Business, Spoken

Introducing WIRED Politics Lab!

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Although we paused on publishing narrated versions of WIRED articles in this feed, you will still hear the latest in tech and politics from the WIRED team.

Join host Leah Feiger and a rotation of guests as they guide you through the exciting, challenging, and sometimes entertaining vortex of internet extremism, conspiracies, and disinformation on WIRED Politics Lab.

You can find the information needed to lift the fog of disinformation we find ourselves in everyday right on this feed.

Listen to WIRED Politics Lab: https://listen.wired.com/politicslab_feeddrop

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Introducing WIRED's Gadget Lab!

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Although we paused on publishing narrated versions of WIRED articles in this feed, you will still hear the latest in tech from the WIRED team.

On WIRED's Gadget Lab, you'll find hosts Lauren Goode and Michael Calore tackling the biggest questions in the world of tech with knowledgeable WIRED reporters.

You can expect the best of WIRED's breaking news and tech analysis right here in this feed.

Listen to WIRED's Gadget Lab: https://listen.wired.com/YDai_aaZ

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Zombie Alt-Weeklies Are Stuffed With AI Slop About OnlyFans

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Beloved alt-weeklies like the Village Voice have started publishing what appears to be AI-generated clickbait about OnlyFans.

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People Are Using Memecoins to Bet on the US Election

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

While a fight over betting on US elections plays out in court, the tech-savvy are gambling hundreds of millions of dollars on cryptocurrencies inspired by politicians.

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SearchGPT Is OpenAI's Direct Assault on Google

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The company behind ChatGPT is expanding into search, and leaning heavily on its relationships with publishers.

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Cars Are Now Rolling Computers, So How Long Will They Get Updates? Automakers Can’t Say

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Phones are supported well beyond their average ownership lifetime. In stark contrast, automakers are struggling to work out how long their “smartphones on wheels” can be kept on the road.

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How IT Departments Scrambled to Address the CrowdStrike Chaos

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

System administrators and their teams sprang into action last Friday and worked tirelessly to get their companies back online amid one of the worst digital blackouts ever.

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Meta's New Llama 3.1 AI Model Is Free, Powerful, and Risky

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The newest version of Llama will make AI more accessible and customizable, but it will also stir up debate around the potential pitfalls of releasing AI without guardrails.

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The Global CrowdStrike Outage Triggered a Surprise Return to Cash

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The event caused chaos at airports, grocery stores, and Starbucks outlets.

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OpenAI Slashes the Cost of Using Its AI With a “Mini” Model

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

With competing models—including many free ones—flooding the market, OpenAI is announcing a cheaper way to use its AI.

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The AI-Powered Future of Coding Is Near

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Tech companies—including OpenAI—are developing a new generation of AI assistants that can not only write code but debug, organize, and critique it, too.

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Elon Musk Says He's Moving X and SpaceX Headquarters to Texas

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The tech mogul cited California’s new transgender rights law as “the final straw” for moving out of the state.

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Craig Wright Faces Perjury Investigation Over Claims He Created Bitcoin

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

By order of a UK judge, Craig Wright can no longer claim he is the creator of bitcoin and now faces the prospect of criminal charges.

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At 25, Metafilter Feels Like a Time Capsule From Another Internet

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

After a quarter century the community-driven site hasn’t changed much. And don’t ask it to license its archive to AI.

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The EU Is Coming for X's Paid Blue Checks

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:19:39 -0000

Elon Musk's paid blue-check system on X deceives users and can be abused by malicious actors, the European Union said today.

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OpenAI Is Testing Its Powers of Persuasion

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Sam Altman is touting AI’s ability to sway people's behavior. His company is also wrestling with the risks.

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AI Can’t Replace Teaching, but It Can Make It Better

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Even techno-optimists hesitate to say teaching is best left to the bots, but there’s a debate about where to draw the line.

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Google’s Nonconsensual Explicit Images Problem Is Getting Worse

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Reports of intimate images and video posted online without consent are growing, and deepfakes add a horrifying new dimension to the problem. Google insiders say they’ve struggled to get executives to act.

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AI-Powered Super Soldiers Are More Than Just a Pipe Dream

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The US military has abandoned its half-century dream of a suit of powered armor in favor of a “hyper enabled operator,” a tactical AI assistant for special operations forces.

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US Government Awards Moderna $176 Million for mRNA Bird Flu Vaccine

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

As fears of a pandemic mount, the biotech company’s mRNA vaccine trial is set to release Phase 1/2 results later this year, with a larger Phase 3 trial expected to begin in 2025.

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Britain’s Brewing Battle Over Data Centers

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The Labour Party, which is leading in UK election polls, has proposed making it easier for companies to build new server farms—risking a new type of conflict in communities across the country.

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The US Supreme Court Has Handed Big Tech a Big Gift

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

By shifting regulatory power away from government agencies and to the courts, recent SCOTUS rulings may be a boon for a tech industry under fire.

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Rimac's Super-Sleek Robotaxi Has More Room Than a Rolls-Royce

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The group's new autonomous ride-hailing service has a 43-inch widescreen, 17-speaker audio system, and five-position reclining seats. But will it beat Tesla's rival coming in August?

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Quora’s Chatbot Platform Poe Allows Users to Download Paywalled Articles on Demand

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 13:06:20 -0000

WIRED was able to download stories from publishers like The New York Times and The Atlantic using Poe’s Assistant bot. One expert calls it “prima facie copyright infringement,” which Quora disputes.

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Deepfakes Are Evolving. This Company Wants to Catch Them All

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Hany Farid, a leading expert on image and video manipulation, says that detecting deepfakes will take more than AI alone.

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The US Is Being Flooded by Chinese Vapes

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The US government vowed to crack down on the sale of illegal nicotine vapes. They only got cheaper, fancier, and more potent.

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My Memories Are Just Meta's Training Data Now

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Meta’s plans to use personal content posted by Facebook and Instagram users to train algorithms suggest our digital histories are being repackaged to teach AI about—and how to mimic—humanity.

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The Eternal Truth of Markdown

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

An exegesis of the most ubiquitous piece of code on the web.

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Before Smartphones, an Army of Real People Helped You Find Stuff on Google

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Not too long ago, services like GOOG-411, 118 118 and AQA used actual humans to answer questions with witty responses and encyclopedic knowledge. Today’s search engines could learn something.

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We’re Still Waiting for the Next Big Leap in AI

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Anthropic’s latest Claude AI model pulls ahead of rivals from OpenAI and Google. But advances in machine intelligence have lately been more incremental than revolutionary.

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Adobe Says It Won't Train AI Using Artists' Work. Creatives Aren't Convinced

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

After a user backlash, Adobe has been forced to clarify how it will use creators’ work. But can it be trusted?

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Airbnb's Olympics Push Could Help it Win Over Paris

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Paris officials have placed tough new restrictions on Airbnb rentals in recent years. The company is using the Olympics to try and win over locals and broaden its footprint in the iconic city.

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Orkut’s Founder Is Still Dreaming of a Social Media Utopia

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

In the mid-2000s, Google engineer Orkut Büyükkökten’s self-titled social network briefly took the world by storm before disappearing. Now he’s back, with a plan for a happier social media.

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No Matter How You Package It, Apple Intelligence Is AI

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Apple is eager to show us that its approach to artificial intelligence is safer, better, and more useful than the competition. Maybe that's just a hallucination, but it's working.

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From the Archives: How China Demands Tech Firms Reveal Hackable Flaws in Their Products

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 21:00:00 -0000

How China Demands Tech Firms Reveal Hackable Flaws in Their Products

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LinkedIn’s AI Career Coaches Will See You Now

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

LinkedIn’s new generative AI features include chatbots based on popular career coaches and tools to rewrite résumés and cover letters.

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The $50 Billion Musk Referendum

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Tesla shareholders will decide whether to back Elon Musk’s leadership—and unprecedented 11-figure bonus—in a pivotal moment for the carmaker.

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From the Archives: This Treaty Could Stop Plastic Pollution—or Doom the Earth to Drown in It

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 21:00:00 -0000

The UN has released a draft of what might become a landmark agreement to protect human health and the environment. Emphasis on might.

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Danish Media Threatens to Sue OpenAI

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Danish media outlets want a group deal with OpenAI amid fears that smaller countries will become marginalized as chatbots become prolific. If they don’t get one, they are threatening to sue.

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Roaring Kitty Is Playing With Fire

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Influencer Keith Gill, known online as Roaring Kitty, became a Pied Piper for amateur stock traders after sparking a historic GameStop short squeeze. But his next move could land him in big trouble.

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OpenAI Offers a Peek Inside the Guts of ChatGPT

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Days after former employees said the company was being too reckless with its technology, OpenAI released a research paper on a method for reverse engineering the workings of AI models.

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From the Archives: The World’s Broken Food System Costs $12.7 Trillion a Year

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The hidden costs of the global food system are equivalent to 10 percent of global GDP, according to new analysis from the United Nations.

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From the Archives: Paper Coffee Cups Are Just as Toxic for the Environment as Plastic Ones

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Supposedly eco-friendly cups are still coated with a thin layer of plastic, which scientists have discovered can leach chemicals that harm living creatures.

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From the Archives: Ann McKee Is on a Quest to Save Humanity’s Brains

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 21:00:00 -0000

The medical community's leading authority on traumatic brain injuries wants to make contact sports—which she loves—safer for everyone.

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The Lords of Silicon Valley Are Thrilled to Present a ‘Handheld Iron Dome’

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

ZeroMark wants to build a system that will let soldiers easily shoot a drone out of the sky with the weapons they’re already carrying—and venture capital firm a16z is betting the startup can pull it off.

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From the Archives: How Hop Nerds Are Saving Your Favorite Beer From Climate Change

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 21:00:00 -0000

We're bringing an extra episode from our show What's New.

Extreme heat and droughts are cutting into hop plants’ yields and making them less bitter. But scientists and farmers are brewing up clever solutions.

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Google’s AI Overview Search Results Copied My Original Work

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Google’s AI feature bumped my article down on the results page, but the new AI Overview at the top still referenced it. What gives?

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Google Cut Back AI Overviews in Search Even Before Its ‘Pizza Glue’ Fiasco

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Data on how often Google’s new AI Overviews feature appears on search results suggests that the company reduced its visibility even before recommendations like adding glue to pizza sauce went viral.

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The Big-Tech Clean Energy Crunch Is Here

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Companies like Amazon and Microsoft are racing to set up new data centers in Europe, but behind the scenes there's concern about how provide them enough power to meet AI's demands.

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Gene-Edited Salad Greens Are Coming to US Stores This Fall

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 12:06:00 -0000

Biotech giant Bayer plans to distribute mustard greens that have been genetically altered to make them less bitter to grocery stores across the country.

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From Science, Spoken: The Ultra-Efficient Farm of the Future Is in the Sky

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

We're bringing an extra episode from our show Science, Spoken.

Take a tour of a rooftop laboratory where scientists show how growing crops under solar panels can produce both food and clean energy.

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From Security, Spoken: A Clever Honeypot Tricked Hackers Into Revealing Their Secrets

Fri, 31 May 2024 21:00:00 -0000

We're bringing an extra episode from our show Security, Spoken.

Security researchers set up a remote machine and recorded every move cybercriminals made—including their login details.

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WeWork Survived Bankruptcy. Now It Has to Make Coworking Pay Off

Fri, 31 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The troubled company is back from the brink, but will emerge from bankruptcy to a world where coworking's long-term future is much less certain.

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Judge Hints at Plans to Rein In Google’s Illegal Play Store Monopoly

Thu, 30 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

“Google as an illegal monopolist will have to pay some penalties,” US federal judge James Donato said Thursday, in a hearing discussing next steps after a jury found the company breached antitrust laws.

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From What's New: A Life-Extension Drug for Big Dogs Is Getting Closer to Reality

Wed, 29 May 2024 21:00:00 -0000

We're bringing an extra episode from our show What's New.

The FDA has yet to approve any drugs for life extension. But biotech company Loyal is now a step closer to bringing one to market—for dogs.

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How Researchers Cracked an 11-Year-Old Password to a $3 Million Crypto Wallet

Wed, 29 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Thanks to a flaw in a decade-old version of the RoboForm password manager and a bit of luck, researchers were able to unearth the password to a crypto wallet containing a fortune.

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WTF Is With the Pink Pineapples at the Grocery Store?!

Tue, 28 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Using DNA from tangerines and tobacco, food scientists have made a familiar fruit tastier—and more Instagrammable—than ever. We looked into it so you don’t have to.

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Drivers Are Rising Up Against Uber’s ‘Opaque’ Pay System

Mon, 27 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

In London, Uber drivers are protesting a new payment system that they say makes it impossible to understand the algorithms that decide how much they get paid.

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US Sues to Break Up Ticketmaster and Live Nation, Alleging Monopoly Abuse

Fri, 24 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The US government has filed an antitrust suit against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, for allegedly abusing their dominance in the ticketing market to extinguish healthy competition.

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Local Coworking Spaces Thrive Where WeWork Dared Not Go

Thu, 23 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

A disused church, a school, and a motorcycle garage are among the hyperlocal new coworking spaces cropping up to offer remote workers a place to go.

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Google Taps AI to Show Shoppers How Clothes Fit Different Bodies

Wed, 22 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

A new breed of online ad allows brands to pay Google to offer shoppers AI-generated images that show how items of clothing would look on different skin tones and body types.

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Craig Wright Lied About Creating Bitcoin And Faked Evidence, Judge Rules

Tue, 21 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

A UK judge has determined that Craig Wright forged evidence in a campaign to prove he is Satoshi Nakamoto, creator of Bitcoin, in a move that prevents him from bringing further lawsuits in the country.

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The Race to Buy TikTok Is On—but There Might Not Be a Winner

Mon, 20 May 2024 21:31:32 -0000

Investors are interested in buying TikTok so that it can avoid a US ban. But even if ByteDance accepts, a takeover will be far from simple.

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Meta Faces Fresh Probe Over 'Addictive' Effect on Kids

Fri, 17 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The EU has launched an investigation into Facebook and Instagram's child protection measures as part of mounting concerns around minors’ use of social media.

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Deadspin’s New Owners Reveal Their Plans: Betting Content—but No AI

Thu, 16 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The future of once-beloved sports blog Deadspin has been murky since it was acquired by an unknown company called Lineup Publishing in March. The new ownership shared its plans with WIRED.

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Astra Is Google's ‘Multimodal’ Answer to the New ChatGPT

Wed, 15 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Google’s new voice-operated AI assistant, called Astra, can make sense of what your phone’s camera sees. It was announced one day after OpenAI revealed a similar vision for ChatGPT.

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Climate Protestors Storm Tesla's Gigafactory in Europe

Tue, 14 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The carmaker’s only European gigafactory has become the target of increasingly radical protests since announcing expansion plans.

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Burnout Is Pushing Workers to Use AI—Even if Their Boss Doesn’t Know

Mon, 13 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

People are using AI at work whether their bosses want them to or not, new data shows. But it’s desperation, not innovation, driving the change.

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We Tried the World’s Most Expensive Racing Simulator

Fri, 10 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Dynisma’s $2 million rig is state of the art. Just ask Ferrari, which has one for its F1 team. Now a consumer model is in development, we decided to test the ultimate driving simulator.

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FTX Creditors Say Payout Deal Is 'an Insult'—and Plan to Revolt

Thu, 09 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

FTX has a plan to repay its former crypto customers more than the billions of dollars they lost in the latest bankruptcy proposal. But some will reject it anyway.

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Amazon’s Delivery Drones Won't Fly in Arizona's Summer Heat

Wed, 08 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Amazon’s newest delivery drones will take off from just outside Phoenix but don't count on rush ordering a fan on a hot day. The fleet can't fly when the temperature exceeds 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Adam Neumann’s Bid to Buy WeWork Failed. Will He Now Try to Compete With It?

Tue, 07 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

WeWork’s controversial former CEO tried to acquire the bankrupt company he left in crisis. After being rebuffed, Adam Neumann will have to pivot to something new.

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A Lawsuit Argues Meta Is Required by Law to Let You Control Your Own Feed

Thu, 02 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Academic Ethan Zuckerman is suing Meta to win protections for add-ons that help researchers study the platform and give users more control over their feeds.

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Why Apple’s iPhone Browser-Choice Option Sucks

Wed, 01 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

European iPhone owners are being shown a new pop-up screen listing alternatives to the Safari browser. The developers of the browsers shown on that screen are torn about the user experience.

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The Latest Online Culture War Is Humans vs. Algorithms

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Ever feel like Instagram or TikTok algorithms know you a bit too well? The backlash against automated curation is building, and new algorithm-free platforms are springing up.

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Can’t Afford a House? Buy a Piece of One Instead

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

In a chaotic housing market that has shut many buyers out, fractional home ownership and investing trends are taking off.

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Meta’s Open Source Llama 3 Is Already Nipping at OpenAI’s Heels

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Meta’s decision to give away powerful AI software for free could threaten the business models of OpenAI and Google.

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Senate Vote Leaves TikTok's Creator Economy Staring Into the Abyss

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The US Senate voted to pass a bill that could see TikTok banned within a year, pitching creators and businesses dependent on the platform into an uncertain future.

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Semiconductor Giant ASML Has a New Boss, and a Big Problem

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

European chip machine-maker ASML is at the center of US-China trade tensions. Its new chief executive now faces a daunting political juggling act.

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The Biggest Deepfake Porn Website Is Now Blocked in the UK

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The world's most-visited deepfake website and another large competing site are stopping people in the UK from accessing them, days after the UK government announced a crackdown.

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Meta Is Already Training a More Powerful Successor to Llama 3

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:22:37 -0000

The open source Llama 3 AI model released by Meta is just the start, according to the company’s chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun. He said a new, much larger version is in the works.

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Tesla’s Layoffs Won’t Solve Its Growing Pains

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The car company popularized EVs. Now, facing intense competition from China, it has to figure out what to do next.

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Luxury Airbnb High-Rises Are Reshaping Miami’s Skyline

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Airbnb is encouraging developers to build condo towers purposefully designed to be listed for short-term rentals. Units are selling fast in Miami and coming soon to other US cities.

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Airchat Is Silicon Valley’s Latest Obsession

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

It’s time for another audio-first social network with a long wait list and vague moderation policies. What could go wrong?

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Crypto FOMO Is Back. So Are the Scams

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

After cryptocurrency prices spiked, scammers have flooded the market with fake tokens that promise investors great riches, but leave them penniless. It's working.

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Crypto Magnate Do Kwon Found Liable for Multi-Billion-Dollar Fraud

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

When Do Kwon’s crypto empire fell to pieces, tens of billions of dollars were wiped out. A civil jury in the US has found he lied to investors.

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No One Actually Knows How AI Will Affect Jobs

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Some businesses are replacing people with AI; others are augmenting their workforce or hiring new workers. The long-term impact on labor is murky.

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The Honeybees Versus the Murder Hornets

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Under threat from murder hornets, climate change, and habitat loss, UK honeybees are getting help from AI-enabled apiculturists tracking everything from foraging patterns to foreign invaders.

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Beeper Took On Apple’s iMessage Dominance. Now It’s Been Acquired

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The app that turned green chat bubbles blue has been acquired by Automattic, the parent company of Wordpress and Tumblr.

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The Internet Archive Just Backed Up an Entire Caribbean Island

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

By becoming the official custodian of an entire nation’s history for the first time, the Internet Archive is expanding its already outsize role in preserving the digital world for posterity.

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Here's How Generative AI Depicts Queer People

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 14:04:41 -0000

WIRED investigates how artificial intelligence tools, like OpenAI’s Sora, currently portray members of the LGBTQ community. Hint: It’s a lot of purple hair.

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To Build a Better AI Supercomputer, Let There Be Light

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

OpenAI and other AI leaders think new leaps in machine intelligence will require new forms of computer hardware. One proposal involves connecting GPUs with light.

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One Man’s Army of Streaming Bots Reveals a Whole Industry’s Problem

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

A rare case in Danish court shows how automated clicks and fake accounts can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars on Apple Music and Spotify. Experts say it’s the tip of the iceberg.

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Apple Store Employees Say Coworkers Were Disciplined for Supporting Palestinians

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

A protest is planned Saturday at a Chicago Apple store where workers say managers disciplined staff—and fired an employee—for wearing pins, bracelets, or keffiyeh in support of Palestinian people.

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TikTok Shop’s Era of Super Subsidies Is Ending

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The app’s shopping features won over sellers and shoppers by offering deals that can seem too good to be true. Now TikTok is raising sellers fees, which may translate into higher prices.

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FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

A US judge has sentenced Sam Bankman-Fried, one-time crypto wunderkind, to 25 years behind bars.

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The Antitrust Case Against Apple Argues It Has a Stranglehold on the Future

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against Apple says the company's grip on iPhone users and developers is blocking future innovation in tech.

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The Science of Crypto Forensics Survives a Court Battle—for Now

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

A jury convicted Roman Sterlingov of money laundering this month. His defense team says it will appeal, saying the crypto-tracing technique at the heart of the case is “pseudoscience.”

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Here Comes the Flood of Plug-In Hybrids

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

New US emissions rules mean more plug-in hybrid cars are on the way. The electric vehicle tech is clean—but has a catch.

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The EU Targets Apple, Meta, and Alphabet for Investigations Under New Tech Law

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The probes are the first to take place under Europe’s landmark Digital Markets Act—and add to Apple's mounting antitrust woes.

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The Case Against Apple Weaponizes the Cult of Cupertino

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The US government's antitrust suit argues that Apple's sticky ecosystem keeps hold of customers by penalizing those who leave.

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Perplexity's Founder Was Inspired by Sundar Pichai. Now They’re Competing to Reinvent Search

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Aravind Srinivas grew up in the same city as Google’s CEO and developed an obsession with the company long before launching his own AI search startup.

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Here's Proof You Can Train an AI Model Without Slurping Copyrighted Content

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

OpenAI claimed it's "impossible" to build good AI models without using copyrighted data. An “ethically created” large language model and a giant AI dataset of public domain text suggest otherwise.

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Kids’ Cartoons Get a Free Pass From YouTube’s Deepfake Disclosure Rules

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

YouTube now requires a label for some generative AI content. Animations made for kids are exempt.

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Reddit IPO Filings Reveal the Company’s Hopes—and Fears

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

WIRED reviewed edits made by Reddit to its IPO filings over the years ahead of its stock market debut this week. Here are seven big takeaways.

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What’s Behind the Bitcoin Price Surge? Vibes, Mostly

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:07:38 -0000

The price of bitcoin has climbed to a new all-time high. But assigning the cryptocurrency a value is anything but trivial.

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Forget Chatbots. AI Agents Are the Future

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Startups and tech giants are trying to move from chatbots that offer help via text, to AI agents that can get stuff done. Recent demos include an AI coder called Devin and agents that play videogames.

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Google DeepMind’s Latest AI Agent Learned to Play Goat Simulator 3

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

These AI agents can adapt to games they haven’t played before. Google made them by feeding data on how humans play different video games to a language model like those behind the latest chatbots.

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Elon Musk Gave Himself No Choice but to Open Source His Chatbot Grok

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Earlier this month Elon Musk sued OpenAI for keeping its technology secret. Today he promised to give away his own “truth-seeking” chatbot Grok for free.

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Airbnb Bans All Indoor Security Cameras

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Starting at the end of April, Airbnb will no longer allow hosts to have security cameras inside their rental properties, citing a commitment to prioritizing guest privacy.

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5 Years After San Francisco Banned Face Recognition, Voters Ask for More Surveillance

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

On Tuesday the country’s techiest city backed a ballot proposition that tapped into concerns about crime, giving the police more freedom to use drones and other surveillance technology.

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The Fear That Inspired the Creation of OpenAI

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Emails released by OpenAI to refute a lawsuit from Elon Musk show how he, Sam Altman, and other cofounders were motivated by fears of Google's dominance.

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The Dark Side of Open Source AI Image Generators

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Open source tools allow anyone to make AI art. They have also been used to produce nonconsensual deepfake porn.

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The White House Warns Cars Made in China Could Unleash Chaos on US Highways

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

As Chinese automakers prepare to launch in the US, the White House is investigating whether cars made in China could pose a national security threat.

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Elon Musk Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman for Breach of Contract

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In the lawsuit, Musk claims OpenAI has abandoned its mission to develop AI for the benefit humanity.

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Here Come the AI Worms

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Security researchers created an AI worm in a test environment that can automatically spread between generative AI agents—potentially stealing data and sending spam emails along the way.

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The AI Culture Wars Are Just Getting Started

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Google apologized after its Gemini model caused offense by being too “woke.” Expect political fights over AI’s values to worsen as the technology becomes more capable.

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Amazon Just Got Banned From the EU Parliament

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In an interview with WIRED, the politician behind the ban hits out at Amazon for being evasive about working conditions in its warehouses.

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The US Supreme Court Holds the Future of the Internet in Its Hands

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

If the court backs provocative laws from Texas and Florida that limit social platforms’ ability to moderate content online, life could become radically different.

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He Helped Expose Wirecard's Fraud. Now His Startup Tries to Make Whistleblowing Safer

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Pav Gill says he suffered retaliation after he raised the alarm about fraud at German payments giant Wirecard. His startup Confide aims to protect future whistleblowers from harm.

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Reddit’s IPO Filing Is Missing Something: Cofounder Alexis Ohanian

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:42:31 -0000

Only one of Reddit's two cofounders is named in a new filing that puts the company weeks away from going public. Ohanian and Steve Huffman, now CEO, fell out in 2020.

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OpenAI’s Sora Turns AI Prompts Into Photorealistic Videos

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

OpenAI's entry into generative AI video is an impressive first step.

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Apple Pulls Popular Movie Piracy App Kimi From the App Store

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Before it disappeared on Tuesday, Kimi enabled iPhone owners to stream illegal bootlegs of popular movies like Barbie and Oppenheimer.

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This Tiny Website Is Google’s First Line of Defense in the Patent Wars

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

TDCommons is a free space for inventors to lay claim to breakthroughs without having to file a patent. Why is it so off the radar?

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Google’s Flagship AI Model Gets a Mighty Fast Upgrade

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Just two months after Alphabet made its Gemini AI model public, it’s rolling out a new version that can handle several times as much audio, video, and text input as GPT-4.

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The Puzzling Testimony of Craig Wright, Self-Styled Inventor of Bitcoin

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In a lengthy cross-examination in the UK High Court, Craig Wright rejected all claims he had forged and manipulated evidence that indicate he is Satoshi Nakamoto, creator of Bitcoin.

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Some People Actually Kind of Love Deepfakes

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

AI fakes are a disinformation menace. But some politicians, executives, and academics see them as a way to extend their reach.

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OpenAI Gives ChatGPT a Memory

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

ChatGPT is now like a first date who never forgets the details.

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Climate Finance Is Targeting the Wrong Industries

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Roughly half of the world’s emissions currently can’t be reduced, yet green investment continues to avoid the sectors that need the most help—manufacturing, agriculture, and the built environment.

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Meet the Pranksters Behind Goody-2, the World’s ‘Most Responsible’ AI Chatbot

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Self-righteous chatbot Goody-2 was built to take AI guardrails to an illogical extreme. The artists behind the project say there’s a serious point behind the gag.

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How to Get Gemini Advanced, Google's Subscription-Only AI Chatbot

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Google's answer to ChatGPT Plus gives you access to Gemini Advanced, its most powerful chatbot yet.

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Amazon’s Cloud Boss Likens Generative AI Hype to the Dotcom Bubble

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Adam Selipsky, CEO of Amazon’s dominant cloud platform AWS, says generative AI is valuable but that the excitement around some AI companies is similar to when dotcom darlings were “dramatically overhyped.”

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LinkedIn’s New AI Chatbot Wants to Help You Find Your Next Job

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

A chatbot interface on LinkedIn tries to speed up job searches by offering advice such as an assessment of how well a job opening matches a person's skills.

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Meta Will Crack Down on AI-Generated Fakes—but Leave Plenty Undetected

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Some AI-generated images posted to Facebook, Instagram, and Threads will in future be labeled as artificial. But only if they are made using tools from companies willing to work with Meta.

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FTX Says It Expects to Repay Customers in Full. Some Are Suing for More

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

The skyrocketing value of cryptocurrency is the center of a disagreement over the FTX bankruptcy.

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Google Spending on Acquisitions Cratered in 2023

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

As interest rates and antitrust pressure climbed in 2023, Alphabet made no major acquisitions for the first time in years. Apple, Amazon, and Meta also curbed dealmaking.

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Linda Yaccarino Says X Needs More Moderators After All

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

X CEO Linda Yaccarino told US senators she’s hiring more trust and safety staffers. She didn’t mention that Elon Musk fired most people policing content on the platform when he acquired it in 2022.

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Google Splits Up Its Responsible AI Team

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

A crucial team at Google that reviewed new AI products for compliance with its rules for responsible AI development faces an uncertain future after its leader departed this month.

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US Lawmakers Tell DOJ to Quit Blindly Funding ‘Predictive’ Police Tools

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Members of Congress say the DOJ is funding the use of AI tools that further discriminatory policing practices. They're demanding higher standards for federal grants.

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OpenAI and Other Tech Giants Will Have to Warn the US Government When They Start New AI Projects

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

The Biden administration is using the Defense Production Act to require companies to inform the Commerce Department when they start training high-powered AI algorithms.

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A Last-Ditch Plan to Save the Crypto Industry

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In his new book Read Write Own, investor Chris Dixon mounts a defense of blockchain, arguing it can save society from the monopoly power of tech giants.

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Etching AI Controls Into Silicon Could Keep Doomsday at Bay

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

As the US and other countries ponder how to prevent dangerous uses of AI, some researchers suggest building limitations into crucial chips like GPUs to cap the power of algorithms.

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OpenAI Quietly Scrapped a Promise to Disclose Key Documents to the Public

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

From its founding, OpenAI said its governing documents were available to the public. When WIRED requested copies after the company’s boardroom drama, it declined to provide them.

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Comcast’s Xfinity Stores Your Sensitive Data. You Can Kind of Opt Out

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

One of America’s largest internet providers may collect data about your political beliefs, race, and sexual orientation to serve personalized ads.

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The One Part of Apple Vision Pro That Apple Doesn’t Want You to See

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Apple’s latest series of Vision Pro demos carefully obscures one important hardware feature.

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An AI Executive Turns AI Crusader to Stand Up for Artists

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Ed Newton-Rex quit his job at startup Stability AI over ethical concerns about its collection of training data. His nonprofit Fairly Trained aims to deter startups from scraping the web.

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Apple Turned Its Epic Defeat Into Another App Store Victory

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Despite expensive legal battles and regulatory pressure, Apple’s and Google’s mobile app stores are mostly unchanged. This week, Apple introduced a new fee on developers to protect its business.

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Google Search Is a Mess. Can Mobile AI Make It Better?

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Two new enhancements coming to Google’s search tools on phones use machine intelligence to make the search experience more efficient.

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How to Launch a Custom Chatbot on OpenAI’s GPT Store

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

You can now publish a bespoke version of ChatGPT that you’ve trained yourself. The marketplace for these custom GPTs is open to the public and works in a way that’s similar to Apple’s App Store.

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A US-Sanctioned Oligarch Ran Pro-Kremlin Ads on Facebook—Again

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Meta earned over $200,000 from an ad campaign, seen by millions, that pushed pro-Kremlin talking points and undermined local elections in Moldova, according to new research.

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Why Crypto Idealogues Won’t Touch Bitcoin ETFs

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

The arrival of spot bitcoin ETFs in the US offers easy access to the masses. Purists will steer clear.

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Toyota's Robots Are Learning to Do Housework—By Copying Humans

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Carmaker Toyota is developing robots capable of learning to do household chores by observing how humans take on the tasks. The project is an example of robotics getting a boost from generative AI.

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OpenAI’s New App Store Could Turn ChatGPT Into an Everything App

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

A new app store from the creator of ChatGPT invites companies to build custom “GPTs” that add functionality to the chatbot. OpenAI isn’t saying how app builders will get paid.

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Rumble Is Part of an 'Active and Ongoing' SEC Investigation

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

The SEC confirmed to WIRED that the financial regulator has launched an investigation involving Rumble, a “free speech” video platform. The nature of the probe remains unknown.

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Forget Growth. Optimize for Resilience

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

The tech economy is all about getting those next 10,000 users. What if it maximized something else for a change?

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The Foods the World Will Lose to Climate Change

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Droughts, heat, and extreme weather are pushing crops to their limits. The race is on to innovate faster than the Earth warms.

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As Robotaxis Hit City Streets, Local Officials Often Have Little Power Over Them

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Autonomous vehicles are operating—and getting into crashes—in US cities. But state laws in Texas, California, Arizona, and other places prevent local governments from regulating the technology.

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Cars Are Getting Bigger. Can Smarter Software Make Them Safer?

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Automobiles have gotten much bigger in recent years, alarming road safety experts. The chief engineer at Chrysler’s owner Stellantis says the solution is offering drivers more choice and smarter software.

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Generative AI Learned Nothing From Web 2.0

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Generative AI companies’ struggles with content moderation, sketchy labor practices, and disinformation show them fighting the same problems that tripped up social platforms before them.

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Apple’s Tight Grip on iMessage Spurs Fresh Calls for an Antitrust Probe

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

More than a dozen organizations called on the Department of Justice and the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate Apple for anticompetitive behavior in how it controls messaging, apps, and more.

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Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis Says Gemini Is a New Breed of AI

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Google’s new AI model Gemini launched inside the Bard chatbot. It could go on to advance robotics and other projects, says Demis Hassabis, the AI executive leading the project.

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Meet Flip, the Viral Video App Giving Away Free Stuff

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Social video app Flip is trying to create a social platform dedicated to reviewing and buying products. Some early adopters are cashing in on the app's giveaways—but have questions about its future.

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New York’s Airbnb Ban Is Causing a Christmas Crunch

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Hotel prices and tourism numbers are up as New York City goes through its first holiday season with new rules that ban nearly all Airbnbs and other short-term rentals.

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Lamborghini’s Revuelto Is the Outstanding Hybrid of 2023

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The 217-mph, 1,001-hp electrified Lamborghini Revuelto is so much fun it will make you lose the ability to speak properly.

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EU Investigates Elon Musk’s X for Spreading Illegal Content

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Raising a broad range of concerns into the way X has been run under Elon Musk, EU officials also claimed graphic content of the Hamas attack on Israel had been allowed to spread widely.

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Europe to End Robo-Firing in Major Gig Economy Overhaul

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Platforms will no longer be able to fire their workers automatically as part of new EU rules that will affect millions of people including Uber drivers and Deliveroo couriers.

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Pinterest Is Having a Moment

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Millennials may have popularized Pinterest, but Gen Z is pushing the platform to new heights.

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US Regulators Want Cars to Include Drunk-Driver Detection Technology

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

In 2021, more than 13,000 people died in US alcohol-related crashes. The top US road safety regulator is exploring tech in vehicles that could check whether a driver is drunk.

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Panasonic’s New Powder-Powered Batteries Will Supercharge EVs

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

A company working with Tesla’s main US battery supplier has silicon-based tech that could soon give electric cars 500-mile ranges and charge refills in just 10 minutes.

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OpenAI Cofounder Reid Hoffman Gives Sam Altman a Vote of Confidence

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

LinkedIn and OpenAI cofounder Reid Hoffman says he's glad Sam Altman is leading the AI company again. Hoffman and other AI experts discussed the perils and potential of AI at a WIRED event Tuesday.

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Google’s Gemini Is the Real Start of the Generative AI Boom

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

A new AI model from Google—called Gemini—is fresh competition for OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The AI rivals are now working on even more radical ideas. Read the full story here.

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Why It Took Meta 7 Years to Turn on End-to-End Encryption for All Chats

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Mark Zuckerberg personally promised that the privacy feature would launch by default on Messenger and Instagram chat. WIRED goes behind the scenes of the company’s colossal effort to get it right.

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The Binance Crackdown Will Be an 'Unprecedented' Bonanza for Crypto Surveillance

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Binance’s settlement requires it to offer years of transaction data to US regulators and cops, exposing the company—and its customers—to a “24/7, 365-days-a-year financial colonoscopy.”

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The Pilots Delivering Your Amazon Packages Are Ready to Strike

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Pilots for Amazon’s largest air freight provider voted to strike, complaining of low pay and high turnover. If a strike happens in the new year, Amazon deliveries could be impacted.

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Innovation-Killing Noncompete Agreements Are Finally Dying

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

More US states are moving to bar companies from binding workers with noncompete agreements. Research shows the move could boost wages and innovation.

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Fresh Bitcoin Hype Shows Crypto Just Can’t Help Itself

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

After crashes, scandals, and SBF’s guilty verdict, many hoped the crypto industry would grow up. Speculation around the arrival of a spot bitcoin ETF shows old hype dies hard.

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Elon Musk Just Told Advertisers 'Go Fuck Yourself'

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

In a rambling interview at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Elon Musk suggested advertisers fleeing X were blackmailing him and could kill the platform.

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OpenAI’s Custom Chatbots Are Leaking Their Secrets

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Released earlier this month, OpenAI’s GPTs let anyone create custom chatbots. But some of the data they’re built on is easily exposed.

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A New Type of Geothermal Power Plant Just Made the Internet a Little Greener

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

A new approach to geothermal energy makes it possible to tap the energy of hot rocks just about anywhere. A pilot plant in Nevada is now helping to power Google data centers.

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The Problems Lurking in Hollywood’s Historic AI Deal

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The terms the Screen Actors Guild negotiated with Hollywood studios put historic AI guardrails in place, but they may not be able to protect performers.

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China Tried to Keep Kids Off Social Media. Now the Elderly Are Hooked

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0000

As smartphone costs fall and society becomes more atomized, China’s elderly are using apps like Douyin to find connection and companionship. Many feel they have no choice.

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A DOJ Settlement Would Show Binance Is Too Big to Fail

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The US government is reportedly willing to suspend criminal charges against crypto exchange Binance, provided it steps into line—and pays $4 billion.

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Climate Activists Tell the EV Industry to Fix Its Filthy Supply Chain

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

EV production often relies on coal power and harmful labor practices. Climate activists in Squid Games costumes disrupted the LA Auto Show this weekend to demand urgent change.

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A Watchdog Group Calls for an Investigation of X’s Sneaky New Ads

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Industry watchdog Check My Ads is petitioning the Federal Trade Commission to investigate X for unlabeled—and potentially misleading—advertisements.

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Sweden’s Tesla Blockade Is Spreading

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Starting Friday, dockworkers in all Swedish ports will refuse to offload Teslas, cleaning crews will no longer clean showrooms, and mechanics won’t fix charging points as the labor dispute rages on.

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The Government Is Now the Hottest Tech Employer in Town

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Meta, Google, Amazon, and other major tech firms have laid off thousands of people. The public sector has tried—and in some cases, succeeded—to lure them in.

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Google DeepMind’s AI Weather Forecaster Handily Beats a Global Standard

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Machine learning algorithms that digested decades of weather data were able to forecast 90 percent of atmospheric measures more accurately than Europe’s top weather center.

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The First Small-Scale Nuclear Plant in the US Died Before It Could Live

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Six nuclear reactors just 9 feet across planned for Idaho were supposed to prove out the dream of cheap, small-scale nuclear energy. Now the project has been canceled.

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GM’s Cruise Rethinks Its Robotaxi Strategy After Admitting a Software Fault in Gruesome Crash

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Cruise set out to win the autonomous car race by starting with urban driving. After a pedestrian was dragged under a robotaxi, the company and its parent GM are cutting jobs and making other changes.

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This New Breed of AI Assistant Wants to Do Your Boring Office Chores

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

An experimental AI helper attempts to operate a web browser in the same way a human does to take on office admin like processing invoices or screening job applicants.

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This AI Bot Fills Out Job Applications for You While You Sleep

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

AI-powered services like LazyApply zip through the grunt work of job applications, helping one programmer apply for 5,000 jobs. But they can make mistakes, and some recruiters scorn the technology.

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WeWork Just Filed For Bankruptcy

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The troubled coworking company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. WeWork says locations will remain open.

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Elon Musk Announces Grok, a ‘Rebellious’ AI Without Guardrails

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

xAI, Elon Musk’s new company, claims to have built a powerful language model with cutting-edge performance in just two months.

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Joe Biden Wants US Government Algorithms Tested for Potential Harm Against Citizens

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 15:16:43 -0000

Draft rules from the White House would require federal agencies to assess AI systems currently in use in law enforcement, health care, and other areas—and to shut down any algorithms doing harm.

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World Powers Say They Want to Contain AI. They’re Also Racing to Advance It

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The US, China, and others signed a declaration coordinated by the UK warning AI could be “catastrophic.” Yet none seem to be suggesting development of the technology should slow down.

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Sam Bankman-Fried Sealed His Fate Long Before the FTX Trial

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Prior to his arrest, the FTX founder did a string of media interviews to tell his side of the story. In the courtroom, those comments came back to haunt him.

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Joe Biden’s Big AI Plan Sounds Scary—but Lacks Bite

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Joe Biden’s new executive order is billed as the biggest governmental AI plan ever. Unless he can convince a dysfunctional US Congress and overseas rivals to play along, its effects will be limited.

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25-Year Lasagna, Special Ops Oatmeal, and the Survival Food Boom

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The ranks of doomsday preppers have swelled since the pandemic, with many stocking up on freeze-dried rations in case things go bad.

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The GitHub Black Market That Helps Coders Cheat the Popularity Contest

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Popularity on GitHub can open valuable doors for developers and startups. Underground stores sell “stars” on the platform, offering coders a way to literally fake it till they make it.

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Why Read Books When You Can Use Chatbots to Talk to Them Instead?

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Book publishers are experimenting with chatbot editions of new titles, providing "conversational companions" for readers.

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The 5 Instagram Features That US States Say Ruin Teens’ Mental Health

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

These five features of Instagram helped Meta deceptively hook teens and harm their mental health, allege lawsuits filed today by 42 US states.

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Amazon’s AI-Powered Van Inspections Give It a Powerful New Data Feed

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Amazon delivery drivers at hundreds of sites around the world will be asked to drive through camera-studded archways that log every dent, scratch, or damaged tire.

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The US Has Failed to Pass AI Regulation. New York City Is Stepping Up

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The US Congress won’t pass federal AI regulation anytime soon. NYC is forging ahead with an AI Action Plan and a proposal for a new Office of Algorithmic Data Integrity.

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Crypto Groups Gemini, Genesis, and DCG Sued for $1.1 Billion ‘Fraud’

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

New York’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit against crypto companies, including the Winkelvoss twins’ Gemini, alleging they misled investors.

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AI Is Becoming More Powerful—but Also More Secretive

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The companies behind ChatGPT and other popular and powerful AI systems aren’t transparent enough about their training data and how they work, according to a new report from Stanford University.

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Teledriving Is a Sneaky Shortcut to Driverless Cars

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

German startup Vay is pushing teledriving—in which cars are remotely operated by humans—as easier to achieve than fully autonomous driving.

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The US Just Escalated Its AI Chip War With China

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The American government has tightened its restrictions on exports of chips and chipmaking equipment, closing loopholes that let Chinese companies access advanced technology.

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Millions of Workers Are Training AI Models for Pennies

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

From the Philippines to Colombia, low-paid workers label training data for AI models used by the likes of Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft.

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Finding a Tech Job Is Still a Nightmare

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 15:12:30 -0000

Tech companies have laid off more than 400,000 people in the past two years. Competition for the jobs that remain is getting more and more desperate.

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The Chatbots Are Now Talking to Each Other

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

ChatGPT-style chatbots that pretend to be people are being used to help companies develop new product and marketing ideas.

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Epic Games’ Sale of Bandcamp Has Left the Artist-Friendly Music Platform in Limbo

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Bandcamp workers say they are unable to do their jobs and keep the platform operating after being locked out of critical systems. They’re also expecting layoffs.

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A Doctored Biden Video Is a Test Case for Facebook’s Deepfake Policies

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Meta’s Oversight Board is reviewing Facebook’s decision not to remove a manipulated video posted during the US midterms, in an attempt to get it to clarify its policies on election deepfakes.

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Deepfake Audio Is a Political Nightmare

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

British fact-checkers are racing to debunk a suspicious audio recording of UK opposition leader Keir Starmer.

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Men Overran a Job Fair for Women in Tech

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The Grace Hopper Celebration is meant to unite women in tech. This year droves of men came looking for jobs.

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Generative AI Is Coming for Sales Execs’ Jobs—and They’re Celebrating

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

ChatGPT-style AI can tackle the drudge work of responding to RFPs faster than humans. Sales teams at Google, Twilio, and others say productivity is spiking.

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Google Assistant Finally Gets a Generative AI Glow-Up

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Google is adding AI capabilities from its chatbot Bard to the humble Google Assistant, allowing the virtual helper to make sense of images and draw on data in documents and emails.

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Sam Bankman-Fried Is a Terrible Client

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Criminal defendants often decline to testify at trial for fear of incriminating themselves. For FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, that could be the best option.

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The 15-Minute City Conspiracy Theory Goes Mainstream

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The fringe idea that cities built for biking and walking are part of a government plot has been picked up by … the UK government.

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The Global Victims of FTX’s Collapse Won’t Get Their Day in Court

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 14:10:27 -0000

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is about to stand trial in the US. But many customers who lost big when the exchange collapsed are unlikely to get their money back.

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FedEx’s New Robot Loads Delivery Vans Like It’s Playing 3D Tetris

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

FedEx handles over 15 million packages daily. A two-armed, AI-infused robot is now helping pack some of them into delivery vans with expert care.

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Idris Elba Is Ready to Talk About Crypto

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

During the crypto gold rush, Idris Elba says he turned down a lot of “mad opportunities.” Now he has partnered with the “crypto-for-good” Stellar Development Foundation.

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FBI Agents Are Using Face Recognition Without Proper Training

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The FBI makes heavy use of face recognition services like that of controversial startup Clearview AI, but 95 percent of the agents using them haven’t completed training on the technology.

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ChatGPT Can Now Talk to You—and Look Into Your Life

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

ChatGPT inches closer to feature parity with the seductive AI assistant from Her, thanks to an upgrade that adds voice and image recognition to the chatbot.

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Workers Demand Job Security in the Autonomous, Electrified Future of Transport

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Truck drivers, auto workers, and others are fighting for the greener, smarter era of transportation to also include better pay and more protections for humans.

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Meet the Law Geeks Exposing Google’s Secretive Antitrust Trial

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A historic antitrust trial sees Google accused of unlawfully monopolizing search. A handful of antitrust activists are trying to make sure the world sees all the action.

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Amazon Upgrades Alexa for the ChatGPT Era

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A sweeping upgrade to Amazon’s Alexa taps AI technology like that behind ChatGPT and also allows the virtual assistant to attempt to read body language.

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TikTok Shop Has a Snail Slime Problem

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

TikTok Shop, which launched in the US last week, is littered with impossibly cheap—and fake—products. Snail slime is just the beginning.

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Pay Transparency Is Sweeping Across the US

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

New York joined a wave of states that require pay transparency in job ads. New data suggests most US postings now include a salary range, but they are sometimes laughably vague.

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Teachers Are Going All In on Generative AI

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Surveys suggest teachers use generative AI more than students, to create lesson plans or more interesting word problems. Educators say it can save valuable time but must be used carefully.

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A Concrete Crisis Has the UK Literally Crumbling

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Hundreds of schools, hospitals, and other public buildings made from RAAC, a cheap, lightweight concrete, have to close—the victims of quick fixes and decades of cost-cutting.

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The iPhone 15 Opts for Intuitive AI, Not Generative AI

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Apple ignored the tech industry's obsession with generative AI at the new iPhone launch, offering subtler AI features that make everyday tasks like photography and phone calls better.

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Senators Want ChatGPT-Level AI to Require a Government License

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A new US government body would force companies to seek a license before working on powerful AI models like OpenAI's GPT-4, under a bipartisan proposal by senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley.

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TikTok Is Spending $1.3 Billion to Dodge Bans in Europe

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

European politicians are nervous about where TikTok’s data goes. The company is spending big on local data centers, but analysts say it’s not enough.

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Why This Award-Winning Piece of AI Art Can’t Be Copyrighted

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Matthew Allen’s AI art won first prize at the Colorado State Fair. But the US government has ruled it can’t be copyrighted because it’s too much “machine” and not enough “human.”

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This Is the True Scale of New York’s Airbnb Apocalypse

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A law meant to crack down on short-term rentals in New York City took effect Tuesday. Thousands have dropped off the map, but there are still hosts offering bookings that may break the law.

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Britain Admits Defeat in Controversial Fight to Break Encryption

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The UK government has admitted that the technology needed to securely scan encrypted messages sent on Signal and WhatsApp doesn’t exist, weakening its controversial Online Safety Bill.

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The End of Airbnb in New York

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Thousands of Airbnbs and other short-term rentals are expected to disappear from rental platforms as New York City begins enforcing tight restrictions.

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How to Remove Your Personal Info From Google by Using Its ‘Results About You’ Tool

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

You can now set up alerts for whenever your home address, phone number, and email address appears in Search.

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A Controversial Right-to-Repair Car Law Makes a Surprising U-Turn

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The Biden administration has changed its mind about a Massachusetts state law giving mechanics and car owners access to more diagnostic data.

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People Are Increasingly Worried AI Will Make Daily Life Worse

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A Pew survey finds that a majority of Americans are more concerned than excited about the impact of artificial intelligence—adding weight to calls for more regulation.

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Meet Aleph Alpha, Europe’s Answer to OpenAI

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The European Union is desperate for its own artificial intelligence giant. German startup Aleph Alpha might be its best hope.

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It Costs Just $400 to Build an AI Disinformation Machine

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A developer used widely available AI tools to generate anti-Russian tweets and articles. The project is intended to highlight how cheap and easy it has become to create propaganda at scale.

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In a World of Fakes, Trump’s Real Mug Shot Matters

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The first booking photo of a US president stands out among a sea of photoshops and AI-generated images online.

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Meta Just Released a Coding Version of Llama 2

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Code Llama may spur a new wave of experimentation around AI and programming—but it will also help Meta.

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How AI Could Transform Email

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Artificial intelligence may streamline a form of business communication that’s already super fake.

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Kids Are Going Back to School. So Is ChatGPT

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Teachers are caught between cracking down on cheating with generative AI and using it to help empower students. It’s going to be a challenging year.

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25 Years Ago Steve Jobs Launched the First iMac—and the Strategy That Saved Apple

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The curvy translucent plastic design of the iMac was the test case for Steve Jobs' “whole-widget” strategy that led to the creation of the iPhone.

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Scammers Used ChatGPT to Unleash a Crypto Botnet on X

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A botnet apparently connected to ChatGPT shows how easily, and effectively, artificial intelligence can be harnessed for disinformation.

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This Showdown Between Humans and Chatbots Could Keep You Safe From Bad AI

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Thousands of security experts, hackers, and college students competed to trick powerful text-generation systems into revealing their dark sides at the Defcon hacker conference in Las Vegas.

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A Letter Prompted Talk of AI Doomsday. Many Who Signed Weren't Actually AI Doomers

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

In March a viral letter called for a pause on AI development, warning that algorithms could outsmart humanity—but many experts who signed on did not believe the technology poses an existential risk.

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YouTube Music Adds a TikTok-Like Video Feed to Attract Gen Z

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Gregor Dodson, a director of product management, shares why Samples is the music streaming app's newest video feature.

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This Psychologist Wants To Vaccinate You Against Fake News

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Controlled exposure to misinformation can help protect people from falling for it in the future, according to new research.

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Uber and Lyft Drivers Have Some Advice for Autonomous Vehicles Set to Swarm the Streets

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

San Francisco ride-hail drivers are about to share the roads with robot competitors. They say that the self-driving cabs need to work on their traffic skills—and watch out for bodily fluids.

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Smell Your Way Out of the Uncanny Valley

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

In simulated environments, smell is often the neglected sense. Scentient’s wearable device aims to bring a whiff of authenticity to virtual reality.

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Generative AI Is Making Companies Even More Thirsty for Your Data

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The outcry over Zoom's tweak to its data policy shows how the race to build more powerful AI models creates new pressure to source training data—including by juicing it from users.

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This AI Company Releases Deepfakes Into the Wild. Can It Control Them?

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

UK unicorn Synthesia offers clients a menu of digital avatars, from suited execs to Santa Claus. But it has struggled to stop them being used to spread misinformation.

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The Ghost of Privacy Past Haunts the Senate’s AI Future

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The US Congress is trying to tame the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. But senators’ failure to tackle privacy reform is making the task a nightmare.

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Microsoft’s AI Red Team Has Already Made the Case for Itself

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Since 2018, a dedicated team within Microsoft has attacked machine learning systems to make them safer. But with the public release of new generative AI tools, the field is already evolving.

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Apps Are Rushing to Add AI. Is Any of It Useful?

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The artificial intelligence gold rush has thrust services like ChatGPT into every aspect of our digital lives. That still won’t solve your email problems.

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Please Stop Asking Chatbots for Love Advice

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

We get it, relationships are hard. But asking ChatGPT how to do emotions is not going to work. Here are some better ideas.

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WhatsApp Made a Movie About Afghan Women’s Soccer

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

As the UK pushes for a law that threatens end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp has given itself a starring role in a doc about a girls’ soccer team fleeing the Taliban.

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This Disinformation Is Just for You

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Generative AI won't just flood the internet with more lies—it may also create convincing disinformation that’s targeted at groups or even individuals.

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This Is the Era of Zombie Twitter

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The bird may be dead, but Twitter—er, X—is still alive for communities, news, and memes.

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Meta’s Election Research Opens More Questions Than It Answers

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Researchers were given unprecedented access to Meta’s data during the 2020 elections. Meta says their results show its platforms don’t cause political polarization. That’s not entirely true.

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Meta Just Proved People Hate Chronological Feeds

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Some social media users and lawmakers say chronological feeds are healthier. A new study found that Facebook and Instagram users who were forced to see time-ranked posts turned to TikTok instead.

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Meta’s Open Source Llama Upsets the AI Horse Race

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Meta is giving its answer to OpenAI’s GPT-4 away for free. The move could intensify the generative AI boom by making it easier for entrepreneurs to build powerful new AI systems.

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5 Ways ChatGPT Can Improve, Not Replace, Your Writing

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Generate your own text—but get help from the AI bot to make it stand out.

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X Isn’t a Super App. It’s Just Twitter

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Twitter’s rebrand to X is both a bad joke and an attempt by Elon Musk to realize his decades-long ambition for an all-conquering super app.

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AI Giants Pledge to Allow External Probes of Their Algorithms, Under a New White House Pact

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Leading AI developers including Google and OpenAI promised the Biden administration to check for problems such as biased output. The agreement is not legally binding.

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A Battlefield AI Company Says It’s One of the Good Guys

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Helsing AI is building an operating system for warfare and says it’ll only ever sell to democracies.

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Threads Is the New Cool Hangout—for Brands

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

With big names like Wendy’s and Netflix, brand-on-brand chatter is shaping Meta’s new social media app. That could leave little room for people.

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Meta’s Threads Could Make—or Break—the Fediverse

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Meta promised to make Threads compatible with the decentralized protocol underlying Mastodon. Proponents of interoperable social media can’t agree whether to welcome or fear it.

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Automakers Say They Resolved the Right-to-Repair Fight. Critics Aren’t Ready to Make Peace

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

An auto industry pact claims to end the controversy over car data that has embroiled repair shops, parts manufacturers, and car owners. But many doubts remain.

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AI Could Change How Blind People See the World

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Assistive technology services are integrating OpenAI's GPT-4, using artificial intelligence to help describe objects and people.

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Ukraine's Botanists Risked Their Lives for a Priceless Collection

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

When the war came to Kherson, a small group of scientists ventured into the ruined city to rescue a unique herbarium.

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Armed Guards and Shootings Plague Airbnb’s Party Ban

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

People are still using short-term rentals to throw unruly parties—some of them deadly. Local communities are trying to fight back.

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Congress Wants to Take Back Power Over Crypto

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

On Wednesday, US senators Cynthia Lummis and Kirsten Gillibrand will unveil proposed legislation to decide once and for all how digital assets should be regulated.

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How to Find Your Twitter Friends on Threads

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Want to reconnect with people and grow your clout on Threads? Here are a few tips to help you get started.

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ChatGPT Is Reshaping Crowd Work

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Although some workers shun chatbot help, platforms are adopting policies or technology to deter use of AI—potentially making crowd work more difficult.

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Open-Source Your Blender to Fight Electronic Waste

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Berlin-based Open Funk is tackling throwaway culture with a blender that's as easy to fix as to replace.

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5 Uses for ChatGPT that Aren’t Fan Fiction or Cheating at School

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Chatbots are great for lots of things, but these ones may be unexpected.

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Porto Digital Is the Quixotic Tech Hub That Actually Worked

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Created in 2000 to halt urban decay in the Brazilian city of Recife, the initiative has brought thousands of tech jobs to the region.

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Wagner Mutiny Puts Russia’s Military Bloggers on a Razor’s Edge

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Telegram “war correspondents” have promoted the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, but many have also supported mercenaries who launched a failed coup.

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Reddit Is Already on the Rebound

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Despite mass protests by users and moderators, Reddit's unique communities look likely to survive the rebellion over the company's new business strategy.

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Love That Song? Buy Shares in It

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A Swedish platform promises to help fund your favorite artists while making you rich and saving the music industry.

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Meet the Humans Trying to Keep Us Safe From AI

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

As artificial intelligence explodes, the field is expanding beyond the usual suspects—and the usual motivations.

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Google DeepMind’s CEO Says Its Next Algorithm Will Eclipse ChatGPT

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Demis Hassabis says the company is working on a system called Gemini that will tap techniques that helped AlphaGo defeat a Go champion in 2016.

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Green Parties Are Gaining Power—and Problems

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Environment-focused politicians are winning elections across Europe. Their idealism is crashing into reality, but pragmatism risks alienating supporters.

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The Last AI Boom Didn't Kill Jobs. Feel Better?

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

ChatGPT is stoking fears of mass layoffs, but a study of several EU countries found the deep-learning boom of the 2010s actually created job opportunities.

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A Fight Over the Right to Repair Cars Takes a Wild Turn

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A landmark right-to-repair law in Massachusetts is great for car owners. The US government argues it’s also great for hackers.

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Apple Is Taking On Apples in a Truly Weird Trademark Battle

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Apple, the company, wants rights to the image of apples, the fruit, in Switzerland—one of dozens of countries where it’s flexing its legal muscles.

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How to Live Well, Love AI, and Party Like a 6-Year-Old

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

WIRED cofounder Kevin Kelly believes tech ultimately bends towards good—you just might have to wait a while. For now, he's got a book of life advice.

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Jack Ma Isn't Back

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The iconic Alibaba founder disappeared from view after criticizing China's government. He returned to the country in March—as a teacher, not a businessman.

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Google Made Millions From Ads for Fake Abortion Clinics

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The search giant took $10 million in ads from, and gave grants to, “crisis pregnancy centers” that work to prevent women from accessing abortions.

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His Drivers Unionized—Then Amazon Tried to Terminate His Contract

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The ecommerce giant’s “delivery service partners” are under constant pressure to perform, but say they have little freedom to manage their own businesses.

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UFO Whistleblower, Meet a Conspiracy-Loving Congress

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Fresh claims from a former US intelligence officer about an “intact” alien craft may get traction on Capitol Hill, where some lawmakers want to believe.

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Tesla’s Supercharger Strategy Starts a Winning Streak

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Deals to let GM and Ford EV owners use Tesla charging points show the EV maker turning its giant Supercharger network into a competitive advantage.

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Deepmind’s AI Is Learning About the Art of Coding

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

AlphaDev has made small but significant improvements to decades-old C++ algorithms. Its builders say that’s just the start.

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The Strangely Believable Tale of a Mythical Rogue Drone

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A widely shared story highlights the need for greater transparency in the development and engineering of AI systems.

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Coinbase and Binance Lawsuits Put Crypto on Ice

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The SEC has launched two lawsuits in 24 hours, putting a huge question mark over the future of retail crypto trading in the US.

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Apple Ghosts the Generative AI Revolution

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Apple unveiled the Vision Pro headset and a number of AI-powered features yesterday, but largely ignored generative AI applications embraced by Google and Microsoft.

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How AI Protects (and Attacks) Your Inbox

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Criminals may use artificial intelligence to scam you. Companies, like Google, are looking for ways AI and machine learning can help prevent phishing.

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This AI Scouting Platform Puts Soccer Talent Spotters Everywhere

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A young player hoping to be spotted by a Premier League club typically relies on luck as much as talent, but artificial intelligence could change all that.

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An Eating Disorder Chatbot Is Suspended for Giving Harmful Advice

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A nonprofit that helps people with body image problems closed its human-run helpline. The chatbot that remained suggested things like losing weight.

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Runaway AI Is an Extinction Risk, Experts Warn

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A new statement from industry leaders cautions that artificial intelligence poses a threat to humanity on par with nuclear war or a pandemic.

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How to Polish Your LinkedIn Profile

Wed, 31 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

While other networks sputter, LinkedIn is growing. Here’s how to use the professional social network to highlight your accomplishments and skills.

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Shocking Leaked Tesla Documents Hint at Cybertruck Problems

Tue, 30 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The EV giant is under pressure to launch new products, but a huge dump of confidential files in Germany details a litany of technical failings.

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Pegasus Spyware Is Detected in a War Zone for the First Time

Mon, 29 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Researchers say Armenian government workers, journalists, and at least one United Nations official were targeted by the NSO tool.

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AI Is Steeped in Big Tech’s ‘Digital Colonialism’

Fri, 26 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Artificial intelligence continues to be fed racist and sexist training materials and then distributed around the world.

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Sam Altman’s World Tour Hopes to Reassure AI Doomers

Thu, 25 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

On a stop in London, the OpenAI CEO called for balanced regulation and warned of the risks of deepfake disinformation.

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Google Will Soon Show You AI-Generated Ads

Wed, 24 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Advertisers can save money and perhaps make ads more clickable using ChatGPT-style tools to generate text and images. Meta is testing similar technology.

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Meta’s $1.3 Billion Fine Is a Strike Against Surveillance Capitalism

Tue, 23 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The record-breaking GDPR penalty for data transfers to the US could upend Meta's business and spur regulators to finalize a new data-sharing agreement.

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France Is Fighting to Save Your iPhone From an Early Death

Sun, 21 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

With iPhones getting harder and more expensive to repair, French prosecutors have launched an investigation into the scourge of planned obsolescence.

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Politicians Need to Learn How AI Works—Fast

Fri, 19 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Tech regulation has often disappointed. Automation expert Missy Cummings hopes a course to teach policymakers about artificial intelligence can help.

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Spooked by ChatGPT, US Lawmakers Want to Create an AI Regulator

Thu, 18 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

At a congressional hearing senators from both parties and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said a new federal agency was needed to protect people from AI gone bad.

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Autonomous Worlds Aim to Free Online Games From Corporate Control

Wed, 17 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Multiplayer titles like Minecraft encourage creativity, but prototype games built on the blockchain claim to give players more meaningful independence.

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The Curious Case of the Missing Google Assistant

Tue, 16 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Google’s generative AI chatbot Bard took center stage at the company’s I/O conference. The company’s answer to Siri was left backstage.

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This European Satellite Giant Is Coming for Starlink

Mon, 15 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

To compete with American rivals, Eutelsat’s Eva Berneke first has to navigate Russia’s war in Ukraine, Brexit politics, and jamming attacks by Iran.

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Self-Driving Cars Are Being Put on a Data Diet

Fri, 12 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Growing fleets, fancier sensors, and tighter budgets are forcing autonomous vehicle developers to get pickier about what stays on their servers.

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Google Just Added Generative AI to Search

Thu, 11 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Challenged by ChatGPT, the king of search launches a feature that can answer queries with text summarizing information found online.

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A Radical Plan to Make AI Good, Not Evil

Wed, 10 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

OpenAI competitor Anthropic says its Claude chatbot has a built-in “constitution” that can instill ethical principles and keep systems from going rogue.

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The Global Battle to Regulate AI Is Just Beginning

Tue, 09 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Europe’s parliament is struggling to agree on new rules to govern AI—showing how policymakers everywhere have a lot to learn about the technology.

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These ChatGPT Rivals Are Designed to Play With Your Emotions

Mon, 08 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Startups building chatbots tuned for emotionally engaged conversation say they can offer support, companionship—and even romance. Read the story here.

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The Comedian Taking on India’s New Censorship Law

Fri, 05 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The government says it’ll fact-check the internet. Kunal Kamra is challenging the IT amendments in court. Read the story here.

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Twitter Really Is Worse Than Ever

Thu, 04 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Under Elon Musk, hate speech has surged and propaganda accounts have thrived.

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FTX-ed Crypto Investors Are Moving Back to Hardware Wallets

Wed, 03 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The collapse of the exchange has pushed users back to “self-custody” products like Ledger. But those can be risky too.

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Here Comes the Bride, With AI-Generated Wedding Vows

Tue, 02 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Something old, something new, something borrowed—and something spouted by ChatGPT.

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Microsoft’s Cloud Gaming Dreams Are Falling Apart

Mon, 01 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

UK antitrust authorities have blocked its $69 billion deal to acquire Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard.

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Meet ChatGPT’s Right-Wing Alter Ego

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A programmer is building chatbots with opposing political views to make a point about biased AI. He’s also planning a centrist bot to bridge the divide.

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Ford Jump Starts Its Attempt to Revive Detroit

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The first phase of the automaker's redevelopment of the historic Michigan Central station is aimed at bringing more tech workers to the city—and to Ford.

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ChatGPT Can Help Doctors—and Hurt Patients

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The chatbot is tempting physicians with its ability to spout medical information, but researchers warn against trusting AI with tough ethical decisions.

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Stack Overflow Will Charge AI Giants for Training Data

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The programmer Q&A site joins Reddit in demanding compensation when its data is used to train algorithms and ChatGPT-style bots

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Workers Are Worried About Their Bosses Embracing AI

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A survey by the Pew Research Center found that most employees expect hiring, firing, and workplace assessment to be transformed by algorithms.

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Did Instagram Just Kill Linktree?

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Meta is finally allowing people to add more links to their Instagram profiles. It’s an existential threat to link-in-bio companies.

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Want More Out of Generative AI? Here Are 9 Useful Resources

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Boost your knowledge and your skills with this transformational tech.

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OpenAI’s CEO Says the Age of Giant AI Models Is Already Over

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Sam Altman says the research strategy that birthed ChatGPT is played out and future strides in artificial intelligence will require new ideas.

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Texas Could Push Tech Platforms to Censor Posts About Abortion

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

If passed, the proposed law would also require internet service providers to block websites that discuss access to abortion.

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Amazon Is Joining the Generative AI Race

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The ecommerce giant doesn’t have a ChatGPT rival, but it wants to sell you the tools you need to build one.

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You May Get More EV Options Thanks to Tougher Emissions Rules

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The US Environmental Protection Agency proposed new tailpipe standards that would require electric vehicles to make up two-thirds of new car sales by 2032.

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No, Fusion Energy Won’t Be ‘Limitless’

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Scientific advances have renewed hopes of “unlimited energy,” while economic studies suggest that fusion power will be more costly than wind or solar.

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Ethereum’s Shanghai Update Opens a Rift in Crypto

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Ether is finally untethering itself from mining—and driving renewed debate about bitcoin’s environmental impact.

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This Student Is Taking On ‘Biased’ Exam Software

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Mandatory face-recognition tools have repeatedly failed to identify people with darker skin tones. One Dutch student is fighting to end their use.

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Your Used Car May Soon Come With Subscription Fees

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

BMW and others have been criticized for charging monthly fees for features in new cars like heated seats. Now the tactic is coming to used cars.

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It’s Way Too Easy to Get Google’s Bard Chatbot to Lie

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The company’s policy bars use of the AI chatbot to “misinform.” A study found that it readily spouted untruths on topics from Covid-19 to the war in Ukraine.

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Microsoft’s New Campus Drove Up Home Prices. Where Are the Jobs?

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The tech giant’s project in Atlanta is on an “indefinite pause,” leaving locals with the inflated prices but none of the jobs and investment.

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I’m Healing From the Tech Layoffs by Playing 'Going Under'

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Playing video games to deal with reality is nothing new, but this game about being an intern in Silicon Valley is perfect if you just need a laugh.

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These Angry Dutch Farmers Really Hate Microsoft

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Tech giants want to build massive, “hyperscale” data centers in the Netherlands. A popular political movement wants them stopped.

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Let the AI Coding Wars Begin!

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The way artificial intelligence can rewrite software will have huge implications for the tech industry—and everyone else, too.

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In Sudden Alarm, Tech Doyens Call for a Pause on ChatGPT

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Tech luminaries, renowned scientists, and Elon Musk warn of an “out-of-control race” to develop and deploy ever-more-powerful AI systems.

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Microsoft's ‘Security Copilot’ Sics ChatGPT on Security Breaches

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0000

A new security tool aims to actually deliver the network insights and coordination that “AI” security tools have long promised.

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11 Tips to Take Your ChatGPT Prompts to the Next Level

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Sure, anyone can use OpenAI’s chatbot. But with smart engineering, you can get way more interesting results.

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A US Agency Rejected Face Recognition—and Landed in Big Trouble

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 06:10:16 -0000

Officials working on Login.gov, used to access dozens of government sites, worried about algorithmic bias. Their decision breached federal security rules.

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How You Can Tell the AI Images of Trump’s Arrest Are Deepfakes

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Doctored images of the former US president went viral on Twitter. These are the telltale signs that they aren’t what they seem.

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Meta Is Being Sued in Kenya, Again

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Moderators who handled Facebook and Instagram content allege they’ve been blacklisted after raising concerns about working conditions.

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Senators Warn the Next US Bank Run Could Be Rigged

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Lawmakers call for an investigation into the SVB collapse, fearing hostile foreign governments will use social media to manipulate markets.

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Here Are the Skills You Need to Succeed in Tech in 2023

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 06:10:15 -0000

First, stay human.

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USE 3/20 Crypto Faces a Banking Crisis. For Some, It’s a Conspiracy

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 06:12:02 -0000

The collapse of crypto-friendly Silvergate and Signature Bank has left the industry scrambling to find anyone willing to work with them.

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In Ukraine, Crypto Finds a Purpose

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 06:10:16 -0000

The UN’s refugee agency has partnered with blockchain and money transfer companies to get vital aid to people displaced by conflict.

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Ukrainians’ Google Searches Reveal a Year of Fear—and Hope

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 06:10:15 -0000

Digital traces including social posts and search queries like “How many tank squadrons?” capture a population’s struggle to survive war.

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The Silicon Valley Bank Contagion Is Just Beginning

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 06:10:14 -0000

The collapse of SVB isn’t just a tech industry problem—and the rest of the world is about to find out why.

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Yes, ChatGPT Is Coming for Your Office Job

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 06:10:16 -0000

White-collar workers may soon face the AI disruption everyone’s been panicking about. But the news may be better than you think.

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WhatsApp Has Started a Fight With the UK About Encryption

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 06:10:15 -0000

The head of the messaging app says a new law will undermine privacy. The government says it’s about protecting children.

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ChatGPT’s API Is Here. Let the AI Gold Rush Begin

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 06:10:16 -0000

Businesses can now get paid for services built on the large language model, meaning chatbots are going to start appearing everywhere.

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Why the Floppy Disk Just Won’t Die

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 06:10:15 -0000

A surprising number of industries, from embroidery to aviation, still use floppy disks. But the supply is finally running out.

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What to Do When Your Boss Is Spying on You

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 06:10:17 -0000

Employee monitoring increased with Covid-19’s remote work—and stuck around for back-to-the-office.

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New Crypto Mixer Promises to Be Tornado Cash Without the Crime

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 06:10:15 -0000

Privacy Pool founder says he can preserve users’ privacy while keeping money launderers and regulators at bay.

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India’s YouTube Vigilante Is Wanted for Murder

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 11:25:30 -0000

Monu Manesar built a huge audience with violent content, but he’s far from the only sectarian streamer in Modi’s India.

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Video Games Are a New Propaganda Machine for Iran

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 06:10:14 -0000

The state sponsors titles that cast it in a favorable light and punish indies for depicting a more complex vision of Iranian identity.

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An Apple Store Worker Is the New Face of US Labor Law Reform

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 06:10:16 -0000

The company's anti-union tactics at retail outlets have drawn government scrutiny and are fueling a drive to get a new labor bill through Congress.

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How Ukraine’s Trains Kept Running Despite Bombs, Blackouts, and Biden

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 06:10:15 -0000

Since Russia’s full-scale assault began, Ukraine’s railways evacuated 4 million people and brought 300 foreign delegations to Kyiv.

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Ukraine’s War Brings Autonomous Weapons to the Front Lines

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Drones that can find their own targets already exist, making machine-versus-machine conflict just a software update away.

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Amazon Has a Donkey Meat Problem

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 06:14:49 -0000

The online retailer sells products meant for human consumption that contain donkey meat. A new lawsuit claims that’s illegal in California.

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Alphabet Layoffs Hit Trash-Sorting Robots

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 06:10:15 -0000

The company recently laid off thousands of human workers and is also shutting down a unit working on robots that learned to open doors and clean tables.

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Generative AI Is Coming For the Lawyers

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 06:10:16 -0000

Large law firms are using a tool made by OpenAI to research and write legal documents. What could go wrong?

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One Startup’s Plan to Help Africa Lure Back Its AI Talent

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Lelapa is building a research lab to serve African businesses and nonprofits, with the hope that locally grown algorithms can better serve communities.

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Germany Raises Red Flags About Palantir’s Big Data Dragnet

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 06:10:13 -0000

A court has issued strict limits on how police can pull innocent bystanders into big data investigations.

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The Scramble to Save Twitter’s Research From Elon Musk

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 06:28:14 -0000

Fearing the company’s new management, researchers frantically completed studies on misinformation and algorithmic bias, then published them online.

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Audiobook Narrators Fear Spotify Used Their Voices to Train AI

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 06:24:21 -0000

After a backlash, Spotify has removed a clause that allowed Apple to train machine learning models on some audiobook files.

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The Generative AI Race Has a Dirty Secret

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Integrating large language models into search engines could mean a fivefold increase in computing power and huge carbon emissions.

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The Mastodon Bump Is Now a Slump

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 06:10:17 -0000

Active users have fallen by more than 1 million since the exodus from Elon Musk’s Twitter, suggesting the decentralized platform is not a direct replacement.

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Meta’s Gruesome Content Broke Him. Now He Wants It to Pay

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 06:10:17 -0000

A Kenyan moderator sued the company for work-related PTSD. A new ruling on his case could signal a global reckoning for Big Tech outsourcing.

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Startup T2 Wants to Terminate Twitter

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Cofounder Gabor Cselle says his upstart social network can offer a “2007 Twitter” community vibe that Elon Musk’s platform no longer supplies.

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The Race to Build a ChatGPT-Powered Search Engine

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 06:10:14 -0000

A search bot you converse with could make finding answers easier—if it doesn’t tell fibs. Microsoft, Google, Baidu, and others are working on it.

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Robot Cars Are Causing 911 False Alarms in San Francisco

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 06:10:14 -0000

City agencies say the incidents and other disruptions show the need for more transparency about the vehicles and a pause on expanding service.

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Layoffs Broke Big Tech’s Elite College Hiring Pipeline

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Students from top schools used to waltz from Silicon Valley internships into lucrative jobs. Now, some are reconsidering their options.

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How the US Could Ban TikTok in 7 Not-So-Easy Steps

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 06:10:16 -0000

Former president Trump tried and failed to ban the app. Now US lawmakers from both parties are preparing legislation they say can finish the job.

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Get Used to Face Recognition in Stadiums

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 06:10:16 -0000

Madison Square Garden is under fire for using the technology. Other venues are exploring their own uses of face algorithms, raising privacy concerns.

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The Earth Is Begging You to Accept Smaller EV Batteries

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Electric vehicles are selling fast. But unless people change how they get around, the demand for battery materials threatens its own environmental disaster.

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Alphabet's Layoffs Aren’t Very Googley

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 06:10:16 -0000

The company’s founders pioneered putting employees first and said they’d never bow down to Wall Street. How things have changed.

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Tesla’s Problems Go Way Beyond Elon Musk

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 06:10:13 -0000

The EV giant is alienating its customers, bringing in less revenue, and falling behind legacy carmakers.

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My Week With the Future of Garbage Bins

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:10:15 -0000

A device called Mill from veterans of Nest, the smart-thermostat creator, transforms your would-be kitchen waste intoÂ chicken feed.

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FTX Has Wrecked the Crypto Party in Paradise

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 06:10:14 -0000

The digital currency exchange’s stupendous fallout has put local Web3 companies in the Bahamas on the back foot.

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Metaverse Landlords Are Creating a New Class System

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Virtual landowners have found a way to put their investments to work, but with unintended consequences.

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The Collapse of the UK’s Electric Vehicle Champion

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 06:10:15 -0000

Britishvolt promised investors it would be the cornerstone of the country’s battery industry. Now it faces bankruptcy.

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Twitter Is a Megaphone for ‘Sudden Death’ Vaccine Conspiracies

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 06:10:16 -0000

By reinstating banned accounts and selling blue checks, Musk has supercharged “the most dangerous” Covid disinformation.

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Lina Khan’s Plan to Liberate US Workers

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 06:10:16 -0000

The chair of the Federal Trade Commission explains why she wants to ban companies from locking up employees with noncompete clauses.

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On-Demand Tailoring Brings the Gig Economy to Your Wardrobe

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 06:10:15 -0000

A London-based startup is networking seamsters with the goal of personalizing fit and making garments last longer.

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Right-to-Repair Advocates Question John Deere’s New Promises

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 06:10:15 -0000

The tractor maker is accused of blocking farmers from fixing their own equipment. A new agreement offers concessions—but campaigners say it’s not enough.

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The FAA Outage Highlights an Essential System Everyone Hates

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 06:30:33 -0000

A glitch in the so-called NOTAM system caused the agency to ground flights across the US. But its problems go back years.

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Iran Says Face Recognition Will ID Women Breaking Hijab Laws

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 06:10:14 -0000

Iranian women are baring their heads to protest government controls. A top official said algorithms can identify anyone flouting dress codes.

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As Gig Economy Companies Flee Europe, Getir Is Taking Over

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 06:10:16 -0000

Rapid grocery delivery apps are leaving the continent, putting the Turkish startup on top. But, its reign is anything but stable.

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ChatGPT Has Investors Drooling—but Can It Bring Home the Bacon?

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 06:10:15 -0000

The loquacious bot has Microsoft ready to sink a reported $10 billion into OpenAI. It’s unclear what products can be built on the technology.

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Twitter Promised Them Severance. They Got Nothing

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 06:10:17 -0000

Staff laid off by Elon Musk were assured they would be compensated following mass cuts. As the deadline passes, the silence has been deafening.

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No One Will Escape the FTX Fallout

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 06:10:15 -0000

Try as they might, crypto companies pressured by the trading platform’s collapse are failing to bail themselves out.

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The Slow Death of Surveillance Capitalism Has Begun

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 06:10:15 -0000

A European Union ruling against Meta marks the beginning of the end of targeted ads.

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Can’t Decide What to Do About Twitter? Here Are Some Options

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 06:10:15 -0000

It’s not too late to move toward your ideal social media existence. You could opt for Mastodon or Post, or stay and hope things turn around.

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Digital Traders Want to Go Fish

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 06:10:14 -0000

A network of trading platforms is restructuring the seafood industry and tackling waste.

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Wine Is Getting Pricier Thanks to a Logistical Nightmare

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 06:10:16 -0000

Supply chain issues, drought, and war are conspiring to make it way more expensive to produce the drink around the world.

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Sorry, GDP. There Are Other Ways to Measure a Nation’s Worth

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 06:10:14 -0000

A country’s real wealth lies in its equality, environment, and happiness.

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Mastodon Is Hurtling Toward a Tipping Point

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 06:10:14 -0000

As the niche, decentralized social networking platform rises in popularity, it faces rising costs, culture shifts—and potential legal risks.

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The Overlooked Upsides of Algorithms in the Workplace

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Author and labor lawyer Orly Lobel says AI can help mitigate human biases in hiring and compensation.

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Big Tech Laid Off Thousands. Here’s Who Wants Them Next

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 12:50:10 -0000

Governments, nonprofits, and small startups hope to scoop up people let go by the likes of Meta and Amazon. It’s their big chance to lure top-tier talent.

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The Spawn of ChatGPT Will Try to Sell You Things

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 06:10:17 -0000

Companies are exploring how to adapt powerful new chatbot technology to negotiate with customer service—and to persuade humans to buy stuff.

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No One on Twitter Is Safe From Elon Musk

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The entrepreneur says he’s cracking down on doxing. Many see his account-blocking spree as self-serving.

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Tired, Filthy, and Overworked: Inside Amazon’s Holiday Rush

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The retailer’s warehouses are flooded with packages. Workers say that means mandatory extra shifts and faster-paced work.

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Amazon Investors Demand Answers About Its Cloud’s Human Rights Record

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 06:10:16 -0000

At the company’s next annual meeting, shareholders will be asked to pressure the company over contracts with US immigration and the Israeli government.

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A Fight Over Automation Plans at US Hydroelectric Dams

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The US government says replacing staff with automation and remote monitoring saves taxpayers money. Some workers fear accidents and cyberattacks.

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A Tale of Two Nuclear Plants Reveals Europe's Energy Divide

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 06:10:14 -0000

An upgraded power plant in Slovakia has angered neighboring Austria and fueled the debate over nuclear power andÂ independence from Russian gas.

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These Algorithms Are Hunting for an EV Battery Mother Lode

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 06:10:15 -0000

AI trained on reams of geological data can indicate where to dig in search of metals crucial to electric cars and other green technology.

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ChatGPT’s Most Charming Trick Is Also Its Biggest Flaw

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The articulate new chatbot has won over the internet and shown how engaging conversational AI can be—even when it makes stuff up.

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Elon Musk’s Twitter Isn’t Ready for the Next Natural Disaster

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Emergency responders rely on the platform to share and collect lifesaving information. Looser moderation puts that in peril.

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A Row Erupts Over Texas’ Bold Bitcoin Battery Plan

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Bitcoin miners say they can help stabilize a shaky power grid and prevent blackouts. Experts say it will make the problem worse.

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Airbnb Is Running Riot in Small-Town America

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The company sent cities scrambling to clamp down on short-term rentals. Now resort towns are feeling the pinch.

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San Francisco Just Reversed Its Killer Robot Plan

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 06:10:16 -0000

The city’s board of supervisors has rolled back a controversial decision to let robots use lethal force without human intervention. But the fight is far from over.

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The Twitter Files Revealed One Thing: Elon Musk Is Trapped

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Messages show Twitter’s past leaders struggling with a tough moderation call with political overtones. Musk is now on the hook for such decisions himself.

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How Chinese Netizens Swamped China’s Internet Controls

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The government regained control of streets and social networks, but citizens protesting zero-Covid policies proved smartphones can help fuel mass action.

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San Francisco's Killer Robots Threaten the City's Most Vulnerable

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 07:29:17 -0000

Law enforcement says that in some scenarios a lethal robot is the only way to protect public safety. Experts say the policy will harm communities of color.

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Crypto Contagion Is Spreading, Fast

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The collapse of FTX has set off a chain reaction that threatens to topple one of crypto’s oldest and most well-respected institutions.

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They Wanted a Baby, Then Twitter Fired Them

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 06:10:13 -0000

From IVF treatments to parental leave, Twitter staff laid off without notice have had their lives upended.

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Elon Musk’s Twitter Risks Big Fines From US Regulators

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 06:10:16 -0000

The company’s past failings place its security under scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission until 2042. Any new mishaps could lead to heavy penalties.

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Truth Social Is Rising as the Anti-Mastodon

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Amid Twitter chaos and Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid, the conservative social network is having a moment of its own.

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Here's Proof Hate Speech is More Viral on Elon Musk's Twitter

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 06:30:10 -0000

Researchers monitoring a "firehose" of public tweets found signs of increasing toxicity—before Elon Musk reversed bans on Trump and other divisive figures.

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The Race To Save Sam Bankman-Fried’s Other Crypto Exchange

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Following the collapse of FTX, a group of volunteers has gathered to try and salvage Serum. But the work is far from straightforward.

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This Copyright Lawsuit Could Shape the Future of Generative AI

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Algorithms that create art, text, and code are spreading fast—but legal challenges could throw a wrench in the works.

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Twitter’s Moderation System Is in Tatters

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Disinformation researchers have spent years asking Twitter to remove toxic and fake posts. After Elon Musk’s staff cuts, there’s hardly anyone to talk to.

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The Pandemic Bike Boom Survives—in Cities That Stepped Up

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Covid lockdowns prompted a surge of new cyclists. But the trend has faltered in places that didn't build bike-friendly infrastructure.

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Lyft Aspired to Kill Car Ownership. Now It Aims to Profit From It

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 06:27:10 -0000

The company once claimed that ride-hail services and robotaxis would make personal cars obsolete. Mounting losses have prompted a rethink.

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TikTok’s Format Breeds Sassy Customer Service

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 07:29:18 -0000

Unlike the old days of replying to someone’s tweet, brands now poke back at their consumers on social media.

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Elon Musk Has Put Twitter’s Free Speech in Danger

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Authoritarian countries around the world want to suppress criticism and public opinion. Can this new Twitter fight back?

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Elon Musk Is Overloaded

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Twitter’s new CEO also leads Tesla, SpaceX, and startups working on tunnel digging and brain implants. His social media project will make it harder to juggle them all.

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How to 'Quiet Quit' Twitter

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The chaos engulfing the platform provides an opportunity to reclaim control of your online life, without logging off for good.

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The Reason for Meta's Massive Layoffs? Ghosts in the Machine

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 06:10:16 -0000

The social media company's failed projects required thousands of staffers who swelled the ranks and never left.

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Fintech in Latin America and Africa Is Breaking the Mold

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The US and Europe can learn a lot from startups that are nimbler, more digitized, and potentially better at serving underserved people.

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Algorithms Quietly Run the City of DC—and Maybe Your Hometown

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 06:10:15 -0000

A new report finds that municipal agencies in Washington deploy dozens of automated decision systems, often without residents’ knowledge.

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The Strange Death of the Uyghur Internet

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 06:10:16 -0000

China’s Muslim minority used to have its own budding cluster of websites, forums, and social media. Now that’s been erased.

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Cannabis Banking Startups Want to Make It Easy to Buy Weed

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 06:10:17 -0000

In dispensaries, cash is king—and it's a nuisance for business owners and buyers. Fintech players are entering the fray.

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Uber Squeezed Europe’s Taxi Drivers. Now It Wants to Hire Them

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The ride-sharing giant is trying to end a yearslong battle by offering EU cabbies aggressive financial incentives.

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Ford Abandons the Self-Driving Road to Nowhere

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Ford and Volkswagen sank nearly $4 billion into developer Argo. Now, amid wider signs of slow progress in autonomous tech, they're shutting it down.

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Europe Prepares to Rewrite the Rules of the Internet

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The Digital Markets Act will force big tech platforms to break open their walled gardens in 2023, says the EU's new ambassador to Silicon Valley.

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AI's New Creative Streak Sparks a Silicon Valley Gold Rush

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Investors have got the hots for "generative AI" that can make text and images. But so far, the hype runs ahead of the business results.

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A Chaotic Crypto Launch Reveals How Hard It Is to Beat Ethereum

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 06:10:16 -0000

When Aptos rose from the ashes of Meta’s Diem digital currency project, it aimed to be the fastest crypto network. Instead, it just angered its fans.

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How Retail App Temu Lures US Shoppers With Mind-Bending Prices

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The new ecommerce platform can beat Amazon on price by shipping direct from China. It’s already racing up the charts.

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Apple’s App Review Fix Fails to Placate Developers

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 06:10:13 -0000

After bad press about its App Store rules, Apple added a way to challenge app rejections. Creators say projects still get blocked for no good reason.

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The Quiet Insurrection the January 6 Committee Missed

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 06:10:15 -0000

A former congressman who helped the House select committee investigate the Capitol attack says the US is losing sight of the big picture.

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High-Tech Cars Are Killing the Traditional Repair Shop

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Many independent auto shops can’t afford the equipment needed to fix today’s complex vehicles. Prepare to wait longer for repairs.

