Rocket Launches, Trips to Mars and More 2020 Space and Astronomy Events
A year full of highs and lows in space just ended, and the 12 months to come will be full of new highlights in orbit and beyond.
Home / Archive for December 2019
The Best Things We Bought in 2019
From a killer fly swatter to a family-worthy cargo bike, these are the things we bought this year that made our lives easier and a lot more ...
California Wanted to Protect Uber Drivers. Now It May Hurt Freelancers.
A state act to protect part-timers at companies like Uber and Lyft takes effect on Wednesday. Some freelancers say it will limit their prosp...
Huawei Posts Solid Growth but Warns of Difficulties Ahead
In a year-end note, a deputy chairman said the Chinese tech giant’s confrontation with the United States would hurt its prospects for 2020.
Uber and Postmates File Suit to Block California Freelancer Law
The ride-hailing company and the delivery start-up are seeking an injunction against the new law, which takes effect Jan. 1.
What Does California’s New Data Privacy Law Mean? Nobody Agrees
The statute was meant to standardize how companies disclose their consumer data-mining practices. So far, not so much.
Prime Anchor: An Amazon Warehouse Town Dreams of a Better Life
In Campbellsville, Ky., the tech giant’s influences abound. The profits, not so much.
The Week in Tech: What 5 Billion Means to Amazon
The company gets that many daily submissions to edit descriptions and details about products for sale on its site. How does it keep up?
Blocked in U.S., Huawei Touts ‘Shared Values’ to Compete in Europe
The Chinese tech giant is spending millions of dollars on a charm offensive in Brussels, hoping for a leading role in building 5G networks. ...
The F.A.A. Wants to Start Tracking Drones’ Locations
A proposal would require most drones flying in American airspace to include technology that would allow the government to keep tabs on them....
Self-Checkout in France Sets Off Battle Over a Day of Rest
Besieged by online rivals, retailers are staying open Sunday afternoons with automated cashiers. Critics see an invasion of American-style c...
The Watch Is Smart, but It Can’t Replace Your Doctor
Apple has been advertising its watch’s ability to detect atrial fibrillation. The reality doesn’t quite live up to the promise.
Get Those Records, Tapes and CDs Onto Your Smartphone
Ready to convert your older analog audio to more portable digital formats? Here’s how to make it happen.
Pentagon Warns Military Personnel Against At-Home DNA Tests
The tests, from companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry, have become popular holiday gifts, but the military is warning service members of ri...
Chuck Peddle Dies at 82; His $25 Chip Helped Start the PC Age
His invention brought digital technology to a new breed of consumer devices and powered early Apple and Commodore computers.
Smashing the Finance Patriarchy With Memes
Wall Street wants you to stay ignorant. @MrsDowJones is here to teach us financial literacy.
Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Leaves Board, Severing Last Tie
He has steadily sold more than $2 billion of his Uber shares.
The Unforeseen Dangers of a Device That Curbs Drunken Driving
Ignition interlock devices are becoming ubiquitous. They can distract drivers and cause crashes.
Not Even ‘Star Wars’ Can Save This Year’s Box Office
In 2019, Hollywood put out a whopping 58 franchise films, including “The Rise of Skywalker,” released this weekend. Still, ticket sales drop...
What You’re Unwrapping When You Get a DNA Test for Christmas
To what extent is gifting a DNA test also a present for law enforcement?
No ‘Magic Bullets’ in the Fight Against Online Abuse, but ‘Spiders’ Help
Nearly four dozen nonprofits around the world are dedicated to removing photos and videos of child sexual abuse from the internet. It’s a da...
The Week in Tech: How Is Antitrust Enforcement Changing?
A reporter who has covered the tech industry for more than two decades explains how we may be entering a progressive era of antitrust.
Boeing Starliner Landing: What You Need to Know
The new ride to orbit built for NASA is returning to Earth early after problems during its first trip to space on Friday.
Randy Suess, Computer Bulletin Board Inventor, Dies at 74
The messaging system that he and a friend created in 1978 was a forerunner of social media services like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
At the Edge of the World, a New Battleground for the U.S. and China
The Faroe Islands have become perhaps the most unexpected place for the United States and China to tussle over the Chinese tech giant Huawei...
What to Expect From the Boeing Starliner Launch
NASA and Boeing will conduct a test flight of a capsule that could soon carry astronauts to the International Space Station.
How a Top Antitrust Official Helped T-Mobile and Sprint Merge
Text messages indicate that Makan Delrahim, the head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, worked behind the scenes to help the co...
