BuzzFeed finds that smaller social networks have really been pulling their weight during Hurricane Harvey. “Small, locally oriented social networks like Zello are showing their strength as organizing tools,” it reports. “Though social networks are an imperfect substitute for rescue infrastructure, a listen into Zello, or a peek into Nextdoor … shows why people are relying on these networks.”  

Tech leaders are telling Trump to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (or DACA) program. “The chief executives of Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google joined roughly 300 business leaders urging President Donald Trump late Thursday to continue protecting children brought illegally to the United States from being deported,” Recode reports.

Instagram this week is adding browser support for its Stories feature. Of note, “The number of people accessing Instagram through the web, instead of an app, is growing,” Fortune reports, citing company data. Meanwhile, “More than 80% of its users are outside the U.S., where the relative cost of internet and mobile data access is sometimes higher.”

Finally wading into the net neutrality debate, Apple is urging the White House to prevent carriers like Comcast and Verizon from turning Web speeds into a tiered system. “In its new comments to the Federal Communications Commission, the iPhone maker specifically urged Chairman Ajit Pai not to roll back an existing ban against so-called ‘fast lanes,’” Recode reports. “Apple doesn’t take an explicit position on the real legal issue at hand -- if the FCC should protect the open internet by treating telecom giants similar to utilities.”

Mixer -- Microsoft’s game streaming service -- is rolling out a new app that lets players share experiences in their favorite mobile games. “The Mixer Create app … lets people broadcast games, join streams with friends, pair with other devices like a PC or Xbox, engage in text chats and manage profiles,” GeekWire reports.

After rumors of an upcoming press event,  Apple just announced plans to hold a big one on Sept. 12. “The keynote … will very likely be the place that Apple announces its new line of iPhones, the iPhone 7s, 7s Plus and the Anniversary iPhone,” Gizmodo reports. “The device … will potentially be a major technological leap forward for the company, which is necessary as smartphone designs are currently very stagnant and thus very boring.”