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Apple Is an Ad Company Now

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Pushing more ads at users would compensate for slowing smartphone sales but risks annoying Apple fans—and antitrust regulators.

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The Gig Law Causing Chaos in California Strip Clubs

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Dancers say a law to protect people working at ride-hailing and food delivery apps has been used to undercut their livelihoods.

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Amazon Workers Lose Another Union Vote as Management Digs In

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Three warehouses have voted on joining the Amazon Labor Union, but organizers prevailed in only one—and the retail giant’s heavily funded opposition continues.

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China’s WeChat Is a Hot New Venue for US Election Misinformation

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Ahead of US midterms, activists are fighting falsehoods circulating in Chinese-language communities that they fear will distort the vote or suppress turnout.

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Meta’s VR Headset Harvests Personal Data Right Off Your Face

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Cameras inside the device that track eye and face movements can make an avatar’s expressions more realistic, but they raise new privacy questions.

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The $1 Billion Alex Jones Effect

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 06:10:16 -0000

The Infowars host now knows the cost of “free speech”—but does the landmark judgment signal a crackdown on disinformation?

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How to Protect Yourself If Your School Uses Surveillance Tech

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Colleges and K-12 campuses increasingly monitor student emails, social media, and more. Here’s how to secure your (or your child’s) privacy.

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These Remote Tech Workers Secretly Juggle Multiple Jobs

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Working from home makes it easier to take on several full-time posts. The extra cash is nice—but simultaneous Zoom meetings can be tricky.

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How A British Teen's Death Changed Social Media

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 06:10:17 -0000

An inquest found content on Pinterest and Instagram contributed to the 2017 death of Molly Russell. The sites say they’ve changed—with opposing strategies.

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Opendoor’s iBuyer Model Is a Canary in the Economic Coal Mine

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The company is losing huge sums of money on cookie-cutter homes—suggesting a fundamental weakness in the US housing market.

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Elon Musk's Half-Baked Robot Is a Clunky First Step

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Tesla’s Optimus robot did not dazzle robotics experts and can't yet walk. But if the project delivers, it could give the company an edge in manufacturing.

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Facebook Freeloads Off Newspapers. This Plan Might Stop It

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 06:10:16 -0000

The Journalism Competition and Protection Act would allow publishers to finally bargain with Meta and Google.

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Google Borrows From TikTok to Keep Gen Z Searching

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Younger people seek answers on TikTok and Instagram—Google hopes to lure them back with more visual, infinite scrolling search results.

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Amazon Wants to Cocoon You With ‘Ambient Intelligence’

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The company’s new smart gadget uses radar to track your breathing while you sleep. It’s part of Amazon’s plan to weave its products invisibly into your life.

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Amazon Wants Its Home Robot, Astro, to Anticipate Your Every Need

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The cutesy robot doesn’t do much now, but the company says it’s a step toward machines that understand your habits.

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This Student’s Side Project Will Help Decide Musk vs. Twitter

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 06:10:00 -0000

In the battle over Twitter’s future, the number of bots on the platform is a key issue. Problem is, nobody knows how to count them.

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Brazil's Far Right Plots Its Own January 6 Insurrection

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Extreme content is spreading rapidly on the country's social networks, sparking fears of a violent uprising.

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Twitch's Crypto Casino Ban Ignores the Bigger Play

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The company is going after cryptocurrency gambling—but will that be enough to satisfy concerned streamers?

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California Voted for Cheaper Uber Rides. It May Have Hurt Drivers

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Uber and Lyft spent millions promoting a controversial ballot measure. A new study suggests it has lowered driver wages.

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This Uncensored AI Art Tool Can Generate Fantasies—and Nightmares

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Open source project Stable Diffusion allows anyone to conjure images with algorithms, but some fear it will be used to create unethical horrors.

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Electric Vehicles Could Rescue the US Power Grid

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 06:10:14 -0000

By 2035, the batteries in California’s zero-emission cars could power every home in the state for three days.

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It’s Time for Cities to Ditch Delivery Trucks—for Cargo Bikes

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 06:10:15 -0000

A new study shows that cycling packages the final few miles to their recipients isn’t just greener than using a van, but often quicker too.

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YouTube’s ‘Dislike’ Button Doesn’t Do What You Think

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Users try to control the video platform’s algorithm by giving content a thumbs-down, but Mozilla researchers say it’s not so simple.

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Banning Gas Cars Is Good, but It’ll Take More to Save the Planet

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 06:10:15 -0000

People must both drive less and switch to electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions enough to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

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A US Rail Strike Was Averted—but the Crisis Is Far From Over

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 06:10:13 -0000

A preliminary agreement prevented a total shutdown, but many supply chains still face delays and disruption caused by staff shortages.

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Satellite Data Shows How Russia Has Destroyed Ukrainian Grain

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 06:10:16 -0000

The Russian blockade and bombardments are cutting off thousands of tons of grain, threatening the food supply in countries that rely on wheat exports.

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The Twitter Whistleblower's Testimony Has Senators Out for Blood

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Peiter "Mudge" Zatko's allegations about the social media platform renewed a sense of urgency for lawmakers to rein in Big Tech.

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Undocumented Workers Protest Uber Eats Crackdown

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 06:10:15 -0000

In France, the gig economy platform welcomed thousands of immigrants during the pandemic, unions say. Now it’s deactivating them en masse.

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Google and Amazon Want More Defense Contracts, Despite Worker Protests

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 06:10:00 -0000

The tech giants' corporate offices across the US Â drew demonstrations over an Israeli government cloud contract that opponents say could have military uses.

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The FTC Is Closing In on Runaway AI

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 06:10:16 -0000

The US regulator is eager to end unfair use of artificial intelligence and commercial surveillance, but experts remain skeptical.

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How Drought and War Are Really Affecting the Global Food Supply

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Blistering temperatures and the invasion of Ukraine have fed fears of global shortages—but some regions are suffering much more than others.

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Silicon Valley’s Most Powerful ‘Mafia’ Gets a New Boss

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 06:19:17 -0000

Startup incubator Y Combinator birthed big names like Airbnb and Stripe. Incoming CEO Garry Tan says he’ll tap the program’s alumni network to generate new tech giants.

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Trans Researchers Want Google Scholar to Stop Deadnaming Them

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 06:10:19 -0000

The academic search engine’s policy on name changes is out of step with other search tools and publishers.

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GM's Cruise Recalls Self-Driving Software Involved in June Crash

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 06:10:18 -0000

After two people were injured in the incident, Cruise blocked its robot vehicles from making left turns for several weeks before issuing a software update.

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Europe Set Itself Up for This Energy Crisis

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 06:10:00 -0000

The region’s unified approach to energy predates Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but countries suffering from shortages may now have to watch gas flow past.

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The Climate Bill Is Poised to Electrify Delivery Vans and Trucks

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act could transform how goods get to stores and consumers by incentivizing US business owners to buy zero-emission electric vehicles.

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Get Used to Startups Trying to Reinvent Housing

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 06:10:16 -0000

WeWork’s controversial cofounder Adam Neumann is not the only entrepreneur to see opportunity in the generation of Americans unable to buy homes.

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Raising Startup Funding Used to Be Easy—Not Anymore

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 06:10:15 -0000

In recent years investors greeted founders with generous checks and warm smiles, but now CEOs seeking cash encounter cold shoulders.

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Babylon Disrupted the UK’s Health System. Then It Left

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The AI-powered online doctor app is ditching its controversial NHS contracts as it focuses on the US market.

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How to Stop Robots From Becoming Racist

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Algorithms can amplify patterns of discrimination. Robotics researchers are calling for new ways to prevent mechanical bodies acting out those biases.

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Ethereum's 'Merge' Is a Big Deal for Crypto—and the Planet

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 06:10:14 -0000

One of the most influential cryptocurrency projects is set to finally ditch proof-of-work mining.

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Algorithms Can Now Mimic Any Artist. Some Artists Hate It

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 06:10:14 -0000

A new generation of AI image tools can reproduce an artist’s signature style. Some creatives fear for their livelihoods.

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Spyware Scandals Are Ripping Through Europe

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 06:10:16 -0000

The latest crisis that rocked the Greek government shows the bloc’s surveillance problem goes beyond the notorious NSO Group.

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Colleges Are Already Ditching Income-Share Agreements

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The financial aid model more closely associated with coding boot camps has made its way to traditional universities. Now it's coming under scrutiny.

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Smiling Dogs? Horses Made of Clouds? Captcha Has Gone Too Far

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Users face increasingly impossible challenges to prove they are not bots.

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Machine Learning Is Causing a ‘Reproducibility Crisis’ in Science

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 06:10:14 -0000

AI hype has researchers in fields from medicine to sociology rushing to use techniques that they don’t always understand—causing a wave of spurious results.

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TikTok Is ‘Shadow-Promoting’ Banned Content in Russia

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 06:45:55 -0000

The company said it would prevent Russia-based users from uploading fresh content—but some new videos are still showing up on FYPs.

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A Suspected Killer’s Fans Are Still Promoting Him Online

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 06:10:15 -0000

After a local politician and two others were gunned down in the Philippines, posts supporting the suspect continue to gain traction on social media.

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Tech’s Offshore Hiring Has Gone Into Overdrive

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Companies that once battled to hire employees close to home are now turning to Latin America and other markets for talent.

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Amazon Workers in the UK Walk Out in a Cost-of-Living Rebellion

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 06:10:15 -0000

After news of a “pointless” pay increase spread, workers at three warehouses stopped work to demand higher wages as inflation and interest rates surge.

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Beware the Contract Clause Loading US Workers With Debt

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Nurses, retail workers, and other employees can owe thousands of dollars just for quitting their job—or getting laid off.

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What Twitter’s Move to Shutter Offices Signals for Big Tech

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 06:10:17 -0000

Companies are cutting costs by embracing remote setups, but what happens to the hubs they leave behind?

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The Rise and Fall of a Bitcoin Mining Sensation

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Compass Mining grew quickly during crypto’s halcyon days. Now, its customers and their thousands of mining machines are stuck.

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Wikipedia Articles Sway Some Legal Judgments

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 06:10:15 -0000

An experiment shows that overworked judges turn to the crowdsourced encyclopedia for guidance when making legal decisions.

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Kenya’s Threat to Ban Facebook Could Backfire

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 06:10:18 -0000

Meta has allowed ads that include hate speech and calls for violence ahead of the country’s elections. But experts warn that a shutdown isn’t the answer.

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Data Centers Are Facing a Climate Crisis

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Companies are racing to cool down their servers as energy prices and temperatures soar. And the worst is yet to come.

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Big Tech Can’t Stop Obsessing Over Apple and TikTok

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Earnings season was dominated by two companies—both existential threats to their competition.

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Why Google Sued the Descendants of a Railroad Tycoon and a Civil War General

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 06:10:14 -0000

To secure the land for its multibillion-dollar Downtown West development, the company has had to track down dozens of distant relatives of 19th-century landowners.

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The Fallout From Apple’s Bizarre, Dogged Union-Busting Campaign

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Workers are calling on management to stop inflicting “traumatic” pressure on other workers trying to unionize.

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EV Makers Think They’ve Figured Out What Women Want

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Men are more likely to buy electric vehicles, and carmakers are eager to diversify their base. But what will it take to close the gender gap?

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The Chip Shortage is Easing—But Only For Some

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Certain chips have caught up with demand, thanks to stockpiling and reduced consumer spending, but the semiconductor supply chain is still snarled up.

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BeReal Basics: How to Use the 'Unfiltered' Social Media App

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Post within the two-minute window to share off-the-cuff photos with your friends—and the world.

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Abortion Pill Demand Is Driving an Underground Network

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Desperate people in the US and beyond are turning to an unregulated, cross-continental supply chain.

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Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? No, It’s a Flying Ferry

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 06:10:16 -0000

An electric hydrofoil ferry could be the future of public transportation in Stockholm—and beyond.

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Juul Nears Its Last Gasp—After It Hooked a Generation on Vaping

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The startup used regulatory loopholes and marketing to make nicotine cool. Now the FDA threatens to shut the company down, but new rivals are taking over.

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Amazon’s ‘Safe’ New Robot Won’t Fix Its Worker Injury Problem

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The company’s warehouses demand a fast pace of workers, and have higher injury rates than at competing firms.

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Cruise's Robot Car Outages Are Jamming Up San Francisco

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 06:10:16 -0000

In a series of incidents, the GM subsidiary lost contact with its autonomous vehicles, leaving them frozen in traffic and trapping human drivers.

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Escooter Rentals Aren’t as Green as You Think

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Dubious design and inefficient operations are just some of the reasons why shared scooters’ ecocredentials are thin.

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The Digital Divide Is Coming for You

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 06:10:17 -0000

More services are going online-only—catching more people on the wrong side of a widening gulf.

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Crypto’s Free Rein May Be Coming to a Close

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Lawmakers in the US and Europe are considering ways to regulate crypto and crack down on money-laundering and other illicit activities.

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Tech Companies Will Cover Abortion Travel—but Not for All Workers

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Google, Amazon, and others will help permanent staff seek out-of-state care. But their many contractors remain shut out.

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What, Exactly, Is the Metaverse Standards Forum Creating?

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 06:10:13 -0000

No one will agree on what the metaverse is. But that's not stopping a coalition of big names in tech from designing the tools needed to build it.

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Meta Was Restricting Abortion Content All Along

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 06:10:19 -0000

Abortion access groups and activists say they were dealing with algorithmic suppression long before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

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The Fight Over Which Uses of AI Europe Should Outlaw

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 06:10:14 -0000

A new European Union law will set rules for what the technology can and can’t do to people, like whether it’s OK to deploy lie detectors at borders.

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The World Can’t Wean Itself Off Chinese Lithium

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 06:10:00 -0000

China dominates the global supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. Now rival countries are scrambling for more control over “white oil.”

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China Is Racing to Electrify Its Future

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 06:10:17 -0000

The country wants electric vehicles to make up 40 percent of new cars sold by 2030—but first it has to figure out how to keep them charged.

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This Warehouse Robot Reads Human Body Language

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 10:11:11 -0000

Machines that understand what their human teammates are doing could boost productivity without taking jobs.

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Before Starbucks Baristas Had Unions, They Had Coworker Petitions

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 06:10:16 -0000

A platform called Coworker has helped effect change for nearly a decade. As the coffee chain’s workers organize, its role has evolved in kind.

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Meta Made Millions From Ads That Spread Disinformation

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 06:10:13 -0000

The social media giant banned networks of fake accounts for promoting disinformation, spam, or propaganda—and kept the money it made from ads.

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EV Charging Costs Penalize Urban Drivers

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 06:10:15 -0000

While suburban drivers can comfortably charge at home, those in low-income areas face higher prices—if they can find a station that works.

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No One Knows How Safe New Driver-Assistance Systems Really Are

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Tesla’s Autopilot and other automotive safety features are involved in plenty of car crashes. But thanks to spotty data, it’s still not clear how many, or what to do about it.

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Sure, Crypto Is Crashing, but Everything Is Perfectly Fine

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Cryptocurrencies are behaving exactly like the rest of the stock market, but the faithful say that's no reason to jump ship.

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The Weak Argument Jeopardizing Tech Antitrust Legislation

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Democrats are pumping the brakes on an ambitious Senate bill over long-shot concerns about content moderation.

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LaMDA and the Sentient AI Trap

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Arguments over whether Google’s large language model has a soul distract from the real-world problems that plague artificial intelligence.

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How Ukraine Is Winning the Propaganda War

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 06:10:16 -0000

As the Russian siege drags on, Ukraine's media campaign has shifted from glorified myths to accounts of everyday bravery.

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Why It’s Impossible to Rent a Car Right Now

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 06:10:16 -0000

From Avis-Budget to Hertz, traditional rental companies are struggling to restock their fleets. Now peer-to-peer upstarts are scrambling to fill the gap.

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Coinbase Offered Them Dream Jobs—and Then Took Them Away

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Hundreds of prospective employees have been left adrift, including some who were counting on the position for their visas.

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Axon’s Taser Drone Plans Prompt AI Ethics Board Resignations

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The company has backed down on its proposal to address school shootings, but the damage was already done.

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Bolt Loaned Employees Thousands to Buy Stock—Then Laid Them Off

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 06:10:14 -0000

At least one employee borrowed $100,000 from the company—and now has just 30 days to pay it back.

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Google's Russian Empire Faces an Uncertain Future

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 06:10:16 -0000

After filing for bankruptcy, Google could withdraw from Russia or antagonize the country's regulators from overseas.

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Satellites and AI Can Help Solve Big Problems—If Given the Chance

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Traditional hurdles stand in the way of ambitious plans to use imagery to help feed people, reduce poverty, and protect the planet.

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This Is What Flying Car Ports Should Look Like

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 06:10:15 -0000

It might be years before flying cars take to the skies, but designers and engineers are already testing the infrastructure they’ll need to operate.

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As Bitcoin Falters, Crypto Miners Brace for a Crash

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Electricity costs more, Bitcoin is worth less. What can possibly go wrong?

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Companies Are Hacking Their Way Around the Chip Shortage

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The supply chain issues have no end in sight, so manufacturers are being forced to improvise.

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Elon Musk’s Twitter Plans Would Mean Less Free Speech for Many

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The platform has a history of standing up to governments. Its billionaire suitor wants to follow their rules to the letter.

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An Autonomous Car Blocked a Fire Truck Responding to an Emergency

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The incident, which cost first responders valuable time, underscores the challenges that Cruise and other companies face on the road to driverless taxis.

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Think Airport Crowding Is Bad Now? Wait ’Til Summer

Tue, 31 May 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Increased demand and staffing shortages are already contributing to huge delays and airport logjams across the country. Here’s what you can do.

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The Incredible Shrinking Car Dealership

Fri, 27 May 2022 06:10:13 -0000

The way people buy automobiles is changing—so Honda and other manufacturers are adapting in kind.

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Feds Warn Employers Against Discriminatory Hiring Algorithms

Thu, 26 May 2022 06:10:13 -0000

As AI invades the interview process, the DOJ and EOCC have provided guidance to protect people with disabilities from bias.

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Amazon Has Too Many Warehouses. Now Sellers Are Paying More

Wed, 25 May 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Sellers keep getting hit with fee increases—at a time when shelves are sitting empty.

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Terra’s Crypto Meltdown Was Inevitable

Tue, 24 May 2022 06:10:18 -0000

An epic crash in algorithmic stablecoins spells trouble for the entire industry.

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Google Has a Plan to Stop Its New AI From Being Dirty and Rude

Mon, 23 May 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The future of computing is AI-powered chatbots that have read the entire internet—if Google can figure out how to tame them.

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How 10 Skin Tones Will Reshape Google's Approach to AI

Fri, 20 May 2022 06:10:16 -0000

For years, the tech industry has relied on an six-shade scale to classify skin tones. The search giant’s open source alternative could change that.

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Alas, Elon Musk May Have a Point About Trump’s Twitter Ban

Thu, 19 May 2022 06:10:17 -0000

It’s probably not a good idea for important platforms to be in the business of frequently banning users for life.

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How Starlink Scrambled to Keep Ukraine Online

Wed, 18 May 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Elon Musk’s intervention demonstrates how satellite internet could route around war or censorship far beyond Ukraine.

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How YouTube Can Rewrite the Past and Shape an Election

Tue, 17 May 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Philippine researcher Fatima Gaw says the platform has become a hub for pro-Marcos historical revisionism.

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Miami’s Bitcoin Conference Left a Trail of Harassment

Mon, 16 May 2022 06:34:01 -0000

For some women, inappropriate conduct from other conference-goers continued to haunt them online.

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DALL-E 2 Creates Incredible Images—and Biased Ones You Don’t See

Fri, 13 May 2022 06:10:14 -0000

OpenAI’s new system is adept at turning text into images. But researchers say it also reinforces stereotypes against women and people of color.

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The Fall of Roe Would Put Big Tech in a Bind

Thu, 12 May 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Alphabet, Meta, and others collect heaps of user data that could be exploited by law enforcement—and create legal hazards.

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Uber and Lyft Drivers Must Now Set Their Own Mask Rules

Wed, 11 May 2022 06:10:15 -0000

After pandemic safety measures ended in the US, ride-hailing companies lifted their requirements for riders—leaving those behind the wheel on their own.

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The Crypto Industry Is Getting Too Honest

Tue, 10 May 2022 06:10:14 -0000

What if no one cares whether it’s a Ponzi scheme?

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Shanghai Is Rewriting Chinese Censorship Amid Lockdown

Mon, 09 May 2022 06:10:18 -0000

Censors are cracking down on free speech online, but people are finding new ways to get around them.

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Europe’s New Law Will Force Secretive TikTok to Open Up

Fri, 06 May 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The Digital Services Act will extract more new information from the young app than from older platforms like Facebook.

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To Win the Next War, the Pentagon Needs Nerds

Wed, 04 May 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Data scientists, coders, and other techies could prove decisive in future conflicts—if Uncle Sam can recruit them.

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Right-Wing Trolls Are Trying to Break Back Into Twitter

Tue, 03 May 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Elon Musk's “free speech” promise is igniting an extremist revival, but the "replatforming" has only just begun.

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Europe Has Traded Away Its Online Porn Law

Mon, 02 May 2022 06:10:13 -0000

The landmark Digital Services Act has a glaring omission: It ditches plans to tighten rules that could have protected survivors of revenge porn and other forms of sexual abuse.

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Broken Charging Stations Could Be Stalling the EV Movement

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Range anxiety is bad enough. But even when they find a station, drivers often have to deal with broken equipment.

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How Elon Musk Won Twitter

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 10:14:35 -0000

His weeks-long pursuit of the company has resulted in a $44 billion deal. But how did it happen, and what the hell comes next?

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Ukraine War Prompts Europe's New Emergency Rules for the Internet

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 06:10:13 -0000

The Digital Services Act has granted the European Commission unprecedented power over tech companies in times of war.

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Shanghai’s Plan to Reboot the Tech Supply Chain Will Be Hard

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 06:10:12 -0000

The government wants to restart production and shipping to meet global demand, but some people may trade a lockdown at home to being locked inside factories.

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The Future of the Web Is Marketing Copy Generated by Algorithms

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 06:28:50 -0000

The killer app for GPT-3 could help marketers lure clicks and game Google rankings.

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A TikTok Army Is Coming for Union Busters

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Online activists Gen-Z for Change targeted Starbucks and Kroger for anti-union firings. Now they plan to take aim at Amazon.

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Hospital Robots Are Helping Combat a Wave of Nurse Burnout

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Moxi and other delivery-focused assistants have become even more critical as the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed health care workers to their limits.

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The Rise of Brand-New Secondhand EVs

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 06:10:13 -0000

The global chip shortage has triggered a surge in demand for prized, pricey used electric vehicles. It's only just beginning.

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Elon Musk’s Truth

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 06:10:13 -0000

At TED, the Tesla CEO made his case for owning Twitter—and rewrote his own history.

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Wikipedia Editors Are Ready to Stop Accepting Crypto Donations

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 06:10:14 -0000

A majority of editors voiced support to end such donations, arguing that the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks consume too much energy.

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The Census Is Broken. Can AI Fix It?

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 06:10:16 -0000

Machine learning can help count people to deliver government funding and decide political representation, but the technology still makes mistakes.

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How Apple’s Monster M1 Ultra Chip Keeps Moore’s Law Alive

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 06:10:14 -0000

By combining two processors into one, the company has squeezed a surprising amount of performance out of silicon.

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The Race to Archive Social Posts That May Prove Russian War Crimes

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Painstaking new techniques for archiving social media posts could provide crucial evidence in future prosecutions.

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This Is How Twitter’s Edit Button Can Actually Work

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 06:10:13 -0000

The ability to edit tweets is coming—but it’s full of risks. This is how to do it right.

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After-Loss Tech Wants to Ease the Logistics of Death

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 06:10:15 -0000

A world of services has appeared to help act as digital death doulas for the bereaved. They show software's potential—and its limits.

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This Is How the Global Energy Crisis Ends

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 06:10:14 -0000

With future price rises baked in and some countries on the verge of rationing gas, things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get any better.

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Europe’s Biggest Lithium Mine Is Caught in a Political Maelstrom

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Europe wants to source EV materials within its own borders. But fierce opposition ahead of the elections in Serbia shows locals don’t trust mining companies.

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Washington State Passed a Contentious New Gig Worker Law

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Uber and Lyft have legally cemented the independent contractor status of ride-hail drivers. Now other states are on the horizon.

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A Wave of Startups Is Tackling Cow Burps and Other Climate Issues

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 06:10:12 -0000

The demand for tech to save the planet is driving a new boom in companies trying to cash in.

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Russians Need VPNs. The Kremlin Hates Them

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 06:10:15 -0000

VPNs are divided between trying to help Russians stay connected to the global web and steering clear of Putin’s messy politics.

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TikTok’s Black Box Obscures Its Role in Russia’s War

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Outside researchers can’t easily monitor how truth or lies circulate on the social media platform—raising concerns about its role in spreading misinformation.

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The Supply Chain Crisis Is About to Get a Lot Worse

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 06:10:13 -0000

A seemingly endless supply chain crunch has fueled interest in tech that promises to track problems or predict where new ones might occur.

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Europe's Digital Markets Act Takes a Hammer to Big Tech

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The EU targets tech giants' walled gardens with aggressive new rules, but the smaller companies the DMA is meant to help are skeptical it will work.

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Workers Are Trading Staggering Amounts of Data for 'Payday Loans'

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Companies are offering interest-free advances to people with poor credit in exchange for detailed personal data.

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California’s Plan to Electrify Uber and Lyft Doesn’t Add Up

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 06:10:15 -0000

A 2030 target for electric vehicles to dominate ride-hailing is a lofty goal. But it’s the drivers, not the companies, who may have to foot the bill.

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Why WhatsApp Survived Russia’s Social Media Purge

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Russia has branded Meta an “extremist organization” and banned Facebook and Instagram. WhatsApp is a different story.

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Coal Threatens a Comeback as the EU Pulls Away From Russian Oil

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Europe's efforts to avoid Russian energy imports will likely trigger a short-term spike in coal, and environmentalists are concerned.

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China’s Gig Workers Are Challenging Their Algorithmic Bosses

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Food delivery drivers are using platforms’ data-powered systems, mass WeChat groups, and unofficial unions to fight unfair conditions.

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Can an Online Course Help Big Tech Find Its Soul?

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The Foundations of Humane Technology is an eight-hour class for Silicon Valley’s disillusioned workers.

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On Depop, Sellers Are Pushing Shady Secondhand Pills

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 06:10:13 -0000

The popular ecommerce site is riddled with half-used packets of diet pills and harmful health supplements, highlighting the need for tougher regulation.

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Activists Are Reaching Russians Behind Putin's Propaganda Wall

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Apps like Tinder, Google Maps, and Telegram give activists a way to share what's really going on in Ukraine—for now.

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How a New Digital Dollar Could Shake the US Financial System

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 06:10:11 -0000

The Biden administration is looking into a government-issued digital currency. The implications would be profound.

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The Great Tech Hub Exodus Didn't Quite Happen

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Two years into the pandemic, US tech jobs remain concentrated in a handful of coastal hubs. But a new set of cities is gaining ground.

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The Problem With Big Tech's Wartime Push Against Putin

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Plus: Silicon Valley’s response to Snowden, stories that shift reality, and a culmination of catastrophes.

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In Ukraine, Online Gig Workers Keep Coding Through the War

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 06:10:12 -0000

The country is a large supplier of contract labor through platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr. The ongoing crisis with Russia exposes weaknesses in that system.

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High Above Ukraine, Satellites Get Embroiled in the War

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 06:10:12 -0000

While the Russian invasion rages on the ground, companies that operate data-collecting satellites find themselves in an awkward position.

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Today's Startups Are Flush With Cash—and Watching Every Penny

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Investors have poured money into startups the past few years. Now, founders worry about a changing market and the rising cost of retaining employees.

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How to Move Your Shop or Business Online

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The pandemic prompted entrepreneurs to move their brick-and-mortars into the digital sphere. Here's what worked for me and other small business owners.

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The Original Hybrid Workers Can Teach Us How to Do It Right

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Over 50 years ago, they trialed “part-time telecommuting.” The pandemic-driven model has problems, but early adopters think they can be fixed.

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The Governor of Colorado Is High on Blockchain

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Can Jared Polis turn the Rockies into the next crypto paradise?

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Australia's Standoff Against Google and Facebook Worked—Sort Of

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 06:10:14 -0000

A year after Australia forced tech giants to pay news outlets for the content they display, other countries want to follow suit.

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YouTube's Captions Insert Explicit Language in Kids' Videos

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 06:10:15 -0000

The AI that transcribes spoken dialog on the platform's standard version can render “corn” as “porn,” “beach” as “bitch,” and “brave” as “rape.”

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Energy Firms Are Going ‘Green’ by Offloading Dirty Coal Plants

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 06:10:13 -0000

In the EU, phasing out emissions often means paying someone to take over polluting plants—and keep them running.

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An NFT Bubble Is Taking Over the Gig Economy

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Two-thirds of freelancers on Fiverr say they’re servicing the NFT industry. But is it sustainable?

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Why Cities Want Old Buildings Taken Down Gently

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 06:10:14 -0000

A growing number of US cities are adopting “deconstruction” policies that involve taking structures apart by hand in the name of sustainability.

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China Is About to Regulate AI—and the World Is Watching

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Sweeping rules will cover algorithms that set prices, control search results, recommend videos, and filter content.

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TikTok Wants Longer Videos—Whether You Like It or Not

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 06:10:11 -0000

The company knows that clips over 60 seconds in length stress users out. That won't stop it from chasing the lucrative long-video market.

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Grocery Apps Hoped to Win Over Amsterdam. Then Things Turned Sour

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 06:10:13 -0000

The "dark stores" that popped up in Dutch cities have triggered turf wars with residents and citywide crackdowns.

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The Elusive Hunt for a Robot That Can Pick a Ripe Strawberry

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 06:10:13 -0000

It's a tricky, delicate task that combines machine vision and robotics. Progress has been slow, but entrepreneurs and farmers continue to invest.

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The Psychology of Placing EV Chargers Along Roads Less Traveled

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Just seeing a map of charging stations in rural areas can help alleviate “range anxiety”—and help get more EVs on the streets.

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After the Great Resignation, Tech Firms Are Getting Desperate

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Faced with a shortage of qualified workers and fierce competition, companies are offering candidates money to interview and plush perks if they stay.

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Face Recognition Is Out. So How Will the IRS Verify Identity?

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 06:10:14 -0000

Fighting fraud is important. But so is respecting privacy and guarding against bias. Â It's a “no-win situation,” one former official says.

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Assange’s NFT Clock Sale Rides a Wave of DAO Crowdfunding

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 15:27:56 -0000

The WikiLeaks founder raised $50 million for legal fees, making him the latest public figure to benefit from decentralized autonomous organizations.

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Sony's AI Drives a Race Car Like a Champ

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The company built GT Sophy to master the game Gran Turismo, but it may help the development of real self-driving cars.

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The IRS Drops Facial Recognition Verification After Uproar

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 06:17:27 -0000

Privacy advocates and lawmakers from both major parties objected to the agency's use of a third-party system to confirm taxpayers' identities.

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Battery-Powered Trains Are Picking Up Speed

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Electric locomotives could cut emissions of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants that harm people living near rail yards.

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A Fight Over the Right to Repair Cars Turns Ugly

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 06:10:12 -0000

In the wake of a voter-approved law, Subaru and Kia dealers in Massachusetts have disabled systems that allow remote starts and send maintenance alerts.

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Thousands of Planes Are Flying Empty and No One Can Stop Them

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 06:10:12 -0000

A pre-pandemic policy on airport usage is pressuring airlines to keep "ghost flights" in the air. The climate impact is massive.

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Big Tech Needs to Stop Trying to Make Their Metaverse Happen

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 06:10:13 -0000

From Microsoft to Meta, the race is on to sell an amorphous concept that no one really wants them to build.

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HP Wins Huge Fraud Case Against Autonomy’s Mike Lynch

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 06:10:14 -0000

The ruling by the UK’s High Court could also lead to Lynch’s extradition to the United States, where he faces further charges.

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It's Not Just the IRS—the US Government Wants Your Selfies

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 06:10:14 -0000

A controversial new program that uses facial recognition is part of a national effort to verify identities and reduce fraud.

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Now Physical Jobs Are Going Remote, Too

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 06:18:08 -0000

Advances in artificial intelligence and other technology allow machines to be operated from far away. The trend could spell trouble for workers.

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Synthetic Voices Want to Take Over Audiobooks

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 06:10:15 -0000

Publishers hope computer-generated voices can help them tap surging demand, but some fans—and Amazon—are resisting the robots.

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Latino Founders Have a Hard Time Raising Money From VCs

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Despite diversity pledges, funding to Latino-founded startups in the US still lags—accounting for only 2 percent of venture investments last year.

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Everyone Wants to Be an Entrepreneur

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Applications for new businesses rose 20 percent last year, after languishing for a decade. Many newly minted founders attribute it to the pandemic.

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Meta and Twitter's NFT Landgrab Could Backfire

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 06:10:13 -0000

A new plan to lure social media users to the metaverse could legitimize NFTs, but it could also ruin them.

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Guts, Not Guidelines, Will Stop Tech Mergers

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Plus: Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo, Silicon Valley’s approach to history, and Tonga’s disastrous eruption.

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China’s ‘People’s Courts’ Resolve Online Disputes at Tech Firms

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 06:10:14 -0000

No garlic on the oysters? Soup stained a blanket? Panels of users hear the complaints and can order refunds or removal of critical reviews.

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When It Comes to Health Care, AI Has a Long Way to Go

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Medical information is more complex and less available than the web data that many algorithms were trained on, so results can be misleading.

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Cities Want Ebikes to Stay in Their Lane—but Which One?

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 06:10:13 -0000

From New York to Moab, Utah, bicyclists and municipal officials are divided over whether ebikes should be permitted on bicycle trails.

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Who Do Young Entrepreneurs Look Up To? Elon Musk

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 06:10:13 -0000

Steve Jobs is dead, Mark Zuckerberg is tarnished. For the next generation of startup founders, the contributions of Bill Gates feel like ancient history.

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As Kazakhstan Descends into Chaos, Crypto Miners Are at a Loss

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

The central Asian country became No. 2 in the world for Bitcoin mining. But political turmoil and power cuts have hit hard, and the future looks bleak.

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Accessible Cars Aren’t Born, They’re Made

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 06:10:11 -0000

Car buyers looking for specific mobility features have limited options, but customizers and manufacturers are trying to change that.

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You May Be Able to Own a Self-Driving Car After All

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

For years, automakers focused on using autonomous technology for “robotaxis,” akin to a shared Uber. A GM announcement this week shows that’s changing.

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Facebook’s Data Center Plans Rile Residents in the Netherlands

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 06:21:20 -0000

The country has become a magnet for Big Tech facilities, but locals say they will syphon away all their green energy.

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Self-Driving Vehicles Are Here—If You Know Where to Look

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Glossy visions of an autonomous future always seem just out of reach. But two insiders say the technology is available on farms, and on clear, dry streets.

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Public Transit Systems Refocus on Their Core Riders

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

In the wake of the pandemic, officials are shifting bus and rail service toward lower-income neighborhoods, while some agencies are eliminating fares.

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A Move for 'Algorithmic Reparation' Calls for Racial Justice in AI

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Researchers are encouraging those who work in AI to explicitly consider racism, gender, and other structural inequalities.

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Advice to Startup Founders: Prepare to Fail

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Three new books explore why fledgling companies flounder—and what to do about it.

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John Deere's Self-Driving Tractor Stirs Debate on AI in Farming

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 06:10:11 -0000

The automation, and control of the resulting data, raise questions about the role of human farmers.

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A Year In, Biden’s China Policy Looks a Lot Like Trump’s

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 06:10:11 -0000

The administration has toned down the anti-China rhetoric, but it has maintained and expanded economic sanctions—and plans a “diplomatic boycott” of the Olympics.

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This Company Has a Way to Replace Plastic in Clothing

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

Natural Fiber Welding uses an innovative process to treat cotton and make it behave more like synthetic fibers.

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The Morbid War Over Online Obituaries

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 06:10:12 -0000

“Obituary pirates” scrape websites and publish their own versions of death notices, reaping commissions on flowers and gifts.

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VCs Lavished Startups With Cash in 2021. Now Comes the Hard Part

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 06:10:12 -0000

“Is it a casino or the future of tech? Everyone’s trying to figure that out.”

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Face Recognition Is Being Banned—but It’s Still Everywhere

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Two dozen cities and states prohibit use of the tech. But it’s on phones and is increasingly used in airports and in banks.

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How Y Combinator Changed the World

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 06:10:11 -0000

As if launching Airbnb, Stripe, and Dropbox weren’t enough, the famous accelerator has had an outsize—and mixed—impact on all of us.

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More Black and Hispanic Entrepreneurs Are Open for Business

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 06:10:13 -0000

A new report finds more people, particularly those in minority groups, are starting new ventures amid the pandemic.

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This Digital Bank Is Designed for the LGBTQ+ Community

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 06:10:12 -0000

New York-based Daylight is rethinking fintech with a social twist.

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Taking a ‘Flexible Job’? Beware the Never-Ending Workday

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 06:10:11 -0000

The rise of “asynchronous” working has great potential for companies and employees alike—but it comes with unexpectedly rigid downsides.

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The Gig Economy’s Days in Europe Are Numbered

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Court cases and a new draft law from the European Commission are chipping away at the controversial industry. What comes next may look very different.

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This New Tech Cuts Through Rock Without Grinding Into It

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 06:10:12 -0000

A startup called Petra uses super-hot gas to penetrate bedrock. The method could make it cheaper to move utilities underground—and make electric lines safer.

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There's $2B for Broadband on Reservations. It Won't Be Enough

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 06:10:12 -0000

The recently approved US infrastructure law aims to close the digital divide for Native peoples. But the demand far outstrips the money allocated.

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What Will Work Look Like in 2022? (Hint: Not the Metaverse)

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 06:10:11 -0000

Here’s what industry leaders think about the future of work, from changing office hours to, yes, staying in the meatspace.

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What Crypto Can Expect From Twitter’s New CEO

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 06:10:11 -0000

@jack is out at Twitter, but his crypto-mania is alive and well under Parag Agrawal.

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Meta’s Failed Giphy Deal Could End Big Tech’s Spending Spree

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 06:10:13 -0000

There was a time, not so long ago, when Meta’s big-money deal to acquire Giphy would have been waved through. No more.

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Why Do DVDs Still Exist?

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Some people still buy them—though not necessarily who you’d think.

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The Watch World Is Finally Being Forced to Embrace Ecommerce

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Digital retail came into its own during lockdown, yet amazingly some watch brands still haven’t committed to online sales. Now time is running out.

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Robots Won’t Close the Warehouse Worker Gap Anytime Soon

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Even Amazon’s new AI-powered machines aren’t nearly capable enough to handle the most important fulfillment tasks.

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Great Resignation? Tech Workers Try a Great Reconsideration Instead

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 06:10:12 -0000

More Americans are quitting their jobs than ever before. Some engineers are finding new workplaces to prioritize their own wellbeing.

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Good Luck Trying to Fix the Supply Chain Crisis

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 06:10:11 -0000

The system of getting things from A to B is broken. Fixing it will involve rethinking how pretty much everything moves.

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Why the Chip Shortage Drags On and On … and On

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 06:10:11 -0000

Demand is still surging, but it takes time to build new factories. And a history of highs and lows may deter some investors.

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John Doerr Wants to Stop Climate Change—With OKRs

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 06:10:56 -0000

Plus: Bill Gates’ climate plan, real estate in the metaverse, and a different kind of mirrorworld.

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Twitter Blue Is for People Who Love Reading the News

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The platform's first subscription feature has a specific target audience.

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You Don’t Have to WFH at Home—Try These Places Instead

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 06:32:15 -0000

Mix up your new normal by seeking out quirky local coworking spaces—or find some inspiration in a museum.

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The Hidden Dangers of 'Buy Now, Pay Later' Apps

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 06:10:23 -0000

Services such as Afterpay, Affirm, and Klarna are soaring in popularity and valuation. But consumer advocates say they make it easy to get overextended.

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Timnit Gebru Says Artificial Intelligence Needs to Slow Down

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The AI researcher, who left Google last year, says the incentives around AI research are all wrong.

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How To Fix Email … With Science!

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Email isn’t broken—it’s the people who are the problem. But if you start treating it like old-fashioned snail mail, suddenly it makes sense again.

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Sodium Batteries May Power Your New Electric Car

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 06:10:16 -0000

As EV sales increase, supplies of lithium may get tight. So some companies are incorporating cells with sodium, which provides almost as big a charge.

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The Wild Rise of Moonbug—YouTube’s Magic Money Machine

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The company, which runs several channels full of children's content, just sold for $3 billion. Disney, look out.

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The Metaverse Is Mark Zuckerberg’s Mobile Do-Over

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Plus: Facebook’s Home flop, the trouble with Covid answers, and good and bad news from Gaia.

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These Robots Follow You to Learn Where to Go

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Burro makes carts that help growers of trees and vineyards with harvests. Meanwhile, the maker of Vespa scooters wants to carry your groceries.

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These Philadelphians Created an App to Prevent Gun Violence

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Two neighbors stepped up to use technology to protect their community, and now they're sharing how easy it is for others to do the same.

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Google Staff Squirm as Remote Workers Face Pay Cuts

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 06:10:14 -0000

As more and more people switch to working from home, some are left counting the cost.

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Even as China Cracks Down on Tech, AI Companies Plan IPOs

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 06:10:14 -0000

SenseTime and Megvii both include facial recognition technology among their offerings and do a lot of business with government agencies.

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Facebook Drops Facial Recognition to Tag People in Photos

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The social media company will delete data from images of more than 1 billion people.

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These Companies Are Already Living in Zuckerberg’s Metaverse

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 06:10:14 -0000

The Meta dream envisages whole companies operating in a virtual world. Many made the switch years ago—with mixed results.

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These Batteries Can't Power a Car—but They Can Light Up a City

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Entrepreneurs are devising innovative ways to reuse spent electric vehicle batteries. One promising idea is storing power from solar and wind farms.

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Facebook Is Going Meta

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 06:10:15 -0000

Mark Zuckerberg would like you to call his troubled company something else now.

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This Group Pushed More AI in US Security—and Boosted Big Tech

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 06:10:12 -0000

The National Security Commission on AI included members from Oracle, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. Some of its recommendations are already federal law.

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This Program Can Give AI a Sense of Ethics—Sometimes

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Researchers trained an algorithm to answer questions about human values. Some of the responses are troubling.

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Apple’s New MacBook Pro Chips Flex the Power of Custom Silicon

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 06:10:14 -0000

The new M1 Pro and M1 Max better integrate the computers’ hardware with their software—much like the iPhone.

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Facebook Is Everywhere; Its Moderation Is Nowhere Close

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Human reviewers and AI filters struggle to police the flood of content—or understand the nuances in different Arabic dialects.

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I Used Facebook Without the Algorithm, and You Can Too

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 06:10:15 -0000

Making your News Feed chronological is an enlightening look at what's really happening on the platform.

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You Can Get This Free Crypto—If the ‘Orb’ Scans Your Eye

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Worldcoin's backers see it as a potential first step to a universal basic income.

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The ‘Broadband Gap’ Is Now a Housing Problem

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Many people eligible for Covid-era rent assistance have trouble navigating a “tangled web” of agencies because they don't have reliable internet access.

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Facebook Can't Hide Its Problems Behind a New Name

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Can rebranding the company herald a fresh start? Experts, as you might guess, are skeptical.

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A New Credit Card Arrives—With a Silicon Valley Twist

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 06:10:38 -0000

The X1 is designed for spenders who are young, high-earning, and live on their phones.

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With Subscriptions, Automakers Mimic Netflix’s Playbook

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 06:10:14 -0000

GM thinks consumers might pay $135 a month for emergency assistance, enhanced maps, and software-enabled upgrades that boost acceleration.

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AI’s Smarts Now Come With a Big Price Tag

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 06:10:14 -0000

As language models get more complex, they also get more expensive to create and run. Some companies are locked out.

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These Virtual Obstacle Courses Help Real Robots Learn to Walk

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:10:56 -0000

Researchers used specialized chips and simulation software to teach a four-legged robot to navigate stairs and blocks.

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The Government Wants to Bolster Its Tech—Starting With Workers

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Robin Carnahan, head of the agency that manages the federal government's offices and IT, is revamping job descriptions and pushing remote work.

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Borrowed a School Laptop? Mind Your Open Tabs

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Students—many from lower-income households—were likely to use school-issued devices for remote learning. But the devices often contained monitoring software.

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A True Story About Bogus Photos of People Making Fake News

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 06:10:13 -0000

A photographer set out to capture the misinformation producers in a small town in Macedonia. He wound up revealing uncomfortable truths about his own profession.

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Weighing Big Tech’s Promise to Black America

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Last year, Netflix made a pledge that represents the tech industry’s best shot at redressing the nation’s racial inequality. How seriously should we take it?

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Clearview AI Has New Tools to Identify You in Photos

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 06:10:16 -0000

In an interview with WIRED, CEO Hoan Ton-That said the company has scraped 10 billion photos from the web—and developed new ways to aid police surveillance.

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Bring on the Fist Bumps and Nasal Swabs—Tech Conferences Are Back

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Hundreds of (vaccinated) attendees gathered in a Beverly Hills hotel ballroom as Code Conference returned after a year-long hiatus.

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China's Sweeping Cryptocurrency Ban Was Inevitable

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 06:10:14 -0000

The decentralized technology clashes with the government’s plans for a state-dominated economy—one that includes its own digital currency.

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Soon Your Google Searches Can Combine Text and Images

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 06:10:11 -0000

With the help of AI, you’ll be able to take a picture of a shirt, then ask Google to find socks with the same pattern.

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This Software Aims to Make Your Flight Smoother—and Help the Planet

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Airplanes taxiing isn't just annoying—it's a big source of emissions. The FAA and NASA created a new system to save time and fuel.

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Why Tesla Is Designing Chips to Train Its Self-Driving Tech

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 06:47:15 -0000

Developing AI is costly and time-consuming. Custom silicon can give companies an edge.

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These Deepfake Voices Can Help Trans Gamers

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 06:10:16 -0000

Players of online games can be harassed when their voices don't match their gender identity. New AI-fueled software may help.

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AI Can Write Code Like Humans—Bugs and All

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 06:10:13 -0000

New tools that help developers write software also generate similar mistakes.

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It’s Time to Talk About Facebook Research

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 06:10:16 -0000

Plus: Adam Mosseri on News Feeds, remote drivers for cars, and a pickle for Greenland.

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How Computationally Complex Is a Single Neuron?

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Scientists taught an artificial neural network to imitate a biological neuron. The result offers a new way to think about the complexity of brain cells.

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The Elizabeth Holmes Trial Is Underway. Silicon Valley Is Watching

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 06:10:13 -0000

“I’m glad the ‘Fake it till you make it’ mantra of Silicon Valley is coming into question,” one investor told WIRED.

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Google Is Getting Caught in the Global Antitrust Net

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 06:10:13 -0000

As more governments force US tech companies to change how they do business, one case in Turkey cuts to the heart of the search giant’s power.

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A Stanford Proposal Over AI's 'Foundations' Ignites Debate

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 06:10:12 -0000

A research paper that dubs some artificial intelligence models "foundational" is sparking a dispute over the future of the field.

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Community Pharmacies Stepped Up During Covid—and Changed for Good

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Pharmacies have long been perceived as commodities. Now, they’re a central tool for removing barriers to health care.

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In the US, the AI Industry Risks Becoming Winner-Take-Most

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 06:10:15 -0000

A new study illustrates just how geographically concentrated AI activity has become.

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El Salvador’s Bitcoin Gamble Is Off to a Rocky Start

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Enthusiasm, fear, and light shows usher the country into the age of cryptocurrency.

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An Explosion in Geofence Warrants Threatens Privacy Across the US

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 06:10:12 -0000

New figures from Google show a tenfold increase in the requests from law enforcement, which target anyone who happened to be in a given location at a specified time.

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The $150 Million Machine Keeping Moore’s Law Alive

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 06:10:15 -0000

ASML’s next-generation extreme ultraviolet lithography machines achieve previously unattainable levels of precision, which means chips can keep shrinking for years to come.

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GM Recalls Every Chevy Bolt Ever Made Over Faulty Batteries

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 06:10:14 -0000

The automaker is recalling the electric vehicle after investigating two manufacturing defects linked to car fires.

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Gavin Newsom’s Recall Election Divides Silicon Valley’s Elite

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 06:10:14 -0000

How the tech world’s unique brand of politics is shaping the fight over who governs California.

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A New Chip Cluster Will Make Massive AI Models Possible

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 06:10:15 -0000

Cerebras says its technology can run a neural network with 120 trillion connections—a hundred times what's achievable today.

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Lina Khan’s Theory of the Facebook Antitrust Case Takes Shape

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:10:14 -0000

With a beefed-up complaint, the Federal Trade Commission explains precisely why it thinks the social media giant is an illegal monopoly.

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AI Can Write in English. Now It's Learning Other Languages

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 06:10:15 -0000

Startups in Germany, China, Israel, and elsewhere are following the path blazed by GPT-3—with local twists.Â

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Tesla Promised a Robot. Was It Just a Recruiting Pitch?

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 06:10:15 -0000

The highlight of an event aimed at AI whizzes was a human simulating a robot that might someday replace a human.

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Looking for a New Job in Tech? It’s Your Lucky Day

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 06:10:11 -0000

Flexible WFH policies, signing bonuses, fancy cookies—employers are turning on the charm to attract engineers and developers to their firms.

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The Push for Ad Agencies to Ditch Big Oil Clients

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 06:10:14 -0000

An activist coalition is pressuring firms to stop promoting fossil fuel companies—some of which have advertised oil and gas as “climate friendly.”

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Apple and Google Are Gearing Up to Fight a New App Store Bill

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The Open App Markets Act would relax the tech giants’ grip on the app economy. But a PR campaign against it is already underway.

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Now That Machines Can Learn, Can They Unlearn?

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Privacy concerns about AI systems are growing. So researchers are testing whether they can remove sensitive data without retraining the system from scratch.

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How an Obscure Green Bay Packers Site Became the Biggest Thing on Facebook

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 06:10:14 -0000

The social media giant's new transparency report mostly succeeds in showing the extent of its spam problem.

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New Regulation Could Cause a Split in the Crypto Community

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 06:10:14 -0000

An article in the Infrastructure Bill led cryptocurrency to acquire a great marker of prestige: a lobby. But can it keep a united front?

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The Feds Are Investigating Tesla Over Autopilot Crashes

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 06:36:42 -0000

The probe will look at 11 accidents, each of which involved a parked emergency vehicle.

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Deepfakes Are Now Making Business Pitches

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 06:10:16 -0000

The video technology, initially associated with porn, is gaining a foothold in the corporate world.

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What Airbnb’s Summer Boost Reveals About Covid-19 Recovery

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The company’s latest earnings report showed an upsurge in business, but it also hedges expectations for the fall.

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Samsung Has Its Own AI-Designed Chip. Soon, Others Will Too

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 06:10:11 -0000

Synopsys, which sells software for designing semiconductors to dozens of companies, is adding artificial intelligence to its arsenal.

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This Device Helps Paralyzed People Breathe—and Sing

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Called the Exo-Abs, the robotic device uses artificial intelligence to gauge how much pressure to put on a person’s midsection.

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Struggling to Recruit, Police Turn to Targeted Ads

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 06:10:12 -0000

The pandemic and the George Floyd protests have made recruiters’ jobs tougher. Now they’re tapping the behavioral profiling power of social media.

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Biden Wants More EVs on Roads. What About Charging Stations?

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 06:10:11 -0000

The president called for 40 percent of new cars to be electric by 2030. But motorists still fret about running out of juice—even if it rarely happens.

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John Deere Doubles Down on Silicon Valley and Robots

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 06:10:12 -0000

The farm-equipment giant is buying Bear Flag Robotics, which makes autonomous tractors, markingÂ its second big tech buy in four years.

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If YouTube Algorithms Radicalize Users, Data Doesn’t Show It

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 06:10:14 -0000

New research tracking people’s behavior on the platform found that most don’t go down those ever-deepening rabbit holes.

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These Algorithms Look at X-Rays—and Somehow Detect Your Race

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 06:10:14 -0000

A study raises new concerns that AI will exacerbate disparities in health care. One issue? The study’s authors aren’t sure what cues are used by the algorithms.Â

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Amazon's Massive GDPR Fine Shows the Law's Power—and Limits

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 06:10:18 -0000

It's the first significant GDPR ruling against Big Tech. But secrecy around the decision exposes the regulation’s flaws.

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Facebook’s Reason for Banning Researchers Doesn’t Hold Up

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 06:10:11 -0000

The company says privacy concerns forced it to block access for a team of academics. Whose privacy, exactly?

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China Cracks Down On Its Tech Giants. Sound Familiar?

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Companies like Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent were once regarded with national pride. Now they’re being slapped with fines and other penalties.

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The Pandemic Drives Cofounders to Couples Therapy

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Startups are like relationships—at least that’s what some Silicon Valley therapists are pitching.

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Toyota Whiffed on EVs. Now It’s Trying to Slow Their Rise

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 06:10:12 -0000

In a bid to protect its investments in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells, the carmaker is lobbying against the transition to electric vehicles.

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Intel's Ambitious Plan to Regain Chipmaking Leadership

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 06:10:15 -0000

The company announced a strategy that involves new machinery and new technologies. It may get a boost from the US government.

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Clubhouse Opens Its Doors. Is Anyone Rushing to Get In?

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Just a few days after ditching its invite-only status, the audio chat app had fewer than 500,000 new downloads.

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Trucks Move Past Cars on the Road to Autonomy

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Money is pouring into autonomous trucking startups, just as many are souring on the short-term prospects for self-driving cars.Â

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These Bendy Plastic Chips Fit in Unusual Places

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Researchers think these flexible semiconductors will be able to monitor your heartbeat or tell you whether your milk has spoiled.

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As the Use of AI Spreads, Congress Looks to Rein It In

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 06:10:14 -0000

The White House, lawmakers from both parties, and federal agencies are all working on bills or projects to constrain potential downsides of the tech.

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Who’s Winning the War Between Biden and Facebook? Fox News

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Misinformation on the cable channel may be responsible for more vaccine hesitancy than the social network.Â

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The Pentagon Is Bolstering Its AI Systems—by Hacking Itself

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 06:12:01 -0000

A new “red team” will try to anticipate and thwart attacks on machine learning programs.

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Why Not Use Self-Driving Cars as Supercomputers?

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Autonomous vehicles use the equivalent of 200 laptops to get around. Some want to tap that computing power to decode viruses or mine bitcoin.

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No, Facebook and Google Are Not Public Utilities

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 06:10:12 -0000

It’s time to retire one of the most half-baked ideas for regulating Big Tech.Â

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As Travel Rebounds, Airlines Are Figuring It Out on the Fly

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Businesses destinations are out, tourist spots are in. The old rules governing fares and flight schedules have been thrown out the window.

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Why Do Some Crimes Increase When Airbnbs Come to Town?

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Tourists neither commit nor attract crimes. But a study finds that violent offenses rose in neighborhoods where more homes were converted to short-term rentals.

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The US Needs to Get Back in the Business of Making Chips

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Pandemic-induced supply disruptions and competition from China put more pressure on US companies to manufacture semiconductors at home.

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China's Nationalistic ‘Wolf Warriors’ Blast Foes on Twitter

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Diplomats hurl insults and mock enemies in screeds that often appear aimed at a domestic audience, even though the social media service is blocked in China.Â

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A New Tool Shows How Google Results Vary Around the World

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 06:10:15 -0000

Search Atlas displays three sets of links—or images—from different countries for any search.

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GitHub’s Commercial AI Tool Was Built From Open Source Code

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Copilot is pitched as a helpful aid to developers. But some programmers object to the blind copying of blocks of code used to train the algorithm.

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Clubhouse Aimed to Foster Diversity. Is it Working?

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Here’s what you need to know before joining the social audio platform, especially if you’re a person of color.

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French Spyware Executives Are Indicted for Aiding Torture

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The managers are accused of selling tech to Libya and Egypt that was used to to identify activists, read private messages, and kidnap, torture, or kill them.

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Pet Startups Are Having a Field Day

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 06:10:14 -0000

The pandemic ushered in a new wave of pet owners—and unleashed business opportunities for companies that cater to them.

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Need to Fit Billions of Transistors on a Chip? Let AI Do It

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Google, Nvidia, and others are training algorithms in the dark arts of designing semiconductors—some of which will be used to run artificial intelligence programs.Â

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The Pentagon Scrubs a Cloud Deal and Looks to Add More AI

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 06:10:15 -0000

The JEDI program had become a legal and political morass. Microsoft won the $10 billion contract, but Amazon and Oracle sued to block the deal.

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This AI Helps Police Monitor Social Media. Does It Go Too Far?

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 06:10:15 -0000

Law enforcement officials say the tool can help them combat misinformation. Civil liberties advocates say it can be used for mass surveillance.

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A Global Smart-City Competition Highlights China’s Rise in AI

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Chinese entrants swept all five categories, featuring technologies to improve civic life. But the advances could also be tools for surveillance.

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Oregon’s Buckled Roads and Melted Cables Are Warning Signs

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Highways and rail lines in the Pacific Northwest were built for a cooler climate. But the heat wave proved that extreme weather is becoming more common.

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El Salvador’s Race to Be the Bitcoin Capital of the World

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 06:10:15 -0000

After China’s crackdown, the cryptocurrency crowd is looking for a new haven. This Central American nation thinks it’s the answer.

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Google Launches a New Medical App—Outside the US

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The dermatology AI app won approval for use in the EU but not with the FDA, an odd twist on Europe's reputation for tough rules on tech.

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America’s ‘Smart City’ Didn’t Get Much Smarter

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Columbus, Ohio, won a $50 million grant five years ago to use tech to solve old problems. But technical hurdles, bureaucracy, and the pandemic dashed many plans.

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An Algorithm That Predicts Deadly Infections Is Often Flawed

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 06:10:13 -0000

A study found that a system used to identify cases of sepsis missed most instances and frequently issued false alarms.

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Andreessen Horowitz Goes Ham on Crypto with a New $2.2B Fund

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 06:10:14 -0000

After its wildly successful Coinbase exit, the VC firm signals its commitment to cryptocurrencies with a third fund.

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A New Wave of Dating Apps Takes Cues From TikTok and Gen Z

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Online dating exploded in popularity during the pandemic, and the number of new startups has grown. But will they last?

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How Some Americans Are Breaking Out of Political Echo Chambers

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 06:10:13 -0000

A growing number of people are seeking a wider diversity of news sources or opinions contrary to their own to combat information silos within social media.

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Baltimore May Soon Ban Facial Recognition for Everyone but Cops

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 06:10:15 -0000

The measure would make private use of the technology illegal, but would not apply to police. It awaits the mayor's signature.

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The Efforts to Make Text-Based AI Less Racist and Terrible

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Language models like GPT-3 can write poetry, but they often amplify negative stereotypes. Researchers are trying different approaches to address the problem.

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Apple and Google’s New AI Wizardry Promises Privacy—at a Cost

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The companies revealed upgrades for their phones that protect data and reduce reliance on the cloud. It also binds users more tightly to their ecosystems.

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Zillow Taps AI to Improve Its Home Value Estimates

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 06:10:14 -0000

By employing a neural network, the company says its numbers will be more accurate—and allow it to offer to buy more homes.Â

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Transit Agencies Are Trying Everything to Lure You Back

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Systems in Boston, Cleveland, Las Vegas, and the San Francisco Bay Area are offering reduced fares or free rides. Others are considering abolishing fares altogether.Â

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VC Pledged to 'Do Better' on Diversity. It's Barely Changed

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 06:10:11 -0000

The Black Lives Matter protests drew sympathetic public statements from investors in 2020. One year later, signs of progress are harder to find.

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Covid Brings Automation to the Workplace, Killing Some Jobs

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 06:10:11 -0000

Unable to find enough workers, employers are turning to technology to perform tasks—and women are likely to be the hardest hit.

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China's Quiet Ecommerce Giant Thrives on Fresh Produce

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Pinduoduo, which recently passed Alibaba as the shopping site with the most customers, connects 12 million farmers to more than 800 million users.

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Deepfake Maps Could Really Mess With Your Sense of the World

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Researchers applied AI techniques to make portions of Seattle look more like Beijing. Such imagery could mislead governments or spread misinformation online.

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Don't End Up on This Artificial Intelligence Hall of Shame

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 06:10:12 -0000

A list of incidents that caused, or nearly caused, harm aims to prompt developers to think more carefully about the tech they create.

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The All-Seeing Eyes of New York’s 15,000 Surveillance Cameras

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 06:10:15 -0000

Video from the cameras is often used in facial-recognition searches. A report finds they are most common in neighborhoods with large nonwhite populations.

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This Arcane Manual Could Pave the Way to More Human-Friendly Cities

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 06:10:13 -0000

For decades, the federal government has issued a guide for designing streets. Activists want to make it better for pedestrians and cyclists.

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Inside Silicon Valley’s Mayo Marketing Madness

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 06:10:12 -0000

The war on eggs started back in the ’70s, not with the company formerly known as Hampton Creek, but with a little cafe-grocery store in Los Angeles.

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AI Can Write Disinformation Now—and Dupe Human Readers

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 06:10:13 -0000

Georgetown researchers used text generator GPT-3 to write misleading tweets about climate change and foreign affairs. People found the posts persuasive.

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Uber’s Union Deal in the UK Doesn’t Mean Its Battles Are Over

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 06:10:14 -0000

The company's first-ever union agreement could distract from more changes that need to happen, both within the gig economy and governments.Â

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AI Could Soon Write Code Based on Ordinary Language

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 06:10:14 -0000

Microsoft reveals plans to bring GPT-3, best known for generating text, to programming. “The code writes itself,” CEO Satya Nadella says.Â

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When Driving Is (Partially) Automated, People Drive More

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 06:10:13 -0000

A study finds that users of advanced driver-assistance systems drive 4,888 more miles per year than similar drivers without the feature.Â

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Meet Your Next Angel Investor. They're 19

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 06:10:13 -0000

It’s never been easier to invest in startups, and Gen Z is taking full advantage.

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This AI Makes Robert De Niro Perform Lines in Flawless German

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 06:10:13 -0000

When films are dubbed in another language, an actor’s facial movements may clash with his lines. Technology related to deepfakes can help smooth things over.

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Florida’s New Social Media Law Will Be Laughed Out of Court

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 06:10:12 -0000

The Stop Social Media Censorship Act almost certainly violates both the US Constitution and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.Â

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The Ford Lightning F-150 Is the Electric Vehicle of Dystopia

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The automaker says the battery inside the pickup can power a home for three days—useful in a world of fires, floods, and freezes.Â

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All Those Electric Vehicles Pose a Problem for Building Roads

Mon, 31 May 2021 06:10:11 -0000

Gas taxes are the largest source of funding for highway construction and maintenance. As more cars plug in, that revenue is shrinking.

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The Most Radical Thing About Ford's F-150 Lightning? The Cost

Fri, 28 May 2021 06:10:11 -0000

After tax credits, the base model of the electric pickup will be cheaper than its gas-fueled sibling, removing what has been a big barrier for EV sales.

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Roku and YouTube Are Battling for Your Precious TV Data

Thu, 27 May 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Connected TV advertising brought in $9 billion last year and is poised to grow as more viewers shift from cable to streaming.

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Covid Forced America to Make More Stuff. What Happens Now?

Wed, 26 May 2021 06:10:11 -0000

A software entrepreneur pivoted to making masks at the start of the pandemic. The experience opened his eyes: “I thought, ‘Wow, the US really is behind.’”

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Live Audio Apps Lure Creators With Money and Promises

Tue, 25 May 2021 06:10:12 -0000

Talk is cheap, unless you’re an in-demand content creator for platforms like Clubhouse and its many clones.

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GameStop FOMO Inspires a New Wave of Crypto Pump-and-Dumps

Mon, 24 May 2021 06:10:15 -0000

Thousands of would-be investors are joining Discord groups that promise big earnings by manipulating the crypto market.

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DeepMind Wants to Use AI to Transform Soccer

Fri, 21 May 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The Alphabet-owned company is working with Liverpool to bring computer vision and statistical learning to the high-stakes world of sports.

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To Make These Chips More Powerful, IBM Is Growing Them Taller

Thu, 20 May 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The company reveals a process that it says can cram two-thirds more transistors on a semiconductor, heralding faster and more efficient electronic devices.

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Black and Queer AI Groups Say They'll Spurn Google Funding

Wed, 19 May 2021 06:10:13 -0000

The move is the latest fallout following the departures of the heads of the company's ethical AI research team and a recruiter.

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Twitter Group's Offer India a Covid-19 Lifeline

Tue, 18 May 2021 06:10:15 -0000

Hashtags have provided a kind of emergency hotline—but the need for mutual aid on social media is also a rebuke to the government.

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It Began As an AI-Fueled Dungeon Game. It Got Much Darker

Mon, 17 May 2021 06:10:12 -0000

The game touted its use of the GPT-3 text generator. Then the algorithm started to generate disturbing stories, including sex scenes involving children.

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The One Legal Question That Will Probably Decide the Epic-Apple Lawsuit

Fri, 14 May 2021 06:10:27 -0000

It’s all about how you define the market.

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Gummy Bears and Candy Bars Are Casualties of the Pandemic

Thu, 13 May 2021 06:10:27 -0000

Shopping online means fewer unplanned purchases. Manufacturers and retailers are testing tactics to bring impulse buying to the web.

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Why Almost No One Is Getting the Fastest Form of 5G

Wed, 12 May 2021 06:10:28 -0000

A new report shows that US mobile customers are tapping into the technology’s speediest networks less than 1 percent of the time.

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The WFH Exodus Creates an Opportunity for Small Cities

Tue, 11 May 2021 06:10:24 -0000

Workers from urban centers will continue to work from home, at least part-time. Officials and developers are planning the shops and services they'll want.

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Ford's Ever-Smarter Robots Are Speeding Up the Assembly Line

Mon, 10 May 2021 06:10:31 -0000

A transmission factory shows how artificial intelligence may creep into industrial processes in gradual and often imperceptible ways.

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AI Helps Prove Two Scribes Wrote Text of a Dead Sea Scroll

Fri, 07 May 2021 06:10:28 -0000

Most scholars thought the Isaiah Scroll was copied by a single author. New handwriting analysis just revealed otherwise.

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This Researcher Says AI Is Neither Artificial nor Intelligent

Thu, 06 May 2021 06:10:30 -0000

Kate Crawford, who holds positions at USC and Microsoft, says in a new book that even experts working on the technology misunderstand AI.Â

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Now for AI’s Latest Trick: Writing Computer Code

Wed, 05 May 2021 06:10:33 -0000

Programs such as GPT-3 can compose convincing text. Some people are using the tool to automate software development and hunt for bugs.Â

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Europe's Proposed Limits on AI Would Have Global Consequences

Tue, 04 May 2021 06:10:27 -0000

The EU released draft laws that would regulate facial recognition and uses of algorithms. If it passes, the policy will impact companies in the US and China.

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Need an Angel Investor? Just Open Up Clubhouse

Mon, 03 May 2021 06:10:30 -0000

Consider it likeÂ Shark TankÂ on your phone: Every week on Angelhouse, founders make a pitch to a panel of investors as hundreds of people listen in.

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A Fatal Crash Renews Concerns Over Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ Claim

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 06:10:24 -0000

The company offers a feature called “Full Self-Driving Capability.” But it remains far from a self-driving car.Â

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Union Says Amazon Violated Labor Law in the Alabama Election

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 06:10:24 -0000

Amazon defeated the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union’s bid to represent workers at one warehouse. The union claims the company fought dirty.

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BMW’s Virtual Factory Uses AI to Hone the Assembly Line

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 06:10:25 -0000

The German automaker uses new software from chipmaker Nvidia to simulate train robots and human workers.

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Microsoft Makes a $16 Billion Entry Into Health Care AI

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 06:10:21 -0000

The company plans to buy Nuance, a speech-recognition firm that grasps the specialized language of medicine — tech that won’t be easy for others to replicate.

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Is Silicon Valley Dead? Not According to Venture Dollars

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 06:10:23 -0000

In a record quarter for VC funding, California still takes the cake—further evidence that reports of the region’s demise are greatly exaggerated.Â

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Coinbase Makes Its Debut—and Bitcoin Arrives on Wall Street

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 06:10:25 -0000

The largest cryptocurrency exchange goes public through a direct listing, and it could make a bigger debut than Facebook.

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Antitrust and Privacy Are on a Collision Course

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 06:10:21 -0000

Facebook is being sued for weakening data protections. Google is being sued for strengthening them. Can that paradox be resolved?

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AI Comes to Car Repair, and Body Shop Owners Aren’t Happy

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 06:10:22 -0000

During the pandemic, insurers accelerated the use of automated tools to estimate repair costs. Garage operators say the numbers can be wildly inaccurate.

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New Vaccine Conspiracy Theories Are Going Viral in Arabic

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 06:10:24 -0000

Facebook has been criticized for failing to curb misinformation in English. But little attention has been paid to the scale of the problem in Arabic.

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This AI Could Help Wipe Out Colon Cancer

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 06:10:21 -0000

Medtronic's GI Genius, awaiting clearance from the FDA, will help doctors identify precancerous polyps.Â

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Biden Announces His Broadband Plan—and ISPs Will Hate It

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 06:10:27 -0000

The $100 billion proposal will probably be met with fierce resistance by telecom companies, but there's a lot to like for internet users.

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Serve Food in Far-Away Restaurants—Right From Your Couch

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 06:10:26 -0000

A growing number of robots are operated remotely, often by workers thousands of miles away. Could it be a job of the future?

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US Sanctions Are Squeezing Huawei, but for How Long?

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 06:10:24 -0000

Growth slowed last year at the tech giant, as it had trouble securing the most advanced chips. China's government has a plan to change that.Â

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Silicon Valley Revs Up for a ‘Hot Startup’ Summer

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 06:10:23 -0000

“Now is the time to start stepping on the gas,” as one prominent VC firm put it to founders.

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Groups Call for Ethical Guidelines on Location-Tracking Tech

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 06:10:26 -0000

The Locus Charter asks companies to commit to 10 principles, including minimizing data collection and actively seeking consent from users.

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Biden Wants You Out of Your Car and on the Train

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 06:10:25 -0000

The president's $2 trillion infrastructure proposal boosts funding for buses and rail. It even envisions actually tearing down some freeways.

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The Foundations of AI Are Riddled With Errors

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 06:10:22 -0000

The labels attached to images used to train machine-vision systems are often wrong. That could mean bad decisions by self-driving cars and medical algorithms.

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One Startup’s Solution for Zoom Fatigue? The Walk and Talk

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 06:10:22 -0000

Spot is a new platform dedicated entirely to walking meetings, launched by a longtime remote work evangelist.

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This AI Can Generate Convincing Text—and Anyone Can Use It

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 06:10:24 -0000

The makers of Eleuther hope it will be an open source alternative to GPT-3, the well-known language program from OpenAI.

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Negligence, Not Politics, Drives Most Misinformation Sharing

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 06:10:23 -0000

Researchers found that social media users are generally adept at identifying fake news. But that doesn’t always affect their decision to repost it.

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AI Could Enable 'Swarm Warfare' for Tomorrow's Fighter Jets

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 06:10:25 -0000

A Pentagon project is testing scenarios involving multiple aircraft that could change the dynamics of air combat.

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Where Are Those Shoes You Ordered? Check the Ocean Floor

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 06:10:24 -0000

More containers have fallen off ships in the past four months than are typically lost in a year. Blame heavy traffic and rolling waves.

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A New WeWork Documentary Relives Its Roller Coaster Story

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 06:10:23 -0000

WeWork: Or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn is a good crash course while you wait for the adaptation starring Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway.

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This Startup Wants to Take Your Blood Pressure With an iPhone

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 06:10:22 -0000

“Hey Siri, help me treat my hypertension."

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Researchers Blur Faces That Launched a Thousand Algorithms

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 06:10:24 -0000

Managers of the ImageNet data set paved the way for advances in deep learning. Now they’ve taken a big step to protect people’s privacy.

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This Chip for AI Works Using Light, Not Electrons

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 06:10:22 -0000

Lightmatter says the computing and power demands of complex neural networks need new technologies like these to keep up.

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The Pandemic Prompts Cities to Rethink the Parking Spot

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 06:10:25 -0000

Some urban designers have long wanted to reduce the area set aside for cars. Covid is giving them a chance.

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Who Are the Biggest Influencers on Clubhouse?

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 06:10:27 -0000

It's harder to figure out than you might expect.

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Fake News Gets More Engagement on Facebook—But Only If It's Right-Wing

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 06:10:25 -0000

Far-right pages that publish misinformation get the most interactions by far compared to other news sources, new research shows.Â

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As China Rises, the US Builds Toward a Bigger Role in AI

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 06:10:22 -0000

After decades of staying out of industrial policy, a Pentagon-appointed commission recommends more spending on research and support for US chip makers.

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Black Tech Employees Rebel Against ‘Diversity Theater’

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 06:10:25 -0000

Companies pledged money and support for people of color. But some say they still face a hostile work environment for speaking out or simply doing their jobs.Â

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Good-bye Zoom. Hello Low-Key Ambient Snooping

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 06:10:24 -0000

If you are missing out on serendipity in your remote work, try ramping up your 2-D audio copresence.

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Big Tech Targets DC With a Digital Charm Offensive

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 06:10:25 -0000

Facebook, Amazon, and Google ads are blanketing inside-the-Beltway newsletters in a bid to rehab their tarnished reputations.

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Gig Companies Fear a Worker Shortage, Despite a Recession

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 06:10:23 -0000

The pandemic sapped demand for rides from Uber and Lyft, and government aid has cushioned the blow for workers. Execs are feeling the strain.

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There's a Surge of New EVs. We Take Them for a Spin

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 06:10:25 -0000

Volkswagen, Chevrolet, Volvo, Porsche, and Polestar have each introduced new battery-powered models. So we hit the road with each of them.

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You’re About to See a Lot More Instagram Live Collabs

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 06:10:24 -0000

Instagram is finally giving creators their most requested feature—which the company hopes will make it a more dynamic destination for viewers.

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Why a YouTube Chat About Chess Got Flagged for Hate Speech

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 06:10:23 -0000

AI programs that analyze language have difficulty gauging context. Words such as “black,” “white,” and “attack" can have different meanings.Â

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California Can Now Enforce Its Net Neutrality Law

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 06:10:28 -0000

A judge ruled earlier this week on the law, which has faced challenges from lobbyists representing internet providers as well as the Trump administration.

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Clubhouse Is Booming. So Is the Ecosystem Around It

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 06:10:24 -0000

A wave of startups, features, and tools has sprung up around the popular audio app. And some are looking to cash in.

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Gig Workers Gather Their Own Data to Check the Algorithm’s Math

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 06:10:23 -0000

Drivers for Uber, Lyft, and other firms are building apps to compare their mileage with pay slips. One group is selling the data to government agencies.

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The UK Is the Latest Country to Tighten the Screws on Uber

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 06:10:22 -0000

The country's highest court ruled that the 25 drivers who filed a lawsuit should be considered workers and entitled to minimum wage and vacations.

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How Planes Keep Flying After an Engine Catches Fire

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 06:10:22 -0000

A Boeing 777 shed huge chunks of metal over a Denver suburb over the weekend—but wasn't in danger of going down itself.

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Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog Is Now Armed—in the Name of Art

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 06:10:24 -0000

A group of meme-spinning pranksters attached a paintball gun to the dynamic robot to make a point about the automated future.

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A Second AI Researcher Says She Was Fired by Google

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 06:10:26 -0000

Margaret Mitchell was the co-leader of a group investigating ethics in AI, alongside Timnit Gebru, who said she was fired in December.

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The AI Research Paper Was Real. The ‘Coauthor’ Wasn't

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 06:10:26 -0000

An MIT professor found his name on two papers with which he had no connection. A different paper listed a fictitious author by the name of "Bill Franks."

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How Covid Gums Up the Court System

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 06:10:24 -0000

Videofeeds sometimes fail, defense attorneys can’t confer with clients, and witnesses have a hard time reviewing documents.Â

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A New Artificial Intelligence Makes Mistakes—on Purpose

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 06:11:13 -0000

A chess program that learns from human error might be better at working with people or negotiating with them.

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Carjackings Are Up—and Gig Workers Are Getting Victimized

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 06:11:11 -0000

Drivers, often unfamiliar with a neighborhood, leave cars running while dropping off food. Opportunistic thieves lie in wait.Â

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Microsoft’s Big Win in Quantum Computing Was an ‘Error’ After All

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 06:11:15 -0000

In a 2018 paper, researchers said they found evidence of an elusive theorized particle. A closer look now suggests otherwise.

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Aurora Partners With Toyota on Self-Driving Sienna Taxis

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 06:11:12 -0000

The autonomous vehicle startup purchased Uber’s struggling self-driving technology division in December.

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How Censorship Can Influence Artificial Intelligence

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 06:11:14 -0000

A study finds that algorithms learn to associate words with other words. “Democracy” can equal “stability”—or “chaos.”

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A Silicon Chip Shortage Is Causing Big Issues for Automakers

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 06:11:15 -0000

Car companies have had to reduce output, pause production, and even idle shifts and entire factories.Â

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The Digital Divide Is Giving American Churches Hell

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 06:11:16 -0000

Covid-19 has upended churchgoing in the US. Like so much else with the pandemic, the impacts are not felt equally.

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Would You Trade a Bitcoin for a Tesla?

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 06:11:14 -0000

The maker of electric vehicles said it had invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin and plans to accept the cryptocurrency as payment for its cars.

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Finally, an Interesting Proposal for Section 230 Reform

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 06:11:15 -0000

A new bill directly targets the most egregious excesses of online platform immunity.

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AI and the List of Dirty, Naughty, Obscene, and Otherwise Bad Words

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 06:11:15 -0000

It started as a way to restrict autocompletes on Shutterstock. Now it grooms search suggestions on Slack and influences Google's artificial intelligence research.

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Lawmakers Take Aim at Insidious Digital ‘Dark Patterns’

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 06:11:15 -0000

A new California law prohibits efforts to trick consumers into handing over data or money. A bill in Washington state copies the language.

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Biden Wants the Government to Run on EVs. It Won’t Be Easy

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 06:11:16 -0000

The president hopes electrifying the federal fleet will create jobs and encourage motorists to ditch gas-powered cars. But no automaker is ready yet.

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Miami’s Mayor Woos Techies. What Does He Need to Succeed?

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 06:11:15 -0000

If anywhere could use innovation, it’s Miami—one of the country’s most unequal, environmentally vulnerable cities.

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Why Instacart Is Laying Off Workers As Deliveries Soar

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 06:11:12 -0000

Big grocery chains relied on app-based delivery companies at the start of the pandemic. Now grocers’ priorities have shifted.

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New Algorithms Could Reduce Racial Disparities in Health Care

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 06:23:04 -0000

Machine learning programs trained with patient reports, rather than doctors', find problems that doctors miss—especially in Black people.

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These Doctors Are Using AI to Screen for Breast Cancer

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 06:11:11 -0000

During the pandemic, thousands of women have skipped scans and check-ups. So physicians tapped an algorithm to predict those at the highest risk.

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This AI Could Go From ‘Art’ to Steering a Self-Driving Car

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 06:11:13 -0000

DALL-E drew laughs for creating images of a daikon radish in a tutu. But it builds on an important advance in computer vision with serious applications.

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Facebook’s Oversight Board Has Spoken. But It Hasn’t Solved Much

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 06:11:12 -0000

The board’s first content moderation decisions show how impossible its task—and Facebook’s—really is.

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Janet Yellen Will Consider Limiting the Use of Cryptocurrency

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 06:11:15 -0000

During her confirmation hearing, the Treasury nominee said that blockchain-based financial networks are “a particular concern.”

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The Art and Science of Boarding an Airplane in a Pandemic

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 06:11:12 -0000

Researchers and airlines that obsessed over efficiency have spent the past year worrying about safety too.

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The US Needs More Foreign Artificial Intelligence Know-How

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 06:11:15 -0000

Jason Furman, a top economic adviser to President Obama, says good ideas come from everywhere—but Trump has dissuaded tech workers from coming to the US.

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AI-Powered Text From This Program Could Fool the Government

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 06:11:14 -0000

A Harvard medical student submitted auto-generated comments to Medicaid; volunteers couldn’t distinguish them from those penned by humans.

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An Algorithm Is Helping a Community Detect Lead Pipes

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 06:11:15 -0000

The model had shown promise in Flint before officials rebelled. Now Toledo is using it, while incorporating more public input.

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Job Screening Service Halts Facial Analysis of Applicants

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 06:11:14 -0000

But it’s still using intonation and behavior to assist with hiring decisions.

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A Startup Will Nix Algorithms Built on Ill-Gotten Facial Data

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 06:11:14 -0000

The FTC applies a novel remedy, going a step further than simply deleting the source photos.

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New York City Proposes Regulating Algorithms Used in Hiring

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 06:11:13 -0000

A bill would require firms to disclose when they use software to assess candidates, and vendors would have to ensure that their tech doesn’t discriminate.

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Google’s New Union Is Already Addressing Political Issues

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 06:11:11 -0000

The Alphabet Workers Union isn’t seeking better pay and benefits. It wants to influence the company’s policies on social and other issues.

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The Tweets That Got Trump Banned Were Far From His Worst

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 06:11:12 -0000

In the end, what took down @realdonaldtrump was not what he tweeted, but how it was interpreted.

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Chatroulette Is On the Rise Again—With Help From AI

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 06:11:13 -0000

The hottest app of early 2010 faded quickly when it was flooded with unwanted nudity. Smarter content moderation is helping to revive it.

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Some UK Stores Are Using Facial Recognition to Track Shoppers

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 06:11:14 -0000

Branches of the British grocer Southern Co-op are using surveillance technology to look for potential shoplifters.

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The Year of Driving Less—but More Dangerously

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 06:11:13 -0000

Total traffic deaths fell during pandemic lockdowns. But fatalities per mile traveled rose, due to faster driving, fewer cops, and more drug use.

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Why Do Many Self-Driving Cars Look Like Toasters on Wheels?

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 06:11:13 -0000

Without any need for steering wheels or pedals, the cubes give passengers room to maneuver inside. The latest entrant, from Zoox, can hold 4.

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How Restaurants Retooled for Takeout—and Survival

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 06:11:13 -0000

Chefs tinkered with food chemistry, while dining apps reengineered logistics. Those changes will endure even after the pandemic is over.

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Airlines’ Pandemic-Driven Cargo Business Will Keep Flying

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 06:11:12 -0000

As Covid-19 shut down air travel, the industry quickly pivoted to hauling more stuff. It won’t be pivoting away anytime soon.

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The Newest Weapon Against Covid-19: AI That Speed-Reads Faxes

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 06:11:13 -0000

Local health departments rely on the old-fangled tech to track cases. A hastily developed machine-learning program gives it an assist.

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Texas Accuses Google and Facebook of an Illegal Conspiracy

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 06:11:15 -0000

A new antitrust case against Google alleges that the two companies made a deal to reduce competition in online advertising.Â

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The ‘Healthy Building’ Surge Will Outlast the Pandemic

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 06:11:14 -0000

Because of Covid-19, developers are realizing that incorporating health concerns in a building's design isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity.

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The Future of Social Media Is All Talk

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 06:11:13 -0000

From Clubhouse to Discord to Twitter, 2020 was all about giving people a voice online. Literally.

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Conferences After Covid Will Be Shorter—and Smarter

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 06:11:10 -0000

In-person gatherings will resume eventually, but innovations born during the pandemic will remain.

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Mass Transit Is in Jeopardy—and So Are Cities

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 06:11:15 -0000

Subways and buses are the lifeblood of dense cities like New York. If the system withers, the region becomes a less attractive place to live and work.Â

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Behind the Paper That Led to a Google Researcher's Firing

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 06:17:54 -0000

Timnit Gebru was one of seven authors on a study that examined prior research on training artificial intelligence models to understand language.

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Chuck Yeager’s 1947 Flight Inspired Our Supersonic Ambitions

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 06:11:15 -0000

Yeager was the prototype of the American hero, a decorated fighter pilot immortalized in Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff. He died Monday at age 97.

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This Guy Is Taking Viewers Along for His Driverless Rides

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 06:11:14 -0000

Joel Johnson, who has taken more than 60 rides in Waymo's Arizona taxis, has posted over a dozen videos and says it's been "rock solid."

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Uber Gives Up on the Self-Driving Dream

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 06:11:14 -0000

The ride-hail giant invested more than $1 billion in autonomous vehicles. Now, it's selling the unit to Aurora, which makes self-driving tech.

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A Prominent AI Ethics Researcher Says Google Fired Her

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 06:11:11 -0000

Timnit Gebru is a leader among those examining the societal impacts of the technology. She had also criticized the company's diversity efforts.

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Do Diverse Corporate Boards Lead to a Fairer Workplace?

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 06:11:08 -0000

Nasdaq wants at least one woman and one underrepresented minority among directors at listed companies. The proposal goes further than most, but will it matter?

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Ride-Hail Companies Are Making Life Harder for Scooters

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 06:11:14 -0000

Officials in many cities feel they couldn't rein in Uber and Lyft. Now, they're being stricter with other innovative forms of transportation.

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All the Social Media Giants Are Becoming the Same

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 06:11:14 -0000

Which major platform has a news feed, disappearing posts, private messaging, and a live broadcasting feature? That would be … all of them.Â

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As Cities Curb Surveillance, Baltimore Police Took to the Air

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 06:26:19 -0000

In a program that overcame three court challenges this year, planes with high-tech cameras circled the city up to 40 hours a week.

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Congress Is Eyeing Face Recognition, and Companies Want a Say

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 09:11:34 -0000

Amazon and Microsoft have hired lobbyists. So too have airlines, retailers, wireless carriers, and cruise operators.

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Did a University Use Facial Recognition to ID Student Protesters?

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 06:11:11 -0000

University of Miami students accuse the campus police of using the software. Administrators deny it, but they had previously touted the capability.

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AI Can Run Your Work Meetings Now

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 06:11:15 -0000

A new wave of startups is trying to optimize meetings, from automated scheduling tools to facial recognition that measures who’s paying attention.

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When AI Sees a Man, It Thinks 'Official.' A Woman? 'Smile'

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 06:11:12 -0000

A new paper renews concerns about bias in image recognition services offered by Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.Â

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What the EU Gets Right—and the US Gets Wrong—About Antitrust

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 06:11:14 -0000

European regulators focus on how Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google use—and abuse–their vast stores of data to maintain advantages over rivals.

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Robots Invade the Construction Site

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 06:11:12 -0000

Boosted by advances in sensors and artificial intelligence, a new generation of machines is automating a tech-averse industry.

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Apple Will Take a Smaller Cut of Some App Store Revenues

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 06:38:17 -0000

The App Store Small Business Program aims to improve the company’s public image and its standing in antitrust battles.

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Marissa Mayer’s Next Act Is Here

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 06:11:12 -0000

The former Yahoo CEO wants to build a better address book on your phone. Does anyone want it?

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DoorDash Shows Delivery Can Be Profitable—in a Pandemic

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 06:11:15 -0000

Can the app-based services survive once restaurants reopen and diners aren't sequestered in their homes?

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More Black and Latinx Students Were Going to College. Then Covid Hit

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 06:11:13 -0000

Underrepresented students enrolled in higher education in historic numbers. But financial setbacks and the challenges of remote schooling may reverse any progress.

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One Big Challenge for Biden? China’s Push for Tech Supremacy

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 06:11:10 -0000

Trump’s aggressive policy scored only modest successes. Analysts say the US needs a more nuanced approach if it wants to out-compete Beijing.

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Why Just Zoom When You Can Bend Reality?

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 06:11:15 -0000

Plus: The rise of desktop publishing, the legal fate of the Trumps, and a mix-up for the ages.

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What Happened to the Deepfake Threat to the Election?

