Here’s a Way to Learn if Facial Recognition Systems Used Your Photos
An online tool targets only a small slice of what’s out there, but may open some eyes to how widely artificial intelligence research fed on ...
Home / Archive for January 2021
A 10-Year-Old GameStop Investor Cashed In. His Return? Over 5,000%
Jaydyn Carr of San Antonio made $3,200 on shares from GameStop this week that his mother bought him in 2019 for about $60.
A Vast Web of Vengeance
Outrageous lies destroyed Guy Babcock’s online reputation. When he went hunting for their source, what he discovered was worse than he could...
The Silicon Valley Start-Up That Caused Wall Street Chaos
Robinhood pitched itself to investors as the antithesis of Wall Street. It didn’t say that it also entirely relies on Wall Street. This past...
They’re Flocking to America to Make a Fortune Playing Video Games
League of Legends teams in the U.S. lag behind their competitors in Asia, so they recruit the world’s best players by offering huge salaries...
G.M. Announcement Shakes Up U.S. Automakers’ Transition to Electric Cars
Every carmaker is trying to figure out how to make the leap before governments force it and Tesla and other start-ups lure away drivers.
The Stock Traders of Reddit and TikTok
They are young, they are fearless and they are forcing everyone to pay attention.
Billionaires Bicker Over Space Toys
They should instead focus on the big question: Can satellites bring internet access to billions?
Elon Musk, GameStop and the C.E.O. as Internet Troll
The billionaire Mr. Musk has inserted himself into the confounding stock market drama and solidified his role as the ultimate insider outsid...
Everything’s a Joke Until It’s Not
Reddit communities grow powerful in plain sight. Why do they keep taking the world by surprise?
Still Looking for a New Gaming Console? Here’s Why
A month after the holiday season, gamers are still contending with scalpers, bots and immense demand as they hunt for elusive devices.
Join Us in Miami! Love, Masters of the Universe
Silicon Valley techies and Wall Street titans have bought homes and moved businesses there in the pandemic, coaxed by an eager mayor.
Inside a Pro-Huawei Influence Campaign
A covert online push to sway telecommunications policy in favor of the Chinese company may presage a new twist in social manipulation.
The ‘Roaring Kitty’ Rally: How a Reddit User and His Friends Roiled the Markets
A Massachusetts man who goes by ‘Roaring Kitty’ on social media helped fuel the frenzy around GameStop. His $53,000 investment in the compan...
Robinhood, in Need of Cash, Raises $1 Billion From Its Investors
The no-fee trading app, which is popular with young investors, has been strained by the high volume of trading this week in stocks such as G...
Pauline Anna Strom, Composer of Enduring Electronic Sounds, Dies at 74
Her blindness, she said, enhanced her music, which included homemade recordings from the 1980s prized by aficionados.
Facebook Said to Consider Suing Apple Over App Store Practices
The social network has discussed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, as tensions grow between the companies over how each treats consumer da...
Facebook Is Hated — and Rich
Facebook is embroiled in a different scandal each week, and yet, it’s making So Much Money.
The GameStop Reckoning Was a Long Time Coming
This week, gleeful online hordes turned the stock market upside down. This shouldn’t come as a surprise.
One Tale From an Amazon Seller
A toy company finds that selling goods on Amazon is both key to its success and super fraught.
What We Learned From Apple’s New Privacy Labels
Requiring that app makers list the data they collect reveals a lot about what some apps do with our information (ahem, WhatsApp) but creates...
MyPillow C.E.O.’s Trump Conspiracy Theories Put Company on the Spot
Retailers have stopped carrying its products, though Mike Lindell, the founder and face of MyPillow, blamed “cancel culture” and said he did...
The Secrets of Instagram Growth-Hacking
It depends on what you mean by “secret,” and also “success.”
What is a Blockchain? Is It Hype?
A technology based on a decentralized network may offer more control over what people do online.
Democratic Congress Prepares to Take On Big Tech
Lawmakers say the attack on the Capitol has generated more support for tougher regulation of the industry.
Fire That Killed Hsieh May Have Been Carelessness or Intentional, Officials Say
A Connecticut fire department released an official report on the November death of Tony Hsieh, the former Zappos chief executive.
What Do Gamers Wear?
With millions of fans on social media, gamers have stepped up their game, incorporating luxury, streetwear and even cosplay into their looks...