Many Facial-Recognition Systems Are Biased, Says U.S. Study
Algorithms falsely identified African-American and Asian faces 10 to 100 times more than Caucasian faces, researchers for the National Insti...
Prime Power: How Amazon Squeezes the Businesses Behind Its Store
Twenty years ago, Amazon opened its storefront to anyone who wanted to sell something. Then it began demanding more out of them.
Where Are the Tech Zillionaires? San Francisco Faces the I.P.O. Fizzle
All those tech I.P.O.s this year that were supposed to make people megarich only made them rich-ish.
Science, Splendor and ‘Dresden Green’ to Impress a Sovereign
Dozens of ingeniously crafted objects are on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including the world’s fanciest hat pin (at 41 carats).
Bank of England Audio Leaked, Giving Some Traders an Edge
The British central bank says a supplier, without authorization, provided sound from news conferences ahead of the video feed.
There’s No Winter Break From ‘Publish or Perish’
An analysis of submissions to two top journals showed that scientists in the U.S. were highly likely to be working during holidays.
Uber Settles Federal Investigation Into Workplace Culture
The ride-hailing company “permitted a culture of sexual harassment and retaliation,” the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found.
Gadget of the Year: The Toaster Oven
They keep getting smarter and more powerful. We compared an internet-connected toaster oven and an old-fashioned one side by side.
What We Learned About the Technology That Times Journalists Use
After three years and more than 130 columns, the smartphone was tops. There were also some deliberate Luddites among us.
Stamping Out Online Sex Trafficking May Have Pushed It Underground
A change in a law to hold tech platforms accountable had almost universal support in Congress last year. Now, some are revisiting their deci...
Verizon Outages Reported Nationwide
Users reported widespread disruptions as they tried to make outgoing calls and text. The company said it had fixed a problem involving long-...
The Machines Are Learning, and So Are the Students
Artificial intelligence is starting to take over repetitive tasks in classrooms, like grading, and is optimizing coursework and revolutioniz...
Internet Giants, Defied by Bitcoin, Now See Its Tech as a Remedy
A decentralized internet was hailed as a way to dethrone Twitter and Facebook. But to the tech giants, the idea could unload some of their b...
Europe’s Cheops Satellite Will Try to Launch Again
Follow the launch of the world’s newest orbiting telescope, which will search for habitable worlds.
A Surveillance Net Blankets China’s Cities, Giving Police Vast Powers
The authorities can scan your phones, track your face and find out when you leave your home. One of the world’s biggest spying networks is a...
Online Sex Trafficking Law Shows Difficulty of Reining In Big Tech
A change in a law to hold tech platforms accountable had almost universal support in Congress last year. Now, some are revisiting their deci...
India Adopts the Tactic of Authoritarians: Shutting Down the Internet
India, the world’s largest democracy, shuts down the internet far more than any other country. This week, 60 million people — roughly the si...
A Rare Russian Tech Triumph, a Police Raid and a Backlash
A case linked to a $670 million acquisition shows that there may be a limit to the authorities’ abuse of law enforcement to advance corrupt ...
Unable to Retrieve Money, Cryptocurrency Investors Want Dead Executive Exhumed
Gerald W. Cotten, the C.E.O. of Quadriga CX, was the only one who knew crucial passwords, the company said. When he died, users could not re...
What Do Gen Z Shoppers Want? A Cute, Cheap Outfit That Looks Great on Instagram
Three young women shoppers in three countries talk about what they buy, where they buy it and why.
Europe’s Cheops Satellite Will Scour Space for Habitable Planets
Follow the launch of the world’s newest orbiting telescope.
Uber in Talks to Sell Its Food-Delivery Business in India
Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s chief executive, is paring back the company’s money-losing businesses.
2020 Campaigns Throw Their Hands Up on Disinformation
Few politicians have teams to spot false statements about them online, or to fight back before it spreads.
Gift Ideas for Car Lovers or Commuters
Hot Wheels big and small, smartphone holders, night-vision aids and more.
Prime Leverage: How Amazon Wields Power in the Technology World
Software start-ups have a phrase for what Amazon is doing to them: ‘strip-mining’ them of their innovations.
Prime Leverage: How Amazon Wields Power in the Technology World
Software start-ups have a phrase for what Amazon is doing to them: ‘strip-mining’ them of their innovations.
To Prevent Deadly Infections, F.D.A. Approves the First Disposable ‘Scope’
Reusable duodenoscopes infected patients in a series of notorious outbreaks. Now there’s a disposable model to be used just once.
Tony Brooker, Pioneer of Computer Programming, Dies at 94
After meeting Alan Turing, Mr. Brooker went to work at the University of Manchester and wrote the programming language for the first commerc...