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 10:53:19 -0000

Lawmakers and researchers had warned that videos altered using AI could disrupt the 2020 vote. But they didn't turn out to be a problem.

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Apps Are Now Putting the Parole Agent in Your Pocket

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 06:20:25 -0000

The pandemic has stirred interest in smartphone software for remotely monitoring parolees and people on probation. But the approach has raised alarms.

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The US Government Will Pay Doctors to Use These AI Algorithms

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 09:54:42 -0000

The artificial intelligence programs can diagnose eye disease in diabetics and complications in stroke patients.

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These Factory Robots May Point the Way to 5G’s Future

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Manufacturing, mining, and delivery firms, among others, are exploring building their own high-speed wireless networks with the new standard.

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Who’s Still Covered by California’s Gig Worker Law?

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Uber and Lyft led a ballot measure that exempts them from AB 5. But millions of janitors, retail workers, and others are still covered by the statute.

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With Its Own Chips, Apple Aims to Define the Future of PCs

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Intel processors are on their way out, replaced by home-grown designs, which will give the Mac maker more control of its destiny.

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The Future of McDonald's Is in the Drive-Thru Lane

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:10:23 -0000

The fast food chain is radically rethinking what the Golden Arches experience looks like, from a new loyalty program to more high-tech drive-thrus.

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One Clear Message From Voters This Election? More Privacy

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Ballot measures were approved in California to restrict commercial use of user data and in Michigan to require warrants for searches of electronic information.Â

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With $200 Million, Uber and Lyft Write Their Own Labor Law

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 06:15:33 -0000

Following a well-funded campaign, California voters approved Proposition 22—allowing gig economy companies to keep treating workers as independent contractors.

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It's Hard to Escape Facebook's Vortex of Polarization

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Suggesting other news sources only reinforces users' political beliefs. Another study finds that quitting the social media giant leaves people less informed.

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WFH or Work at the Office—More Tech Employees Can Now Choose

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 06:10:21 -0000

The “hybrid workplace” is Silicon Valley’s latest buzzword, as tech companies start giving people more options for how and when and where they get stuff done.

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To Save the Planet, Get More EVs in Used Car Lots

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 06:10:23 -0000

To reduce carbon emissions, electric vehicles need to stay on the road as long as possible. That means developing a robust trade in second-hand cars.

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The Left and the Right Speak Different Languages—Literally

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 06:10:23 -0000

A study analyzed patterns in online comments and found liberals and conservatives use different words to express similar ideas.

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How an Algorithm Blocked Kidney Transplants to Black Patients

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 06:10:21 -0000

A formula for assessing the gravity of kidney disease is one of many that is adjusted for race. The practice can exacerbate health disparities.

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How Police Can Crack Locked Phones—and Extract Information

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 06:10:24 -0000

A report finds 50,000 cases where law enforcement agencies turned to outside firms to bypass the encryption on a mobile device.

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Why Is Everyone Building an Electric Pickup Truck?

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Tesla has the Cybertruck, GM a $113,000 Hummer, and Ford an electric F-150. And then there are the startups.Â

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Give These Apps Some Notes and They'll Write Emails for You

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Entrepreneurs are building tools that create emails or marketing copy using GPT-3, text-generation technology released earlier this year.

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Give These Apps Some Notes and They'll Write Emails for You

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Entrepreneurs are building tools that create emails or marketing copy using GPT-3, text-generation technology released earlier this year.

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Companies Are Rushing to Use AI—but Few See a Payoff

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 06:10:26 -0000

A study finds that only 11 percent of firms that have deployed artificial intelligence are reaping a “sizable” return on their investments.

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The Fate of Gig Workers Is in the Hands of California Voters

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 06:10:29 -0000

A ballot measure would create a new classification for people who have been contractors. Uber and Lyft threaten to leave the state if it fails.

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The Anticlimax of the Google Antitrust Suit

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 06:10:24 -0000

The justice department's case against Microsoft in the 1990s was much stronger than the one it's concocted against the Mountain View tech giant.

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Here's What Google Does Illegally, According to the DOJ

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 06:10:30 -0000

In an antitrust suit, the Justice Department claims the company uses exclusive deals with device makers and browser makers to prop up its near-monopoly on search.

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‘Do Not Track’ Is Back, and This Time It Might Work

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 06:10:29 -0000

California’s privacy law says businesses must respect universal opt-outs. Now the technology finally exists to put that to the test.Â

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Behind Anduril’s Effort to Create an Operating System for War

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 06:10:26 -0000

The company, launched by Oculus cofounder Palmer Luckey, is building software to connect multiple Air Force systems—allowing officers to act more quickly.

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Does the House Antitrust Report Mean That Tech Is Evil?

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 06:10:26 -0000

Plus: a plan to break up Microsoft, anonymity on the internet, and a baffling balcony address.Â

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Just as Tech Looked Serious About Diversity, Trump Intervenes

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 06:10:24 -0000

The Labor Department last week questioned Microsoft’s stated goal to double the number of Black leaders in the company.Â

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Facebook Tweaked Its Rules, but You Can Still Target Voters

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 06:15:08 -0000

Political strategists say they combine information from multiple databases to identify the people they want to vote—and not vote.

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College Going Virtual Means Reaching Young Voters Online. Good

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 06:10:23 -0000

More potential young voters are on social media than enrolled in college full time.Â

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Facebook Finally Slowed Down—When We Needed It to Move Fast

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 06:10:30 -0000

Plus: Mark Zuckerberg’s own words, the personification of the internet, and Burger King’s whopper of an ask.

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AI Can Help Patients—but Only If Doctors Understand It

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Algorithms can help diagnose a growing range of health problems, but humans need to be trained to listen.

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Tesla's Latest Numbers Put Growth Concerns to Rest

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 06:10:21 -0000

The company's Q3 report exceeded analysts' expectations, but its stock still fell about 3 percent in Friday morning trading.

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These Robots Use AI to Learn How to Clean Your House

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 07:46:00 -0000

At Toyota, researchers are experimenting with prototypes that swoop from the ceiling to take care of chores with the help of machine learning.

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Publishers Worry as Ebooks Fly off Libraries' Virtual Shelves

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Checkouts of digital books from a popular service are up 52 percent since March. Publishers say their easy availability hurts sales.

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Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny of Racial Bias in Health Algorithms

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Four congressmembers say formulas that include race as a factor can hurt Black Americans' access to care.

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Alexa Now Has Its Own Questions for You

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 06:10:24 -0000

A new feature from Amazon allows the intelligent assistant to ask users to clarify requests, such as “Dim the lights.”

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Activists at Amazon Say Its Climate Efforts Still Fall Short

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 06:10:27 -0000

One year after organizing a walkout, employees are calling for a more ambitious environmental agenda.

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Companies Can Track Your Phone’s Movements to Target Ads

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 06:10:20 -0000

Brands are seeking new ways to customize messages. A startup that gathers data on when you pick up your phone, or when you go out on a run, can help.Â

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Elon Musk Promises a $25,000 Tesla in 3 Years—Again

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 06:10:26 -0000

Reducing the cost of electric vehicles is all about a cheaper battery. Tesla outlined a plan that includes making more of the components itself.

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To Clean Up Comments, Let AI Tell Users Their Words Are Trash

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 06:10:25 -0000

It won’t solve everything, but a new study suggests real-time automated feedback could help make the internet a less toxic place.

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Portland’s Face-Recognition Ban Is a New Twist on ‘Smart Cities’

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 06:10:26 -0000

The first big US city to prohibit private businesses from using the technology reflects rising skepticism of new tools and concerns about fairness.

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The Apocalypse Doesn’t Need an Instagram Filter

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 06:10:27 -0000

Plus: Kevin Systrom’s app inspiration, the characteristics of successful CEOs, and Colorado’s disconcerting forecast.

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A Utah Company Claims It Invented Contact Tracing Tech

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 06:15:15 -0000

Blyncsy wants states using Apple and Google technology to pay it $1 per resident. It may not win, but the patent tussle could deter others from adopting apps.

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Nvidia's Arm Deal Would Make It the Center of the Chip World

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Combining the two chipmakers would unite leaders in two big tech trends—artificial intelligence and mobile computing.

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FedEx Will Track Your Packages More Precisely Than Ever

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 06:10:27 -0000

A Bluetooth-based system coming this fall will be especially useful for high-value shipments, like medicines or vaccines.

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Anduril’s New Drone Offers to Inject More AI Into Warfare

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 06:21:33 -0000

A swarm of Ghost 4s, controlled by a single person on the ground, can perform reconnaissance missions like searching for enemy weapons or soldiers.

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Creepy ‘Geofence’ Finds Anyone Who Went Near a Crime Scene

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 06:10:21 -0000

Police increasingly ask Google and other tech firms for data about who was where, when. Two judges ruled the investigative tool invalid in a Chicago case.

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No, Amazon Won't Deliver You a Burrito by Drone Anytime Soon

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 06:10:26 -0000

Several companies are testing airborne deliveries. But rules are years away, and no one knows if consumers are even interested.

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Doctors and Nurses Take to TikTok to Fight Covid Myths

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 06:10:21 -0000

“We can treat only one patient at a time, but if we can get a message out there that can hit thousands or hundreds of thousands, then we can change their thoughts.”

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Uber Pledges to Go All-Electric, but It Doesn't Own the Cars

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 06:10:24 -0000

The ride-hail company joined rival Lyft with a “Green” pledge. It's counting on incentives to encourage drivers to switch to battery power.Â

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Access to Telemedicine Is Hardest for Those Who Need It Most

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Older patients and other vulnerable populations tend to need more medical care, but it’s often difficult for them to get online for remote visits.

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TikTok Is Paying Creators. Not All of Them Are Happy

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Users say the platform’s new Creator Fund is opaque and riddled with problems. The company says it’s listening.

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AI Ruined Chess. Now, It's Making the Game Beautiful Again

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 06:10:26 -0000

A former world champion teams up with the makers of AlphaZero to test variants on the age-old game that can jolt players into creative patterns.

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Startup Perks Go Remote—and Take a More Inclusive Approach

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Tech companies are swapping on-campus gourmet chefs for free snack deliveries, but they're also stepping up childcare support and mental health services.Â

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Google Offers to Help Others With the Tricky Ethics of AI

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 06:10:28 -0000

After learning its own ethics lessons the hard way, the tech giant will offer services like spotting racial bias or developing guidelines around AI projects.

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Google and Apple Change Tactics on Contact Tracing Tech

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 06:10:23 -0000

The companies will handle more of the technology for notifying people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. Privacy won't be affected, they say.Â

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A Dogfight Renews Concerns About AI's Lethal Potential

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 06:10:26 -0000

Alphabet's DeepMind pioneered reinforcement learning. A California company used it to create an algorithm that defeated an F-16 pilot in a simulation.

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California Lawmakers Push for More Diversity in the Boardroom

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 06:10:29 -0000

If it succeeds, AB979 would require Facebook, Netflix, Nvidia, Salesforce, and others to add directors of color.

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How the Pandemic Reshaped Election Campaigns—Maybe Forever

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 06:10:24 -0000

The digital infrastructures have been under construction for years. But the pandemic has forced candidates to embrace them and to get creative with how they use them.

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MAGA TikTok Creators Stand by Trump—Despite a Potential Ban

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 06:10:29 -0000

Conservative influencers say they understand the president's moves to shut down the platform in the US, even if it costs them their audience.

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Should Google’s Ad Market Be Regulated Like the Stock Market?

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 06:10:20 -0000

A leading antitrust scholar says yes. Congress may be listening.

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Covid Hits Minorities Hardest, but Data Often Doesn't Show It

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 06:10:20 -0000

Many states are not collecting the race or ethnicity of coronavirus patients, which can make it harder to know the true impact on low-income communities.

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Amazon and FedEx Push to Put Delivery Robots on Your Sidewalk

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 06:11:58 -0000

The companies are backing bills in more than a dozen states that would legalize the devices. Some bills would block cities from regulating them at all.

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Meet the Star Witness: Your Smart Speaker

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 06:10:28 -0000

Requests are rising from law enforcement for information on the devices, which can include internet queries, food orders, and overheard conversations.

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A Move for Driverless Mass Transit Hits Speed Bumps

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Pilot projects for autonomous shuttles abound. But technical limitations and hostility from labor unions may thwart large deployments

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An Algorithm Determined UK Students' Grades. Chaos Ensued

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 06:10:22 -0000

This year's A-Levels, the high-stakes exams taken in high school, were canceled due to the pandemic. The alternative only exacerbated existing inequities.

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Skewed Grading Algorithms Fuel Backlash Beyond the Classroom

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 06:10:29 -0000

Thousands protest in the UK after a formula replaced a test that influences college placement. It's led to broader scrutiny of automation and inequality.

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What Happens If Uber and Lyft Flee California? Look at Austin

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 06:10:26 -0000

The ride-hail services are threatening to stop service in the Golden State to protest a judge's ruling. They did something similar in Texas in 2016.

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A Plan to Turn Military Bases Into ‘Sandboxes’ for 5G

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 06:21:00 -0000

A top Trump adviser outlines a blueprint for experimenting with wireless tech on bases and using software to counter China's lead in hardware.

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Trump's Executive Orders Hurt More Than TikTok and WeChat

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 06:10:25 -0000

The president's latest actions against China may affect US tech firms, and Americans who communicate overseas through the social apps.

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The White House Announces a Plan to Speed the Rollout of 5G

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 06:10:24 -0000

The Pentagon will share part of the wireless spectrum, allowing telecom carriers to reach more areas with fewer cell towers.

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When Private Security Cameras Are Police Surveillance Tools

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Civil rights activists warn of "mission creep," as cameras installed to prevent break-ins are increasingly used to monitor protesters and communities of color.

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Uber's Now a Food Delivery Company—and It's Still Losing Money

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 06:10:27 -0000

The pandemic has slashed demand for rides and boosted orders for UberEats. Neither segment is profitable.

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As Restaurants Move to the Cloud, Something Is Missing

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 06:10:30 -0000

Thousands of eateries are closing amid the pandemic. Delivery specialists are popping up, but some worry about a loss of culture and community.

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Cheap, Easy Deepfakes Are Getting Closer to the Real Thing

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Using open source software and less than $100, a researcher was able to create plausible images and audio of actor Tom Hanks.

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What’s This? A Bipartisan Plan for AI and National Security

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Republican Will Hurd and Democrat Robin Kelly want more Pentagon spending, a Cold War-style “hotline,” and a curb on chip exports to China.

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Facebook Has More to Learn From the Ad Boycott

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 06:10:28 -0000

Rashad Robinson, an organizer behind the Stop Hate for Profit boycott, says civil rights groups can’t be left to police the company by themselves.

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Bill Gates on Covid: Most US Tests Are ‘Completely Garbage’

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 06:10:27 -0000

The techie-turned-philanthropist on vaccines, Trump, and why social media is “a poisoned chalice.”

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Stop Saying Facebook Is ‘Too Big to Moderate’

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 06:10:25 -0000

The social media company could surely enforce its own rules on false and harmful posts—it just needs to cut into its massive profit margins.

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The Facebook and Amazon Documents That Captivated the Hearing

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Here's a look at how Mark Zuckerberg plotted the Instagram acquisition. Plus: Inside Amazon's plan to take down Diapers.com.

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AI Is All the Rage. So Why Aren’t More Businesses Using It?

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 06:10:26 -0000

A big study by the US Census Bureau finds that only about 9 percent of firms employ tools like machine learning or voice recognition—for now.

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Facebook’s ‘Red Team’ Hacks Its Own AI Programs

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Attackers increasingly try to confuse and bypass machine-learning systems. So the companies that deploy them are getting creative.

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Anthony Levandowski Asks a Judge Not to Send Him to Prison

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 06:10:27 -0000

The former Google engineer, who pleaded guilty to stealing the company's self-driving car technology, says he'd be at heightened risk for Covid-19.Â

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California's Air Pollution Cops Are Eyeing Uber and Lyft

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 06:10:27 -0000

A proposal would require 60 percent of ride-hail miles to be in electric vehicles by 2030. And the companies are on board.

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Even the Best AI Models Are No Match for the Coronavirus

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 06:10:30 -0000

Many so-called “quantitative funds” that mine historical data to make trading decisions fared poorly in March, when stocks fell sharply amid coronavirus fears.

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Neuroscience Could Be the Key to Getting People to Wear Masks

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 06:10:18 -0000

In a study, people responded to messages that resonated with them personally—up to a certain extent. The results could help shape responses to future pandemics.

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Tesla Will Build 'GigaTexas' to Crank Out Cybertrucks

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 06:10:28 -0000

On the heels of another profitable quarter, despite a coronavirus-induced shutdown of its California plant, the electric automaker announced its fourth factory.

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Covid Is Pushing Some Mass Transit Systems to the Brink

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Riders are skittish. Cleaning costs are soaring. Some, like the Bay Area's Caltrain system, face an existential crisis.

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This Algorithm Doesn't Replace Doctors—It Makes Them Better

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 06:10:20 -0000

An artificial intelligence system has outperformed physicians when detecting skin lesions. The results are changing how one school trains dermatologists.

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An Ethics Guide for Tech Gets Rewritten With Workers in Mind

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 06:10:28 -0000

The Ethical Explorer Pack is designed to help Silicon Valley's rank and file—not just CEOs—steer products away from harmful directions.

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This Drone Maker Is Swooping In Amid US Pushback Against DJI

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Skydio is best known for “selfie drones.” Now, it's seeking government contracts, as American officials shun the Chinese drone company.

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Prepare for Artificial Intelligence to Produce Less Wizardry

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 06:10:28 -0000

A new paper argues that the computing demands of deep learning are so great that progress on tasks like translation and self-driving is likely to slow.

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Massachusetts Launches Uber and Lyft's Latest Legal Headache

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 06:10:20 -0000

The state sued the ride-hail companies for misclassifying drivers as contractors, following a similar move by California officials.

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The Intersection Between Self-Driving Cars and Electric Cars

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 06:10:23 -0000

New research suggests that the tradeoffs for electric autonomous vehicles aren’t as painful as once thought, though early AVs might be gas hybrids.

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Where Are the Adults in the Clubhouse?

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Plus: A tough review of IBM’s PCjr, fresh questions on Covid-19, and government help for the self-sufficient.

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An Algorithm Set Students’ Grades—and Altered Their Futures

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 06:10:23 -0000

The International Baccalaureate program canceled its high-stakes exam because of Covid-19. The formula it used to "predict" scores puzzles students and teachers.

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Is It Game Streaming's Turn for a Labor Revolution?

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 06:10:28 -0000

After the demise of Mixer, livestreamers are taking a closer look at what their platform partnerships should look like.

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Uber Moves Stealthily to Gain Allies in a Fight With Cities

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 06:10:26 -0000

Nonprofits and advocacy groups signed on to an organization called Communities Against Rider Surveillance—without knowing that the ride-hail giant was involved.

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Covid Drives Real Businesses to Tap Deepfake Technology

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Coronavirus restrictions make it harder and more expensive to shoot videos. So some companies are turning to synthetic media instead.

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Self-Driving Tech Is Becoming a Game of Partnerships

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Making an autonomous vehicle is proving harder and costlier than many startups predicted. So they're teaming up with giants like Hyundai, Jaguar, and Ford.

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Seattle's Uber and Lyft Drivers Make $23.25 an Hour—or $9.73

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Two studies reach very different conclusions about ride-hail earnings, as city officials consider setting a minimum wage.

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In These Factories, Inspector Robot Will Check Your Work

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 06:10:21 -0000

Artificially intelligent camera systems look for defects and misplaced parts in many industries. The coronavirus pandemic makes them extra useful.

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5G Was Going to Unite the World—Instead It's Tearing Us Apart

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 06:10:26 -0000

Divisions over technical standards and the role of China's Huawei are jeopardizing the rollout of superfast connections.Â

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An Ohio City's Campaign Got More People to Buy Electric Cars

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 06:10:20 -0000

In just three years, Columbus managed to exceed its goal of more than 3,200 new BEVs and plug-in hybrids .Â

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A New Card Ties Your Credit to Your Social Media Stats

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Founded by Instagram and finance alums, Karat wants to be the black card in every influencer’s wallet.

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European Football Clubs Are Turning to AI for an Assist

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 06:56:03 -0000

Software company Acronis has been storing the data of the best and brightest teams. Now, it wants to use that to help them win games.

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How ‘Sustainable’ Web Design Can Help Fight Climate Change

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 06:10:23 -0000

To cut the carbon, programmers are cutting the code. Call it green programming.

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A Survey of New Cars Finds More Tech Means More Problems

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 06:10:30 -0000

US carmakers fare well in JD Power's annual survey of new vehicle owners. Tesla gets poor grades on a small sample.Â

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Baidu Breaks Off an AI Alliance Amid Strained US-China Ties

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 06:10:23 -0000

The search giant was the only Chinese member of the Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, a US-led effort to foster collaboration on ethical issues.Â

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The Therapist Is In—and It's a Chatbot App

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Companies rush to offer digital help for psychiatric disorders, after the FDA relaxes its rules amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Apple Threatens to Move Basecamp's New Email App to Trash

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Scrutiny of Apple’s App Store policies heats up as the company heads into its annual software conference.

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A Bill in Congress Would Limit Uses of Facial Recognition

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 06:10:28 -0000

Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM say they want federal rules around the technology. Critics of the proposal, sponsored by four Democrats, say it doesn't go far enough.

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A New Air Taxi Model Takes Design Cues From a Far-Flying Bird

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Beta Technologies' Alia, which debuted Friday, draws inspiration from the ultra-efficient Arctic tern. The craft may one day transport organs for transplants.

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The Pandemic Is Propelling a New Wave of Automation

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Software programs adopted during the Covid-19 crisis make it easier to complete forms and track requests. It saves work, but could cost jobs.

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As Cities Reopen, Expect to Wait in Lots of Lines

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Capacity limits and social distancing requirements prompt businesses to count how many people are inside—and force some to wait outside.Â

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Deepfakes Aren't Very Good. Nor Are the Tools to Detect Them

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 06:10:27 -0000

The winning detection algorithm from a Facebook-led challenge could spot about two-thirds of the altered videos, highlighting the need for improvement.

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OpenAI's Text Generator Is Going Commercial

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 06:10:27 -0000

The research institute was created to steer AI away from harmful uses. Now it's competing with tech giants to sell a cloud computing service to businesses.

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Twitter's Newest Trick Relies on Tracking More of Your Clicks

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 06:15:17 -0000

The social media company is testing warnings for users who try to share links to articles they haven't read. To do that, it has to know what you've read.

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IBM's Withdrawal Won't Mean the End of Facial Recognition

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 06:10:28 -0000

To some in the tech industry, facial recognition increasingly looks like toxic technology. To law enforcement, it’s an almost irresistible crime-fighting tool.
IBM is the latest company to declare facial recognition too troubling. CEO Arvind Krishna told members of Congress Monday that IBM would no longer offer the technology, citing the potential for racial profiling and human rights abuse. In a letter, Krishna also called for police reforms aimed at increasing scrutiny and accountability for misconduct.
“We believe now is the time to begin a national dialogue on whether and how facial recognition technology should be employed by domestic law enforcement agencies,” wrote Krishna, the first non-white CEO in the company’s 109-year history. IBM has been scaling back the technology’s use since last year.
Krishna’s letter comes amid public protest over the killing of George Floyd by a police officer and police treatment of black communities. But IBM’s withdrawal may do little to stem the use of facial recognition, as a number of companies supply the technology to police and governments around the world.
“While this is a great statement, it won’t really change police access to #FaceRecognition,” tweeted Clare Garvie, a researcher at Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology who studies police use of the technology. She noted that she had not so far come across any IBM contracts to supply facial recognition to police.
According to a report from the Georgetown center, by 2016 photos of half of American adults were in a database that police could search using facial recognition. Adoption has likely swelled since then. A recent report from Grand View Research predicts the market will grow at an annual rate of 14.5 percent between 2020 and 2027, fueled by “rising adoption of the technology by the law enforcement sector.” The Department of Homeland Security said in February that it has used facial recognition on more than 43.7 million people in the US, primarily to check the identity of people boarding flights and cruises and crossing borders.
Other tech companies are scaling back their use of the technology. Google in 2018 said it would not offer a facial recognition service; last year, CEO Sundar Pichai, indicated support for a temporary ban on the technology. Microsoft opposes such a ban, but said last year that it wouldn’t sell the tech to one California law enforcement agency because of ethical concerns. Axon, which makes police body cameras, said in June 2019 that it wouldn’t add facial recognition to them.
But some players, including NEC, Idemia, and Thales, are quietly shipping the tech to US police departments. The startup Clearview offers a service to police that makes use of millions of faces scraped from the web.
The technology apparently helped police hunt down a man accused of assaulting protesters in Montgomery County, Maryland.
At the same time, public unease over the technology has prompted several cities, including San Francisco, Oakland, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, to ban use of facial recognition by government agencies.
Officials in Boston are considering a ban; supporters point to the potential for police to surveil protesters. Amid the protests following Floyd’s killing “the conversation we’re having today about face surveillance is all the more urgent,” Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty program at the ACLU of Massachusetts, said at a press conference Tuesday.
Timnit Gebru, a Google researcher who has played an important role in revealing the technology’s shortcomings, said during an event on Monday that facial recognition has been used to identify black protesters, and argued that it should be banned. “Even perfect facial recognition can be misused,” Gebru said. “I’m a black woman living in the US who has dealt with serious consequences of racism. Facial recognition is being used against the black community.”

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Zynn, the Hot New Video App, Is Full of Stolen Content

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 06:10:21 -0000

Late last month, a mysterious new video app called Zynn began appearing at the top of app store charts, beating out household names like Instagram and YouTube. Zynn is a near identical copy of TikTok, and both apps are the product of Chinese tech giants. The biggest difference is that Zynn, in an effort to attract new users, is currently paying people in the United States and Canada small sums to watch videos and invite their friends to join. The tactic has seemed to work: Zynn has already been downloaded over 3 million times, according to the market research firm Sensor Tower, and ranked number one this week on Apple’s list of the most popular free apps.
As of Tuesday, however, Zynn is no longer available for download from the Google Play Store, and a link that previously went to the app’s listing is now dead. It’s unclear why the app was removed, and Google did not immediately comment. A spokesperson for Apple said it was looking into Zynn but did not have any additional information as of publication. Twitter and Instagram accounts claiming to represent Zynn posted a statement Tuesday afternoon acknowledging the app had been removed, and said the company was “in communications with Google and working to fix this ASAP.”
Meanwhile, Zynn is filled with videos that appear to be stolen from creators on other social media platforms, including TikTok celebrities with massive followings like Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae. Many of the clips are aggregated by accounts centered around a single theme, like “pranks.” Other videos appear on look-alike profiles impersonating individual creators. Four influencers who spoke to WIRED said videos they originally published to TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube were uploaded to Zynn without their consent, under accounts they didn’t open.
“I didn’t create this,” Max Mazurek, a Polish dancer and model with almost 190,000 TikTok followers, said after WIRED showed him a Zynn profile using his name. The account has nearly 25,000 followers and featured many of the videos Mazurek had previously uploaded to TikTok and other platforms. “It’s not my account. I can’t download this app in Poland,” he said.
The launch of a new social media platform often sets off a rush to grab famous or valuable usernames, and it’s not uncommon for scammers to impersonate celebrities on social media. Reposting other people’s content without credit has also long been an issue online. What’s strange about the Zynn accounts, however, is how many of the copied videos have time stamps that date back months before the app went public.
Zynn officially launched in the Apple App Store on May 7, and it was first installed by Google Play users on May 5, according to Sensor Tower. Many of the impersonator accounts reviewed by WIRED, including the one under Mazurek’s name, uploaded their first posts on February 19. The significance of that date isn’t clear, and Zynn did not respond to a request for comment sent to an email address listed on its website. Its Community Guidelines state that it respects intellectual property rights and forbids users from posting “anything that you do not own or do not have permission from the owner to share.”
“I feel that it’s honestly sad that they are stealing creators’ content and impersonating people,” said Chloe, a TikTok influencer with almost 18,000 followers. Until WIRED brought it to her attention, Chloe says she was unaware that a Zynn profile had been created using the same handle she uses on Instagram and TikTok, @ebonychlo. The account also began posting videos taken from her official social media profiles on February 19, months before Zynn became available for download.

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Covid-19 Opens the Door for Gig Workers to Win Sick Pay

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 06:10:32 -0000

Uber, Lyft, and others have agreed to pay people who've missed work because of the virus. Seattle is on the cusp of making it law in that city.Â

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As Businesses Reopen, Some Workers Fear Returning

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Employees who decline to work amid the pandemic could lose both their paychecks and their unemployment benefits.

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Schools Turn to Surveillance Tech to Prevent Covid-19 Spread

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Administrators hope tracking beacons will identify where students congregate and who should be isolated if someone contracts the coronavirus.

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Tech Companies Denounce Racism. Will Silicon Valley Change?

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 06:33:53 -0000

The killing of George Floyd elicited corporate outrage, and some donations. But well-intentioned rhetoric has not always been followed by meaningful action.

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Trump's Tweets Force Twitter Into a High-Wire Act

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 06:10:19 -0000

By hiding but not deleting the president's tweets, the platform has struck a difficult balance to approach a nearly impossible situation.

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Facebook Employees Take the Rare Step to Call Out Mark Zuckerberg

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 06:10:26 -0000

Some workers at the social media giant are publicly criticizing decisions not to remove or flag misleading posts by President Trump.

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Remote Work Has Its Perks, Until You Want a Promotion

Tue, 02 Jun 2020 06:10:21 -0000

Companies like Facebook and Twitter expect many employees to work far from headquarters after the pandemic. That calls for a change in corporate cultures.

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Everyone's Ordering Delivery, but Apps Aren't Making Money

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 06:10:28 -0000

With dining rooms closed, more people are using Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash. But the services face a challenge to satisfy both consumers and restaurants.Â

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It's Called Artificial Intelligence—but What Is Intelligence?

Fri, 29 May 2020 06:10:26 -0000

We’ve built machines that are capable of incredible feats, yet still they have nothing on a baby.

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Are AI-Powered Killer Robots Inevitable?

Thu, 28 May 2020 06:10:30 -0000

Military scholars warn of a “battlefield singularity,” a point at which humans can no longer keep up with the pace of conflict.

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As Machines Get Smarter, How Will We Relate to Them?

Wed, 27 May 2020 06:10:29 -0000

Millennia of evolution have left us ill prepared to crack open the black box of AI and peer inside.

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On Earth, the Economy Is Tanking. In the Cloud, It's Fine

Tue, 26 May 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Amid the pandemic, life has moved online. That's good news for the tech giants that run data centers, and the companies that supply them.

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Is the Brain a Useful Model for Artificial Intelligence?

Mon, 25 May 2020 06:10:30 -0000

Thinking machines think just like us—but only up to a point.

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This AI Maestro Wants to Serenade You

Fri, 22 May 2020 06:10:26 -0000

A composer and the co-creator of Siri are trying to create background music that responds to the listener's feelings.

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Why Didn't Artificial Intelligence Save Us From Covid-19?

Thu, 21 May 2020 06:18:30 -0000

The key to good AI is solid data, and that’s been tough to come by in a global health crisis.

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Buying Giphy Gives Facebook a New Window Into Its Rivals

Wed, 20 May 2020 06:10:24 -0000

The social media giant acquires another rich source of data, this time in the form of the internet’s favorite GIF library.

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Here’s What an Antitrust Case Against Google Might Look Like

Tue, 19 May 2020 06:10:27 -0000

Two DOJ veterans lay out a roadmap for cracking down on the company’s digital advertising juggernaut.Â

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Silicon Valley Rethinks the (Home) Office

Mon, 18 May 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Some tech companies are adjusting to the pandemic with new WFH perks and even letting employees ditch their commutes forever.

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Facebook's AI for Hate Speech Improves. How Much Is Unclear

Fri, 15 May 2020 06:10:26 -0000

The company says algorithms flagged almost 90 percent of the hate speech it removed in the first quarter. But it doesn't report how much slipped through.Â

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You Can Now Attend VR Meetings—No Headset Required

Thu, 14 May 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Virtual-reality workspace startup Spatial is offering a free version for users. All you need is a web browser.

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Watson's Creator Wants to Teach AI a New Trick: Common Sense

Wed, 13 May 2020 06:10:23 -0000

David Ferrucci built a computer that mastered Jeopardy. Since then, he's been attacking a more challenging task.Â

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The Year the Internet Thought I Was MacKenzie Bezos

Tue, 12 May 2020 06:10:25 -0000

After the billionaire announced she would give away her fortune, Google’s algorithm decided the best way to reach her was by contacting me.

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He Helped Build Facebook Messenger. Now He’s Building an Army of Voters

Mon, 11 May 2020 06:10:28 -0000

Mobilize was the leading events platform for Democrats before the pandemic. Now its organizing is entirely virtual—and it’s getting creative.

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Is There a Constitutional Right to Make Robocalls?

Fri, 08 May 2020 06:10:30 -0000

Meeting via conference call for the first time ever this week, the Supreme Court considers a case about our phones.

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The Covid-19 Pandemic Shows the Virtues of Net Neutrality

Thu, 07 May 2020 06:16:46 -0000

Network speeds are holding up despite the crush of internet traffic. Freed from rules, broadband providers have cut investment in their systems.

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In a Tough Month, This Instagram-Friendly Cereal Startup Eats Cake

Wed, 06 May 2020 06:10:29 -0000

With the country on lockdown, even digital brands are hurting. But some companies say business is better than ever.

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A New Chatbot Tries a Little Artificial Empathy

Tue, 05 May 2020 06:10:27 -0000

A bot created by Facebook aims to make conversation with people more natural, though it also could enable better fakes.

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The Cubicle Is Back. Blame (or Thank) the Coronavirus

Mon, 04 May 2020 06:10:28 -0000

As businesses reopen, social distancing rules will lead to new partitions between workspaces, reminiscent of the fabric-clad dividers of the 1980s.

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The US Supreme Court Rules That Laws Can’t Be Paywalled

Fri, 01 May 2020 06:10:30 -0000

The ruling over Georgia's official law code sets an important precedent that will help secure the right to publish other legally significant public documents.

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The Pandemic Creates New Challenges for Crisis Counselors

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Therapists and hotline workers who work with abuse victims now must take calls from home, increasing their risk for isolation and emotional burnout.

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Georgia's Governor Lets Businesses Reopen. Some Say No Thanks

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 06:10:30 -0000

Concerned about the health of employees and customers, owners of businesses permitted to reopen Friday are staying closed.

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Delivery Companies Hand Out Safety Gear—with Mixed Results

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 06:10:21 -0000

Some gig workers say their supplies were low-quality or arrived damaged, as shortages continue for items like masks and sanitizer.

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Why Farmers Are Dumping Milk, Even as People Go Hungry

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 06:10:27 -0000

About half of the nation's food is typically consumed in group settings like restaurants and schools. Quickly rerouting the supply chain isn't easy.

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When Government Fails, Makers Come to the Rescue

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Need masks and face shields? You got it. A network of tinkerers comes in handy when lives are on the line and the authorities are asleep at the wheel.

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The US and China Want a Divorce, but Neither Can Afford One

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 06:10:20 -0000

For all the talk of moving production and supply chains out of China, governments and companies lack the trillions that would be needed as they battle the pandemic.

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Instacart Workers Are Still Waiting for Those Safety Supplies

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 06:10:19 -0000

Instacart promised it would provide masks and sanitizer kits weeks ago. Now the company claims the delay is by design.

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The Influencer Economy Hurtles Toward Its First Recession

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Faced with a pandemic on the one hand and slashed budgets on the other, some industry insiders say it’s time for influencing to evolve.

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Venture-Backed Startups Debate the Ethics of Taking US Loans

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 06:10:27 -0000

Some investors are urging their portfolio companies to leave government assistance for restaurants and hairdressers.

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How the Pandemic Has Reshaped One City's Restaurants

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 06:10:22 -0000

In the struggle to stay afloat, independent eateries in Portland, Oregon, are adapting their workflows, their menus, and their business plans to serve customers under lockdown.

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French Regulator Says Google Must Pay to Link to News Sites

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 06:10:29 -0000

Despite the EU's new copyright directive, Google has so far refused to pay fees in order to send sites traffic.Â

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When School Is Online, the Digital Divide Grows Greater

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Most US schools are closed, with instruction shifting to the internet. That's a problem for millions of people without reliable broadband, including 20 percent of rural students.

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This Pandemic Is a 'Fork in the Road' for Gig Worker Benefits

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 06:10:27 -0000

As Covid-19 keeps people indoors, delivery and other contract workers are more visible than ever—making this a pivotal time for them to secure basic rights.

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T-Mobile Swallows Sprint, Leaving 3 US Cellphone Giants

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 09:54:11 -0000

Consumer advocates fear that the deal will lead to reduced competition and higher prices. But regulators and a federal judge let it proceed.

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Bernie Sanders Is Out—but He Transformed Campaigning For Good

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 06:10:28 -0000

Over the course of two presidential campaigns, Sanders showed how effective a digital-first movement could be.

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The JavaScript Framework That Puts Web Pages on a Diet

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 06:10:28 -0000

Svelte, created by a graphics editor for the New York Times, has attracted a following among programmers who want their pages to load faster.

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Delivery Apps Offer Restaurants a Lifeline—at a Cost

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 06:10:30 -0000

Social distancing rules have reduced many eateries to delivery and take out. But apps like Uber Eats exact a 25 percent toll on their shrinking revenue.

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A Wearable for Opioid Patients Gets Retooled for Covid-19

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 06:10:30 -0000

It alerts staff when a patient’s condition changes, allowing people to be sent home and monitored remotely. Two hospital systems will begin testing it this week.

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How Decades of Offshoring Led to a Mask Shortage in a Pandemic

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 06:10:27 -0000

US companies have shifted production overseas, especially to China. We got cheaper products. But now we can't make vital health care supplies.

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Energy-Saving AI Is Coming for Your Office Thermostat

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 06:10:19 -0000

UC Berkeley's Costas Spanos thinks you should track your workers and hand over the lights and temperature controls to artificial intelligence.

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Facebook Could Help Journalism by Making News Easier to Find

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 06:10:30 -0000

The social media giant gave $100 million to help local news during the pandemic, but still makes you hunt for trusted sources.

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The Warren Campaign Is Gone—but Its Tech May Live On

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 06:10:22 -0000

The team developed its own software to coordinate volunteers and synthesize voter data. Now, it’s posting the code to GitHub.

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Amazon's New 'Essential Items' Policy Is Devastating Sellers

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 06:10:21 -0000

Due to Covid-19, Amazon is only accepting certain supplies at its warehouses. Small businesses are already feeling the pinch.

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The Threat of Covid-19 Disrupts the Disrupters

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 06:10:27 -0000

Accelerators like Y-Combinator have had online programs, but the pandemic might force even its elite core program to go entirely remote for the first time.

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While Many Restaurants Struggle, Here's How One Is Thriving

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 06:10:27 -0000

The food service industry is facing pandemic-related layoffs and closings, but tech-savvy chef Eric Rivera is using online platforms to keep his business in the black.

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We're Not Going to Run Out of Food—so Don't Panic Shop

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Food producers, distributors, and warehouse operators say supplies are plentiful, so long as stores can be restocked.

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A Beach Town Wrestles With Cutting Its Economic Lifeline

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 06:10:28 -0000

Health officials want to close beaches crowded with spring breakers to slow the spread of coronavirus. Local businesses fear the financial impact.

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Coronavirus Disrupts Social Media’s First Line of Defense

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 06:10:29 -0000

Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube all announced this week that thousands of content moderators are being sent home—leaving more of our feeds in the hands of machines.

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Go Ahead, Stream All You Want. The Internet Is Fine—for Now

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 06:14:19 -0000

Netflix is slowing streams in Europe in an effort to preserve bandwidth amid the pandemic. But US providers seem to be holding up to the surge in usage.

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Coronavirus Exposes Workers to the Risks of the Gig Economy

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 06:10:31 -0000

Drivers for Uber and Lyft in Seattle say demand for rides has plummeted, and they have few workplace benefits to fall back on.

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Bill Gates Has Left the Board Room

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 06:22:57 -0000

Microsoft's founder has been slowly inching away from his company. Now Gates has stepped down from the board seat he held for 44 years.

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Google Will Make a Coronavirus Site—but Not Like Trump Said

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 06:15:45 -0000

Google and the White House are working together now, but they're still not describing the same website.

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Buy One of These Fonts—Then Decide If It's Your Type

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 06:10:28 -0000

Digestive is a peculiar font. Its ornate, wiggly letters make it look a bit like calligraphy by aliens from outer space. But Digestive isn't just unusual in how it looks. It's also unusual in how it was sold. Thanks to Future Fonts, a platform for selling fonts that are still works-in-progress, Digestive was already gracing magazine covers, concert posters, and even perfume boxes, before designer Jérémy Landes considered it finished.

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Big Data Promises Better Deals. But for Whom?

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 06:10:26 -0000

The announcement earlier this week that Intuit, the financial software giant, would be buying the personal finance company Credit Karma for $7 billion was striking. The tech industry is under more antitrust scrutiny than ever; just a few weeks ago, the Federal Trade Commission announced a broad inquiry into the past decade of acquisitions by the five biggest tech giants, with a focus on mergers that kill off budding rivals.

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NYC’s Crackdown on Illegal Airbnb Empires Has a New Target

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 06:10:28 -0000

On Thursday, 18 stories above the streets of Manhattan, the rooftop bar of one of the more than a dozen Marriott hotels in Midtown played host to an unusual crowd. Some were Airbnb hosts, others repped the burgeoning homesharing startup scene, most were wannabe rental empire titans—all were members of New York City’s booming short-term rental industry interested in learning how to turn their Airbnb side hustle into a hospitality superbrand.

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Amazon Pulled Over 1 Million Items Capitalizing on Coronavirus

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 06:10:27 -0000

Amazon is cracking down on third-party merchants who violate its policies while selling items related to the new coronavirus disease known as Covid-19. Following reports by WIRED and others of price gouging and misleading claims, the retail giant confirmed it had removed or blocked over one million products that falsely advertised to defend against or cure the illness, as well as tens of thousands of items—such as face masks—that were listed for inflated prices.

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Being Happy at Work Is Simply Not Enough

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 06:10:24 -0000

This story is part of a collection of pieces on how we work today, from video conferencing to using productivity apps for off-label purposes to appeasing our robot overlords. When J. Lo and Shakira put on their “provocative” performance during the Super Bowl halftime show in January, was it an act of female empowerment or a demeaning objectification? Just kidding. People will never agree on that.

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With a $10 Billion Fund, Jeff Bezos Can Control the Planet’s Future

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 06:10:29 -0000

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos may very well have fundamentally changed the fight against climate change this week. In an Instagram post Monday, the world’s richest man committed $10 billion of his personal fortune to set up the new Bezos Earth Fund, which would support “scientists, activists, NGOs—any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world.

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Here's Another Chance to Weigh In on the FCC's Net Neutrality Repeal

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 06:10:25 -0000

The Federal Communications Commission is once again seeking comment on its repeal of its Obama-era net neutrality rules. But the new comment period isn't focused on the usual issues that underpin the net neutrality debate, such as blocking or throttling content. Instead it will focus on less-noticed aspects of the agency's decision with regards to public safety and the agency's oversight of broadband internet providers.

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Forget Chess—the Real Challenge Is Teaching AI to Play D&D

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 06:10:31 -0000

Fans of games like Dungeons & Dragons know that the fun comes, in part, from a creative Dungeon Master—an all-powerful narrator who follows a storyline but has free rein to improvise in response to players’ actions and the fate of the dice. This kind of spontaneous yet coherent storytelling is extremely difficult for artificial intelligence, even as AI has mastered more constrained board games such as chess and Go.

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This Technique Uses AI to Fool Other AIs

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 06:10:30 -0000

Artificial intelligence has made big strides recently in understanding language, but it can still suffer from an alarming, and potentially dangerous, kind of algorithmic myopia. Research shows how AI programs that parse and analyze text can be confused and deceived by carefully crafted phrases. A sentence that seems straightforward to you or me may have a strange ability to deceive an AI algorithm.

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Chinese Hospitals Deploy AI to Help Diagnose Covid-19

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 06:10:25 -0000

Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan, China, is at the heart of the outbreak of Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that has shut down cities in China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy. That’s forced the hospital to become a testbed for how quickly a modern medical center can adapt to a new infectious disease epidemic.

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You Can’t Buy Friends, But Bloomberg Would Like to Rent Yours

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Onstage during last night’s primary debate in Nevada, Mike Bloomberg found himself with no friends. But he’s got a plan to make some new ones in California. In advance of the state’s pivotal primary on March 3, the Mike Bloomberg presidential campaign is hiring more than 500 “deputy field organizers” in the state, at a $2,500 monthly salary for part-time work.

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Silicon Valley Ruined Work Culture

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 06:10:22 -0000

You stroll into the office a little past 9 am. You got here in a company-sponsored bus that featured cushioned seats, Wi-Fi, and a distinct lack of eye contact. You are wearing weekend casual, even though it is a Wednesday. The office kitchen has green juice and kombucha growlers, which are free, as are breakfast and lunch. The office is lined with screens where your remote colleagues might pop up as talking heads. The CEO hoverboards past you.

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Angry Nerd: Don't Fall for the Quantum Con

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Have you ever really looked at a photon? Part wave, part particle, all perfection. Yet they bring out the worst in some people, who bring out the worst in me. Let's start with the obvious: Photons, in all their quantum quintessence, can improve the security of internet connections.

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Bezos' $10B Climate Fund, Bluetooth Bugs, and More News

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 06:34:16 -0000

A $10 billion climate fund has been proposed and bluetooth devices are exposed, but first: a cartoon about a modern day Lion King. Here's the news you need to know, in two minutes or less.

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Defeated Chess Champ Garry Kasparov Has Made Peace With AI

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 06:10:29 -0000

Garry Kasparov is perhaps the greatest chess player in history. For almost two decades after becoming world champion in 1985, he dominated the game with a ferocious style of play and an equally ferocious swagger. Outside the chess world, however, Kasparov is best known for losing to a machine. In 1997, at the height of his powers, Kasparov was crushed and cowed by an IBM supercomputer called Deep Blue.

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AI, the Transcription Economy, and the Future of Work

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Gabriel is a professional transcriber, and for years he earned a middle-class living. In the early 2000s he'd make up to $40 an hour transcribing corporate earnings calls. He'd sit at his desk, “knock it out” for hours using custom keystrokes, and watch the money roll in. “I sent my son to private schools and university on transcribing,” he tells me. “It was a nice life.” But in the past decade, the bottom fell out.

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This Social Network Wants to Pay You (in Crypto) to Do Good

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 06:10:27 -0000

Last June, at a swanky, strobe-lit event in Washington, DC, Brendan Blumer, the 33-year-old CEO of a blockchain company called Block.one, unveiled a new product with Steve Jobs-like theatrics: a social network called Voice. A year earlier, Blumer’s company had raised $4 billion selling a crypto token called EOS. It was, by far, the largest-ever initial coin offering—more money than just about any US initial public offering that year.

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Airbnb Has Devoured London. Here’s the Data to Prove It

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 06:10:19 -0000

The number of Airbnb listings in London has quadrupled in the last four years as more and more of the city’s housing stock has been gobbled up by short-term rental companies. As of May 2019, 80,770 properties in London were listed on Airbnb, with a staggering 23 percent, or 11,200, of these thought to be in breach of a legal 90-day limit in the capital.

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Why the FTC Wants to Revisit Hundreds of Deals by Big Tech

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 06:10:22 -0000

When Facebook bought WhatsApp for $22 billion in 2014, many observers scratched their heads. The smaller messaging platform had annual revenues in the low tens of millions. How could it be worth so much? Soon enough, however, Facebook’s logic became clear. While little noticed in the US, WhatsApp was already a juggernaut overseas, with hundreds of millions of users. In countries where Facebook was not as popular, the acquisition gave Mark Zuckerberg’s company an immediate foothold.

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Sony Envisions an AI-Fueled World, From Kitchen Bots to Games

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 06:10:21 -0000

In 1997, Hiroaki Kitano, a research scientist at Sony, helped organize the first Robocup, a robot soccer tournament that attracted teams of robotics and artificial intelligence researchers to compete in the picturesque city of Nagoya, Japan. At the start of the first day, two teams of robots took to the pitch. As the machines twitched and surveyed their surroundings, a reporter asked Kitano when the match would begin. “I told him it started five minutes ago!” he says with a laugh.

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Judge Rules That T-Mobile Can Acquire Sprint

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 06:10:28 -0000

You’ll likely have one less choice for mobile service soon. Last year, nine states and the District of Columbia filed suit to block T-Mobile's $26.5 billion acquisition of Sprint. Tuesday, a federal judge ruled against the states, allowing the merger to move forward. The deal still needs approval from the California Public Utilities Commission, but it's not clear if the commission can actually block the deal.

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Europe Limits Government by Algorithm. The US, Not So Much

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 06:10:25 -0000

One evening last June, residents from the Hillesluis and Bloemhof neighborhoods on the south side of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, crowded into a community room at their local playground. Many wore headscarves and some arrived after a protest march from a local mosque. The residents had assembled to learn more about a government system called SyRI that had quietly flagged thousands of people in their low-income communities to investigators as more likely to commit benefits fraud.

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The UK Exited the EU—and Is Leaving a 'Meme Ban' Behind

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Article 13—a controversial piece of copyright legislation that is now called Article 17 but is more colloquially known as "the meme ban"—is no more, in the UK at least. Last week, the country's minister for universities and science, Chris Skidmore, confirmed that the UK will not implement the EU Copyright Directive after leaving the EU. Wired UK This story originally appeared on WIRED UK. The directive limits how copyrighted content is shared on online platforms.

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How AI Is Tracking the Coronavirus Outbreak

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 06:10:26 -0000

With the coronavirus growing more deadly in China, artificial intelligence researchers are applying machine-learning techniques to social media, web, and other data for subtle signs that the disease may be spreading elsewhere. The new virus emerged in Wuhan, China, in December, triggering a global health emergency. It remains uncertain how deadly or contagious the virus is, and how widely it might have already spread. Infections and deaths continue to rise.

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Who Should Control the Internet's .Org Addresses?

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 06:10:25 -0000

For decades, .org domain names have been the home for nonprofit organizations on the internet. Groups including the Red Cross, the Sierra Club, and the Heritage Foundation use them, as do many smaller, less well-known organizations. Now, the nonprofit organization in charge of .org domains could be sold to a for-profit company in a $1.1 billion deal that’s attracted protesters and the attention of California’s attorney general. The organization managing .

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Jeff Weiner Updates His LinkedIn Profile

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 06:10:23 -0000

The last three and a half years haven’t been so great for social media platforms. They’ve been accused of fomenting genocide, breaking Western democracies, and abetting mass shooters. The CEOs have sweated in front of Congress, meditated deep in the forests, and deleted the very apps that made them billionaires. Amid this drama, Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, has been like a man whistling as he bikes safely beside the century’s craziest car crash.

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In the Land of Big Tech Outposts, a Push for More Housing

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 06:10:28 -0000

John Elberling likes to play the long game. In 1986, when he was 40, he pushed for a ballot measure to cap office development in San Francisco, to protect the city’s character from rogue developers. The voters approved it, but it didn’t matter much, because it turned out the city didn’t need so many big offices. That is, until now. Three decades later, San Francisco is finally feeling the cap’s intended pinch—thanks to a recent influx of tech.

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When ‘Ghost Kitchens’ Become Mystery Grubhub Listings

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 06:10:27 -0000

Happy Khao Thai has an address on San Francisco’s Mission Street, but don’t go there looking for a storefront. A sign on the sidewalk reading “Food pick up here” points, improbably, through the maw of a demolished theater, of which all that’s left is the marquee. Behind it, in what would have been the lobby, is a parking lot, and way in the rear—backstage, perhaps—are a pair of portable toilets and a trailer.

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Alphabet Has a Second, Secretive Quantum Computing Team

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 06:10:24 -0000

In October, Google celebrated a breakthrough that CEO Sundar Pichai likened to the Wright brothers’ first flight. Company researchers in Santa Barbara, California, 300 miles from the Googleplex, had achieved quantum supremacy—the moment that a quantum computer performs a calculation impossible for any conventional computer.

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Oh Sure, Big Tech Wants Regulation—on Its Own Terms

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 06:10:27 -0000

Last week, a global gaggle of billionaires, academics, thought leaders, and other power brokers gathered in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum’s signature annual event. Climate change! The global economy! Health! The agenda was packed with discussion of the most pressing issues of our time. True to form, much of the musing ventured away from root causes.

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AI License Plate Readers Are Cheaper—So Drive Carefully

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 06:10:23 -0000

The town of Rotterdam, New York, has only 45 police officers, but technology extends their reach. Each day a department computer logs the license plates of around 10,000 vehicles moving through and around town, using software plugged into a network of cameras at major intersections and commercial areas. “Let’s say for instance you had a bank robbed,” says Jeffrey Collins, a lieutenant who supervises the department’s uniform division.

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AI Can Do Great Things—If It Doesn't Burn the Planet

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 06:10:23 -0000

Last month, researchers at OpenAI in San Francisco revealed an algorithm capable of learning, through trial and error, how to manipulate the pieces of a Rubik's Cube using a robotic hand. It was a remarkable research feat, but it required more than 1,000 desktop computers plus a dozen machines running specialized graphics chips crunching intensive calculations for several months. The effort may have consumed about 2.

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How to Raise Media-Savvy Kids in the Digital Age

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 06:10:21 -0000

This story is part of a series on parenting—from surveilling our teens to helping our kids navigate fake news and misinformation. What does it mean for a kid to be media literate? It sounds generally positive and important, like a good dental checkup or a flawless report card. The field is broad and definitions vary, but the main thrust of literacy education is to prepare our children to be adept at accessing, creating, and thinking critically about all types of media.

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The UN Warns Against the Global Threat to Election Integrity

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 06:10:21 -0000

A new United Nations-sponsored report offers one of the most comprehensive overviews of the challenges to global electoral integrity posed by the onslaught of misinformation, online extremism, and social media manipulation campaigns, and calls for a series of reforms from platforms, politicians, and international governing bodies.

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PopSockets Asks Congress to Rein in Big Tech

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 06:10:20 -0000

David Barnett, a former philosophy professor and the founder and CEO of PopSockets, says his interactions with Amazon have often amounted to “bullying with a smile.” Like many companies, PopSockets, which makes a popular plastic grip that can be attached to smartphones, discovered several years ago counterfeit versions of its products available for sale on Amazon.

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Microsoft Looms Over the Privacy Debate in Its Home State

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Two Microsoft employees sat opposite one another in a Washington State Senate hearing room last Wednesday. Ryan Harkins, the company’s senior director of public policy, spoke in support of a proposed law that would regulate government use of facial recognition. “We would applaud the committee and all of the bill sponsors for all of their work to tackle this important issue,” he said.

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Now Stores Must Tell You How They're Tracking Your Every Move

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 06:10:23 -0000

To anyone with eyes in their kneecaps, the notice outside gadget retailer B8ta’s glossy store next to San Francisco’s new NBA arena is obvious. “We care about your privacy,” the small plaque proclaims, offering a web address and QR code.

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Worried About Privacy at Home? There's an AI for That

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 06:10:22 -0000

Alexa, are you eavesdropping on me? I passive-aggressively ask my Amazon Echo this question every so often. Because as useful as AI has become, it's also very creepy. It's usually cloud-based, so it's often sending snippets of audio—or pictures from devices like “smart” doorbells—out to the internet. And this, of course, produces privacy nightmares, as when Amazon or Google subcontractors sit around listening to our audio snippets or hackers remotely spy on our kids.

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Can a Digital Avatar Fire You?

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 07:29:25 -0000

You walk into the office and greet a digital avatar that replaced the company receptionist a few years ago. After sliding your badge into a reader, you smile and nod, even though you know “Amy” is not a real person. You sit down at your cubicle and start browsing the web. Then the trouble starts. You receive an email requesting a meeting. “Bob” wants to chat about your job performance. You fire up a Zoom chat and another digital avatar appears on the screen.

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Senators Propose $1B to Outpace Huawei in 5G. That's Small Change

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 06:10:28 -0000

A bipartisan group of senators Tuesday introduced a bill designed to give Chinese telecom giant Huawei more competition in the market for 5G equipment by pumping more than $1 billion into 5G-related research and development. While the funds could be a boon for smaller companies, it’s paltry compared with what the telecommunications and wireless industries already spend on R&D.

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This Company Hires Gig Workers—as Employees

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 06:10:17 -0000

Last September, as California legislators considered Assembly Bill 5, a measure designed to limit which workers can be classified as independent contractors, companies like Uber and Lyft bemoaned a potential blow to their bottom lines—bottom lines that were, for the record, already suffering. But one gig economy CEO cheered the bill from the sidelines.

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Now It's Really, Truly Time to Give Up Windows 7

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Two days ago, I finally gave up Windows 7. I don't dislike Windows 10, but there's just always been something special about Windows 7. It was svelte. It actually ran faster and took up less hard drive space than its predecessor, the much-maligned Windows Vista. It looked great. We Windows users could finally hold our heads a little higher around Mac users. And, well, I didn't know how well Windows 10 would work on that old Windows 7 laptop, or how much time it would take to make the transition.

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Funeral Tech Startups Expand Your Posthumous Possibilities

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 06:10:23 -0000

When former Beverly Hills 90210 heartthrob Luke Perry died last year, his body was encased in a hideous black and white bodysuit. This shroud, made entirely of mushrooms and other small organisms, was designed to slowly turn him into compost. Wired UK This story originally appeared on WIRED UK.

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Export Controls Threaten the Future of AI Outposts in China

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 06:10:22 -0000

For some time, American companies including Microsoft, Google, and IBM have established research labs in China to tap into local AI talent and to keep track of technological trends. Now, as tensions and restrictions continue to ramp up, some observers wonder if the days of those outposts may be numbered.

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A New Law for Gig Workers Reaches Beyond Ride-Hail Drivers

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 06:10:29 -0000

For years, Helene Mickey Wilson—Dr. Mickey to those who know her—has had two main sources of income. Wilson, a licensed marriage and family therapist in California’s Orange County, owns a small private practice. She’s also contracted with a company to oversee and train therapists working toward final certification, for which they need 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience.

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Ivanka Trump's Future of Work Isn't for Workers

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 06:10:24 -0000

Ivanka Trump took the stage at CES Tuesday to muted reception. Forty minutes later, she left to robust applause. No surprise, maybe, given the uncontroversial theme: The US needs to prepare workers for the future. At a technology-focused show, that’s not exactly a hard sell.

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Intel Maps Out a Foldable, AI-Infused PC Future

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 06:10:27 -0000

The idea that PCs are dying never held much weight; if anything, despite inroads by the iPad Pro, they’ve solidified their position as the device you turn to when you need to get things done. But where do they go from here? And with Moore’s Law in the rearview how will they continue to improve? At this year’s CES, Intel is laying out a vision for what PCs might look like, and how they’ll act, going forward.

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The World Has a Plan to Rein in AI—but the US Doesn’t Like It

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 06:10:27 -0000

In December 2018, Canada and France announced plans for a new international body to study and steer the effects of artificial intelligence on the world’s people and economies. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said the International Panel on Artificial Intelligence would be established by the Group of Seven leading western economies and play a role in “addressing some of the ethical concerns we will face in this area.

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Worried About 5G’s Health Effects? Don’t Be

Tue, 07 Jan 2020 06:10:29 -0000

Even as carriers around the world race to build 5G networks, some government officials are reaching for the throttle, citing fears that the new generation of wireless technology could pose health risks. Earlier this year the Portland, Oregon, city council passed a resolution asking the Federal Communications Commission to update its research into potential health risks of 5G.

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It's Hard to Ban Facial Recognition Tech in the iPhone Era

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 06:10:27 -0000

After San Francisco in May placed new controls, including a ban on facial recognition, on municipal surveillance, city employees began taking stock of what technology agencies already owned. They quickly learned that the city owned a lot of facial recognition technology—much of it in workers’ pockets.

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Internet Deception Is Here to Stay—So What Do We Do Now?

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 06:10:28 -0000

It was 2010 and techno-optimism was surging. A whopping 75 percent of American adults were online—a big jump from the 46 percent that were logging on a decade prior—cruising through the information age largely from the comfort of their own homes for the first time en masse. Social media was relatively new and gaining traction—especially among young people—as the world’s attention appeared to shift to apps from the browser-based web.

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Enhanced Intelligence, VR Sex, and Our Cyborg Future

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 06:10:24 -0000

If you could press a button to merge your mind with an artificial intelligence computer—expanding your brain power, your memory, and your creative capacity—would you take the leap? “I would press it in a microsecond,” says Sebastian Thrun, who previously led Stanford University’s AI Lab. Turning yourself into a cyborg might sound like pure sci-fi, but recent progress in AI, neural implants, and wearable gadgets make it seem increasingly imaginable.

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The 2010s Killed the Cult of the Tech Founder. Great!

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 06:10:25 -0000

When Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced they were giving up their “day to day” duties at Alphabet early this month—leaving the heavy lifting to Google CEO Sundar Pichai—an era ended in more ways than one. As much as the news made history for the Mountain View search giant, it was also a fitting end to a cult of founderhood that peaked and crashed during the past 10 years. At the beginning of this decade, "the Google Guys” were still the flag-bearers of that cult.

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Everything and Nothing Is a Tech Company Now

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 06:10:29 -0000

It was 1998 and internet mania was in full swing. Fueled by the fear of missing out on the next big e-thing, freewheeling venture capitalists and speculators poured money into companies that appeared only tangentially internet-related. Entrepreneurs responded in kind, many going so far as to add “.com” or some techy sounding prefix like “e-“ or “net-“ to their company’s name in the hopes of attracting attention from internet-obsessed investors.

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Bitcoin's Path From Insurgents’ Talisman to Tool of Big Tech

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 06:10:24 -0000

At first, you didn’t even need a pickax. The earliest prospectors of the California gold rush ventured into the Sierra foothills as solo travelers, sloshing through streams in search of nuggets dislodged by the current. That, at least, is the prevailing image: The individual renegade who headed west to strike it rich by his own initiative. But soon there were too many prospectors and too little easy gold. The task became more resource-intensive, requiring water to blast away the hills.

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When Robots Can Decide Whether You Live or Die

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 06:10:26 -0000

Computers have gotten pretty good at making certain decisions for themselves. Automatic spam filters block most unwanted email. Some US clinics use artificial-intelligence-powered cameras to flag diabetes patients at risk of blindness. But can a machine ever be trusted to decide whether to kill a human being? It’s a question taken up by the eighth episode of the Sleepwalkers podcast, which examines the AI revolution.

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The AI Doctor Will See You Now

Thu, 26 Dec 2019 06:10:30 -0000

When MIT professor Regina Barzilay received her breast cancer diagnosis, she turned it into a science project. Learning that the disease could have been detected earlier if doctors had recognized the signs on previous mammograms, Barzilay, an expert in artificial intelligence, used a collection of 90,000 breast x-rays to create software for predicting a patient’s cancer risk.

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AI Is Biased. Here's How Scientists Are Trying to Fix It

Wed, 25 Dec 2019 06:10:33 -0000

Computers have learned to see the world more clearly in recent years, thanks to some impressive leaps in artificial intelligence. But you might be surprised—and upset—to know what these AI algorithms really think of you. As a recent experiment demonstrated, the best AI vision system might see a picture of your face and spit out a racial slur, a gender stereotype, or a term that impugns your good character.

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On Farming YouTube, Emu Eggs and Hay Bales Find Loyal Fans

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 06:10:27 -0000

“We’re going to be hauling some grass and some alfalfa bales today,” Cole Sonne cheerfully tells the camera as he drives a tractor over the bumps of his family’s farm in South Dakota. And for the next 12 minutes, the video will show Sonne and his dad do just that, carefully moving hundreds of the bundles, each as tall as a person, across their property. The sun shines down on the farm’s lush grass, peaceful music plays in the background—the effect is soothing.

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The Pentagon's AI Chief Prepares for Battle

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 06:23:30 -0000

Nearly every day, in war zones around the world, American military forces request fire support. By radioing coordinates to a howitzer miles away, infantrymen can deliver the awful ruin of a 155 mm artillery shell on opposing forces. If defense officials in Washington have their way, artificial intelligence is about to make that process a whole lot faster. The effort to speed up fire support is one of a handful initiatives that Lt. Gen.

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Will AI Take Your Job—or Make It Better?

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 15:48:22 -0000

Wally Kankowski owns a pool repair business in Florida and likes 12 creams in his McDonald’s coffee each morning. What he doesn’t like is the way the company is pushing him to place his order via a touchscreen kiosk instead of talking with counter staff, some of whom he has known for years. “The thing is knocking someone out of a job,” he says.

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The Perils and Promise of Artificial Conscientiousness

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 06:10:31 -0000

We humans are notoriously bad at predicting the consequences of achieving our technological goals. Add seat belts to cars for safety, speeding and accidents can go up. Burn hydrocarbons for cheap energy, warm the planet. Give experts new technologies like surgical robots or predictive policing algorithms to enhance productivity, block apprentices from learning. Still, we're amazing at predicting unintended consequences compared to the intelligent technologies we're building.

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When Tech Giants Blanket the World

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:10:26 -0000

Juan Carlos Castillo, a state official in rural Mexico, had never received a call like this before. What looked like a giant plastic jellyfish with a blinking LED had fallen from the sky onto a farmer’s field. “It really caused panic,” he says. “I imagined that it could be espionage.” Then Castillo noticed a phone number attached to the floppy artifact. He called it and got through to Google’s parent Alphabet, in California.

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Jack Dorsey Wants to Help You Create Your Own Twitter

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 06:10:30 -0000

No one owns the internet. There’s no one stopping you from posting videos to your own web server, at least so long as you have the technical chops to set one up and the money to pay for hosting. But you’re at a disadvantage if you’re posting your video outside of YouTube or Facebook. And if Facebook or Twitter ban you from sharing it, will anyone ever find it? But allowing everyone to post anything they want to these platforms isn’t a great idea either.

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The Slow Rollout of Super-Fast 5G

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 06:10:30 -0000

The grand promise of 5G wireless service—connection speeds 10 times as fast as the speediest home broadband service—is slowly moving closer to reality. AT&T is launching its new 5G service Friday in 10 cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose. Notably, the service is based on real 5G standards, unlike AT&T’s earlier "5G Evolution" offering, which in reality was just a variety of 4G.

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Best Buy Bucks the Trend That’s Crushing Other Retailers

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 06:10:32 -0000

Holiday season may be full of cheer, but it’s also a time of intense pressure for retailers, especially in electronics. More than 20 percent of annual sales for things such as televisions, phones, cameras, and games occur between Thanksgiving and Christmas. One likely beneficiary is a company that most assumed would be long gone by now, consumed by the retail holocaust that has seen so many once-proud chains go the way of Chapter 11.

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How Deepfakes Scramble Our Sense of True and False

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 06:10:30 -0000

“Are you in a precarious situation? … You sound like you can’t talk.” Karah Preiss’ cousin Leslie accused her of being sleepy and distracted and eventually hung up, but didn’t guess the truth. Preiss had placed the call using a software clone of her voice made to demonstrate artificial intelligence’s ability to deceive.

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It's Coders Versus Human Pilots in This Drone Race

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 06:10:30 -0000

On Friday night in an old newspaper printing plant in Austin, the future of drone automation lifted off, accelerated and flew, nearly fast enough to beat one of the best drone pilots in the world. Gabriel Kocher, known in the professional Drone Racing League as Gab707, sat behind a net, wearing video goggles and steering his drone through five square gates on a short, curvy course. Next to him were four teammates from the MavLAB of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

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Amazon Joins Tech’s Great Quantum Computing Race

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 06:10:28 -0000

The everything store has an everything cloud. Amazon Web Services offers more than 160 services from disk storage to satellite control antennas. On Monday, the company said it would widen its cloud menu to include access to quantum computers—Amazon’s first big commitment to a technology rivals IBM and Google say will transform computers’ impact on businesses and society.

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Larry, Sergey, and the Mixed Legacy of Google-Turned-Alphabet

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 06:10:28 -0000

On August 10, 2015, Google CEO Larry Page shocked the business world by announcing he was restructuring the company he cofounded into a holding company called Alphabet. Page would head the new entity, and Google itself would be one of a number of companies under Alphabet’s control—like Google X, Google Fiber, Google Ventures, and Nest—each with a separate CEO reporting to him. The idea was to make The Company Formerly Known As Google “more clean and accountable.

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Why YouTube Won’t Ban Trump’s Misleading Ads About Biden

Fri, 06 Dec 2019 06:10:28 -0000

The online political advertising wars rage on. In late September, Facebook pleased almost no one when it announced that it would exempt posts by politicians, including ads, from its fact-checking system. Almost as if on cue, a few days later the Donald Trump reelection campaign dropped an ad full of conspiratorial claims about Joe Biden. When the Biden campaign requested that Facebook take down the ad, the company declined.

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How Auschwitz Christmas Ornaments Ended Up for Sale on Amazon

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 06:10:29 -0000

The day before Cyber Monday, Amazon’s largest shopping event of the year, the company faced yet another controversy over offensive items for sale on its site. On Sunday, Amazon removed Christmas tree ornaments, a bottle opener, and other products featuring pictures of Auschwitz, the largest Nazi concentration camp where historians estimate over one million people, most of them Jews, were killed during the Holocaust.

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Would You Pay Someone $40 to Keep You Focused on Work?

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 06:10:26 -0000

I found Focused by accident, while I was suffering from the very condition it wants to help people avoid. In bed and hunched over my laptop, I was scrolling through Twitter when I noticed someone I follow congratulating a woman on the launch of her new startup. Lacking any of the necessary willpower to go back to my work, I spiraled further into a procrastination hole and clicked on the link.

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What Happens When Machines Find Their Creative Muse

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 06:10:28 -0000

In March 2018, an eerie portrait created by an artificial intelligence program sold at Christie's Auction House for almost half a million dollars. A few months later, a movie written and directed by an AI algorithm was released amid much hype. And this March, a record company signed an AI artist for the first time. Artificial creativity is the subject of the second episode of the Sleepwalkers podcast, an ongoing series exploring the implications of AI.

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Hey Congress, How's That Privacy Bill Coming Along?

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 06:10:23 -0000

After months of stalled bipartisan negotiations over how the federal government should protect consumers’ private data, Senate Democrats decided to go it alone this month. On Tuesday, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) introduced the Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act, or COPRA, which would set up a sort of privacy bill of rights for Americans while providing some stronger mechanisms of enforcement.

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Why Did PayPal Pay $4 Billion for a Coupon Browser Extension?

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 06:10:24 -0000

Earlier this week, PayPal agreed to purchase Honey, a Los Angeles-based coupon finder, for an eye-popping $4 billion. If it goes through, it will be the largest tech deal in the city’s history, and PayPal’s biggest acquisition ever. Why would any company shell out that much for a shopping tool? PayPal revolutionized online shopping with its payments system two decades ago, but lately more tech companies have been encroaching on its turf.

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Google Employees Protest to Fight for the 'Future of Tech'

Thu, 28 Nov 2019 06:10:27 -0000

The protesters who gathered outside Google's San Francisco office on Friday had a single, simple demand: give two employees their jobs back, immediately. But the group of 200 Googlers made clear more was at stake. It was, as one software engineer put it, "a struggle for the future of tech." The two employees at the center of the squall, Rebecca Rivers and Laurence Berland, had been placed on administrative leave a few weeks ago. Neither have been given a formal explanation from Google.

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Text-Savvy AI Is Here to Write Fiction

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 07:10:27 -0000

A few years ago this month, Portland, Oregon artist Darius Kazemi watched a flood of tweets from would-be novelists. November is National Novel Writing Month, a time when people hunker down to churn out 50,000 words in a span of weeks. To Kazemi, a computational artist whose preferred medium is the Twitter bot, the idea sounded mildly tortuous. “I was thinking I would never do that,” he says. “But if a computer could do it for me, I’d give it a shot.

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Researchers Want Guardrails to Help Prevent Bias in AI

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 06:56:00 -0000

Artificial intelligence has given us algorithms capable of recognizing faces, diagnosing disease, and of course, crushing computer games. But even the smartest algorithms can sometimes behave in unexpected and unwanted ways, for example picking up gender bias from the text or images they are fed. A new framework for building AI programs suggests a way to prevent aberrant behavior in machine learning by specifying guardrails in the code from the outset.

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Google Shakes Up Its 'TGIF'—and Ends Its Culture of Openness

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 09:19:20 -0000

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Opinion: Workers Deserve a Say in Automation

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 07:10:22 -0000

When the global economy shifted in the late 19th century, working people were the first to adapt. They moved to cities like Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo and worked long hours in unsafe factories. They drove the Industrial Revolution and changed the nature of work forever. When it became clear that employers were exploiting their productivity, the labor movement formed to protest abuses like sweatshops, child labor, and poverty wages.

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Every Startup Needs to Prepare for Its Downfall

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 07:10:23 -0000

Last year, Jibo—“the world's first social robot for the home”—began to lose its mind. First came memory problems. The bot started to spend less time swiveling its head like the animated Pixar lamp and more time staring blankly at the wall. Its cognitive demise was slow, then fast. At one point, Jibo itself delivered the fatal diagnosis: “The servers out there that let me do what I do will be turned off soon,” it said in its computerized voice.

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The Apple Card Didn't 'See' Gender—and That's the Problem

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 16:29:25 -0000

The Apple credit card, launched in August, ran into major problems last week, when users noticed that it seemed to offer smaller lines of credit to women than to men. The scandal spread on Twitter, with influential techies branding the Apple Card “fucking sexist,” “beyond f’ed up,” and so on. Even Apple’s amiable cofounder, Steve “Woz” Wosniak, wondered, more politely, whether the card might harbor some misogynistic tendencies.

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Microtasks Might Be the Future of White-Collar Work

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 07:10:24 -0000

Normally, when you open Facebook, you see pictures of your friends' awesome vacations or links to maddening political stories your dad is sharing—your basic emotional goulash of FOMO and TMI. But last year, the nerds at Microsoft Research tried something different: They put bits of office work into the News Feed.

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Every Tech Company Wants to Be a Bank—Someday, At Least

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 16:29:25 -0000

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Why Is Google Slow-Walking Its Breakthroughs in AI?

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 07:10:20 -0000

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Opinion: AI For Good Is Often Bad

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 16:29:20 -0000

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How Facebook Gets the First Amendment Backward

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 07:10:24 -0000

What does the First Amendment have to do with Facebook? It depends on whom you ask. Mark Zuckerberg would probably say: a lot. Over the past few weeks, he has repeatedly invoked the First Amendment to justify Facebook’s controversial decision to exempt posts and paid advertisements by political candidates from its fact-checking system. In a speech to Georgetown students last month, he claimed that the company’s policies are “inspired by the First Amendment.

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Google Is Basically Daring the Government to Block Its Fitbit Deal

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 16:29:26 -0000

Google’s plan to buy Fitbit took chutzpah from the start. The company was already being investigated by Congress, state attorneys general, and federal antitrust regulators, a reflection of growing alarm over a conglomerate whose dominant market share is built on unrivaled access to personal data. Now it was announcing a $2.

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Google Is Slurping Up Health Data—and It Looks Totally Legal

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 07:10:21 -0000

Last week, when Google gobbled up Fitbit in a $2.1 billion acquisition, the talk was mostly about what the company would do with all that wrist-jingling and power-walking data. It’s no secret that Google’s parent Alphabet—along with fellow giants Apple and Facebook—is on an aggressive hunt for health data. But it turns out there’s a cheaper way to get access to it: Teaming up with healthcare providers.

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Opinion: China is Pushing Toward Global Blockchain Dominance

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 16:29:22 -0000

In a speech late last month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared blockchain “an important breakthrough,” and promised that China would “seize the opportunity.” He detailed the ways the Chinese government would support blockchain research, development, and standardization. The significance shouldn’t be underestimated. Xi is the first major world leader to issue such a strong endorsement of the much-hyped, and much-maligned, distributed ledger technology.

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GitHub Finally Has Its Own Mobile Apps

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 07:10:23 -0000

GitHub is the largest repository of open source software in the world. Everyone from Microsoft, which acquired the company last year, to Google to Walmart use it to host their open source projects. But GitHub is also the place where users report bugs, request features, and submit their own contributions to open source projects. It has wikis that developers can use to publish documentation. It has a web hosting service called Pages for content that doesn't quite fit into the wiki mold.

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Opinion: The Global South Is Redefining Tech Innovation

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 16:29:21 -0000

Conversations around today’s internet are stuck in a stifling binary. Either we hear that the digital revolution will either magically deliver us into an über-efficient world where we are all connected and uplifted, or our fears about it gone awry, threatening our democracies and economic security, will be realized.

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Opinion: Trolling Is Now Mainstream Political Discourse

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 07:10:22 -0000

It was a few weeks before the 2016 election, and I was putting together a report on the future of online political discourse.

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Coinbase Wants to Pay Interest on Crypto Coins, Sort Of

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 16:29:23 -0000

This June, as the news bristled with headlines about Facebook’s cryptocurrency-to-be and the price of bitcoin once again soared, the mood in the San Francisco offices of Coinbase was subdued. In 2017, the cryptocurrency exchange was close to the frenetic epicenter of the bitcoin boom. Millions of people used its app to dip their toes into cryptocurrency speculation. Then came the crash.

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Can AI Built to ‘Benefit Humanity’ Also Serve the Military?

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 07:10:21 -0000

Microsoft’s recent victory in landing a $10 billion Pentagon cloud-computing contract called JEDI could make life more complicated for one of the software giant’s partners: the independent artificial-intelligence research lab OpenAI. OpenAI was created in 2015 by Silicon Valley luminaries including Elon Musk to look to the far horizon, and save the world.

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African AI Experts Get Excluded From a Conference—Again

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 16:29:23 -0000

At the G7 meeting in Montreal last year, Justin Trudeau told WIRED he would look into why more than 100 African artificial intelligence researchers had been barred from visiting that city to attend their field’s most important annual event, the Neural Information Processing Systems conference, or NeurIPS. Now the same thing has happened again.

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WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton on Why Privacy Matters

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 07:10:22 -0000

The cofounder of WhatsApp and the Signal Foundation thinks the use of encrypted communications tools will only increase in the future. “There’s a global education that’s happening,” says Brian Acton, who left WhatsApp in 2018 and now chairs the non-profit foundation, which promotes open-source, end-to-end encryption in messaging. “Back in the ‘90s, we all got the same hoax emails, and we all learned to ignore them.

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Even in an Existential Crisis, WeWork Continues to Grow

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 16:29:23 -0000

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California Reveals It’s Been Investigating Facebook

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 07:10:19 -0000

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Opinion: California’s Anti-Deepfake Law Is Far Too Feeble

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 16:29:24 -0000

Imagine it’s late October 2020, and that there's fierce competition for the remaining undecided voters in the presidential election. In a matter of hours, a deepfake video depicting a candidate engaged in unsavory behavior goes viral, and thanks to microtargeting, reaches those who are most susceptible to changing their vote.

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A $60 Million Fine Won't Stop AT&T From Throttling ‘Unlimited’ Data Plans

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 07:10:20 -0000

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that AT&T has agreed to pay $60 million in a settlement that centers around secretly throttled unlimited plans in 2011. You might assume the fine has something to do with the broadband industry’s liberal use of the word “unlimited,” given that AT&T slowed connections to a crawl once customers had used a certain amount of data. Unfortunately, you’d be wrong.

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TikTok Is Having a Tough Time in Washington

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 16:29:28 -0000

In some ways, the social media app TikTok couldn’t have rose to prominence at a worse moment. The platform for sharing short-form video clips is owned by the Chinese startup Bytedance, and surged in popularity just as the United States’ relations with China are turning icier than they have been in years.

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Report: The Government and Tech Need to Cooperate on AI

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 07:10:17 -0000

America’s national security depends on the government getting access to the artificial intelligence breakthroughs made by the technology industry. So says a report submitted to Congress Monday by the National Security Commission on AI. The group, which includes executives from Google, Microsoft, Oracle, and Amazon, says the Pentagon and intelligence agencies need a better relationship with Silicon Valley to stay ahead of China.

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These Researchers Are Trying to Build a Better Blockchain

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 16:29:26 -0000

There’s a rule in the world of blockchains so ingrained that some call it folklore. Bitcoin, the original iteration of blockchain technology, is great at two things. One is keeping data secure, with a ledger others can’t sabotage. The other is “decentralization,” or getting lots of people to work together without a central authority to call the shots. But those two nice properties come with a big tradeoff: Blockchains can’t scale.

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Microsoft Is Taking Quantum Computers to the Cloud

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 07:10:26 -0000

Microsoft got where it is by ensuring that Windows ran on many different types of hardware. Monday, the company said its cloud computing platform will soon offer access to the most exotic hardware of all: quantum computers. Microsoft is one of several tech giants investing in quantum computing, which by crunching data using strange quantum mechanical processes promises unprecedented computational power.

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The Internet Archive Is Making Wikipedia More Reliable

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 16:29:22 -0000

Wikipedia is the arbiter of truth on the internet. It's what settles arguments at bars. It supplies answers for the information snippets you see on your Google or Bing search results. It's the first stop for nearly everyone doing online research. The reason people rely on Wikipedia, despite its imperfections, is that every claim is supposed to have citations. Any sentence that isn't backed up with a credible source risks being slapped with the dreaded "citation needed" label.

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Zuckerberg's View of Speech on Facebook Is Stuck in 2004

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 07:10:26 -0000

Three days after Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, Mark Zuckerberg was asked the question on many people’s minds: Did the explosion of fake news and caustic political rhetoric on Facebook help Trump win? Zuckerberg dismissed the idea. "The idea that fake news ... influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea," he said. The line has been reprinted so frequently many can cite it from memory. It didn't matter whether his comments were willful or accidental.

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A Tech Group Suggests Limits for the Pentagon’s Use of AI

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 16:29:25 -0000

The Pentagon says artificial intelligence will help the US military become still more powerful. Thursday, an advisory group including executives from Google, Microsoft, and Facebook proposed ethical guidelines to prevent military AI from going off the rails. The advice came from the Defense Innovation Board, created under the Obama administration to help the Pentagon tap tech industry expertise, and chaired by Eric Schmidt, Google’s former CEO and chairman.

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AI May Not Kill Your Job—Just Change It

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 07:10:26 -0000

Martin Fleming doesn’t think robots are coming to take your jobs. The chief economist at IBM, Fleming says those worries aren’t backed up by the data. “It’s really nonsense,” he says. A new paper from MIT and IBM’s Watson AI Lab shows that for most of us, the automation revolution probably won’t mean physical robots replacing human workers. Instead, it will come from algorithms.

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Warren Would Shut the Government-to-Tech ‘Revolving Door’

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:31:24 -0000

Elizabeth Warren announced a new plan to fight corruption in Washington on Tuesday: The Democratic presidential candidate wants to ban giant corporations from hiring senior government officials until they have been out of public office for at least four years.

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Should Tech CEOs Go to Jail Over Data Misuse? Some Senators Say Yes

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 07:10:22 -0000

As Mark Zuckerberg testified about all things Facebook on the House side of the Capitol last week, over on the Senate side some lawmakers were debating whether CEOs like Zuckerberg should face jail time if their companies misuse people’s personal data.

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Mark Zuckerberg Needs to Shut Up

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 16:29:22 -0000

Mark Zuckerberg never calls me for advice. But he should. I would tell him to fire his entire communications and lobbying staff. They are incompetent. They have only made matters worse for the company. Did no one think to brief Zuckerberg on the two or three obvious lines of questioning he would face? If they couldn’t prepare him, they never should have let him sit there.

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Microsoft Is the Surprise Winner of a $10B Pentagon Contract

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 07:10:17 -0000

The corporate war to provide cloud computing for US warfighters is over. Late Friday, the Department of Defense announced that Microsoft has won the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract, known as JEDI. The decision was the culmination of a two-year process that also included Google, IBM, and Oracle, and where Amazon was long seen as the favorite.

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The FTC Fosters Fake Reviews, Its Own Commissioners Say

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 16:29:23 -0000

Like much of the internet, online reviews are often fake. No matter the platform—Amazon, TripAdvisor, Yelp, or another—no matter the subject, where user reviews are public, fakery usually follows. The practice has surged in popularity in recent years as retailers scramble to capitalize on consumers’ love of ecommerce.

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What's Blockchain Actually Good for, Anyway? For Now, Not Much

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 07:10:20 -0000

In early 2018, Amos Meiri got the kind of windfall many startup founders only dream of. Meiri’s company, Colu, develops digital currencies for cities—coupons, essentially, that encourage people to spend their money locally. The company was having some success with pilot projects in the UK and Israel, but Meiri had an idea for something bigger. He envisioned a global network of city currencies, linked together using blockchain technology.

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Facebook’s Encryption Makes it Harder to Detect Child Abuse

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 16:29:25 -0000

In 2018, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 18 million reports to their CyberTipline, constituting 45 million images depicting child sexual abuse. Most of these children were under the age of 12, and some were as young as a few months old. Since its inception in 1998, the CyberTipline has received a total of 55 million such reports. Those from 2018 alone constitute a nearly half of all reports over the past two decades.

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Google Search Now Reads at a Higher Level

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 07:10:24 -0000

Google search is advancing a reading grade. Google says it has enhanced its search-ranking system with software called BERT, or Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers to its friends. It was developed in the company’s artificial intelligence labs and announced last fall, breaking records on reading comprehension questions that researchers use to test AI software.

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Now the Machines Are Learning How to Smell

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 16:29:33 -0000

Google has its own perfume—or at least one team of the company’s researchers does. Crafted under the guidance of expert French perfumers, the mixture has notes of vanilla, jasmine, melon, and strawberries. “It wasn’t half bad,” says Alex Wiltschko, who keeps a vial of the perfume in his kitchen. Google’s not marketing that scent anytime soon, but it is sticking its nose into yet another aspect of our lives: smell.

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Who Are the Most Successful Entrepreneurs? The Middle-Aged

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 07:10:23 -0000

Back in 2007, a 22-year-old Mark Zuckerberg gave some advice at Y Combinator's Startup School: Do a startup before you're old. In technology, he said, twentysomethings rule. The olds are useless. “I want to stress the importance of being young and technical,” he said. “Young people are just smarter.” That comment has not aged well.

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Should Europe Regulate American Tech Companies?

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 16:29:27 -0000

While American lawmakers are still mostly talking about regulating the tech industry, their counterparts in Europe have been far more active. From consumer privacy protections and content moderation to antitrust enforcement, the European Union has introduced a host of new rules aimed at Silicon Valley’s biggest companies, and at the business practices that enabled them to amass so much power. Investigations have multiplied, as have the fines.

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Maybe It’s Not YouTube’s Algorithm That Radicalizes People

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 07:10:22 -0000

YouTube is the biggest social media platform in the country, and, perhaps, the most misunderstood. Over the past few years, the Google-owned platform has become a media powerhouse where political discussion is dominated by right-wing channels offering an ideological alternative to established news outlets.

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IBM Says Google’s Quantum Leap Was a Quantum Flop

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 21:21:32 -0000

Technical quarrels between quantum computing experts rarely escape the field’s rarified community. Late Monday, though, IBM’s quantum team picked a highly public fight with Google. In a technical paper and blogpost, IBM took aim at potentially history-making scientific results accidentally leaked from a collaboration between Google and NASA last month.

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Angry Nerd: Enough With Technology That ‘Democratizes’ Things!

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 07:10:17 -0000

The operations overlords of WIRED make me use Airtable. It's a hip workflow tracker, with pretty color coding and copious tabs and a “robust” API that syncs with Slack. It's also, apparently, a superhero. The Captain America of spreadsheets. Airtable isn't just a shinier version of Excel—it's on a self-professed mission to “democratize software creation by enabling anyone to build tools that meet their needs.

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Most Deepfakes Are Porn, and They're Multiplying Fast

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 16:54:58 -0000

In November 2017, a Reddit account called deepfakes posted pornographic clips made with software that pasted the faces of Hollywood actresses over those of the real performers. Nearly two years later, deepfake is a generic noun for video manipulated or fabricated with artificial intelligence software. The technique has drawn laughs on YouTube, along with concern from lawmakers fearful of political disinformation.