Fire That Killed Hsieh May Have Been Carelessness or Intentional, Officials Say
A Connecticut fire department released an official report on the November death of Tony Hsieh, the former Zappos chief executive.
Twitter Acquires Revue, a Newsletter Company
The latest in a series of additions is seen as an attempt to compete with the growing popularity of outfits like Substack.
They Found a Way to Limit Big Tech’s Power: Using the Design of Bitcoin
Companies inspired by the cryptocurrency are creating social networks, storing online content and hosting websites without any central autho...
Fashion Trends Are Often Recycled. Now More Clothing Can Be, Too.
Designers and tech start-ups are working to improve sustainability and interrupt the path to the landfill.
Why Is Big Tech Policing Free Speech? Because the Government Isn’t
Deplatforming President Trump showed that the First Amendment is broken — but not in the way his supporters think.
Telegram, Pro-Democracy Tool, Struggles Over New Fans From Far Right
The app has helped fuel democracy movements in Iran and Belarus but now faces scrutiny as extremists and conspiracy theorists flock to it am...
Four falsehoods Giuliani spread about Dominion.
On Monday, Dominion Voting Systems filed a defamation lawsuit against the former New York City mayor.
Twitter will test letting some users fact-check tweets.
The company’s latest effort to curb misinformation will start with a small number of users.
Why Your TV Spies on You
Selling consumer electronics is hard, forcing companies to resort to shady tactics to make money.
Trump Wants Back on Facebook. This Star-Studded Jury Might Let Him.
A new kind of corporate supercourt is looking for legitimacy.
How to Keep Internet Trolls Out of Remote Workplaces
When companies move all employee communications online, they face the same problems as the rest of the internet. But they don’t have to let ...
Monitoring the Weather at the Edge of the World
Marsibil Erlendsdottir runs a farm and provides weather reports from a remote outpost in eastern Iceland. The job requires vigilance and an ...
Amazon Union Drive Takes Hold in Unlikely Place
Workers at a warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., are to vote next month on whether to unionize, the largest and most viable effort of its kind invo...
Uber, After Buying Postmates, Lays Off More Than 180 Employees
The layoffs include most of the executive team at Postmates, the food delivery app that Uber bought last year.
Help With Vaccination Push Comes From Unexpected Businesses
Microsoft, Starbucks and Amazon are among the companies offering the government assistance with logistics and operations.
Facebook Invokes Its ‘Supreme Court’
The site asks its oversight body to rule on Trump. But its justice system doesn’t work for everyone.
Intelligence Analysts Use U.S. Smartphone Location Data Without Warrants, Memo Says
The disclosure comes amid growing legislative scrutiny of how the government uses commercially available location records.
Can an Executive in Kansas Save Movie Theaters?
For Adam Aron, who runs AMC Entertainment, the world’s largest movie theater chain, the past year has been filled with twists and turns. And...
Director of Amazon's 'Tandav' Cuts Scenes After Pressure From India's Hindu Nationalists
Faced with boycotts and criminal complaints, the director of “Tandav” made the edits this week. But that did not appear to satisfy some of t...
Google Shuts Loon Helium Balloon Project
Begun nearly a decade ago, Loon was one of the company’s high-profile, cutting-edge efforts. But it was difficult to turn into a business.
An Australia With No Google? The Bitter Fight Behind a Drastic Threat
The big tech platforms are facing a challenge unlike any other as Australia moves to make them pay for news.
Google Shuts Loon Hot-Air Balloon Project
Begun nearly a decade ago, Loon was one of the company’s high-profile, cutting-edge efforts. But it was difficult to turn into a business.
What Internet Censorship Looks Like
In East Africa, too much Facebook has been awful. So has too little Facebook.
Amid One Pandemic, Students Train for the Next
Researchers have banded together to find safe, virtual ways to teach the principles of microbiology and epidemiology.
‘A Total Failure’: The Proud Boys Now Mock Trump
Members of the far-right group, who were among Donald Trump’s staunchest fans, are calling him “weak,” in a sign of fraying support.
President Biden’s Tech To-do List
The new administration will try to restrain Big Tech, manage China and expand internet access.
QAnon believers struggle with inauguration.
As President Biden took office, some QAnon believers tried to rejigger their theories to accommodate a transfer of power.
NASA’s Decision for Moon Rocket: Test Again or Prepare for Launch?
The booster of the Space Launch System was in good condition after a test was cut short, officials said.
Parler Tries to Survive With Help From Russian Company
The social network, popular with President Trump’s supporters, went offline last week after it was kicked off Amazon’s servers.
