NEWSWORTHY
Winner, winner, chicken dinner. The great contest with millions of dollars of prize money at stake finished over the weekend and the winner was...16-year-old Kyle Giersdorf, aka "Bugha." Yes, I'm talking about the Fortnite World Cup, the online battle for $30 million that drew some 40 million players and ended Sunday with the final 100 participants at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. In that other globally-watched contest , 22-year-old Egan Bernal became both the youngest-ever winner of the Tour de France and the first winner from Colombia.
A demon on wheels. Next year's Apple iPhone models will all have 5G capability, plugged-in analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts. That's good news for iPhone fans and the wireless industry, which is spending billions to build the super-fast new networks. But in less good news, BMW has started charging customers $80 per year for connecting their iPhones to Apple's Carplay feature in its cars. And in even less good news, Apple contractors are listening to Siri recordings, some unintentional, that have included medical information, drug deals, and couples having sex, The Guardian newspaper reports. "A small portion of Siri requests are analyzed to improve Siri and dictation," Apple explained.
I just want to stand on the podium. The mystery press conference was not much of a mystery. On Friday morning, the Justice Department finally gave its blessing to the Sprint-T-Mobile merger. The carriers agreed to spin off some airwave licenses and Sprint's prepaid business to Dish Network, which–at least in theory–becomes the "new" fourth major carrier. But a lawsuit from 14 attorneys general is still pending. Speaking of giant telcos, in less that four years, startup Reliance Jio has become the largest carrier in India, with 331 million customers, edging ahead of Vodafone last month.
Breezing through. United Airlines invested an undisclosed amount in airport security service Clear, following a similar move by Delta. Top frequent fliers on United will be enrolled for free in the $179-a-year service that uses biometrics to speed passengers through security checkpoints in 31 airports and counting.
Getting the munchies. European food delivery service Takeaway.com is acquiring rival Just Eat in a merger valued at about $11 billion. Takeaway.com CEO Jitse Groen keeps his title, while Just Eat interim chief executive Peter Duffy is out.
Virtual doctoring. The Department of Health and Human Service's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, is investing $27 million in Spectral MD, a Texas-based startup creating an A.I. systems to help assess burns and other wounds. The money will fund a clinical trial for pediatric patients.
Pay me the money. The $5 billion Facebook settlement with the Federal Trade Commission did not please all of the people all of the time. Nonprofit advocacy group the Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC, filed a lawsuit challenging the deal.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Why are companies switching to open floor plans and unassigned offices, aka hot desking? Research is pouring in on the trend–and it's not good. Financial Times columnist Pilita Clark was invited to a talk about the benefits of the practice. She was not impressed:
Hot-desking apparently goes cold when workers try to cling on to a desk by sticking a family photo on it or draping a coat over a chair, moves she described as "signs of encampment."
Rules had been brought in to stem such practices. Anyone away from their desk for more than a couple of hours was supposed to "clean and clear" it. When the coat problem had worsened in winter, "we had to have facilities going around with a gentle reminder." Disciplinary action was also taken when workers grumbled about the loss of roomy personal cupboards or shelves to stash their stationery and work papers.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Satya Nadella Cheated at 'Civilization,' Now He Wants to Conquer Cloud Gaming: A Q&A With Microsoft's CEO By Jonathan Vanian
Recycling Efforts May Undermine China's Rare-Earth Monopoly By Eamon Barrett
Hajj Hackers Are Bringing Tech to the Mecca Pilgrimage By Daniel Bentley
Tulsi Gabbard's Google Lawsuit Is About 'Paranoia' Against Big Tech, Says Legal Expert By Alyssa Newcomb
Autonomous Trains Are Ready to Roll By Aaron Pressman
Valuation: I'm a Google Shareholder. Here's Why I Think More Regulation Would Be Good for Google By Adam Seessel
How Intel Made a 528% Return on China's New 'Nasdaq' By Lucinda Shen
BEFORE YOU GO
Tonight should be the peak for seeing the Delta Aquarids meteor shower. If you're in an area with clear skies, check out the scattered fireballs. But you'll have to stay up late. Best viewing is around 2 a.m.
This edition of Data Sheet was curated by Aaron Pressman. Find past issues, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters.
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