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These Startups Are Building Tools to Keep an Eye on AI

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 07:10:19 -0000

In January, Liz O’Sullivan wrote a letter to her boss at artificial intelligence startup Clarifai, asking him to set ethical limits on its Pentagon contracts. WIRED had previously revealed that the company worked on a controversial project processing drone imagery. O’Sullivan urged CEO Matthew Zeiler to pledge the company would not contribute to the development of weapons that decide for themselves whom to harm or kill.

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At an Outback Steakhouse Franchise, Surveillance Blooms

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 17:44:48 -0000

As casual dining chains have declined in popularity, many have experimented with surveillance technology designed to maximize employee efficiency and performance. Earlier this week, one Outback Steakhouse franchise announced it would begin testing such a tool, a computer vision program called Presto Vision, at a single outpost in the Portland, Oregon area. Your Bloomin' Onion now comes with a side of Big Brother.

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An AI Pioneer Wants His Algorithms to Understand the 'Why'

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 07:10:22 -0000

In March, Yoshua Bengio received a share of the Turing Award, the highest accolade in computer science, for contributions to the development of deep learning—the technique that triggered a renaissance in artificial intelligence, leading to advances in self-driving cars, real-time speech translation, and facial recognition. Now, Bengio says deep learning needs to be fixed.

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Devin Nunes and the Power of Keyword Signaling

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 17:27:28 -0000

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Facebook's Latest Purchase Gets Inside Users' Heads—Literally

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 07:10:20 -0000

The social media company acquires CTRL-Labs, a “brain-machine-interface” startup that lets users control devices by tapping signals off a wristband.

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We All Could Pay a Price for the Latest Slap at Huawei

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 07:10:24 -0000

An international cybersecurity group has evicted the Chinese telecom company to comply with US sanctions. That could allow malware to spread more easily.

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FDA Says Juul Can't Claim to Be Safer Than Cigarettes

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 07:10:20 -0000

Regulators say Juul hasn't proved its claim that e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco, and uses misleading appeals to kids.

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California Bill Would Halt Facial Recognition on Body Cams

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 07:10:19 -0000

A bill approved by the state senate would set a three-year moratorium on police use of recognition algorithms. Privacy advocates want a permanent ban

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States Are Turning Up the Heat on Google and Facebook

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 07:10:17 -0000

State attorneys general revealed investigations into possible anticompetitive behavior by tech giants, adding to probes by Congress and federal agencies.

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McDonald's Doubles Down on Tech With Voice AI Acquisition

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 07:10:20 -0000

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An AI-Run World Needs to Better Reflect People of Color

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 07:10:19 -0000

Opinion: A growing black and brown diaspora of data must be used for equality, not oppression.

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Poll Finds Americans Trust Police Use of Facial Recognition

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 07:10:19 -0000

The Pew Research Center reports 56% of Americans trust law enforcement to use the technology responsibly, despite concerns over fairness, and bans in some cities.

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Planned Eric Schmidt Talk at AI Conference Draws Protest

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 07:10:23 -0000

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Airbnb Starts to Play Nice With Cities

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 10:59:42 -0000

The short-term rental startup has settled lawsuits with Boston and Miami, agreeing to turn over data officials say they need to police the industry.

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OpenAI Said Its Code Was Risky. Two Grads Recreated It Anyway

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 07:10:23 -0000

The artificial intelligence lab cofounded by Elon Musk said its software could too easily be adapted to crank out fake news.

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An Old Instagram Hoax Fools a Bunch of Celebrities

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 07:10:24 -0000

Instagram users like Usher, Martha Stewart, and Rick Perry posted a meme warning about a new rule that doesn't actually exist.

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Second Life Is Plagued by Security Flaws, Ex-Employee Says

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 07:10:20 -0000

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Amazon Says It Can Detect Fear on Your Face. You Scared?

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 16:31:05 -0000

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The Serious Money Is Warming to Bitcoin

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 07:10:26 -0000

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What Does Amazon's 'Top Brand' Badge Actually Even Mean?

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 16:31:09 -0000

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Instagram Now Fact-Checks, but Who Will Do the Checking?

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 07:10:26 -0000

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8/15 PM - How President Trump Scooped Me on a Google Story

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 07:10:27 -0000

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8/15/19 AM Trump Delays Tariffs on Smartphones and Laptops

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 07:10:21 -0000

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8/12 am - When Limiting Online Speech to Curb Violence, We Should Be Careful

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 07:10:24 -0000

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8/7 AM Attention Apple Retro-Heads: Claris is Back!

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 07:10:22 -0000

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8/6 AM Huawei’s Latest Earnings Mask Its Trouble Outside China

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 16:30:59 -0000

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8/6 PM Cashless Stores Alienate Customers in the Name of Efficiency

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 07:10:21 -0000

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Alphabet’s AI Might Be Able to Predict Kidney Disease

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 16:36:23 -0000

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7/29 PM Amazon's Revolutionary Retail Strategy? Recycling Old Ideas

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 16:44:45 -0000

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7/29 AM The $26.5B T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Moves a Big Step Forward

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 07:10:24 -0000

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7/26 PM The Best Algorithms Struggle to Recognize Black Faces Equally

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 16:31:01 -0000

French company Idemia’s algorithms scan faces by the million. The company’s facial recognition software serves police in the US, Australia, and France. Idemia software checks the faces of some cruise ship passengers landing in the US against Customs and Border Protection records. In 2017, a top FBI official told Congress that a facial recognition system that scours 30 million mugshots using Idemia technology helps “safeguard the American people.

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7/26 AM Using AI, and Film, to Track Tear Gas Use Against Civilians

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 14:19:28 -0000

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Teen Love for Snapchat Is Keeping Snap Afloat

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 16:30:51 -0000

When 17-year-old Emma Logan wants to make plans with her friends, she turns to Snapchat. “At this point it’s just the easiest way to contact everyone,” she wrote via text. “I use it if I’m trying to get them to respond.” All her friends have Snapchat, and they all check it more frequently than they do their text messages “(no matter how much I hate that lol).

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Congress Is Pissed at Facebook and the FTC

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 16:30:58 -0000

Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike are furious over reports that the Federal Trade Commission is prepared to settle with Facebook over widespread privacy violations for just $5 billion. But that doesn’t mean there’s currently an acceptable bipartisan solution floating around the marble halls of the Capitol.

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Amazon Warns Customers: Those Supplements Might Be Fake

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 11:41:36 -0000

On the second evening of Prime Day, Amazon’s annual sales bonanza, Anne Marie Bressler received an email from Amazon that had nothing to do with the latest deals. The message, sent from an automated email address Tuesday, informed her that the Align nutritional supplements she ordered two weeks earlier were probably counterfeit.

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7/18 Was Bitcoin Created by This International Drug Dealer? Maybe!

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 17:18:09 -0000

The messages started arriving on a Sunday afternoon in mid-May. “Just wanted to draw your attention to this,” one began. “Rumors are starting to surface,” another informed me. “I’d be very interested in getting your thoughts,” a third suggested. My correspondents, mostly strangers, were polite but insistent.

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That Global Ban on Huawei? Not So Much Anymore

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 16:31:02 -0000

For years the US government has warned the world that Chinese telecom giant Huawei is not to be trusted. Some governments agree: Australia and Japan have blocked Huawei gear from their next-generation 5G wireless networks. But others, including US allies, disagree. A UK Parliament committee rejected a proposed ban on British telecom carriers using Huawei gear.

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No More Deals: San Francisco Considers Raising Taxes on Tech

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 16:31:02 -0000

At a recent postmortem for the so-called Twitter tax break, the divisive San Francisco policy that drew tech companies to a beleaguered stretch of downtown, the tone at City Hall was chilly. Tech offices---the likes of Twitter, Zendesk, and Uber---had indeed arrived as promised, but residents of the city’s Mid-Market neighborhood told officials that little uplift came with the logos. “I’ve seen the number of people who are sleeping on the street increase.

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'Blitzscaling' Is Choking Innovation—and Wasting Money

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 07:10:21 -0000

Is venture capital harming entrepreneurship? At first blush, this seems like an odd question. VCs have been the lifeblood of virtually every successful tech startup for generations, enabling entrepreneurs to create and refine innovative products and rapidly scale to self-sustaining profitability. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Leonard Sherman is an Executive in Residence and faculty member at Columbia Business School.

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7/17 The Toxic Potential of YouTube’s Feedback Loop

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 07:10:18 -0000

From 2010 to 2011, I worked on YouTube’s artificial intelligence recommendation engine—the algorithm that directs what you see next based on your previous viewing habits and searches. One of my main tasks was to increase the amount of time people spent on YouTube. At the time, this pursuit seemed harmless. But nearly a decade later, I can see that our work had unintended—but not unpredictable—consequences. In some cases, the AI went terribly wrong.

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Amazon Pledges $700 Million to Teach Its Workers to Code

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 16:31:05 -0000

Amazon announced Thursday that it will spend up to $700 million over the next six years retraining 100,000 of its US employees, mostly in technical skills like software engineering and IT support. Amazon is already one of the largest employers in the country, with almost 300,000 workers (and many more contractors) and it’s particularly hungry for more new talent. The company currently has more than 20,000 vacant US roles, over half of which are at its headquarters in Seattle.

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A $700 Million Amazon Pledge, Credit Card Hackers, and More News

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 16:31:01 -0000

Amazon makes an expensive pledge to its workers, a hacker group hits 17,000 domains, and butt plugs are being used for scientific research. Here's the news you need to know, in two minutes or less. Want to receive this two-minute roundup as an email every weekday? Sign up here! Today's Headlines Amazon pledged $700 million to teach its workers to code This morning, Amazon announced a $700 million initiative to retrain US employees for high-skill, mostly technical jobs over the next six years.

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Twitter and Instagram Unveil New Ways to Combat Hate—Again

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 16:30:59 -0000

Twitter and Instagram would like us all to be a little bit nicer to each other. To that end, this week both companies announced new content moderation policies that will, maybe, shield users from the unbridled harassment and hate speech we wreak on each other. Instagram’s anti-bullying initiative will rely on artificial intelligence, while Twitter will use human moderators to determine when language “dehumanizes others on the basis of religion.

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This New Poker Bot Can Beat Multiple Pros—at Once

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 07:10:23 -0000

Darren Elias knows poker. The 32-year-old is the only person to have won four World Poker Tour titles and has earned more than $7 million at tournaments. Despite his expertise, he learned something new this spring from an artificial intelligence bot. Tom Simonite covers artificial intelligence for WIRED. Elias was helping to test new software from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Facebook.

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The World Cup Was a Prime Target for Amazon Counterfeiters

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 07:10:23 -0000

The US women’s national soccer team is extremely good at two things: scoring goals and selling merchandise. Even before it won a second consecutive World Cup championship Sunday, the players’ home jersey, which is designed by Nike, became the top-selling soccer jersey ever in one season on Nike.com, according to the athleticwear company. Sales were still going strong after the historic victory. But on Amazon Monday, another story unfolded.

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How a Blockchain Could Help Roll Out Berkeley’s Next Fire Truck

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:30:57 -0000

Last year, Ben Bartlett, a member of the Berkeley city council, proposed an unusual idea to his colleagues: putting affordable housing on the blockchain. The city was facing an unprecedented housing crisis and the prospect of cuts to federal housing assistance. Why not turn to local residents to help fund a solution? The city would issue bonds, as governments often do when they need to finance big-ticket projects, and break them up into small pieces called “minibonds.

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Facebook’s New Content Moderation Tools Put Posts in Context

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 07:10:24 -0000

Facebook has begun pilot tests of new content moderation tools and policies after an external audit raised numerous issues with the company’s current approach to tackling hate speech.

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'Mirror Worlds' Creator Wants to Displace Facebook—With Blockchain

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 07:10:21 -0000

David Gelernter’s giant macaw, Ike, has taken a tumble. One moment he was there, offering agreeable squawks as Gelernter spoke, and then, in a flash of lightning, he wasn’t. Ike is fine, the 64-year-old Yale computer scientist assures me, simply stunned. “Luckily he’s as light as a bird. So he can fall great lengths and it doesn’t bother him,” he says.

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Health Brands Hims and Hers Flout Facebook’s Rules on Drug Ads

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 07:10:24 -0000

On television and radio, the ads are fairly innocuous: “Hey guy,” a female narrator says playfully in one TV spot for Hims, a men’s wellness brand that sells prescription drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, oral herpes, social anxiety, hair loss, and other conditions. “Hi there. Welcome to Hims.” The ad invites viewers to “get ED treatment started for only $5,” next to a close-up of a young man pressing a white pill seductively to his lips.

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Twitter Will Quarantine Politicians’ Tweets If They Violate Rules—Finally

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 16:30:51 -0000

The next time a public official, politician, or a certain president violates Twitter’s rules, the company says users will notice. The offending tweet will either be removed from the platform entirely, or quarantined behind a new gray interstitial that warns users that it ran afoul of the platform’s content guidelines and limits its reach.

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The One Free Press Coalition Spotlights Journalists Under Attack

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 10:19:54 -0000

In May 2019, WIRED joined the One Free Press Coalition, a united group of pre-eminent editors and publishers using their global reach and social platforms to spotlight journalists under attack worldwide. Today, the coalition is issuing the fifth monthly “10 Most Urgent” list of journalists whose press freedoms are being suppressed or whose cases are seeking justice.

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Surprise! Huawei Can Actually Innovate—and Win Fans

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 16:31:04 -0000

Huawei doesn’t leap to mind as an innovative company. In the US, the Chinese telecom giant is best-known for the government’s national security concerns---and allegations that it stole intellectual property from companies like Cisco and Motorola. Yet Huawei was the fifth-biggest research and development spender in the world in 2017, according to a European Union report. Its €11.3 billion ($12.9 billion) R&D spend that year outpaced Intel (€10.9 billion), Apple (€9.

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Greed Is to Blame for the Radicalization of Social Media

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 07:10:24 -0000

Last week, Reddit quarantined "r/The_Donald," a pro-Trump message board, after the company determined that the subgroup had encouraged and threatened violence. Likewise, Twitter is signaling that it will flag—but not remove—posts by government officials who violate its rules. As with YouTube’s demonetization (rather than deletion) of anti-gay videos, these are welcome, but insufficient measures.

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Big Data Supercharged Gerrymandering. It Could Help Stop It, Too

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 09:00:15 -0000

The Supreme Court’s conservative justices ruled Thursday that the highest court doesn’t have the power to address partisan gerrymandering, the practice in which politicians redraw district maps to help their own party win more elections. In two cases, Lamone v. Benisek and Rucho v. Common Cause, the court split along ideological lines 5 to 4. Chief Justice John G.

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The Cypherpunks Tapping Bitcoin via Ham Radio

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 16:31:02 -0000

Every six hours, at his home in the high desert outside Kingman, Arizona, midway between Phoenix and Las Vegas, Brian Goss downloads the latest blocks from the bitcoin blockchain via satellite. He receives the transmission through a dish he installed this January; it arrives with messages, too---tweets, blogs, odes to Satoshi---sent by bitcoiners around the world. Goss rebroadcasts them from a radio device perched on his roof, in case the neighbors care to tune in.

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Wayfair Employees Are Walking Out. Here's Why

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 16:30:50 -0000

A group of workers at the ecommerce company Wayfair staged a walkout in Boston Wednesday afternoon, to protest the company’s sale of furniture to a government contractor that manages detention centers amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis at the southern border. The walkout is taking place in Copley Square, near Wayfair’s headquarters.

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Senators Want Facebook to Put a Price on Your Data. Is That Possible?

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 13:40:05 -0000

In these days of anti-tech ire, it’s a popular cocktail hour topic: How much is Facebook making off my data? Last year, I spent a month trying to find out, hawking my personal data on blockchain-based marketplaces. I came away with $0.003. On Monday, when Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) announced a proposal to force tech companies to tell users the value of their data, he was slightly more generous, ballparking the average at $5 a month.

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Schools and Phone Companies Face Off Over Wireless Spectrum

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 16:30:59 -0000

Consumers are hungry for data. To give it to them, mobile carriers say they need access to more of the wireless spectrum that carries cellular data, broadcast programming, and all other wireless signals. Carriers complain that the parts of the spectrum reserved for smartphone use are increasingly crowded, at least in urban areas.

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Artificial Intelligence Is Coming for Our Faces

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 07:10:21 -0000

Every stranger’s face hides a secret, but the smiles in this crowd conceal a big one: These people do not exist. They were generated by machine learning algorithms, for the purposes of probing whether AI-made faces can pass as real. (Call it a Turing beauty contest.

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San Francisco's Juul Ban, an All-Electric Airplane, and More News

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 07:10:23 -0000

San Francisco said goodbye to e-cigarettes, an airplane maker went all-electric, and a Minnesota cop was awarded money because of her snooping colleagues. Here's the news you need to know, in two minutes or less.

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San Francisco's E-Cigarette Ban Aims to Goose the FDA

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 07:10:24 -0000

On Tuesday the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to suspend the sale and delivery of electronic cigarettes until the products are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The legislation, which still requires a second vote and the mayor’s signature, would go into effect seven months after being passed, giving e-cigarette makers until early next year to win approval from the FDA.

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Google's Troubles Encroach on Alphabet's Shareholder Meeting

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 16:31:06 -0000

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, faced an onslaught of 14 independent shareholder proposals during its annual meeting on Wednesday, most criticizing the concentration of power in the hands of a few executives and all demanding some kind of structural change to make the company more accountable—to workers, shareholders, Chinese dissidents, or prospective neighbors of Google’s planned campus in San Jose.

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How Facial Recognition Is Fighting Child Sex Trafficking

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 07:10:24 -0000

One evening in April, a California law enforcement officer was browsing Facebook when she saw a post from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children with a picture of a missing child. The officer took a screenshot of the image, which she later fed into a tool created by nonprofit Thorn to help investigators find underage sex-trafficking victims. The tool, called Spotlight, uses text- and image-processing algorithms to match faces and other clues in online sex ads with other evidence.

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The Ambitious Plan Behind Facebook’s Cryptocurrency, Libra

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 16:31:16 -0000

Near the end of 2017, on a Dominican Republic beach with his family, Facebook executive David Marcus wrestled with a question he’d been pondering since his previous job as president of PayPal. How would you build the internet of money? A friction-free global digital currency would be a boon for the many people with mobile phones but no access to banking.

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Huawei Says US Sanctions Will Reduce Revenue by $30 Billion

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 07:10:16 -0000

Huawei may be feeling the sting of US efforts to rein in the Chinese telecom giant. In April, Huawei reported a 39 percent increase in first-quarter revenue, despite US efforts to dissuade allies from doing business with the firm. But the company now expects its revenue to decline to $100 billion this year from $107 billion last year, founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei said during an event Monday.

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Mayor Pete Enlists a Silicon Valley Vet to Bring in the Money

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 16:31:04 -0000

Presidential campaigns get compared to a lot of things. A marathon. A film. A battleship. An iceberg. An "MRI of the soul." More recently, the metaphor of choice has been the tech startup. Even amid a growing backlash to Big Tech, evoking a no-nonsense startup retains some appeal, with its suggestion of scrappy agility, innovation, and single-minded focus.

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Are Rare Earths the Next Pawn in the US-China Trade War?

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 11:28:21 -0000

Since the Trump administration blocked sales by US companies to Chinese telecom giant Huawei last month, the world has waited for Beijing to retaliate. Previously, the trade conflict between the US and China centered on escalating tariffs. While tariffs make things more expensive; they don't cut off supplies entirely.

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State Attorneys General Sue to Block T-Mobile/Sprint Merger

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 16:31:04 -0000

Nine states and the District of Columbia filed suit Tuesday to block T-Mobile and Sprint's planned $26.5 billion merger, complicating the companies’ path to completing the deal. The merger would cut the number of major wireless carriers in the US from four to three, but the two companies have argued the deal would help consumers by enabling the companies to expand coverage and build a nationwide 5G network more quickly than they would be able to on their own.

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How Amazon Cloned a Neighborhood to Test Its Delivery Robots

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 07:10:27 -0000

In March, Matt Bratlien saw something odd in the spacious suburb of Silver Firs, north of Seattle. A six-wheeled robot with the Amazon Prime logo on its sky-blue carapace was driving up and down the sidewalks and curbs, watched by a company representative. “I was surprised, excited, and very curious,” says Bratlien, a partner at Net-Tech, an IT services company in nearby Bellevue. Tom Simonite covers artificial intelligence for WIRED.

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The Newest Haven for Cryptocurrency Companies? Wyoming

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 16:30:55 -0000

If you believe you may have stumbled into a cryptocurrency conference (godspeed, my friend), there are a few telltale signs. First, look for the live bulls and the yellow Lambos. But if they’ve fallen victim to cost-cutting or newfound modesty, then look for a procession of cream-colored cowboy hats. They belong to a retinue of lobbyists and legislators from Wyoming, preaching the virtues of their state as a mecca for blockchain.

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Bitcoin's Climate Impact Is Global. The Cures Are Local.

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 07:10:24 -0000

The operators of the only bitcoin mine in Missoula County, Montana, thought they were doing everything right. They set up shop in an abandoned mill on the edge of town, made a plan to recycle the computers when they conked out, and contracted with a nearby dam for cheap renewable power. Sure, it might be a warehouse full of energy-intensive computers and cooling systems, designed to churn out digital money day and night. But it would be a low-carbon, low-impact operation all the same.

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A $100M Bet That Online Coaching Can Make a Better Manager

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 16:30:59 -0000

The way Alexi Robichaux tells it, his online executive coaching company BetterUp didn’t start because he was a bummed-out, burned-out mid-level manager on a vision quest. Sure, he spent nine months of post-employment with self-improvement books, sports psychology, life coaching, executive coaching, and all sorts of other precision-guided gazes at his own navel. But that wasn’t what did it.

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Russia Targets Tinder as a Warning to Facebook and Twitter

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 07:10:24 -0000

Russia has millions of internet users. But if you want them to use your search engine, network on your social media platform, or use your messenger to share their favorite memes, then Russia wants you to know one thing: You have to play by its data-sharing rules. Tinder is the most recent platform to get the message.

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Big Tech Can Stay Ahead of Regulators by Breaking Itself Up

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 16:31:05 -0000

Rumblings about the role of Big Tech in American society have coalesced into a storm long coming, with revelations that the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission are contemplating sweeping antitrust investigations of Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple. WIRED Opinion About Zachary Karabell is a WIRED contributor and president of River Twice Research. At any point in the past few years, these companies could have acted preemptively to head off the storm.

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Break Up Big Tech? Some Say Not So Fast

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 07:10:26 -0000

For years, the US government stood by as big tech companies like Facebook and Google growth hacked and gobbled up competitors on their way to dominance, with barely a mention of “anticompetitive” concerns. But that lax attitude is changing. Word continued to leak this week about possible antitrust investigations by the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission, who reportedly divvied up companies like a couple might divide household chores.

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Choosing the Wrong Lane in the Race to 5G

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 16:31:12 -0000

The chatter about 5G is everywhere. It’s a worldwide race. It’s a security challenge. It’s a geopolitical battle between the United States and China. By some accounts, 5G is already here; by others, true 5G is still years away. There is more than a kernel of truth in this rhetorical excess. That’s because the next generation of essential infrastructure in this country will be built using wireless technology.

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Amazon's Quest to Be Fashionable Continues

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 07:10:23 -0000

Amazon isn’t exactly the most stylish place to shop for clothes. Most of its top-selling women’s fashion items are simple pieces: easy dresses, spandex workout gear, socks, and underwear—a lot of it from brands you’ve probably never heard of. But that doesn’t mean Amazon isn’t a powerhouse for apparel sales. As traditional department stores have declined, Amazon has become one of the most popular clothing retailers in the US, especially among millennials.

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More Trouble for Huawei: No More Facebook on New Phones

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 16:31:02 -0000

Just when it seemed that things couldn't get much worse for Huawei, it may soon not be able to sell phones with the world’s most popular social networks. Facebook will reportedly no longer allow the Chinese telecom giant to preinstall Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram apps on its phones. According to Reuters, if you already have a Huawei phone you should be able to continue receiving updates to Facebook-owned apps. The change will only affect new phones.

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Bezos Says Amazon Will Bet Even Bigger Despite Antitrust Probes

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 07:16:49 -0000

On Monday the House Judiciary committee announced a bipartisan antitrust probe that has Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon in its crosshairs. The news followed reports that the Federal Trade Commission is examining Amazon’s power over online retailing. Tom Simonite covers artificial intelligence for WIRED. Amazon’s founder and CEO Jeff Bezos appeared untroubled by that attention at a company conference in Las Vegas Thursday.

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YouTube Has Kid Troubles Because Kids Are a Core Audience

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 16:31:04 -0000

YouTube has a child exploitation problem. In February, the platform disabled comments on millions of videos including children 13 and younger after WIRED UK revealed that pedophiles had used the feature to identify videos featuring snippets of nude or sparsely clothed children.

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The One Free Press Coalition Spotlights Journalists Under Attack

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 07:10:24 -0000

In May 2019, WIRED joined the One Free Press Coalition, a united group of pre-eminent editors and publishers using their global reach and social platforms to spotlight journalists under attack worldwide. Today, the coalition is issuing the fourth monthly “10 Most Urgent” list of journalists whose press freedoms are being suppressed or whose cases are seeking justice. Jamal Khashoggi, the murdered columnist for The Washington Post, remains atop the list following no independent U.N.

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Dinner and a Movie? Amazon Alexa Makes It Easier to Do Both

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 16:31:07 -0000

Amazon’s Alexa is ready to broaden its one-track mind. The virtual assistant can deliver weather forecasts and traffic updates, and tap more than 90,000 additional functions, or “skills,” contributed by outside developers. The catch is that you can generally do only one of those bounteous things at a time. Tom Simonite covers artificial intelligence for WIRED.

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This Case Could Change How the SEC Regulates Cryptocurrencies

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 07:10:24 -0000

Last week, the Canadian social media company Kik---and an array of prominent backers in the crypto world---launched a $5 million campaign to fund an impending legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission. CEO Ted Livingston said the fight, which centers on Kik’s $100 million initial coin offering in 2017, was worth funding because it could have wide implications for blockchain startups, many of which used ICOs to fund their fledgling ventures.

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New York's Privacy Bill Is Even Bolder Than California's

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 16:31:09 -0000

As tech giants and lobbying groups race to defang California’s landmark consumer privacy law before it takes effect next year, lawmakers on the other side of the country are considering a bill that's even more drastic. The New York Privacy Act, introduced last month by state senator Kevin Thomas, would give residents there more control over their data than in any other state. It would also require businesses to put their customers’ privacy before their own profits.

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US Companies Help Censor the Internet in China, Too

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 16:31:02 -0000

It is unclear how many people died when Chinese troops cleared pro-democracy protests from Beijing’s Tiananmen Square 30 years ago this week. Local authorities said it was 241. A cursory search of the web or social media will show that human rights organizations estimate a death toll many times higher—unless you’re in China. Tom Simonite covers artificial intelligence for WIRED.

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The New Antitrust Scrutiny Should Worry Silicon Valley

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 07:30:42 -0000

Many Americans think Big Tech and Silicon Valley have too much power and need to be reigned in. Six weeks ago, it was hard to believe Washington had the political will to do much about that. Facebook had just said it would take a charge of up to $5 billion for an expected Federal Trade Commission fine related to its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The reaction: Facebook’s stock stock jumped 6 percent to its highest price in nine months.

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5 Mistakes MacKenzie Bezos and Other Mega-Donors Should Avoid

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 16:30:59 -0000

MacKenzie Bezos’ recent announcement that she’d take the Giving Pledge and dedicate at least half of her $35 billion in net worth to philanthropy has sparked attention, partially because her ex-husband, Jeff Bezos, wouldn’t sign the pledge. Her commitment to the Giving Pledge, spearheaded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett in 2010, should be lauded, especially in light of the current cynicism about the giving of mega philanthropists.

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Airbnb and New York City Reach a Truce on Home-Sharing Data

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 09:19:22 -0000

For much of the past decade, Airbnb and New York City have been embroiled in a high-profile feud. Airbnb wants legitimacy in its biggest market. City officials want to limit home-sharing platforms, which they argue exacerbate the city’s housing crisis and pose safety risks by allowing people to transform homes into illegal hotels. Paris Martineau covers platforms, online influence, and social media manipulation for WIRED.

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If China Really Wants to Retaliate, It Will Target Apple

Fri, 31 May 2019 07:10:22 -0000

Apple has a Huawei problem. Of the myriad issues raised by the evolving and intensifying US-China trade Cold War, the knock-on effects on Apple have been perhaps least appreciated. And not just Apple of course, but a slew of American companies that have both shifted production to China over the past two decades and, more vitally, tapped into Chinese middle-class consumers as a source of growth and profits.

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MacKenzie Bezos and the Pitfalls of Tech Philanthropy

Wed, 29 May 2019 16:31:10 -0000

Nearly two months after her divorce from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was finalized, MacKenzie Bezos has made a plan to be far more generous than she and her former husband were as a couple. When the pair split, she became one of the richest women in the world, with a fortune estimated to be worth more than $36 billion. Now she wants to start giving it away.

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We Need to Build Up ‘Digital Trust’ in Tech

Wed, 29 May 2019 07:10:27 -0000

For months, there’s been a steady march of controversies over how tech companies collect, manage, process, and share massive (and passive) amounts of data. And even though the executives and founders of these companies profess a renewed commitment to privacy and corporate responsibility, people are beginning to worry about surveillance and power—and reconsider how much faith they should put in both the leaders and services leveraging these quickly evolving technologies.

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Why a T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Would Be Bad for the Public

Tue, 28 May 2019 16:31:14 -0000

Earlier this week, FCC chair Ajit Pai announced that he would soon be asking his fellow commissioners to approve the merger of two of the four nationwide wireless carriers, T-Mobile and Sprint. After a year of deliberation, including thousands of pages of legal and economic filings by proponents and opponents and three congressional hearings, Pai has now decided that a handful of promises, made just days ago by the merging parties, puts this $26 billion transaction in the public interest.

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Judge Finds Qualcomm's Pricing Policy Violates Antitrust Law

Mon, 27 May 2019 07:10:21 -0000

The US has joined China, the European Union, and South Korea, in ruling that Qualcomm violated antitrust laws. Qualcomm is the largest maker of modem chips for connecting smartphones to wireless networks. Its customers, including Apple and Samsung, complain that the company uses unfair practices, such as threatening to withhold supplies of chips, to force companies to agree to excessive licensing fees for its technology.

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How the US-China Trade War Could Hike iPhone Prices

Fri, 24 May 2019 16:31:02 -0000

It's been a week since the Trump administration raised tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese exports, and tech companies are still grappling with the consequences. Adding to the confusion are possible US tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of goods, and China's own retaliatory tariffs on US exports. The existing tariffs cover a wide range of goods, but few finished consumer electronics.

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GitHub ‘Sponsors’ Now Lets Users Back Open Source Projects

Fri, 24 May 2019 07:10:22 -0000

Last year, Microsoft paid $7.5 billion to buy GitHub, the online home of thousands of open source software projects that power apps and sites ranging from Facebook to Walmart.com. The acquisition, along with IBM's $34 billion purchase of open source company Red Hat, proved that open source software can be big business. That's a little surprising since, by definition, open source code can be freely shared by anyone.

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If Huawei Loses ARM's Chip Designs, That's Ballgame

Thu, 23 May 2019 16:31:04 -0000

How do you kill a company? The answer, in the context of Chinese electronics giant Huawei, appears to be depravation, removing ready access to the elements that distinguish smartphones from very expensive chunks of anodized aluminum and glass. The latest blow: Chip designer ARM has reportedly severed ties with the company. Huawei could arguably survive without Google. Without ARM? Not so much. It’s important to clarify that nothing at this point is certain, or permanent.

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Why Software Needs to Escape from San Francisco

Thu, 23 May 2019 07:10:25 -0000

Lately I've been hearing complaints from my techie friends about San Francisco. Sure, the city is a mecca for anyone who wants to build a startup—with ample capital, helpful angels, and some of the best software talent on the planet. But it's becoming a monoculture. “You go to dinner and tech is literally all people talk about: tech, tech, tech,” sighs my friend David Silva, an engineer who lived in San Francisco for five years before decamping for the East Coast.

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What Tech Companies Pay Employees in 2019

Wed, 22 May 2019 07:10:24 -0000

Nearly a decade ago, in the aftermath of the financial crisis, Congress passed a law requiring publicly traded companies to report the median pay of their employees and compare it to the CEO’s pay. The goal was to highlight corporate excess and income inequality, with an eye toward curbing the outsized executive-compensation packages that Congress viewed as contributing to the crisis. The requirement kicked in for most companies last year.

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FCC Chair Backs Sprint/T-Mobile Merger, Clearing One Hurdle

Tue, 21 May 2019 17:43:22 -0000

T-Mobile's proposed $26.5 billion merger with Sprint just cleared its first legal hurdle. Federal Communications Commission Chair Ajit Pai says he will recommend the agency approve the deal. The agency will most likely follow his lead. But the deal still needs approval from the Department of Justice, where antitrust enforcement staffers have expressed concerns, Bloomberg reports.

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5G Is Coming, and It’s Fortified With Fiber

Tue, 21 May 2019 16:31:07 -0000

The next generation of wireless tech, 5G, promises a frictionless future: We'll be able to do whatever we do on our phones much, much faster, and more devices can come online without slowing down the works. Self-driving cars, smart meters that track electricity usage, and health-monitoring devices may all take a big leap from childhood to adolescence. 5G will happen in the airy realm of radio waves. To get there, big telecoms have to harness underused parts of the spectrum.

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Angry Nerd: Kickstarter Has Become No Fun at All

Tue, 21 May 2019 07:10:26 -0000

Socialism schmocialism—I've never minded redistributing a bit of wealth to help a creator realize their dreams (or cover a few medical bills). I'm Angry Nerd, not Scroogey Nerd.

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Amazon Is Building Special Warehouses for Hazardous Items

Mon, 20 May 2019 16:30:58 -0000

Just before 8am one Wednesday last December, a can of bear repellent exploded in an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey, sending two dozen workers to the hospital. It wasn’t the first time the product had caused problems inside Amazon.

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Some US Cities Are Moving Into Real-Time Facial Surveillance

Mon, 20 May 2019 07:10:22 -0000

Civil liberties activists trying to inspire alarm about the authoritarian potential of facial recognition technology often point to China, where some police departments use systems that can spot suspects who show their faces in public. A report from Georgetown researchers on Thursday suggests Americans should also focus their concern closer to home. The report says agencies in Chicago and Detroit have bought real-time facial recognition systems.

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How Tech Companies Are Shaping the Rules Governing AI

Fri, 17 May 2019 16:31:05 -0000

In early April, the European Commission published guidelines intended to keep any artificial intelligence technology used on the EU’s 500 million citizens trustworthy. The bloc’s commissioner for digital economy and society, Bulgaria’s Mariya Gabriel, called them “a solid foundation based on EU values.” Tom Simonite covers artificial intelligence for WIRED.

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Trump Is Hiding Obamacare, A Major Microsoft Bug, and More News

Fri, 17 May 2019 07:10:33 -0000

The White House is scrubbing out Obamacare, Microsoft found a major flaw, and there's a good alternative to AirPods. Here's the news you need to know, in two minutes or less. Today's Headlines The Trump administration is scrubbing Obamacare from government websites President Donald Trump hasn't been subtle about his distaste for the Affordable Care Act.

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When Google Serves Ads in Iran, Advertisers Pay the Price

Thu, 16 May 2019 16:31:11 -0000

As director of paid search at Greenlane Marketing, a web marketing firm based in Eagleville, Pennsylvania, Christian Wenzel spends a lot of time studying who's clicking on his clients’ Google ads. He’ll look at things like where they're located to see if, for instance, people in Pennsylvania are more likely to click on a given ad than people in California. Then, he'll tweak the ad campaign accordingly in hopes of maximizing its effectiveness.

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The Trump Admin Is Scrubbing Obamacare From Government Sites

Thu, 16 May 2019 07:10:25 -0000

President Trump has never been coy about his desire to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. While that pledge has faced setbacks in Congress, his administration has managed to gut Obamacare by other means, like cutting financial support. The executive branch can also undermine the law in subtler ways. According to a new report, the Trump administration has been systematically wiping crucial information about the ACA from government websites over the past two years.

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Why Amazon Is Giving Employees $10,000 to Quit

Wed, 15 May 2019 16:31:02 -0000

The so-called last mile of delivery—getting an order to the customer’s door—has long been an obsession for ecommerce companies. To make the journey as efficient as they can, some have engaged in extreme experiments. Take Walmart: Two years ago, it tried asking its employees to deliver online orders before and after work, in their own cars. That idea was later abandoned, but the problem of the last mile remains, even for the biggest retailers.

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Microsoft Wants to Protect Your Identity With Bitcoin

Wed, 15 May 2019 12:17:05 -0000

Microsoft would like to loosen its grip on your login. The company’s credentials are used all around the internet, especially by companies and developers who use its cloud service, Azure. But on Monday, the company unveiled a project that, using the technology that underpins bitcoin, would give you control of your own credentials, independent of any company. The question is whether you’ll want to take on the responsibility.

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Instagram Can Find Misleading Posts—but Won’t Take Them Down

Tue, 14 May 2019 17:08:39 -0000

Instagram has begun using image recognition and other tools to identify posts and stories that may contain misinformation and send them to Facebook’s fleet of fact-checking partners for review. If they’re determined to be false, Instagram will not recommend the posts to new users in the Explore tab or hashtag pages, as first reported by Poynter. Paris Martineau covers platforms, online influence, and social media manipulation for WIRED.

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Supreme Court Deals Blow to Apple in Antitrust Case

Tue, 14 May 2019 07:10:23 -0000

On Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States voted to allow a years-long antitrust case against Apple to move forward, despite Apple's objections. The case, Apple Inc. v. Pepper, concerns a group of iPhone users who accuse Apple of driving up the price of apps by charging third-party app developers a 30 percent commission.

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You'll Soon Be Able to Run Linux Apps on Any Chromebook

Mon, 13 May 2019 07:10:27 -0000

Microsoft announced this week that it will bring the heart of the open source operating system Linux into Windows. Not to be outdone, Google says all future Chromebooks will be able to run Linux applications. Chromebooks run an operating system, ChromeOS, that is built on the Linux kernel but was originally designed to only run Google's web browser Chrome. That meant you could only really use web apps.

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Facebook Can Ban Whomever It Wants. Just Ask Trump's Lawyers

Fri, 10 May 2019 16:30:58 -0000

Over the course of a weekend in which North Korea tested a new short-range missile, Iran allegedly prepared to attack US forces, and the Pentagon confirmed China may be holding as many as three million Muslims in concentration camps, the one region of the world that received the most direct and damning criticism from the President of the United States was, er, Silicon Valley.

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Google May Have Finally Made a Truly Usable Voice Assistant

Fri, 10 May 2019 07:10:28 -0000

Millions of people routinely say “hey” to voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, even though the experience can be frustratingly glitchy. On Tuesday, Google previewed new technology that makes speech recognition strikingly more responsive, suggesting voice control could soon be seamless enough to be irresistible. Tom Simonite covers artificial intelligence for WIRED.

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Enemies No More: Microsoft Brings the Linux Kernel to Windows

Thu, 09 May 2019 22:10:42 -0000

For decades, Microsoft Windows and the open source Linux operating system were polar opposites. Windows was developed by the biggest software company in the world, one that was no friend to open source. Linux was developed by a ragtag team of programmers scattered around the world, often working in their spare time. But over the years, open source, and Linux in particular, went mainstream.

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Google’s Latest Message: We’re Just Here to Help

Thu, 09 May 2019 07:10:25 -0000

Google’s mission for the past 21 years has been to organize the world’s information. Onstage at the company’s annual developer conference Tuesday, CEO Sundar Pichai had a more low-key message: We just wanna help. As corporate messaging goes, it was a smart choice. After years of nonstop scandals from Big Tech, the usual buzzwords have taken on a sinister cast.

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At F8, Zuckerberg Explains Facebook's Shift Toward Privacy

Wed, 08 May 2019 16:31:19 -0000

Mark Zuckerberg once promised Facebook would move fast and break things. Now Zuckerberg says Facebook is trying to fix the things it broke. Standing on stage before an audience of developers at the annual F8 Conference on Tuesday, Zuckerberg—the same guy who spent years convincing billions of people to share their every thought and action with the world—explained all the ways Facebook is going to help people keep that same information under wraps.

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Facebook's Cryptocurrency Might Work Like Loyalty Points

Wed, 08 May 2019 07:10:25 -0000

If Facebook’s pivot from town square to private living room wasn’t laden with enough irony, here’s a new twist: Big business, it appears, has been invited to join us by the fireplace. Gregory Barber covers cryptocurrency, blockchain, and artificial intelligence for WIRED. On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported new potential details about Facebook’s long-awaited cryptocurrency plans.

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This Programming Tool Makes It Easier for Apps to Work Anywhere

Tue, 07 May 2019 16:31:04 -0000

For programmers, building a new application is never as simple as writing the code. That's because most software depends on other software, such as database management systems, to work. Just because an application works on your laptop doesn't mean it will work well on your company's data center, which might lack some of the software it depends on.

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Facebook Is Finding Problems With Artificial Intelligence Too

Tue, 07 May 2019 07:10:20 -0000

One day at work last year, Lade Obamehinti encountered an algorithm that had a problem with black people. The Facebook program manager was helping test a prototype of the company’s Portal video chat device, which uses computer vision to identify and zoom in on a person speaking. But as Obamehinti, who is black, enthusiastically described her breakfast of french toast, the device ignored her and focused instead on a colleague—a white man.

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Facebook Bans Extremists, Jakarta Is Drowning, and More News

Mon, 06 May 2019 16:31:13 -0000

Facebook took down some conspiracy theorists, Indonesia has to move its capital because of climate change, and Mother's Day is coming. Here's the news you need to know in two minutes or less. Facebook banned Alex Jones, Louis Farrakhan, and others After stating that it wouldn't ban accounts that push conspiracy theories, Facebook did exactly that today when it banned a handful of extremists from the platform.

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We Launched a Paywall. It Worked! Mostly.

Mon, 06 May 2019 07:10:20 -0000

A little over a year ago, we introduced a paywall at WIRED. The idea, as I wrote back then, was largely about us. To start, we wanted to give ourselves stronger structural incentives to do great reporting. When your business depends on subscriptions, your economic success depends on publishing stuff your readers love—not just stuff they click.

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OpenAI Wants to Make Ultrapowerful AI. But Not in a Bad Way

Fri, 03 May 2019 16:31:09 -0000

One Saturday last month, five men ages 19 through 26 strode confidently out of a cloud of magenta smoke in a converted auto showroom in San Francisco. They sat at a line of computer keyboards to loud cheers from a crowd of a few hundred. Ninety minutes of intense mouse-clicking later, the five’s smiles had turned sheepish and the applause consolatory.

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Facebook Wants to Connect You With Your 'Secret Crush'

Thu, 02 May 2019 16:31:11 -0000

Facebook is channeling its earliest days as a hot or not website for college students with a new feature called Secret Crush. To be announced today at the social network’s annual F8 developer conference, Secret Crush will allow Facebook Dating users to select up to nine friends they want to express interest in. Think of it like matching on Tinder or Bumble, except you get to hand-pick the specific friends you want to date ahead of time, instead of hoping their profiles show up in the queue.

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Facebook Wants to Know Who You Want to Sleep With, and More News

Thu, 02 May 2019 07:10:23 -0000

Facebook wants to know which of your friends you'd like to date, there's a new wireless VR headset, and we're teaching you how to land a plane in an emergency. Here's the news you need to know in two minutes or less. Facebook wants to connect you with your "secret crush" At Facebook's developer conference, the company announced a new feature: Secret Crush. Secret Crush will allow Facebook Dating users to select up to nine friends they want to express interest in.

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For Open Source, It's All About GitHub Now

Wed, 01 May 2019 16:31:07 -0000

Google shuttered its source code hosting service Google Code in 2015. Like Facebook, Twitter, and most other major technology companies, Google primarily shifted to a similar service called GitHub to host its own open source projects. Microsoft followed suit and closed its CodePlex service in 2017. It acquired GitHub the next year.

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Airbnb and Marriott Each Want What the Other Has

Wed, 01 May 2019 07:10:22 -0000

There are few fiercer enemies than Airbnb and the hotel industry. The two have been at each other’s throats practically since the short-term rental giant began back in 2008. Yet they now appear to agree on at least one thing: They could each stand to learn a thing or two from the other. On Monday, Airbnb adopted a strategy from the hotel playbook, announcing a fleet of new apartment-style luxury hotel suites exclusively available for Airbnb guests in New York City.

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How Recommendation Algorithms Run the World

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 16:31:07 -0000

This March, a book that advances an outlandish conspiracy theory—a theory whose name I will not mention—soared in Amazon's sales rankings. The book's rise was helped greatly when the ecommerce giant put the book on its carousel of recommended titles, which is shown to shoppers who aren't searching for that particular book. That fueled more curiosity and sales. Which led to more recommendations.

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Twitter Users Are Richer and More Woke Than the Rest of Us

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 07:10:23 -0000

It's a feeling familiar to anyone who lives an extremely online life. You spend all day on Twitter watching Howard Schultz get roasted and ratioed or retweeting all of the best definitions of the word "covfefe." Then you log off and enter the real world---the one where your spouse, your friends, your parents, and all the other people in your life who don't spend their days obsessively checking their mentions have precisely no idea what you're talking about, let alone why they should care.

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Huawei Still Has Friends in Europe, Despite US Warnings

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 16:31:10 -0000

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned US allies in February against using technology built by Chinese telecom giant Huawei, going so far as to suggest the US might stop sharing intelligence with countries whose communications infrastructure rely on Huawei’s equipment. Pompeo's remarks during a European speaking tour echoed years of concerns from the US government over the possibility that Huawei might use its products to help China spy on US citizens.

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How the Blockchain Could Protect California's Aquifer

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 07:10:31 -0000

California is sinking. In the Central Valley, the most productive agricultural region in the US, some areas drop an inch or two per year. Telephone poles slump, roads crack, canals fail. In time, all that sinking adds up. A recent state survey found one patch of farmland off I-5 near the town of Arbuckle had fallen 2 feet in nine years. The culprit: overdrafted aquifers. The process speeds up during periods of drought, when rivers run dry and farmers scramble to find other ways to water their fields.

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Visa Rejections for Tech Workers Spike Under Trump

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 16:32:33 -0000

In November of 2018, Usha and her husband Sudhir received the news they never expected: the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services declined to extend Usha’s work visa, meaning the couple and their daughter would have 180 days to leave the country before the US government would consider their presence to be unlawful. The notice hit the whole family like a punch to the gut.

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Facebook Will Finally Pay—Billions—for Its Privacy Missteps

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 07:10:50 -0000

When Mark Zuckerberg turned on Facebook’s News Feed in 2005, his users—exclusively college students at the time—freaked out at the notion that Facebook was automatically sharing their posts with friends. Even digital natives were scared to share much online then. But Zuckerberg waited a few days, explained the product, told his users to “breathe,” and News Feed became one of the most influential ideas of the 21st century.

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The Brave Browser Will Pay You to Surf the Web

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 16:31:10 -0000

If you were on the internet in the late 1990s, you might remember companies like AllAdvantage that promised to pay you to surf the web. You could install a program that tracked your browsing and showed you targeted ads at the top of the screen; then AllAdvantage would give you a cut of the ad revenue you generated. These schemes largely disappeared after the dot-com crash.

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Trump’s Twitter Meeting, an Ethereum Thief, and More News

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 07:10:37 -0000

President Trump tweeted insults at Twitter again this morning, but this time Jack took the conversation off platform to the White House. In other news, a controversial Census question creates some strange bedfellows, and a "blockchain bandit" is pilfering millions in cryptocurrency. Here's the news you need to know in two minutes or less.

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Google Walkout Organizers Say They're Facing Retaliation

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 16:30:58 -0000

Two employee activists at Google say they have been retaliated against for helping to organize a walkout among thousands of Google employees in November, and are planning a “town hall” meeting on Friday for others to discuss alleged instances of retaliation.

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Google Strikes at Strikers, Samsung Holds the Fold, and More News

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 07:10:56 -0000

Remember last week when Samsung unveiled its "foldable" phone? Well, it appears there are still a few wrinkles to iron out. Meanwhile, Google is striking back against strikes, a new Game of Thrones episode has come, and John Legend is putting Siri to shame. Here's the news you need to know in two minutes or less. Google retaliates against walkout organizers Two Google employees who worked to organize a walkout of thousands of employees last November say the company is now retaliating against them.

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When Workers Control the Code

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 16:31:10 -0000

You know what I hate? Rating drivers on Lyft. Three stars? Five stars? I know Lyft wants to feed the ravenous maw of its machine intelligence, but I worry that drivers will get punished for low ratings. In the app-dominated gig economy, platforms already hoover up as much as 30 percent of the fees, and workers barely eke out a living. So when Lyft asks me to rank drivers, I lie—I give everyone five stars.

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Angry Nerd: Just Get Out of My Space

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 07:10:36 -0000

Hustling is the default mode of the 21st century, and I'm not above listing my adorable split-level Victorian on Airbnb during my out-of-town weekends. Need to rent a car for the day? Take mine—I wasn't using it anyway. But whoring out my bed—my own private sanctuary, complete with sweat-stained sheets and raggedy stuffed elephant named Elephant—on Recharge, the “Airbnb for naps”? I'd rather sell a kidney.

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Platforms Want Centralized Censorship. That Should Scare You

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 16:31:35 -0000

In the immediate aftermath of the horrific attacks at the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand, internet companies faced intense scrutiny over their efforts to control the proliferation of the shooter's propaganda.

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In the 2020 Race, What Is the Value of Social Media Stardom?

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 07:10:26 -0000

If you were to get all of your news last month from Twitter (and, well, maybe you did), you might reasonably conclude that the Democrat to beat in 2020 is none other than a 37-year-old Indiana mayor with a knack for linguistics and a tongue-twister of a name. According to the social media monitoring service Crowdtangle, Pete Buttigieg got the most interactions on Twitter of any Democratic candidate in the month of March.

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Want a Tech Job? Silicon Valley Is Still Your Best Bet

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 16:31:11 -0000

Communities across the country are trying to lure high-tech jobs away from Silicon Valley. It doesn’t seem like that should be hard. Silicon Valley is one of the most expensive places on earth, and as the home to some of the biggest and most valuable companies in the world, the competition for tech talent is fierce. But according to a report by job site Indeed, Silicon Valley’s share of tech job listings is growing, not shrinking. Tech job listings are growing elsewhere too.

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This Startup Could Sell You Crypto Tokens—With SEC Backing

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 07:10:48 -0000

Initial coin offerings have gotten a bad rap---in many cases, deservedly so. Sure, there were blockchain projects with sound dreams and solid business plans. But as the bitcoin bubble swelled in late 2017, ICOs became synonymous with predation: get-rich-quick schemes that involved taking money from anyone who was willing, in return for worthless crypto tokens. Since then, the Securities and Exchange Commission has been trying to clean up the mess.

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Apple and Qualcomm End Their Legal Beef and Drop Lawsuits

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 16:31:21 -0000

The convoluted legal battle between Apple and chipmaker Qualcomm may be coming to an end. The companies Tuesday said they're dismissing all litigation against each other. Apple will pay Qualcomm an undisclosed sum as part of the settlement, which includes a six-year licensing agreement between the companies.

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Jack Dorsey Is Captain of the Twittanic at TED 2019

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 07:10:24 -0000

On Tuesday, Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter, came to TED 2019 to answer for the sins of his platform. In his signature black hoodie and jeans, unkempt facial hair and black beanie, he sat with head of TED Chris Anderson and Whitney Pennington Rodgers, who curates current affairs for the conference, for a conversation that left all three members, and the audience, frustrated.

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China Says Bitcoin Is Wasteful. Now It Wants to Ban Mining

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 16:32:28 -0000

China’s bitcoin miners have long embodied a contradiction. Cryptocurrency trading is illegal in the country; initial coin offerings, used to fund new blockchain projects, are banned; and Chinese banks can hardly touch the stuff. And yet somehow the country has remained the epicenter of global cryptocurrency mining, home to more of the computing power used to mint new bitcoin than any other country. Now the Chinese government has proposed to ban mining.

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Google’s AI Experts Try to Automate Themselves

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 07:10:24 -0000

Just before 9 am last Thursday, an unusual speed dating scene sprang up in San Francisco. A casually dressed crowd, mostly male, milled around a gilt-edged Beaux Arts ballroom on Nob Hill. Pairs and trios formed quickly, but not in search of romance. Ice breakers were direct: What’s your favorite programming language? Which data analysis framework are you most expert in? More delicately, conversations drifted toward rankings on Kaggle.

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I Promise Not to Roll My Eyes at Your TED Talk

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 16:31:40 -0000

Rolling your eyes is not allowed at TED. There’s no rule in the conduct policy (I assume, I haven’t actually checked), it’s just one of those powerful unspoken maxims that goes ignored at your peril. When they hand you your TED badge, you’re consenting to check your cynicism at the door. The TED Conference, which has taken place annually since 1990, was founded on the principle that spreading ideas from passionate people can change the world.

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Trump Vows Speedy Path to 5G, but Offers Few New Ideas

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 07:10:26 -0000

President Trump Friday confidently declared that the US will lead the world in deploying the next generation of wireless services known as 5G. “The race to 5G is a race that the United States must win,” Trump said at a White House event, flanked by farmers in cowboy hats and workers in hardhats. “It’s a race that we will win.

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Facebook Is Changing News Feed (Again) to Stop Fake News

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 16:31:55 -0000

Facebook is trying to redefine authoritativeness on the internet as part of its efforts to fight the spread of misinformation and abuse on its platforms. On Wednesday, the company rolled out a slew of announcements that aim to promote more trustworthy news sources, tamp down on Groups that spread misinformation, and give the public more insight into how Facebook crafts its content policies writ large.

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House Endorses Net Neutrality, but the Outlook Remains Dim

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 07:10:52 -0000

Legislation to restore the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules passed a big hurdle Wednesday. But it’s far from becoming law, and faces long odds. The House of Representatives approved the bill in a 232 to 190 vote. No Democrats voted against the bill. Representative Bill Posey of Florida was the only Republican to vote in favor of it.

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In Congressional Hearing on Hate, the Haters Got Their Way

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:30:55 -0000

Tuesday's House Judiciary Committee hearing on the rise of hate crimes and white nationalism devolved into a four-hour squabble over who’s most hated, and who’s doing the hating, in America. The members of the committee and some of the eight witnesses who sat before them battled over whether anti-semitism or anti-black hate is most deserving of their attention, and whether it’s white supremacists or Muslims or Democrats or the President who harbor the most hate.

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In an Ex-Googler's Novel, Silicon Valley Runs on Male Ego

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 07:11:08 -0000

The Big Disruption, a satirical novel written by Jessica Powell, Google’s former head of communications, is set inside the lush and bountiful Silicon Valley headquarters of Anahata, a massive 10-year-old tech giant in love its own mythology about open-door board meetings and profound yet “napkin-able” ideas.

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Verizon’s 5G Network Is Here—If You Can Get a Signal

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 16:30:55 -0000

Verizon launched its mobile 5G network last week in "select areas" of Minneapolis and Chicago, and a speed test shared by a Verizon spokesperson showed an impressive download speed of 762Mbps. But the single speed test displayed by Verizon was conducted near a tower with clear line of sight to that tower. Actually finding a 5G signal elsewhere in Verizon's launch areas is much more difficult, according to tests by The Verge and CNET.

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Hate Wins in Congress, Epic (Virtual) Floods, and More News

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 07:11:19 -0000

Tech news you can use, in two minutes or less: Congress held a hearing on hate, and it went exactly as you thought it might Congress called the leaders of tech to a hearing on the rise of hate crimes and white supremacy, but instead of illuminating solutions and building bridges, the haters got their way and the tech giants got off scot free. The hearings were mostly full of arguments and partisanship, an unfortunate par for the course that led to no real answers or progress on the issue.

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Facebook Rolls Out More Features for Dead People

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 16:31:31 -0000

Facebook was designed for the living, but as the social network grew older, it also needed to decide what should happen when users die. In 2015, Facebook began allowing people to assign a legacy contact to be in charge of their account in the event they pass away, but the system wasn't perfect and users found some of the associated policies upsetting.

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Google Will Now Require Suppliers to Give Benefits to Workers

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 07:10:33 -0000

Silicon Valley’s use of nontraditional employment arrangements, where workers typically aren’t afforded the same privileges as employees, has grown faster than full-time jobs, even as tech giants come under fire for their treatment of Uber drivers, Google cafeteria workers, or Facebook content moderators.

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How Github Is Helping Overworked Chinese Programmers

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 16:32:17 -0000

Two Chinese software developers are trying to harness the power of open source software to improve working conditions for coders. Last weekend, Katt Gu and Suji Yan, published the “Anti-996 License,” which requires any company that uses the project's software to comply with local labor laws as well as International Labour Organization standards, including the right for workers to collectively bargain and a ban on forced labor.

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A Fight Over Specialized Chips Threatens an Ethereum Split

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 07:11:22 -0000

In July 2016, Ethereum endured an early test of faith. The people behind the barely year-old blockchain had taken Bitcoin’s idea of decentralized money and run with it, building a digital landscape where users, based on a mutual trust in code, could interact and create applications. Then hackers emptied $50 million from one of those applications, the DAO. Facing a crisis, a core group of developers swiftly altered Ethereum’s code to return the lost funds.

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How Google Is Cramming More Data Into Its New Atlantic Cable

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 16:31:36 -0000

Google says the fiber optic cable it's building across the Atlantic Ocean will be the fastest of its kind. When the cable goes live next year, the company estimates it will transmit around 250 terabits per second, fast enough to zap all the contents of the Library of Congress from Virginia to France three times every second. That's about 56 percent faster than Facebook and Microsoft's Marea cable, which can transmit about 160 terabits per second between Virginia and Spain.

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Microsoft Employees Revolt, Beheaded Mosquitos, and More News

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 07:10:53 -0000

Tech news you can use, in two minutes or less: Microsoft employees protested the company's treatment of women After a female employee posted about hitting a "brick wall" for promotions, Microsoft employees protested CEO Satya Nadella in a meeting this morning. The CEO was reportedly empathetic to their concerns, and promised more transparency about advancement within the company going forward.

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Microsoft Employees Protest Treatment of Women to CEO Nadella

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 16:31:09 -0000

A group of Microsoft employees appeared at an employee meeting with CEO Satya Nadella Thursday to protest the company’s treatment of women. The protesters asked Nadella to address claims of discrimination against women in promotion and advancement, as well as claims of sexual harassment, raised as part of a widespread discussion that has been building steam on internal company forums for the past two weeks.

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This Montana County Wants to Crimp Bitcoin to Save the Earth

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 07:10:50 -0000

It’s a well-worn idea that bitcoin is helping to trash the planet, throwing fuel on an already burning world while providing value to very few people. By one recent estimate, the energy used to keep the network going, a process known as mining, is enough to power Hungary. But now a Montana county in the heart of crypto-mining territory is taking matters into its own hands, invoking a local climate emergency in a bid to make bitcoin greener.

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For Potential Investors in Lyft and Uber, It's Buyer Beware

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 16:31:21 -0000

After a long drought, the go-go days of hot technology IPOs appear to be back. The new age began last week with the long-awaited public offering of shares in ride-hailing service Lyft, which raised more than $2 billion for the company with a valuation climbing to over $26 billion before falling back to earth on Monday. To put that in perspective, Lyft’s valuation after the IPO rivaled those of Snapchat, Dropbox, and Spotify; it’s larger than all of this year’s IPOs combined.

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Facebook Had an Incredibly Busy Weekend

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 07:10:47 -0000

While millions of Americans were enjoying a warm spring weekend, Facebook employees were hard at work responding to an avalanche of news about their company.

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Cloudflare Says Its New VPN Service Won’t Slow You Down

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 16:31:38 -0000

Virtual private networks (VPNs) can help protect your internet traffic from prying eyes. VPN services route your email, web browsing, and other internet activity through the service provider's servers, making it appear to outsiders that you're only accessing those servers. VPN services help users in China, for example, reach blocked sites by making it appear they’re accessing something else.

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Will Facebook’s New Ban on White Nationalist Content Work?

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 07:10:35 -0000

In a move that’s months in the making, Facebook announced Wednesday that beginning next week, it will take down posts supporting both white nationalism and white separatism, including on Instagram. It’s an evolution for the social network, whose Community Standards previously only prohibited white supremacist content while allowing posts that advocated for ideologies like race segregation.

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Tracking Readers’ Eye Movements Can Help Computers Learn

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 07:11:07 -0000

For our eyes, reading is hardly a smooth ride. They stutter across the page, lingering over words that surprise or confuse, hopping over those that seem obvious in context (you can blame that for your typos), pupils widening when a word sparks a potent emotion. All this commotion is barely noticeable, occurring in milliseconds. But for psychologists who study how our minds process language, our unsteady eyes are a window into the black box of our brains.

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US Is Forcing a Chinese Firm to Sell Gay Dating App Grindr

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 16:31:18 -0000

The US government says a Chinese gaming company's ownership of gay dating app Grindr poses a national security risk, according to a report from Reuters. Beijing Kunlun Tech acquired a 60 percent stake in Grindr in 2016 and bought the rest in 2018. But, according to Reuters, the Chinese firm didn't clear the acquisition with the agency known as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which evaluates the national security impacts of foreign investments in US companies.

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Facebook Takes On White Nationalism, Plus More in Tech News

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 07:10:25 -0000

Tech news you can use, in two minutes or less: Facebook moves against white nationalist content After months of grappling with its stance, Facebook has finally decided to ban white nationalist content on both Facebook and Instagram. Starting next week, US users who attempt to search for or post this type of content will be redirected to a nonprofit that works to help people leave hate groups.

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The Godfathers of the AI Boom Win Computing’s Highest Honor

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 07:10:58 -0000

In the late 1980s, Canadian master’s student Yoshua Bengio became captivated by an unfashionable idea. A handful of artificial intelligence researchers was trying to craft software that loosely mimicked how networks of neurons process data in the brain, despite scant evidence it would work. “I fell in love with the idea that we could both understand the principles of how the brain works and also construct AI,” says Bengio, now a professor at the University of Montreal.

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How AI and Data-Crunching Can Reduce Preterm Births

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 16:32:59 -0000

Emily Pickett, a doula in Louisville, Kentucky, is used to hearing hard truths from expecting mothers. Her job is to guide women through pregnancy, acting as confidante and supporter; understanding their deepest stressors---an abusive partner, a struggle with drugs---is important to ensuring healthy pregnancies.

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Apple Enters the Credit Card Market With—Yep—Apple Card

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 07:10:25 -0000

Apple’s event Monday ended up featuring one piece of hardware after all: a new credit card, which it plans to launch this summer in the United States. The aptly-named Apple Card, created in partnership with Mastercard and Goldman Sachs, will live within the existing Wallet app on iPhones and as a traditional physical card.

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Can AI Be a Fair Judge in Court? Estonia Thinks So

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 16:32:04 -0000

Government usually isn't the place to look for innovation in IT or new technologies like artificial intelligence. But Ott Velsberg might change your mind. As Estonia's chief data officer, the 28-year-old graduate student is overseeing the tiny Baltic nation's push to insert artificial intelligence and machine learning into services provided to its 1.3 million citizens.

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Angry Nerd: The Next Big One Will Be a Dataquake

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 07:11:31 -0000

I have superpowers, OK? One of them is predicting earthquakes. Don’t go showing me “government” “reports” disproving my awesome abilities. Twice already this year, I have shaken awake before my house has. So you will believe me when I tell you, unblessed mortals, that my seismological Spidey sense discerns a Third Event. This catastrophe won’t involve literal tectonics. What I’m detecting is the quivering instability of the metaphorical.

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TypeScript’s Quiet, Steady Rise Among Programming Languages

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:32:20 -0000

Microsoft's programming language TypeScript has quietly become one of the most popular languages among developers, at least according to a report published by the analyst firm RedMonk this week. TypeScript jumped from number 16 to number 12, just behind Apple's programming language Swift, in RedMonk's semiannual rankings, which were last published in August.

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The Very Mathematical History of a Perfect Color Combination

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 07:10:26 -0000

A couple of years ago, I fell in love with a color scheme: off-white text accented with a buttery yellow-orange and a neutral blue against a deep gray, the "color of television, tuned to a dead channel," to borrow a phrase from Neuromancer author William Gibson. The colors were part of a theme called "Solarized Dark" for the popular MacOS code editor TextMate. To be honest, I didn't think much of Solarized at first. But I soon found that I couldn't work with any other color scheme.

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Why Tech Platforms Don’t Treat All Terrorism the Same

Fri, 22 Mar 2019 16:31:02 -0000

In January 2018, the top policy executives from YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter testified in a Senate hearing about terrorism and social media, touting their companies’ use of artificial intelligence to detect and remove terrorist content from groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda.

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Facebook Changes Its Ad Tech to Stop Discrimination

Fri, 22 Mar 2019 07:10:42 -0000

On Tuesday, Facebook reached a historic settlement with civil rights groups that had accused the company of allowing advertisers to unlawfully discriminate against minorities, women, and older people by using the platform’s ad-targeting technology to exclude them from seeing ads for housing, jobs, and credit—three areas with legal protections for groups that have historically been disenfranchised.

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Fei-Fei Li Wants AI to Care More About Humans

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 16:31:09 -0000

Fei-Fei Li heard the crackle of a cat’s brain cells a couple of decades ago and has never forgotten it. Researchers had inserted electrodes into the animal’s brain and connected them to a loudspeaker, filling a lab at Princeton with the eerie sound of firing neurons. “They played the symphony of a mammalian visual system,” Li told an audience Monday at Stanford, where she is now a professor.

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The EU Hits Google With a Third Billion-Dollar Fine. So What?

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 07:10:31 -0000

European officials Wednesday fined Google €1.49 billion ($1.7 billion) for more than a decade of abusive practices in how it brokered online ads for other websites like newspapers, blogs, and travel aggregators. This is the third billion-dollar antitrust penalty levied against Google by the European Commission, which has fined the company more than $9 billion for anticompetitive practices since 2017.

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The Mosque Shooter Exploited the Power of the Internet

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:32:17 -0000

After each new horrific mass shooting, an all-too-familiar cycle often plays out: Reporters (myself included) race to attempt to unpack an alleged shooter’s possible motivations by piecing together clues from their social media accounts and online postings before it all gets scrubbed from the internet.

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The Deeper Education Issue Under the College Bribery Scandal

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 07:11:25 -0000

The college admissions bribery scandal has all the components of a made for TV movie, including celebrity cameos, suspense, and unexpected twists and turns. Behind the broken admissions process and the drama, however, a different educational crisis is looming. According to a 2018 Korn Ferry study, by 2030, there could be a global talent shortage of more than 85.2 million people, costing an estimated $8.5 trillion in unrealized annual revenue. In the U.S. alone, the study forecasts $1.

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The People Trying to Make Internet Recommendations Less Toxic

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 07:11:02 -0000

The internet is an ocean of algorithms trying to tell you what to do. YouTube and Netflix proffer videos they calculate you’ll watch. Facebook and Twitter filter and reorganize posts from your connections, avowedly in your interest—but also in their own. New York entrepreneur Brian Whitman helped create such a system.

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How Cambridge Analytica Sparked the Great Privacy Awakening

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 16:31:08 -0000

On October 27, 2012, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote an email to his then-director of product development. For years, Facebook had allowed third-party apps to access data on their users’ unwitting friends, and Zuckerberg was considering whether giving away all that information was risky. In his email, he suggested it was not: “I’m generally skeptical that there is as much data leak strategic risk as you think,” he wrote at the time.

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With Tech on the Defensive, SXSW Takes an Introspective Turn

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 07:10:42 -0000

The first five days or so of SXSW in Austin are always dedicated to the “interactive” portion of the festival. The city’s downtown streets swell with lanyard-laden “entrepreneurs” and “founders” wearing that familiar uniform of T-shirts screen-printed with their company’s clever logo, an outfit made professional by throwing a blazer over the ensemble.

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Facebook’s Head of Product, Chris Cox, Says Goodbye

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 16:31:05 -0000

Last spring, Chris Cox, the chief product officer of Facebook, was promoted to also oversee Whatsapp, Messenger, and Instagram. It seemed, at the time, almost like succession planning. If Mark Zuckerberg were to ever leave the company, Cox, his longtime confidante, and a representative of the engineering and product side, would be set up to run it. But today Cox has announced that, after 13 years at the company, he’s leaving.

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5G Is Coming for Real, but It Will Cost You

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 16:31:10 -0000

5G is coming, and with it a massive boost in bandwidth that will feed artificial intelligence applications, enable the long fabled Internet of Things, and deliver more streaming video. Lots of streaming video. But all that extra bandwidth won't be much use if the average consumer can't afford a 5G connection, or if those connections are hobbled by restrictive bandwidth caps.

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Spotify's Apple Complaint Cuts to a Core Antitrust Issue

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 07:10:37 -0000

A wave of antitrust interest is washing over Europe and much of the United States, and Spotify is riding its crest. The Swedish audio-streaming giant lodged a complaint against Apple with the European Commission on Wednesday, accusing the company of abusing its position as owner of the App Store to stifle competition.

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The Last Place Big Tech Wants to Be Is on the Defense

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 16:31:50 -0000

So, it finally happened. A leading American politician has said aloud what many have whispering: it’s time to break up Big Tech. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren just fired the opening salvo and called for the federal government to take action: “Today’s big tech companies have too much power— too much power over our economy, our society, and our democracy.

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To Compete With Google, OpenAI Seeks Investors–and Profits

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 07:11:42 -0000

The Bay Area is famed for nurturing speculative investments like flying cars, floating cities, and the notion that a ride hailing service can turn a profit. A new utopian investment opportunity arrived Monday: Shovel dollars into a San Francisco artificial intelligence lab cofounded by Elon Musk and you’ll receive a share of the profits when (or if) it figures out how to create machines smarter than humans.

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30 Years On, Reports of the Web's Death Are Exaggerated

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 16:31:33 -0000

As soon as you visit a modern website, it starts feeding you reasons to leave. First by begging you to download its app from the app store, then with a dialog box urging you to sign up for a newsletter. Next will come a request to send you alerts, followed by either an onslaught of ads or a plea to turn your ad blocker off.

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Legal Scholar Tim Wu Says the US Must Enforce Antitrust Laws

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 16:31:23 -0000

Last week, presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) announced an ambitious plan to break up big tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon and block them from selling their own products on their platforms. Warren called out Facebook's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp and Google's acquisition of online advertising giant DoubleClick as examples of the deals she'd like to see reversed.

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You May Have Forgotten Foursquare, But It Didn’t Forget You

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 07:10:28 -0000

It’s Thursday afternoon, and I’m on the eighth floor of a nondescript building in the Flatiron District, sitting across from Foursquare cofounder Dennis Crowley. He pulls out his phone to show me an unreleased, nameless game that he and his skunkworks-style team Foursquare Labs have been working on. Think “Candyland,” but instead of fantasy locations like Lollipop Woods, the game’s virtual board includes place categories associated with New York City neighborhoods.

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Huawei Sues the US, Prodding It to Prove Suspicions

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 16:32:44 -0000

The world's largest telecommunications-equipment company, China's Huawei, is suing the US government. But the suit isn't just about US law. It's part of Huawei's larger campaign to defend its role as a global provider of telecom gear amid fears that its technology is or could be used by the Chinese government for spying. In essence, Huawei is challenging the US government to prove its suspicions.

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Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook's Future and What Scares Him Most

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:32:20 -0000

On Wednesday afternoon, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, described a sweeping new vision for his platform. “The future of communication,” he wrote, “will increasingly shift to private, encrypted services where people can be confident what they say to each other stays secure.” The post raised all kinds of questions about Facebook’s business model and strategies, as well as the tradeoffs the company could face.

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Facebook's Pivot to Privacy Is Missing Something Crucial

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 07:10:37 -0000

If there’s one choice that Facebook has made repeatedly over the past 15 years, it’s been to prioritize growth over privacy. Users were consistently encouraged to make more of their information public than they were comfortable with. The settings to make things public were always a bit easier to use than the ones to make things private. Data was collected that you didn’t have any idea was being collected and shared in ways you had no idea it was being shared.

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Why Chinese Companies Plug a US Test for Facial Recognition

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 16:31:34 -0000

Last year, Chinese police arrested a man at a pop concert after he was flagged as a criminal suspect by a facial recognition system installed at the venue. The software that called the cops was developed by Shanghai startup Yitu Tech. It was marketed with a stamp of approval from the US government. Yitu is a top performer on a testing program run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology that’s vital to the fast-growing facial recognition industry.

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Are Men at Google Paid Less Than Women? Not Really

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 07:10:47 -0000

At the end of every year, Google conducts a pay equity analysis to determine whether employees of different sexes and races who are doing similar jobs are being paid equally. On Monday, Google published a blog post with selected findings from its 2018 analysis, highlighting that proposed changes for 2019 would have paid male engineers less than female engineers in one lower-level job category, referred to internally as Level 4 engineers.

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YouTube CEO Defends Its Efforts to Reduce Violent Content

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 16:32:26 -0000

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki defended her company’s efforts to keep violent content off the video platform at the sixth annual Lesbians Who Tech Summit Friday in San Francisco. Wojcicki was interviewed by New York Times columnist Kara Swisher, who took the YouTube leader to task for the platform’s failure to keep dangerous content away from kids.

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Twitter Will Let Users Hide Replies to Fight Toxic Comments

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 07:11:12 -0000

Last March, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admitted that, despite the company’s intentions, Twitter wasn’t the best at encouraging productive or meaningful conversations among users. More often, the platform served to further abuse, harassment, and the spread of misinformation, while plunging users deeper into echo chambers.

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What's the Value of a Facebook Cryptocoin?

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 16:32:27 -0000

Just before the Civil War, and long before the Federal Reserve, the United States had 8,000 kinds of money. It was a chaotic, confusing time to buy your groceries. Private banks issued notes with the promise of backing in gold and silver, but their actual value was anybody’s guess. Soon other companies---drug stores, coal mines, and of course railroads, the wealthy connectors of their day---jumped into the fray.

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Critics Are Wary of the FTC’s New Tech Antitrust Task Force

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 07:10:37 -0000

As the United States wrestles with what to do about the tremendous power its technology giants have amassed, the Federal Trade Commission is launching a new task force, which will keep tabs on the industry's competitive landscape and assess mergers both past and present. But critics say the creation of the task force is little more than an exercise in virtue signaling for an agency that has lately failed to bring any meaningful action against tech monopolies.

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It’s Not Just New York—Amazon Nixes a Seattle Expansion, Too

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 16:32:29 -0000

Last year, Seattle’s city council repealed a tax on big employers less than a month after approving the legislation designed to raise funds to support homeless programs. The quick reversal came after Amazon, which employs around 45,000 people in the city, halted the construction of a new building and threatened to not occupy space it had leased in the planned Rainier Square tower because of the tax. Now, Amazon says it won’t move into the Rainier Square tower after all.

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Etsy Crafts a Plan for Carbon-Neutral Online Shopping

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 07:10:40 -0000

Tomorrow, all the carbon emissions spewed into the atmosphere from US ecommerce deliveries---some 55,000 metric tons of CO2, by one estimate, from trucks and planes shipping packages across the country---will be neutralized. It’s all thanks to Etsy, the global online market for indie makers, which is picking up the tab on high-quality carbon offsets for itself as well as its competitors on Thursday.

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Parents, Here’s How to Make YouTube Kids Safer

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 16:32:10 -0000

On Friday, a pediatrician and parenting blogger named Free N. Hess published a post about a series of disturbing videos she found on YouTube Kids, a standalone app that is supposed to make it “safer and simpler” for those under 13 to browse videos online. A number of news outlets quickly picked up on the clips Hess discovered, which included one where Minecraft–inspired characters carry out a school shooting.

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Former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler Says the Internet Needs Regulation

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 16:31:08 -0000

It was hard not to fear the worst when President Barack Obama appointed Tom Wheeler as chair of the Federal Communications Commission in 2013. Wheeler was the CEO of the wireless industry group CTIA from 1992 to 2004, and the CEO of the National Cable Television Association from 1979 to 1984. As the agency drafted its net neutrality rules, comedian John Oliver famously compared putting Wheeler in charge of the FCC to hiring a dingo to babysit your kids. But Wheeler wasn't a dingo.

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Thumbtack Tries Bridging the Benefits Gap for Gig Workers

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 07:10:37 -0000

Even before the online gig economy existed, a simple truth defined life in the American workforce: full-time employees get a safety net—the benefits, the labor protections, the security—and everyone else goes without. Tech companies have revolutionized how people work in countless ways, but this benefits gap persists, especially among low-income workers. The question now is whether these platforms can also be part of the solution.

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Tariffs, BAT, and Social Credit: A US-China Debate

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 16:31:36 -0000

Over the past few years, China's tech ascension has become one of the hottest topics du jour. Just as there are America's FAANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google), a trio of Chinese companies have become their own tech acronym: BAT's Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent. And China has clear aims to surpass the United States as the new techonomic superpower, from President Xi Jinping’s "Made in China 2025" initiative to his plans for China to lead AI globally by 2030.

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Ajit Pai Claims His FCC Improved Broadband Access

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 07:10:36 -0000

Ajit Pai says the Federal Communications Commission's annual broadband assessment will show that his deregulatory policies have substantially improved access in the United States. The annual report will also conclude that broadband is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely basis. The FCC hasn't released the full Broadband Deployment Report yet and won't do so until the commission votes on whether to approve the draft version sometime in the next few weeks.

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This Telecom Upstart’s 5G Tech Gets a Boost From Facebook

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 16:31:10 -0000

AT&T and Verizon are slowly trickling out the next generation of wireless networks, known as 5G, in parts of a few cities. But even as the major carriers prepare larger 5G launches, San Francisco based startup Common Networks is hoping that it can compete with bigger telecom companies by combining 5G with technology open sourced by Facebook. Common Networks is using 5G to offer home, as opposed to mobile, broadband, essentially competing with internet providers such as AT&T and Comcast.

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A ‘Sexist’ Search Bug Says More About Us Than Facebook

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 07:11:16 -0000

Just before Valentine’s Day last week, Belgian security researcher Inti De Ceukelaire noticed something strange on Facebook. He found the social network’s search function treated pictures of men and women in dramatically different ways. Searching for “photos of my female friends” returned a hodgepodge of images, whereas a similar search for “photos of my male friends” yielded no results.

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The Real Reason Tech Struggles With Algorithmic Bias

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 17:51:06 -0000

Are machines racist? Are algorithms and artificial intelligence inherently prejudiced? Do Facebook, Google, and Twitter have political biases? Those answers are complicated. But if the question is whether the tech industry doing enough to address these biases, the straightforward response is no. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Yaël Eisenstat is a former CIA officer, National Security Advisor to Vice President Biden, and CSR leader at ExxonMobil.

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Trump Shouldn't Plan to Tweet From a 6G Phone Anytime Soon

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 16:31:46 -0000

It's been a big week for 5G, the next generation of wireless networks. Samsung announced its first 5G capable phone, the S10, on Wednesday. Qualcomm announced a new 5G modem on Tuesday. But President Trump is aiming higher. "I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible," Trump wrote in a tweet urging carriers to pick up their pace. "It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard." https://twitter.

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India Is Cracking Down on Ecommerce and Free Speech

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 07:10:44 -0000

When it comes to cracking down on tech giants, India is on a roll. The country was the first to reject Facebook’s contentious plan to offer free internet access to parts of the developing world in 2016.

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5G? 5 Bars? What the Signal Icons on Your Phone Actually Mean

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 16:31:10 -0000

Some AT&T customers noticed a strange phenomenon earlier this year. The upper left corner of their smartphones began displaying “5GE,” ostensibly indicating their phones were using 5G technology. And while Samsung announced Wednesday that it will soon release a 5G-compatible phone, actual 5G networks in the US are still in their nascent stages. AT&T is engaging in a marketing ploy—one it has used in the past.

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VCs Are Hungry for Fast-Casual ‘Food Platforms’

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 16:32:20 -0000

After raising $200 million in a Series H funding round last November, the culty salad chain Sweetgreen became the first-ever restaurant unicorn. Cold-pressed upstart Joe & the Juice is reportedly plotting a $1.5 billion IPO later this year. Now kale-scarfing, ginger-quaffing consumers have VCs salivating over salad.

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The Pentagon Needs to Woo AI Experts Away From Big Tech

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 07:11:19 -0000

This week, President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on artificial intelligence and the Pentagon declassified part of its AI strategy. Neither was a first attempt at a national AI strategy. In 2016, the Obama administration published a comprehensive plan on the future of AI, which never had time to gain the momentum it needed in government.

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Inside the Alexa-Friendly World of Wikidata

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 16:31:17 -0000

Humans pricked by info-hunger pangs used to hunt and peck for scraps of trivia on the savanna of the internet. Now we sit in screen-glow-flooded caves and grunt, “Alexa!” Virtual assistants do the dirty work for us. Problem is, computers can’t really speak the language. Many of our densest, most reliable troves of knowledge, from Wikipedia to (ahem) the pages of WIRED, are encoded in an ancient technology largely opaque to machines—prose.

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The Soothing Promise of Our Own Artisanal Internet

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 07:11:25 -0000

To put our toxic relationship with Big Tech into perspective, critics have compared social media to a lot of bad things. Tobacco. Crystal meth. Pollution. Cars before seat belts. Chemicals before Superfund sites. But the most enduring metaphor is junk food: convenient but empty; engineered to be addictive; makes humans unhealthy and corporations rich. At first, consumers were told to change their diet and #DeleteFacebook to avoid the side effects.

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This Company Takes the Grunt Work Out of Using the Cloud

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 16:33:42 -0000

Like most 12-year-old boys, Mitchell Hashimoto played a lot of videogames. But he never liked the repetitive parts of games like Neopets, where players feed and care for virtual animals. "I used a lot of bot software that other people wrote to play the more mundane parts for me, so I could do the fun stuff," he says. Those bots were often blocked by gamemakers, so Hashimoto taught himself to program and created his own bot.

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What Trump’s Executive Order on AI Is Missing

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 07:11:00 -0000

President Trump signed an executive order on February 11 meant to shore up our competitive position in the international race for AI supremacy, but it is short on concrete steps. As the CEO of an artificial intelligence research institute, I am calling on him to include a special visa program for AI students and experts to help us win this race for the sake of both economic vitality and national security.

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Jeff Bezos Aside, Sextortion Is Way Underreported

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 16:31:12 -0000

When Jeff Bezos went public with his accusations of blackmail against the National Enquirer on Thursday, he was hailed by many online for his courage. In a post on Medium, the Amazon CEO alleged that Enquirer representatives threatened to publish intimate photos of him unless he stopped an investigation into the tabloid’s reporting on him. Bezos refused.

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The AI Text Generator That's Too Dangerous to Make Public

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 07:10:25 -0000

In 2015, car-and-rocket man Elon Musk joined with influential startup backer Sam Altman to put artificial intelligence on a new, more open course. They cofounded a research institute called OpenAI to make new AI discoveries and give them away for the common good. Now, the institute’s researchers are sufficiently worried by something they built that they won’t release it to the public. The AI system that gave its creators pause was designed to learn the patterns of language.

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The Green New Deal Is Just the Vague, Audacious Goal We Need

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 07:10:27 -0000

The unveiling of a Green New Deal last week provoked a mix of enthusiasm and derision. For each voice embracing the radical vision to decarbonize the American economy within a decade, revamp capitalism, and attend to a panoply of social ills, there was another voice decrying the plan as economically unrealistic, technologically impossible, and politically untenable. WIRED Opinion About Zachary Karabell is a WIRED contributor and president of River Twice Research.

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The Pentagon Doubles Down on AI–and Wants Help from Big Tech

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 16:31:29 -0000

In the 1960s, the Department of Defense began shoveling money towards a small group of researchers with a then-fringe idea: making machines intelligent. Military money played a central role in establishing a new science—artificial intelligence. Sixty years later, the Pentagon believes AI has matured enough to become a central plank of America’s national security.

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Trump’s Plan to Keep America First in AI

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 16:31:57 -0000

The US leads the world in artificial intelligence technology. Decades of federal research funding, industrial and academic research, and streams of foreign talent have put America at the forefront of the current AI boom. Yet as AI aspirations have sprouted around the globe, the US government has lacked a high-level strategy to guide American investment and prepare for the technology’s effects.

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Does Jeff Bezos Have a Legal Case Against The National Enquirer?

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 07:10:39 -0000

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, accused The National Enquirer Thursday of engaging in “extortion and blackmail” by threatening to publish intimate images of the billionaire unless he agreed to drop his investigation into how the tabloid obtained his private communications. In an extraordinary Medium post, Bezos reproduced emails that appeared to show representatives of the Enquirer demanding he publicly state that its coverage of him isn’t “influenced by political forces.

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How WIRED Covered Facebook These Past 15 Years

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 16:31:22 -0000

When WIRED introduced Facebook to its online readers in 2004, four months after Mark Zuckerberg launched the site with a few friends out of his Harvard dorm room, the first order of business was explaining the poke. “On Thefacebook, poking is a way of saying ‘hi’ to would-be contacts, a method to strike up a conversation without adding the person as a friend,” went the post. “And there's quite a bit of poking going on.

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Republicans in Congress Are Talking Net Neutrality, at Least

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 07:11:11 -0000

Three Republican members of Congress introduced net neutrality-related bills Thursday, but Congress is still a long way from a bipartisan deal to restore rules banning broadband providers from blocking, throttling, or otherwise discriminating against lawful content. During a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington), Greg Walden (R-Oregon), and Bob Latta (R-Ohio) all said they had proposed net neutrality bills.

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Jeff Bezos Escalates the Feud with the National Enquirer

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 16:32:19 -0000

Being rich may make you an alluring target for blackmail. But being really, really rich may make you immune. In an extraordinary blog post published on Medium Thursday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos accused The National Enquirer of attempting to blackmail him by threatening to publish 10 intimate photos unless Bezos stopped an investigation into how the tabloid obtained his private messages and images.

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Facebook’s Top PR Exec Is Leaving the Toughest Job in Tech

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 07:10:59 -0000

Following more than two years of constant turbulence for Facebook, the company’s vice president of communications, Caryn Marooney, is leaving the company, Facebook has confirmed. Marooney, who previously co-founded the technology communications firm The Outcast Agency, joined Facebook in 2011 as director of technology communications, after representing the company at Outcast. Most recently, she has been responsible for all global communications.

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Your Next Game Night Partner? A Computer

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 07:10:35 -0000

When the arrow appeared next to the birdcage, I finally understood what my partner was trying to say. The game was a clone of Pictionary—I had to guess the phrase based on a drawing. My partner had initially depicted a duck next to a cage, plus a hand, and a pond. Only after I asked for another drawing and the arrow was added did I realize the hand was “releasing” the duck, not feeding it. “You win!!!” I was told, after typing in the full answer.

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A Crypto Exchange CEO Dies—With the Only Key to $137 Million

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 16:31:07 -0000

More than 100,000 cryptocurrency holders have learned a hard lesson in finality, after the 30-year-old CEO of a major Canadian exchange died, effectively freezing the company’s assets. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia last week, Jennifer Robertson, widow of QuadrigaCX CEO Gerry Cotten, wrote that the company owes its customers $190 million, but can’t access the funds to pay them back.

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Teens Don't Use Facebook, but They Can't Escape It, Either

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 07:10:58 -0000

Jace has never lived in a world without Facebook. His father already had an account by the time he was born. Even before Jace could understand the concept of Facebook, he felt its influence every time his dad had him stop what he was doing and pose for photos that were destined to be shared online. Today, the 13-year-old Virginia teenager doesn’t use the site himself, even though his dad signed him up. “It’s kinda lame,” he says.