Could a Small Test Screen People for Covid-19?
A new modeling study hints that odor-based screens could quash outbreaks. But some experts are skeptical it would work in the real world.
Could a Smell Test Screen People for Covid?
A new modeling study hints that odor-based screens could quash outbreaks. But some experts are skeptical it would work in the real world.
How to Make Data Privacy Real
We need control over how our data is used. Thanks to California, there’s a promising new path.
The Next Tesla? Investors Bet Big on Electric Truck Maker Rivian
Rivian, which has raised another $2.65 billion, plans to sell a pickup truck and S.U.V. it has worked on for more than a decade.
When Joe Biden Takes the White House, He’ll Also Take @WhiteHouse Twitter
The transition of official White House social media handles is more complicated now than four years ago.
How Joe Biden Will Take Over the Trump Administration’s Twitter Accounts
The transition of official White House social media handles is more complicated now than four years ago.
Why T-Shirts Promoting the Capitol Riot Are Still Available Online
Merchandise with phrases like “Battle for Capitol Hill Veteran” could still be purchased on major e-commerce sites, a sign of how the platfo...
Inside Twitter's Decision to Cut Off Donald J. Trump
Jack Dorsey, the chief executive, had reservations about locking the president’s account. But the calls for violence that his tweets provoke...
Behind a Secret Deal Between Google and Facebook
Facebook was going to compete with Google for some advertising sales but backed away from the plan after the companies cut a preferential de...
Peloton’s Rapid Rise Is Threatened by Its Slow Delivery
The company has boomed in popularity during the pandemic but getting its exercise bikes delivered has proved a struggle, one that is angerin...
A QAnon ‘Digital Soldier’ Marches On, Undeterred by Theory’s Unraveling
Valerie Gilbert posts dozens of times a day in support of an unhinged conspiracy theory. The story of this “meme queen” hints at how hard it...
Snapchat Wants You to Post. They’re Willing to Pay Millions.
Top performers are raking in cash as the company seeks to compete against TikTok and similar platforms.
Inside Twitter’s Decision to Cut Off Trump
Jack Dorsey, the chief executive, had reservations about locking the president’s account. But the calls for violence that his tweets provoke...
NASA’s Space Launch System Hot-Fire Test: When to Watch
Before NASA’s giant Space Launch System can go to the moon, it needs to ignite its engine in a “hot fire” stationary test.
Hypersonic Superweapons Are a Mirage, New Analysis Says
Two scientists find revolutionary claims about the evasion of detection and defenses to be “nonsense.”
WhatsApp Delays Privacy Changes Amid User Exodus
The company faced a backlash from users who worried the changes made the messaging service less secure.
When Tech Antitrust Failed
How did a case meant to lower prices instead possibly lead to higher prices?
As Trump Clashes With Big Tech, China’s Censored Internet Takes His Side
Blurring the distinction between companies and government, official propaganda outlets use President Trump’s ouster from Twitter and Faceboo...
TikTok Is Poised to Outlast Trump, and to Test Biden
It is unclear how the president-elect will approach the Chinese tech industry.
Need a New Knee or Hip? A Robot May Help Install It
As more people strive to stay active on aging frames, robots and other technologies are likely to play a wider role in helping surgeons repl...
San Francisco's Tech Workers Make the Big Move
As a tech era draws to an end, more workers and companies are packing up. What comes next?
Consumer Groups Target Amazon Prime’s Cancellation Process
A Norwegian group filed a complaint with regulators, saying Amazon had deliberately made it difficult to end memberships to its Prime servic...
Facebook and Twitter Face International Scrutiny after Trump Ban
Human rights groups and activists have spent years urging the companies to do more to remove content that encouraged violence.
The Alternate Reality of Fringe Apps
Facebook and Twitter have kicked out the online horribles. Are they going where we can’t find them?
They Can’t Leave the Bay Area Fast Enough
As a tech era draws to an end, more workers and companies are packing up. What comes next?
Millions Flock to Telegram and Signal as Fears Grow Over Big Tech
The encrypted messaging services have become the world’s hottest apps over the last week, driven by growing anxiety over the power of the bi...
Intel, Under Pressure to Rethink Its Business, Ousts Its Chief Executive
Robert Swan, who has held the job for two years, is leaving the Silicon Valley chip giant after an activist investor pressed for change.
Is Letterboxd Becoming a Blockbuster?