A.I. Is Making It Easier to Kill (You). Here’s How.
A tank that drives itself. A drone that picks its own targets. A machine gun with facial-recognition software. Sound like science fiction? W...
‘We Trusted You’: WeWork’s Chair on Adam Neumann and the Future
After a bailout by SoftBank, the shared office space company plans to sell customers more services and renegotiate leases with landlords.
I Tested 13 Bidets. I’m a Convert.
The difference between a bidet and a washlet, and why you might love one, too.
She Accused a Tech Billionaire of Rape. The Chinese Internet Turned Against Her.
Liu Jingyao, a college student, describes what it’s like to be slut-shamed by 800 million people.
The Week in Tech: Countdown to the California Consumer Privacy Act
Companies are figuring out how to deal with a new law that gives individuals the right to see, delete and stop the sale of the personal info...
Killer Robots Aren’t Regulated. Yet.
“Killing in the Age of Algorithms” is a New York Times documentary examining the future of artificial intelligence and warfare.
F.T.C. Said to Consider Injunction Against Facebook
Such an action would seek to block a technical integration of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram, people familiar with the matter sa...
Out: M.P.G. In: Kilowatt-Hours. Classic Cars Get an Electric Jolt.
A California company has developed a “crate motor” to relatively simply (but not so cheaply) convert gasoline cars to modern electric engine...
George Laurer, Who Developed the Bar Code, Is Dead at 94
Every purchase evokes his design of the rectangular Universal Product Code. But although it became ubiquitous, he received no royalties.
This Is Not About How Young People Use Tech
Taylor Lorenz, who writes about internet culture, explains how she keeps her finger on the pulse.
Apple AirPods Pro Review: The ‘Hearable’ at Its Best
At $249, Apple’s noise-canceling wireless earbuds are a strong contender in the high-end earphones market.
YouTube Takes Tougher Stance on Harassment
A new policy is a response to criticism that the video service hasn’t done enough to curb bad behavior by users.
Bipartisan Bill Targets Online Spread of Child Sex Abuse Material
The legislation, responding to an investigation in The New York Times, would make tech companies more responsible for retaining data about a...
America’s Top Foundations Bankroll Attack on Big Tech
Major nonprofits and other organizations have pledged millions of dollars toward groups trying to build a modern trust-busting movement.
On Data Privacy, India Charts Its Own Path
A new law would give the country’s 1.3 billion people more power over data collected by companies but allow the government to exempt itself ...
In U.K. Vote, Online Disinformation Is the New Normal
Foreign meddling was once the most feared source of online deception before critical elections. Now, some candidates themselves are turning ...
SoftBank Takes a Loss in Sale of Wag, Dog-Walking Start-Up
The technology investment powerhouse sold its shares in the dog-walking start-up at a loss as its pushes the companies it bets on to seek pr...
Big Tech Is Under Attack, and Investors Couldn’t Care Less
Giant tech stocks have posted a remarkable year, shrugging off the trade war, bipartisan political hostility and regulatory threats.
Facebook Tells Barr It Won’t Open Up Encrypted Messages
With 1.5 billion users, Facebook’s WhatsApp is perhaps the world’s most commonly used encrypted communications platform.
Is Earth Getting Bigger Over Time?
The planet is a magnet for stuff: space dust, dead leaves, old refrigerators. Is all that mass adding up?
Big Tech’s Critics, Flush With Cash, Try to Build a Movement
Major nonprofits and other organizations have pledged millions of dollars toward groups that are taking on corporate giants.
Pete Frates, Who Promoted the Ice Bucket Challenge, Dies at 34
The former college baseball player’s involvement in the viral trend helped raise more than $100 million toward fighting A.L.S.
Amazon Accuses Trump of ‘Improper Pressure’ on JEDI Contract
In a legal complaint, Amazon said that the president attacked the company behind the scenes to harm its C.E.O., Jeff Bezos, “his perceived p...
TikTok’s Biggest Hits of the Year — and Its Predictions for 2020
TikTok says it’s ready to help its stars get rich.
Golden Globes Nominations: What to Watch For
The Hollywood awards season kicks into high gear with the nominations announcement on Monday morning.
A Few Cities Have Cornered Innovation Jobs. Can That Be Changed?
A new report documents the concentration of cutting-edge industries in a few coastal areas and why lawmakers ought to be alarmed.
Release the Influencers! Quibi’s Plan for Streaming Success
Are you an online star with more than 500,000 followers? Jeffrey Katzenberg may want to have a word with you.