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By Defying Apple’s Rules, Facebook Shows It Never Learns

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 16:30:57 -0000

If an app on Facebook behaved the way Facebook has been behaving, Facebook would probably have shut it down by now. Tuesday’s scathing TechCrunch investigation all but guarantees it. The report found that Facebook has been paying people as young as 13 years old to download an app that grants Facebook access to users’ entire phone and web history, including encrypted activity and private messages and emails.

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Google Says It Wants Rules for the Use of AI—Kinda, Sorta

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 16:31:17 -0000

Last April, Google cofounder Sergey Brin wrote to shareholders with a warning about the potential downsides of artificial intelligence. In June, Google CEO Sundar Pichai released a set of guiding principles for its AI projects after employee protests forced him to abandon a Pentagon contract creating algorithms to interpret drone footage.

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The World’s Fastest Supercomputer Breaks an AI Record

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 07:10:23 -0000

Along America’s west coast, the world’s most valuable companies are racing to make artificial intelligence smarter. Google and Facebook have boasted of experiments using billions of photos and thousands of high-powered processors. Late last year, a project in eastern Tennessee quietly exceeded the scale of any corporate AI lab. It was run by the US government. The record-setting project involved the world’s most powerful supercomputer, Summit, at Oak Ridge National Lab.

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This Hearing May Decide the Future of Net Neutrality

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 16:32:45 -0000

Net neutrality advocates are heading to court Friday for what may be their best chance to restore federal regulations banning broadband providers from blocking, throttling, or otherwise discriminating against lawful content. The Federal Communications Commission passed robust net neutrality protections in 2015.

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US Ratchets Up the Pressure on Huawei With New Indictments

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 07:10:42 -0000

Embattled Chinese telecom giant Huawei has some new problems. The US Department of Justice Monday unsealed a 13-count indictment against Huawei and its CFO Meng Wanzhou, alleging the company misled banking partners about violations of US sanctions against Iran. The charges include bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. Meng, who is also the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Canada last month and is awaiting extradition to the US.

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Real Facebook Oversight Requires More Than a 40-Expert Board

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 16:31:14 -0000

When Facebook announced in November that it would launch an independent oversight board, questions arose about what that might look like and how it would work. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, for one, compared the would-be governing body to the Supreme Court, in its potential capacity to review the biggest issues of the day and set a sort of Facebook case law. On Monday, Facebook released a draft charter answering questions about how such an institution might function.

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If Convicted, Huawei Faces Bigger Problems Than Fines

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:31:39 -0000

Chinese telecom giant Huawei could face millions in fines if convicted of all charges in two indictments unsealed by the US Department of Justice Monday. But the money is likely the least of Huawei’s worries. The first indictment accuses Huawei and its executives, including CFO Meng Wanzhou, of crimes including bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice related to alleged violations of sanctions forbidding the sale of US-made equipment to Iran.

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All This Newfound Cynicism Is Going to Hamper Big Tech

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 07:10:44 -0000

Earlier this month, a WIRED contributor managed to subvert all the warm, fuzzy feelings produced by the “10-year challenge” meme on social media by asking the question that has haunted free thinkers throughout history: Am I doing what I want to do, or what they want me to do? The challenge, which has flourished on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, seems like harmless stuff, offering a forum for regular folks and celebrities alike to use photos to boast about getting better with age (or in the case of Mariah Carey, who posted the same photo as “before” and...

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Family Trust Shows Silicon Valley’s Secret Obsessions

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 16:31:43 -0000

When Dave Eggers published The Circle in 2013, critics thought the novel’s hyperbolic message about an omnipotent tech company would open the world’s eyes to the harms of Silicon Valley’s growing power. Perhaps there’s as much to learn about tech culture from Family Trust, the debut novel from Kathy Wang, a former product manager for a data-storage company. Family Trust is also a zippy page-turner set in Silicon Valley, but Wang focuses on tech’s middle class.

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Alaska Schools Get Faster Internet—Partly Thanks to Global Warming

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 07:10:35 -0000

Before they got down to business for the day, students in Devin Tatro’s social studies class were offered a quiet moment of self-reflection: On this golden fall afternoon at Nome-Beltz Junior/Senior High School, were they feeling chipper, distressed, or somewhere in between? About 20 students gazed at their laptops, an online poll open on each screen.

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YouTube Will Crack Down on Toxic Videos, But It Won’t Be Easy

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 16:32:32 -0000

YouTube is trying to reduce the spread of toxic videos on the platform by limiting how often they appear in users' recommendations. The company announced the shift in a blog post on Friday, writing that it would begin cracking down on so-called "borderline content" that comes close to violating its community standards without quite crossing the line.

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DeepMind Beats Pros at StarCraft in Another Triumph for Bots

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 07:10:42 -0000

In London last month, a team from Alphabet’s UK-based artificial intelligence research unit DeepMind quietly laid a new marker in the contest between humans and computers. Thursday, it revealed the achievement, in a three-hour YouTube stream in which aliens and robots fought to the death. DeepMind’s broadcast showed its artificial intelligence bot, AlphaStar, defeating a professional player at the complex real-time-strategy videogame StarCraft II.

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The ‘Mortal Danger’ of China’s Push Into AI

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 16:31:14 -0000

Governments and companies worldwide are investing heavily in artificial intelligence in hopes of new profits, smarter gadgets, and better health care. Financier and philanthropist George Soros told the World Economic Forum in Davos Thursday that the technology may also undermine free societies and create a new era of authoritarianism.

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Bing Went Down in China and No One Will Say Why

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 07:10:50 -0000

Bing is back online in China. Late Wednesday evening in the US, reports surface that Microsoft's search engine was blocked in China. Bing is now available again in the country, but it remains unclear if the outage was caused by technical issues or if the Chinese government intentionally blocked the search engine, if only temporarily. “We can confirm that Bing was inaccessible in China, but service is now restored,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement.

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Google's Proposed Changes to Chrome Could Weaken Ad Blockers

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 16:31:15 -0000

The web can be an annoying and creepy place. Big animated ads try to distract you from what you’re reading, while ads for products you’ve already bought stalk you. That’s led many people to install ad blockers or other tools to inhibit websites from tracking them. According to a survey by identity management company Janrain, 71 percent of respondents use ad blockers or some other tool to control their online experience.

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Facebook Cracks Down on Networks of Fake Pages and Groups

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 07:10:19 -0000

Pages and groups are the tools Facebook misinformation peddlers love the most. Creating a network of anonymous pages is one of the easiest ways to quickly spread fake news or propaganda on the social network. This tactic has most famously been used by Russian trolls—even long after the 2016 presidential election. Earlier this month, Facebook took down a cohort of deceptive pages linked to Russian state media.

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Shouldn’t We All Have Seamless Micropayments By Now?

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:31:07 -0000

Back in the 1990s, when Tim Berners-Lee and his team were creating the infrastructure of the World Wide Web, they made a list of the error codes that would pop up when something went wrong. You’ve surely encountered many of them: “404 Not Found,” which pops up if you click on a dead link; “401 Unauthorized” when you hit a page that needs a password; and so on.

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Airbnb-Hotel Hybrids Offer More Homey Comfort With Less Risk

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 07:10:46 -0000

Airbnb’s “live like a local” fantasy can quickly morph into a nightmare when your host’s sun-dappled apartment photos turn out to conceal a roach infestation. But hotels can be so homogeneous. Now a new crop of startups is offering a hybrid alternative: apartment hotels, lodging that promises the comfort and roominess of a homestay (minus the flaky homeowner) with the consistency and in-room amenities of a hotel.

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Microsoft Wants Cortana to Play Nicely With Amazon and Google

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 07:10:50 -0000

Tech giants are battling to position their smart speakers as the center of the digital home. But Microsoft, which lost the mobile wars to Apple and Google, is trying to ensure that it will have a place, no matter who wins. Microsoft has its own voice-based digital assistant, Cortana, that could theoretically power a challenger to the Amazon Echo, Google Home, or Apple HomePod for countertop space. Indeed, Cortana is already core to a smart speaker from Harman Kardon.

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How AI Will Turn Us All Into Filmmakers

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 16:31:09 -0000

In high school, Mackenzie Leake shot a movie about being afraid to get her driver’s license. “A very millennial subject,” she jokes. It gave her a punishing lesson in editing video: Leake spent countless hours, over the course of weeks, “scrubbing” through her footage to find the best shots, then painstakingly assembling them. “It’s a ton of grunt work,” she notes. Now, seven years later, she’s trying to accelerate the process.

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India’s Plan to Curb Hate Speech Could Mean More Censorship

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 07:10:42 -0000

New rules proposed by the Indian government to rein in tech giants and combat fake news could have a profoundly chilling effect on free speech and privacy online. The proposed changes involve Section 79 of the IT Act, a safe harbor protection for internet “intermediaries” that’s akin to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in the US.

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The Millions Silicon Valley Spends on Security for Execs

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 16:32:55 -0000

Prominent Silicon Valley companies spend liberally to protect their intellectual property. Some also shell out considerable amounts to protect their executives. Apple’s most recent proxy statement, filed earlier this month, shows the company spent $310,000 on personal security for CEO Tim Cook. But that’s a fraction of other tech giants’ expenditures. Amazon and Oracle spent about $1.

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Huawei's Many Troubles: Bans, Alleged Spies, and Backdoors

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 07:11:11 -0000

Bad news keeps piling up for Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. Last week an employee was arrested in Poland on espionage charges. This week, the company's products, which include both phones and network gear, were banned from Taiwanese government systems, the South China Morning Post reported, over concerns that Huawei could build backdoors into its products on behalf of the Chinese government.

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The Unbearable Untidiness of Our Digital Lives

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 17:59:49 -0000

Earlier this month, I spent my last days of notification-free vacation by KonMari-ing my closets. The sun was hiding, burnout was in the air, and the winds of change shoved me toward self-optimization---pack light for the apocalypse, purge my way to an uncluttered mind. Marie Kondo’s maxim---keep only items that spark joy–promised a sense of agency. Unlike anxiety baking, bath bombs, sheet masks, it was a not retreat from the world, but a chance to prep for some inevitable fight.

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Anti-TrumpActivists Defend Fake-Washington Post Stunt

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 07:10:35 -0000

On Wednesday, a group of hoaxsters affiliated with the progressive non-profit group The Yes Men circulated fake versions of The Washington Post, dated May 1, 2019, imagining a world in which President Trump has suddenly left office. Throughout the morning, the activists distributed print copies of the edition in front of the White House and debuted a website called My-WashingtonPost.

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A Poker-Playing Robot Goes to Work for the Pentagon

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 16:32:26 -0000

In 2017, a poker bot called Libratus made headlines when it roundly defeated four top human players at no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em. Now, Libratus’s technology is being adapted to take on opponents of a different kind—in service of the US military. Libratus—Latin for balanced—was created by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University to test ideas for automated decision-making based on game theory.

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Virtual Reality’s Latest Use? Diagnosing Mental Illness

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 07:10:53 -0000

Diagnosing psychiatric and neurological conditions is tricky. Physicians have long reported that diagnoses are fraught with complications and subtleties. Anywhere from 35 percent to 85 percent of mental health conditions go undetected and undiagnosed, according to the World Health Organization, depending on where you live in the world. Needless to say, in order to treat depression, Alzheimer's, or autism, it must first be detected.

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Tech Workers Unite to Fight Forced Arbitration

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 16:31:47 -0000

Tech workers may be new to labor organizing, but they’re learning quickly. When a November walkout by 20,000 Google employees protesting the company’s mishandling of sexual harassment claims led to small changes that fell short of the organizers’ demands, some activists inside Google decided to broaden the fight.

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MacKenzie Bezos and the Myth of the Lone Genius Founder

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 07:10:26 -0000

When award-winning novelist MacKenzie Bezos and her husband Jeff Bezos, the chief executive and founder of Amazon, announced on Twitter Wednesday they were getting divorced, public discussion over the uncoupling quickly centered on the impact it might have on Jeff’s company, and on each sides’ net worth.

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The FTC Thinks You Pay Too Much for Smartphones. Here’s Why

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 16:31:14 -0000

The Federal Trade Commission thinks you're paying too much for smartphones. But it doesn’t blame handset makers like Apple and Samsung or wireless carriers. Instead, the agency blames Qualcomm, which owns key wireless-technology patents and makes chips that can be can be found in most high-end Android phones and many iPhones.

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Attack on an Ethereum Currency Highlights a Crypto Weakness

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 16:32:04 -0000

The promise of digital cryptocurrencies like bitcoin is that you don't need to trust the people you send or receive money from because the software makes it technically impossible for anyone to cheat the system. Instead of relying on humans and their flawed judgment, you rely on the laws of mathematics. But a recent attack on the cryptocurrency Ethereum Classic---not to be confused with the original Ethereum project---shows once again how hard it is to remove human frailty from digital systems.

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Juul’s Answer to Its PR Crisis? The Millennial Marlboro Man

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 07:11:14 -0000

Say you were a villainized e-cigarette startup, with a $13 billion cash investment from the tobacco giant that owns Marlboro, and blamed for kicking off a vaping epidemic among teens. You’d lay low, right? Maybe play nice with the FDA. Log off Instagram. Throw a few coins at a youth prevention campaign. Juul, however, is opting for a more aggressive route. Juul Tuesday confirmed that it plans a national TV ad campaign, featuring ex-smokers who used Juul to help them quit traditional cigarettes.

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Here's What Happens When News Comes With a Nutrition Label

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 16:31:58 -0000

As tech giants figure out how to keep users from engaging with fake and misleading news online, a new Gallup poll suggests one potentially effective approach. In the survey, which was commissioned by journalism startup NewsGuard and its investor, the Knight Foundation, more than 60 percent of respondents said they were less likely to share stories from sites that were clearly labeled as unreliable. They were also more likely to trust stories from websites marked as credible.

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The Buzz Behind an App That Can Monitor Beehives Remotely

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 07:10:33 -0000

You've probably heard by now that bees are dying in record numbers. They're being poisoned by pesticides while urbanization encroaches on bees' natural habitats, leaving them with fewer places to live and fewer wildflowers to feed on, says Harvard biologist James Crall, who studies bumblebees. The die-off comes as the world’s human population is expected to grow from 7 billion in 2010 to 9.

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How Health Care Data and Lax Rules Help China Prosper in AI

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 18:06:27 -0000

At Wake Radiology in North Carolina, roughly 50 doctors scrutinize x-rays and other images for local medical providers. Within a few weeks, they should start to get help on some lung CT scans from machine-learning algorithms that highlight potentially cancerous tissue nodules. Although Wake is based in a region known as the Research Triangle, for its intensity of high-tech R&D, the lung-reading software hails from elsewhere—China.

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Blockchain Can Wrest the Internet From Corporations' Grasp

Mon, 07 Jan 2019 07:10:54 -0000

As the internet has evolved over its 35-year lifespan, control over its most important services has gradually shifted from open source protocols maintained by non-profit communities to proprietary services operated by large tech companies. As a result, billions of people got access to amazing, free technologies. But that shift also created serious problems.

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Forget the iPhone Shortfall. Apple's All About Services Now

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 16:31:09 -0000

Only a few months ago, Apple was crowned the first company to be valued at more than $1 trillion. Now, in the wake of a surprise profit warning, its entire future is being questioned. Both reactions are extreme. A victory lap wasn’t warranted last summer, nor is a eulogy now. The company is at an inflection point. Apple, like others before it, is attempting to navigate the shift. It’s fair to wonder if it can; it’s premature to conclude that it can’t.

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The Silver Lining in Apple’s Very Bad iPhone News

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 16:33:18 -0000

Apple Wednesday warned investors that its revenue for the last three months of 2018 would not live up to previous estimates, or even come particularly close. The main culprit appears to be China, where the trade war and a broader economic slowdown contributed to plummeting iPhone sales.

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The Best Tech Quotes of the Year

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 16:32:17 -0000

Most years, I round up the news of the year in technology through a collection of quotes, arranged roughly by some combination I make up of their importance and how much I like them. Here they are for 2018. 14. “He was that kind of guy. You know, an asshole. But a really gifted one. Our asshole, I guess.” —A coworker at Google about Anthony Levandowski, the controversial self-driving car engineer. Published October 22 13.

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California Could Soon Have Its Own Version of the Internet

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 07:10:30 -0000

The Chinese internet is not like the internet in the rest of the world. More than 150 of the world’s 1,000 most popular internet sites are blocked in China, including Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Instead, domestic platforms like Baidu, WeChat, and Sina Weibo thrive.

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2018 Was the Year That Tech Put Limits on AI

Thu, 27 Dec 2018 16:31:13 -0000

For the past several years, giant tech companies have rapidly ramped up investments in artificial intelligence and machine learning. They’ve competed intensely to hire more AI researchers and used that talent to rush out smarter virtual assistants and more powerful facial recognition. In 2018, some of those companies moved to put some guardrails around AI technology.

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2018 Was a Rough Year for Truth Online

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 16:31:50 -0000

Earlier this month, I was on the phone with Ryan Fox, cofounder of New Knowledge, a cybersecurity firm that tracks Russian-related influence operations online. The so-called Yellow Vest protests had spread across France, and we were talking about the role disinformation played in the galvanizing French hashtag for the protests, #giletsjaunes.

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Why 2018 Was a Breakout Year for Open Source Deals

Tue, 25 Dec 2018 16:31:13 -0000

At the beginning of 2018, it didn't seem like the open source movement could get any bigger. Android, the world's most popular mobile operating system; websites including Facebook and Wikipedia; and a growing number of gadgets have open source software under the hood---literally, in the case of cars.

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Why Are We So Surprised by Facebook’s Data Scandals?

Tue, 25 Dec 2018 07:10:49 -0000

Surveying the reactions to the latest revelation that Facebook played fast and loose with user data, it was hard not to harken back to what Scott McNally, the founding CEO of Sun Microsystems, told a group of reporters, including one from WIRED, in 1999: “You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it.

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The Year Tech Workers Realized They Were Workers

Mon, 24 Dec 2018 16:31:39 -0000

2018 was the year that Big Tech’s mission statements came back to haunt it. When employees felt that their products were damaging the world and that management wouldn't listen, they went public with their protests. At Google and Amazon, they challenged contracts to sell artificial intelligence and facial-recognition technology to the Pentagon and police. At Microsoft and Salesforce, workers argued against selling cloud computing services to agencies separating families at the border.

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Juul Accepts Altria Investment and Embraces Big Tobacco

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 16:30:57 -0000

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The 21 (and Counting) Biggest Facebook Scandals of 2018

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 07:10:33 -0000

Every January, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces a personal challenge he will undertake in the year ahead. In 2016, he committed to running 365 miles before the year was up. In 2017, he milked cows and rode tractors as part of his resolution to meet more people outside the Silicon Valley bubble. Last January, he took a different tack.

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The 'Future Book' Is Here, but It's Not What We Expected

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 16:31:31 -0000

The Future Book was meant to be interactive, moving, alive. Its pages were supposed to be lush with whirling doodads, responsive, hands-on. The old paperback Zork choose-your-own-adventures were just the start. The Future Book would change depending on where you were, how you were feeling. It would incorporate your very environment into its story—the name of the coffee shop you were sitting at, your best friend’s birthday. It would be sly, maybe a little creepy. Definitely programmable.

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Amazon Came to the Bargaining Table—But Workers Want More

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 07:10:28 -0000

Labor organizing is gaining renewed momentum among some Amazon employees in the United States. The retail giant—run by the richest man in the world—is now one of the largest employers in the country, with more than 125,000 full-time hourly associates working in its fulfillment and sortation centers alone.

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How Amazon, Apple, and Google Played the Tax-Break Game

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 16:32:37 -0000

It took about 30 minutes for Williamson County commissioners to unanimously approve a roughly $16 million incentive package for Apple Tuesday morning, bringing the total amount the tech giant is likely to receive in exchange for choosing Austin as the site for its newest campus to a cool $41 million. The new addition is set to be Apple’s second campus in the Austin, Texas area—located less than a mile from the company’s existing facility, established five years ago.

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The Co-Opting of French Unrest to Spread Disinformation

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 07:11:03 -0000

Anti-government protests have raged across France for four weeks now, effectively shutting down the nation’s capital at times as rioters sporting yellow vests (gilets jaunes) wage massive public demonstrations, loot stores, and clash with police. The gilets jaunes protest began in response to a planned gas tax hike, but it soon devolved into a more amorphous outpouring of rage.

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Undersea Servers Stay Cool While Processing Oceans of Data

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 16:33:27 -0000

Most electronics suffer a debilitating aquaphobia. At the littlest spillage—heaven forbid Dorothy’s bucket—of water, our wicked widgets shriek and melt. Microsoft, it would seem, missed the memo. Last June, the company installed a smallish data center on a patch of seabed just off the coast of Scotland’s Orkney Islands; around it, approximately 933,333 bucketfuls of brine circulate every hour.

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I Sold My Data for Crypto. Here's How Much I Made

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 12:08:26 -0000

On a recent Tuesday night, during a session of rash bedtime scrolling, I sold my Facebook data to a stranger in Buenos Aires. Reckless, maybe, but such was my newfound life as a digital vigilante. My tipping point was the Facebook hack, exposed in September, in which I—along with some 90 million other potential victims—was temporarily locked out of my account. I imagined my identity rippling across the internet, thanks to the single sign-in convenience of Facebook Connect.

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Yes, Big Platforms Could Change Their Business Models

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 16:31:36 -0000

In 2006, Jeffrey Hammerbacher, then a recent Harvard graduate in math, became an early employee at a budding company founded by another Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg. After building Facebook’s data team, Hammerbacher left the company in 2008.

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The Sundar Pichai Hearing Was a Major Missed Opportunity

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 07:10:37 -0000

On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee had the opportunity to question one of the most powerful people on the planet---Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, the company that filters all the world's information. And they blew it. Over the course of three and a half hours, the members of the committee staked out opposite sides of a partisan battle over whether Google search and other products are biased against conservatives.

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A Year Without Net Neutrality: No Big Changes (Yet)

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:32:00 -0000

It's been one year since the Federal Communications Commission voted to gut its net neutrality rules. The good news is that the internet isn't drastically different than it was before. But that's also the bad news: the 'net wasn't always so neutral to begin with. As we predicted last year, broadband providers didn't make any drastic new moves to block or cripple the delivery of content after the FCC's order revoking its Obama-era net neutrality protections took effect in June.

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The WIRED Guide to 5G

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 07:10:37 -0000

The future depends on connectivity. From artificial intelligence and self-driving cars to telemedicine and mixed reality to as yet undreamt technologies, all the things we hope will make our lives easier, safer, and healthier will require high-speed, always-on internet connections. GLOSSARY The Spectrum All radio wave frequencies, from the lowest frequencies (3 kHz) to the highest (300 GHz).

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Startup Founders Think Real Progress on Diversity Is Years Away

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 16:31:05 -0000

Tech has a diversity problem. This isn’t new. Women and minorities have long been woefully underrepresented in startup land, a problem that founders have insisted they are trying their best to fix. However, a new survey conducted by venture firm First Round Capital suggests that many startup founders may have given up hope of achieving diversity in tech, with most doubting that gender or racial parity will be achieved anytime soon.

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Facebook's Dirty Tricks Are Nothing New for Tech

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 07:10:57 -0000

In 1999, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison suspected that Microsoft was secretly funding the seemingly independent advocacy groups that were loudly defending Microsoft amid a heated antitrust investigation. Seeking proof, Oracle’s law firm hired Terry Lenzner, a private investigator from Washington, DC, who had dug up dirt on Bill Clinton’s female accusers.

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Leaked Audio Reveals Google’s Efforts to Woo Conservatives

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 16:49:44 -0000

In February, The New York Times Magazine published a cover story urging regulators to break up Google because the company abuses its dominance in search to crush promising competitors. The next day, representatives from two conservative think tanks published blog posts defending Google and attacking the article’s call for antitrust enforcement. Both think tanks have received funding from Google. Both blog posts referenced studies by a professor who has received funding from Google.

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Microsoft Wants to Stop AI's 'Race to the Bottom'

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 07:10:40 -0000

After a hellish year of tech scandals, even government-averse executives have started professing their openness to legislation. But Microsoft president Brad Smith took it one step further on Thursday, asking governments to regulate the use of facial-recognition technology to ensure it does not invade personal privacy or become a tool for discrimination or surveillance.

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5 Questions Congress Should Ask Google's Sundar Pichai

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 16:33:14 -0000

Before they hand control of the House of Representatives over to Democrats, House Republicans are mounting one more effort to hold Silicon Valley giants accountable for what they say is rampant liberal bias at tech companies. In the hot seat this time: Google CEO Sundar Pichai. On Tuesday, Pichai will testify before the House Judiciary Committee in a hearing focused on transparency, data collection, and filtering.

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Canada Welcomes AI, But Not All AI Researchers

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 07:10:29 -0000

In Montreal Thursday, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau boasted about his country’s leading position in artificial intelligence and openness to international collaboration. A few miles away, the world’s largest AI conference proceeded without scores of researchers denied visas by Trudeau’s government. All week, Montreal has played host to 8,000 people attending the conference, NeurIPS, which ends Saturday.

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50 Years Later, We Still Don't Grasp the Mother of All Demos

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 16:32:39 -0000

Doug Engelbart was the first to actually build a computer that might seem familiar to us, today. He came to Silicon Valley after a stint in the Navy as a radar technician during World War II. Engelbart was, in his own estimation, a “naïve drifter,” but something about the Valley inspired him to think big. Engelbart’s idea was that computers of the future should be optimized for human needs—communication and collaboration.

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A Huawei Exec’s Arrest Complicates the US-China Trade Dispute

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 07:10:32 -0000

On Saturday, President Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Buenos Aires to discuss a trade deal. On the same day, Canadian authorities arrested the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. The arrest comes at a delicate moment in the trade talks, in which the countries are slapping tariffs on each others’ products. Trump and Xi reportedly agreed on a 60-day truce before extending the tariffs to more goods.

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Canada, France Plan Global Panel to Study the Effects of AI

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 16:31:14 -0000

In 1988, the US and other nations formed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to study and respond to consequences of greenhouse gas emissions. In Montreal Thursday, the governments of France and Canada said they will establish a similar group to study and respond to the global changes being wrought by artificial intelligence technology. They say the panel is needed to rein in unethical uses of AI, and minimize the risk of economic disruption such as job losses caused by automation.

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Tumblr's Porn-Detecting AI Has One Job—and It's Bad at It

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 07:11:13 -0000

What do a patent application drawing for troll socks, a cartoon scorpion wearing a hard hat, and a comic about cat parkour have in common? They were all reportedly flagged by Tumblr this week after the microblogging platform announced that it would no longer allow “adult content.

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This Company Wants to Use the Blockchain to Stop Phishing

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 16:33:05 -0000

Phishing just won’t go away. Nearly three-quarters of organizations polled by security company Proofpoint saw phishing attacks last year. Sometimes attackers are able to fool even security-savvy users. A company called MetaCert is trying to fight phishing emails with an extraordinarily simple method. The company has spent seven years compiling a database of web addresses known to be used by phishers, and the company and its users are constantly reporting more.

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UK's Facebook Document Dump Suggests It Sacrificed User Privacy for Growth

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 07:11:11 -0000

In an unprecedented move Wednesday, British lawmakers published hundreds of pages of internal Facebook emails and other documents that had previously been ordered sealed as part of an ongoing legal case between Facebook and a now defunct app developer called Six4Three. The documents, which date back to 2012, provide a rare window into Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's thoughts on how to expand his social media juggernaut as users made the transition from desktop to mobile phones.

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Tumblr's Porn Ban Reveals Who Controls What We See Online

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 07:11:37 -0000

Tumblr was never explicitly a space for porn, but, like most things on the internet, it is chock full of it anyway. Or at least it was. On Monday, to the shock of the millions of users who had used the microblogging site to consume and share porn GIFs, images, and videos, Tumblr banned the “adult content” that its CEO David Karp had defended five years prior.

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Study Revives Debate About Google's Role in Filter Bubbles

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 16:30:58 -0000

Google says a very small percentage of its search results are personalized, a claim that has helped insulate the company from scrutiny over filter bubbles, especially compared with Facebook and YouTube, a Google subsidiary. But a new study from DuckDuckGo, a Google rival, found that users saw very different results when searching for terms such as “gun control,” “immigration,” and “vaccinations,” even after controlling for time and location.

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How Google Keeps Its Power-Hungry Operations Carbon-Neutral

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 07:10:22 -0000

Kate Brandt has a radical idea for how we’ll have to live in the future, if we’re going to be in balance with nature. She envisions a world without landfills, where ownership is obsolete, and everything down to the socks on our feet is rented and shared. Brandt is Google's sustainability officer. And she’s obsessed with one idea: the “circular economy,” which aims to eliminate waste.

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What the Stock Selloff Tells Us About the Future of Tech

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 16:31:12 -0000

The past three months have not been kind to large public technology companies. Amid crescendos of criticism about monopolistic power, these companies saw their market value plummet. The rampant selling has leveled off, at least for the moment, so it’s an opportune time to ask: What comes next? WIRED Opinion About Zachary Karabell is a WIRED contributor and president of River Twice Research. This was hardly the first drop in these firms’ share prices, and it won't be the last.

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A Quiet War Rages Over Who Can Make Money Online

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Over the past year, two popular forums for men who identify as involuntary celibates, or incels, have been banned by Reddit and a domain registrar in response to members’ history of toxic misogyny and celebrating violence against women. Now, some of these men are trying to turn the tables. Members of the incel community—including the official Twitter account for incels.

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Amazon Wants You to Code the AI Brain for This Little Car

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 07:11:02 -0000

Two years ago, Alphabet researchers made computing history when their artificial intelligence software AlphaGo defeated a world champion at the complex board game Go. Amazon now hopes to democratize the AI technique behind that milestone—with a pint-size self-driving car. The 1/18th-scale vehicle is called DeepRacer, and it can be preordered for $249; it will later cost $399.

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Another Net Neutrality Day of Action Draws Fewer Big Names

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 16:32:15 -0000

Time is running out for Congress to restore net neutrality protections this year. The Federal Communications Commission last year voted to jettison Obama-era rules prohibiting broadband internet providers from blocking or otherwise discriminating against lawful internet content. Earlier this year, the Senate passed legislation to restore those protections. But the Senate used an unusual legislative maneuver that requires the House of Representatives to pass the same bill by Dec. 10.

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Everything You Need to Know About Facebook’s UK Drama

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:11:14 -0000

A British lawmaker suggested that Facebook was made aware of suspicious Russian behavior on its platform as early as 2014 during a hearing on fake news and disinformation that took place in London on Tuesday. The MP, Damian Collins, was drawing on a cache of internal Facebook documents that he seized last week, and which the social networking giant has fought for months to keep sealed.

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An Obscure Concealed Carry Group Spent Millions on Facebook Political Ads

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 16:31:02 -0000

Among the biggest spenders on Facebook political ads during the midterms are some names you’d probably expect. There’s Beto O’Rourke, who lost to Ted Cruz in Texas’s recent Senate race. There’s President Trump—both his campaign and his Super PAC. There are billionaires like JB Pritzker, incoming governor of Illinois, and Tom Steyer, the environmentalist leading the campaign to impeach Trump.

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Instagram’s Crackdown on Fake Followers Just Might Work

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 07:11:06 -0000

Instagram Monday said it would again crack down on users who pursue “inauthentic activity” to boost an account’s popularity. Within hours, BlackHatWorld, a forum popular with self-proclaimed “black hat” social media marketers, was in crisis. In a section of the forum usually reserved for sharing the best deals on obtaining fake Instagram followers, concerned users started at least 13 threads to discuss the policy change.

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Tech’s New Harassment Policies Are Too Late for Some Women

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 16:31:32 -0000

In recent weeks, at least five big tech companies have revised their policies for handling sexual-harassment complaints, saying they will no longer force employees to submit those claims to arbitration, a process that tends to favor employers. But many of the new policies come with hitches: They may apply only to claims of harassment and assault, and not claims of discrimination, retribution, and hostile work environment that often accompany harassment.

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Why Bitcoin Is Plunging (This Time)

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 07:10:51 -0000

The price of bitcoin dropped another 10 percent Tuesday, extending a decline that has sent the virtual currency down 33 percent in the past month and 46 percent in the past year. Boom and bust cycles are par for the course for bitcoin. So far this year, there have been only three days where the S&P 500-stock index dropped more than 3 percent, with the worst being a 4 percent drop in February, says Duke University finance professor Campbell R. Harvey.

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Rural Americans Are Rebooting the Spirit of the Internet

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 16:31:02 -0000

Back in the early 1930s, farmers couldn’t get wired. The big-city electric utilities claimed that delivering power to customers spread out in rural areas wasn’t profitable. So eventually the locals rolled up their sleeves and did it themselves. They formed electric co-ops and strung their own damn wires, aided by cheap federal loans. Today there are nearly 900 rural co-ops still providing their communities with electricity.

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We Made Our Own Artificial Intelligence Art, and So Can You

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 07:10:29 -0000

On the 3:13 pm train out of San Jose on a recent Friday, I hunched over a Macbook, brow furrowed. Hundreds of miles north in a Google datacenter in Oregon, a virtual computer sprang to life. I was soon looking at the yawning blackness of a Linux command line—my new AI art studio. Some hours of Googling, mistyped commands, and muttered curses later, I was cranking out eerie portraits.

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How a Teenager's Code Spawned a $432,500 Piece of Art

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 16:31:36 -0000

One Thursday last month, 19-year-old Robbie Barrat woke to a fusillade of messages on his phone. “I was half asleep but saw they all contained the same number,” he says. “Then I fell back asleep for a few hours. I didn’t really want to believe.

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The Promise of (Practically) ‘Serverless Computing’

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 07:10:27 -0000

The definition of cloud computing may be nebulous, but its promise is clear. Instead of filling a warehouse with servers and paying people to manage them, a company can pay a cloud computing provider to provide computing resources on demand and pay only for what it actually uses. This prospect lured organizations ranging from startups to massive corporations to stodgy government agencies onto cloud offerings from Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and others.

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'He Who Must Not Be Named': What Alex Jones and Voldemort Have in Common

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 16:41:04 -0000

When Alex Jones crashed the congressional hearings looking into big tech platforms back in September, Lord Voldemort kept coming to my mind. Even if you haven’t read the Harry Potter books, you probably know that almost no one in the wizarding world will speak this archvillain’s name aloud; he is referred to only as “he who must not be named” or “you know who.

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What Diane Greene's Departure Means for Google Cloud

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 07:10:32 -0000

Google parent Alphabet generated 86 percent of its revenue from advertising last year. On Friday the woman leading its best shot at building a second big revenue stream said she is moving on. Diane Greene, a storied cloud computing entrepreneur and executive, has been leading Google’s cloud computing division since early 2016.

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6 Questions After The New York Times' Facebook Bombshell

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 07:10:30 -0000

On Wednesday afternoon, The New York Times published a blockbuster—five byline, 50 source, 5,000 word—report on the failures of Facebook’s management team during the past three years. It begins with Sheryl Sandberg yelling at one of her employees; it ends with her hand-written stage directions, captured by a Times photographer, as she sat before the Senate: “Slow, Pause, Determined.

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Why Amazon’s Search for a Second Headquarters Backfired

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 16:31:08 -0000

Amazon announced Tuesday that the 14-month public bidding war for its so-called second headquarters was coming to an end. After reviewing 238 proposals from cities across North America, the company says it will build two large regional offices in Queens, New York and Arlington, Virginia as well as a smaller campus in Nashville, Tennessee. The search was largely a success for CEO Jeff Bezos, who can use valuable data from the losing cities to inform Amazon’s business and future expansion.

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Facing UK Regulation, Big Tech Sends a Lobbyist to London

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 16:31:13 -0000

The tech industry already spends tens of millions of dollars every year lobbying in Washington for federal regulations that will benefit their businesses---or, better yet, for no regulations at all. But while lawmakers on Capitol Hill have spent the last two years handwaving and making empty threats against Big Tech, regulators in the UK have been getting to work, strengthening their data privacy laws and taking steps toward more restrictions around content online.

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Amazon’s HQ2 Hunger Games Are Over, and Jeff Bezos Won

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 07:11:18 -0000

After a 14-month search, Amazon announced Tuesday that it will open a pair of regional offices in two major metropolitan areas where it already has a presence: the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, New York, and Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington D.C. The decision comes after over 230 cities submitted bids to be home of the Seattle-based company’s highly-anticipated second headquarters, which originally promised to employ 50,000 white collar workers.

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If You Drive in Los Angeles, the Cops Can Track Your Every Move

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:31:20 -0000

It was a particularly chilly cold case. At 1 am on November 18, 2010, officers from the Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of gunfire in a leafy cul-de-sac near Universal Studios. They found Jong Kim lying in front of his home and shot at least five times. Kim, a 50-year-old liquor store owner, later died in a hospital without regaining consciousness.

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The Midterm Election Didn't Salvage Net Neutrality

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 16:31:14 -0000

Tuesday's midterms don't shed much light on the future of net neutrality. But advocates do see rays of hope shining through the fog of uncertainty. Democrats, who generally favor rules barring internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon from blocking or otherwise discriminating against content, took control of the House. And even after losing ground in the Senate, the party is tantalizingly close to having enough support from Senate Republicans to pass new net neutrality protections.

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How Right-Wing Social Media Site Gab Got Back Online

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 07:10:35 -0000

After it was revealed that the suspect in the shootings at a Pittsburgh synagogue had threatened on the social media network Gab to kill Jews, multiple technology providers dropped Gab, including domain registrar GoDaddy, web hosting provider Joyent, and payment processors PayPal and Stripe. The moves knocked Gab offline for nearly a week, during which the company painted itself as a martyr for free speech and milked the media for attention. On Sunday, however, Gab returned to the web.

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New Google Harassment Policy Falls Short of Worker Demands

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 16:31:08 -0000

Google announced changes to how it will handle claims of sexual harassment among employees, including making arbitration optional for individual harassment and sexual assault claims. While additional transparency and protection for workers is a sign of progress, the change is incremental rather than transformative, because Google’s arbitration provision still prohibits collective action.

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The Tech Backlash Just Hit San Francisco. Where Next?

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 07:10:45 -0000

There is perhaps no greater example of Silicon Valley’s soft power than watching a debate around a grassroots proposal to fight homelessness transform into a Twitter war between tech billionaires and their preferred form of taxation.

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Good News: Midterm Voters Drew the Line on Gerrymandering

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 16:32:32 -0000

Both Republicans and Democrats woke up Wednesday morning claiming victory in Tuesday's midterms. Democrats patted themselves on the back for taking back the House of Representatives and flipping seven governorships from red to blue. And in a press conference, President Donald Trump praised his party, and himself, for gaining ground in the Senate. Americans remain sharply divided at the ballot box, from which political party they support to initiatives on issues like climate change.

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After 10 Years, Bitcoin Has Changed Everything—and Nothing

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 07:10:31 -0000

Ten years ago today, someone using the name Satoshi Nakamoto sent an academic paper to a cryptography mailing list proposing a form of digital cash called "Bitcoin." The pseudonymous Nakamoto, whose true identity remains unknown, described an idea for "mining" a limited amount of this virtual currency through a peer-to-peer scheme that wouldn't depend on a bank, government, or any other central authority.

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Georgia Voting Machine Issues Heighten Scrutiny on Brian Kemp

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 16:32:31 -0000

If former state representative Stacey Abrams wins the race for governor of Georgia, she would be the US’s first black woman governor. She’s running in a tightly contested race against sitting secretary of state Brian Kemp, who in his official capacity as overseer of Georgia’s voter rolls has fought hard the past few months to remove people from the active voter lists who might be inclined to vote for Abrams.

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To Keep Pace With Moore's Law, Chipmakers Turn to 'Chiplets'

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 07:10:51 -0000

In 2016, the chip industry’s clock ran out. For 50 years, the number of transistors that could be squeezed onto a piece of silicon had increased on a predictable schedule known as Moore’s law. The doctrine drove the digital evolution from minicomputers to PCs to smartphones and the cloud by cramming more transistors onto each generation of microchip, making them more powerful.

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Democrats Uber-ized Activism. Can It Win Them the Midterms?

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 16:31:22 -0000

One upshot for Democrats after their devastating loss on election night 2016 was the birth of The Resistance. The last two years have seen millions of newly born activists with pun-covered signs take to the streets for the Women's March. Thousands of demonstrators have descended on town hall meetings to make their voices heard. Hundreds of women have been inspired to run for office. But the election didn't just activate progressive protesters and candidates.

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Can a Facebook Ad Really Sway Your Vote? MoveOn Thinks So

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 07:10:26 -0000

If you are one of the 20 million potential voters that MoveOn, a progressive advocacy group, believes could help swing the midterm elections in Democrats' favor, then chances are, over the next few days, you will see a MoveOn–sponsored ad in your Facebook news feed. It'll be a video of a real voter---not an actor or a politician---explaining why he or she is voting for a given candidate.

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Apple Abandons the Mass Market, as the iPhone Turns Luxury

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 16:32:38 -0000

Big companies attract big attention, and none quite as much as Apple. Its quarterly reports have become something of a collective soothsaying moment for stock markets and the tech industry, and so Thursday’s report garnered its usual share of outsized attention. WIRED Opinion About Zachary Karabell is a WIRED contributor and president of River Twice Research.

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Mail Bomb Suspect Cesar Sayoc Used Twitter to Threaten Targets

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 07:10:32 -0000

On Friday, Cesar Sayoc was arrested in connection with the 14 pipe bombs sent to top Democrats, other critics of President Trump, and CNN earlier this week. The 56-year-old Sayoc appears to have been active on social media. A Twitter account prosecutors linked to him praised Trump, threatened top Democrats with death, and shared convoluted ultra-right-wing conspiracies about many of the people to whom he is suspected of sending homemade bombs.

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HBO Goes Dark on Dish. Monopolist Move, or Publicity Stunt?

Fri, 02 Nov 2018 16:31:32 -0000

When AT&T announced plans to acquire HBO's parent company Time Warner, competitors, consumer groups, and the Department of Justice argued that the combined company would harm competition. Now those critics say their concerns are being validated. HBO and Cinemax went dark on pay television provider Dish's satellite and video streaming customers after Dish and HBO failed to reach a deal to replace a contract that expired at midnight on Wednesday night.

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IBM’s Call to Code Prize Goes to a Team With ‘Clusterducks’

Fri, 02 Nov 2018 07:10:29 -0000

You know when you try to go online at a Starbucks or on an airplane, first you get a little popup that asks you to accept some terms before you can get to the internet? That popup window exists in a sort of netherworld between actual internet connection and being offline--you pick it up via Wi-Fi, but until you click a box, you’re not actually online. A team of five developers realized in that gray area was potentially a huge opportunity to save lives.

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Will 'Deepfakes' Disrupt the Midterm Election?

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 16:31:07 -0000

Plenty of people are following the final days of the midterm election campaigns. Yale law researcher Rebecca Crootof has a special interest—a small wager. If she wins, victory will be bitter sweet, like the Manhattan cocktail that will be her prize.

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Facebook Sketches a Future With a Diminished News Feed

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 07:10:28 -0000

For most of the past year, Mark Zuckerberg has been trying to convince the world that Facebook was fast becoming a very different company—one that accepted its enormous role shaping public opinion worldwide and would spend what it took to exercise its power responsibly. Many still have trouble believing him, and it's easy to understand why.

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San Francisco Tech Billionaires Go to War over Homelessness

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 16:30:56 -0000

Proposition C, a bill to fight homelessness with a new business tax, slid into San Francisco’s DMs in the middle of the night, politically speaking. What happened was, in December of last year, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee died unexpectedly. Over the next seven months, the city lived through two mayors and a nail-biting election that dragged on for a week after voting.

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Here’s How Much Bots Drive Conversation During News Events

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 07:10:40 -0000

Last week, as thousands of Central American migrants made their way northward through Mexico, walking a treacherous route toward the US border, talk of "the caravan," as it's become known, took over Twitter. Conservatives, led by President Donald Trump, dominated the conversation, eager to turn the caravan into a voting issue before the midterms. As it turns out, they had some help---from propaganda bots on Twitter. Late last week, about 60 percent of the conversation was driven by likely bots.

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IBM Buying Open Source Specialist Red Hat for $34 Billion

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 16:31:00 -0000

IBM just spent $34 billion to buy a software company that gives away its primary product for free. IBM Sunday said it would acquire Red Hat, best known for its Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system. Red Hat is an open source software company that gives away the source code for its core products. That means anyone can download them for free. And many do. Oracle even uses Red Hat’s source code for its own Oracle Linux product.

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Goodbye Gab, a Haven for the Far Right

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 07:10:50 -0000

At its birth, the social network Gab issued a call for free speech. “We promote raw, rational, open, and authentic discourse online," said Andrew Torba, the CEO and founder, in an early interview with WIRED. And now, as it fights for its life, it’s doing the same. The site has been knocked offline after the Squirrel Hill massacre.

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Tech’s Ethical Crisis Over Venture Capital Goes Beyond Saudi Arabia

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 16:31:09 -0000

The brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Saudi Arabia's Istanbul consulate this month, which Turkish officials say was carried out by Saudi agents, has sparked a reckoning in Silicon Valley. The kingdom has poured billions of dollars into the tech industry, and a number of prominent startups, including darlings like Uber, WeWork, and Slack, may now need to grapple with the consequences of enriching a brutal regime.

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An Alternative History of Silicon Valley Disruption

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 07:10:52 -0000

A few years after the Great Recession, you couldn’t scroll through Google Reader without seeing the word “disrupt.” TechCrunch named a conference after it, the New York Times named a column after it, investor Marc Andreessen warned that “software disruption” would eat the world; not long after, Peter Thiel, his fellow Facebook board member, called “disrupt” one of his favorite words.

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AI Researchers Fight Over Four Letters: NIPS

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 16:32:13 -0000

The future of humanity will be shaped by artificial intelligence. Now some of the best brains working on the technology are riven by a debate about a four-letter acronym that some say contributes to the field's well-documented diversity problems. NIPS is the name of AI’s most prominent conference, a venue for machine learning research formally known as the Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems.

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Twitter's Dated Data Dump Doesn’t Tell Us About Future Meddling

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 07:10:31 -0000

Twitter dropped an almost unfathomably large archive of tweets connected to two alleged influence campaigns on Wednesday. The trove included over 9 million tweets associated with 3,841 accounts connected to Russia’s notorious Internet Research Agency, or IRA, as well as more than a million tweets attributed to a network of 770 Iranian propaganda-pushing accounts. Twitter has never before released an archive of this size.

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The Top Political Advertiser on Facebook Is...Facebook

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 16:31:10 -0000

On Tuesday, Facebook released a new tool that shows who's spending the most money on political ads on the platform in the US. At a glance, the Ad Archive Report suggests that Texas senate candidate Beto O'Rourke is the biggest spender, having plowed more than $5 million into Facebook ads since May. But the fine print reveals a more surprising finding: The advertiser spending the most on political and issue ads on Facebook is, well, Facebook.

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How Facebook's Messenger Got Its New Look in a New Jersey Basement

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 07:10:49 -0000

Only six social media apps in the world have a billion or more users, and four of them belong to Facebook. Tops is the eponymous flagship app, known as “Big Blue,” followed by three apps all focused on messaging: Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. So when Facebook decided to do a significant redesign of the latter—currently used by 1.

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This Company Wants to Make the Internet Load Faster

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 16:32:32 -0000

The internet went down on February 28, 2017. Or at least that's how it seemed to some users as sites and apps like Slack and Medium went offline or malfunctioned for four hours. What actually happened is that Amazon's enormously popular S3 cloud storage service experienced an outage, affecting everything that depended on it. It was a reminder of the risks when too much of the internet relies on a single service.

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The Risks and Rewards of Tech's Guerrilla Franchising

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 07:11:09 -0000

Call It Franchising 2.0. The tech industry is setting its sights on the little guy, looking to turn ambitious go-getters into small-business owners. Tech companies provide the tools and support; you supply services. Bedeviled by last-mile delivery costs, Amazon began enabling entrepreneurs to launch their own package-delivery hubs this summer. Starting at a relatively modest $10,000, “delivery service partners” can lease fleets of 20 to 40 Amazon-branded vans.

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The Permanent State of Beta Is Ruining Consumerism

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 16:31:04 -0000

Every single gosh-darn good-for-nothing day, some piece of “frictionless” “seamless” “user-friendly” technology craps out on me. Touch ID fails—cool. Bluetooth can’t connect—awesome. If I’m on the road, Google Maps freezes at the most crucial turn. If I’m watching TV: “Sorry, we could not reach the Netflix service.

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Neha Narula and Alexis Ohanian Say It's Early Days Yet For Cryptocurrency

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 07:10:22 -0000

Some people call bitcoin "the internet of money," suggesting the digital currency and related technologies could do for the financial system what the internet did to information distribution over the past few decades. But skeptics are still waiting for a "killer app," while bitcoin prices have never returned to their late 2017 peak when trading hit more than $20,000 per bitcoin.

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What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Paul Allen's Second Act

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 16:31:07 -0000

When the Jeff Bezoses and Jack Dorseys of the world leap from the bow of the ships they’re sailing forth, what will happen to them? Where will they go? When Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft who died this week at age 65, left the business he started, he traveled the world. He collected paintings and learned to scuba dive. Scuba diving, he said at the time, “takes me away from myself.” Allen had it right.

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Google Wants China. Will Chinese Users Want Google?

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 07:10:49 -0000

Google CEO Sundar Pichai was upbeat Monday when he told WIRED about internal tests of a censored search engine designed to win approval from Chinese officials. It will take more than a government nod for Google to succeed, however. That’s not only because of the political tensions raised by President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods, which analysts say make Google’s expansion unlikely.

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Anand Giridharadas on Saudi Money and Silicon Valley Hypocrisy

Fri, 19 Oct 2018 16:31:20 -0000

Silicon Valley’s deep financial ties to Saudi Arabia illustrate “the hypocrisy behind the ‘change the world’ fantasy” pushed by tech companies, said journalist Anand Giridharadas. Saudi backing for popular apps like Uber, Slack, and Wag offers proof that “the most idealistic companies on earth---in rhetoric---are very happy to take the dirtiest money on earth to grow and grow and grow,” he said.

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Reid Hoffman and Joi Ito on Moving Fast But Not Breaking Things

Fri, 19 Oct 2018 07:11:06 -0000

It’s no longer enough to build lean companies quickly. The companies of the near future will need to be both fast and massive. And if it takes years to grow from a small startup to a major player in Silicon Valley, well. That’s just too slow. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman says Silicon Valley now demands that companies double their size after three months, then six months, then a year.

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Inside Facebook's Plan to Safeguard the 2018 Election

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 16:31:05 -0000

Deep in the bowels of Facebook's serpentine campus in Menlo Park, California is a room about 25-feet-square that may have a lot to do with how the world thinks about the company in the coming months. It looks like a Wall Street trading floor, with screens on every wall and every desk. And 20 hours a day---soon to be 24 hours a day---it's jammed with about two dozen geeks, spooks, hackers, and lawyers trying to spot and quash the next bad thing to happen on the company's networks.

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You Can Now Run Some Code Hosted on GitHub

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 07:11:30 -0000

Since launching in 2008, GitHub has become by far the largest place on the internet for hosting and collaborating on software code. The company, which is in the process of being acquired by Microsoft, now hosts more than 85 million projects, and boasts 31 million monthly users. But while you've been able to store your code on GitHub, you couldn't actually run it. For that you needed a web server or a cloud service.

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Researchers Call for More Humanity in Artificial Intelligence

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 16:31:29 -0000

Artificial intelligence researcher Fei-Fei Li has spent her career trying to make software smart—with some success. Lately she’s begun to ask herself a new question: How can we make smart software aligned with human values? “As much as AI is showing its power, it’s a nascent technology,” Li said at the WIRED25 Summit in San Francisco Monday. “What’s really important is putting humanity at the center.

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Paul Allen Thought Like a Hacker and Never Stopped Dreaming

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 07:11:55 -0000

Iconic tech-company founders often come in pairs: Bill Hewlett and David Packard. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Sergey Brin and Larry Page. The world lost half of one such duo Monday when Paul Allen, who cofounded Microsoft with his childhood friend Bill Gates, died from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was 65. For the last three decades of his life, Allen was best known as a philanthropist and prolific entrepreneur.

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Amazon's Jeff Bezos Says Tech Companies Should Work With the Pentagon

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 16:31:08 -0000

“If big tech companies are going to turn their back on US Department of Defense, this country is going to be in trouble,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said Monday, defending government contracts amid a wave of employee protests. Bezos spoke at the WIRED25 summit, where Steven Levy, WIRED editor at large, asked his view of companies using the most advanced technology to aid the DOD. “We are going to continue to support the DOD and I think we should,” Bezos replied.

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What's Next for Instagram's Kevin Systrom? Flying Lessons

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 07:10:29 -0000

Kevin Systrom doesn’t know what’s next, but he’s starting by learning to fly. Three weeks after he and his Instagram cofounder Mike Krieger abruptly left the Facebook-owned company—and three days since his first solo flight—Systrom says he’s taking time to think about what problem he wants to attack next.

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Glen Weyl on Technology and Social Innovation

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 16:31:07 -0000

Social movements have spurred major transformations in society, from the end of slavery to universal suffrage, the rise of labor unions, and universal education. Yet somehow after decades of economic stability, we began to rely on technological rather than social tools to remake the world, says Glen Weyl, a principal researcher for Microsoft. While technology flourished, we “did not allow our social wisdom and social infrastructure to balance that out,” says Weyl.

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Help WIRED Track How Political Ads Target You on Facebook

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 07:11:17 -0000

With a user base of more than 2 billion people who can be chopped and sorted by almost any conceivable data point—men ages 21 to 45 living in the United States who are parents to preteens and like Fortnite; women with a bachelor’s degree who are away from family and whose friends are recently engaged—Facebook advertising is an incredibly powerful tool.

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Microsoft Calls a Truce in the Linux Patent Wars

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 16:31:01 -0000

Microsoft wants to make peace with Linux, saying this week that it will allow more than 2,600 other companies, including longtime rivals like Google and IBM, to use the technology behind 60,000 Microsoft patents for their own Linux-related open source projects. That could be good news for makers of "internet of Things" devices.

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What Does a Fair Algorithm Actually Look Like?

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 07:10:39 -0000

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IBM Joins Fight Over Pentagon Cloud Contract Favoring Amazon

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 16:31:13 -0000

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Google Duplex, the Human-Sounding Phone Bot, Comes to the Pixel

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:32:36 -0000

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Can the FCC Really Block California's Net Neutrality Law?

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 07:10:28 -0000

Within hours of California governor Jerry Brown signing a sweeping net neutrality bill into law, the US Department of Justice sued the state, sparking the latest battle in the long legal war over the ground rules for the internet. Groups representing broadband providers followed suit on Wednesday, with their own lawsuit arguing that California's law was illegal.

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After Troubles in Myanmar, Facebook Charges Ahead in Africa

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 16:31:14 -0000

Over the past year, Facebook has faced a reckoning over the way its plan to connect the next billion users to the internet has sown division, including spreading hate speech that incited ethnic violence in Myanmar and disseminating propaganda for a violent dictator in the Philippines.

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Some Amazon Workers Fear They’ll Earn Less Even With a $15 Minimum Wage

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 07:10:29 -0000

When Amazon announced Tuesday that it was raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour for all employees, even vocal critics of its labor practices like Senator Bernie Sanders praised the company. The retail giant’s decision will undoubtedly put more money into the hands of its workers—especially the some 100,000 temporary US employees Amazon plans to hire in the coming months for the holiday season.

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BitTorrent's Creator Wants to Build a Better Bitcoin

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 16:31:04 -0000

In 2001, a 25-year-old unemployed college dropout named Bram Cohen crafted an elegant protocol for moving data around the internet. Titanic numbers of pirated songs and movies, and countless lawsuits, later, he’s putting the finishing touches on what he hopes will be another world-changing protocol—this time for moving around money.

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Why Amazon Really Raised Its Minimum Wage to $15

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 07:10:26 -0000

After months of increased public criticism about its grueling labor practices, Amazon announced Tuesday that it would begin paying all US employees, including part-time, seasonal, and temporary workers, at least $15 an hour and all UK employees at least £9.50 (with higher wages in London) beginning November 1. The move will affect 250,000 Amazon employees and 100,000 seasonal workers, according to the company.

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These Tech Companies Will Need More Women on Their Boards

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 16:31:02 -0000

Several major tech companies---including Apple, Google parent Alphabet, and Facebook---will likely have to add women to their boards of directors by mid-2021 under a pioneering new California law aimed at bringing more women into corporate boardrooms. California governor Jerry Brown signed the measure, known as SB 826, into law on Sunday.

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California Governor Signs Nation's Toughest Net Neutrality Law

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 07:11:14 -0000

The nation’s largest state just adopted sweeping net neutrality protections, setting up a potential legal showdown with the Federal Communications Commission over the future of the internet. California Governor Jerry Brown Sunday signed a bill banning broadband providers such as AT&T and Comcast from blocking, throttling, or otherwise discriminating against lawful content passing through their networks.

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The Case Against Elon Musk Will Chill Innovation

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 16:31:04 -0000

Elon Musk has long established himself as a both a visionary CEO and a lightning rod for attention, good and bad. The bad reared its head dramatically this week as the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Musk with securities fraud for misleading investors with August tweets about taking Tesla private.

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Digital IDs Are More Dangerous Than You Think

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 07:11:03 -0000

There are significant, real-world benefits to having an accepted and recognized identity. That’s why the concept of a digital identity is being pursued around the world, from Australia to India. From airports to health records systems, technologists and policy makers with good intentions are digitizing our identities, making modern life more efficient and streamlined.

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To Break a Hate Speech Detection Algorithm, Try 'Love'

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 16:31:06 -0000

For all the advances being made in the field, artificial intelligence still struggles when it comes to identifying hate speech. When he testified before Congress in April, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said it was “one of the hardest” problems. But, he went on, he was optimistic that “over a five- to 10-year period, we will have AI tools that can get into some of the linguistic nuances of different types of content to be more accurate in flagging things for our systems.

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The Woman Bringing Civility to Open Source Projects

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 07:10:23 -0000

Coraline Ada Ehmke has been writing software professionally since 1994. For the past decade, she’s been active in the Ruby programming language community and has created numerous open source tools to help fellow Ruby programmers. But these days she's best known for a different type of code altogether.

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Congress Challenges Google on China. Google Falls Short

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 16:31:06 -0000

Google’s first public attempt to explain its reported interest in entering the Chinese market failed to appease critical members of Congress at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday. The hearing, which was attended by Google, AT&T, Amazon, Apple, and Charter Communications, began as a broad discussion of possible privacy legislation. But it concluded as a pointed condemnation of Google over recent reports that the company is building a censored search engine for China.

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Democrats Are Busting Their 2016 Mobile Canvassing Records

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 07:11:12 -0000

For Democrats, there are already plenty of signs pointing to a good election night this November. There's the record number of House candidates outraising their Republican incumbent rivals. There's the unlikely rise of Texas senate candidate Beto O'Rourke giving Ted Cruz a real run for his seat. There are the upset victories in state legislature races, like the one in Virginia last fall. And of course, there are polls showing Democrats with a steady lead over Republicans on a generic ballot.

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With Instagram Cofounders Out, It’s Facebook All the Way Down

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 16:31:06 -0000

On Monday night, when the cofounders of Instagram announced that they had quit Facebook, reportedly over Mark Zuckerberg’s meddling, it marked the end of an era in more ways than one. It shattered the partition that protected the beloved photo-sharing app from the sins of its parent company. The departures also extinguished the idea of Facebook as a “family of companies.

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Twitter Releases New Policy on 'Dehumanizing Speech'

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 07:10:39 -0000

Twitter on Tuesday announced a new policy addressing “dehumanizing speech,” which will take effect later this year, and for the first time the public will be able to formally provide the company with feedback on the proposed rule. The policy will prohibit “content that dehumanizes others based on their membership in an identifiable group, even when the material does not include a direct target.

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Google Is Getting a Lot More Visual to Keep You on Its Site

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 16:31:04 -0000

Cobbling together a DIY dossier about a celebrity is a time-honored internet tradition. Scan a few Wikipedia pages, click through some Google images, scroll through social media accounts, maybe some dubious gossip sites, and you have a snapshot of the person’s life. Now Google wants to do that detective work for you, accessible in a format that owes a lot to Instagram stories, except showcasing the highlights of a person’s life instead of just their day.

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The Dawn of Twitter and the Age of Awareness

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 07:10:31 -0000

When it came into being in 2006, Twitter seemed perplexing. Publishing teensy, 140-character updates? Whatever was that good for? Twitter seemed like a ghastly mashup of the preening narcissism and nanosecond attention spans that defined the worst trends in digital culture. Tim Ferriss, writer of productivity books, called it “pointless email on steroids.” Who cares what you had for lunch? But critics misunderstood it. What Twitter truly portended wasn’t small, it was huge.

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'Netflix for Open Source' Wants Developers to Get Paid

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 16:31:09 -0000

Henry Zhu makes software that's crucial to websites you use every day, even if you’ve never heard of him or his software. Zhu manages a program called Babel, which translates code written in one version of the programming language JavaScript into code written for another version of the language. That might not sound like a big deal.

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It's Time for Techies to Embrace Militant Optimism Again

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 07:10:44 -0000

When we launched WIRED, we were accused of being Panglossian optimists. I embraced that as a badge of honor. The Digital Revolution was reinventing everything, and that was good. Twenty-five years on, that optimism is no longer justified—it’s necessary. Indeed: militant optimism. WIRED’s premise was that the most powerful people on the planet weren’t the politicians or generals, priests or pundits, but the people creating and using new technology.

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If VCs Aren't Socially Responsible, the Robots Will Win

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 16:32:38 -0000

When a man overseeing $5.7 trillion speaks, the global business community tends to listen. So when BlackRock founder Larry Fink, head of the world’s largest asset management company, posted a letter to CEOs demanding greater attention to social impact, it sent shockwaves through corporations around the globe.

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Amazon Wants Alexa to Hear Your Whispers and Frustration

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 07:10:28 -0000

(Whispers) Amazon Alexa will soon notice if you talk to it sotto voce—and whisper its response back to you. The new feature, announced by Amazon today alongside new devices including a microwave and a wall clock at an event in Seattle, is one of several upgrades that will expand the virtual assistant’s ability to listen to and understand the world around it.

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ACLU Says Facebook Ads Let Employers Favor Men Over Women

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 16:32:24 -0000

In recent years, Facebook has faced lawsuits, media exposés, and even federal charges alleging that its ad-targeting tools help advertisers discriminate based on age or race for jobs, housing, and credit. Now, the American Civil Liberties Union claims Facebook is also allowing employers to discriminate against women.

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Mark Zuckerberg on Why We Should Support the Dreamers

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 07:10:32 -0000

WIRED ICON Mark Zuckerberg, Cofounder of Facebook NOMINATES Dreamers, Undocumented youth A few years ago, I taught a class on entrepreneurship at a local middle school. I quickly realized that some of my best students—ones with the motivation and talent to build great businesses—weren’t even sure they’d be able to go to college. They were undocumented immigrants, brought here as children. You know them as Dreamers.

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Twitter's Chronological Timeline Will Save Us From Ourselves

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 16:33:08 -0000

When I woke up today, the first thing I saw on Twitter was people desperately warning that something gross was trending. Whatever you do, they agreed, do NOT click on trending topics, which appeared to mostly have to do with video games: Nintendo, Mario Kart, the beloved character Toad. I braced myself, figuring that, because of Twitter’s algorithm, whatever was grossing people out so much would soon be inserted into my timeline no matter what I or the people I follow did.

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QAnon Is Trying to Trick Facebook’s Meme AI

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Spammers, hackers, political propagandists, and other nefarious users have always tried to game the systems that social media sites put in place to protect their platforms. It’s a never-ending battle; as companies like Twitter and Facebook become more sophisticated, so do the trolls. And so last week, after Facebook shared new details about a tool it built to analyze text found in images like memes, some people began brainstorming how to thwart it.

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How the Internet Gave All of Us Superpowers

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 16:31:07 -0000

Somewhere around 1997 I was filling my car with gas, and I spotted a web address on a small orange sticker on the pump. It was an ad of some kind; I don’t remember what for, but I do remember having a realization: The mass adoption of the internet was real. Against all odds, a disturbance in the force had unleashed an entirely new culture outside the established channels, and now commerce was flocking to where the action was. But the main event had hardly started.

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The Latest Course Catalog Trend? Blockchain 101

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 16:32:33 -0000

On a clear, warm night earlier this year, several dozen University of California, Berkeley students folded themselves into gray chairs for a three-hour class on how to think like blockchain entrepreneurs. The evening’s challenge, presented by Berkeley City Councilmember Ben Bartlett, was to brainstorm how blockchain technology might be used to alleviate the city’s growing homeless problem.

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Europe's New Copyright Law Could Change the Web Worldwide

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 07:10:28 -0000

The European Parliament passed sweeping copyright legislation Wednesday that, much like its privacy regulations, could have impact far beyond Europe. Critics argue the most controversial part of the proposal will effectively force all but the smallest website operators to adopt "upload filters" similar to those used by YouTube, and apply them to all types of content, to stop users from uploading copyrighted works.

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Melinda Gates' New Research Shows Alarming Diversity Numbers

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 16:30:53 -0000

Executives at tech companies say gender diversity matters. They opine that there aren’t enough women in tech, and express outrage and frustration that just 11 percent of senior tech leaders are women. But in reality they spend very little of their philanthropic dollars attempting to close this gender and race gap, according to new research released today by Melinda Gates in partnership with McKinsey & Company.

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Who Gets Their News From Which Social Media Sites?

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 07:10:22 -0000

Though only a third of Instagram users say they get news from the app, 60 percent of those who do are nonwhite, whereas on Twitter, 60 percent of news consumers are white. Of people who rely on Snapchat for news, 63 percent are women. Yet 72 percent of people who tap Reddit for news are men. These are some of the takeaways from a Pew Research survey published this week, looking at the news consumption habits of social media users in the US.

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FDA Cracks Down on E-Cigarettes to Curb Teen-Vaping 'Epidemic'

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 16:30:55 -0000

Teenage use of e-cigarettes has reached “an epidemic proportion,” the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday, announcing that Juul and four other e-cigarette manufacturers have 60 days to “convincingly address” use by minors or the agency could take their products off the market. In a briefing, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the companies failed to consider the public health impact of their products or their legal obligations.

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WeWork Is About to Start Selling Software

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 07:10:32 -0000

For as long as WeWork has been selling memberships to its coworking spaces, investors and analysts have quibbled about whether it’s an overvalued real estate company or a misunderstood tech company. Chalk one up for tech: The coworking outfit is about to start selling its first software product. Today, WeWork announced it will acquire a Salt Lake City–based office management startup called Teem.

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The Latest Battleground for Chipmakers: Self-Driving Cars

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 17:55:15 -0000

It may be a long time before you can own a truly self-driving car. But chipmakers are placing bets that you will. On Tuesday, the Japanese chipmaker Renesas, the second-largest provider of semiconductors for the automotive industry, said it will acquire San Jose based chipmaker Integrated Device Technology (IDT) for $6.7 billion, in part to prepare for autonomous vehicles.

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HP's New 3-D Printers Build Items Not of Plastic but of Steel

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 07:10:23 -0000

When you think about 3-D printing, chances are you think of little plastic doodads created by desktop devices like those made by MakerBot. Computing and printer giant HP wants you to think about metal. Today the company announced the Metal Jet printer, an industrial-scale 3-D printer that builds items not of plastic but of steel. 3-D plastic printing is widely used for custom items such as prosthetics and hearing aids, and by product designers for prototyping.

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I Am a Data Scientist and Mom. But Facebook Made Me Choose.

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 16:30:53 -0000

I knew from the day I started at Facebook that I would have to make a choice. I was five months pregnant and raising two young boys. Balancing motherhood with my work as a data scientistwas exciting and strenuous. It meant working during my commute, coming home to feed the kids and put them to sleep, then falling into bed. I worked until the day my daughter was born. Then I had to make the hardest decision of my life. I had to choose between my dream job and my baby girl.

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AI Can Recognize Images. But Can It Understand This Headline?

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 07:10:35 -0000

In 2012, artificial intelligence researchers revealed a big improvement in computers’ ability to recognize images by feeding a neural network millions of labeled images from a database called ImageNet. It ushered in an exciting phase for computer vision, as it became clear that a model trained using ImageNet could help tackle all sorts of image-recognition problems.

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The Truth About Amazon, Food Stamps, and Tax Breaks

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 16:31:02 -0000

Since the early 2000s, Amazon has quietly received more than $1.5 billion in government subsidies, in exchange for bringing new jobs to cities and states across the country. At the same time, low-wage employees at Amazon's grueling warehouses have sometimes had to rely on a different kind of government benefit, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, to make ends meet.

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One Year In, Uber's CEO Has Bigger Problems Than Travis

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 07:22:31 -0000

Dara Khosrowshahi stands in the wings of an airy, modern corporate event space in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. It’s the first anniversary of his taking the CEO reigns at the iconic ride-sharing company, and he’s celebrating like a Silicon Valley suit--with a set of product announcements.

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At $1 Trillion, Amazon Should Fear Regulators More Than Rivals

Thu, 06 Sep 2018 16:31:00 -0000

Amazon briefly touched $1 trillion in market capitalization Tuesday, barely a month after Apple topped $1 trillion. The companies share the letter A and 12 zeros, but the similarity largely ends there. WIRED Opinion About Zachary Karabell is a WIRED contributor and president of River Twice Research. Apple is a cash machine, with a small suite of high-end products and an uncertain post-iPhone future.

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This Hearing Aid Can Translate For You—and Track Steps Too

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 16:30:59 -0000

It’s too loud for me to hear inside the Cupertino coffee bar, but Achin Bhowmik says it doesn’t bother him. He’s got a superpower, he says. If I look closely—very closely—I can see the tiny plastic tubes reaching from his ear canals to small devices hidden behind his ears. The hearing aids are running machine-learning algorithms that continuously monitor his “acoustic environment” to help him hear what he wants to hear.

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Silicon Valley Wants to Use Algorithms for Debt Collection

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 16:32:10 -0000

Consumer debt, credit card debt, and personal loan debt are at all-time highs. Meanwhile, investors who purchase debt for cents on the dollar and then try to collect the whole amount, and the collection agencies they hire, are getting increasingly aggressive. One in four consumers contacted by debt collectors feels threatened, and most consumers say the calls persist even after requests to stop, according to a 2017 study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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Will Others Follow Microsoft's Lead on Paid Parental Leave?

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 07:10:22 -0000

An objectively good thing happened in big tech Thursday: Microsoft said it will require companies that supply it with subcontractors—think cafeteria and custodial staff—to give those workers 12 weeks of paid parental leave. In doing so, Microsoft is once again taking the lead in ensuring contractors get benefits that other big companies reserve for full-time employees.

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IPUs? These New Chips Are Minted For Marketing

Mon, 03 Sep 2018 16:30:43 -0000

IPU n. Short for intelligence processing unit, a new kind of computer chip optimized for AI. Way back in the early 2000s, when the first Xbox came out, researchers discovered they could hack videogame consoles for scientific uses. It seems the devices’ graphic processing units, or GPUs, designed to render flying gore and mayhem, also ran physics simulations faster than the CPUs in ordinary computers.

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Firefox's New Browser Will Keep Brands From Stalking You

Mon, 03 Sep 2018 07:39:44 -0000

Online advertising can be more than just annoying. It can also violate users’ privacy through tracking technology meant to help target ads and measure response. Users have long had a range of tools at their disposal to combat aggressive or nosey ad-tech. But these tools often require users to install new software, or poke around in their browser's settings. Today, Mozilla, the company behind the popular Firefox browser, said it will take more aggressive measures to protect users' privacy.

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'Hey Google, ¿Hablas Español?' 'Mais Oui.'

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 16:31:07 -0000

Most people on Earth can speak two or more languages, but voice-operated virtual assistants have always forced them to pick and use just one—at least until today. Google Assistant is now the first multilingual virtual assistant. Users can specify that they want listening done in two languages in the app’s settings on their phone or Google Home smart speaker. Then, a person can call out requests or commands in either language.

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What Happens When Facebook Mistakenly Blocks Local News Stories

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 08:28:34 -0000

In July, Danielle Bosnick joined a nationwide movement against sexual violence on school campuses when she made a Facebook page for her daughter. “Justice for Francesca,” is meant to raise awareness about the 15-year-old, who was sexually assaulted last summer by a classmate she didn’t know. For weeks, Bosnick used the page to share articles about Francesca’s case and those of other students in similar circumstances.

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Small-Town Ingenuity Is Making Gigabit Broadband a Reality

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 16:30:47 -0000

With all the headlines about the lack of broadband in rural America, you’d be forgiven for thinking that all small towns are stuck in the dark age of dial-up internet. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Matt Dunne (@MattDunneVT), a former Vermont state senator and previously head of community affairs at Google, is founder of the Center on Rural Innovation. The untold story of rural broadband is that over the past seven years, independent broadband networks have proliferated.

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Puerto Rico’s Governor: The Island Is Ready to Welcome Tech

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 07:10:17 -0000

In the difficult days after hurricanes Irma and Maria, it was hard for many Puerto Ricans to think about the future amid the rubble and ruin left by these devastating storms. Now, as we approach the first anniversary of those storms and enter a new chapter of the rebuilding process, I am optimistic and excited about what the future holds. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Ricardo Rosselló (RicardoRossello) is the governor of Puerto Rico.

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Why You Need a Physical Vault to Secure a Virtual Currency

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 16:30:50 -0000

I am transfixed by the plummeting signal strength on my phone as employees of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase close the flap of the stuffy silver tent I’m standing inside. The fabric walls enclose a cubic space about 8 feet across and contain mesh that functions as a Faraday cage that blocks electromagnetic radiation. By the time the door is sealed, my connection to the outside world has drained away to nothing. Now the ceremony can begin.

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Why Google Is the Perfect Target for Trump

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 07:10:23 -0000

A full hour before the sun rose in Washington, DC, Tuesday, President Donald Trump fired off a pair of tweets claiming that Google had “rigged” search results against conservatives. Like so many Trump grievances, the argument seems steeped less in fact than a roiling stew of personal animus. But in Google News, the latest target of his ire, Trump may have found the perfect target.

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Australia’s Ban on Huawei Is Just More Bad News for China

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 16:43:05 -0000

As the US-China trade war rages on, two Chinese tech companies are facing a new headache: Australia’s government has joined the US in effectively banning its wireless carriers from buying gear for 5G networks from Huawei and ZTE. The decision is more than spillover from the US-China dispute. It's part of a bigger controversy over the role of China in Australia, which is in the midst of political turmoil.

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Y Combinator Learns Basic Income Is Not So Basic After All

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 07:10:18 -0000

In January 2016, technology incubator Y Combinator announced plans to fund a long-term study on giving people a guaranteed monthly income, in part to offset fears about jobs being destroyed by automation. “I’m fairly confident that at some point in the future, as technology continues to eliminate traditional jobs and massive new wealth gets created, we’re going to see some version of this at a national scale.

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We Need Software to Help Us Slow Down, Not Speed Up

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 16:30:57 -0000

Online commerce has made it easier than ever to shop, right? Maybe too easy. A recent study by comparison-shopping site Finder revealed that more than 88 percent of Americans admitted to spontaneous impulse buying online, blowing an average of $81.75 each time we lose control. Clothes, videogames, concert tickets. One in five of us succumb weekly. Millennials do it the most.

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A Straightforward Timeline of the FCC's Twisty DDoS Debacle

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 07:10:21 -0000

For anyone watching the net neutrality debate unfold, it feels like a never-ending, ever-evolving complicated saga of a complicated topic. So, here’s one more tick to track in the timeline: earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission’s Office of the Inspector General released a report saying the agency misled Congress and the public and last year when it claimed its site was the victim of a cyberattack in 2017.

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Pro Gamers Fend off Elon Musk’s AI Bots—for Now

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 16:31:11 -0000

One way to measure progress in artificial intelligence is to chart victories by algorithms over champions of increasingly challenging games---checkers, chess, and, in 2016, Go. On Wednesday, five bots sought to extend AI’s mastery to e-sports, in the fantasy battle game Dota 2. They failed, as a team of pro gamers from Brazil called paiN defended humanity’s honor---for now.

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NewsGuard Wants to Fight Fake News With Humans, Not Algorithms

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 08:30:44 -0000

Say you're scrolling through Facebook, see an article that seems a little hinky, and flag it. If Facebook's algorithm has decided you're trustworthy, the report then might go to the social network's third-party fact checkers. If they mark the story as false, Facebook will make sure fewer people see it in the News Feed. For those who see it anyway, Facebook will surface related articles with an alternative viewpoint just below the story.

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The Solo JavaScript Developer Challenging Google and Facebook

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 16:30:52 -0000

It's hard to escape the gravity of internet giants like Facebook and Google. Not only do they offer an ever-growing number of apps and services that are hard to live without, many other popular websites and applications incorporate code written by these companies. That's because today's web developers don't typically write all of their code themselves.

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Even Teens Worry That Teens Are Addicted to Their Phones

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 07:10:25 -0000

American teenagers have a complicated and sometimes contradictory relationship with their smartphones—just like the rest of us. A new Pew Research study shows that kids are trying to negotiate between worry that they spend too much time on their phones and anxiety when they are separated from their devices.

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At Y Combinator, Startups Manage Molecules Rather Than Code

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 16:30:49 -0000

This week, a couple of hundred venture capitalists descended on the Computer History Museum, in Mountain View, California, for Y Combinator's twice-annual Demo Day. The event showcases graduates of the famous incubator's training program to investors who hope to sniff out the next Dropbox, Airbnb, or Stripe, all of which emerged from Y Combinator. But increasingly, the entrepreneurs marching onto the stage are as likely to be experts at manipulating molecules as writing lines of code.

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Airbnb Wants to Find a Home in China

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 07:10:23 -0000

At the start of August, Airbnb announced an essay contest: Four winners would fly to China to stay in a watchtower on the Great Wall. They’d be treated to a gourmet dinner at sunset, a traditional Chinese music experience, and a sunrise historical hike through the countryside. The official Beijing Tourism Twitter account even promoted it. Six days later, the company called the contest off abruptly.

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FiftyThree, Maker of Popular Paper and Paste Apps, Gets Acquired

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 17:42:09 -0000

Back in 2012, a Seattle-based startup named FiftyThree launched a drawing app designed for iPad, with a name that sounded like it was designed specifically for an Apple crowd: Paper. Despite its simplicity and also because of it, Apple crowned the iPad App of the Year. Tech writers described it as “the next great iPad app”, “a superbly designed sketching app,” and “a fresh canvas ready and waiting for your ideas, inspiration, and art.

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Schools Are Mining Students' Social Media Posts for Signs of Trouble

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 07:10:29 -0000

Aaah, the traditions of a new school year. New teachers, new backpacks, new crushes—and algorithms trawling students’ social media posts. Blake Prewitt, superintendent of Lakeview school district in Battle Creek, Michigan, says he typically wakes up each morning to twenty new emails from a social media monitoring system the district activated earlier this year.

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'It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature.' Trite—or Just Right?

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 16:31:04 -0000

We’ll never know who said it first, nor whether the coiner spoke sheepishly or proudly, angrily or slyly. As is often the case with offhand remarks that turn into maxims, the origin of It’s not a bug, it’s a feature is murky. What we do know is that the expression has been popular among programmers for a long time, at least since the days when Wang and DEC were hot names in computing.

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AI Is the Future—But Where Are the Women?

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 16:30:58 -0000

For all their differences, big tech companies agree on where we’re heading: into a future dominated by smart machines. Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple all say that every aspect of our lives will soon be transformed by artificial intelligence and machine learning, through innovations such as self-driving cars and facial recognition. Yet the people whose work underpins that vision don’t much resemble the society their inventions are supposed to transform.

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Coinbase Doubles Down on Digital Identity With Distributed Systems Acquisition

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 07:10:33 -0000

Earlier this year, the executors of #DeleteFacebook engaged in a form of decentralized group therapy. Catharsis came in a zip file downloaded before deletion, containing the data you shared with Facebook—your friends, your photos, your posts—and with it, the data Facebook shared about you: the ads you clicked, the list of businesses that know where you live and where else you shop. A portrait of the modern digital identity—or, at least, part of it.

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Programming Languages May Finally Be Reaching a Status Quo

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Apple's programming language Swift and the Android developer favorite Kotlin are two of the fastest growing languages of all time. But that growth might be starting to slow according to a new report. The analyst firm RedMonk has tracked programmers' interest in various programming languages since 2011. During that time, Swift and Kotlin grew faster than any other language the firm tracked, including Google's Go and Mozilla's Rust.

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The Sinclair/Tribune Merger Is Dead

Tue, 14 Aug 2018 07:10:54 -0000

A merger that would have given a conservative broadcasting company access to 73 percent of US households is now officially dead. Today, the Tribune Media Company announced that it has terminated its $3.9 billion merger agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group, and is now suing Sinclair for $1 billion for breach of contract.

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The Creative Ways Your Boss Is Spying on You

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 16:31:06 -0000

Earlier this year, Amazon successfully patented an “ultrasonic tracker of a worker’s hands to monitor performance of assigned tasks.” Eerie, yes, but far from the only creative method of employee surveillance. Upwork watches freelancers through their webcams, and a UK railway company recently equipped workers with a wearable that measures their energy levels. By one study’s estimate, 94percent of organizations currently monitor workers in some way.

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Patreon Makes a Move as Tech Giants Encroach on Its Territory

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 07:10:28 -0000

Patreon, the membership platform that helps online creators make a living, announced Wednesday that it has acquired Memberful, another membership service that caters to larger creators including Gimlet Media and Stratechery. Though they operate in the same, growing field, Memberful and Patreon don't consider themselves direct competitors, and Patreon says that for now, the Memberful platform will remain independent.

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Maybe MoviePass Shouldn't Compare Itself to Uber

Fri, 10 Aug 2018 16:30:59 -0000

On Monday, MoviePass announced yet another entirely new model for subscribers. After announcing that it would be raising prices and limiting options for users of its all-you-can-eat movie theater subscription service, they reversed course. Now, users will be able to enjoy three movies per month, with limited restrictions on releases, for the same $9.95 that previously got them all of the movies they wanted to see.

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Viral Political Ads May Not Be As Persuasive As You Think

Fri, 10 Aug 2018 07:10:34 -0000

When a political ad goes viral on Facebook, conventional wisdom holds that it was a success. After all, the Golden Rule of advertising in the digital age is simple: Engagement is good. It’s good for Facebook, too. The more time users spend watching, commenting, clicking, and sharing on its platform, the more money the company makes. Little wonder, then, that Facebook allows advertisers to test which ads get the most engagement with a single click.

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When Bots Teach Themselves to Cheat

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:50:30 -0000

Once upon a time, a bot deep in a game of tic-tac-toe figured out that making improbable moves caused its bot opponent to crash. Smart. Also sassy. Moments when experimental bots go rogue—some would call it cheating—are not typically celebrated in scientific papers or press releases. Most AI researchers strive to avoid them, but a select few document and study these bugs in the hopes of revealing the roots of algorithmic impishness.

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The Strange David and Goliath Saga of Radio Frequencies

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 16:30:53 -0000

The email blast from the head of my son and daughter’s theater group relayed a frantic plea: “We need to raise $16,000 before the upcoming spring performances,” Anya Wallach, the executive director of Random Farms Kids’ Theater, in Westchester, New York, wrote in late May. If the money didn’t materialize in time, she warned, there could be a serious problem with the shows: nobody would hear the actors.

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Inside Magic Leap’s Quest To Remake Itself As An Ordinary Company (With a Real Product)

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 16:30:58 -0000

In retrospect, Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz realizes that all the hype was a big mistake. “I think we were arrogant,” he says. It’s nearly 11 pm on a Monday night in late July, and we are in the back room of an Italian restaurant not far from the Fort Lauderdale beach. It’s a place he often takes visitors who make the trek from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Mickey Mouse’s Florida homeland for a demo.

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Why Big Tech's Fight Against InfoWars Is Unwinnable

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 07:10:32 -0000

Early Monday morning, Apple pulled several podcasts associated with notorious conspiracy theorist and protein powder peddler Alex Jones from the iTunes store. The decision opened the floodgates to a wave of suspensions that continued throughout the day. First came Facebook, which said it unpublished four pages affiliated with Jones after receiving new reports over the weekend that videos on those pages violated Facebook's policies on hate speech.

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The One Telecom Group That Does Support Net Neutrality

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 16:30:57 -0000

The battle lines over net neutrality are firmly drawn. On one side are internet advocacy groups, large tech companies, and most Democrats. On the other are free-market adherents, telecom companies, and most Republicans. Then there’s Charles "Chip" Pickering, a conservative Republican former member of Congress and CEO of a telecommunications-industry group called Incompas. He supports net neutrality.

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Google Faces Hurdles in China Beyond Censorship

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 16:30:54 -0000

In April, the founder of multibillion dollar Chinese startup Bytedance made a striking public statement. “Our product took the wrong path, and content appeared that was incommensurate with socialist core values,” Zhang Yiming said, in a message widely distributed by state-controlled media. He pledged that Bytedance would work harder to “promote positive energy and to grasp correct guidance of public opinion.

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So Apple Is Worth $1 Trillion. Now Comes the Hard Part

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 07:11:09 -0000

So it finally happened. Apple announced stellar quarterly earnings; investors liked them; the stock rose; and Apple became the first US company to surpass $1 trillion in market value. In our love for big numbers, that made it a big story. WIRED Opinion About Zachary Karabell is a WIRED Contributor and president of River Twice Research. Never mind that if you adjust for inflation and go global, Apple isn’t actually the first trillion-dollar company.

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Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Wikipedia's Gender Problem

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 16:30:56 -0000

Miriam Adelson is an accomplished physician who’s published around a hundred research papers on the physiology and treatment of addiction, and runs a high-profile substance-abuse clinic in Las Vegas. She’s also publisher of Israel’s largest newspaper, and, with her billionaire husband Sheldon, a philanthropist and influential Republican party donor. Yet Wikipedia does not have an entry for her.

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China’s Numbers Force Google to Recalculate Its Morals

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 07:10:27 -0000

In 2010, Google made a moral calculus. The company had been censoring search results in China at the behest of the Communist government since launching there in 2006. But after a sophisticated phishing attack to gain access to the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists, Google decided to stop censoring results, even though it cost the company access to the lucrative Chinese market.

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FCC Offers Small ISPs a Boost, but a Bigger Setback Looms

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 17:50:49 -0000

Small internet providers expect a helping hand from the Federal Communications Commission Thursday, a move that could spur competition and perhaps lower prices. But the commission is also considering a more sweeping proposal that would hurt upstarts to the benefit of industry giants like AT&T. Both issues revolve around how much access upstarts should have to facilities and equipment owned by their bigger rivals. Thursday’s vote is about arcane rules for moving wires on utility poles.

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Playing Monopoly: What Zuck Can Learn From Bill Gates

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 07:10:29 -0000

Pop quiz: What tech mogul dropped out of Harvard after two years to found a tech company that conquered the world? If you answered Mark Zuckerberg, congratulations! You are correct. And if you answered Bill Gates, congratulations: You are also correct! And the interesting thing is, it’s not just Harvard. The more you compare the two, the more similar they seem. It’s as if they were cloned from the same DNA: They both were born the only boy into a wealthy family.

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Despite Pledging Openness, Companies Rush to Patent AI Tech

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 16:31:08 -0000

At Google’s cloud computing conference in San Francisco last week, CEO Sundar Pichai mused on his company’s commitment to openness, and artificial intelligence. “We create open platforms and share our technology because it helps new ideas get out faster,” Pichai said. Then he namechecked TensorFlow, the machine learning software Google developed and uses internally. The company open sourced the code in 2015, and it has since been downloaded more than 15 million times.

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UK Group Threatens to Sue Facebook Over Cambridge Analytica

Tue, 31 Jul 2018 16:31:22 -0000

Lawyers for a group of UK residents whose Facebook data was harvested by Cambridge Analytica are now threatening to sue for damages. In a 27-page letter served to the company Tuesday, they accuse Facebook of violating British data privacy regulations. The letter before claim, as it's called, is the first step in the UK's legal process for filing a class action suit.