The social media network has finally left the cinephile niche and entered the mainstream.
The Truth About Your WhatsApp Data
Why there was a backlash this week to WhatsApp, and what, if anything, has changed.
4 Ways to Do More With Your Smartphone Camera
If you are still using your phone’s camera only for selfies and quick videos, you’re barely touching its potential.
Jobless, Selling Nudes Online and Still Struggling
OnlyFans, a social media platform that allows people to sell explicit photos of themselves, has boomed during the pandemic. But competition ...
Lack of Tiny Parts Disrupts Auto Factories Worldwide
Carmakers can’t buy the semiconductors they need because home electronics are taking all the supply.
Uganda Blocks Facebook Ahead of Contentious Election
President Yoweri Museveni accused the company of “arrogance” after it removed fake accounts and pages linked to his re-election campaign.
YouTube Suspends Trump’s Channel for at Least Seven Days
YouTube is the latest tech company to bar the president from posting online, following Twitter, Facebook and others.
What Is Most Popular on Streaming Platforms? Old Network TV Shows
“The Office,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Criminal Minds,” each accounted for more viewing time than any other show or movie on streaming platform...
Donald Trump's Twitter: What Happened?
“I’m going to be very restrained, if I use it at all,” Donald Trump told us in 2016. Something else happened.
The Problem With Vaccine Websites
If you’re struggling to register for a vaccine, don’t (only) blame bad tech and local officials.
Therapists Are on TikTok. And How Does That Make You Feel?
Mental health professionals are going viral on the app, captivating an anxious generation.
Netflix, Flexing Its Muscles, Announces 2021 Film Slate
The streaming service’s movies feature Oscars winners and box office stars and are a reminder of its power in a Hollywood that has been irre...
On Factory Floors, a Chime and Flashing Light to Maintain Distance
Businesses like Henkel, a big German chemical company, are trying wearable sensors to prevent virus outbreaks among workers.
As Bitcoin Prices Swing, Millionaires Lose Sleep Over Lost Keys
Bitcoin owners are getting rich because the cryptocurrency has soared. But what happens when you can’t access that wealth because you forgot...
'Smart' Office Cushions Track Workers by the Seat of Their Pants
A Chinese tech company wanted to track its employees’ health, but a human resources manager began inquiring about time away from their work ...
Twitter, in Widening Crackdown, Removes Over 70,000 QAnon Accounts
The actions followed the barring of President Trump from the service last week, as Twitter has moved to distance itself from violent content...
Fringe Groups Splinter Online After Facebook and Twitter Bans
Tracking what may be planned in the coming days could become even more difficult as the groups take to lesser-known networks and apps that c...
Who Should Make the Online Rules?
A handful of unelected tech executives have tremendous influence on public discourse. Is that right?
Senator Klobuchar to Write Antitrust Book
The Minnesota Democrat and former presidential candidate said her book would call for reform in how the United States treats monopolies and ...
How Parler, a Chosen App of Trump Fans, Became a Test of Free Speech
The app has renewed a debate about who holds power over online speech after the tech giants yanked their support for it and left it fighting...
Stripped of Twitter, Trump Faces a New Challenge: How to Get Attention
Mr. Trump became a celebrity through television, but Twitter had given him a singular outlet for expressing himself as he is, unfiltered by ...
He Created the Web. Now He’s Out to Remake the Digital World.
Tim Berners-Lee wants to put people in control of their personal data. He has technology and a start-up pursuing that goal. Can he succeed?
Apple and Google Cut Off Parler, an App That Drew Trump Supporters
The companies removed the “free speech” social network from their app stores, limiting its reach just as many conservatives are seeking alte...
Twitter's Ban on Trump Shows Where Power Now Lies
The ability of a handful of people to control our public discourse has never been more obvious.
Hong Kong Website Doxxing Police Gets Blocked, Raising Censorship Fears
Users of major mobile carriers can no longer access a service that detailed the personal information of police officers, a possible sign tha...
The facial-recognition app Clearview sees a spike in use after Capitol attack.
Law enforcement has used the app to identify perpetrators, Clearview AI’s C.E.O. said.
Google and Apple told Parler, a social network popular with conservatives, that it must better police its users if it wants a place in their...
Trump's Twitter Account Permanently Suspended
The president’s preferred megaphone cited “the risk of further incitement of violence.” It acted after Facebook, Snapchat, Twitch and other ...