This Man May Be Big Tech’s Biggest Threat
Representative David Cicilline doesn’t just want to enforce the laws governing the tech industry. He wants to change them.
The Price of Recycling Old Laptops: Toxic Fumes in Thailand’s Lungs
The e-waste industry is booming in Southeast Asia, frightening residents worried for their health. Despite a ban on imports, Thailand is a c...
How to Protect Your Children From Online Sexual Predators
Don’t count on tech companies to keep online games and chat apps safe for children, experts warn. It’s all about “parental empowerment” and ...
When a DNA Test Says You’re a Younger Man, Who Lives 5,000 Miles Away
After a bone marrow transplant, a man with leukemia found that his donor’s DNA traveled to unexpected parts of his body. A crime lab is now ...
Amazon Grows in New York, Reviving Debate Over Abandoned Queens Project
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other critics of an earlier proposal said a move to add offices in Manhattan proved them right.
This Week in Tech: What on Earth Is a Quantum Computer?
The question isn’t so easy to answer. Also, Google’s founders stepped away just as their company enters a turbulent adulthood.
This Week in Tech: What on Earth Is a Quantum Computer?
The question isn’t so easy to answer. Also, Google’s founders stepped away just as their company enters a turbulent adulthood.
This Week in Tech: What on Earth Is a Quantum Computer?
The question isn’t so easy to answer. Also, Google’s founders stepped away just as their company enters a turbulent adulthood.
Fake ‘Likes’ Remain Just a Few Dollars Away, Researchers Say
Despite Big Tech’s attempts to combat manipulation, companies that sell clicks, likes and followers on social media are easy to find.
Uber: 3,045 Sexual Assaults Reported in U.S. Rides Last Year
In its first safety report, the ride-hailing company detailed sexual assaults, murders and fatal crashes through its platform.
19 Women Sue Lyft as Sexual Assault Allegations Mount
Dozens of women have joined lawsuits against the ride-sharing company, saying it has not done enough to prevent assaults by drivers.
How a Preacher’s Grandson From Rural Georgia Grew Up to Lead Cisco
As the head of a $185 billion technology company, Chuck Robbins says, “We have to run a good business, but there’s more to it.”
Palettes Are What Every Teen Wants for the Holidays
How did eye shadow become the most sought-after item on high schoolers’ wish lists?
Huawei Sues the F.C.C., Ramping Up Fight With Critics and Foes
The commission took aim last month at the Chinese tech giant’s sales to telecom carriers in rural America.
How Google’s Founders Slowly Stepped Away From Their Company
Larry Page and Sergey Brin became billionaires thanks to the success of Google. But toward the end, they appeared happy to let someone else ...
From Camera Roll to Canvas: Make Art From Your Photos
Several apps transform a memorable portrait or vacation shot into a “painting” suitable for hanging over the couch or sharing this holiday s...
Silicon Valley Learns Washington’s Language (and Vice Versa)
Big Tech’s presence in the capital is unmistakable, and its interests intersect with more and more issues, says David McCabe, a tech policy ...
How Huawei Lost the Heart of the Chinese Public
When an executive wrote about her house arrest in Canada, an outcry about a former employee’s treatment arose on social media.
Podcasts and Travel Apps? Facebook Is Working on Those
The social network is exploring new product areas through a team dedicated to building the company’s future.
America’s Dark History of Killing Its Own Troops With Cluster Munitions
The weapons are notorious for their effects on civilians. But five years of reporting and hundreds of interviews have revealed they’ve also ...
Era Ends for Google as Founders Step Aside From a Pillar of Tech
Sundar Pichai, who has run Google for several years, is taking the reins from Larry Page as Alphabet’s C.E.O.
Elon Musk’s Defense: ‘Pedo Guy’ Tweet Was a Generic Insult
The Tesla billionaire took the stand in a civil defamation trial in Los Angeles.
Sex Trafficking via Facebook Sets Off a Lawyer’s Novel Crusade
A personal-injury lawyer in Houston is using an unusual argument to try to upend the internet’s most vital law.
China Uses DNA to Map Faces, With Help From the West
Beijing’s pursuit of control over a Muslim ethnic group pushes the rules of science and raises questions about consent.
Facebook Gives Workers a Chatbot to Appease That Prying Uncle
The “Liam Bot” teaches employees what to say if friends or family ask difficult questions about the company over the holidays.
Facebook Testing a Way to Let You Move Photos to Rival Sites
The company, accused by the E.U. of stifling competition, is trying a tool in Ireland that would allow users to move photos and videos to Go...
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