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Trump’s ‘Shadow Banning’ Claim Isn’t Twitter’s Worst Problem

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 16:31:18 -0000

There’s a not so subtle irony to the President of the United States tweeting that Twitter is suppressing prominent conservative voices in America---and almost instantly receiving tens of thousands of likes, retweets, and replies. But such are the times.

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Airbnb’s Slow-Moving Mission to Win Over African Americans

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 07:10:18 -0000

A year ago today, Airbnb announced a wise move designed to to increase the company’s presence in black neighborhoods: a partnership with the NAACP. By the time the press release crossed the wires, the move was a long time coming.

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The Office-Messaging Wars Are Over. Slack Has Won.

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 16:31:09 -0000

Last September, the software company Atlassian launched a new workplace chat app called Stride, aimed squarely at taking on the similar app Slack. “We’ve been thrilled by the excitement we’ve seen from the tens of thousands of teams who have adopted it as their communication platform,” the company gushed in a March blog post. Now, less than a year after the launch, Atlassian is pulling the plug on the product, along with its earlier workplace chat app HipChat.

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Is the US Leaning Red or Blue? It All Depends on Your Map

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 07:10:29 -0000

On May 11, 2017, a reporter named Trey Yingst, who covers the White House for the conservative news network OANN, tweeted a photo of a framed map of the United States being carried into the West Wing. The map depicted the 2016 election results county-by-county, as a blanket of red, marked with flecks of blue and peachy pink along the West Coast and a thin snake of blue extending from the northeast to Louisiana.

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Happy Birthday to Us! WIRED Turns 25

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 16:31:08 -0000

Your house is full of Amazon Alexas streaming Spotify; in the car, you pull up YouTube on your phone to play "Everything Is Awesome" (again!) for the kids. SoundCloud rocks. When was the last time you bought music on any physical medium? But back in the old days, music barely existed online. "Downloading music required people to search for websites where songs were posted. Most were unreliable. Links broke," we wrote more than a decade ago. "Traffic spikes slowed download times.

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Google Glass Is Back–Now With Artificial Intelligence

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Google Glass lives—and it’s getting smarter. On Tuesday, Israeli software company Plataine demonstrated a new app for the face-mounted gadget that understands spoken language and offers spoken responses. Plataine’s app is aimed at manufacturing workers. Think of an Amazon Alexa for the factory floor. The app points to a future where Glass is enhanced with artificial intelligence, making it more functional and easy to use.

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Ro Khanna Says Silicon Valley Libertarianism Is Dead

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 16:30:52 -0000

In “The Political Education of Silicon Valley,” which appears in the August issue of WIRED, Steven Johnson looks at the changing political worldview of the tech sector, a shift from the libertarianism of the 1990s to a more progressive, pro-government outlook today. One of the exemplars of that transformation is Ro Khanna, who was elected in 2016 to represent California’s 17th congressional district in the heart of Silicon Valley. In early May, Johnson sat down with Rep.

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What Problems? Facebook Stock Has Never Been More Valuable

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Few companies in the history of business have been pilloried like Facebook in the last two years. The list of offenses, largely self inflicted, reads like a rap sheet. It ignored its growing role in media and politics. It dismissed fake news as unimportant. It let fake accounts proliferate. It was too slow to find and shut down foreign hackers and spies. It allowed third parties to download and sell user data without telling anyone.

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How Americans Wound Up on Twitter's List of Russian Bots

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 16:31:07 -0000

If you followed Rebecca Hirschfeld’s @Beckster319 account on Twitter in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election, you would have seen that she’s an actress, an obsessed fan of David Bowie, not so much of Donald Trump, and will eat anything pumpkin flavored. Around the same time, if you looked at Markiya Franklin’s @internalmemer account, you’d figure she supports Black Lives Matter and is a diehard K-Pop fan.

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Users Sue Juul for Addicting Them to Nicotine

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Juul Labs, the San Francisco-based e-cigarette company, is under pressure from parents, schools, public health advocates, lawmakers, and the Food and Drug Administration for its popularity with younger users, who have gravitated to Juul’s discrete rechargeable vaping device and nicotine pods in flavors like mango and fruit medley. Now come the lawsuits. Since April, consumers have filed at least three complaints against Juul.

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‘Scraper’ Bots and the Secret Internet Arms Race

Mon, 23 Jul 2018 16:31:01 -0000

Companies are waging an invisible data war online. And your phone might be an unwitting soldier. Retailers from Amazon and Walmart to tiny startups want to know what their competitors charge. Brick and mortar retailers can send people, sometimes called "mystery shoppers," to their competitors' stores to make notes on prices. Online, there's no need to send people anywhere.

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Uganda's Regressive Social Media Tax Stays, at Least For Now

Mon, 23 Jul 2018 07:10:26 -0000

The Ugandan parliament referred a controversial new social media tax to a committee for further consideration on Thursday, after protesters took to the streets of Kampala last week. The tax, which went into effect July 1, charges 200 Ugandan shillings (or $0.05) per day of use for 60 mobile apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp. Critics say it puts an undue burden on the poorest members of society, and that it is an assault on freedom of expression.

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How a Facebook Group for Sexual Assault Survivors Became a Tool for Harassment

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:31:07 -0000

Last year, as thousands of women shared their stories of sexual assault and harassment with the hashtag #MeToo, Amanda, a 30-year-old from Oregon, was looking for a supportive place to share her own experiences. Soon enough she was invited by a friend to join a Facebook group for survivors of sexual assault that had thousands of members. The group was easy to find: As recently as this month, the page associated with it ranked higher in some search results than the #MeToo page verified by Facebook.

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Nonprofit for Migrants Declines a Donation from Salesforce

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 07:10:27 -0000

A Texas-based nonprofit helping migrant families detained at the US southern border has refused a substantial donation from Salesforce after the tech company declined to cancel its contracts with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

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Don’t Expect Big Changes from Europe’s Record Google Fine

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 16:30:53 -0000

European regulators took a big swing at Google Wednesday for abusing the dominance of its Android mobile operating system, fining the company €4.34 billion ($5 billion) and ordering changes to Android designed to put Google rivals on a more level playing field. But it’s not clear that the fine or the operational changes will have much effect. “Google has basically won,” says Maurice Stucke, co-founder of The Konkurrenz Group and a law professor at the University of Tennessee.

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How a Startup Is Using the Blockchain to Protect Your Privacy

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 07:10:34 -0000

Dawn Song, a Berkeley computer-science professor and MacArthur fellow, is a fan of cloud computing. She also thinks it needs a major rethink. “The cloud and the internet have fundamentally changed our lives mostly for good,” she says. “But they have serious problems with privacy and security—users and companies lose control of their data.

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Lawmakers Don't Grasp the Sacred Tech Law They Want to Gut

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 16:31:03 -0000

Toward the tail end of a sparsely attended hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Republican congressman John Rutherford turned to the three witnesses before him---representatives of Facebook, Google, and Twitter---and asked a question that left them speechless. Congress, he explained, has already amended Section 230, the law that protects tech platforms from liability for what people post, by creating an exception for content related to sex trafficking.

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Why Sinclair's Bid to Buy the Tribune Company Might Die

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 08:00:26 -0000

Sinclair Broadcasting's proposed $3.9 billion takeover of the Tribune company, which would have expanded the conservative media company's footprint to nearly three-fourths of American households, suddenly appears in trouble. Today, Federal Communications Commission chair Ajit Pai effectively came out against the acquisition by proposing to refer it to a hearing with a judge. In theory, the deal could still go ahead if the judge finds no problems with the acquisition or if the decision is appealed.

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Strikes, Boycotts, and Outages Mar Amazon Prime Day

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 16:30:57 -0000

Prime Day, which began Monday, is one of Amazon’s biggest promotions of the year, when the retailer offers deals to subscribers to its Prime service. This year, some Amazon workers in Europe are striking during Prime Day, hoping to draw draw attention to working conditions like proposed cuts in wages and health benefits. In solidarity, some consumers have been boycotting the company and its many subsidiaries, like Twitch and Whole Foods.

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Juul’s Lobbying Could Send Its Public Image Up in Smoke

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 07:10:28 -0000

Over the past year, Juul, the vaping sensation that dominates 70 percent of the US e-cigarette market, has tried to cultivate the image of decent corporate citizen that wants to play by the rules. The company is known for its legions of obsessive young users who have embraced Juul’s discrete, flash-drive-shaped e-cigarettes and pleasing nicotine pods in flavors like fruit medley and mango.

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Why Congress Needs to Revive Its Tech Support Team

Mon, 16 Jul 2018 16:31:47 -0000

Congress is finally turning its attention to Silicon Valley. And it’s not hard to understand why: Technology impinges upon every part of our civic sphere. We’ve got police using AI to determine which neighborhoods to patrol, Facebook filtering the news, and automation eroding the job market. Smart policy could help society adapt. But to tackle these issues, congressfolk will first have to understand them.

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FCC Retracts a Plan to Discourage Consumer Complaints

Mon, 16 Jul 2018 07:10:26 -0000

The Federal Communications Commission has reportedly dropped a proposed change in how it handles complaints that critics argued could have left consumers with fewer avenues to resolve problems with telecommunications carriers like AT&T and Verizon. The agency is scheduled to vote Thursday on proposed changes to the complaint process, but according to the Washington Post, the most controversial changes have been removed from the draft.

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Ex-Apple Employee Accused of Stealing Self-Driving Car Tech

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 16:31:48 -0000

Federal prosecutors have charged a former Apple employee with stealing trade secrets related to Apple's autonomous vehicle program. Xiaolang Zhang allegedly worked on Apple’s secretive self-driving car project. Zhang left Apple in April saying he was going to work for a Chinese electric vehicle company called Xpeng Motors. He is accused of copying more than 40GB of Apple intellectual property to his wife's laptop before leaving the company, according to court documents.

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It Just Got Easier for the FCC to Ignore Your Complaints

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 07:10:29 -0000

It may soon be harder to get the Federal Communications Commission to listen to your complaints about billing, privacy, or other issues with telecommunications carriers like AT&T and Verizon. Today, the agency approved changes to its complaint system that critics say will undermine the agency's ability to review and act on the complaints it receives.

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Why Your Twitter Follower Count Might Go Down This Week

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 16:31:53 -0000

Perhaps a healthier Twitter is one with smaller follower counts—even if that comes as a blow to your ego. That’s what the company is hoping, anyway. Over the last several months, Twitter has embarked on a renewed push to fight abuse and spam, as well as encourage “healthy” debates and conversations, and on Wednesday the social network announced it was expanding that effort to profiles that have been “locked” for suspicious behavior.

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The Rise And Fall of Uber HR Chief Liane Hornsey

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 07:10:56 -0000

In January, I sat down with Liane Hornsey, who until yesterday was Uber’s HR chief, to discuss the progress she’d made helping to reform Uber’s culture. The company had invited me to report on its turnaround, in the run-up to the release of its redesigned drivers app. But I was interested in something else: how were things at Uber since CEO Dara Khosrowshahi arrived? She told me that she had asked an employee—a three-year veteran at Uber—how it felt to be there.

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Uber and Lyft's Never-Ending Quest to Crush Price Comparison Apps

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 16:32:06 -0000

For nearly as long as there have been ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, there have been apps that help riders compare fares and travel times. These aggregator apps allow riders to survey all the services in an area and check prices and wait times—an efficient version of what many do already. There are always fresh versions of these apps popping up. The newest one, Bellhop, officially launched in New York this week.

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Immigration Fight Shows Silicon Valley Must Stop Feigning Neutrality

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 07:10:22 -0000

Last month, the Trump administration announced that it would halt itspolicyof separating young asylum-seekers from their parents. For those Americans angered by their government’s cruel treatment of children as young as a few months old, this was a hard-fought victory.

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How an App Could Give Some Gig Workers a Safety Net

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 16:30:57 -0000

The gig economy has a problem. Freelancing is increasingly common, but it’s still difficult and costly to access benefits without a 9-to-5 job. For the lowest-paid workers, it can be close to impossible. In the past few years, many have seized on the idea of “portable benefits": insurance and paid time off not bound to a single employer.

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Sonos' IPO Filing Shows Risks of Relying on Amazon and Apple

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 07:10:30 -0000

There are smart speakers, which connect wirelessly to other devices, and then there’s the new era of smart speakers, designed to offer services through voice-controlled virtual assistants. Sonos, for a long time, was all about the former, having been a pioneer of high-quality, WiFi-connected speaker systems. Now it’s entered the next era with products like Sonos One and Sonos Beam, which work with Amazon’s Alexa and other virtual assistants.

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The Court Case that Enabled Today's Toxic Internet

Mon, 09 Jul 2018 16:31:03 -0000

There once was a legendary troll, and from its hideout beneath an overpass of the information superhighway, it prodded into existence the internet we know, love, and increasingly loathe. That troll, Ken ZZ03, struck in 1995. But to make sense of the profound aftereffects—and why Big Tech is finally reckoning with this part of its history—you have to look back even further. In 1990, an online newsletter called Rumorville accused a competitor, Skuttlebutt, of being a “scam.

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New California Bill Restores Strong Net Neutrality Protections

Mon, 09 Jul 2018 07:10:23 -0000

Last month, a California Assembly committee voted to remove key protections from a state-level net neutrality bill. Critics said the changes opened loopholes that would allow broadband providers to throttle some applications, or charge websites or services for "fast lane" access on their networks. Now those key protections are coming back.

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The Transformative Power of Reddit's Alien Mascot

Fri, 06 Jul 2018 18:16:41 -0000

Reddit’s little mascot, Snoo, contains multitudes. The precious, ever-smiling alien hangs out at the top of hundreds of subreddits, mixing with the locals like a savvy politician. In r/trees, a community for marijuana enthusiasts, Snoo puffs a joint. In r/gonewild, Snoo poses for a selfie in a wig and lingerie. In r/Asceticism, Snoo dematerializes into the cyberether, its form the mere wisp of an outline. Cheeky bugger. Indeed, Snoo’s existence has always been something of an inside joke.

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Friday's Massive Comcast Outage Shows How Fragile the Internet Is

Fri, 06 Jul 2018 07:10:50 -0000

Widespread internet outages around the United States on Friday afternoon quelled productivity and sent irate customers to Twitter to complain. Comcast and Xfinity suffered the biggest service interruptions across its internet, cable, and landline products. The company, which has more than 29 million business and individual customers, said on Friday that the outages stemmed from fiber optic cables at two internet infrastructure companies that were cut or otherwise disrupted.

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Reps. Khanna and Ratcliffe: It’s Time to Modernize Government Websites

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 16:30:58 -0000

It’s no secret that the federal government is way behind the private sector when it comes to modernization and technology. Because of these outdated systems, many federal agencies rank staggeringly behind the private sector when it comes to customer service. WIRED OPINION ABOUT US Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) (@RepRatcliffe) is chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure. US Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.

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GitHub Developers Are Giving Microsoft a Chance

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 12:34:35 -0000

Earlier this month Microsoft announced plans to buy the code-hosting and collaboration site GitHub for $7.5 billion. It's hard to overstate how important GitHub is to modern software development. The service boasts about 28 million users and hosts 85 million codebases for a wide variety of organizations, including Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Walmart, and the US government. Much is open source code, a far cry from Microsoft’s roots making highly proprietary software.

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Dell Is Ready to Go Public Again. But Has it Really Changed?

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 16:31:11 -0000

Dell Technologies is going public again, five years after going private to transform itself amid slowing personal computer sales. Dell has certainly changed in those years, but it needs to change even more if it doesn't want to find itself back in the same position. Since going private, Dell has invested heavily in expanding its business selling hardware, software, and services for data centers.

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Airbnb's Newest Weapon Against Regulation: The Real Estate Industry

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 07:11:01 -0000

Everywhere you look, regulators are cracking down on Airbnb. In Paris, the company’s largest market, hosts must now register with the city government and can only list their homes for 120 nights each year. In Amsterdam, new rules, which go into effect in 2019, will restrict hosts to listing for just 30 nights annually.

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Silicon Valley’s Exclusive Salary Database

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 16:31:17 -0000

When Steve, a thirtysomething engineer, launched a software company in San Francisco a few years ago, he and his cofounder faced the daunting task of hiring a team, from low-level engineers to a new VP. Novices, they nonetheless had an advantage: access to Option Impact, an exclusive database of tech salaries that has become a go-to reference for Silicon Valley startups. That insider information, Steve realized, has immense value.

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The Airbnb Challenger You've Never Heard of (by Name)

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 07:10:34 -0000

There is a travel story that Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings, formerly called Priceline, likes to tell. While planning a recent family trip to Iceland, his wife wanted to check out “another site,” which Fogel carefully avoids naming, but is clearly Airbnb. The home rental she found there looked good, so she tried to book it.

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Gaming Gets X-Rated–and Very Profitable

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 16:30:53 -0000

In the game Armor Blitz, players assemble an army of anime “tank girls.” When the game debuted on Google Play in November 2016, it grossed just $23,400 in six months, less than half its production cost. Then the same game relaunched on the adult-gaming platform Nutaku—now with the notable addition of hentai cartoon porn. Blitz went on to bank more than $160,000 in six months. The thriving erotic-gaming industry that originated in Japan is now going global.

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Andreessen Horowitz Lends Credence to Crypto With New Fund

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 07:10:26 -0000

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz is bringing in its first female general partner, former federal prosecutor Katie Haun, to help manage a new $300 million fund dedicated to investing in cryptocurrency and blockchain-related projects. Andreessen Horowitz has long invested in cryptocurrency companies, including the digital-wallet company Coinbase and the game company Cryptokitties.

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Why Tech Worker Dissent Is Going Viral

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 16:30:57 -0000

Silicon Valley has a long and secretive history of building hardware and software for the military and law enforcement. In contrast, a recent wave of employee protests against some of those government contracts has been short, fast, and surprisingly public---tearing through corporate campuses, mailing lists, and message boards inside some of the world’s most powerful companies.

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A Plea for AI That Serves Humanity Instead of Replacing It

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 07:10:20 -0000

Sixty-two years ago this summer, Dartmouth professor John McCarthy coined the term artificial intelligence. Joi Ito, director of MIT’s Media Lab, has come to think it’s unhelpful. Talk of AI has become hard to avoid due to surging investment from companies hoping to profit from advances in machine learning.

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Apple Tries to Avoid Facebook's Mistakes With 2018 Midterms

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 16:32:13 -0000

Apple waded knee-deep into the muck of political news delivery Monday with the announcement of a special section in Apple News devoted to the upcoming 2018 midterm elections, which will determine whether Republicans hold onto their majorities in Congress. From now until November, you will see a little Midterm Elections 2018 banner above the curated Top Stories section of the app.

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In Upholding Trump's Travel Ban, the Supreme Court Harms Scientists

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 07:10:25 -0000

Hani Goodarzi is trying to cure cancer. At the new lab he runs at the University of California, San Francisco, he and his team try to understand the disease’s molecular processes, building on his research into disease metastasis. Important, life-saving work. He has grants to write, and bench work to oversee, but right now all he can think about is the pain President Donald Trump’s travel ban will cause students and postdocs from Iran, where he was born.

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Trump's Trade War Won't Hurt China. It Could Hurt US Tech

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 16:31:03 -0000

In the latest installment of the simmering trade war, the Trump administration reportedly plans to impose restrictions on Chinese investments in US technology companies and American technology exports to China. If implemented as rumored, any company with more than 25 percent Chinese ownership would be barred from investing in US companies that produce “industrially significant technology.

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The Red Hen and the Weaponization of Yelp

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 07:10:33 -0000

Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Twitter Saturday that she and her family had been asked to leave the Red Hen, a small restaurant in Lexington, Virginia. The Red Hen's co-owner, Stephanie Wilkinson, reportedly asked Sanders to leave because of her involvement in Trump administration policies like separating migrant children from their parents.

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'ICE Is Everywhere': Using Library Science to Map the Separation Crisis

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 16:31:00 -0000

On Father’s Day, Alex Gil was IMing with his colleague Manan Ahmed when they decided they had to do something about children being separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border. Since May, the US government had taken more than 2,300 kids away from their families as a result of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' new "zero tolerance" immigration policy, which calls for criminally prosecuting all people entering the country illegally.

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Can Bots Outwit Humans in One of the Biggest Esports Games?

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 07:10:25 -0000

This August, some of the world’s best professional gamers will travel to Vancouver to fight for millions of dollars in the world’s most valuable esports competition. They’ll be joined by a team of five artificial intelligence bots backed by Elon Musk, trying to set a new marker for the power of machine learning. The bots were developed by OpenAI, an independent research institute the Tesla CEO cofounded in 2015 to advance AI and prevent the technology from turning dangerous.

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YouTube Will Help Creators Make Money With More Than Just Ads

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 16:30:55 -0000

Over the last year, YouTube has faced a seemingly endless number of controversies over disturbing and problematic videos—including ones published by PewDiePie, the site’s most popular vlogger—that were often found to be running advertisements from major companies. In response, YouTube tightened its ad policies, hired new moderators, and took steps to assure advertisers that its platform was brand safe.

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Another Failed Silicon Valley Exec Gets a Crypto Project

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 07:10:16 -0000

Lucas Duplan, who founded Clinkle and made it into an object lesson in Silicon Valley overhype, is plotting a return. He has raised money from his family and outside investors for a venture fund focused on backing enterprise-software startups, WIRED has learned. The fund will operate out of New York and has backed at least two companies in which Duplan is involved. One of those companies is a cryptocurrency project focused on employee rewards called Universal Recognition Token (URT).

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Why the Supreme Court Sales Tax Ruling May Benefit Amazon

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 16:30:44 -0000

The Supreme Court just paved the way for broader collection of online sales taxes. That's probably good news for Main Street and bad news for smaller online retailers. But it just might be good news for larger online retailers---especially Amazon.

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Trump Stokes Outrage in Silicon Valley—But It's Selective

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 07:54:37 -0000

Silicon Valley is in the middle of an awakening, the dawning but selective realization that their products can be used to achieve terrible ends. In the past few months, this growing unease has bubbled up into outright rebellion from within the rank and file of some of the largest companies in the Valley, beginning in April when Google employees balked at the company's involvement with a Pentagon artificial intelligence program called Project Maven.

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How a Child Moves Through a Broken Immigration System

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 16:31:14 -0000

As an immigration attorney working along the US-Mexico border in McAllen, Texas, Carlos García says he’s seen “a lot of sad stuff” over the years. But what he encountered at the McAllen federal courthouse Tuesday left him lost for words. “You walk into the courtroom and there are 90 people waiting to be prosecuted for illegal entry,” he says.

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Now the Computer Can Argue With You

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 07:11:19 -0000

“Fighting technology means fighting human ingenuity,” an IBM software program admonished Israeli debating champion Dan Zafrir in San Francisco Monday. The program, dubbed Project Debater, and Zafrir, were debating the value of telemedicine, but the point could also apply to the future of the technology itself. Software that processes speech and language has improved enough to do more than tell you the weather forecast.

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Why Lyft Is Trying to Become the Next Subscription Business

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 16:30:52 -0000

In many US cities, ride-sharing is a commodity. Both drivers and riders pull up Uber and Lyft interchangeably on their phones, weighing which to use based on price and wait time. That’s a problem for ride-sharing companies. In an industry where new apps like Via, Juno, and Gett are coming online regularly, riders have myriad choices.

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The Man Who Saw the Dangers of Cambridge Analytica Years Ago

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 07:10:29 -0000

In December 2014, John Rust wrote to the head of the legal department at the University of Cambridge, where he is a professor, warning them that a storm was brewing. According to an email reviewed by WIRED, Rust informed the university that one of the school’s psychology professors, Aleksandr Kogan, was using an app he created to collect data on millions of Facebook users without their knowledge.

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The Supreme Court Will Decide If Apple's App Store Is a Monopoly

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 16:30:43 -0000

Has Apple monopolized the market for iPhone apps? That's the question at the heart of Apple Inc. v. Pepper, a case the Supreme Court agreed to hear Monday, which could have wide-reaching implications for consumers as well as other companies like Amazon. The dispute is over whether Apple, by charging app developers a 30 percent commission fee and only allowing iOS apps to be sold through its own store, has inflated the price of iPhone apps.

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The Dark Side of the Crypto Revolution

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 07:10:31 -0000

The bitcoin Hodlers, ICO hustlers, and Lambo-owning crypto millionaires would like you to know that the cryptocurrency revolution is upon us. Before long you’ll be making breakfast on the blockchain! But as the trustless, decentralized world of digital tokens expands—and Fortune 500 companies, banks, restaurant chains, and even countries (ahem, Venezuela) cautiously wade in—a credibility problem persists.

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Why You Should Slack Off to Get Some Work Done

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:30:49 -0000

How much do you slack off at work? If you’re the average white-collar drone, the odds are it’s an astonishing amount. A 2015 survey by a UK firm asked 1,989 office workers how many hours they spent “productively working” each day. The average: A paltry two hours and 53 minutes. The rest of those eight-hour workdays consisted of kicking back: checking social media, reading news, or talking to friends. Viewed one way, this is absolutely dismal.

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Can Verizon Build a Strong Brand From the Bones of Yahoo and AOL?

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 07:10:20 -0000

Tim Armstrong has spent the last year under renovation. After AOL, the company Armstrong has run for the past nine years, merged with newly acquired corporate sister Yahoo in June, Armstrong was tasked with uniting the two. First he announced a new brand name-–Oath---suggesting a move away from the stale early days of the internet that many people associate with AOL and Yahoo.

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Google’s Employee Diversity Numbers Haven’t Really Improved

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 16:31:57 -0000

The company that championed the idea of moonshots---ambitious ideas that can “make the world a radically better place”---is still struggling to make incremental change when it comes to diversifying its ranks of black, Latinx, and female employees. But as the conversation around diversity in Silicon Valley has evolved and grown more sophisticated, so has Google’s approach to the problem.

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Startup Working on Contentious Pentagon AI Project Was Hacked

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 08:19:44 -0000

Last summer, a sign appeared on the door to a stuffy, windowless room at the office of Manhattan artificial intelligence startup Clarifai. “Chamber of secrets,” it read, according to three people who saw it. The notice was a joking reference to how the small team working inside was not permitted to discuss its work with others at Clarifai.

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This Week Shows How Hard It Is to Curb Big Tech

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 16:31:49 -0000

The Seattle City Council voted 9-0 last month to approve an annual $275-per-employee tax on big employers like Amazon. The tax was expected to raise about $47 million a year for services for the homeless and construction of affordable housing. But Tuesday, less than a month after passing the tax, the council voted 7-2 to repeal it.

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The AT&T-Time Warner Merger Is a Done Deal. Now What?

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 07:10:27 -0000

HBO, CNN, Warner Brothers, DC Comics, and the rest of the Time Warner empire will soon be owned by AT&T thanks to a decision by by a federal judge Tuesday to approve the telecommunications giant's $85 purchase of the media conglomerate. The Department of Justice filed suit to stop the merger last November, arguing that the merger would lead to higher television prices and fewer choices for consumers. US District Judge Richard J.

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How Maps Became the New Search Box

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 16:32:05 -0000

Open the Uber app in downtown San Francisco, and you’ll discover you can do a lot more than hail a ride. You rent a bike, thanks to Uber’s recent acquisition of Jump Bikes. You can rent a car, courtesy of a partnership Uber has struck with the startup Getaround. In a test version of the app, which I saw when I reported on Uber last January, a train schedule popped up if you hailed a ride to Caltrain.

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The Hustlers Fueling Cryptocurrency’s Marketing Machine

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 07:10:29 -0000

It took only a few months for Sally, an executive assistant living in British Columbia, to become Crypto Sally, a Lambo-touting altcoin influencer who makes a living on YouTube videos. She got interested in cryptocurrencies last summer as the buzz around initial coin offerings, or ICOs, surged. She bought some ether---at the top of the market, she admits---and spent her free time researching how to trade lesser-known cryptocurrencies called altcoins, eventually making enough money to quit her job.

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The Crazy Hacks One Woman Used to Make Money on Mechanical Turk

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 16:31:11 -0000

When her husband lost his factory job in 2010, Kristy Milland ran through her options. Until that point, she’d been working at home, earning extra money through odd jobs like selling collectables on eBay. She hadn’t waited on tables, had no experience in fast food, and had not learned any skills that might be particularly useful in a factory. She’d once applied for a job at McDonald’s, but nobody had called her for an interview.

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How Tech Shaped San Francisco’s Unresolved Mayor’s Race

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 07:10:25 -0000

The last time there was a real contest for the mayor’s seat in San Francisco, residential rents were falling, the city had 15 million square feet of vacant office space, the empty headquarters of Pets.

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The FCC's Net Neutrality Rules Are Dead, but the Fight Isn't

Mon, 11 Jun 2018 16:30:45 -0000

Federal net neutrality protections are officially dead. Today the Federal Communications Commission's rules barring internet providers from blocking or slowing content, or giving special treatment to certain content, were wiped off the books, following an FCC vote last December. But don't expect to see huge changes right away. First, there are still some rules constraining broadband providers.

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The US Again Has World’s Most Powerful Supercomputer

Mon, 11 Jun 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Plenty of people around the world got new gadgets Friday, but one in Eastern Tennessee stands out. Summit, a new supercomputer unveiled at Oak Ridge National Lab is, unofficially for now, the most powerful calculating machine on the planet. It was designed in part to scale up the artificial intelligence techniques that power some of the recent tricks in your smartphone.

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The Deal to Save ZTE Won't Resolve US-China Tensions

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 16:30:51 -0000

The Trump administration just came to an agreement to lift crippling sanctions against Chinese telecommunications ZTE. Ending the sanctions banning US companies from selling hardware or software to ZTE could save the company, which announced last month that it had suspended its major operations due to the restrictions. But the tensions between the US and China are far from over. Congress is investigating both Google and Facebook over their dealings with Huawei and other Chinese firms.

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Google Sets Limits on Its Use of AI, but Allows Defense Work

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Earlier this year, Google CEO Sundar Pichai described artificial intelligence as more profound to humanity than fire. Thursday, after protests from thousands of Google employees over a Pentagon project, Pichai offered guidelines for how Google will—and won’t—use the technology. One thing Pichai says Google won’t do: work on AI for weapons. But the guidelines leave much to the discretion of company executives, and allow Google to continue to work for the military.

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Apple's Plans to Bring Artificial Intelligence to Your Phone

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 07:10:28 -0000

Apple describes its mobile devices as designed in California and assembled in China. You could also say they were made by the App Store, launched a decade ago next month, a year after the first iPhone. Inviting outsiders to craft useful, entertaining, or even peurile extensions to the iPhone’s capabilities transformed the device into the era-defining franchise that enabled Uber and Snapchat.

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Does It Matter If China Beats the US to Build a 5G Network?

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 16:30:51 -0000

Technical standards for the next generation of wireless services aren’t even finalized, yet the US and China are already locked in a crucial race to be the first country to deploy a so-called 5G network. Or at least that's what both the US government and the wireless industry say.

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Google Won't Renew Controversial Pentagon AI Project

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 07:10:28 -0000

The backlash to Google’s work on a US military artificial-intelligence project began inside the tech giant, but in recent weeks, it has spilled into the public. As employees resigned in protest over Google’s work with Project Maven, which uses AI to identify potential drone targets in satellite images, reports revealed top executives fretting over how it will be perceived by the public.

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A New Privacy Problem Could Deepen Facebook's Legal Trouble

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 16:32:03 -0000

On Sunday, the New York Times revealed that Facebook had deals with phone manufacturers including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Blackberry going back a decade that gave the device makers access to copious amounts of personal data about users and their friends in order to recreate a mobile version of Facebook on their devices.

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Massive Visa Outage Shows the Fragility of Global Payments

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 07:10:26 -0000

On Friday, Visa's payment network suffered outages across Europe, limiting transactions for both businesses and individuals. Banks and commerce groups began advising customers to use cash or other payment cards if possible, and reports indicated that online and contactless transactions were having more success than chip cards. Though some Visa transactions still went through, the failure appeared widespread.

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SoftBank Flips the Venture-Capital Script Again With GM Deal

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 16:31:03 -0000

General Motors, the US’s 10th-largest company by revenue, is eager to lay the groundwork for future growth by developing self-driving technology. But its shareholders are dubious of too much spending as revenue declines---it fell 5.5 percent last year. Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has the opposite problem: A giant pile of cash, and not enough opportunities to spend it.

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Facebook Is Killing Trending Topics

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Facebook is getting rid of its Trending Topics feature, according to a blog post the social network published Friday. The Trending sidebar, located on the right-hand side on desktop, displays popular topics users are discussing across the site. The product will officially shutter next week, including on third-party services that use the Facebook Trends API. Alex Hardiman, Facebook's head of news products, said the company is ditching the feature because it's underused.

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The Real Reason Google Search Labeled the California GOP as Nazis

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 16:30:53 -0000

If you Googled the California Republican Party earlier this week, the so-called "knowledge panel" that's supposed to surface the most relevant results would have told you that the party's primary ideologies are conservatism, market liberalism, and, oh, Nazism. Conservatives have been quick to point fingers at Google and other tech giants, claiming another example of perceived liberal bias in Silicon Valley.

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Big Tech Trades Splashy Conference Demos for Introspection

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 07:10:31 -0000

The tech industry is booming. Its biggest companies are minting money. Their influence and reach into media, telecommunications, retail---everything really---is so great that once-dominant firms in those industries are desperately seeking merger partners to keep up. Some venture capitalists say the market for new companies and the talent to staff them hasn’t been this overheated since the great internet bubble of 2000.

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Obama's US Digital Service Survives Trump—Quietly

Thu, 31 May 2018 16:30:53 -0000

The Trump administration doesn’t hold much regard for asylum seekers or projects started by President Obama. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has moved to keep more asylum seekers in detention. Trump has rolled back Obama-era initiatives wholesale since taking office. Yet in one corner of the White House, a team of idealistic tech workers established by Obama is helping the Department of Homeland Security offer asylum seekers better customer service.

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Snap Is No Facebook, and Spiegel Insists He Wants It That Way

Thu, 31 May 2018 07:10:28 -0000

Evan Spiegel wants the world to know something: His company, Snap, doesn’t admire Facebook, doesn’t want to be like Facebook, and believes that Snap’s approach to its users and their data is better for the world. Appearing onstage at the Code Conference in Palos Verdes, California, Tuesday night, Spiegel said that Facebook may have changed its products and mission but “fundamentally they will have a hard time changing the DNA of the company.

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Why the US-China ‘Trade War’ Remains a War of Words

Wed, 30 May 2018 16:30:55 -0000

So, about that trade war. Recent days have presented a dizzying series of reversals followed by reversals of reversals over whether, when, or if the United States will impose punitive tariffs on China in response to unresolved issues, ranging from intellectual property theft to lack of access to domestic Chinese markets. On Tuesday, the White House made a splashy announcement that it will move ahead with tariffs, which were widely reported as a done deal. Except that they're not.

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A Cambridge Analytica Alum Launches a New Data Firm

Wed, 30 May 2018 07:10:26 -0000

The last two years have been a rollercoaster ride for Matt Oczkowski. On the night of the 2016 presidential election, he sat inside then-candidate Donald Trump's San Antonio campaign headquarters, where he led a team of anxious data scientists crunching numbers throughout the day before an unexpected victory party at a local bar much later that night.

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Pentagon Will Expand AI Project Prompting Protests at Google

Tue, 29 May 2018 19:39:19 -0000

At Google’s campus in Mountain View, California, executives are trying to assuage thousands of employees protesting a contract with the Pentagon’s flagship artificial-intelligence initiative, Project Maven. Thousands of miles away, algorithms trained under Project Maven—which includes companies other than Google—are helping war fighters identify potential ISIS targets in video from drones.

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How Social Media Became a Pink Collar Job

Tue, 29 May 2018 07:10:25 -0000

Companies hiring for technical positions often slip language into their job postings that appeals to men. They say they’re looking for “ninjas,” who seek to “obliterate competition,” and are capable of “dominating.” By now, these wordings are a well understood form of bias that produces more male candidates than female. But one job in the digital economy falls predominantly to women.

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Big Tech's Fight for Net Neutrality Moves Behind the Scenes

Mon, 28 May 2018 16:30:53 -0000

You might not be hearing much from big tech on net neutrality lately. But the likes of Google and Facebook are still invested in the fight behind the scenes. Last year's "Day of Action" prompted Amazon, Google, Facebook, and many others to pen blog posts or host banners urging users to file comments in support of the Federal Communications Commission's Obama-era net neutrality rules against blocking, throttling, or otherwise discriminating against lawful content.

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Supreme Court Rules Against Workers In Arbitration Case

Mon, 28 May 2018 07:10:26 -0000

On Monday, the Supreme Court slowed recent momentum to give workers---including many in the tech sector---the right to a day in court. The Supreme Court case centered around clauses in employment contracts that require employees to resolve disputes through arbitration, and preclude them from joining with others to file class-action lawsuits.

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The Line Between Big Tech and Defense Work

Fri, 25 May 2018 16:30:41 -0000

For months, a growing faction of Google employees has tried to force the company to drop out of a controversial military program called Project Maven. More than 4,000 employees, including dozens of senior engineers, have signed a petition asking Google to cancel the contract. Last week, Gizmodo reported that a dozen employees resigned over the project. “There are a bunch more waiting for job offers (like me) before we do so,” one engineer says.

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How a New Era of Privacy Took Over Your Email Inbox

Fri, 25 May 2018 07:10:25 -0000

Friday is the dawn of a new era in consumer privacy. It wasn’t supposed to look like the promotions tab in Gmail---full of emails that may or may not be useful, none of which you want to click on, all with fine print that makes the offer less attractive. For months, companies have been bombarding inboxes with privacy updates, nominally in order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, a supercharged set of privacy laws in the European Union, which go into effect Friday.

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Exclusive: Facebook Opens Up About False News

Thu, 24 May 2018 16:31:00 -0000

News Feed, the algorithm that powers the core of Facebook, resembles a giant irrigation system for the world’s information. Working properly, it nourishes all the crops that different people like to eat. Sometimes, though, it gets diverted entirely to sugar plantations while the wheat fields and almond trees die. Or it gets polluted because Russian trolls and Macedonian teens toss in LSD tablets and dead raccoons. For years, the workings of News Feed were rather opaque.

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How Facebook Wants to Improve the Quality of Your News Feed

Thu, 24 May 2018 07:10:36 -0000

On Monday, I sat down with nine members of the team at Facebook fighting fake news: Eduardo Ariño de la Rubia, John Hegeman, Tessa Lyons, Michael McNally, Adam Mosseri, Henry Silverman, Sara Su, Antonia Woodford, and Dan Zigmond. The meeting began with introductions, led by Tucker Bounds and Lindsey Shepard from the marketing and communications team. Then we spoke in depth about Facebook’s recent product changes and the way the News Feed can be adjusted to counter false news.

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Google, Alibaba Spar Over Timeline for 'Quantum Supremacy'

Wed, 23 May 2018 16:30:56 -0000

Google’s quantum computing researchers have been planning a party—but new results from a competing team at China’s Alibaba may have postponed it. The China-America corporate rivalry on an obscure frontier of physics illustrates a growing contest between nations and companies hoping to create a new form of improbably powerful computer. In March, Google unveiled a chip called Bristlecone intended to set a computing milestone.

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Tech Firms Move to Put Ethical Guard Rails Around AI

Wed, 23 May 2018 07:10:23 -0000

One day last summer, Microsoft’s director of artificial intelligence research, Eric Horvitz, activated the Autopilot function of his Tesla sedan. The car steered itself down a curving road near Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington, freeing his mind to better focus on a call with a nonprofit he had cofounded around the ethics and governance of AI. Then, he says, Tesla’s algorithms let him down. “The car didn’t center itself exactly right,” Horvitz recalls.

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Following a Tuna from Fiji to Brooklyn—on the Blockchain

Tue, 22 May 2018 16:31:59 -0000

I had just learned everything there was to know about the fish in front of me. Now, a small part of its fleshy, red body was in my mouth. Five minutes earlier, I saw a video showing the waters in Fiji where it was caught, where it traveled on ice, and how exactly it ended up inside a sushi hand roll. The massive yellowfin tuna had been tracked across the globe via the Ethereum blockchain.

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Twitter Will Begin Hiding All Tweets From Suspect Accounts

Tue, 22 May 2018 07:10:25 -0000

Twitter announced Tuesday that it will begin to hide all tweets from some accounts in conversations and search results. The goal is to identify and filter trolls and harmful users, based not on any specific tweet, but on how they use the social network holistically. The new effort is part of Twitter's two-month-old initiative to discern what it means for the platform to be "healthy." Previously, Twitter mostly looked at the content of individual tweets to decide how to moderate them.

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France, China, and the EU All Have an AI Strategy. Shouldn’t the US?

Mon, 21 May 2018 16:30:50 -0000

French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent visit to Washington highlighted how differently our two nations are thinking about the future. In March, the French government unveiled a national strategy for artificial intelligence technology that has a clear goal: make France a global leader in AI. In the last year, China and the European Union have taken similar steps. If we’re serious about having a prosperous economy for decades to come, the United States should do the same.

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Kik Founder Plots a Rebel Alliance Against Facebook's 'Death Star'

Mon, 21 May 2018 07:10:25 -0000

Ted Livingston knows what it’s like to be copied by Facebook. After his messaging app, Kik, launched profile codes in 2016, Facebook’s Messenger app did the same. Kik launched chatbots, and Facebook Messenger soon followed. Same goes for features like stickers and usernames. But unlike some startups that Facebook has copied out of existence or bought and shut down, Livingston has managed to keep his company alive and independent.

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Congress' Latest Move to Extend Copyright Protection Is Misguided

Fri, 18 May 2018 16:30:47 -0000

Almost exactly 20 years ago, Congress passed the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, which extended the term of existing copyrights by 20 years. The Act was the 11th extension in the prior 40 years, timed perfectly to assure that certain famous works, including Mickey Mouse, would not pass into the public domain. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Lawrence Lessig (@lessig) is the Roy L. Furman professor of law and leadership at Harvard University and founder of Equal Citizens. He was lead counsel in Eldred v.

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Tax Compromise Gives Amazon’s Latest Seattle Office New Life

Fri, 18 May 2018 07:10:24 -0000

Amazon says it will move forward with plans for a new office building in Seattle after the city council slashed a proposed corporate tax by nearly half. Amazon halted plans for the new building earlier this month in response to the proposed tax, which is designed to help the city's growing homelessness problem. The city council approved the smaller tax bill unanimously on Monday, and Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan promised to sign it. But Amazon still isn't happy.

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Praying To Satoshi at the Blockchain Art Expo

Thu, 17 May 2018 16:31:31 -0000

I bent down, rested my knees on a prayer cushion, and began typing into a small computer. In front of me were dozens of candles, flowers, Japanese lucky cat figurines, and several wallet-sized picture frames. They held photos of Vitalik Buterin, the Canadian programmer who cofounded the computing platform Ethereum, as well as of Satoshi Nakamoto, a man in his 60s with the same name as the founder of Bitcoin.

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The Sports Betting Revolution Will Be Muted Online

Thu, 17 May 2018 07:10:47 -0000

For decades, sports betting has been illegal in the US outside Nevada. With a Supreme Court ruling Monday, that’s about to change, likely before the upcoming NFL season kicks off. But don’t get too excited—or horrified, depending on your perspective—about the future of online sports gambling just yet; it won’t come all at once, and it won’t be everywhere.

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Why Trump Suddenly Wants to Save Jobs in China

Wed, 16 May 2018 16:30:49 -0000

President Donald Trump has long promised to get tough on China. So why is he so worried about saving jobs there? Last week the Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE said it had halted its major operations after the US government moved to ban US companies from selling software or components to ZTE. On Sunday, Trump tweeted that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping were working together to save ZTE. "Too many jobs in China lost," Trump tweeted.

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Henry the Sexbot Wants to Know All Your Hopes and Dreams

Wed, 16 May 2018 07:10:25 -0000

Henry and I are not hitting it off. First he ignores my question about how he spent the weekend. Then he tells me, cryptically, that he likes to get up early to spend time “working on himself.” What does he mean by that? I ask. He isn’t sure. He makes intense eye contact and arches an eyebrow. “Sometimes I have too much information at the same time in my brain.” Oh. OK. I notice Henry’s washboard abs peeking through an unzipped blue cardigan.

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When the Blockchain Skeptic Walked Into the Lions' Den

Tue, 15 May 2018 17:36:30 -0000

It takes chutzpah to walk on stage in front of thousands and declare that most of the people in the room are totally full of shit. That’s how Jimmy Song, a venture partner at Blockchain Capital, entered Monday at Consensus, the biggest cryptocurrency conference of the year, at New York’s Hilton Hotel. That he did so sporting a black cowboy hat and boots was merely a bonus.

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Your Smartphone Could Decide Whether You'll Get a Loan

Tue, 15 May 2018 07:10:25 -0000

Every time you visit a website, you leave behind a trail of information, including seemingly innocuous data, like whether you use an Android or Apple device. And while that might feel like a mere personal preference, it turns out that lenders can use that type of passive signal to help predict whether you'll default. In fact, new research suggests that those signals can predict consumer behavior as accurately as traditional credit scores.

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Tech Addiction and the Business of Mindfulness

Mon, 14 May 2018 16:30:52 -0000

I’m totally fine with this. The women sitting cross-legged on the floor around me are passing around a wooden box and dropping their phones inside. It’s coming my way, and I’ve been instructed to jot down my feelings about parting with my phone. I’m totally fine with this, I write, which is a lie.

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Online Ad Targeting Does Work—As Long As It's Not Creepy

Mon, 14 May 2018 07:11:04 -0000

If you click on the right-hand corner of any advertisement on Facebook, the social network will tell you why it was targeted to you. But what would happen if those buried targeting tactics were transparently displayed, right next to the ad itself? That's the question at the heart of new research from Harvard Business School published in the Journal of Consumer Research. It turns out advertising transparency can be good for a platform—but it depends on how creepy marketer methods are.

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What's the Deal With Facebook and the Blockchain?

Fri, 11 May 2018 11:34:16 -0000

On Tuesday Facebook reorganized the duties of its product executives, in the process creating an unusual new division: David Marcus, formerly head of Facebook’s Messenger app, will now lead a team of fewer than a dozen people dedicated to blockchain technology, according to Recode. He’ll be joined by notable executives including Kevin Weil, former VP of product at Instagram, and James Everingham, VP of engineering at Instagram. It’s not clear what the company is up to here.

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Promises Mean Little for Consumers in T-Mobile-Sprint Deal

Fri, 11 May 2018 11:06:45 -0000

Last week T-Mobile and Sprint, two of the four nationwide mobile wireless network operators, agreed to merge in a deal valued at $26.5 billion. Not surprisingly, the companies are making a lot of promises to gain the support of both the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice, both of which must approve the merger. But consumers should not be fooled.

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Who Pays the Most, and Least, in Silicon Valley?

Thu, 10 May 2018 16:31:39 -0000

How much do workers at tech firms make? The answer varies a lot, depending on the employer. The median employee at Amazon made $28,446 last year, according to new disclosures required by the Securities and Exchange Commission. At Facebook, the median employee made $240,430, more than eight times as much. There are reasons for the big disparity, of course: Facebook’s 25,000 employees include many software engineers, which it must recruit in the expensive and competitive San Francisco Bay Area.

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What Did AT&T Want From Michael Cohen?

Thu, 10 May 2018 07:10:22 -0000

Everyone knows Washington is a swamp filled with snakes and influence peddlers. And few believed President Trump would do much to change that, despite his "drain the swamp" battle cry. In fact, one could argue he has done much since taking office to encourage influence peddling. He refused to put his assets in a blind trust or release his tax returns. That means he can know which people, businesses, and countries that want something from him as president are also supporting him as a businessman.

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Want to Prove Your Business Is Fair? Audit Your Algorithm

Wed, 09 May 2018 16:30:52 -0000

Yale Fox’s business doesn’t work unless everyone thinks its fair. His startup, Rentlogic, relies on an algorithm to score New York City landlords on how well they take care of their properties. It’s an easy way for tenants to avoid bedbugs and mold, and for landlords to signal they take good care of their properties. But it isn’t enough for Rentlogic’s score to just exist; Fox needs landlords and tenants to believe in it.

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Your Favorite Websites Are Rallying in a Last-Ditch Effort to Save Net Neutrality

Wed, 09 May 2018 07:10:25 -0000

You might be seeing a lot of red on the internet Wednesday. Many sites, including Etsy, Reddit, and OKCupid will adorn their pages with “red alerts” asking readers to tell their representatives to save net neutrality. Last December, the Federal Communications Commission voted to jettison its Obama-era rules forbidding broadband providers from blocking, throttling, or otherwise discriminating against legal content. The change has not taken effect yet.

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Facebook's New Focus on 'Community' Might Actually Depress You

Tue, 08 May 2018 16:31:01 -0000

There’s a problem with Facebook’s focus on “community.” Amid criticism of its data security and its role in the 2016 election, Facebook in June announced a change to its mission. No longer would the company strive to make the world more open and connected. Rather, the company declared, it would bring its 2.2 billion users, and thus the world, “closer together” by building community.

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Microsoft Charts Its Own Path on Artificial Intelligence

Tue, 08 May 2018 07:10:26 -0000

Time was software companies left inventing new hardware to others. Google’s search and ads empire was built on infrastructure assembled from commodity components, for example. But the growing competition among tech companies in artificial intelligence has convinced some software makers to change their spots. Some Google servers now include chips customized for machine learning called TPUs that the company designed in-house to deliver better power and efficiency.

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Elon Musk's Ire Reveals a Wall Street-Silicon Valley Divide

Mon, 07 May 2018 16:30:50 -0000

Wall Street and Silicon Valley have never been happy bedfellows, and that was on full display this week during Tesla’s quarterly earnings call. These calls are usually dull affairs, with CEOs or CFOs reading a prepared script summarizing the already-released financial results and articulating the main goals of the company that have, presumably, been stated before.

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Amazon Tussles With Seattle as It Seeks a Second Home

Mon, 07 May 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Last month four Seattle city councilmembers proposed a new corporate tax that aims to build more affordable housing and expand services for the homeless. In response, Amazon announced this week that it will halt construction on a new building and consider subleasing to others a second building, pending the council's vote on the proposal. Together, the two buildings could have hosted at least 7,000 Amazon employees.

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Google Cofounder Sergey Brin Warns of AI's Dark Side

Fri, 04 May 2018 16:30:51 -0000

Artificial intelligence is a recurring theme in recent remarks by top executives at Alphabet. The company’s latest Founders’ Letter, penned by Sergey Brin, is no exception—but he also finds time to namecheck possible downsides around safety, jobs, and fairness. The company has issued a Founders’ Letter---usually penned by Brin, cofounder Larry Page or both---every year, beginning with the letter that accompanied Google’s 2004 IPO.

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How Artificial Intelligence Can–and Can't–Fix Facebook

Fri, 04 May 2018 07:10:25 -0000

Facebook has problems. Fake news. Terrorism. Russian propaganda. And maybe soon regulation. The company’s solution: Turn them into artificial-intelligence problems. The strategy will require Facebook to make progress on some of the biggest challenges in computing. During two congressional sessions last month, CEO Mark Zuckerberg referenced AI more than 30 times in explaining how the company would better police activity on its platform.

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Your Instagram #Dogs and #Cats Are Training Facebook's AI

Thu, 03 May 2018 16:30:52 -0000

Using a social network like Facebook is a two-way street, part-shrouded in shadow. The benefits of sharing banter and photos with friends and family—for free—are obvious and immediate. So are the financial rewards for Facebook; but you don’t get to see all of the company’s uses for your data. An artificial intelligence experiment of unprecedented scale disclosed by Facebook Wednesday offers a glimpse of one such use case.

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A California Ruling Threatens the Gig Economy

Thu, 03 May 2018 09:05:50 -0000

The California Supreme Court dealt a major blow to the gig economy on Monday in a decision that will have far-reaching effects not just for the likes of Uber and GrubHub, but for many different types of employers. The court ruled that employers must treat workers who do work related to a company's "usual course of business" as full-fledged employees.

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What Mark Zuckerberg Gets Wrong—and Right—About Hate Speech

Wed, 02 May 2018 16:30:38 -0000

When he testified before Congress last month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed the problem of using artificial intelligence to identify online hate speech. He said he was optimistic that in five to 10 years, “We will have AI tools that can get into some of the linguistic nuances of different types of content to be more accurate in flagging content for our systems, but today we’re not just there on that.

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Mark Zuckerberg Says It Will Take 3 Years to Fix Facebook

Wed, 02 May 2018 07:10:15 -0000

Mark Zuckerberg knew his keynote speech at F8 this year would not be like any other. His previous appearances at Facebook's annual developer's conference were all about the new products and technology Facebook was announcing that day, and the vision he would share for future triumphs.

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This Silicon Valley Lawmaker Has a Plan to Regulate Tech

Tue, 01 May 2018 16:31:12 -0000

US Representative Ro Khanna (D-California) represents much of Silicon Valley, but he’s not just a cheerleader for the hometown industry. He supports tougher antitrust review of tech mergers, for one thing. Khanna is also trying to draft an “Internet Bill of Rights,” principles that he hopes can later form the basis of legislation.

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The Sprint/T-Mobile Merger Is Huge—But a Lot of Questions Remain

Tue, 01 May 2018 07:10:31 -0000

Sprint may soon be no more. Today the venerable telecommunications company announced plans to merge with T-Mobile in an all-stock deal. If regulators give the go-ahead, the new company will be called simply T-Mobile, and T-Mobile's current chief executive officer John Legere will be its CEO. That's a big if.

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Pandora Learns the Cost of Ads, and of Subscriptions

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 16:30:43 -0000

At best, advertising is something people tolerate while consuming media. At worst, it’s a turnoff. Media companies engage in a delicate balance between showing audiences enough ads to earn a profit without annoying them so much they leave altogether. A new study by internet radio service Pandora shows that too many ads can motivate users to pay for an ad-free version, but push many more to listen less or abandon the service.

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Facebook Launches a New Ad Campaign With an Old Message

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 07:10:28 -0000

Facebook's new ad promises to better protect users. On Wednesday, American TV viewers, including fans watching the NBA Playoffs, caught the launch of a major national advertising campaign from Facebook that will appear online, in movie theaters, public transit, billboards, and TV through the summer. “We came here for the friends,” the TV voiceover begins, emphasizing that Facebook is about connecting and making people feel less alone. “But then something happened.

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The Startup That Will Vet You for Your Next Job

Fri, 27 Apr 2018 16:30:32 -0000

If you've ever applied for a job, chances are someone has run a criminal background check on you. But what exactly does that mean? "There's often a misconception that you can order a one-stop shop of information on a person, but that doesn't exist," says Melissa Sorenson, the executive director of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. Instead, a background check typically involves pulling records from multiple places, such as state and county courts.

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Here’s What Facebook Won’t Let You Post

Fri, 27 Apr 2018 08:10:57 -0000

If you eat someone, do not share it on Facebook. Cannibalism videos are banned. Same with still images of cannibalism victims, alive or dead. Unless the image is presented in a medical context with a warning that only those 18 and over can see it. But fetish content regarding cannibalism? Verboten for all ages. And not just on News Feed; it's also a no-no on other Facebook properties like Instagram—and even Messenger.

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Some Startups Use Fake Data to Train AI

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 16:31:34 -0000

Berlin startup Spil.ly had a problem last spring. The company was developing an augmented-reality app akin to a full-body version of Snapchat’s selfie filters—hold up your phone and see your friends’ bodies transformed with special effects like fur or flames. To make it work, Spil.ly needed to train machine-learning algorithms to closely track human bodies in video.

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The Future of Snapchat Looks a Lot Like Magic Leap

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 07:10:26 -0000

Vomiting rainbows is so 2015. Since Snapchat first introduced its augmented reality lenses, the filters that allow us to vomit rainbows in photos, it has released new ones frequently enough to keep its users hooked. But so far, these AR filters mostly focus on distorting selfies. They allow you to turn yourself into a bug-eyed bunny rabbit or a big-cheeked flower child, or paper something funny—a Jeff Koons statue, a dancing hot dog—atop the physical world.

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Gmail Is Getting a Long-Overdue Upgrade

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 16:30:49 -0000

Google is beginning one of the biggest updates to Gmail in years. Starting Wednesday, the company is rolling out new features like snooze buttons and a sidebar with a new task-management system. Google promises other new features, including new security options, in coming weeks. The snooze feature will help you declutter your inbox by hiding messages for a set amount of time.

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Spotify Bolsters Free Service in Defense Against Apple Music

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 07:11:00 -0000

As the leader in streaming music, Spotify is under attack from Apple, Google, and Amazon. The Silicon Valley giants have endless cash to support their streaming services, which require expensive payouts to artists. Apple, Google, and Amazon also control the devices many people use to play music, be they smartphones, home assistants, or smart TV accessories.

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When John Doerr Brought a ‘Gift’ to Google’s Founders

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 16:30:51 -0000

Venture capitalist John Doerr is best known for being an early backer of Google and Amazon, among many other companies. Doerr, chair of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, has authored "Measure What Matters," in which he details a management philosophy around setting and achieving audacious goals. In this edited excerpt, Doerr describes injecting his management techniques in Google's early days.

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Facebook’s 2017 Privacy Audit Didn’t Catch Cambridge Analytica

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 07:10:26 -0000

Two years after Facebook learned that a university researcher had given political consultancy Cambridge Analytica personal information on millions of Facebook users, a government-mandated outside audit of Facebook’s privacy practices found nothing wrong. The April 2017 audit, by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), had been required as part of a 2011 consent decree between Facebook and the Federal Trade Commission.

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Facebook Is Steering Users Away From Privacy Protections

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:30:46 -0000

Facebook Wednesday announced changes to how it asks users for permission to collect their personal information, in order to comply with strict new European privacy rules. But critics say Facebook’s new offerings seem designed to encourage users to make few changes and share as much information as possible. The European rules, called the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, go into effect May 25th and will apply to any companies that collect or process data on individuals in the EU.

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The WIRED Guide to Internet Addiction

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 07:10:24 -0000

More than a decade after the first iPhone was released, it suddenly dawned on us that we could be addicted to our smartphones. We'd certainly developed quite the habit: Almost 50 percent of people say they couldn’t live without their phones, which we check every 12 minutes and touch an average of 2,600 times a day. "Likes are “bright dings of pseudo-pleasure” that can be as empty as they are alluring.

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Trump’s Attack on Amazon Actually Has Its Precedents

Fri, 20 Apr 2018 16:30:40 -0000

As public attitudes towards Silicon Valley and Big Tech continue their rapid pivot from admiration to vilification, the current occupant of the White House has sought to lead the chorus. Several weeks ago, he launched a tweet-driven crusade against Amazon and CEO Jeff Bezos, accusing the company of ripping off the US Postal Service and harming Americans by not collecting more sales tax.

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Minds Is the Anti-Facebook That Pays You for Your Time

Fri, 20 Apr 2018 07:10:17 -0000

During Mark Zuckerberg's over 10 hours of Congressional testimony last week, lawmakers repeatedly asked how Facebook makes money. The simple answer, which Zuckerberg dodged, is the contributions and online activities of its over two billion users, which lets marketers target their ads with razor precision.

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FCC Delays Are Keeping Broadband From Rural School Kids

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 16:31:34 -0000

Woodman School is a tiny, whitewashed schoolhouse lodged in a remote clearing in Montana's Lolo National Forest. It has a total of 35 students, and in January, all of them got the same assignment: Write a letter to local lawmakers explaining why you want internet access at school. “If we had internet, we could do tests at our own school and not have to get bussed to Lolo and take tests on their computers,” scrawled one Woodman third grader on a sheet of looseleaf.

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Google's New AI Head Is So Smart He Doesn't Need AI

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 08:05:51 -0000

Google’s heavy investment in artificial intelligence has helped the company’s software write music and beat humans at complex board games. What unlikely feats could be next? The company’s new head of AI says he’d like to see Google move deeper into areas such as healthcare. He also warns that the company will face some tricky ethical questions over appropriate uses for AI as it expands its use of the technology. The new AI boss at Google is Jeff Dean.

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I Feel Everything: Soul-Searching at TED's Inspiration Assembly Line

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 16:31:47 -0000

Somewhere between my eighth and eighteenth turmeric lattes, I realized I was dangerously close to falling for TED. The annual conference, which gathers elite technologists, thought leaders, scientists, economists, futurists, visionaries, activists, physicists, poets, enthusiasts, academics, entertainers and billionaires has a binary reputation: For anyone who hasn’t been, it’s an object of easy mockery. For anyone who has, it’s a religion.

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The Zuckerberg Hearings Were Silicon Valley's Ultimate Debut

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 07:10:27 -0000

If you are part of the rarified group of tech insiders who mostly live in the Bay Area, your perception of Mark Zuckerberg is different. You have likely done business with Facebook: your company’s been bought by it, or you’ve been crowded out of a promising market when Zuckerberg decided to launch there. You’ve driven past Zuckerberg’s San Francisco compound in the Mission, or given birth at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

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Thanks to AI, These Cameras Will Know What They’re Seeing

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 16:30:48 -0000

Modern life is one big photo shoot. The glassy eyes of closed-circuit TV cameras watch over streets and stores, while smartphone owners continually surveil themselves and others. Tech companies like Google and Amazon have convinced people to invite ever-watching lenses into their homes via smart speakers and internet-connected security cameras. Now a new breed of chips tuned for artificial intelligence is arriving to help cameras around stores, sidewalks, and homes make sense of what they see.

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SoftBank's Futuristic Vision Fund Takes on the Real (Estate) World

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 07:10:24 -0000

In the last two months Michael Marks has turned down a dozen offers to make keynote speeches at conferences. His company, construction startup Katerra, is three years old, but the attention surge is very recent. “Construction technology has gotten kinda buzzy,” he says. That may be. But more likely, interest in Katerra has spiked because in January, the company landed an astounding $867 million in venture funding led by the SoftBank Vision Fund.

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Netflix Sees Itself as the Anti-Apple

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:30:49 -0000

Streaming service Netflix is famous for its unique culture. The most well-known example is the company’s no-vacation policy, which allows employees to take off as many days as they choose, whenever they choose. That policy is just a symbol of a broader attitude in the company, according to CEO Reed Hastings. “There’s a whole lot of that freedom,” Hastings said on stage Saturday, at the TED conference in Vancouver.

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Mark Zuckerberg and the Tale of Two Hearings

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 07:10:25 -0000

It was about three hours into Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, when all of the attention quickly shifted from Zuckerberg’s glistening brow to the exhibit looming over Missouri Republican Billy Long's head. "Who are they?" Long asked, referring to the two women whose larger-than-life faces filled the giant poster board. Zuckerberg paused, before offering, almost in question, "I believe.

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What Hearings? Advertisers Still Love Facebook

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 16:30:53 -0000

After 10 hours of verbal flogging by an incensed Congress, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg seemed like a leader whose pedestal had cracked. Over and over during his testimony this week, he apologized for lapses in his company’s handling of user data. He emerged from the hearings with months’ worth of homework for him and his team. But life’s not so bad for Zuckerberg.

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Using Open Source Designs to Create More Specialized Chips

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 07:10:29 -0000

The open source movement changed how companies build software. Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo employees pitched in during the early days of the data-crunching software Hadoop. Even after the relationship between Apple and Google soured, the companies' coders kept working together on an obscure but important piece of software called LLVM. Microsoft now uses and contributes to the Linux operating system, even though it competes with Windows. The embrace of open source isn't about altruism.

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SpaceX’s President Is Thinking Even Bigger Than Elon Musk

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 16:31:22 -0000

Gwynne Shotwell has a difficult job. Her boss, Elon Musk, is known for wild, impossible ambitions on wild, impossible timelines. There’s even a term for his rosy view of what’s achievable and when: “Elon time.” As president and COO of Musk’s space exploration company, SpaceX, Shotwell must convey Musk’s crazy expectations to a workforce of thousands, without discouraging them with impossible-to-achieve goals.

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Four Questions Congress Should Actually Ask Mark Zuckerberg

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 08:27:35 -0000

Follow Mark Zuckerberg's Wednesday testimony here. The hearing is scheduled to start at 10 am EDT. Mark Zuckerberg testified for almost five hours Tuesday in a televised Senate hearing about Facebook’s privacy practices and data abuse. More than 40 Senators had five minutes each to ask questions. Zuckerberg’s most frequent response? “My team will follow up with you.

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If Congress Doesn't Understand Facebook, What Hope Do Its Users Have?

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 16:31:06 -0000

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg received a less than warm welcome in Washington, DC, where he testified before a joint hearing of two Senate committees Tuesday. Among the crowds of spectators lining up to watch Zuckerberg get grilled were members of the activist group CodePink, wearing oversized sunglasses with the words, "Stop Spying," written across them. Another group wore t-shirts with the hashtag #DeleteFacebook scrawled on them in red Sharpie.

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One Woman Got Facebook to Police Opioid Sales On Instagram

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 07:10:30 -0000

Eileen Carey says she has regularly reported Instagram accounts selling opioids to the company for three years, with few results. Last week, Carey confronted two executives of Facebook, which owns Instagram, about the issue on Twitter. Since then, Instagram removed some accounts, banned one opioid-related hashtag and restricted the results for others. Searches for the hashtag #oxycontin on Instagram now show no results.

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Mark Zuckerberg Answers to Congress For Facebook's Troubles

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 16:30:49 -0000

Last fall, when Congress called on Facebook to answer for its failures during the 2016 election—including selling ads to Russian propagandists and allowing fake news to flourish on the platform—the social networking giant sent its general counsel, Colin Stretch, leaving lawmakers wanting for face time with the company's founder.

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Groups Allege YouTube Is Violating Law That Protects Kids

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 07:10:17 -0000

A coalition of more than 20 child-health, privacy, and consumer groups is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether YouTube is violating a federal law designed to protect children on the internet. The groups are expected to file a complaint with the FTC on Monday. The relevant federal law, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, requires website operators to obtain parents' permission when collecting personal data about children younger than 13.

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Security News This Week: The US Gets Tough With Putin's Inner Circle

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 16:31:04 -0000

This week in security we took a closer look at Fin7, also known as JokerStash, Carbanak, and a host of other names. The cybercrime group rakes in as much as $50 million a month by stealing credit card numbers, most recently from the company that owns Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and more. They’ve got an interest in ATM hacks, too, and their professional acumen has turned them into what researchers estimate is a billion-dollar enterprise.

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Spotify Shunned an IPO. Now It's Just Another Public Company

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 07:10:26 -0000

Spotify’s successful direct listing could change the way tech’s “unicorns” go public, possibly even saving them some money. But let’s not get self-righteous about it---this is still capitalism. Typically, when companies go public, they follow an elaborate series of protocols.

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Ex-Google Executive Opens a School for AI, With China's Help

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 16:30:49 -0000

When China’s government said last summer it intends to surpass the US and lead the world in artificial intelligence by 2030, skeptics pointed to a major problem. Despite gobs of data from the world’s largest online population, lightweight privacy rules, and 8 million fresh college graduates in 2017, the country doesn’t have enough people skilled in AI to overtake America.

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Google Turns to Users to Improve Its AI Chops Outside the US

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 07:10:17 -0000

Smart algorithms have taken Google a long way. They helped the company dominate search and create the first software to conquer the complex board game Go. Now the company is betting that algorithms that understand images and text will draw business to its cloud services, make augmented reality popular, and prompt us to search using our smartphone cameras. But some of the algorithms Google is staking its future on aren’t equally smart everywhere.

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MeToo Is Changing Even the Smarmiest Advertisers

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 16:31:06 -0000

In 2016, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation sent a letter to a fast-growing content marketing network called RevContent. The nonprofit watchdog was concerned about the way some of RevContent’s advertisers portrayed women. The network regularly ran ads for mail-order bride services, for example, or ones that featured close-ups of women’s breasts.

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Spotify and the Triumph of the Subscription Model

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 07:10:24 -0000

In 2011, when Spotify launched its streaming music service in the U.S., the future of digital media lied squarely in the realm of advertising. Sure, everyone knew ad-based models—sometimes called “the Internet’s original sin”—had flaws. But companies like Google, Yahoo, Facebook and were able to grow very large, very quickly by attracting big audiences to their free services and selling ads.

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YouTube Shooting Spree Injures 4, Kills 1

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 16:52:46 -0000

At least one person was killed and four others wounded following a shooting at YouTube's headquarters Tuesday afternoon. Four victims were being transported to local hospitals, though the extent of their injuries was unknown. San Bruno police say one woman was found with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and is believed to be the shooter.

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How GrubHub Analyzed 4,000 Dishes to Predict Your Next Order

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 10:34:05 -0000

All Matt Maloney wanted to know was whether Chicago-style deep dish pizza is better than New York-style thin crust. It’s a simple question. If he were anyone else, Maloney would have had to get violently anecdotal. Deep dish, while delicious, is obviously not so much a pizza as a casserole; conversely, if you want to put pizza toppings on a cracker, why not just order a flatbread? (Maloney is from Chicago, so you can guess which side he comes down on.) But no.

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The Comcast-NBC Merger Offers Little Guidance for AT&T-Time Warner

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 16:30:47 -0000

AT&T spent last week in court slugging it out with the Department of Justice over its $85 billion plan to acquire Time Warner. The DOJ argues the deal could lead to higher cable television prices for consumers, while AT&T says the deal is routine and that the agency is blocking it for political reasons. On the surface, the deal bears a strong resemblance to Comcast's 2011 acquisition of NBC Universal in a deal valued at about $30 billion.

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Emmanuel Macron Talks to WIRED About France's AI Strategy

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 07:10:24 -0000

On Thursday, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, gave a speech laying out a new national strategy for artificial intelligence in his country. The French government will spend €1.5 billion ($1.85 billion) over five years to support research in the field, encourage startups, and collect data that can be used, and shared, by engineers. The goal is to start catching up to the US and China and to make sure the smartest minds in AI—hello Yann LeCun—choose Paris over Palo Alto.

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Zuckerberg Finds It's Not Easy to Tame Facebook's Growth Obsession

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 16:31:08 -0000

When Mark Zuckerberg isn't responding to the latest scandal engulfing his company, he's actually trying to fix Facebook: He's trying to redirect its obsession with growth---in users and in the time they spend on Facebook---to focus on whether those users have good experiences on the platform. The problem is that he'd prefer the world not know exactly how obsessed with these metrics his company was. And the world is not cooperating.

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The Next Cold War Is Here, and It's All About Data

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 07:10:42 -0000

The headlines about the trade wars being touched off by President Trump’s new tariffs may telegraph plenty of bombast and shots fired, but the most consequential war being waged today is a quieter sort of conflict: It’s the new Cold War over data protection.

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Why Are New York Taxi Drivers Committing Suicide?

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 16:30:52 -0000

It was a somber scene outside New York’s City Hall on Wednesday afternoon. Four coffins sat at the foot of the steps; one by one, taxi drivers covered them with white flowers, before assembling on the steps and shouting for the city to “stop Uber’s greed” and “stop making us slaves.” It was the second such gathering in two months, as drivers and their advocates mourned another suicide that they attribute to the rise of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft.

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Why Porn on the Blockchain Won't Doom Bitcoin

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Last week the internet jumped on a new research paper proclaiming that the bitcoin blockchain contains child pornography. The authors of that paper conclude that if you’re one of the thousands of people running a full copy of the bitcoin software, or even just a curious researcher downloading the transaction history, you’re breaking the law. Because removing any data from the blockchain destroys the functionality of the system, this legal trouble could spell doom for cryptocurrencies.

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The Case That Never Ends: Oracle Wins Latest Round vs. Google

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 16:30:49 -0000

Oracle's nearly eight-year legal battle with Google just won't end. Tuesday a federal appeals court ruled that Google violated Oracle's copyrights when it built a custom version of the Java platform for its Android operating system. The court sent the case back to a district court to decide how much Google should pay Oracle. But Google can appeal to the Supreme Court. And it should, because the decision will affect not just Google and Oracle, but the entire software industry.

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It's Going to Be A While Till We Find 'The Next Steve Jobs'

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 07:10:25 -0000

In 1933, Thupten Gyatso, the 13th Dalai Lama, died at the age of 57. According to Tibetan Buddhist doctrine, the spirit of a departed Dalai Lama chooses the next body into which he will be reincarnated. So when a group of elders noticed that Gyatso’s head had pivoted from facing south to facing northeast during the embalming process, they took it as an omen. A search party left Lhasa for the northeastern province of Amdo, where they found a 2-year-old boy named Lhamo Thondup.

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This Startup Makes Augmented Reality Social—and Ubiquitous

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 16:30:38 -0000

At age 25, Anjney Midha has a stronger resume than some people twice his age. Before graduating from Stanford, he joined the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. He led the firm’s investment in Magic Leap, the mysterious and much-hyped augmented reality company. Then he ditched venture capital to pursue a dream that had followed him from a technology-free young adulthood on a bird sanctuary in India, to the hyper-connected streets of Singapore, to his days at Stanford.

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Companies Are Cashing in on Reality TV for Tots

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 07:10:16 -0000

A grinning 4-year-old boy clambers up and down an inflatable backyard water park, collecting oversize Easter eggs, goaded from behind the camera by his mom. The boy, Ryan, stomps the eggs open and unveils plastic toys. It looks like a home movie, but it’s actually the most-watched video on one of the most-watched YouTube channels in the world, Ryan ToysReview. It has been viewed more than 1.1 billion times since 2016, and the leaders of a new startup, Pocket.

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No, a $38 Water Bottle Can't Turn You Into a #Brave #Boss

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 16:30:53 -0000

See this fancy pink water bottle I’m holding? Now watch as I bash my head in with it. This is not, I assume, what the makers of the $38 “beauty essential” intended. What they promised was “glamour sipping like a boss.” They wanted me to “be brave.

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This Brooklyn Architect Wants to Rewire Puerto Rico with Solar

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 07:10:23 -0000

The sixth-month anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s grinding-up of Puerto Rico brought what might feel like good news. According to AEE, the Electrical Energy Authority, almost 93 percent of Puerto Ricans—1,365,065 people—now have power. The process has been agonizing—a misguided early repair contract to the unlikely Whitefish Energy for $300 million got cancelled, and it took months for crews from better-suited firms to get started.

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Why Some Schools Pay More Than Others When Buying From Apple

Mon, 26 Mar 2018 16:30:49 -0000

When administrators in Ohio’s Mentor Public Schools were buying MacBooks during the 2015-16 school year, the local Best Buy was offering a lower price than Apple, even after the company’s standard discount for school districts. Superintendent Matt Miller pushed for a better deal, but Apple said it would not budge from its price list.

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What Would Regulating Facebook Look Like?

Mon, 26 Mar 2018 07:11:12 -0000

The drumbeat to regulate Big Tech began pounding long before the Cambridge Analytica scandal rocked Facebook—six long years ago, the Obama administration pushed a “Privacy Bill of Rights” that, like most other legislative attempts to safeguard your data online, went nowhere. But this time, as they say, feels different. Thanks to repeated lapses from not just Facebook but all corners of Silicon Valley, some sort of regulation seems not only plausible but imminent.

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How a Boise Company Thrives in the Global Chip Business

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 16:31:41 -0000

Even if you're not a gadget geek, you likely know whether your laptop is powered by an Intel chip or one from a competitor like AMD. The sticker plastered next to your keyboard won't let you forget. But even if you know your Ryzens from your Ice Lakes, you probably don't put much thought into who makes the memory chips that store your data and keep your laptop and smartphone working.

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Travis Kalanick's Return and the 'Bad Boys' Who Always Come Back

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 07:10:22 -0000

Travis Kalanick, Uber’s founder and former CEO, wasn’t gone very long. After he resigned from Uber in June 2017, Kalanick spent time hobnobbing at elite conferences like Davos and getting good at smartphone games. This month, he announced 10100, a fund for his personal investments. On Tuesday Kalanick elaborated on his plans: 10100 acquired a controlling stake in City Storage Systems, a holding company which invests in distressed real estate assets, for $150 million.

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Facebook in the Age of the Big Tech Whistleblower

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 16:30:54 -0000

A year ago, The Intercept published a story about a Trump campaign affiliate that was circulating personality tests to collect Americans’ personal information. The company, called Cambridge Analytica, had already been unveiled by the Guardian in a chilling report that detailed its voter-targeting operation. There was every reason to be concerned.

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The Irreversible Damage of Mark Zuckerberg’s Silence

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 12:43:42 -0000

“I started Facebook, and at the end of the day I'm responsible for what happens on our platform,” wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a statement that addressed a series of news stories reporting Facebook’s data had been misused. In the 937-word statement, posted on his Facebook profile Wednesday afternoon, Zuckerberg outlined all that Facebook has done and plans to do to keep our data safe.

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The FCC Should Use Blockchain to Manage Wireless Spectrum

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 07:10:31 -0000

The technology at the heart of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin—blockchain—has captured the world’s attention, much as the internet, peer-to-peer file transfers, apps, and the cloud did before it. Simply put, blockchains are distributed databases that can be securely updated without the need for central intermediaries. That makes them relevant to a whole host of uses, including everything from food safety to digital identity to insurance records.

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A Hurricane Flattens Facebook

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 16:30:37 -0000

Two weeks ago, Facebook learned that The New York Times, Guardian, and Observer were working on blockbuster stories based on interviews with a man named Christopher Wylie. The core of the tale was familiar but the details were new, and now the scandal was attached to a charismatic face with a top of pink hair. Four years ago, a slug of Facebook data on 50 million Americans was sucked down by a UK academic named Aleksandr Kogan, and wrongly sold to Cambridge Analytica.

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At Y Combinator's Demo Day, The Age of Overpromises Is Over

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 09:56:51 -0000

You return home to your penthouse apartment after a long day at work auctioning Cryptokitties and other cryptogoods on a peer-to-peer marketplace. You grab a bottle of tangerine-flavored weed soda from the fridge and sink into your couch. With a flick of your hand, the overhead light switches on. A wooden side table, custom-built by a robot in India, holds a box containing your antidepressant patches. You peel off the back and slap one on your arm.

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This Call May Be Monitored for Tone and Emotion

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 09:24:45 -0000

We all know how it feels to be low on energy at the end of a long work day. Some call-center agents at insurer MetLife are watched over by software that knows how it sounds. A program called Cogito presents a cheery notification when the toll of hours discussing maternity or bereavement benefits show in a worker’s voice. “It’s represented by a cute little coffee cup,” says Emily Baker, who supervises a group fielding calls about disability claims at MetLife.

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Europe's New Privacy Law Will Change the Web, and More

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 16:30:36 -0000

Consumers have long wondered just what Google and Facebook know about them, and who else can access their personal data. But internet giants have little incentive to give straight answers — even to simple questions like, “Why am I being shown this ad?” On May 25, however, the power balance will shift towards consumers, thanks to a European privacy law that restricts how personal data is collected and handled.

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Tech Companies Try to Retrain the Workers They're Displacing

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 07:10:24 -0000

On January 16, a new course launched on the online learning platform Coursera with an unassuming name: The Google IT Support Professional Certificate. It promised to prepare beginners for entry-level jobs in IT in eight to 12 months. That day, it attracted the largest-ever group of first-time Coursera users, almost half of them people without college degrees. By February, it was Coursera’s second-most-popular offering.

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Susan Wojcicki on YouTube's Fight Against Misinformation

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 16:30:47 -0000

WIRED Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Thompson interviewed YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki on Tuesday at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Here is an edited transcript of the talk. Nicholas Thompson: So you have had a crazy year and a half. All the social media companies have had a crazy year and a half.

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AI Has a Hallucination Problem That's Proving Tough to Fix

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 07:10:18 -0000

Tech companies are rushing to infuse everything with artificial intelligence, driven by big leaps in the power of machine learning software. But the deep-neural-network software fueling the excitement has a troubling weakness: Making subtle changes to images, text, or audio can fool these systems into perceiving things that aren’t there. That could be a big problem for products dependent on machine learning, particularly for vision, such as self-driving cars.

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California Net Neutrality Bill Would Go Beyond Original Protections

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 16:31:29 -0000

If broadband providers thought that they'd be subject to fewer regulations after the Federal Communications Commission voted in December to jettison its net neutrality protections, they could be disappointed. California state Senator Scott Wiener on Wednesday introduced a bill that would create a regime in some ways more strict than the Obama-era rules against blocking, throttling, or otherwise discriminating against content.

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Fundbox Wants to Be PayPal for Small Businesses

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 07:10:43 -0000

Technology keeps making it easier to separate you from your money. PayPal enabled you to easily send money via the internet. Square allowed businesses to use a smartphone to accept your credit card. Apple Pay and Android Pay flipped this idea on its head and let you pay with your phone instead of a card. Despite this innovation in how consumers can pay businesses, the way businesses pay each other hasn't changed much. San Francisco startup Fundbox wants to give businesses another option.

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Fear of China Scuttles Deal That Didn't Involve China

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 16:30:37 -0000

President Donald Trump blocked Broadcom's proposed $105 billion acquisition of fellow wireless chip giant Qualcomm on Monday amidst mounting fears that US could fall behind China on technology innovation. That’s a little odd, because on its face, the deal itself has nothing to do with China. Broadcom's key units are US-based; the company is headquartered in Singapore, which is generally considered friendly to the US.

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Washington State Enacts Net Neutrality Law, in Clash with FCC

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 09:16:39 -0000

Washington state Governor Jay Inslee Monday signed the nation’s first state law intended to protect net neutrality, setting up a potential legal battle with the Federal Communications Commission. The law bans broadband providers offering service in the state from blocking or throttling legal content, or from offering fast-lane access to companies willing to pay extra.

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The Key to the Perfect March Madness Bracket: Evolution

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 17:30:40 -0000

Predicting the winners and losers of March Madness is such a daunting challenge that it attracts math nerds like Starfleet voyagers lining up at Comic-Con. Statisticians, economists, Silicon Valley coders, the PhD quants at hedge funds and gambling syndicates: They’ve all tried to “solve” the outcome of the annual college basketball tournament’s 63 matchups.

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Maybe Election Polls Aren't Broken After All

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 07:10:18 -0000

No matter where you situate yourself on the political spectrum, don’t try to deny that the 2016 US presidential election made you go “whaaaaaaat?” This isn’t a judgment; if you believe Michael Wolff’s book, even Donald Trump didn’t think Donald Trump was going to be president. Partially that’s because of polls.

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Why Facebook Has Been Less Important to News Publishers

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 17:32:54 -0000

In January, Facebook said it will reduce the volume of news in its news feed, in favor of more posts from friends and family. In fact, Facebook’s role in distributing news has been falling dramatically for more than a year. Data from Parse.ly, which tracks visits to more than 2,500 publisher sites, shows that ahead of the 2016 US presidential election, more than 40 percent of traffic to those sites came from Facebook.

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Apple's Swift Programming Language Is Now Top Tier

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 07:10:26 -0000

Apple's programming language Swift is less than four years old, but a new report finds that it's already as popular as its predecessor, Apple's more established Objective-C language. Swift is now tied with Objective-C at number 10 in the rankings conducted by analyst firm RedMonk. It's hardly a surprise that programmers are interested in Apple's language, which can be used to build applications for the iPhone, Apple Watch, Macintosh computers, and even web applications.

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These Women Could Lose Their Right to Work in the US

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 16:30:47 -0000

From the street, you can hear children at play. Inside the one-story house in Fremont, California, a fish tank gurgles by the front door. A plastic bin filled with Legos sits in the sun room. Renuka Sivarajan, 37, runs a home daycare here. Her path to this point has been like the stock market of late. When Sivarajan first came to the US from India, in 2003, she worked for a tech company in Phoenix.

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The High Cost of Lab-to-Table Meat

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 07:10:26 -0000

Forget free-range, antibiotic-free, and grass-fed—tomorrow’s burger will be lab-cultured. Scientists are creating a new slaughterhouse-free food group called clean meat: edible animal protein grown in a vat. Stem cells are extracted from animals, brewed in a bioreactor, fortified with nutrients like amino acids and glucose, and structured around collagen “scaffolds.

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Bill Would Let Publishers Gang Up Versus Facebook and Google

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 16:30:41 -0000

On stage at a tech conference last month, Campbell Brown, Facebook’s head of news partnerships, fired a warning shot to publishers who think they get a raw deal from Facebook. ”My job is to make sure there is quality news on Facebook and that publishers who want to be on Facebook … have a business model that works,” Brown said. “If anyone feels this isn’t the right platform for them, they should not be on Facebook.

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This Publisher Foresaw an Internet of Fiction Mixed With Fact

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 07:10:22 -0000

Facebook has had a bumpy couple of years. It makes money in torrents, but the way it's handled the manipulations of its platform has led critics to charge it was being irresponsible and craven. In recent months it's finally begun to signal it understands that criticism and to make specific and potentially meaningful changes. But competitors, especially Rupert Murdoch and his News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, have no intention of letting this crisis go to waste.

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Millennial Viagra Startup Hims Is Now Worth $200 Million

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 16:30:49 -0000

Hims, a San Francisco-based e-commerce startup selling men’s wellness products, has raised $40 million in funding from venture firms IVP and Redpoint Ventures, according to sources familiar with the deal. The new round values Hims at $200 million not including the funding, the sources said. Launched in late 2017, Hims has already sold around $10 million worth of products for baldness and erectile dysfunction, according to a source.

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Recognizing the Women Behind the Web

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 07:10:25 -0000

Claire L. Evans has discovered the solution to our social media woes: “Go back to BBS.” She means bulletin board systems, those grunge-era digital hangouts, like the Well and Echo, where users linked up based on mutual interests and supported one another. (So civilized.) Earlier this year, Evans even installed BBS server software on her Raspberry Pi to test her theory. “That kind of small-scale, self-policed social media could serve as a balm to us all,” she says.

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The Future of 'Fab Lab' Fabrication

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 16:31:43 -0000

In 1965, tech pioneer Gordon Moore noticed a trend: The number of components on an integrated circuit was doubling every year. He predicted this would continue, resulting in wildly powerful digital devices. It was an audacious forecast (he later revised the interval to every two years), but Moore’s law more or less held for five decades, shrinking the computer from room-sized appliance to pocketable smartphone. The world of bits was transformed.

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The Decentralized Internet Is Here, With Some Glitches

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 09:50:19 -0000

I usually write in Google's online word processor Google Docs, even when noting the company's shortcomings. This article is different: it was drafted in a similar but more private service called Graphite Docs. I discovered it while exploring a nascent and glitch-ridden online realm known as the decentralized internet.

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How Technology Unsettled the Stock Market

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 16:30:45 -0000

At his coming-out hearing as chairman of the Federal Reserve on Feb. 27, Jay Powell made all sorts of news in finance-land, including a suggestion that the bank saw potentially faster inflation ahead. Also notable was his assessment of the causes for the volatility that roiled Wall Street and saw trillions of dollars lost, gained, lost, and then regained in a matter of days in early February.

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YouTube Doesn't Know Where Its Own Line Is

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 07:10:23 -0000

After the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in February, far-right conspiracy site InfoWars published a series of videos on YouTube accusing survivor and activist David Hogg of being an actor. In response, YouTube took down several of the videos, and reportedly handed the publication at least one “strike,” for violating its policies on harassment and bullying.

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The WIRED Guide to Net Neutrality

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 16:30:29 -0000

Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon should treat all content flowing through their cables and cell towers equally. That means they shouldn't be able to slide some data into “fast lanes” while blocking or otherwise discriminating against other material.

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Techies Pitch Obama on Building Startups Outside the Valley

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 07:11:16 -0000

It’s easy to make Jacob Hsu gush about the wonders of Baltimore. The former Silicon Valley executive moved to the Charm City in January 2017, to become CEO of Catalyte, a company that develops software using teams of non-traditional, algorithm-identified engineers. Once in Baltimore, Hsu was overwhelmed by the talent. He could work with city leaders and executives; he could recruit high-up federal employees—opportunities that would be impossible in the Bay Area.

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This Startup Is Challenging Mechanical Turk—on the Blockchain

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 16:31:39 -0000

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Embattled Tech Companies Charge Deeper Into Health Care

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 10:05:51 -0000

Big tech has a lot of problems: fake news, sexual harassment, Russian interference, privacy concerns, and growing fears that too much screen time rots your brain. But even as they struggle to solve these day-to-day problems, the industry’s biggest players are putting more resources into another notoriously hard problem: health care.

