stopped manufacturing Kinect, the depth and motion camera system it originally launched in 2010. The device sold about 35 million units over its lifespan, and the company will keep supporting developers who use it.

2. Amazon launched a new security camera system called Amazon Key. The main camera comes as part of a $250 (£190) bundle that includes a smart door lock which can recognise and open the door to couriers.

3. Nintendo has announced a new game in its popular "Animal Crossing" franchise. The new title won't be developed for Nintendo hardware, however, but for iOS and Android, and is scheduled for release in November.

4. Roku may start streaming on devices that don't run its proprietary operating system. It's not clear yet, but the service may require the use of mobile devices to work.

5. A Bloomberg report claimed that Apple had compromised on the quality of the iPhone X's Face ID to speed up its troublesome production. Apple, however, claimed that the allegations were "completely false."

6. Tech evangelist Robert Scoble apparently refused his lawyer's advise and denied many of the allegations against him. He said he couldn't have harassed a number of the women who accused him because he "wasn't their employer."

7. Google is giving developers early access to a new Android preview, still based on Oreo. The version, 8.1, can also be downloaded by anyone on the Android Beta Program, and will be released in full in December.

8. Apple is expanding its television-related operations. It hired Jay Hunt, former chief creative officer at Channel 4, who "will play a key role in its international creative development team" when she joins the company in January.

9. Tesla is reportedly firing SolarCity employees across the US. The firings are part of a spate of company-wide terminations that Tesla said were related to annual performance reviews.

10. Google has revamped its Science Journal app. The app, targeted mainly at children curious about science (and now available on iOS), has been redesigned to become similar to a "digital science notebook."

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