Dlive, a Livestreaming Site, Gains Popularity from
A site called Dlive, where rioters broadcast from the Capitol, is benefiting from the growing exodus of right-wing users from Twitter, Faceb...
Trump Isn’t the Only One
Facebook and Twitter should target others who have large followings and spread misinformation.
Coronavirus Vaccine Demand Has Health Officials Turning to Eventbrite
Public health officials are using Eventbrite’s online ticketing platform to schedule shots. But appointments are still hard to find, and not...
The Sperm Kings Have a Problem: Too Much Demand
Many people want a pandemic baby, but some sperm banks are running low. So women are joining unregulated Facebook groups to find willing don...
Is Graphic Design the C.I.A.’s Passion?
The agency’s website rebrand has sparked chatter about its visual reference points, and whether the new look is good.
The Impractical but Indisputable Rise of Retrocomputing
Prices for vintage PCs in need of repairs and hard-to-find parts have shot up on resale sites.
Trump Is Banned on Facebook 'at Least' Until His Term is Over
“We believe the risks of allowing the president to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,” Mark Zuckerberg, Fa...
Narinder S. Kapany, ‘Father of Fiber Optics,’ Dies at 94
A physicist and entrepreneur who cut an imposing figure, he did more than anyone to make optical research a priority in government and corpo...
Trump Is Banned on Facebook 'at Least' Until His Term is Over
“We believe the risks of allowing the president to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,” Mark Zuckerberg, Fa...
The President Is Losing His Platforms
After years of gentle wrist slaps, social media companies are finally revoking the president’s megaphone.
Trump. Twitter. QAnon. Who’s to Blame?
Wednesday was a dark moment in American history. We look at the forces that led us here.
Twitter and Facebook Lock Trump’s Accounts After Violence on Capitol Hill
The moves came after critics and even some allies of the social media companies said they had failed to prevent the misinformation that led ...
‘Be There. Will Be Wild!’: Trump All but Circled the Date
Inside Trump supporters’ online echo chambers, the chaos of Jan. 6 could be seen coming. People posted their plans to come to Washington — a...
Widely Used Software Company May Be Entry Point for Huge U.S. Hacking
Russian hackers may have piggybacked on a tool developed by JetBrains, which is based in the Czech Republic, to gain access to federal gover...
Violence on Capitol Hill Is a Day of Reckoning for Social Media
Critics and even some allies of companies like Twitter and Facebook say they have failed to prevent the misinformation that led to chaos on ...
A Lesson in Tech Survival
The success of a computer chip maker points to a path for companies like Google and Facebook.
The Tech That Will Invade Our Lives in 2021
Spoiler: We’re looking at another year of internet services dominating many aspects of our lives.
Here Are The 8 Chinese Apps Trump Banned
The White House took a surprise parting shot at China on Tuesday by banning the popular Chinese payment service and other applications.
V.R. Is Not a Hit. That’s OK.
Not every technology needs to be in the hands of billions of people to make a difference.
It Spied on Soviet Atomic Bombs. Now It’s Solving Ecological Mysteries.
Imagery from the Cold War’s Corona satellites is helping scientists fill in how we have changed our planet in the past half century.
How Gabriel Sterling Debunked Trump’s Georgia Fraud Claims, Point by Point
Here are the explanations from the official, Gabriel Sterling, that rebut more than a dozen of the president’s false assertions.
Tech Predictions for 2021
Times journalists share the technology-related developments they think will be big this year.
Thinking About Growing a Beard in 2021?
Jeff’s Beard Board, a 20-year-old forum for facial hair, may be a useful resource.
Missions to Mars, the Moon and Beyond Await Earth in 2021
Here’s a preview of what to expect in space and astronomy in the year to come.
Is Slack Down? Yes.
Calling the problems in service an “incident,” the communication company Slack said it was investigating and trying to resolve the issue.
Hundreds of Google Employees Unionize, Culminating Years of Activism
The creation of the union, a rarity in Silicon Valley, follows years of increasing outspokenness by Google workers. Executives have struggle...
Teachers on TV? Schools Try Creative Strategy to Narrow Digital Divide
It’s another way to reach students without internet or computers during the pandemic.
A Canadian ‘Buy Local’ Effort Fights Amazon on Its Own Turf
A website called Not Amazon was created to drive sales to more than 4,000 independent stores in four cities. The initiative aims to keep exp...
Confessions of a Virtual Reality Gym Rat
The workouts are real, even if the impossibly beautiful scenery is not.
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