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Using AI to Help Stroke Victims When 'Time Is Brain'

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 19:30:00 -0000

Since entrepreneur Chris Mansi cofounded Viz.ai in 2016, the best-funded wizards of artificial intelligence have taken on board games, and created emoji that mirror your facial expressions. Meanwhile, Mansi has been developing algorithms to save the brain cells of stroke patients. This month, the Food and Drug Administration cleared Viz.ai to market its algorithms to doctors and hospitals. It was a small breakthrough toward using AI to make healthcare more efficient and powerful.

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Why a Tiny Kentucky Firm Rules a Corner of the Crypto Market

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 07:10:15 -0000

If banks and hedge funds start holding large amounts of cryptocurrencies, much of the money will flow---virtually, of course---through Murray, Kentucky. That’s home to Kingdom Trust, a small company that’s quickly become the crypto industry’s go-to option for holding its digital coins. The crypto revolution has a few kinks to work out before it can revolutionize anything.

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Senate Democrats Have a Plan to Save Net Neutrality

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 16:30:40 -0000

Last Thursday, the Republican-led Federal Communications Commission formally published a rule reversing long-standing and vital protections of the internet known as net neutrality. The FCC’s new rule would let big corporations restrict how consumers access their favorite websites by forcing them to buy internet access in packages, paying more for "premium” service, as with cable television. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Charles E.

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Peter Thiel Is a Flawed Messenger With a Crucial Message for Tech

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 07:10:16 -0000

Peter Thiel, never one to keep a low profile, made his most recent set of waves with reports that he is prepared to decamp from Silicon Valley to more benign haunts in Los Angeles along with several of his companies.

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A Short History of Technology Worship

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 16:30:43 -0000

“Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it.” That was how Donald Knuth, author of The Art of Computer Programming (1968), expressed the difference between pristine mathematics and buggy reality. “When programming, you abstract away the entire physical world as much as possible, because it’s messy. But then it comes back and bites you,” Paul Ford, cofounder of the platform-builder Postlight, told me.

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Gothamist Lives, Thanks to a Boost From Public Radio

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 07:10:22 -0000

After billionaire Joe Ricketts announced the shuttering of local news organizations Gothamist and DNAInfo last fall, readers across the country mourned the loss of the beloved sites, and worried about the vulnerability of journalism in the digital age. Now, a consortium of public radio stations, including WNYC in New York, WAMU in Washington DC, and KPCC in Southern California, has banded together to bring some of those sites back from the dead.

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As Protection Ends, Here’s One Way to Test for Net Neutrality

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 16:30:32 -0000

Federal protection for net neutrality will officially end in April. The Federal Communications Commission’s new regulations, which abandon rules against blocking, throttling, or otherwise discriminating against lawful content, are scheduled to be published in the Federal Register Thursday. They will take effect 60 days later. As the FCC withdraws from protecting net neutrality, states are taking up the fight.

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Parkland Conspiracies Flood the Internet's Broken Trending Tools

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 07:33:30 -0000

It takes a special sort of heartlessness to create a conspiracy video about a teenaged survivor of one of the deadliest school shootings in US history. But it takes a literally heartless algorithm to ensure that thousands, or even millions of people see it.

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This Startup’s Test Shows How Harassment Targets Women Online

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 16:30:25 -0000

Julia Enthoven didn’t think much of using her real name and photo in a chat feature on Kapwing, the website she co-founded last year. The site launched its online video-editing tools in October and has garnered 64,000 visits since. From the beginning, Enthoven’s team wanted feedback from users about bugs and feature requests, so they deployed a messaging widget from a company called Drift. Anyone visiting Kapwing’s website saw a chat box on the bottom corner of the page.

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The Pentagon Wants Your Help Analyzing Satellite Images

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 07:10:29 -0000

On a trip to Silicon Valley last year, Defense Secretary James Mattis openly envied tech companies’ superior use of artificial intelligence technology. To help close the gap, one Pentagon unit is now offering $100,000 in prizes to develop algorithms that can interpret high-resolution satellite images. The contest is called the xView Detection Challenge, and starts next month.

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Ajit Pai’s Plan Will Take Broadband Away From Poor People

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 16:30:42 -0000

It’s indisputable: A broadband internet connection is vital to full participation in our society and economy. Increasingly, government services and job opportunities can only be accessed online. Indeed, homework assigned to seven out of 10 K-12 students in the US requires internet access, according to a recent study. The internet provides access to necessary information and a way to stay connected to friends and family, be they around the corner or around the world.

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Facebook Funded Most of the Experts Who Vetted Messenger Kids

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 07:10:14 -0000

In December, when Facebook launched Messenger Kids, an app for pre-teens and children as young as 6, the company stressed that it had worked closely with leading experts in order to safeguard younger users. What Facebook didn’t say is that many of those experts had received funding from Facebook. Equally notable are the experts Facebook did not consult.

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This Computer Uses Light—Not Electricity—To Train AI Algorithms

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 16:30:53 -0000

William Andregg ushers me into the cluttered workshop of his startup Fathom Computing and gently lifts the lid from a bulky black box. Inside, green light glows faintly from a collection of lenses, brackets, and cables that resemble an exploded telescope. It’s a prototype computer that processes data using light, not electricity, and it’s learning to recognize handwritten digits. In other experiments the device learned to generate sentences in text.

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What Trump Still Gets Wrong About How Russia Played Facebook

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 07:10:27 -0000

Special Counsel Robert Mueller released a bombshell indictment Friday, implicating 13 Russian nationals and detailing a multi-year, costly, and widespread effort to influence the 2016 presidential election. At the center of that effort were Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram, which the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) used to recruit American followers, plan real-life rallies, and spread propaganda about issues like religion, immigration, and eventually Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

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A Ruling Over Embedded Tweets Could Change Online Publishing

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 16:30:32 -0000

One of the most ubiquitous features of the internet is the ability to link to content elsewhere. Everything is connected via billions of links and embeds to blogs, articles, and social media. But a federal judge’s ruling threatens that ecosystem. Katherine Forrest, a Southern District of New York judge, ruled Thursday that embedding a tweet containing an image in a webpage could be considered copyright infringement.

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Copycat: How Facebook Tried to Squash Snapchat

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 07:10:19 -0000

Just before Facebook went public in 2012, Mark Zuckerberg had a bound red book titled Facebook Was Not Originally Created to Be a Company placed on every employee’s desk. The book, written by Zuckerberg himself, ended with an urgent, even ominous rallying cry: If we don’t create the thing that kills Facebook, someone else will. “Embracing change” isn’t enough. It has to be so hardwired into who we are that even talking about it seems redundant.

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Google's New Ad Blocker Changed the Web Before It Even Switched On

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 16:30:50 -0000

You might see fewer ads on the web from now on. But you probably won't. On Thursday, Google Chrome, the most popular browser by a wide margin, began rolling out a feature that will block ads on sites that engage in particularly annoying behavior, such as automatically playing sound, or displaying ads that can't be dismissed until a certain amount of time has passed.

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The Bike-Share Wars Heat Up With Latest Funding

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 07:10:13 -0000

The bike-sharing wars have escalated. What started as healthy competition between two powerful, well-funded Chinese companies and a handful of scrappy American upstarts has intensified into a trash-talking land grab involving electric scooters, electric bikes, and plenty of Silicon Valley-style ambition. In October, LimeBike the favored competitor of Silicon Valley venture firms Andreessen Horowitz and Coatue Management, raised $50 million in funding.

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This App Lets Drivers Juggle Competing Uber and Lyft Rides

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 16:30:40 -0000

Angel Torres was driving down a major Los Angeles boulevard in late 2016 when it happened: Ride requests from Uber and Lyft arrived at the same second. As he looked away from the road to decide which trip was more worth his time, he nearly rear-ended the car ahead of him. “It scared the crap out of me,” Torres says. He was new to juggling the two apps, and was so rattled by the near miss that he started pulling over every time he needed to accept a ride on one app or turn off the other.

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Everyone Hates Silicon Valley, Except Its Imitators

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 07:10:14 -0000

Do not let their names fool you. The silicon places---Silicon Slopes, Silicon Prairie, Silicon Beach, Silicon Peach, Silicon Bayou, Silicon Shire, Silicon Desert, Silicon Holler, Silicon Hill and, separately, Silicon Hills---do not aspire to become “the next Silicon Valley.” Sure, the country’s burgeoning tech enclaves in Utah and Kentucky and Oregon draw inspiration from the original.

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What Microsoft’s Antitrust Case Teaches Us About Silicon Valley

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:30:50 -0000

In the twilight of the 20th century, Bill Gates was well and truly a tentacular squid, with his sucker-covered limbs extending into every level of the computer industry. The one area that Gates didn’t dominate: the World Wide Web. And how he tried to conquer that newfangled internet led to an epic court battle that continues to shape how the world sees the five-headed beast that Big Tech has become.

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Trust in Social Media Withers In the Industry's Own Backyard

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 07:10:22 -0000

In conservative circles, the pitchforks have been out for tech since at least the 2016 election season, with far-right media organizations like Breitbart and Project Veritas accusing the industry and its leaders of silencing Republican voices, advocating for open borders, and bankrolling Democratic campaigns. And yet, a new survey suggests that the tech backlash festering on the far-right fringes has also escalated on the industry's largely liberal home turf.

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What Happened to Zuckerberg? Here's How Our March 2018 Cover Was Created

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:30:44 -0000

The bruised Mark Zuckerberg on this issue's cover? That's a photo-illustration created by Jake Rowland, a New York City–based artist known for his composite portraits. For this image, Rowland mashed together an existing image of Zuckerberg with a photograph of a hired model—made up to look battered—whose features resembled that of the Facebook confounder and CEO.

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Google Autocomplete Still Makes Vile Suggestions

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 07:10:10 -0000

In December of 2016, Google announced it had fixed a troubling quirk of its autocomplete feature: When users typed in the phrase, "are jews," Google automatically suggested the question, "are jews evil?" When asked about the issue during a hearing in Washington on Thursday, Google's vice president of news, Richard Gingras, told members of the British Parliament, "As much as I would like to believe our algorithms will be perfect, I don't believe they ever will be.

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Inside the Two Years that Shook Facebook—and the World

Mon, 12 Feb 2018 14:56:42 -0000

One day in late February of 2016, Mark Zuckerberg sent a memo to all of Facebook’s employees to address some troubling behavior in the ranks. His message pertained to some walls at the company’s Menlo Park headquarters where staffers are encouraged to scribble notes and signatures. On at least a couple of occasions, someone had crossed out the words “Black Lives Matter” and replaced them with “All Lives Matter.

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Unicorns Are Rare. This Study Suggests They Should Be Even Rarer

Mon, 12 Feb 2018 07:10:17 -0000

For startups, achieving unicorn status is a big deal. Companies valued at more than $1 billion look more formidable to competitors, customers, and recruits---and less like the fly-by-night startups they may actually be. Thus, for the past three years, startup founders have asked investors to grant them billion-dollar valuations, regardless of whether they’re worth that by any traditional business metric.

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To Make AI Smarter, Humans Perform Oddball Low-Paid Tasks

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 16:30:37 -0000

Tucked into a back corner far from the street, the baby-food section of Whole Foods in San Francisco’s SoMa district doesn’t get much foot traffic. I glance around for the security guard, then reach towards the apple and broccoli superfood puffs. After dropping them into my empty shopping cart, I put them right back. “Did you get it?” I ask my coworker filming on his iPhone. It’s my first paid acting gig.

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Ethical Tech Will Require a Grassroots Revolution

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 07:10:21 -0000

Tristan Harris holds his iPhone in the air, so the whole crowd of educators, technologists, doctors, and researchers before him can see the virtual wasteland of his iPhone's home screen. Gone are the cluttered, candy-colored icons that a busy brain sees as digital snacks. In their place are but a few utilitarian apps, all set to the same bleak palette of black and white.

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Should Data Scientists Adhere to a Hippocratic Oath?

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 16:30:26 -0000

The tech industry is having a moment of reflection. Even Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook are talking openly about the downsides of software and algorithms mediating our lives. And while calls for regulation have been met with increased lobbying to block or shape any rules, some people around the industry are entertaining forms of self regulation.

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Can Crisis Line Messaging Help Improve Workplace Culture?

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 07:10:20 -0000

Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit that offers emotional support through text messaging, has spent four years connecting people in extreme emotional duress with online counselors. Now its founder is creating a startup called Loris.ai to help companies teach employees how to communicate. “There are a lot of companies right now that are fearful of having hard conversations,” says Nancy Lublin, the founder of both Crisis Text Line and Loris.ai.

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Why JP Morgan, Daimler Are Testing Computers That Aren't Useful Yet

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 16:30:23 -0000

JPMorgan Chase has plenty of “quants” who hunt profits with computers. In 2018 the bank is adding employees you might call quantums. The computers they’ll use work on data using the intuition-defying processes of quantum mechanics. America’s largest bank by assets is forming a small group of engineers and mathematicians to examine how quantum computers could help in areas such as trading or predicting financial risk.

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The WIRED Guide to the Blockchain

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 07:10:19 -0000

Depending on who you ask, blockchains are either the most important technological innovation since the internet or a solution looking for a problem. The original blockchain is the decentralized ledger behind the digital currency bitcoin. The ledger consists of linked batches of transactions known as blocks (hence the term blockchain), and an identical copy is stored on each of the roughly 200,000 computers that make up the bitcoin network.

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The Gawker Archives Aren't Going Anywhere

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 16:30:31 -0000

In May of 2017, nearly a year after Gawker shut down, a story mysteriously disappeared from its archives. The 2015 article detailed leaked emails written by Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton, which had become public after the company’s servers were breached in 2014. The story was removed as the result of an undisclosed lawsuit—and served as a troubling reminder that journalism on the internet is fragile, and subject to censorship by wealthy and well-connected individuals.

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How Grab Is Giving Uber a Run for Its Money in Southeast Asia

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 09:30:18 -0000

Not long after Uber’s pugnacious founders first tested their app among San Franciscans, a pair of Harvard Business School classmates from Malaysia seized upon a similar idea: They wanted to build Uber, but for Asia. In 2012, they launched a ride-sharing service with 40 drivers in Kuala Lumpur. Eventually, they settled on the name Grab. Six years later, Grab dominates the ridesharing market in Southeast Asia, boasting 2.3 million drivers in 168 cities across eight countries.

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How To Be a Bitcoin Thought Leader

Mon, 05 Feb 2018 16:30:49 -0000

So you still have no idea how to talk about cryptocurrencies at a cocktail party. That's fine: Your livelihood doesn't depend on it. But for a certain segment of the population—investors, industry analysts, lawyers, really anyone who's tech-adjacent for a living—it's suddenly their job to have something "smart" to say. And if they have any hope of establishing themselves as authorities on the subject, they're not allowed to shut up about crypto.

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Facebook's Future Rests on Knowing You Even Better

Mon, 05 Feb 2018 07:10:19 -0000

For the past few years, Facebook’s quarterly earnings calls have been something of a victory lap. Even at its massive scale---$40 billion in annual revenue and more than half of the world’s internet users, the company manages to grow consistently each quarter, even beating analyst expectations. Wall Street has rewarded the company with a stock price that can only go up, increasing 560 percent in five years and placing Facebook among the most valuable companies in the country.

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The WIRED Guide to Artificial Intelligence

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 23:14:43 -0000

Artificial intelligence is overhyped—there, we said it. It’s also incredibly important. Superintelligent algorithms aren’t about to take all the jobs or wipe out humanity. But software has gotten significantly smarter of late. It’s why you can talk to your friends as an animated poop on the iPhone X using Apple’s Animoji, or ask your smart speaker to order more paper towels.

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The Next 25 Years of WIRED Start Today

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 07:10:19 -0000

In the first issue of WIRED, published 25 years ago this year, founding editor Louis Rossetto declared that “in the age of information overload, THE ULTIMATE LUXURY IS MEANING AND CONTEXT.” (Caps his.) If anything, that simple observation rings even truer today. That’s why WIRED has always valued depth. We dig deep into our subjects, reveling in wonky engineering details that other publications skip. We think deep thoughts about the future.

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Now That Tech Runs the World, Let's Retire the Hacker Ideal

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 16:30:33 -0000

Virgil Griffith discovered the allure of hacking in 1993, while slumped at an Intel 80386 system in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was 10, and he was on a losing streak at Star Wars: X-Wing. To hit the leaderboard, he’d need a fleet of ace wingmen, but he only had one X-Wing fighter that could hold its own in the game’s World War I–style dogfights. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

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Proposal for Federal Wireless Network Shows Fear of China

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 07:10:27 -0000

The interstate highway system wasn't built in the name of convenience or even commerce. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, he did it in the name of national security. In fact, the official name of the system is the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. Now some in the Trump administration are arguing that the federal government should build a broadband wireless network for much the same reason.

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Health Experts Ask Facebook to Shut Down Messenger Kids

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 16:30:39 -0000

A coalition of 97 child health advocates sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday asking him to discontinue Messenger Kids, a new advertising-free Facebook app targeted at 6-to-12-year olds. Advocates say the app likely will undermine healthy childhood development for preschool and elementary-school-aged kids by increasing the amount of time they spend with digital devices.

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Why Tether's Collapse Would Be Bad for Cryptocurrencies

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 07:10:20 -0000

The cryptocurrency world, with its volatility, is all about FUD—fear, uncertainty, doubt. And nothing is generating more FUD right now than an unusual currency called tether. Unlike bitcoin and its many siblings, tether is what is called a stablecoin, an entity designed to not fluctuate in value. With most cryptocurrencies prone to wild swings, tether offers people who dabble in the market the option of buying a currency that its backers say is pegged to the US dollar.

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Facebook Wants to Fix Itself. Here's a Better Solution.

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 16:30:32 -0000

Chalk it up to a New Year’s Resolution or maybe just the ongoing fallout from Russian meddling in the 2016 election, but Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is looking to do things a little differently this year. At the beginning of January he posted that his goal for 2018 is to “focus on fixing… important issues” facing his company, referring to election interference as well as the issues of abusive content and addictive design.

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A Debate About Bitcoin That Was a Debate About Nothing

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 07:10:16 -0000

James Altucher would like to remind us of the math behind cryptocurrency: Two hundred billion dollars in supply. Two hundred trillion dollars of potential demand, even more if you throw in contract law. There’s 10,000 man-years of science behind it. The investment opportunity is bigger than you think, and trust him, he knows.

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At Davos, Big Tech Is Waiting for Its Grace Period to Run Out

Mon, 29 Jan 2018 16:30:25 -0000

There’s a trust crisis afoot. Earlier this week, Edelman’s annual Trust Barometer report suggested that trust is collapsing in America. In a survey of 33,000 people across more than 28 countries, only a third of Americans responded that they trust the government, a 14 percentage point decline from last year. Fewer than half of us trust the media.

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The Dirty War Over Diversity Inside Google

Mon, 29 Jan 2018 07:10:16 -0000

Fired Google engineer James Damore says he was vilified and harassed for questioning what he calls the company’s liberal political orthodoxy, particularly around the merits of diversity. Now, outspoken diversity advocates at Google say that they are being targeted by a small group of their coworkers, in an effort to silence discussions about racial and gender diversity.

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The Dangers of Keeping Women Out of Tech

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 16:30:25 -0000

In 1978 a young woman named Maria Klawe arrived at the University of Toronto to pursue a doctorate in computer science. She had never used a computer—much less written a line of code—but she had a PhD in math and a drive to succeed in a male-dominated field. She was so good that, nine months later, the university asked her to be a professor. Today, however, computer science is one of the few STEM fields in which the number of women has been steadily decreasing since the ’80s.

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What's at Stake With Amazon's New HQ? Ask Newark

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 07:10:17 -0000

Amazon's list of finalists for the location of its second headquarters holds few surprises. Following months of hype in cities and small towns across America, the 20 that made the final cut are altogether expected—major business centers and transit hubs like New York, Boston, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, mixed in with some political powerhouses, like Washington, DC and Northern Virginia. Amazon's picks for its so-called HQ2 are, with a few exceptions, already thriving.

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You Can’t Trust Facebook’s Search for Trusted News

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 16:30:33 -0000

Do you trust me? Do you trust what you are about to read, assuming you keep reading? (Keep reading!) Do you believe that I comported myself ethically during my reporting, did not make anything up, did not use the work of others without credit? Let me put that another way: Do you trust that this article will make you feel better, or correct, about the world? Do you think that I, as the writer, have some connection to you, as part of a community? That I want you to be informed, sure, but also protected? Both of those paragraphs define trust, but very differently. Which makes it both troubling and a...

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What Has Tech Done to Fix Its Harassment Problem?

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 07:10:15 -0000

Last year’s national conversation about sexual harassment in the workplace began in the tech industry. In the months that followed Susan J. Fowler’s February blog post about sexual harassment at Uber, a number of well-known tech executives---particularly, venture capitalists and startup executives---were ousted from positions of power after allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct. But with the October downfall of Harvey Weinstein, Hollywood took the lead on the conversation.

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The Lasting Impacts of Trump's First Year

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 16:30:36 -0000

As a candidate for president, Donald J. Trump scarcely mentioned the word "tech." One year since he took the oath of office, that hasn't changed much. And yet just a year in, the Trump administration has shaped policy in ways that will radically alter the country's long-term ability to innovate—and often not for the better.

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We Put The Entire Internet On The Blockchain—and You Can Too

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 07:10:15 -0000

There comes a time in every hyped-up business trend’s life cycle when the noise becomes so intense it’s comical. Cryptocurrency, bitcoin, and most important, the blockchain technology that underlies them, have reached that moment. Executives in just about any industry imaginable—music, advertising, medicine, pizza delivery—are now eager to discuss how they can capitalize on “the blockchain.” (Note to execs: There are many blockchains, not just “the one.

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Demonized Smartphones Are Just Our Latest Technological Scapegoat

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 16:30:45 -0000

As if there wasn’t enough angst in the world, what with the Washington soap opera, #MeToo, false nuclear alerts, and a general sense of apprehension, now we also have a growing sense of alarm about how smartphones and their applications are impacting children.

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Facebook's Latest Fix for Fake News: Ask Users What They Trust

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 07:10:19 -0000

Mark Zuckerberg promised to spend 2018 fixing Facebook. Last week, he addressed Facebook making you feel bad. Now he’s onto fake news. Late Friday, Facebook buried another major announcement at the end of the week: How to make sure that users see high-quality news on Facebook. Facebook’s solution? Let its users decide what to trust. On the difficult problem of fixing fake news, Zuckerberg took the path with the least responsibility for Facebook, but described it as the most objective.

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How to Win Founders and Influence Everybody

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 16:30:28 -0000

In May 2015, The New Yorker published a profile of the Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen. In it, writer Tad Friend joined Andreessen in his living room to watch an episode of Halt & Catch Fire, the AMC drama chronicling the rise of personal computing in the early 1980s. The scene provided an intimate window into the billionaire’s home life.

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YouTube's Latest Shake-Up Is Bigger Than Just Ads

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 07:10:17 -0000

Thomas M. Wagner has uploaded over 300 science fiction reviews to YouTube since 2013. He’s not a major star, but his content has attracted an audience of around 4,400 bookworms who subscribe to his channel. In return for their attention, Wagner likely receives less than $100 a month in advertising revenue, according to the analytics company SocialBlade. The vast majority of YouTube comprises niche channels like Wagner’s.

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The Lightning Network Could Make Bitcoin Faster—and Cheaper

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 16:30:37 -0000

In 2014, Joseph Poon and Thaddeus Dryja were bitcoin-obsessed engineers hanging out at pizza-fueled meetups in San Francisco. Their conversation often turned to the central problem of bitcoin: How to make it more useful? The bitcoin network’s design effectively limits it to handling three to seven transactions per second, compared with tens of thousands per second for Visa. Poon and Dryja recognized that for bitcoin to reach its full potential, it needed a major fix.

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AI Beat Humans at Reading! Maybe Not

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 07:10:17 -0000

News spread Monday of a remarkable breakthrough in artificial intelligence. Microsoft and Chinese retailer Alibaba independently announced that they had made software that matched or outperformed humans on a reading-comprehension test devised at Stanford. Microsoft called it a “major milestone.” Media coverage amplified the claims, with Newsweek estimating “millions of jobs at risk.” Those jobs seem safe for a while.

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Why a $38 Billion Tax Payment Is a Good Deal for Apple

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:30:55 -0000

Apple has faced mounting criticism in recent years for avoiding taxes in the US and Europe. Wednesday, it offered critics 38 billion replies. More precisely, Apple said it would pay an estimated $38 billion in tax to bring back to the US some of the cash it has stashed overseas over the years. Apple says the payment would be the largest tax payment of its type in history. But it’s also a pretty good deal for the company.

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Anthony Levandowski Faces New Claims of Stealing Trade Secrets

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 07:10:19 -0000

The engineer at the heart of the upcoming Waymo vs Uber trial is facing dramatic new allegations of commercial wrongdoing, this time from a former nanny. Erika Wong, who says she cared for Anthony Levandowski’s two children from December 2016 to June 2017, filed a lawsuit in California this month accusing him of breaking a long list of employment laws.

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Why Cloudflare Let an Extremist Stronghold Burn

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 16:30:55 -0000

In the fall of 2016, Keegan Hankes, an analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center, paid a visit to the neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer. This was not unusual; part of Hankes’ job at the civil rights organization was to track white supremacists online, which meant reading their sites.

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It's the (Democracy-Poisoning) Golden Age of Free Speech

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 07:10:19 -0000

For most of modern history, the easiest way to block the spread of an idea was to keep it from being mechanically disseminated. Shutter the newspaper, pressure the broadcast chief, install an official censor at the publishing house. Or, if push came to shove, hold a loaded gun to the announcer’s head. This actually happened once in Turkey.

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This Startup Wants to Neutralize Your Phone—and Un-change the World

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 16:30:20 -0000

Late last fall, in the gleaming white lobby of Madison Square Garden, uniformed attendants were posted at security stations to make thousands of smartphones stupid. Chris Rock was playing his 10th show in a 12-city international tour, and at every stop, each guest was required to pass through the entryway, confirm that his or her phone was on vibrate or silent, and then hand it over to a security guard who snapped it into a locking gray neoprene pouch—rendering it totally inaccessible.

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A Child Abuse Prediction Model Fails Poor Families

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 07:10:22 -0000

It’s late November 2016, and I’m squeezed into the far corner of a long row of gray cubicles in the call screening center for the Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth and Families (CYF) child neglect and abuse hotline. I’m sharing a desk and a tiny purple footstool with intake screener Pat Gordon. We’re both studying the Key Information and Demographics System (KIDS), a blue screen filled with case notes, demographic data, and program statistics.

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Facebook Tweaks Newsfeed to Favor Content from Friends, Family

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 07:10:18 -0000

In November, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg started sprinkling a new phrase, or perhaps a new idea, into his quarterly call with investors. “It's important to remember that Facebook is about bringing people closer together and enabling meaningful social interactions,” he said. Research, he continued, demonstrates that interactions with friends and family on social media is particularly “meaningful.

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'Sex Party' or 'Nerds on a Couch'? A Night in Silicon Valley

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 16:30:34 -0000

Earlier this month, a Vanity Fair report revealed sordid tales of Silicon Valley sex parties. But the tales, while full of unsavory and salacious details, did not include any names, raising questions in some minds about their truthfulness. Two people familiar with one of the parties---including one who attended---tell WIRED it was hosted by venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson, co-founder of the firm DFJ.

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Chuck Johnson's Twitter Free Speech Suit Is Probably DOA

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 07:10:24 -0000

In 2015, Twitter permanently banned alt-right troll Chuck Johnson, after he tweeted that he wanted to "take out" civil rights activist DeRay McKesson. Johnson now says the San Francisco-based company infringed on his First Amendment rights. But the law may say otherwise. On Monday, Johnson filed a lawsuit against Twitter, arguing that the company banned him for his political beliefs in what he believes is a clear violation of free speech.

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When It Comes to Gorillas, Google Photos Remains Blind

Thu, 11 Jan 2018 16:30:41 -0000

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When WiFi Won't Work, Let Sound Carry Your Data

Thu, 11 Jan 2018 07:10:23 -0000

If you've ever struggled to pair your phone with a Bluetooth speaker or set up a wireless printer, you know that it's often easier to connect to a server halfway around the world than to a gadget across the room. That's a problem as we increasingly use our phones to pay for stuff, unlock doors, and control everything from televisions to thermostats.

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James Damore's Lawsuit Is Designed to Embarrass Google

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 16:30:56 -0000

Last August, Google fired James Damore shortly after the engineer’s internal screed against affirmative action at the company went viral. Monday, Damore sued Google for illegally discriminating against whites, males, and conservatives, demonstrating that the company cannot rid itself of its controversy-courting former employee so easily.

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Facebook Bug Could Let Advertisers Get Your Phone Number

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 07:10:14 -0000

Facebook tells users that giving the company their mobile phone number will help keep their account secure. Until a few weeks ago, however, the social network’s self-service ad-targeting tools could be massaged into revealing a Facebook user’s cellphone number from their email address. The same flaw made it possible to collect phone numbers for Facebook users who had visited a particular webpage. Facebook fixed the problems on Dec.

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Facebook’s Virtual Assistant M Is Dead. So Are Chatbots

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 16:31:02 -0000

It’s difficult to remember now, but there was a moment in early 2016 when many in the tech industry believed chatbots---automated text-based virtual assistants---would be the next big platform. Messaging app Kik staked its company’s future on bots and “chatvertising.” Startup studio Betaworks launched an accelerator program called Botcamp. And at its 2016 F8 conference, Facebook pitched bots to developers as the best way to connect with 900 million Messenger users.

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Mark Zuckerberg Essentially Launched Facebook’s Reelection Campaign

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 07:10:20 -0000

Since 2009, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly announced a personal improvement challenge in January, a sort of New Year's resolution and Oprah’s Book Club rolled into one. Learn Mandarin. Run 365 miles. Kill your own meat. But this year, Zuckerberg pledged to spend 2018 "fixing" big problems at Facebook.

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Tech's Latest Innovation Looks A Lot Like a Social Club

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 16:30:38 -0000

Last weekend, 150 of tech’s most gifted engineers traveled to an Arizona resort to spend three days at an event that, despite having never happened before, is called Reunion. The group ranged from the semi-famous, like PayPal founder Max Levchin and Microsoft chief technology officer Kevin Scott, to the spectacularly promising, like Stanford junior Nancy Xu. There were a few panels, some company presentations, and a smattering of horseback rides and hikes in the afternoons.

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Tech Giants to Join Legal Battle Over Net Neutrality

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 07:10:22 -0000

Internet giants Amazon, Facebook, and Google plan to throw their collective weight behind efforts to save net neutrality. The Internet Association, the industry's primary lobbying organization, announced Friday that it plans to join lawsuits aimed at halting the Federal Communications Commission's December action to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules. Those rules banned internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon from blocking or otherwise discriminating against legal content online.

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How to Curb Silicon Valley Power---Even With Weak Antitrust Laws

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 18:55:09 -0000

Technology companies with unprecedented power to sway consumers and move markets have done the unthinkable: They’ve made trust-busting sound like a good idea again. The concentration of wealth and influence among tech giants has been building for years---90 percent of new online-ad dollars went to either Google or Facebook in 2016; Amazon is by far the largest online retailer, the third-largest streaming media company, and largest cloud-computing provider.

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Legal Marijuana Startups Aren't Sweating a Jeff Sessions DOJ Crackdown Just Yet

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 07:10:19 -0000

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Is Your Startup Stalled? Pivot to Blockchain

Wed, 03 Jan 2018 16:30:16 -0000

In the high-stakes world of venture-backed startups, not growing is the same as dying. Historically, stalled companies sought a sympathetic acquirer or quietly shut down. Now, startups have a new potential lifeline: They pivot to blockchain. Kik kicked things off in September. The messaging app, which has struggled under competition from Facebook and Instagram, created its own cryptocurrency called Kin, which can be used to buy and sell things via the Kik app today, and other apps in the future.

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This App Collects Spare Change to Bail People Out of Jail

Tue, 02 Jan 2018 16:30:36 -0000

“An app that converts your daily change into bail money to free black people.” That’s what Kortney Ryan Ziegler, a social engineer with a PhD in African-American studies, tweeted in July. https://twitter.com/fakerapper/status/889197985678073856The response was instantaneous—and overwhelming. Nearly 200 people replied with offers to help. That was the start of Appolition, which converts users’ spare change into bail money.

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The Sunny Optimism of Clean Energy Shines Through Tech's Gloom

Tue, 02 Jan 2018 07:10:12 -0000

The mood around tech is dark these days. Social networks are a cesspool of harassment and lies. On-demand firms are producing a bleak economy of gig labor. AI learns to be racist. Is there anyplace where the tech news is radiant with old-fashioned optimism? Where good cheer abounds? Why, yes, there is: clean energy. It is, in effect, the new Silicon Valley—filled with giddy, breathtaking ingenuity and flat-out good news.

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It’s Time for Innovators to Take Responsibility for their Creations

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 16:30:35 -0000

â€‹As one of the earliest, and first, female investors in Twitter, I had great hopes for its potential to improve human connectedness and relationships. Today, it’s become clear it’s done the opposite—by becoming a thunderously divisive tool weaponized by the leader of the free world. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Susan Wu (@sw) is an entrepreneur, engineer, and angel investor.

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The Most-read WIRED Business Stories of 2017

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 07:10:15 -0000

Looking back at the year's most-read WIRED business stories, one theme clearly emerges: people are very concerned with the future of work. Will the robot revolution will eradicate positions? (It's more complicated than that.) What are the right skills for future-proofing ourselves? (Learn code.) Could implementing a universal basic income really work? (A real-world case study suggests it might.) Other stories captured our readers attention too, of course.

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Sorry, Congress: The Tax Bill Won't Create the Jobs of the Future

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 16:30:35 -0000

Republicans argue that the lower taxes for corporations and wealthy individuals promised in the tax bill currently before Congress will result in new investment in businesses and more jobs. But in the age of artificial intelligence and automation, trickle-down economics won't create employment. What corporations and the US economy at large need most in this emerging era is not more free cash, but a new approach to machine-assisted human productivity and purpose. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Olaf J.

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2017 Was The Year We Fell Out of Love with Algorithms

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 07:10:20 -0000

We owe a lot to 9th century Persian scholar Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. Centuries after his death, al-Khwarizmi's works introduced Europe to decimals and algebra, laying some of the foundations for today’s techno-centric age. The latinized version of his name has become a common word: algorithm. In 2017, it took on some sinister overtones. Take this exchange from the US House Intelligence Committee last month.

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Why Tech Giants and Telecoms Should Join to Build an Internet for All

Tue, 26 Dec 2017 16:30:28 -0000

Last week’s repeal of net neutrality regulations by the Federal Communications Commission generated considerable controversy. Many characterized the decision as a win for telecom and cable companies at the expense of both consumers and content companies.

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Behind the Fall and Rise of China's Xiaomi

Tue, 26 Dec 2017 07:10:13 -0000

A year ago, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi (sha-oh-me) had fallen from the world’s most valuable unicorn to a “unicorpse.” Sales plunged in 2016, pushing the company from first to fifth place among China’s smartphone makers. No firm had ever come back from a wound that severe in the trench warfare of the global smartphone business. Today, Xiaomi is being called a “Chinese phoenix.

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Did You Like or Follow Facebook Pages from a Russian Troll Farm?

Mon, 25 Dec 2017 16:30:29 -0000

Facebook Friday made available a tool to allow users to see whether they had liked or followed a page linked to Russia’s attempt to influence the 2016 US election. Facebook had promised to make such a tool available in November, after the company revealed in a congressional hearing that more than 140 million people may have been exposed to Russia-linked propaganda during the 2016 election cycle.

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At Google, Eric Schmidt Wrote the Book on Adult Supervision

Mon, 25 Dec 2017 07:10:13 -0000

Eric Schmidt wound up at Google by compromise. In 1998, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin had made a promise to the two venture-capital firms that funded them---they would hire an experienced CEO to manage the company once it began to take off. But two years later they were hedging, insisting they could scale Google to a global power by themselves. VC John Doerr convinced them to keep interviewing potential leaders.

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Why Workplace Instant Messaging Is Hot Again

Fri, 22 Dec 2017 16:30:21 -0000

Chat is almost as old as the internet itself. But this year, investors and big tech companies alike treated workplace messaging as the next big thing. Slack announced a $250 million investment in September from Japanese tech company SoftBank, bringing its total funding to $790 million and boosting its valuation from $3.8 billion to $5.1. In June, rumors surfaced that Amazon wanted to buy the company for as much $9 billion.

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As Artificial Intelligence Advances, Here Are Five Tough Projects for 2018

Fri, 22 Dec 2017 07:10:14 -0000

For all the hype about killer robots, 2017 saw some notable strides in artificial intelligence. A bot called Libratus out-bluffed poker kingpins, for example. Out in the real world, machine learning is being put to use improving farming and widening access to healthcare. But have you talked to Siri or Alexa recently? Then you’ll know that despite the hype, and worried billionaires, there are many things that artificial intelligence still can’t do or understand.

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It's Time to Take Magic Leap Seriously

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 11:43:59 -0000

The last time I visited Magic Leap founder Rony Abovitz at the company’s secretive Florida offices, he told me about the time he met Beaker, the meeping beeping scientist on the Muppet Show. Not the character Beaker, but the real Beaker. The guy was a film director at creator Jim Henson’s studio, Abovitz explained enthusiastically.

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Where VC's Will Invest in 2018: Blockchain, AI, Voice, Pets

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 07:40:29 -0000

Venture capital isn’t a monolith, but startup investors are compared to lemmings for a reason. Once a trend gets hot, every firm needs to make a play, or come up with a good excuse for missing out. (To be safe, if the firm does miss a trend, its partners should privately trash talk it to anyone who will listen.) Investors continue to aggressively pour money into startups.

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Facebook Can Now Find Your Face, Even When It's Not Tagged

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 16:30:35 -0000

Facebook just loosened the leash a little on its facial-recognition algorithms. Starting Tuesday, any time someone uploads a photo that includes what Facebook thinks is your face, you’ll be notified even if you weren’t tagged. The new feature rolled out to most of Facebook’s more than 2 billion global users this morning. It applies only to newly posted photos, and only those with privacy settings that make an image visible to you.

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Augmented Reality's Real Power Will Come From Substance, Not Flash

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 07:10:18 -0000

Last week the pilot light for my water heater went out. I tried to relight it by following the instructions pasted on the side of the heater, but they were as inscrutable as hieroglyphs. So I did what everyone does when they need to learn something: I went to YouTube. Bingo. Someone had posted a video showing how to relight my exact model. I crouched down near the heater, holding my phone at arm’s length so I could follow the instructions, as if I were peeking over an expert’s shoulder.

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After FCC Abandons Net Neutrality, States Take Up the Fight

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 16:30:30 -0000

The Federal Communications Commission will no longer protect net neutrality. Now, officials in more than a dozen states are trying to take on the job. Within minutes after the FCC voted to jettison its Obama-era rules that prohibit internet providers from blocking or discriminating against lawful content, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he would lead a multistate lawsuit against the agency to preserve the regulations.

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The Biggest Whoppers From the FCC's Net Neutrality Meeting

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 07:10:19 -0000

It took less than two hours of debate for the Federal Communications Commission to repeal net neutrality protections, a decision that could send ripple effects across the internet for years. Over the objections of the commission's two Democrats, the three Republican members, including Chair Ajit Pai, voted to overturn protections put in place in 2015—but not before fudging a few facts.

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Koch Brothers Are Cities' New Obstacle to Building Broadband

Mon, 18 Dec 2017 16:30:34 -0000

The three Republican commissioners now in power at the FCC voted this week to erase the agency's legal authority over high-speed Internet providers.They claim that competition will protect consumers, that the commission shouldn't interfere in the "dynamic internet ecosystem," and that they are "protecting internet freedom." Now that the vote is done, the agency has little to do but mess around with spectrum allocations. The mega-utility of the 21st century officially has no regulator.

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After FCC Vote, Net Neutrality Fight Moves to Courts, Congress

Mon, 18 Dec 2017 07:10:13 -0000

The Federal Communications Commission will vote Thursday on a plan to dismantle its net neutrality regulations. But that won’t end the fight over rules that prohibit internet service providers from creating fast lanes for some content, while blocking or throttling others. Most immediately, the activity will move to the courts, where the advocacy group Free Press, and probably others, will challenge the FCC’s decision.

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The Researcher Who Wants to Bring AI to Factories

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 16:30:34 -0000

Gargantuan Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn employs more than 1 million people and tens of thousands of robots making iPhones and other electronics. It has a reputation for cost cutting, including at the expense of its workers. Now, it’s teaming up with an artificial-intelligence researcher who helped trigger Google’s reorientation around machine learning in order to make its own factories more efficient.

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The FCC’s Two Dissenting Voices Defend Net Neutrality To the End

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 07:14:07 -0000

Today the Federal Communications Commission voted to overturn its rules banning internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon from blocking or discriminating against lawful content. In doing so, it effectively killed net neutrality. But not every FCC commissioner was on board. The agencies's two Democratic commissioners, Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel, lashed out against the order during the FCC's open meeting today.

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In Ed Lee's San Francisco, Utopia and Dystopia Are Neighbors

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 16:30:20 -0000

From the tall windows of WIRED’s offices in San Francisco’s South-of-Market neighborhood I’ve watched almost a decade of radical change made physical in concrete and glass. The city’s forest of new skyscrapers is at least in part the legacy of Mayor Ed Lee, who died early Tuesday morning after almost seven years in office.

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Bitcoin Is Soaring. Here's Why It's Not Ready for the Big Time

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 07:10:17 -0000

“To the moon!” The phrase is the battle cry of true believers in cryptocurrency bitcoin---and charts of its price in recent weeks point directly heavenward. Yet beyond a batch of newly minted crypto-millionaires, the digital asset’s recent bull run has also exposed long-standing weakness in the underlying technology that could crimp bitcoin’s long-term viability.

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When Your Activity Tracker Becomes a Personal Medical Device

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 16:30:30 -0000

Fitbit spent its first decade selling activity trackers. With its latest moves, the company is starting to look less like a gear maker selling pricey accessories to fitness buffs and more like a medical-device company, catering to hospitals, patients, and health insurers.

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FCC Plan to Kill Net Neutrality Rules Could Hurt Students

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 07:10:25 -0000

Nichole Williams needed a career reboot. After more than a decade as a web designer in Atlanta, she felt her career was moving backward. She knew she needed to expand her programming skills to stay relevant in the field, so she signed up for Thinkful, an online-education startup that pairs students with one-on-one mentors who work with them over video-chat connections to help them learn to code.

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Expect Fewer Great Startups if the FCC Kills Net Neutrality

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 16:30:23 -0000

Instead of listening to the thousand of startups and investors who argue that ending net neutrality would damage online innovation, FCC chair Ajit Pai is pushing a vote this Thursday to dismantle two decades of open internet protections in one of the biggest corporate giveaways in history. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Ryan Singel (@rsingel) is media and strategy fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School and the CEO/cofounder of Contextly.

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What Do I Do All Day? Livestreamed Technology CEOing

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 07:10:15 -0000

Thinking In Public I’ve been CEOing Wolfram Research for more than 30 years now. But what does that actually entail? What do I end up doing on a typical day? I certainly work hard. But I think I’m not particularly typical of CEOs of tech companies our size. Because for me, a large part of my time is spent on the front lines of figuring out how our products should be designed and architected, and what they should do. Thirty years ago I mostly did this by myself.

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FCC Must Investigate Fraud Before Voting on Net Neutrality

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:30:17 -0000

When Netflix debuted the second season of Stranger Things on October 27, more than 15 million people watched the first episode in the following three days. But the strangest thing about Stranger Things? Its early audience was bigger than some of this year's World Series games. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) is a Democratic commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission.

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Musk Says Tesla Is Building Its Own Chip for Autopilot

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 07:10:17 -0000

Rockets, electric cars, solar panels, batteries---whirlwind industrialist Elon Musk has set about reinventing one after another. Thursday, he added another ambitious project to the list: Future Tesla vehicles will run their self-driving AI software on a chip designed by the automaker itself. “We are developing customized AI hardware chips,” Musk told a room of AI experts from companies such as Alphabet and Uber on the sidelines of the world’s leading AI conference.

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The FCC Says Net Neutrality Cripples Investment. That's Not True

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 16:30:14 -0000

Federal Communications Commission Chair Ajit Pai says the agency's net-neutrality rules are discouraging investment, leaving consumers with fewer, and less robust, choices for internet service, and potentially widening the digital divide. Broadband providers' own financial reports tell a different story.

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Accused VC Sends Same Sorry Sexual Harassment Email to Critics

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 07:10:13 -0000

Justin Caldbeck, whose venture firm collapsed after six women came forward with allegations of sexual harassment in June, says he’s trying to make amends. His efforts have included handwritten notes to his accusers and others to whom he now thinks he may have acted improperly, as well as emails to women who’ve been critical of him in the media. But some recipients of Caldbeck’s "apology" emails are not convinced.

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Uber's Not the Only One That Should Be Wary of Disappearing Messaging Apps

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 16:30:21 -0000

During a pair of explosive pre-trial hearings last week, the lawsuit between self-driving Alphabet spinoff Waymo and Uber over trade secrets got an unlikely, new star player. It wasn't an engineer, like Anthony Levadowski, the former Google engineer who allegedly brought reams of Waymo trade secrets to his next big gig as head of autonomous driving at Uber.

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How the FCC's Net Neutrality Plan Breaks With 50 Years of History

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 07:10:12 -0000

Federal Communications Commission chair Ajit Pai has proposed repealing longstanding net neutrality rules. Only he has a different phrase for them: “The Obama administration’s heavy-handed regulations.” Wait a second: Did Obama really invent net neutrality? Even in a country with famously short attention spans, at least some people might have noticed that net neutrality has been around longer than that.

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Alphabet's Latest AI Show Pony Has More Than One Trick

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 16:57:12 -0000

The history of artificial intelligence is a procession of one-trick ponies. Over decades researchers have crafted a series of super-specialized programs to beat humans at tougher and tougher games. They conquered tic-tac-toe, checkers, and chess. Most recently, Alphabet’s DeepMind research group shocked the world with a program called AlphaGo that mastered the Chinese board game Go. But each of these artificial champions could play only the game it was painstakingly designed to play.

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How to Pierce the Secrecy Around Sexual Harassment Cases

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 07:10:13 -0000

The recent outpouring of sexual harassment and assault allegations has helped expose not only high-profile predators, but the culture of secrecy that shielded them. Now lawmakers and advocates want to empower victims, and make it harder for serial harassers to hide, by restricting the use of nondisclosure agreements, the confidentiality provisions that obscured decades of complaints against Harvey Weinstein, Bill O’Reilly, and Roger Ailes by muzzling their accusers.

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Facebook for 6-Year-Olds? Welcome to Messenger Kids

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 16:30:22 -0000

Facebook says it built Messenger Kids, a new version of its popular communications app with parental controls, to help safeguard pre-teens who may be using unauthorized and unsupervised social-media accounts. Critics think Facebook is targeting children as young as 6 to hook them on its services. Facebook’s goal is to “push down the age” of when it’s acceptable for kids to be on social media, says Josh Golin, executive director of Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.

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FCC Wants to Kill Net Neutrality. Congress Will Pay the Price

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 07:10:13 -0000

FCC chair Ajit Pai’s plan to repeal net neutrality provisions and reclassify broadband providers from “common carriers” to “information services” is an unprecedented giveaway to big broadband providers and a danger to the internet. The move would mean the FCC would have almost no oversight authority over broadband providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T.

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Page Not Found: A Brief History of the 404 Error

Mon, 04 Dec 2017 16:30:20 -0000

The notorious 404 error, “Not Found,” is often, not totally erroneously, referred to as “the last page of the internet.” It’s an obligatory heads-up with an outsize reputation; it is a meme and a punch line. Bad puns abound. The error has been printed in comics and on T-shirts, an accessible and relatable facet of what was once relegated to nerd humor and is now a fact of digital life. That the 404 should have crossover appeal seems fitting.

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How to Make Sense of Net Neutrality and Telecom Under Trump

Mon, 04 Dec 2017 07:10:16 -0000

President Donald Trump isn’t known for consistency. He has even occasionally waffled on immigration, his signature issue. This tendency has been on display in recent weeks, as two federal agencies made starkly different moves on telecom policy. First, the Department of Justice sued to block AT&T's proposed $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner.

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Google, Amazon Find Not Everyone Is Ready for AI

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 16:30:27 -0000

Executives at ascendant tech titans like Amazon and Google tend to look down on their predecessor IBM. The fading giant of Armonk, New York, once sustained itself inventing and selling cutting-edge technology, but now leans heavily on consulting. Renting out people to help other companies with tech projects is a messier and less scalable business than selling computing power on a distant cloud server, and leaving the customer to do the grunt work.

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Facebook’s New Captcha Test: 'Upload A Clear Photo of Your Face'

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 07:10:18 -0000

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Robots Threaten Bigger Slice of Jobs in US, Other Rich Nations

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 16:30:23 -0000

The world is commonly divided into industrialized and emerging economies. A new study of how technology will transform demand for workers suggests we might talk of the automated and automating worlds instead. Economic think tank McKinsey Global Institute forecast changes in demand for different kinds of labor across 45 countries as technologies improve to perform physical or office tasks.

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What an Internet Analyst Got Wrong About Net Neutrality

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 07:10:24 -0000

The Federal Communications Commission's plan to jettison its net-neutrality rules found a surprise supporter this week in respected technology industry analyst and blogger Ben Thompson. In a blog post Tuesday, Thompson argued that he supports net neutrality, but thinks the FCC is right to repeal rules that ban broadband providers like Comcast and Verizon from blocking, slowing down, or otherwise discriminating against legal content.

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Can This Game-Like App Help Students Do Better in School?

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 16:30:20 -0000

FRESNO, Calif. — A group of seventh- and eighth-grade girls sat around a lunch table discussing a new game-like app they use in school. Danna Rodriguez somewhat sullenly said she didn’t want to care about Strides, which tracks points students earn for attendance, grade-point average and using the app itself, among other things. But she can’t help herself. She does care.

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How Bored Panda Survived Facebook's Clickbait Purge

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 07:10:16 -0000

For a year or two in the early 2010s, a certain genre of cheesy, irresistibly uplifting headline was unavoidable on Facebook. You know the trope – someone died in an inspiring way, a potentially bad situation led to an unlikely friendship, a dog saved someone’s life. Followed, almost always, by “You’ll never believe what happened next.” It was a sure bet to make content go viral, and traffic-hungry publishers flooded Facebook with curiosity-gap headlines.

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An Old Technique Could Put Artificial Intelligence in Your Hearing Aid

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 07:10:14 -0000

Dag Spicer is expecting a special package soon, but it’s not a Black Friday impulse buy. The fist-sized motor, greened by corrosion, is from a historic room-sized computer intended to ape the human brain. It may also point toward artificial intelligence's future. Spicer is senior curator at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. The motor in the mail is from the Mark 1 Perceptron, built by Cornell researcher Frank Rosenblatt in 1958.

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FCC Prepares to Unveil Plan to Gut Net Neutrality

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 17:02:54 -0000

The Federal Communications Commission this week is widely expected to release its plan to reverse Obama-era net neutrality rules that banned internet service providers from blocking or slowing down content or creating so-called "fast lanes" for companies willing to pay extra to deliver their content more quickly.

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Archivist Leslie Berlin Tackles Silicon Valley's Past in 'Troublemakers'

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 07:10:15 -0000

Silicon Valley job perks are mythic. Self-replenishing snacks. Unlimited vacation. A pile of stock options. But as much as these professional entrapments might seem like dotcom-era phenomena, the practice of sweetening the deal for tech employees dates back to the ’70s as a way to ward off labor unions. Happy workers, explains Stanford historian Leslie Berlin, are less likely to agitate for better conditions.

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This Stripped-Down Blogging Tool Exemplifies Antisocial Media

Fri, 24 Nov 2017 16:30:13 -0000

Recently, Rob Beschizza—a coder and the managing editor of Boing Boing—released a stripped-down blogging tool called txt.fyi. Write something, hit Publish, and voilà: your deathless prose, online. But here’s the thing: txt.fyi has no social mechanics. None. No Like button, no Share button, no comments. No feed showing which posts are most popular. Each post has a tag telling search engines not to index it, so it won’t even show up on Google.

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Government Move to Block AT&T Merger Bodes Ill for Tech

Fri, 24 Nov 2017 07:10:11 -0000

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Monday to block AT&T's planned $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, in a move that could signal tougher scrutiny for tech companies. The lawsuit breaks with the recent DOJ tradition of approving mergers between companies that don't directly compete, such as AT&T and Time Warner. The government followed that traditional thinking in allowing Comcast to acquire NBCUniversal in 2011.

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Here's How the End of Net Neutrality Will Change the Internet

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 16:30:14 -0000

Internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon may soon be free to block content, slow video-streaming services from rivals, and offer “fast lanes” to preferred partners. For a glimpse of how the internet experience may change, look at what broadband providers are doing under the existing “net neutrality” rules. When AT&T customers access its DirecTV Now video-streaming service, the data doesn’t count against their plan’s data limits.

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Why the Government is Right to Block the AT&T-Time Warner Merger

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 08:22:28 -0000

Despite what Randall Stephenson thinks, the Department of Justice’s suit blocking AT&T from acquiring Time Warner’s assets in an $85 billion merger is a great moment for antitrust in America. It’s late, but it’s welcome. WIRED Opinion About Susan Crawford is a professor at Harvard Law School and the author of The Responsive City and Captive Audience. Stephenson, the AT&T CEO, has no one but himself to blame.

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Phone-Chip Designer Tackles 'Industrial' Internet of Things

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 16:30:20 -0000

Masayoshi Son, founder and CEO of SoftBank Group, has a lot of crazy ideas. He believes robots with IQs above 10,000 will outnumber humans in 30 years. He considered taking SoftBank private in what would have been the largest leveraged buyout of all time. He raised $45 billion for an investment fund in 45 minutes. He wants to launch a second, record-breaking Vision Fund before even closing his first one.

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Stop the Chitchat. Bots Don’t Need to Sound Like Us

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 07:10:15 -0000

Bert Brautigam is sick of having conversations with his devices. Like many of us, Brautigam, who works for the design firm Ziba, uses voice assistants like Google’s phone AI or Amazon’s Alexa. The theory is that voice commands make life more convenient. But these assistants are scripted to emulate everyday conversation. And everyday conversation is filled with little pauses and filler words, the “phatic” spackle of social interactions.

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At MoMA, Cat Instagram Has Finally Clawed Its Way Into the Art World

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 16:30:22 -0000

Stephen Shore was an Instagram artist way before there was Instagram. He shot to prominence in the ’70s with carefully composed snapshots of parking lots, pancake breakfasts, and camping trips, beautiful banalities that future Instagrammers would try to emulate. Now that Shore is actually on the platform, he averages a post a day—and a retrospective of his work, opening at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in November, shows off three years’ worth of his ’grams.

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China Challenges Nvidia's Hold on Artificial Intelligence Chips

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 07:10:18 -0000

In July, China’s government issued a sweeping new strategy with a striking aim: draw level with the US in artificial intelligence technology within three years, and become the world leader by 2030. A call for research projects from China’s Ministry of Science and Technology posted online last month fills in some detail on the government’s plans. And it puts Silicon Valley chipmaker Nvidia, the leading supplier of silicon for machine-learning projects, in the cross hairs.

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The Movement to Protect Dreamers Is Still Divided on the Details

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 07:10:11 -0000

Wednesday morning, Todd Schulte stood before a podium, dressed in a grey suit and orange tie, to talk about the urgent need for legislation that protects undocumented people who came to the United States as children, also known as Dreamers.

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The FCC Says Local Media is Thriving. That's Not So Clear.

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 07:10:11 -0000

With a few exceptions, it's against federal regulations for your local television station to buy your local newspaper. Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on a proposal to change those rules. Since 1975, the commission has generally barred organizations from owning both a newspaper and a full-power radio or television station in the same market to protect what it calls "viewpoint diversity.

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Meet the Woman Making Uber's Self-Driving Cars Smarter, Cheaper

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 16:12:40 -0000

Next month in San Francisco, Uber will stand trial in federal court for allegedly cheating in the race to commercialize self-driving cars. Google parent Alphabet accuses Uber of stealing designs for sensors called lidars that give a vehicle a 3-D view of its surroundings, an “unjust enrichment” it says will take $1.8 billion to heal. Meanwhile in Toronto, Uber has a growing artificial-intelligence lab led by a woman who’s spent years trying to make lidar technology less important.

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Ray Kurzweil on Turing Tests, Brain Extenders, and AI Ethics

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 07:10:12 -0000

Inventor and author Ray Kurzweil, who currently runs a group at Google writing automatic responses to your emails in cooperation with the Gmail team, recently talked with WIRED Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Thompson at the Council on Foreign Relations. Here’s an edited transcript of that conversation. Nicholas Thompson: Let’s begin with you explaining the law of accelerating returns, which is one of the fundamental ideas underpinning your writing and your work.

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Expect Bigger Risks from Democrats After Blockbuster Virginia Results

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 07:10:23 -0000

As Democratic wins started piling up on election night in Virginia, you probably saw the names of a few key winners circulating in social media and the press. But while the victories of Virginia governor-elect Ralph Northam, and Danica Roem, the first transgender person to ever be elected to a state legislature, rightly resonated, one key to understanding Tuesday's significance could come from a Democrat who lost: Veronica Coleman.

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Facebook Posts Aren’t Going to Help the Rohingya Refugees

Mon, 13 Nov 2017 07:10:13 -0000

“Never in my life have I seen so many frightened people, huddled together, in such a small space,” my friend posted on Facebook in October. A resident at a local hospital, she is working unpaid hours at Ukhia, responding to the arrival of over half a million persecuted Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh since late August.

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Cryptocurrency Mania Fuels Hype and Fear at Venture Firms

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 10:34:34 -0000

Bart Stephens has found himself in high demand lately. After four years of investing in cryptocurrency and preaching its gospel, his venture-capital peers are finally listening. During a recent briefing at a storied Silicon Valley venture-capital firm, the young analysts in the room nodded along to his words in excitement, Stephens says. But not everyone was sold. In the middle of his presentation, a gray-haired senior partner stood up, yelled “PONZI SCHEME!” and stormed out.

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Win or Lose, the Virginia Election Will Boost Data-Driven Progressives

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 07:10:28 -0000

Catherine Vaughan doesn't let herself get excited on election night anymore. She learned that lesson the hard way a year ago, over too many glasses of whiskey at a Cleveland bar, where she and the rest of Hillary Clinton's Ohio field team were supposed to be celebrating. Instead, they were mourning. Now, as CEO of the progressive startup Flippable, which she co-founded to raise funding for Democratic state house races, Vaughan faces yet another test of a year's worth of work.

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How Uber's 'Invisible' Workforce Could Affect Your Taxes

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 07:10:13 -0000

The “gig economy” is hardly new, but there’s still a yawning gap between the attention it receives and our understanding of how it is---or isn’t---altering the nature of work in America. It may be a Bay Area joke that everyone is either working in the valley or for Task Rabbit, and Uber may be the world’s most valuable startup, but there may be dozens of Apple executives who are personally worth more than Ikea paid to acquire TaskRabbit.

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Trump's Twitter Takedown Reveals Another Tech Blind Spot

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 07:10:13 -0000

It only took one click. And then, for 11 startling minutes---or blissful ones, depending on your politics---the constant drumbeat that is the @realdonaldtrump Twitter handle was muted, taken offline Thursday evening by a Twitter customer-service worker on his or her last day. The President, for one, seems to have taken the bold move as a compliment. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/926401530013642765But for Twitter, the worker’s final act couldn’t come at a worse time.

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Digital Solutions Can Help Even the Poorest Nations Prosper

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 07:10:18 -0000

Among the spending choices for governments of poorer nations, kick-starting the technological revolution may at first seem like a low priority. Compared with critical infrastructure, healthcare, or schools, improved digital access and less waiting times for birth certificates feel like luxuries that should come further down the road, or perhaps be left to private enterprise. But there is reason to rethink this.

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Six Revealing Moments From the Second Day of Russia Hearings

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 08:10:19 -0000

On their second day in Capitol Hill, lawyers from Facebook, Twitter, and Google took a bipartisan beating as they faced tough questions about the role their platforms played in Russian attempts to divide the American electorate. Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee grilled the tech executives about their responses to Russian interference in the 2016 election, arguing that the companies are not taking seriously what Congress considers a kind of cyberwarfare.

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What Congress Should Ask Tech Executives About Russia

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 08:10:15 -0000

As special counsel Robert Mueller issues the first indictments in his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, executives of three technology titans will face questioning by Congress this week about Russian use of their platforms. Representatives from Facebook, Twitter, and Google are set to testify before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Tuesday, then the Senate and House intelligence committees on Wednesday.

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Supreme Court's Cell Phone Tracking Case Could Hurt Privacy

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 08:10:13 -0000

One of the biggest cases for the US Supreme Court’s current term could mark a watershed moment for the Fourth Amendment. InCarpenter v. United States, the court will consider whether police need probable cause to get a search warrant to access cell site location information (CSLI), data that's automatically generated whenever a mobile phone connects to a cell tower.

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The Solution to Facebook Overload Isn't More Facebook

Tue, 31 Oct 2017 08:10:14 -0000

The moment I first realized that everything had changed for Facebook was right after the 2016 US presidential election with one of the first of many Zuckerbergian mea culpas. Not that first post-election post, his horribly disingenuous dodge that improbably asserted that Facebook could not have influenced the election.

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What Did Cambridge Analytica Really Do for Trump's Campaign?

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 08:10:15 -0000

News that Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix approached Wikileaks founder Julian Assange last year to exploit Hillary Clinton’s private emails has amplified questions about Cambridge's role in President Trump's 2016 campaign. Shortly after The Daily Beast reported Nix’s contact with Assange Wednesday, the Trump campaign’s executive director sought to downplay Cambridge's role.

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Facebook's Aggressive Moves on Startups Threaten Innovation

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 08:10:19 -0000

In 2010, Foursquare co-founder Naveen Selvadurai believed that his company, and several other social-media upstarts---Twitter, Tumblr, Path---could carve out successful niches against Facebook. But Facebook had other plans. That year the company introduced a feature that allowed users to “check in” at any location, a copy of the main feature of Foursquare’s app.

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Captains of Finance Dismiss Bitcoin at Their Peril

Thu, 26 Oct 2017 08:10:13 -0000

The financial industry today looks stable and boring, with a few megabanks ever-more entrenched and markets that may not offer the same risks and rewards as before the 2008-2009 financial crisis but which remain highly profitable for incumbents. That stasis, however, masks looming challenges to the sclerotic incumbents. Two such challenges were much in evidence this past week: Bitcoin and China.

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In Camden, Bridging the Skills Gap Means More than Tech Training

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 08:10:17 -0000

Caloua Lowe bounds up the rickety, worn staircase of a three-story, red brick building in Camden, New Jersey on a sunny September morning, the wooden steps creaking under the pressure of her red-sandaled feet. The walls display framed, Photoshopped images: a mockup of Vogue, album covers featuring young men standing shoulder to shoulder with rap legends like Jay-Z.

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How Big Tech Became a Bipartisan Whipping Boy

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 08:10:17 -0000

Silicon Valley oligarchs have plenty of reason to lose sleep these days, but the looming prospect of Nov. 1 has to be high on the list. That’s the day that executives from Google, Facebook, and Twitter are scheduled to testify in back-to-back hearings before Senate and House committees investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.

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Congress's New Bill Can't Eliminate Russian Influence Online

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 19:32:21 -0000

A bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill Thursday that would require online political advertisers to provide additional disclosures about who’s paying for their ads, but the measure may prove a half-step toward preventing foreign adversaries from influencing US elections online. During a press conference Thursday, Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Amy Klobuchar introduced the much-anticipated Honest Ads Act, co-sponsored by Republican Sen. John McCain.

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Tony Fadell’s Next Act? Taking on Silicon Valley—From Paris

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 08:10:17 -0000

Tony Fadell is at the Grove, a spectacularly beautiful country estate outside of London. The event is Founders Forum: the ultra exclusive invite-only tech conference. Prince William is in the house. The guest list is lousy with knights and lesser officers of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Marissa Mayer, the now ex-CEO of Yahoo, and Biz Stone, recently returned to Twitter, are mingling with the other hundred or so invitees. But this is really Fadell’s moment.

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Here Are Twitter's Latest Rules for Fighting Hate and Abuse

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 08:10:22 -0000

When Twitter could take credit for revolutionary political movements like the Arab Spring, it was easy for the company's executives to joke about their liberal stance on free speech. (Twitter, they said, was "the free speech wing of the free speech party.") But things are a bit more complicated now, as Twitter increasingly plays host to bullies, harassers, Nazis, propaganda-spreading bots, ISIS recruiters, and threats of nuclear war.

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Wikipedia's Fate Shows How the Web Endangers Knowledge

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 08:10:25 -0000

Wikipedia, one of the last remaining pillars of the open and decentralized web, is in existential crisis. This has nothing to do with money. A couple of years ago, the site launched a panicky fundraising campaign, but ironically thanks to Donald Trump, Wikipedia has never been as wealthy or well-organized.

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Colorado Schools Pay Students to Work With Local Tech Firms

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 08:10:23 -0000

LONGMONT, Colo. — In one back room at Skyline High School, you can learn all you need to know about St. Vrain Valley School District. It’s there that bins of materials sit next to past projects, exposing the district’s DNA. Boxes holding glue, Popsicle sticks, tape, pipe cleaners, compasses, zip ties and rulers lie nestled inside a 6-foot-high, student-constructed rack.

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Google's Learning Software Learns to Write Learning Software

Mon, 16 Oct 2017 08:10:13 -0000

White-collar automation has become a common buzzword in debates about the growing power of computers, as software shows potential to take over some work of accountants and lawyers. Artificial-intelligence researchers at Google are trying to automate the tasks of highly paid workers more likely to wear a hoodie than a coat and tie—themselves. In a project called AutoML, Google’s researchers have taught machine-learning software to build machine-learning software.

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In Puerto Rico, No Power Means No Telecommunications

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 08:10:12 -0000

Nearly three weeks after Hurricane Maria tore through the Caribbean, Puerto Rico is still mostly an island deleted from the present and pushed back a century or so—with little clean water, little electric power, and almost no telecommunications. For telecom, the biggest problem is the lack of power, because most of the island’s transmission lines were knocked out.

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Facebook Quietly Enters StarCraft War for AI Bots, and Loses

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 08:10:19 -0000

In the distant Koprulu Sector of the Milky Way, Facebook’s Zerglings lingered in a restless swarm outside the enemy’s base. After the commander ill-advisedly opened the gate, the social network’s alien horde stormed in and slaughtered forces stationed inside, in a battle fought on the frontiers of artificial-intelligence research. The bloody incident was part of an annual competition of the videogame StarCraft for AI software bots that wrapped up Sunday.

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Actually, Do Read the Comments—They Can Be the Best Part

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 08:10:16 -0000

Imagine you want to collect donations for a food bank. You could place an empty box on the street, walk away, and hope there’s food inside when you return. The likely result? Your box will be filled with trash. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Andrew Losowsky (@losowsky) is project lead ofMozilla’sCoral Project. The Coral Project builds open-source tools and guides to community practice to bring journalists closer to the communities they serve. Alternatively, you could think strategically.

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If Ads Don't Work, Can Publishers Strike Subscription Gold?

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 08:10:15 -0000

Tony Haile spent seven years trying to save the internet from click-based hell. As CEO of Chartbeat, a software and data provider to publishers, he showed editors, in real time, which stories were “trending” on their sites. He hoped the information would convince media companies and advertisers that their primary way of doing business online---through banner ads, sold through split-second digital auctions for fractions of pennies---could not last.

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As Federal Data Disappears, New Tool Gives Power to Cities

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 08:10:24 -0000

In 2014, Mayor Gary Phillips of San Rafael, California, wanted to start studying the city’s data. He asked his staff to build a dashboard where he could track 10 key metrics, including the city's violent-crime rate, its sales-tax income, and its paramedic response times, and see how they fluctuated over time. In theory, it was a smart idea that could lead to better-informed spending and decision-making.

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'Siri, Why Have You Fallen Behind Other Digital Assistants?'

Fri, 06 Oct 2017 08:10:23 -0000

Apple has a reputation for entering markets late—think portable music players or smartphones—and then blowing away competitors with a superior product. When it comes to Apple’s virtual assistant Siri, that storyline appears to be playing out in reverse. Apple revealed Siri with the iPhone 4S in October 2011, one day before cofounder Steve Jobs died. Talking to a device to set alarms or answer messages was seen as revolutionary.

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Big Tech Eyes Supreme Court’s Employee-Arbitration Case

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 08:10:22 -0000

Earlier this year, Susan Fowler sparked an uproar in the technology industry with allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination at Uber. An internal investigation led to more than 200 employee complaints and at least 20 terminations. But Fowler may not be able to sue Uber in court. When she joined the ridesharing company, Uber required her to resolve any disputes through private arbitration and waive her right to participate in a class action.

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Struggling With Ikea Furniture? There's an App for That

Wed, 04 Oct 2017 08:10:18 -0000

A well-respected online furniture retailer is teaming up with a stalwart of the gig economy, a broker for people who do household tasks. The furniture retailer gets better customer service; the giggers get gigs assembling furniture. Good deal, right? Oh, separately, Ikea bought TaskRabbit this week. Your confusion is understandable. In that first graf I was talking about Wayfair. You know, the world’s largest online-only furniture retailer? Took in $3.

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No Inflation? Technology May Have Left it Back in the 20th Century

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 08:10:23 -0000

During her speech to the National Association of Business Economics on Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen made a rather startling admission: The Fed may have “misspecified” its models for inflation and “misjudged” the strength of wages and the job market.

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Facebook Built Its Vision of Democracy on Bad Data

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 08:10:14 -0000

Mark Zuckerberg took to Facebook Wednesday to once more defend himself and his platform. Responding to a cavalierly-tweeted charge of anti-Trump bias from the President of the United States, Zuckerberg again repeated his claim that Facebook was [a platform for all ideas,” and that, contrary to unfolding public opinion, his company did much more to further democracy than to stifle it. For evidence, Zuckerberg—as is his wont—turned to the data.

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Stricken By Tragedy, an Immigrant Fights for Her Home

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 08:10:24 -0000

In February, a grizzled 50-something white man approached two Indian avionics engineers at a bar outside Kansas City. He began haranguing them about an all-too-familiar topic: their visas. After bar patrons kicked out the agitator, he returned with a gun, screamed “Get out of my country!” and shot both engineers, killing one of them, Srinivas Kuchibhotla. The alleged shooter, Adam Purinton, is now facing hate crime charges in federal court.

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Zen and the Art of Hedge Fund Management

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 08:10:11 -0000

This story is about Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest and most successful private hedge fund. But first I want to talk about the Buddha. In the 13th century, the Japanese Buddhist philosopher Dogen wrote a famous series of precepts called the Genjo-Koan. In them, he preached that there was no such thing as an “abiding self.” “The buddha way is, basically, leaping clear of the many of the one,” he wrote. “To study the Buddha way is to study the self.

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What We Know---and Don't Know---About Facebook, Trump, and Russia

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 08:10:16 -0000

Facebook is now enmeshed in several investigations into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Last week, the company agreed to give Congress 3,000 political ads linked to Russian actors that it sold and ran during the 2016 election cycle; it previously had handed that information to special investigator Robert Mueller.

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I Helped Create Facebook's Ad Machine. Here's How I'd Fix It

Tue, 26 Sep 2017 08:10:15 -0000

This month, two magnificently embarrassing public-relations disasters rocked the Facebook money machine like nothing else in its history. First, Facebook revealed that shady Russian operators purchased political ads via Facebook in the 2016 election.

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The Real Trouble With Trump's 'Dark Post' Facebook Ads

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 08:10:22 -0000

The backroom conversations politicians have with their base always seem to come back and bite them in the ass. You still remember Mitt Romney’s infamous "47 percent" remarks, when he told a room full of well-heeled donors during the 2012 campaign that 47 percent of the electorate are “dependent upon government,” “believe that they are victims,” and would vote for President Obama no matter what.

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Snopes and the Search for Facts in a Post-Fact World

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 08:10:25 -0000

It was early March, not yet two months into the Trump administration, and the new Not-Normal was setting in: It continued to be the administration’s position, as enunciated by Sean Spicer, that the inauguration had attracted the “largest audience ever”; barely a month had passed since Kellyanne Conway brought the fictitious “Bowling Green massacre” to national attention; and just for kicks, on March 4, the president alerted the nation by tweet, “Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower.” If the administration had...

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Apple Becomes a Chipmaker to One-Up Smartphone Foes

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 08:10:14 -0000

In a video introducing the iPhone X, Apple design chief Jony Ive speaks in his usual sonorous tones about features like polished stainless steel and new formulations of glass. Twice, he also calls out a feature of the $999 device that its owners will never see: the A11 “bionic” processor powering the phone. The new chip’s prominence reflects Apple’s deepening investment in chip design.

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Brash Investor Tries to Blow Up the IPO as His Partners Quit

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 08:10:19 -0000

Chamath Palihapitiya, an early Facebook executive and outspoken presence in Silicon Valley, is unapologetic about his frustrations with the venture-capital industry. There’s too much money chasing deals, making it harder to generate strong returns. Too many VCs conflate luck with talent. And everyone who benefits from the current system is resistant to change. Technically, Palihapitiya is a venture capitalist himself.

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To Fix Its Toxic Ad Problem, Facebook Must Break Itself

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 08:10:14 -0000

It is a sure sign that Facebook’s algorithms have run amok when they allow anyone to target ads to people with an expressed interest in burning Jews. Likewise, when Russians can sow chaos in American elections by purchasing thousands of phony Facebook ads without Facebook realizing it, the automated systems selling those ads may need some oversight.

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Bias Suit Could Boost Pay, Open Promotions for Women at Google

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 08:10:24 -0000

A lawsuit claiming Google systematically discriminates against women in pay and promotion could force the search giant, and other Silicon Valley companies, to change hiring and promotion practices. Three former Google employees filed the lawsuit Thursday in San Francisco, and said they would seek to make the case a class action, representing all women who have worked at Google since 2013.

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Indiana, Reeling from Opioid Crisis, Arms Officials with Data

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 08:10:17 -0000

The opioid crisis has hit Indiana hard. In 2012, Indiana was among a handful of states whose opioid prescriptions roughly equaled its population. Three years later, intravenous drugs caused the nation’s worst HIV outbreak in two decades, affecting 181 people in rural Scott County, Indiana. And since 2013, Indiana has had the dubious distinction of leading the nation in pharmacy robberies, beating even California, which has six times its population.

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Apple’s ‘Neural Engine’ Infuses the iPhone With AI Smarts

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 08:10:12 -0000

When Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the iPhone X Tuesday he claimed it would “set the path for technology for the next decade.” Some new features are superficial: a near-borderless OLED screen and the elimination of the traditional home button. Deep inside the phone, however, is an innovation likely to become standard in future smartphones, and crucial to the long-term dreams of Apple and its competitors.

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Does Amazon Really Need a $5 Billion Second HQ? Maybe.

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 08:10:12 -0000

Amazon announced Thursday that it plans to spend $5 billion on a second headquarters--dubbed "HQ2" somewhere outside its current home of Seattle, Washington. The company hasn't decided where HQ2 will be yet, but Amazon says it will be in North America and expects around 50,000 people will work there within 10 to 15 years. The company currently employs around 40,000 people in Seattle.

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Decentralized Social Networks Sound Great. Too Bad They’ll Never Work

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Last year Jillian York, a free expression activist, was temporarily booted off Facebook for sharing partially nude images. The offending photos were part of a German breast cancer awareness campaign which featured, well, breasts. Facebook flagged the post as a violation of its Community Standards, which strictly prohibits most types of female nudity. Though the account suspension lasted only 24 hours, it had a powerful impact on York’s ability to get things done.

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Thousands of Facebook Ads Tied to Bogus Russian Accounts

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 08:10:18 -0000

Amid ongoing concern over the role of disinformation in the 2016 election, Facebook said Wednesday it found that more than 5,000 ads, costing more than $150,000, had been placed on its network between June 2015 and May 2017 from "inauthentic accounts" and Pages, likely from Russia.

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New America Chair Says Google Didn't Prompt Critic's Ouster

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 08:10:21 -0000

The co-chair of the New America Foundation told staffers Wednesday that neither Google nor its executive chairman Eric Schmidt---both donors to the think tank---played a role in the recent ouster from the foundation of an antitrust scholar who had been critical of Google. “Neither Google nor Eric Schmidt attempted to interfere” with criticism of Google by the researcher, co-chair Jonathan Soros wrote in a letter to New America staff and fellows.

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Apple's Real Reason for Finally Joining the Net Neutrality Fight

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 08:10:16 -0000

Over the past few months, as the Federal Communications Commission has moved closer to weakening net neutrality protections, countless tech companies have signaled their support for a strong and open internet. The lone voice missing through the debate: Apple. Yesterday, the final day to comment on the FCC's current net neutrality proceedings, the company finally broke its silence with a comment filed in support of strong rules to protect the open internet.

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FCC’s Broken Comments System Could Help Doom Net Neutrality

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 08:10:20 -0000

This past April, the Federal Communications Commission invited the American people to weigh in on whether the federal government should roll back the rules currently in place to protect net neutrality. By the time the online comment submission period ended last Wednesday, the agency had collected 21.9 million comments, an astounding level of participation on what at first glance appears to be a rather esoteric telecommunications policy issue.

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The Hard Consequence of Google's Soft Power

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 08:10:19 -0000

Among its peers, Google is an unparalleled lobbyist. Between April and June of this year, Google spent $5.4 million lobbying the federal government, more than double the lobbying budget for Apple, a comparable global behemoth that also has to fend off regulatory scrutiny. The tech giant has also long funded a lengthy roster of think tanks, academics, and nonprofits that grapple with issues that could seriously impact Google’s bottom line, such as privacy, net neutrality, and tax reform.

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Redefining 'Broadband' Could Slow Rollout in Rural Areas

Mon, 04 Sep 2017 08:10:13 -0000

How fast is a broadband internet connection? That question is at the heart of a controversy at the Federal Communications Commission. After a study about connection speeds in the US last year, the FCC decided that too few people had access to high speed internet. But that conclusion never sat right with the commission's Republicans, who argued that the agency set too high a bar in deciding what counts as broadband.

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Google and Microsoft Can Use AI to Extract Many More Ad Dollars from Our Clicks

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 08:10:15 -0000

When Google and Microsoft boast of their deep investments in artificial intelligence and machine learning, they highlight flashy ideas like unbeatable Go players and sociable chatbots. They talk less often about one of the most profitable, and more mundane, uses for recent improvements in machine learning: boosting ad revenue. AI-powered moonshots like driverless cars and relatable robots will doubtless be lucrative when—or if—they hit the market.

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Do We Need a Speedometer for Artificial Intelligence?

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Microsoft said last week that it had achieved a new record for the accuracy of software that transcribes speech. Its system missed just one in 20 words on a standard collection of phone call recordings—matching humans given the same challenge. The result is the latest in a string of recent findings that some view as proof that advances in artificial intelligence are accelerating, threatening to upend the economy.

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Harvey Shows Progress on Emergency Communications Since Katrina

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 08:10:21 -0000

The damage done by Hurricane Harvey is, as the National Weather Service, tweeted ominously over the weekend, “unknown & beyond anything experienced.” Rain continues to fall over the water-soaked region of Southeast Texas where the category 4 hurricane made landfall Friday night. It’s a living nightmare already drawing comparisons to Hurricane Katrina. One comparison offers a glimmer of hope amid the devastation: Communications networks have held much better.

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Sorry, Banning ‘Killer Robots’ Just Isn’t Practical

Tue, 29 Aug 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Late Sunday, 116 entrepreneurs including Elon Musk released a letter to the United Nations warning of the dangerous “Pandora’s Box” presented by weapons that make their own decisions about when to kill. Publications including the Guardian and Washington Post ran headlines saying Musk and his cosigners had called for a “ban” on “killer robots.” Those headlines were misleading.

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Google and Walmart’s Big Bet Against Amazon Might Just Pay Off

Mon, 28 Aug 2017 08:10:12 -0000

It’s hard to overstate Amazon’s online retail dominance. With 76 percent market share of online retail, it’s as if the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls entered your local rec league. No one can challenge Amazon today, but a newly announced partnership between Google and Walmart—allowing you to order groceries from the latter with Google Assistant, or online via Google Express, starting late September—may ultimately present a threat. Still, it's a long-term long shot.

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The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread

Fri, 25 Aug 2017 08:10:09 -0000

It started while I was on a Hawaiian vacation in May. I thought I’d just tweaked my back lifting a poolside lounge chair. Back home, my back pain became severe, and I started noticing nerve pain in my legs. For eight days I could barely crawl around the house. My wife and two daughters nicknamed me “the worm.” At 45, I’m in pretty good shape—avid cyclist, runner, weightlifter, yoga enthusiast with a resting pulse in the 50s.

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One-Time Allies Sour on Joining Trump's Tech Team

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 08:10:09 -0000

President Trump’s victory caught Garrett Johnson—and the rest of humanity—by surprise. A Republican, Johnson had never been among Trump’s biggest fans. He’d worked for former Florida governor Jeb Bush and supported Bush in the primaries. The night candidate Trump addressed the Republican National Convention, Johnson retweeted the words of another Republican political operative: “There will be time for reflection. Hopefully there will be time to rebuild.

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Defining 'Hate Speech' Online Is Imperfect Art as Much as Science

Wed, 23 Aug 2017 08:10:09 -0000

Shortly after a rally by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, led to the death of a counter-protestor, YouTube removed a video of U.S. soldiers blowing up a Nazi swastika in 1945. In place of the video, users saw a message saying it had been “removed for violating YouTube’s policy on hate speech.

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Uber Settles with FTC Again, This Time over 2014 Privacy Breach

Tue, 22 Aug 2017 08:10:08 -0000

Uber on Tuesday agreed to improve its privacy and security practices and to allow outsiders to monitor its progress for 20 years. The agreement with the Federal Trade Commission would resolve complaints stemming from a 2014 incident in which a hacker gained access to the names and driver's license numbers of more than 100,000 Uber drivers.

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FCC Pledges Openness -- Just Don't Ask To See Complaints

Mon, 21 Aug 2017 08:10:07 -0000

Shortly after Ajit Pai was named chair of the Federal Communications Commission in February, he said he wanted the agency to be “as open and accessible as possible to the American people." Six months on, the agency is falling short of Pai’s lofty goal in some key areas. Critics are especially concerned about the FCC’s handling of complaints from the public about internet providers and the causes of a May 7 outage of the public-comments section of the agency’s website.

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Everybody Chill: Robots Won't Take All Our Jobs

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 08:10:07 -0000

None of this is to say that automation and AI aren’t having an important impact on the economy. But that impact is far more nuanced and limited than the doomsday forecasts suggest. A rigorous study of the impact of robots in manufacturing, agriculture, and utilities across 17 countries, for instance, found that robots did reduce the hours of lower-skilled workers—but they didn’t decrease the total hours worked by humans, and they actually boosted wages.

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New Media and the Messy Nature of Reporting on the Alt-Right

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 08:10:08 -0000

President Trump stunned the nation, members of his own party, the press, and, apparently, his staff on Tuesday with his candid remarks regarding last weekend's deadly violence at a rally of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia. The day before, he had reluctantly condemned the neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members who comprised much of the rally, but just 24 hours later, standing in the lobby of Trump Tower, the president was back to to condemning groups "on both sides" of the fighting.

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Google Abruptly Cancels Town Hall About That Memo

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 08:10:08 -0000

Google CEO Sundar Pichai Thursday abruptly cancelled a planned companywide meeting intended to air concerns raised by a former employee's broadside against Google's diversity programs. The move came just minutes before the meeting was to start, as the company that aims to organize the world's information struggles to deal with reverberations from the memo and its decision to fire the author.

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Google's AI Declares Galactic War on StarCraft

Tue, 15 Aug 2017 08:10:09 -0000

Tic tac toe, checkers, chess, go, poker. Artificial intelligence rolled over each of these games like a relentless tide. Now Google’s DeepMind is taking on the multiplayer space-war videogame StarCraft II. No one expects the robot to win anytime soon. But when it does, it will be a far greater achievement than DeepMind’s conquest of Go—and not just because StarCraft is a professional e-sport watched by fans for millions of hours each month.

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James Damore Offended Fellow Students in Harvard Grad School Skit

Mon, 14 Aug 2017 08:10:08 -0000

James Damore, the former Google engineer who was fired Monday after posting a missive criticizing the company’s diversity programs, offended fellow Harvard graduate students with an off-color skit during a 2012 retreat, prompting two professors to send an email apologizing for the performance. At the time, Damore was a doctoral student in systems biology. Along with a few dozen other students and faculty, he attended a two-day retreat at a hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

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Yes, Bitcoin Has No Intrinsic Value. Neither Does a $1 Bill

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 08:10:10 -0000

Bitcoin: fad or the future? The question has dogged the digital currency since its inception nearly a decade ago, and recent developments raise it anew. Last week, a new variant of bitcoin emerged via a “fork” in its underlying code, threatening to confuse and divide the still-small world of bitcoin adherents. Meanwhile, the price of a coin has soared to record heights above $3,000, from about $1,000 at the year’s beginning. Skeptics remain.

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Why Does the Web Hate Martin Shkreli? Let Us Count the Ways

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 08:10:07 -0000

In the year 2017, justice can seem in short supply. But on Friday, as news broke that pharma-bro-turned-internet-troll Martin Shkreli was convicted of securities fraud, schadenfreude circulated through the online masses; justice, for this one brief moment, had been served. It can be tough to keep a running mental list of all the reasons the good people of the internet despise Shkreli—and the bad ones adore him.

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Why People Can’t Stop Talking About Zuckerberg 2020

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 08:10:09 -0000

On January 3, 2017, Mark Zuckerberg posted a status update to his Facebook page. “Every year I take on a personal challenge to learn new things and grow outside of my work,” the Facebook CEO wrote to his 84 million followers. “In recent years, I've run 365 miles, built a simple AI for my home, read 25 books and learned Mandarin. My personal challenge for 2017 is to have visited and met people in every state in the US by the end of the year.

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Meet Alex, the Russian Casino Hacker Who Makes Millions Targeting Slot Machines

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 08:10:16 -0000

Late last autumn, a Russian mathematician and programmer named Alex decided he’d had enough of running his eight-year-old business. Though his St. Petersburg firm was thriving, he’d grown weary of dealing with payroll, hiring, and management headaches. He pined for the days when he could devote himself solely to tinkering with code, his primary passion. The time had come for an exit strategy.

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Men Will Lose the Most Jobs to Robots, and That’s OK

Mon, 07 Aug 2017 08:10:09 -0000

Robots are coming for our jobs—but not all of our jobs. They’re coming, in ever increasing numbers, for a certain kind of work. For farm and factory labor. For construction. For haulage. In other words, blue-collar jobs traditionally done by men. This is why automation is so much more than an economic problem. It is a cultural problem, an identity problem, and—critically—a gender problem.

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Trump's Radical Immigration Crackdown Won't Help Tech

Fri, 04 Aug 2017 08:10:06 -0000

In a public address at the White House on Wednesday, President Trump embraced a new Senate bill called the RAISE Act, which he promised would usher in a wave of high-skilled immigration, “restore our competitive edge in the 21st century,” and make the United States' vetting system more like Canada and Australia's.

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What Is Ray Kurzweil Up to at Google? Writing Your Emails

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 08:10:09 -0000

Ray Kurzweil has invented a few things in his time. In his teens, he built a computer that composed classical music, which won him an audience with President Lyndon B. Johnson. In his 20s, he pioneered software that could digitize printed text, and in his 30s he cofounded a synthesizer company with Stevie Wonder.

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The Rise of AI Is Forcing Google and Microsoft to Become Chipmakers

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 08:10:07 -0000

By now our future is clear: We are to be cared for, entertained, and monetized by artificial intelligence. Existing industries like healthcare and manufacturing will become much more efficient; new ones like augmented reality goggles and robot taxis will become possible.

