This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.Your boss is watchingWorking todaywhether in an office, a warehouse, or your carcan mean constant electronic surveillance with little transparency, and potentially with livelihood-ending consequences if your productivity flags.But what matters even more than the effects of this ubiquitous monitoring on privacy may be how all that data is shifting the relationships between workers and managers, companies and their workforce.We are in the midst of a shift in work and workplace relationships as significant as the Second Industrial Revolution of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And new policies and protections may be necessary to correct the balance of power. Read the full story.Rebecca AckermannOne option for electric vehicle fires? Let them burn.Although there isnt solid data on the frequency of EV battery fires, its no secret that these fires are happening.Despite that, manufacturers offer no standardized steps on how to fight them or avoid them in the first place. Whats more, with EVs, its never entirely clear whether the fire is truly out. Cars may ignite, or reignite, weeks or even months after the battery is damaged or a battery fire is initially suppressed.Patrick Durham, the owner of one of a growing number of private companies helping first responders learn how to deal with lithium-ion battery safety, has a solution. He believes that the best way to manage EV fires right now is to let them burn. But such an approach not only goes against firefighters instinctsitd require a significant cultural shift. Read the full story.Maya L. KapoorThese stories are from the next edition of our print magazine, which is all about relationships. Subscribe now to read it and get a copy of the magazine when it lands on February 26!The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 Elon Musk is forcing US government workers to justify their jobsEmployees have to respond to an email by 11:59pm ET tonight or resign. (Wired $)+ The new administration is targeting government foreign interference experts. (NYT $)+ Its also waging war on what it deems woke DEI research. (Undark)+ A US government shutdown could be on the cards as soon as this month. (NY Mag $)2 Grok was temporarily blocked from telling the truth about Trump and MuskAn xAI employee got it to ignore sources that say the pair spread misinformation. (The Verge)+ An xAI engineering lead said the move wasnt in line with the companys values. (TechCrunch)3 The race to dominate satellite internet is heating upStarlink has some major competition. (Reuters)+ Chinese rocket firm Deep Blue Aerospace is eyeing an IPO. (WSJ $)+ The worlds next big environmental problem could come from space. (MIT Technology Review)4 Apple has pulled its data security tool from the UKAfter the UK government demanded backdoor access. (BBC)+ Other encrypted Apple services are still available, though. (WP $)5 How AI is changing codingThe outlook for software developers is more likely to be evolution than extinction. (NYT $)+ AI coding assistants arent always all theyre cracked up to be. (TechCrunch)+ The second wave of AI coding is here. (MIT Technology Review)6 Inside Facebooks plans to become cool againUnfortunately for the social network, you cant buy cultural cachet. (The Information $)+ How Facebook got addicted to spreading misinformation. (MIT Technology Review)7 The internet is disappearingDigital decay is setting in. What will survive of us?(Vox)+ The race to save our online lives from a digital dark age. (MIT Technology Review)8 Where are all the Apple Vision Pro apps?The number of apps made for the headset has declined every month since it went on sale. (CNBC)9 How the internet warped the meaning of loreFrom ancient myths to oversharing on TikTok. (Fast Company $)10 Not everything needs to be trackedKnowledge isnt always power when it comes to your home appliances. (The Guardian)Quote of the dayWere trying to do creative work, and AI is just pushing perfection.Lo Kalani, a Brooklyn-based hair stylist, explains to the Washington Post why she has banned clients from presenting her with AI-generated inspirational images.The big storyHow one mine could unlock billions in EV subsidiesJanuary 2024On a pine farm north of the tiny town of Tamarack, Minnesota, Talon Metals has uncovered one of Americas densest nickel depositsand now it wants to begin extracting it.If regulators approve the mine, it could mark the starting point in what the company claims would become the countrys first complete domestic nickel supply chain, running from the bedrock beneath the Minnesota earth to the batteries in electric vehicles across the nation.MIT Technology Review wanted to provide a clearer sense of the laws on-the-ground impact by zeroing in on a single project and examining how these rich subsidies could be unlocked at each point along the supply chain. Take a look at what we found out.James TempleWe can still have nice thingsA place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet em at me.)+ The best way to learn absolutely anything more quickly? Thatll be the Feynman technique.+ Heres how to use lemongrass like a pro.+ I didnt know it was possible to make a recorder sing like this, but there you go.+ Vampire couples forever!