Facebook empathizes with poor people, CBS brings Star Trek back, Chrome OS isn't going anywhere, James Bond refused to use an Android, and watch a documentary about female coders on YouTube.

Facebook Switches to Android

Facebook is ditching iPhone in favor of Android, but you don't need to worry about the move unless you're an employee of the company. In fact, this is an internal effort designed to bring Facebook employees closer to Facebook users, by forcing the former to be more like the latter.

As reported by Wired, Chris Cox, the chief product officer of Facebook, knows that the majority of Facebook users favor Android over iPhone, especially in developing countries. Therefore, he wants his employees to use Android "so that they can be reporting bugs and living in the same experience that most Facebook users experience today."

Cox continues:

"I am mandating a switch of a whole bunch of my team over to Android, just because people, when left up to their own devices, will often prefer an iPhone. [...] What we're really trying to do is build empathy inside of the company and to really appreciate that the people we're building for look less and less like us".

This makes absolute sense, especially when Facebook is trying to gain a foothold in emerging markets around the world. The fact is that Android currently accounts for around 80 percent of the market share of mobile operating systems. And Facebook would be foolish to ignore such impressive figures.

Star Trek Returns in 2017

Star Trek is coming back to TV, with a brand new series set to premiere in January 2017. This new series of Star Trek, the first since Star Trek: Enterprise was cancelled in 2005, will feature "new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations". Star Trek began life in 1966, meaning 2016 is the 50th anniversary of the show.

Alex Kurtzman will be the executive producer, having co-written and produced both recent Star Trek movies, Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. In the press release announcing the return of Star Trek, David Stapf, President of CBS Television Studios, said:

"There is no better time to give Star Trek fans a new series than on the heels of the original show’s 50th anniversary celebration. Everyone here has great respect for this storied franchise, and we’re excited to launch its next television chapter in the creative mind and skilled hands of Alex Kurtzman, someone who knows this world and its audience intimately."

The biggest news, apart from the return of Star Trek itself, is the distribution model. After the pilot episode, all episodes of the new Star Trek will debut on CBS All Access, the television network's streaming service. In the U.S. this means Star Trek fans will have to fork out $5.99-per-month to see the show. CBS All Access already streams older shows, including every episode of Star Trek.

Google Sticks With Chrome OS

There has been intense speculation over the last few days that Google is preparing to roll Chrome OS into Android, combining the two operating systems into one. However, to counter all of the speculation, Google has now officially spoken out about its plans for Chrome OS.

In a blog post titled, "Chrome OS Is Here to Stay," Google insists that while it has been "working on ways to bring together the best of both operating systems, there's no plan to phase out Chrome OS." The company then talks up Chrome OS and all it has achieved in recent years.

However, the post reveals a distinct lack of details about how Chrome OS and Android are being combined together, which is only going to increase speculation. Maybe Chrome OS isn't going anywhere for the time being, but the longterm plan must be to create one all-encompassing operating system. Just like Windows 10.

James Bond Is an Apple Fanboy

It turns out that James Bond is an Apple fanboy. At least in the minds of director Sam Raimi and actor Daniel Craig. We know because leaked emails suggest the pair turned down a massive payday when they refused to show Bond using an Xperia Z4.

Andrew Gumpert, President of Worldwide Business Affairs and Operations for Columbia Pictures, revealed the reasons, writing:

"BEYOND the $$ factor, there is, as you may know, a CREATIVE factor whereby Sam and Daniel don't like the Sony phone for the film (the thinking, subjectively/objectively is that James Bond only uses the 'best,' and in their minds, the Sony phone is not the 'best'."

Samsung also offered a huge sum of money to have Bond use one of its phones, but to no avail. Because, according to Raimi and Craig, James Bond likes the best things in life, and the iPhone fits that bill. Bond still isn't wearing an Apple Watch though, choosing a Rolex instead. Which says a lot.

Watch CODEGIRL on YouTube

And finally, there is an ongoing effort to get more girls and women involved in the tech industry, with coding being one of the disciplines targeted. It seems to be working too, with more young people of both genders choosing to learn to code.

Documentary-maker Lesley Chilcott has made a documentary about girls learning to code and putting their newly acquired skills to the test. Called CODEGIRL, the documentary is available to watch on YouTube for free until November 5th. Catch it while you can!

Your Views on Today’s Tech News

Is Facebook right to force some employees to switch from iPhone to Android? Are you excited about the return of Star Trek? Do you believe Google that Chrome OS is sticking around? Is Daniel Craig right to insist James Bond use an iPhone? What are your thoughts on CODEGIRL?

Let us know your thoughts on the Tech News of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome.

Image Credits: Karlis Dambrans via Flickr