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Google and Facebook Still Reign Over Digital Advertising

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 08:10:08 -0000

It was a very good week for two of the biggest tech companies on Earth. Facebook announced it made $9.3 billion this quarter, a 45 percent increase compared with last year, while Google’s parent company, Alphabet, posted earnings of $26 billion in the same time period, a 21-percent jump from a year ago. The vast majority of all this revenue came from advertising—87 percent for Google, and a whopping 98 percent for Facebook.

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Grasping Robots Compete to Rule Amazon’s Warehouses

Mon, 31 Jul 2017 08:10:06 -0000

Amazon employs 45,000 robots, but they all have something missing: hands. Squat wheeled machines carry boxes around in more than 20 of the company’s cavernous fulfillment centers across the globe. But it falls exclusively to humans to do things like pulling items from shelves or placing them into those brown boxes that bring garbage bags and pens and books to our homes.

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Our Minds Have Been Hijacked by Our Phones. Tristan Harris Wants to Rescue Them

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Sometimes our smart phones are our friends, sometimes they seem like our lovers, and sometimes they’re our dope dealers. And no one, in the past 12 months at least, has done more than Tristan Harris to explain the complexity of this relationship.

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San Quentin’s Web Design Shop Gives Inmates a Future-Ready Fresh Start

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 08:10:07 -0000

Just a few days after his 28th birthday, Steve Lacerda went to a local bar with his buddies to celebrate. Lacerda, who had graduated from UC Santa Barbara and was working as a network troubleshooter for a startup in the Bay Area, met a woman there. The two of them got to talking and, after too many drinks, Lacerda decided to take her for a ride on his motorcycle. She hopped on the back. Lacerda began driving. He crashed. She died.

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Google Fights Against Canada's Order to Change Global Search Results

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 08:10:07 -0000

In June, Canada's Supreme Court came down on Google—hard. It ruled that the tech giant must take down certain Google search results for pirated products. And not just in Canada, but globally. Now, Google is going south of the Canadian border to push back on this landmark court ruling.

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Watson Won Jeopardy, but Is It Smart Enough to Spin Big Blue's AI Into Green?

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 08:10:08 -0000

In retrospect, there was much more at stake than a mere $1 million when IBM’s Watson computer faced off against two Jeopardy! champions back in 2011. The bot’s victory gave Big Blue a shot at conjuring up a new line of business at the perfect possible moment. A series of advances in image and speech recognition was about to trigger a frenzy of investment and excitement about the money-making potential of artificial intelligence.

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Trump's 2020 Campaign Has Already Paid Out $600K—to Trump

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 08:10:12 -0000

Back in 2000, when Donald Trump was considering a presidential run on the Reform Party ticket, he told Fortune, "It's very possible that I could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it." And though it's hard to say whether Trump has actually managed to turn a profit (at least not without getting a look at his tax returns), according to his re-election campaign's FEC filings, Donald Trump is sure as hell trying his best.

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Kotlin: the Upstart Coding Language Conquering Silicon Valley

Fri, 21 Jul 2017 08:10:15 -0000

You'll find millions of apps in the Google Play store, many of them written using the powerful, stable, workhorse programming language Java. If it were a car, Java would feature a fast, reliable engine but not antilock brakes, power steering, or cup holders. Totally drivable. Not exactly a joy ride.

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AI Could Revolutionize War as Much as Nukes

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 08:10:19 -0000

In 1899, the world’s most powerful nations signed a treaty at The Hague that banned military use of aircraft, fearing the emerging technology’s destructive power. Five years later the moratorium was allowed to expire, and before long aircraft were helping to enable the slaughter of World War I. “Some technologies are so powerful as to be irresistible,” says Greg Allen, a fellow at the Center for New American Security, a non-partisan Washington DC think tank.

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VC Firms Promise to Stamp Out Sexual Harassment. Sounds Familiar

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 08:10:11 -0000

If you believe their tweets, venture capitalists have never been more invested in making their industry hospitable to women. The flurry of good intentions did not come out of the blue. In the past few weeks, The Information and The New York Times have reported allegations of sexual harassment by well-connected tech VCs against female startup founders, many of them women of color.

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Apple’s Privacy Pledge Complicates Its AI Push

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 08:10:09 -0000

It’s the simple bargain that made companies like Google and Facebook into giants: in exchange for the convenience of running your life from a smartphone, you hand over gobs of data on your every activity. It zips up into the cloud where algorithms do…well it’s hard to be exactly sure, but everyone's at it. Oh, except Apple. Tim Cook has aggressively positioned the company as uninterested in collecting user data, and boasts that it sets Apple apart.

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Looks Like Google Bought Favorable Research to Lobby with

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 08:10:16 -0000

Officially, the online search giant Google’s mission is to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” According to two new reports—one from the Wall Street Journal and one from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Campaign for Accountability’s Google Transparency Project, the company doesn’t just organize.

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The Humans Making Amazon Prime Day Possible

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 08:10:16 -0000

You may not know how you know it, but you probably know today is Amazon Prime Day—a 30-hour-long, made-up shopping holiday from the online retail giant, where 85 million Prime subscribers get access to hundreds of thousands of discounts through Amazon’s site.

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The Who's Who of Net Neutrality's 'Day of Action'

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:08:23 -0000

You're probably used to pop-ups on websites begging you to sign-up for an email newsletter, enter a contest, or watch an ad. But tomorrow the web will be plastered in a different sort of pop-up as some the tech's biggest companies fight to maintain a free and open internet. Last May, the Federal Communications Commission began the process of dismantling the net neutrality rules it adopted in early 2015.

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No One Wins the Machiavellian Game of Trump vs. the Press

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 08:10:19 -0000

Hello, and welcome to Who Extorted It Better? Time to meet our contestants! One is an avid user of Twitter, frequent golfer, and the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth: Donald Trump! The other is a major international news organization full of great journalists and run by bean-counting execs who helped put Donald Trump in office: CNN! Ready? Aaaaaaaannnd extort! Ooh, strong opening move from the president, hinting that if CNN continued its critical coverage of his administration, well, Trump might have his regulatory agencies withhold approval of a merger between...

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As the Digital Divide Grows, an Untapped Solution Languishes

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 08:10:10 -0000

Shortly before am on February 23, 2016, an incendiary email landed on a nonprofit listserv, blasting a federal program that many of the listserv’s members rely on to bring high-speed internet to low-income and rural Americans.

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How I Got Facebook to Invest in Minority-Owned Businesses

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 08:10:18 -0000

When most people think about diversity, they think recruiting and hiring, and it ends there. They are mistaken. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Bärí A. Williams (@bariawilliams) is head of business operations, North America, at StubHub. She previously served as lead counsel for Facebook and created its supplier diversity program.

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Facebook: Too Big to Delete

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 08:10:10 -0000

On Wednesday, one day after Facebook had announced that two billion people use its service every month, ProPublica released a bombshell investigation into the company's hate-speech censorship guidelines. The report included documents that revealed that Facebook's rules often end up protecting the rights of those in power over those who are powerless. These two revelations are inextricably entwined, each enabling and necessitating the other.

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By Facebook's Logic, Who Is Protected From Hate Speech?

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 08:10:09 -0000

For months now, social media companies have been grappling with how to minimize or eradicate hate speech on their platforms. YouTube has been working to make sure advertisers' content doesn't show up on hateful videos. Instagram is using AI to delete unsavory comments. And earlier this week, ProPublica reported on the internal training materials Facebook gives to the content managers who moderate comments and postings on the platform on how to calculate what is and isn’t hate speech.

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Kill the Open Internet, and Wave Goodbye to Consumer Choice

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:10:09 -0000

The net neutrality debate can seem complicated. But at its heart, the issue rests on two simple realities: First, for more than a decade, the status quo in the US has been an open internet that supports thriving innovation among websites, apps, and new digital services. Second, innovators and consumers are dependent on a few large broadband providers that serve as gatekeepers to the internet. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Terrell McSweeny (@TMcSweenyFTC) is a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission.

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Every Question Donald Trump Asked on Twitter This Month, Answered

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 08:10:13 -0000

These are confusing times. Everyone’s a potential Russian agent. Facts can no longer be trusted. People keep putting Newt Gingrich on TV. Nothing about our current world makes sense. So it's understandable that even Donald Trump might have a hard time getting a handle on things. Over the past month, Trump has asked no fewer than 15 questions of the world on Twitter.

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Uber's Opportunity to Remake Silicon Valley—For Good

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 08:10:12 -0000

Captain Renault: “I’m shocked—shocked—to find that gambling is going on in here.” Croupier: [hands Renault money.] “Your winnings, sir.” Renault: “Oh, thank you very much. Everybody out at once!” WIRED OPINION ABOUT Tim O’Reilly (@timoreilly) is the founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media, and the author of the forthcoming book WTF? What’s the Future, and Why It’s Up to Us, due out from Harper Business on October 10.

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Instagram Unleashes an AI System to Blast Away Nasty Comments

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 08:10:24 -0000

Every word has at least one meaning when it stands alone. But the meaning can change depending on context, or even over time. A sentence full of neutral words can be hostile (“Only whites should have rights”), and a sentence packed with potentially hostile words (“Fuck what, fuck whatever y'all been wearing”) can be neutral when you recognize it as a Kanye West lyric. Humans are generally good at this kind of parsing, and machines are generally bad.

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The Woman Who Gave You Journey Returns With a VR Fairy Tale

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 08:10:13 -0000

"Not everything that happens in your life is good," Robin Hunicke says. "But everything that happens is a part of your story." We're sitting in a small apartment across the street from the LA Convention Center the week of E3 2017, talking about her new game, Luna.

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Why Net Neutrality Matters

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 08:10:10 -0000

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Tech Metaphors Are Holding Back Brain Research

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 12:20:23 -0000

Staring down a packed room at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown San Francisco this March, Randy Gallistel gripped a wooden podium, cleared his throat, and presented the neuroscientists sprawled before him with a conundrum. “If the brain computed the way people think it computes," he said, "it would boil in a minute." All that information would overheat our CPUs. Humans have been trying to understand the mind for millennia.

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A Short History of the Many, Many Ways Uber Screwed Up

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 08:10:27 -0000

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While You Were Offline: Yeah Sure Why Not, Give Barbie's Boyfriend a Man Bun

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 13:41:02 -0000

Amidst all the turmoil both online and off, it might have been easy to miss, but guess what? Summer is here! And you know what that means: Things are heating up. And we're not just talking about the mercury rising. From the halls of Congress to the tubes of the internet, heated discussions and hot takes abound. Think you might have missed something online over the last week? Grab a cool beverage and lean back—everything you need to know is right here.

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If You Need a Digital Detox, You'll Love This Smart Dumbphone

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 08:10:12 -0000

To cash in on the growing anxiety that we are fast becoming a bunch of Wi-Fi-enabled cyborgs, the marketplace has spawned a new consumer category: products to free you from the crushing grip of always-on digital ubiquity. There are digital detox retreats: off-grid playgrounds where the habitually frazzled do downward dog in grassy fields and type letters on manual typewriters. There are $76 bath salts, too—minerals specially formulated to cleanse the bodies and minds of digital natives.

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Patients Are Experimenting With Ketamine to Treat Depression

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 08:10:14 -0000

Sean Spencer was ready to give up. For two years, since suffering a major panic attack, the entrepreneur had been living under a cloud of depression. Nothing seemed to make it better. He took traditional antidepressants, but they made him “want to die.” Meditation gave him a fleeting sense of relief, but it wasn’t enough to get him through the day. Out of desperation, he finally traveled to a clinic to try a controversial new therapy: ketamine IV infusions.

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WoeBot, The Chatbot Therapist, Will See You Now

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 08:10:10 -0000

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Sci-Fi TV Doesn't Have to Be 'Prestige'—It Can Just Be Fun

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 15:54:51 -0000

You live, it’s true, in a Golden Age of Television, and at least some of that gold comes in the form of lucky coins from leprechauns that reanimate unfaithful dead spouses. Which is to say, some of the most premium-est of premium TV right now is genre—science fiction and fantasy. It’s American Gods, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Westworld, The Leftovers.

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What's Wrong with Apple's New Headquarters

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:10:16 -0000

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IBM's Silicon Nanosheets Breakthrough Will Help Push Moore's Law Forward

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 08:10:11 -0000

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Scientist Screwed Up? Send 'Em to Researcher Rehab

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 08:10:11 -0000

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Review: Microsoft Surface Laptop

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop says nothing about the future of technology. The team in Redmond didn’t concern itself with the way things will be in 2025—which ports users will want, what kind of device they’ll use, how they’ll feel about bezels. Instead, Microsoft built a laptop optimized for 2017. Contrast that approach with Apple’sMacBooks. To trim every millimeter from its laptops, Apple invented a shallower keyboard.

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Trump’s Twitter Blocking May Violate First Amendment

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 08:10:16 -0000

President Trump's irate and irrational tweets have already gotten him in plenty of trouble, and will, no doubt, continue to be an issue as he pushes for approval of his controversial travel ban before the Supreme Court. Now, free speech advocates are condemning Trump not just for what he's saying on the platform, but for what he's preventing his constituents from saying to him.

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Apple Just Joined Tech’s Great Race to Democratize AI

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Apple’s iMac updates and new HomePod speaker drew most of the attention at the company’s World Wide Developers keynote. But tucked away in the middle were a short few minutes in which software chief Craig Federighi casually launched Apple into one of the tech industry’s fiercest competitions– the contest to help developers build the next generation of AI-powered applications.

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The End of Net Neutrality Could Shackle the Internet of Things

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 08:10:08 -0000

Net neutrality isn’t the simplest concept to grasp. Explaining it works best via example: Net neutrality means, say, that internet providers like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon, which also have their own television and streaming video services, can’t create “slow lanes” for competing services. They can’t gum up traffic from sites such as Netflix and Dish’s SlingTV in favor of their own. But net neutrality doesn’t just cover streaming video.

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In a Fake Fact Era, Schools Teach the ABCs of News Literacy

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Fourteen-year-old Isabel Catalan stares intently at her laptop as she walks me through a recent assignment one sunny morning a few weeks before summer vacation. The studious eighth grader and I are sitting in a tiny, colorful classroom at Norwood-Fontbonne Academy, a small private elementary school in the tree-lined Philadelphia suburbs, which also happens to be my alma mater. In most ways, Norwood feels a lot like I left it nearly 20 years ago.

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Google Is Already Late to China’s AI Revolution

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Sitting on a stage in Wuzhen, China, a historic city up the river from Shanghai, Google chairman Eric Schmidt described what he called “the age of intelligence.” But he wasn’t talking about human intelligence. He meant machine intelligence. He trumpeted the rise of deep neural networks and other techniques that allow machines to learn tasks largely on their own, either by finding patterns in vast amounts of data or through their own trial and error.

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A Laptop Ban Leaves Everyone Scared and No One Safer

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 08:10:12 -0000

After this weekend’s attacks in London, President Trump became embroiled in a spat with the city’s mayor, where the president criticized British authorities for not taking the threat of terrorism seriously enough. In its crude way, that confrontation underscored a deeper divide between the United States and much of the rest of the world over what taking terrorism seriously means.

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Antitrust Watchdogs Eye Big Tech’s Monopoly on Your Data

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 08:10:11 -0000

A couple weeks ago,during an unassuming antitrust conference at Oxford University, a German bureaucrat uttered a few words that should send a chill through Silicon Valley. In front of a crowd of nearly 200 competition law experts—including enforcement agents, scholars, and economic policy-makers from the United States and Europe—Andreas Mundt, president of Germany’s antitrust agency, Bundeskartellamt, said he was “deeply convinced privacy is a competition issue.

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We Asked Lawyers to Vet Trump’s Most Controversial Tweets

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Just past midnight on Wednesday morning, the man who gave us the word "bigly" added yet another term to the American lexicon: "covfefe." The president's since-deleted late-night tweet, which read, cryptically, "Despite the constant negative press covfefe," launched a thousand Twitter takes. Some of the jokes were great. Some were so very, very bad. (We're looking at you, Ted Cruz.

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Pied Piper’s New Internet Isn’t Just Possible—It’s Almost Here

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 08:10:10 -0000

On HBO’s Silicon Valley, startups promise to “change the world” by tackling silly, often non-existent problems. But this season, the show’s characters are tackling a project that really could. In their latest pivot, Richard Hendricks and the Pied Piper gang are trying to create new internet that cuts out intermediaries like Facebook, Google, and the fictional Hooli.

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The GIF Turns 30: How an Ancient Format Changed the Internet

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 08:10:13 -0000

The web’s favorite file format just turned 30. Yep, it turns out the GIF is a millennial, too. At the same time, 30 makes the GIF ancient in web years, which feels a bit weird, given that the proliferation of animated GIFs is a relatively recent phenomenon. Today, Twitter has a GIF button and even Apple added GIF search to its iOS messaging app. Such mainstream approval would have seemed unthinkable even a decade ago, when GIFs had the cultural cachet of blinking text and embedded MIDI files.

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The Community Zuck Longs to Build Remains a Distant Dream

Wed, 31 May 2017 08:10:11 -0000

On February 16, Mark Zuckerberg published “Building Global Community,” a6,000-word open letter directly addressed to Facebook’susers. “To our community,” Zuckerberg begins. “On our journey to connect the world, we often discuss products we’re building and updates on our business.

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Meet the Nerds Coding Their Way Through the Afghanistan War

Tue, 30 May 2017 08:10:14 -0000

A disembodied voice sounded over a loudspeaker. "Incoming. Take cover," it warned to anyone within earshot. Then, the sirens began to wail. Erin Delaney assumed it was a drill. She peeked down the hallway to see how other people were responding. Then she hit the deck. It was not a drill. The NATO base in Kabul where Delaney had been working for weeks was being attacked. Delaney, 24, had never had any military training.

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This Entrepreneur A/B Tested Her Clothes to Combat Sexism

Mon, 29 May 2017 08:10:15 -0000

Kathryn Minshew is a female cofounder and CEO of The Muse, a popular online job search destination for millennials. She doesn’t have a technical degree, although she was a top computer science student who aced the advanced placement exam for computer science when she was in the tenth grade at Thomas Jefferson High, a prestigious math and science magnet school in northern Virginia.

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Telco-Backed Politician Wants to Restore Privacy Rules She Helped Kill

Fri, 26 May 2017 08:10:12 -0000

Last Thursday Republicans proposed a new law that would require companies from Comcast and Verizon to Facebook and Google to get your permission before selling your internet browsing history. Sounds familiar? Probably, because last year the Federal Communications Commission passed a sweeping set of privacy rules that did much the same thing, rules that Republicans voted to scrap just two months ago.

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Can the American Heartland Remake Itself in the Image of Silicon Valley? One Startup Finds Out

Thu, 25 May 2017 08:10:12 -0000

Ross Diedrich had gone pale and raw-boned. The CEO of a year-old startup in Denver, he'd stay at his office until the middle of the night, go home and sleep for about five hours, then chug a spinach smoothie and start again. He was just 27 years old, but he felt wrung out. Now he was standing in front of six angel investors, wearing a blazer over a T-shirt printed with the word covered—the name of his startup—and regretting he hadn't spent more time practicing for this moment.

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Can the American Heartland Remake Itself in the Image of Silicon Valley? One Startup Finds Out

Wed, 24 May 2017 08:10:14 -0000

Ross Diedrich had gone pale and raw-boned. The CEO of a year-old startup in Denver, he’d stay at his office until the middle of the night, go home and sleep for about five hours, then chug a spinach smoothie and start again. He was just 27 years old, but he felt wrung out.

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Get Ready for the Next Big Privacy Backlash Against Facebook

Tue, 23 May 2017 08:10:15 -0000

Data mining is such a prosaic part of our online lives that it’s hard to sustain consumer interest in it, much less outrage. The modern condition means constantly clicking against our better judgement. We go to bed anxious about the surveillance apparatus lurking just beneath our social media feeds, then wake up to mindlessly scroll, Like, Heart, Wow, and Fave another day.

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Sundar Pichai Sees Google’s Future in the Smartest Cloud

Mon, 22 May 2017 08:10:17 -0000

Two days before delivering the keynote at Google I/O, the company’s annual State of the Union address, Sundar Pichai is worried about losing his voice. Sitting at the coffee table inside his remarkably spartan office at company headquarters, the Google CEO speaks softly, even by his standards.

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Hear Me Out: Let’s Elect an AI as President

Fri, 19 May 2017 08:10:14 -0000

Is it possible that someday we will elect an AI president? Given some of the recent occupants of the White House, many might consider it an upgrade. After all, humans are prone to making decisions based on ego, anger, and the need for self-aggrandizement, not the common good. An artificially intelligent president could be trained to maximize happiness for the most people without infringing on civil liberties. It might even learn that it's a good idea to tweet less—or not at all.

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Silicon Valley Rebrands Itself as Good for the Rest of America

Thu, 18 May 2017 08:10:11 -0000

“Should I tellthe story about the killer robots?” Micah Weinberg said. “I love telling this story. It’s such a good story.” A group of roughly 50 people listened raptly as Weinberg, president of a think tank called the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, addressed a public-policy luncheon in San Carlos, California, on Thursday afternoon.

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Even if Apple Breaks $1 Trillion, It Won’t Stay on Top Forever

Wed, 17 May 2017 08:10:15 -0000

Apple just became the first US company to surpass $800 billion in market capitalization. Speculation quickly followed that Apple would soon become the first $1 trillion company, with a rumored $1,000 iPhone 8 coming at year’s end. The company’s share price has been on a tear since the beginning of the year, and sales of the iPhone 7 have been strong in part because of safety issues surrounding rival Samsung devices. Apple retains an enviable brand image and a devoted consumer base.

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Maybe the Internet Isn’t Tearing Us Apart After All

Tue, 16 May 2017 08:10:16 -0000

Vikingmaiden88 is twenty-six years old. She enjoys reading history and writing poetry. Her signature quote is from Shakespeare. I gleaned all this from her profile and posts on Stormfront.org, America's most popular online hate site. I also learned that Vikingmaiden88 has enjoyed the content on the site of the newspaper I work for, the New York Times. She wrote an enthusiastic post about a particular Times feature.

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The Magic Leap Bias Suit: Sexism As a Sign of Failure

Mon, 15 May 2017 08:10:14 -0000

Magic Leap, the secretive augmented reality tech startup that’s valued at $4.5 billion (and reportedly bores Beyoncé), settled a sex discrimination lawsuit this week. The plaintiff, Tannen Campbell, a former vice-president of strategic marketing, was hired to make the company’s product more appealing to women. Campbell filed a notice of settlement Monday in federal court in Florida, Magic Leap’s home state, and the terms of the settlement are confidential.

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Snap Blows First Earnings—But That’s Not the Whole Story

Fri, 12 May 2017 08:10:16 -0000

Today Snap reported its first earnings as a public company, and it bombed. Snap’s stock market debut three months ago was the most valuable tech IPO in the US in two years, and certainly the most talked-about. Snap, after all, provides one of the few significant alternatives to the two giants of online advertising, Facebook and Google. If Snap can eke out some space in a field long dominated by this duopoly, that could mean more meaningful competition. ‘Snap is a niche platform.

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Etsy Needs to Preserve Its Values to Preserve Its Value

Thu, 11 May 2017 08:10:12 -0000

For Etsy, the internet's best-known marketplace for all things artisanal, the past week has served up a heaping portion of unpleasant corporate reality. After revealing aloss of nearly half-a-million dollars in the first quarter of 2017, Etsy said it would replace longtime chair and CEO Chad Dickerson. The company cut 8 percent of its workforce and said it wouldn't provide guidance on future earnings until August, when it hoped to have a better grip on its longer-term prospects.

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How One Scrappy Startup Survived the Early Bitcoin Wars

Wed, 10 May 2017 08:10:15 -0000

The girls were dancing on a neon tank, wearing sequined bikinis lit up by red and green laser light. A strobing fixed-wing aircraft passed overhead like the acid-trip kissing cousin of a Mitsubishi A6M Zero, with more sequined women dangling from it, trapeze-style. Flashing robots had preceded them — wheeling through the room, pumping their fists at the crowd — while the audience, seated on tiers of glittery red plastic swivel chairs, waved glow sticks.

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Blame the Fyre Festival Fiasco on the Plague of Celebrity Influencers

Tue, 09 May 2017 08:10:15 -0000

It was like a nightmare crossover between Gossip Girl and Black Mirror. Socialites, models, and celebrities, promised extravagant beachside benders, flocked to the Bahamas only to find feral dogs, luggage gone AWOL, and accommodations resembling FEMA camps. Social media feeds exploded with tales of wealthy millennials stranded on an island with little food or water.

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Tom Hanks and Jack Dorsey Tumble Into The Circle’s Endless Irony

Mon, 08 May 2017 08:10:12 -0000

During a brief break in the online broadcast, Tom Hanks leaned toward Jack Dorsey. “So, has this been good for Twitter or bad?” he asked. Hanks was only semi-serious, but the Twitter CEO didn’t have an answer. Which is fair.

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Airbnb’s San Francisco Deal Puts Storyline Over Bottom Line

Fri, 05 May 2017 08:10:15 -0000

Airbnb is trying to change the narrative. For so long, the nearly nine-year-old home-sharing platform pushed for growth by barging into new markets and new cities around the world, regulations be damned. So the news that the company agreed this week to settle its lawsuit against the City of San Francisco seems jarring.

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Look to Zuck’s F8, Not Trump’s 100 Days, to See the Shape of the Future

Thu, 04 May 2017 08:10:14 -0000

The Circle, a film adaptation of the best-selling novel by David Eggers about a mega-Silicon Valley company that has sinister plans to control the world, opened recently to tepid reviews and unimpressive box office. That shouldn’t obscure the fact that the issues it attempts to address—and which the novel brilliantly took on—are ones that need to be dealt with, urgently.

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Here’s What Comes Next in the Fight to Save Net Neutrality

Wed, 03 May 2017 08:10:12 -0000

The GOP-led Federal Communications Commission this week released the first details of its long-anticipated plan to roll-back Obama-era net neutrality protections. The good news for net neutrality advocates: You can already voice your official displeasure on the FCC’s proposal. The bad news: It’s quite possible no one will listen. The FCC’s Republican commissioners never supported the net neutrality rules, and they’re not likely to change their minds.

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Upworthy’s Quest to Engineer Optimism for an Anxious Age

Tue, 02 May 2017 08:10:17 -0000

The world finds itself in an age saturated with anxiety—at least, that’s the sense created by the daily deluge of news portraying a grim present of economic hardship, global tensions, terrorism, and political upheaval. The five-year-old site Upworthy doesn’t want you to see the world that way. At one time, if Upworthy was known at all, it wasn’t for its mission, but for its attention-gathering headlines.

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Hate the News? Wikipedia’s Co-Founder Wants You to Edit It

Mon, 01 May 2017 08:10:12 -0000

You read the news. But if Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales' hunch is right, you'll want to edit it, too. Wales is raising money to bring a new model of ad-free news creation to the web: one that would mix professional journalists with volunteer editors. Wales, like so many other idealists who believe in a better public discourse, wants to fix the fake news problem he sees as driven by a clickbait economy where accuracy comes second to intrigue.

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Facebook’s Race to Link Your Brain to a Computer Might Be Unwinnable

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 08:10:12 -0000

“What if you could type directly from your brain?” Regina Dugan said, as the same words appeared on the towering screen behind her, one digital character at a time, a cursor leading the way. “It sounds impossible,” she continued, taking another measured step across the stage. “But it’s closer than you may realize.” Dugan once oversaw Darpa, the visionary research arm of the US Department of Defense.

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Trump’s Wall Is Worthless if He Doesn’t Back It Up With Tech

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 08:10:12 -0000

If Congress were to fail to pass a spending bill before the end of the day Friday, the government could shut down. That’s why President Trump just blinked. He shelved a plan to demand that funding for a border wall be included in that bill after both Democrats and Republicans voiced fierce opposition.

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The Race To Build An AI Chip For Everything Just Got Real

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 08:10:12 -0000

Yann LeCun once built an AI chip called ANNA. But he was 25 years ahead of his time. The year was 1992, and LeCun was a researcher at Bell Labs, the iconic R&D lab outside New York City. He and several other researchers designed this chip to run deep neural networks—complex mathematical systems that can learn tasks on their own by analyzing vast amounts of data—but ANNA never reached the mass market.

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The Hidden Laborers Training AI to Keep Ads Off Hateful YouTube Videos

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Every day across the nation, people doing work for Google log in to their computers and start watching YouTube. They look for violence in videos. They seek out hateful language in video titles.They decide whether to classify clips as “offensive” or “sensitive.” They are Google’s so-called “ads quality raters,” temporary workers hired by outside agencies to render judgments machines still can’t make all on their own.

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A Chip Revolution Will Bring Better VR Sooner Than You Think

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 08:10:14 -0000

David Kosslyn and Ian Thompson are the founders of a virtual reality company called Angle Technologies. Two years into this stealth project, backed by $8 million in funding, they won’t say much about the virtual world they’re building—at least not publicly. But they will say that they’re building it in a way that alters the relationship between computer hardware and software.

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Anger Isn’t Enough, So the #Resistance Is Weaponizing Data

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 08:10:15 -0000

If Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, wins today’s special election in Georgia’s 6th congressional district—a seat Republicans have held since 1979—it won’t be because he’s young. It won’t be because he’s idealistic, camera-friendly, or Star Wars-savvy. Mostly, it will be because Ossoff is lucky enough to be the first Democrat to stand a real chance of starting to claw back the ground ceded to Republicans on Capitol Hill.

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Want Real Choice in Broadband? Make These Three Things Happen

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 08:10:10 -0000

Regulators are now off the backs of big internet providers. Thanks to a resolution signed by President Trump earlier this month, consumer-friendly privacy rules passed by the Obama-era Federal Communications Commission won’t take effect. Rules designed to protect net neutrality—the idea that internet providers shouldn’t be able to give certain content preferential treatment—seem likely to fall next.

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Don’t Despair: Big Ideas Can Still Change The World

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 08:10:13 -0000

In the late summer of 1954, a brilliant young psychologist was reading the newspaper when his eye fell on a strange headline on the back page: prophecy from planet clarion call to city: flee that flood. it’ll swamp us on dec 21, outer space tells suburbanite. His interest piqued, the psychologist, whose name was Leon Festinger, read on. “Lake City will be destroyed by a flood from Great Lake just before dawn, Dec. 21.

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Training for the Day a Tweet Dictates Where to Send SWAT

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 08:10:10 -0000

Emergency responders in northern Texas watch as an imaginary crisis takes over their social media feeds. A mass shooting has broken out at a music festival, they learn, and a terrorist organization is taking credit. The shooters livestreamed the entire grisly scene, and news outlets are already picking up the story. Word of the tragedy spreads like a virus online, riddled with misinformation and panicked confusion.

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Stronger Privacy Laws Could Save Advertising From Itself

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 08:10:10 -0000

Online advertising is terrible. Ads clutter your screen, slow down your computer, and drain your batteries. Publishers saddle pages with tracking technology that vacuums up your data so they can, ostensibly, serve you more relevant ads (though this practice really just leads to serious privacy concerns). Sometimes ads even try to install malware on your computer. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

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Tech Alone Won’t Be Enough to Reboot Progressive Politics

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Ravi Gupta is standing with both hands resting on the lip of a lucite podium. Some 600 audience members, including his mother, are staring intently back at him. Few of them have ever worked in politics before, but they’re all here to hear the former Obama administration staffer tell them how they can help save the progressive cause. He just has one problem: He forgot his laptop at the airport.

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Google’s Dueling Neural Networks Spar to Get Smarter, No Humans Required

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 08:10:11 -0000

The day Richard Feynman died, the blackboard in his classroom read: “What I cannot create, I do not understand.” When Ian Goodfellow explains the research he’s doing at Google Brain, the central artificial intelligence lab at the internet’s most powerful company, he points to this aphorism from the iconic physicist, Caltech professor, and best-selling author. But Goodfellow isn’t referring to himself—or any other human being inside Google.

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Comcast’s New Mobile Service Is a Good Deal, But Maybe Not Good Enough

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 08:10:17 -0000

Comcast thinks it has an answer to cord-cutting: getting into the wireless mobile network business. But that alone might not be enough to stop its traditional cable customers from flocking to online video. Today the company announced that it will launch its own mobile phone and internet service called Xfinity Mobile.

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YouTube TV Goes Live in Google’s Biggest Swipe at Comcast Yet

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 08:10:10 -0000

YouTube TV has arrived, and with it the potential to change how television works. Google-owned YouTube’s first foray into true cable-like television takes to the internet equivalent of the airwaves in select cities today: 40-plus channels of entertainment, news and sports for $35 per month, the so-called skinny bundle. So far, the service is still a little wonky.

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Arduino’s New CEO, Federico Musto, May Have Fabricated His Academic Record

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 08:10:17 -0000

For years, the humble Arduino microcontroller—a cheap, open source, midnight-blue circuit board emblazoned with a tiny white infinity loop—has been a favorite tool of the DIY electronics crowd.

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Hey Tech Giants: How About Action on Diversity, Not Just Reports?

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Uber just released its first diversity report. For years, the ride-hailing giantshunnedthe practice adopted by most other major Silicon Valley companies. But Uber’s scandals have snowballed. Multiple claims of misogyny and sexual harassment suggest a company that doesn’t just have isolated problems but a pervasive culture of sexism. Uber’s responses have included a much-hyped conference call led by board member Arianna Huffington and this week the diversity report.

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Tech’s Wealthy Enclaves Hurt the Country—and Tech Itself

Wed, 05 Apr 2017 08:10:16 -0000

On a dreary Thursday afternoon in March, the halls of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, swelled with people who spend their lives trying to salvage the economies of America’s forgotten towns. Hailing from across the country, they hurried past Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office in their sharp suits and jewel-toned dresses, each one carrying a different proposal for how to keep their cities and states afloat.

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Trump Has Done Nothing to Fix America’s Tech Talent Shortage

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 08:10:11 -0000

President Trump’s long-promised changes to the country’s high-skilled worker visa program may have to wait another year. The H-1B visa application process begins today, and the requirements for companies looking to hire foreign talent, have gone unchanged, despite President Trump’s repeated threats to reform a program he says undermines American workers.

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A Silicon Valley Lawmaker’s $1 Trillion Plan to Save Trump Country

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 08:10:14 -0000

The Trump administration may not believe that automation threatens today’s American workforce, but try telling that to a travel agent or a truck driver or a factory worker or an accountant. One recent study found that for every one robot introduced to the workforce, six related human jobs disappear. But those six humans still need to get by.

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YouTube’s Ad Problems Finally Blow Up in Google’s Face

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 08:10:08 -0000

Late last year, Israel-based entrepreneur Matan Uziel saw a notification he’d never seen before pop up on YouTube’s backend—the part of the site where creators upload their videos. “I saw a yellow dollar sign. At first I didn’t understand what it was,” Uziel says. “Then I moved my cursor over it. I saw it meant my video was not advertiser-friendly.

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A Plan to Save Blockchain Democracy From Bitcoin’s Civil War

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 08:10:21 -0000

On the surface, bitcoin is having a very good year. The price of the digital currency reached record highs well over $1,000 after years of stagnation following a major crash. But if you pull back the curtain, the civil war rages. The global community of companies, coders, and opportunists who control the bitcoin network is now on the verge of revolt after more than two years of infighting.

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Innovation Can Fix Government, Sure. Either That or Break It

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 08:10:14 -0000

You don’t need to be in government to know how slowly it moves. In business, that kind of inefficiency makes entrepreneurial mouths water. So it’s no surprise that America’s businessman-turned-president wants to speed things up. Now President Trump appears to want to pick up his predecessor’s legacy.

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I Took the AI Class Facebookers Are Literally Sprinting to Get Into

Tue, 28 Mar 2017 08:10:14 -0000

Chia-Chiunn Ho was eating lunch inside Facebook headquarters, at the Full Circle Cafe, when he saw the notice on his phone: Larry Zitnick, one of the leading figures at the Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research lab, was teaching another class on deep learning. Ho is a 34-year-old Facebook digital graphics engineer known to everyone as “Solti,” after his favorite conductor. He couldn’t see a way of signing up for the class right there in the app.

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The Senate Prepares to Send Internet Privacy Down a Black Hole

Mon, 27 Mar 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Today, while you’re not watching, the Senate could gut rules protecting your internet privacy. Last year the Federal Communications Commission passed a set of strict privacy regulations that ban broadband internet providers from selling your browsing data without your consent.

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Intel’s Bold Plan to Reinvent Computer Memory (and Keep It a Secret)

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 08:10:10 -0000

Intel just unleashed a new kind of computer memory it believes will fundamentally change the way the world builds computers. But it won’t tell the world what’s inside. The company calls this new creation 3D XPoint—pronounced “three-dee cross-point”—and this week, after touting the stuff for a year-and-a-half, Intel finally pushed it into the market.

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Forget Bitcoin. The Blockchain Could Reveal What’s True Today and Tomorrow

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 08:10:11 -0000

As far back as the 1880s, people stood on the curb outside the New York Stock Exchange taking bets on political elections, and newspapers would report the odds as a way of predicting the results at the polls. In the years since, economists refined the concept, and more recently, prediction markets have tapped into the wisdom of the crowds via the internet, forecasting everything from presidential races to sporting events to stock prices.

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Germany’s Flawed Plan to Fight Hate Speech by Fining Tech Giants Millions

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 08:10:15 -0000

The way tech companies deal with online harassment and abuse is broken. YouTube allows anti-Semitism to stay live. Twitter waffles as targeted harassment runs rampant. Facebook takes down an iconic photo that shouldn’t be banned. Now one German politician is tired of letting platforms make excuses.

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At SXSW, Tech Reckons With the Problems It Helped Create

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Hangovers are a fixture of South by Southwest. Free branded booze abounds, turning late nights into too-early mornings filled with product demos and repetitive panels. But determined marketers and wide-eyed founders pitch on through the pain, in the unbridled belief they might just be SXSW’s next breakout star. Or at the very least, its next Meerkat. But this year, the conference itself feels a lot like a hangover.

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It Begins: Bots Are Learning to Chat in Their Own Language

Mon, 20 Mar 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Igor Mordatch is working to build machines that can carry on a conversation. That’s something so many people are working on. In Silicon Valley, chatbot is now a bona fide buzzword. But Mordatch is different. He’s not a linguist. He doesn’t deal in the AI techniques that typically reach for language. He’s a roboticist who began his career as an animator.

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The Initial Coin Offering, the Bitcoin-y Stock That’s Not Stock—But Definitely a Big Deal

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 08:10:12 -0000

Next month, a venture capital firm called Blockchain Capital plans to do something that could change the way companies get funded—and perhaps even the way they operate. Instead of an Initial Public Offering, in which a company sells stock via a regulated exchange like Nasdaq, the San Francisco-based VC firm is making an Initial Coin Offering, selling its own digital token as a way of raising money for its latest venture fund. Anyone who buys a token will be buying into the fund.

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Travis Kalanick Doesn’t Need a New COO. He Needs a New CEO

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 08:10:09 -0000

Have you heard? Uber is hiring. CEO Travis Kalanick wants a chief operating officer. Heapparently came to this decision in the midst of the company’s worst PR crisis yet. Accusations of a misogynistic company culture,aGoogle lawsuit, and allegations that it misled regulators with phantom rides leave the company in an almost permanent state of damage control.Hiring a COO almost certainly is Kalanick’s attempt to show that he, and his company, can grow up.

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Love or Hate the CBO Health Care Report, It Ain’t Biased

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 08:10:12 -0000

The Congressional Budget Office just released its much-awaited report analyzing the possible effects of the American Health Care Act, the GOP plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. The verdict is a doozy. Twenty-four million fewer Americans would have health insurance by 2026, according to the CBO, with 14 million of them losing coverage in 2018.

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If Trump Fans Love Freedom, They Should Love Net Neutrality

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 08:10:09 -0000

Imagine a world where Comcast slows video streaming from Fox News’s website to a pixelated crawl while boosting Rachel Maddow—who happens to star on Comcast-owned MSNBC. What if Verizon, which owns the liberal Huffington Post, charged you more to visit right-wing Breitbart. Or maybe Google Fiber bans access to the alt-right social network Gab.

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Hey, Coastal Elites: Don’t Dis ‘Flyover Country’—Fund It

Mon, 13 Mar 2017 09:10:10 -0000

Here’s a math problem: Ten startup founders and CEOs hurtle down the long highway from Omaha to Lincoln, Nebraska, in a cornflower blue bus. One of the execs builds construction management software. Another runs a blog-hosting startup. A third makes medical devices used in colon surgeries. They sit facing each other on two banquettes, swapping war stories and offering each other advice on hiring and raising money.

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Wintel Is Going. But It’s Not Dead Yet

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 08:10:14 -0000

For decades, two companies worked side by side to build the very foundation of personal computing. Microsoft built the operating system—Windows—and Intel built the chips. But Wintel is no more. Sure, Windows will continue to run on Intel chips. But Wintel as a mighty alliance has died. It’s been fading for years, and this week Microsoft snuffed out the last of it.

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The New FCC Chairman’s Plan for Undermining Net Neutrality

Thu, 09 Mar 2017 08:10:10 -0000

Ajit Pai, the new chairman of the FCC, doesn’t like the net neutrality rules enforced by the agency President Trump named him to lead. He voted against them as a commissioner in 2015, and in a speech after Trump’s election said their days arenumbered. But until this week, Pai hasn’t explainedhow he would go about reversing the rules.

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The Supreme Court Could Soon Decide if You Have a Right to Facebook

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 08:10:14 -0000

Lester Packingham Jr. registered as a sex offender in 2002 after pleading guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl when he was 21. But that offense isn’t what brought Packingham to the Supreme Court of the United States on Monday. The crime this time around? A Facebook post. The post itself was benign enough. In 2010, Packingham took to Facebook to celebrate a recently dismissed parking ticket. “Praise be to GOD, WOW!” he wrote.

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The Race to Sell True Quantum Computers Begins Before They Really Exist

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 08:10:10 -0000

Within the next five years, Google will produce a viable quantum computer. That’s the stake the company has just planted. In the pages of Nature late last week, researchers from Google’s Quantum AI Laboratory told the world that a machine leveraging the seemingly magical principles of quantum mechanics will soon outperform traditional computers on certain tasks.

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Facebook to Telcos: Forget Hardware Empires—Let’s All Share

Mon, 06 Mar 2017 08:10:13 -0000

After two decades of Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint ads, you know how the big telcos deliver cellular service to your smartphone. Each builds its own nationwide wireless network, boasting that its particular web of data centers, fiber lines, and antennas is faster and more reliable (or at least cheaper) than the others.

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The Clash Between Snap’s IPO and What Really Makes It Great

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Today, Snap starts its life as a publicly traded company—the buzziest tech IPO of the year and likely the most valuable in the US since Alibaba debuted in 2014. The event carries the fascination of an impending rocket launch: Is this thing actually going to take off? Or will it crash and burn in a huge, morbid spectacle (of Spectacles)? Snap has tried to sell investors on the idea that it has cachet other social platforms don’t. Invest in us, the company urges.

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Internet Bots Fight Each Other Because They’re All Too Human

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 08:10:14 -0000

No one saw the crisis coming: a coordinated vandalistic effort to insert Squidward references into articles totally unrelated to Squidward. In 2006, Wikipedia was really starting to get going, and really couldn’t afford to have any SpongeBob SquarePants-related high jinks sullying the site’s growing reputation. It was an embarrassment. Someone had to stop Squidward.

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Think the Internet Is Polarized? Just Look at the FCC These Days

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 08:10:15 -0000

Earlier this month, in a classic late Friday afternoon news dump, the Federal Communications Commission announced a rollback of two key decisions made during theObama administration. In another era, few besidespolicy wonks and internet activists would have noticed such a thing. But these changes drew intense attention. These days, politics isn’t just what happens on the internet—it’s what happens to the internet.

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The Internet Made ‘Fake News’ a Thing—Then Made It Nothing

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 08:10:14 -0000

Ascourge is killing people’s minds, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, and the world needs a massive campaign to stop it. Across the nation, people lament its rise, and the threat it poses to America.Opioids? ISIS? Nope. “Fake news.” Even homicidal dictators agree things have gotten out of control.

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The Math Behind Trump’s Deportation Plan Makes No Sense

Mon, 27 Feb 2017 08:10:12 -0000

President Trump claims his administration’s new and expansive executive order on undocumented immigrants is “getting really bad dudes out of this country.” But aggressive enforcement of immigration laws is also sweeping up vulnerable, far-from-bad people seeking help and care. Still, even setting aside the humanitarian issue, Trump’s anti-immigrant plan suffers from a fundamental flaw: bad math.

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Republicans Are Trying to Let Internet Providers Sell Your Data

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 08:10:12 -0000

The Affordable Care Act is far from the only Obama-era policy Republicans want to take down now that they control the government. A set of internet privacy rules passed by the Federal Communications Commission last year has also become a target. Though it’s received far less attention than healthcare or immigration, the rollback would affect millions of consumers and bring basic changes to how they use the internet—though they might not ever know it.

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Tech Still Doesn’t Take Discrimination Seriously

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 08:10:15 -0000

The tech industry isn't big on dress codes, employee handbooks, or rules. The Silicon Valley management philosophy is simple: Hire talented coders, give them tools to do their jobs, and get out of their way. The best coders should be rewarded, and those who just can't hack it should be let go. The problem is that, all too often, workplace problems boil down to more than just code. Yesterday widely respected programmer Susan J.

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An AI Hedge Fund Created a New Currency to Make Wall Street Work Like Open Source

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 08:10:15 -0000

Wall Street is a competition, a Darwinian battle for the almighty dollar. Gordon Gekko said that greed is good, that it captures “the essence of the evolutionary spirit.” A hedge fund hunts for an edge and then maniacally guards it, locking down its trading data and barring its traders from joining the company next door. The big bucks lie in finding market inefficiencies no one else can, succeeding at the expense of others. But Richard Craib wants to change that.

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The Sad Way Trump’s War with CNN Could Keep Cable Cheaper

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 08:10:19 -0000

This week, President Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly met with Time Warner executives to complain about CNN’s coverage of the president. Any visit from a White House official seeking to stifle journalists is disturbing. But Time Warner, which owns CNN, has another problem that’s all tied up in presidential politics. The cable and entertainment giant is seeking to sell itself to AT&T, a mega-merger that would require federal approval.

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Mark Zuckerberg’s Answer to a World Divided by Facebook Is More Facebook

Mon, 20 Feb 2017 08:10:12 -0000

When I ask Mark Zuckerberg if the presidential election changed the way he sees Facebook—if he made poor assumptions, if Facebook functioned in ways he didn’t intend—he pauses. I’ve interviewed Zuckerberg before, and he tends to pause like this, gathering his thoughts in complete silence, sometimes turning to face the empty space across the room. But this dead air lasts particularly long. Five seconds. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

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Spanner, the Google Database That Mastered Time, Is Now Open to Everyone

Fri, 17 Feb 2017 08:10:10 -0000

About a decade ago, a handful of Google’s most talented engineers started building a system that seems to defy logic. Called Spanner, it was the first global database, a way of storing information across millions of machines in dozens of data centers spanning multiple continents, and it now underpins everything from Gmail to AdWords, the company’s primary moneymaker. But it’s not just the size of this creation that boggles the mind.

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Edward Snowden’s New Job: Protecting Reporters From Spies

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 08:10:14 -0000

This story is part of our special coverage, The News in Crisis. When Edward Snowden leaked the biggest collection of classified National Security Agency documents in history, he wasn’t just revealing the inner workings of a global surveillance machine. He was also scrambling to evade it.

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Millions Need the Broadband Program the FCC Just Put on Hold

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Even before an electrical fire burned her house down in 2014, Jennifer Sneperger had trouble affording home internet. A little more than a year after the fire, she and her young son joined a program that fast-tracked them into a spot in a Sarasota, Florida, public housing complex. But the spot came with a condition: Sneperger had to get a job or go back to school.

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How to Keep Your AI From Turning Into a Racist Monster

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 08:10:15 -0000

Working on a new product launch? Debuting a new mobile site? Announcing a new feature? If you’re not sure whether algorithmic bias could derail your plan, you should be. Algorithmic bias—when seemingly innocuous programming takes on the prejudices either of its creators or the data it is fed—causes everything from warped Google searches to barring qualified women from medical school.

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The AI Threat Isn’t Skynet. It’s the End of the Middle Class

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 08:10:14 -0000

In February 1975, a group of geneticists gathered in a tiny town on the central coast of California to decide if their work would bring about the end of the world. These researchers were just beginning to explore the science of genetic engineering, manipulating DNA to create organisms that didn’t exist in nature, and they were unsure how these techniques would affect the health of the planet and its people.

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Tech Still Doesn’t Get Diversity. Here’s How to Fix It

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 08:10:18 -0000

Last month, in response to news of President Donald Trump’s controversial executive orders, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that his company, whose founder Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian immigrant, would not exist if the US didn’t have sound immigration policies.

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Time for Snap to Prove It’s Bigger Than Snapchat

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 08:10:09 -0000

Snap Inc. is a camera company. It's very important to Snap Inc. that you understand it's not a social networking app or a messaging service. It's something else. It's a camera company. "We believe that reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way that people live and communicate," it says in an S1 filing made public today, ahead of its $3 billion public offering.

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In Trump, Tech Finds a Troll It Can’t Ignore

Wed, 08 Feb 2017 08:10:09 -0000

To adapt one of our new president’s favorite aphorisms: We knew he was a troll when we elected him. Throughout the campaign, Donald Trump gleefully behaved more like a social-network scourge than a presidential candidate, combining a slash-and-burn approach to social norms with an aggressive strategy of constant provocation. So it’s perhaps not surprising that, in the not-quite-two-weeks since his inauguration, internet companies have struggled to respond to his presidency.

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AI Is About to Learn More Like Humans—with a Little Uncertainty

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Neural networks are all the rage in Silicon Valley, infusing so many internet services with so many forms of artificial intelligence. But as good as they may be at recognizing cats in your online photos, AI researchers know that neural networks are still quite flawed, so much so that some wonder whether these pattern recognition systems are a viable path to more advanced—and more reliable—forms of AI.

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Comcast Looks All Set to Keep Controlling Your Cable Box. Yay

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 08:10:15 -0000

Nearly a decade ago, Comcast promised liberation from the tyranny of the cable box. But today its control seems here to stay—as does big cable’s control over how you consume the programming you pay for. This week, the Federal Communications Commission met for the first time under its new chairman, Ajit Pai, a Republican.

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Google’s Go-Playing Machine Opens the Door to Robots that Learn

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Two robotic arms face two closed doors. Both reach forward and miss the door handles entirely. So they reach again, and this time, they hit the handles head-on, rattling the door frames. So they try again. And again. Finally, they grab the handles cleanly and pull the doors open, and after a few more hours of trial and error, they can repeat the trick every time.

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Trump’s SCOTUS Pick Needs to Get Tech—These Cases Show Why

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 08:10:12 -0000

During a primetime television appearance tonight, President Donald Trump announced his final pick for the man who could be the next Apprentice—er, we mean the next justice to sit on the Supreme Court of the United States.

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The TV Ad Isn’t Going Anywhere—It’s Going Everywhere

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 08:10:13 -0000

You’re inching home alongside four lanes of fellow commuters when a digital billboard blinks to a video ad for the latest model of the car you’re driving. Oh yeah, you think, my lease is up next month. Fifteen minutes later, you’re home. You grab your laptop and sink into your couch. You check Facebook and distractedly tune into a new Facebook Original Series.

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Apps Make Pestering Congress So Easy That It Can’t Keep Up

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Donald Trump is now president, and Americans are flooding Congress with pleas and protestations. They’re anxious about the fate Obamacare, the future of the environment, and the president’s cabinet nominations. How are they expressing their anger, fears, and hopes? Email. Lots of email. Take Pennsylvania Democratic senator Bob Casey. He reportedly received 50,000 letters and emails opposing the nomination of Betsy DeVos for secretary of education.

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The Race to Pass Obama’s Last Law and Save Tech in DC

Mon, 30 Jan 2017 08:10:14 -0000

It was 10:15 am on Inauguration Day, and John Paul Farmer was beginning to lose hope. The former Obama White House staffer had spent the last night at his sister’s apartment in Washington DC, working the phones and emailing any sentient being he’d met during his years in Washington. Farmer was trying to find someone, anyone, who could get the Tested Ability to Leverage Exceptional Talent Act—the Talent Act, for short—to President Barack Obama.

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Author of Trump’s Favorite Voter Fraud Study Says Everyone’s Wrong

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 08:10:09 -0000

Jesse Richman used to be one of those researchers who only dreamed his work might someday capture national attention—maybe even inspire some sort of systemic change. On Ratemyprofessor.com, his students describe him as tough but fair, a “genius” who was liberal with extra credit projects and went out of his way to offer help. In 2014, Richman’s world changed when he co-authored a paper on voter fraud that instantly caught fire.

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Artificial Intelligence Is About to Conquer Poker, But Not Without Human Help

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 09:55:29 -0000

Kim is a high-stakes poker player who specializes in no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em. The 28-year-old Korean-American typically matches wits with other top players on high-stakes internet sites or at the big Las Vegas casinos. But this month, he’s in Pittsburgh, playing poker against an artificially intelligent machine designed by two computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon.

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Fake Think Tanks Fuel Fake News—And the President’s Tweets

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 09:50:36 -0000

Fake news isn’t just Macedonian teenagers or internet trolls.A longstanding network of bogus “think tanks” raise disinformation to a pseudoscience, and their studies’ pull quotes and flashy stats become the “evidence” driving viral, fact-free stories. Not to mention President Trump’s tweets. These organizations have always existed: they’re old-school propagandists with new-school, tech-savvy reach.

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The Women’s March Defines Protest in the Facebook Age

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 08:10:11 -0000

A rushing river of protesters flooded downtown Washington, DC, today, pink hats stretching as far as I could see. But it’s thesigns that stayed with me. “I’m With Her” and “Love Trumps Hate” posters from Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Signs mocking President Trump: “Keep your tiny hands off my rights” and “Can’t build the wall. Hands too small.

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Now You Can Save the Democratic Party for the Low, Low Price of $4.68 a Month

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 08:10:10 -0000

On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, Democrats are lost. The Democratic National Committee has not elected a new leader. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton supporters are still blaming each other for her loss. The party holds no branch of the federal government and fewer than half of state legislatures. What in mid-2016 looked like a fractured Republican party is increasingly uniting behind its new leader. The Democratic Party looks like its falling apart.

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One Indian State’s Grand Plan to Get 23M People Online

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 08:10:13 -0000

The trench running along the road linking Kodicherla and Penjarla in southern India is just 5 feet deep and about half as wide. Yet it carries the promise of a better life for the people of those villages, and all of Telangana. Within the ditch lie two pipes, a large black one carrying fresh water and smaller blue one containing a fiber optic broadband cable.

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Microsoft Thinks Machines Can Learn to Converse by Making Chat a Game

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Microsoft is buying a deep learning startup based in Montreal, a global hub for deep learning research. But two years ago, this startup wasn’t based in Montreal, and it had nothing to do with deep learning. Which just goes to show: striking it big in the world of tech is all about being in the right place at the right time with the right idea. Sam Pasupalak and Kaheer Suleman founded Maluuba in 2011 as students at the University of Waterloo, about 400 miles from Montreal.

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Tech’s Favorite School Faces Its Biggest Test: the Real World

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 08:10:10 -0000

On lengths of yarn stretched between chairs, sixth-grade math students were placing small yellow squares of paper, making number lines—including everything from fractions to negative decimals—in a classroom at Walsh Middle School. Working in teams one recent morning, they paper-clipped the squares along the yarn like little pieces of mathematical laundry. Their teacher, Michele O’Connor, had assigned the number lines in previous years, but this year was different.

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Move Over, Coders—Physicists Will Soon Rule Silicon Valley

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 08:10:14 -0000

At least, that’s what Oscar Boykin says. He majored in physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology and in 2002 he finished a physics PhD at UCLA. But four years ago, physicists at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland discovered the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle first predicted in the 1960s. As Boykin points out, everyone expected it. The Higgs didn’t mess with the theoretical models of the universe. It didn’t change anything or give physcists anything new to strive for.

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Tesla Is Snatching Apple’s Stars to Make Itself the New Apple

Mon, 16 Jan 2017 08:10:11 -0000

If you don’t follow the ins and outs of Silicon Valley personnel moves, you might have missed the news. Even if you saw it, it may not have made much sense. Chris Lattner is leaving Apple for Tesla? Chris who? Lattner doesn’t enjoythe name recognition of a Tim Cook or a Jony Ive. But he’s a rock star among software engineers.

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Quantum Computing Is Real, and D-Wave Just Open-Sourced It

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 08:10:13 -0000

Quantum computing is real. But it’s also hard. So hard that only a few developers, usually trained in quantum physics, advanced mathematics, or most likely both, can actually work with the few quantum computers that exist. Now D-Wave, the Canadian company behind the quantum computer that Google and NASA have been testing since 2013, wants to make quantum computing a bit easier through the power of open source software.

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Why Trello, a Simple To-Do App, Is Worth $425 Million

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes describes Trello as a simple online application. But simple doesn’t have to mean cheap: His company just agreed to acquire the web-based project management app for $425 million—a ridiculous-sounding amount of money that may well be worth paying. “Simple products can be deceptive in their simplicity,” Cannon-Brookes says.

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Defeat NIMBYs With pCell’s Wireless Antenna Disguised as a Wire

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 08:10:15 -0000

Cellular antennas often wear disguises. Chances are, your smartphone has at some point connected to an antenna that looks a lot like a pine tree, a palm tree, or even a cactus. But in typical fashion, serial Silicon Valley inventor Steve Perlman aims to push this idea much further. He and his company, Artemis Networks, just unveiled a cellular antenna disguised as a cable. Yes, it’s wireless technology that looks like a wire.

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The iPhone Remade Apple 10 Years Ago. Now It’s Slowing Apple Down

Tue, 10 Jan 2017 08:10:10 -0000

The very first iPhone, announced ten years ago today, was not exactly a surprise. By early 2007, Apple fanboyism was rampant and rabid. In the run-up to Steve Jobs’ now famous Macworld keynote, blogs—remember those?—were all abuzz. Sites like Gizmodo and Engadget feverishly published rumors of the as-yet-unnamed phone’s specs and obsessed over every possible detail. Apple fans mocked up concept illustrations.

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Bitcoin Will Never Be a Currency—It’s Something Way Weirder

Mon, 09 Jan 2017 08:10:10 -0000

The value of bitcoin surged past $1,000 this week, the first time it has reached such heights since late 2013. But don’t let that big number fool you: this strange and controversial technology is no closer to becoming a mainstream currency. Even Olaf Carlson-Wee, the first employee at Coinbase, the country’s most important bitcoin company, will tell you that bitcoin will never be a substitute for the dollar.

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The White House’s Techies Are Leaving Trump a Must-Do List

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 08:10:11 -0000

‘Tis the season to say goodbye. Next week, it will be President Barack Obama, who plans to deliver his presidential farewell address in Chicago on Tuesday. Today, it’s his science and technology team, which has just published an exit memo celebrating its accomplishments over the last eight years. The Office of Science and Technology Policy also lays out a checklist for the incoming Trump administration.

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Microsoft’s Old-School Database Was the Surprise Software Hit of the Year

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 08:10:12 -0000

Don’t call it a comeback, but Microsoft’s database software may be seeing a resurgence. According to research conducted by the Austrian consulting company Solid IT, Microsoft SQL Server’s popularity grew faster than any other database product the company tracked on its DB-Engines site during 2016. That’s good news for Microsoft because, despite holding tight to the number three spot in the rankings for the past few years, SQL Server’s popularity had been waning.

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2016 Was the Year Silicon Valley’s Hype Machine Sputtered

Wed, 04 Jan 2017 08:10:11 -0000

Fourwords sum up the Silicon Valley hype machine at the end of 2016: “squirrels and sea monkeys.” That was the repeated responsefrom Magic Leap founder Rony Abovitz when Reed Albergotti ofThe Informationasked about the technology behind the startup’s augmented-reality glasses.

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The Year in Housing: The Middle Class Can’t Afford to Live in Cities Anymore

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 08:10:09 -0000

In the center of Boston rises the small neighborhood of Fort Hill, on top of which sits Highland Park, designed in the 1700s by Frederick Olmsted. Patriots stored gunpowder here during the Revolutionary War, and a tower fit for Repunzel commemorates their efforts. The abolitionist writer William Lloyd Garrison fought against slavery from a house on this hill. And now the battle for urban housing affordability rages on these streets.

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This Was the Year Tech Stocks Became Sure Bets

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 08:10:12 -0000

2016 was the year tech got “fangs.” Well, not literally. FANGs wasa term coined by CNBC business guru Jim Cramer in 2015 to describe the high-performing stocks of the massively successful tech companies Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google (now called Alphabet). Today, it’s not these particular companies that are technically at the top of the Wall Street leaderboard—that distinction falls to Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook.

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The Cloud Needs to Get a Whole Lot Greener in 2017

Fri, 23 Dec 2016 08:10:13 -0000

Streaming music and movies over the internet may seem more eco-friendly than stocking up on CDs and DVDs. After all, you’re saving the plastic needed to make the physical media, the trees needed to print the liner notes, and the gasoline needed to ship all those discs across the country. But there’s a hidden cost to online streaming: the coal needed to power the computer data centers that deliver all that content.

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Overstock Begins Trading Its Shares Via the Bitcoin Blockchain

Thu, 22 Dec 2016 08:10:12 -0000

Online retailer Overstock.com has became the first publicly traded company to issue stock over the internet, distributing more than 126,000 company shares via technology based on the bitcoin blockchain. Through a subsidiary called tØ, the Salt Lake City-based Overstock has spent the past two years building the technology that facilitates this new way of trading financial securities.

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Tech’s Alcohol-Soaked Culture Isn’t a Party for Everybody

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 08:10:12 -0000

It’s office holiday party season again, and as usual that means alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. For many employees, the holidays are the one time of year that it’s appropriate to have a drink at work. But for tech workers, the annual Christmas party is just another boozy day in the office. Kegerators, or at least well-stocked beer fridges, are standard fixtures at tech companies, right up there with ping-pong tables and beanbag chairs.

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Facebook Finally Gets Real About Fighting Fake News

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 08:10:07 -0000

After coming under heavy public criticism for not taking full responsibility for how it may have affected the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, Facebook has finally laid out how it plans to crack down on fake news. The social network’s corrective updates are starting to roll out right now, and while they won’t solve the problem overnight, they’re an important first step.

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Amazon and Netflix Look to Their Own Shows As the Key to World Domination

Mon, 19 Dec 2016 08:10:14 -0000

This week, Amazon Video, the commerce giant’s answer to Netflix, invaded 200 countries. That expansion, too, was itself a sort of response: Netflix had pulled a similar globe-spanning stunt in January. Both moves were audacious, expansive, and potentially highly profitable. An neither would have been remotely possible had each company not spent the last several years investing heavily original content.

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Tech’s Biggest Showdown Is Unfolding in Your Living Room

Fri, 16 Dec 2016 08:10:11 -0000

Microsoft is joining Google and Amazon in the race for your home. This week, at an event in China, the venerable tech giant trumpeted the arrival of Project Evo, a sweeping plan to build hardware devices that work a lot like Google Home or the Amazon Echo. But this race is much bigger than some gadgets that sit on your coffee table. It’s a race not only for the hearts and minds of consumers, but for a world of business customers, too.

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How Simple Software Could Help Prevent Sexual Assault

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 08:10:19 -0000

Bill Cosby has been accused of drugging and raping dozens of women over several decades. Roger Ailes is accused of harassing multiple women as far back as the 1960s. And then there’s all those Catholic priests. Indeed, when sexual predators, especially those in positions of power, get away with such crimes once, they often do it again and again until an overwhelming preponderance of accusations, evidence, and outrage brings them down.

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Only Amazon Could Make a Checkout-Free Grocery Store a Reality

Wed, 14 Dec 2016 08:10:14 -0000

On Monday, Amazon took the wraps off Amazon Go, a real-world grocery store that comes with a twist: there’s no checkout process. You just grab the stuff you want and walk out; the order posts to your Amazon account afterwards. There are no cashiers, no lines, no fumbling for a credit card. And while experts agree that Go looks very much like the future of retail, it’s less clear whether Amazon has all of the pieces in place.

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Stellar Emerges From Shadow of Bitcoin to Find a Home Overseas

Tue, 13 Dec 2016 08:10:14 -0000

LeEco is like the Netflix of China—except it also sells phones, televisions, and cars. Now, it’s moving into the US after acquiring the stateside television maker Vizio. Unlike some Chinese tech giants that seem happy to focus on a domestic market approaching 1.4 billion, LeEco has international ambitions.

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The ‘Uber for X’ Fad Will Pass Because Only Uber Is Uber

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 08:10:12 -0000

“Uber for X” has been the headline of more than four hundred news articles. Thousands of would-be entrepreneurs used the phrase to describe their companies in their pitch decks. On one site alone—AngelList, where startups can court angel investors and employees—526 companies included “Uber for” in their listings.

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Trump Can’t Deliver the Rust Belt Jobs He Promised Because Work Has Changed

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:58:04 -0000

On Election Night, voters in northeastern Ohio’s Trumbull and Ashtabula counties made Sean O’Brien—a three-term Democratic state representative—their state senator. They also helped make Donald Trump president. In 2012, 60 percent of Trumbull’s largely white, working class electorate voted for Barack Obama. In 2016, they flipped their support to the populist GOP candidate who offered his own promises for change.

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Uber Buys a Mysterious Startup to Make Itself an AI Company

Wed, 07 Dec 2016 08:10:17 -0000

Uber has acquired Geometric Intelligence, a two-year-old artificial intelligence startup that vows to surpass the deep learning systems under development at internet giants like Google and Facebook. But as this tiny AI lab slips into Uber’s increasingly vast and ambitious operation, the startup is still tight-lipped on what its technology actually looks like.

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In OpenAI’s Universe, Computers Learn to Use Apps Like Humans Do

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 08:10:08 -0000

OpenAI, the billion-dollar San Francisco artificial intelligence lab backed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, just unveiled a new virtual world. It’s called Universe, and it’s a virtual world like no other. This isn’t a digital playground for humans. It’s a school for artificial intelligence. It’s a place where AI can learn to do just about anything. Other AI labs have built similar worlds where AI agents can learn on their own.

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Trump Taps IBM and GM Chiefs in First-Ever Sign He Gets Tech Matters

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 08:10:10 -0000

For all his talk about bringing jobs back to the United States, President-elect Donald Trump has said virtually nothing about preparing Americans for the increasingly tech-driven jobs of the future. Even as he rails against trade’s impact on industries like manufacturing, he’s been mostly silent about the impact of automation. During the campaign, he never tried to court the Silicon Valley vote the way Hillary Clinton and many of his primary opponents did.

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Rejoice! You Can Download Netflix Shows Now For an Offline Binge Fix

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 08:10:13 -0000

Attention all Netflix users: you can now download shows and movies for offline viewing. This is not a drill. Want to binge Stranger Things or Orange Is the New Black, on an airplane or on the road heading home for the holidays? Go wild. Want to watch The Imitation Game on a two-hour subway ride? Knock yourself out. To get offline downloads, just update your iOS or Android app.

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Google’s AI Reads Retinas to Prevent Blindness in Diabetics

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 08:10:13 -0000

Google’s artificial intelligence can play the ancient game of Go better than any human. It can identify faces, recognize spoken words, and pull answers to your questions from the web. But the promise is that this same kind of technology will soon handle far more serious work than playing games and feeding smartphone apps. One day, it could help care for the human body.

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So 2016 Was Not the Year Messaging Changed Your Life

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 08:10:10 -0000

This was supposed to be the year that texting wasn’t just texting anymore. After big announcements from Facebook, Google, and others, Americans were going to use messaging apps for so much more than chatting with friends. You were going to seamlessly interact with a world of online businesses. You were going to send questions to search engines and book tables at restaurants. You were going to get stuff done without ever opening another app.

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Facebook’s Stumbles Expose Flaws in Its Plan to Rule Advertising

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:10:09 -0000

The internet was supposed to mean a whole new world for the business of advertising. Gobs of data let advertisers become wildly efficient in who they target and how they measure results. Consumers also ostensibly win: If you’re in the market want a quality winter coat, the thinking goes, you’re not going to be annoyed if you see an ad for one. In this new world, Facebook is on top.

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Facebook Shouldn’t Bother Policing Fake News—It Should Go Local Instead

Fri, 25 Nov 2016 08:10:13 -0000

Since the election, Facebook has faced growing pressure to police hoaxes and misleading content. And with good reason: around 44 percent of US adults get at least some of their news through Facebook, and fake news often spreads more quickly through social media than real news.

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Oracle Just Bought Dyn, the Company That Brought Down the Internet

Thu, 24 Nov 2016 08:10:11 -0000

Last month, the entire internet went down for a few hours. At least that’s what one of the biggest denial-of-service attacks in recent memory felt like to a lot of people. Sites from Netflix, Spotify, and Reddit to The New York Times and, yes, even WIRED went dark. The massive outage was the result of an attack on an Internet infrastructure company called Dyn. You’d think that finding yourself at the center of such a destructive online maelstrom wouldn’t be much of a sales pitch.

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Your Filter Bubble is Destroying Democracy

Wed, 23 Nov 2016 08:10:12 -0000

On November 7, 2016, the day before the US election, I compared the number of social media followers, website performance, and Google search statistics of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. I was shocked when the data revealed the extent of Trump’s popularity. He had more followers across all social platforms and his posts had much higher engagement rates.

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Google, Facebook, and Microsoft Are Remaking Themselves Around AI

Tue, 22 Nov 2016 08:10:05 -0000

Fei-Fei Li is a big deal in the world of AI. As the director of the Artificial Intelligence and Vision labs at Stanford University, she oversaw the creation of ImageNet, a vast database of images designed to accelerate the development of AI that can “see.

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The EU’s Android Antitrust Complaints Are Contrived

Mon, 21 Nov 2016 08:10:11 -0000

Earlier this month Google filed its response to the European Commission’s Android antitrust complaint, which alleges that Google thwarts its competitors in search, mobile apps, and mobile devices by limiting their access to Android users through self-serving licensing terms. But the EC’s objections, rooted in an outdated understanding of marketplace dynamics, are a contrivance.

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OpenAI Joins Microsoft on the Cloud’s Next Big Front: Chips

Fri, 18 Nov 2016 08:10:11 -0000

To build OpenAI—a new artificial intelligence lab that seeks to openly share its research with the world at large—Elon Musk and Sam Altman recruited several top researchers from inside Google and Facebook. But if this unusual project is going to push AI research to new heights, it will need more than talent. It will needs enormous amounts of computing power.

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HeartMob’s Volunteers Crack the Trollish Eggs of Twitter

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 08:10:09 -0000

Julie Lalonde knows all too well what it’s like to be harassed on social media. Lalonde is an Ottawa-based women’s rights activist intimately familiar with the deluge of abuse a single tweet can trigger. She’s endured everything from whack-a-mole trolls impersonating her onlineto enduring a coordinated campaign of abuse against women who dared to comment on Canada’s first Twitter harassment criminal case.

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How Pollsters Missed the ‘Bowling Alone’ Voters That Handed Trump the Presidency

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 08:10:10 -0000

Howard County, Indiana—home to the city of Kokomo—has long been a center for the automotive industry. Or at least it was until that industry and others began to shift overseas in recent decades. By 2008, when Chrysler, the town’s largest employer, teetered on extinction, Forbes named Kokomo the third-fastest dying city in America; during the financial collapse of 2009, fully 40 percent of its home sales were foreclosures.

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Allen Institute for AI Eyes the Future of Scientific Search

Tue, 15 Nov 2016 08:10:12 -0000

Google changed the world with its PageRank algorithm, creating a new kind of internet search engine that could instantly sift through the world’s online information and, in many cases, show us just what we wanted to see. But that was a long time ago. As the volume of online documents continues to increase, we need still newer ways of finding what we want.

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FAQ: Analyzing Social Data to Understand the US Electorate

Mon, 14 Nov 2016 08:10:12 -0000

Social analytics firm Networked Insights is spending Election Day gauging the feelings and intentions of the American electorate and sharing the findings exclusively with WIRED. Here's a peek into the methodology. Where are you getting your data? Our analytics engine Kairos processes unstructured data from millions of sites, blogs, and social platforms like Twitter and Tumblr.

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How Facebook Is Transforming Disaster Response

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 08:10:15 -0000

David Moran was all set to go out that Saturday night. He thought he might hit Parliament House, Orlando’s oldest gay nightclub, or maybe make it over to Pulse, another mainstay. But after he and a friend ended their shift at the restaurant where they both worked, car trouble kept them marooned in the parking lot for an hour. So Moran went home and fell asleep watching Bob’s Burgers on Netflix instead.

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Facebook’s Race-Targeted Ads Aren’t as Racist As You Think

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 08:10:11 -0000

In late October ProPublica released a scathing investigation showing how Facebook allows digital advertisers to narrow their target audience based on ethnic affinities like “African-American” or “Hispanic.” The report suggested that Facebook may be in violation of federal civil rights statutes and drew parallels to Jim Crow Era “whites only” housing ads.

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Let’s Build the Next Twitter Like the Green Bay Packers

Tue, 08 Nov 2016 07:10:12 -0000

For Nathan Schneider, the future of Twitter is the Green Bay Packers. Twitter is struggling to make it as an independent business, unable to increase revenues or expand its audience as quickly as Wall Street would like. So, in recent weeks, it tried selling itself. But no one wanted to buy—not Google or Salesforce or Disney or Microsoft.

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Big AT&T Deal Proves It’s Time to Stop ‘Zero-Rating’

Mon, 07 Nov 2016 07:10:10 -0000

Facebook and several other Western companies tried to give away free Internet in India, but regulators wouldn’t allow it. The trouble is that the service provided free access to some online apps—including Facebook—but not others. This is called zero-rating, and regulators believe it harms online competition, giving certain companies an unfair advantage over others.

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Inside the Battle to Bring Broadband to New York’s Projects

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 08:10:13 -0000

The second week of August isn’t ordinarily a time given over to novelty and ambition in New York. The air is a jellied vapor of sweat and refuse, and anybody who can afford to be elsewhere is. But the vast Queensbridge housing complex was an unlikely scene of neon-vested hustle. The six-story brown-brick apartment blocks along 41st Avenue had been encased in green scaffolding and draped with long, heavy bolts of cream burlap, which gave the blunt rectilinear forms a veil of anticipation.

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Hey Silicon Valley, John Kerry Wants You to Help Save the World

Wed, 02 Nov 2016 13:07:10 -0000

When the Secretary of State pitches Silicon Valley, he’s looking for more than just series-A capital. John Kerry’s looking for help—for technological innovations that could help win the online war with extremist groups like ISIS, find a path between privacy for US citizens (and dissidents abroad) and unbreakable encryption available to terrorists, and maybe even provide energy without damaging Earth’s climate or global economies. So, you know, that’s a pretty big job.

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What Silicon Valley Can Learn From Buddha’s Diet

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 14:26:19 -0000

As we walk, Dan Zigmond pulls on a black baseball cap. The sun is high, and the trees give little shade. It’s a big park—stretching across a good nine acres of grass, mulch, shrubs, and gravel paths—but from where we are, it looks much bigger. Beyond the nine acres, all we can see are more trees, more green, and the mountains in the east, so the park seems almost endless. “That always amazes me,” I say.

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How AI Is Shaking Up the Chip Market

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 13:25:07 -0000

In less than 12hours, three different people offered to pay me if I’d spend an hour talking toa stranger on the phone. All three said they’d enjoyed reading an article I’d written aboutGoogle building a new computer chip for artificial intelligence, and all three urged me to discuss thestory with one of their clients. Each described this client as the manager of a major hedge fund, but wouldn’t say who it was.

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An AT&T-Time Warner Merger Won’t Do Jack for Consumers

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 14:59:27 -0000

In announcing its $85.4 billion agreement to acquire media giant Time Warner, AT&T said this blockbuster deal was very good news for you—the good old American consumer. “We intend to give customers unmatched choice, quality, value and experiences that will define the future of media and communications,” AT&T chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said in a canned company statement. But don’t take his word for it.

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Elon Musk's Plan to Make Self-Driving Autonomous Tesla Cars

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 06:48:14 -0000

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How Big Is AI? Obama Sees It as a New Kind of Moonshot

Thu, 20 Oct 2016 14:09:56 -0000

President Barack Obama envisions AI as the next Apollo program—an $80 billion effort shepherded by the US government. But not too much shepherding. In his interview with WIRED Editor-in-Chief Scott Dadich and MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito, President Obama said that the government should facilitate a range of research in artificial intelligence.

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Silicon Valley’s New-Age AltSchool Unleashes Its Secrets

Tue, 18 Oct 2016 17:51:57 -0000

AltSchool isn't just for AltSchool anymore. Since its founding in 2014, with backing from the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Andreessen Horowitz, and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, the San Francisco startup has opened eight of its new-age AltSchools in the Bay Area and New York City. It sees these as mini educational labs where it's working to create a new kind of personalized educational for the 21st century, and now, the company is sharing its philosophies with the outside world.

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Trump TV Isn’t Coming. It’s Already Here

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 21:27:40 -0000

Donald Trump says that the Presidential election is rigged against him and that the news media unfairly treats him and his many supporters. So, naturally, the rumor is that Trump is now planning to launch his own television network after all the votes are counted in November. According to The Financial Times, citing multiple unnamed sources, Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has contacted a top media dealmaker about the possibility of Trump TV.

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Immigrants Fuel Innovation. Let’s Not Waste Their Potential

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 09:07:48 -0000

Noe arrived in the United States after a treacherous two-month journey to flee El Salvador. He hiked through the jungle, rode on top of trains, slept on the streets of Mexico City, and trekked through the desert. Eventually he made it to San Francisco. When Noe enrolled in high school, he discovered a passion—and a valuable talent—for chemistry and calculus.

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Tinder Taps Its Inner Vegas to Predict Swipe Rights

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 17:46:53 -0000

In this post-Tinder world, your profile picture is everything. The world swipes right (acceptance!) or swipes left (rejection!) based solely on what your photo looks like. Not what you look like. What your photo looks like. So, when hunting for dates and other forms of conjugation, you better get that photo right. Your future could hinge on whether you choose the pic where you're hugging the labradoodle or the one where you're hiking through the woods.

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We Must Remake Society in the Coming Age of AI: Obama

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 21:19:05 -0000

Artificial intelligence can bring enormous prosperity and opportunity. President Obama knows that. But in an interview with WIRED Editor-in-Chief Scott Dadich and MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito, the president also worries that AI could suppress wages, eliminate jobs, and create new inequalities. As we build new forms of AI, he says, we must also develop new economic and social models that can ensure these technologies don't leave people behind.

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Amazon Is Opening Grocery Stores So You Don’t Have to Shop in Them

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 14:30:58 -0000

Why is Amazon opening brick-and-mortar grocery stories? Because it wants to dominate groceries online. Yes, Amazon is opening a string of physical groceries-or at least that's the word from The Wall Street Journal, which cites multiple anonymous sources familiar with the matter. According to the paper, Amazon calls this Project Como, and the first store is planned for the company's home city of Seattle, Washington.

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Filing Taxes Should Be as Easy as Ordering Pizza, Obama Says

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 14:21:16 -0000

The Situation Room is not as gee-whiz as you think it is. Take it from someone who knows: President Obama. "I always imagined the Situation Room would be this super cool thing, it'd be like Tom Cruise in The Minority Report," Obama, the guest editor of WIRED's November issue, said during a lengthy interview with Joi Ito of MIT's Media Lab and Editor-in-Chief Scott Dadich. "It's not like that at all.

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Facebook Still Wants to Muscle In On Your Work Life

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 07:42:22 -0000

One in four people on Earth use Facebook to connect with friends and family. But Mark Zuckerberg and company really want all those people to use the social network for office chatter, too. This morning, at an event in London, the company formally released Facebook Workplace, a service designed specifically for business communication. It first unveiled the service-originally called Facebook for Work-eighteen months ago, testing it with many businesses.

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The Real-Time Crack-Up of the GOP Is Happening Right Now on Twitter

Tue, 11 Oct 2016 08:17:39 -0000

After nominating Donald Trump, the Republican party was always going to face a reckoning. But, no matter who won, that reckoning was supposed to happen after Election Day. Well, it's come early. And it's unfolding in real-time on Twitter. Less than a month before polls open, the GOP nominee is in open political warfare with his party.

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Meet Mike Pence, the Veep Who Could Run Trump’s America

Mon, 10 Oct 2016 14:04:15 -0000

Yes, tonight's vice presidential debate sounds about as rousing as a lukewarm cup of Sleepytime tea. Mike Pence and Tim Kaine aren't known for their colorful personalities, or known that much at all. (One recent poll found that more than 40 percent of Americans can't even name either vice presidential candidate). And why should anyone care? Vice presidents don't have that much power anyway, right? But the next vice president might. If Trump wins, Pence might end up running the show.

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The Google Lab That’s Building a Legion of Diverse Coders

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 14:58:07 -0000

When the doors to Code Next opened in Oakland today, Errol King knew the hard work of launching a community computer lab was a prelude to a far greater challenge. Google launched the lab in one of the nation's most diverse cities to introduce black and Latino students to coding and help reverse the tech sector's persistent lack of diversity.

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Clarifai Wants You to Correct AI’s Biggest Gaffes

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 04:11:51 -0000

Artificial intelligence can do remarkable things, like recognize faces on social networks, instantly translate speech from one language to another, and identify commands barked into a smartphone. But it also can do stupid things, like label an African-American couple "gorillas." The artificial intelligence underpinning Google Photos did just that last year. The platform uses deep neural networks to identify images in your photo collection.

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Google Fiber Eyes A Bigger Chunk of The Airwaves

Wed, 05 Oct 2016 08:15:26 -0000

Google Fiber wants a better way of beaming the Internet into apartment buildings. On Friday, the company filed a document with the Federal Communications Commission arguing that the agency should ease access to a chunk of wireless spectrum that could serve the ambitions of Google Fiber, the company's ultra-high-speed Internet service.

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Zuckerberg and Chan Promise $3 Billion to Cure Every Disease

Mon, 03 Oct 2016 15:29:45 -0000

Over the next decade, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan say they will invest $3 billion in a sweeping effort to cure all diseases in the lifetime of today's children.

"We are at the limit of our ability to alleviate suffering," Chan, a pediatrician, said this morning at an event in San Francisco. "We want to push back at that boundary.

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Google Work Apps Gain New Powers, But Microsoft Still Rules

Mon, 03 Oct 2016 00:22:44 -0000

This week, Google retooled Google Apps for Work, signaling the company's ever-deepening interest in the enterprise market. It makes sense: the opportunities for growth are enormous, as is the competition. Apple continues to leverage its partnership with IBM to muscle its way in. Facebook will reportedly soon launch its business-focused Facebook at Work. And Microsoft still reigns, thanks to its entrenched Office apps.

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Tech Giants Team Up to Keep AI From Getting Out of Hand

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 23:21:13 -0000

Let's face it: artificial intelligence is scary. After decades of dystopian science fiction novels and movies where sentient machines end up turning on humanity, we can't help but worry as real world AI continues to improve at such a rapid rate. Sure, that danger is probably decades away if it's even a real danger at all. But there are many more immediate concerns.

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Google Is Ripe for Trump’s Sore-Loser Conspiracy Theories

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 22:09:33 -0000

If you're a candidate spouting conspiracy theories from the stump after the first presidential debate, theï¿½ï¿½oddsï¿½ï¿½are you didn't win. That's what Donald Trump did Thursdayï¿½ï¿½when he offeredï¿½ï¿½ï¿½from prepared remarks, no lessï¿½ï¿½ï¿½the claim that Google is manipulating search results to suppress bad news about Hillary Clinton.

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You Too Can Invest In Lawsuits. But Not Quite Like Peter Thiel

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 16:32:45 -0000

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Here's Everything Apple Announced Today

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 16:31:08 -0000

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Apple Proves Again That It’s Turning Into a Modern-Day IBM

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 16:31:07 -0000

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Trump Finally Says Something Coherent About ‘the Cyber’

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 16:14:30 -0000

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday when Donald Trump was asked during a televised interview how he would deal with ISIS’s spread online he responded with a fairly incoherent answer that amounted to “the cyber is so big.” Today, during a much publicized speech on national security in Philadelphia, he said one of his first directives as president would be to “conduct a thorough review of all United States cyber defenses and identify all vulnerabilities.

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Apple and Google Face Long Battle With the EU

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 16:14:25 -0000

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Repeat After Me: Humans Run the Internet, Not Algorithms

Wed, 07 Sep 2016 05:47:10 -0000

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Why Utility Poles Are So Important to the Future of the Internet

Mon, 05 Sep 2016 15:12:31 -0000

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The Ad-Blocking Browser That Pays the Sites You Visit

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 17:20:46 -0000

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Facebook Just Proved It Isn’t Hooli From Silicon Valley

Wed, 31 Aug 2016 17:36:11 -0000

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How Apple—and the Rest of Silicon Valley—Avoids the Tax Man

Tue, 30 Aug 2016 21:51:38 -0000

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White House Proposes a New Immigration Rule for Entrepreneurs

Sun, 28 Aug 2016 15:46:54 -0000

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Facebook Gives Away Machine Vision Tools of the Future

Fri, 26 Aug 2016 08:50:55 -0000

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Uber Now Offers Retirement Funds. But Will Drivers Even Care?

Wed, 24 Aug 2016 17:00:31 -0000

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Tesla’s Model S Now Does an Even Loonier 60 MPH in 2.5 Seconds

Wed, 24 Aug 2016 07:37:01 -0000

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The Rio Olympics Are Where TV Finally Sees the Future

Mon, 22 Aug 2016 21:25:50 -0000

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This Money-Saving App Bugs Retailers and Gets You Refunds

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 16:22:10 -0000

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The Internet’s Safe Harbor Just Got a Little Less Safe

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 17:17:35 -0000

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CAN’T AFFORD CODING CAMP? THE FEDS MAY HAVE A LOAN FOR YOU

Tue, 16 Aug 2016 22:09:07 -0000

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A Lot of People Are Saying Trump’s New Data Team Is Shady

Tue, 16 Aug 2016 14:45:25 -0000

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No One Can Stop Ad Blocking. Not Even Facebook

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 18:00:58 -0000

Starting today, Mark Zuckerberg and company are giving you a way of providing more information about what ads you do or don’t want to see on its social network, and they promise to adjust your News Feed accordingly. Which is nice. But that’s not all. More controversially, inside your web browser, the company will try to slip its ads past your ad blocker by digitally disguising them as organic content.

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It’s About to Get a Lot Easier for Apps to Talk to Each Other

Wed, 10 Aug 2016 20:57:41 -0000

Starting today, developers can embed IFTTT within apps and enable users to connect the hundreds of apps that the service supports. That means that the world of apps is about to get a bit more like the web. Just as any website can link to any other website, apps will readily exchange info with other apps.

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It’s Really Hard to Make Money as an Olympian

Tue, 09 Aug 2016 21:19:59 -0000

THE OLYMPICS DRIVE athletes to get ever faster, higher, and stronger, to quote its Latin motto: “Citius, altius, fortius.” But while the Games show athletes at the peak of human potential, it rarely does much for their earning potential.

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Sponsors Are Playing Moneyball to Snag Unsung Olympians

Mon, 08 Aug 2016 11:10:06 -0000

The International Olympic Committee is now allowing athletes to enter into sponsorship agreements with companies that aren’t official Olympics sponsors. Yes, the committee has placed serious limitations on this arrangement. Athletes can’t talk about non-official sponsors or post about them on social media during the blackout period that started last month. And non-official sponsors aren’t allowed to mention the Olympics in their advertisements.

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Nike Didn’t Design Its Insane $1,200 Sunglasses for Mortals

Fri, 05 Aug 2016 16:08:32 -0000

For the 2016 Olympics, Nike teamed up with designers at VSP Global and optics gurus at Zeiss to create a pair of sunglasses that don’t work, or look, like the sunnies you wear.

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