In Fraud Detection, Everything You Do Online and Off Is a Clue
Companies are employing new techniques to detect fraud and tax evasion, from license-plate readers to the way you hold your phone.
Paul Allen Shows It’s Hard to Give Away $10 Billion
The Microsoft co-founder was one of the most prolific philanthropists in the world—but he still died with $20 billion.
A Long-Term Solution for Scooter Sharing
San Francisco’s scooters are back, and newly regulated. But is regulation enough to make them work in the long term?
How Instagram Saved Poetry
Social media is turning an art form into an industry.
Instagram Has a Massive Harassment Problem
The platform has cast itself as the internet’s kindest place. But users argue harassment is rampant, and employees say efforts to stem it aren’t funded well or prioritized.
The High Stakes of Surfing’s Wave-Pool Arms Race
With the Olympics ahead, artificial-wave makers appear to be one-upping one another in their attempt to bring surfing to the world.
When Pop-Up Books Taught Popular Science
Before they were relegated to the domain of children, books with movable mechanisms explained anatomy, astronomy, and more to adults. An Object Lesson.
Alexa Wants to Know How You’re Feeling Today
Amazon has patented technology that would allow its devices to read your emotional and physical state, and sell advertisements based on them. Are we entering the era of the mood-targeted ad?
YouTube Stars Are Being Accused of Profiting Off Fans’ Depression
Viewers are outraged that some of the site’s biggest celebrities have partnered with a controversial online counseling service.
Mark Warner Is Coming for Tech’s Too-Powerful
The senator from Virginia says he’s “very annoyed” with Silicon Valley’s “pathetic” response to security concerns.
How Much Would You Pay for a Prayer?
In India, thousands are embracing apps that allow them to pay for a ritual to be performed on their behalf.
Silicon Valley Sieve: A Timeline of Tech-Industry Leaks
Just a few years ago, tech employees said nothing. Now they can’t stop talking.
Teens Are Being Bullied ‘Constantly’ on Instagram
Harassment on the platform can be uniquely cruel, and for many it feels like there’s no escape.
The Pentagon’s Push to Program Soldiers’ Brains
The military wants future super-soldiers to control robots with their thoughts.
The Newest Password Technology Is Making Your Phone Easier for Police to Search
For the first time, police have compelled a suspect to unlock his phone using Face ID. The case reveals an interesting inversion: More advanced password technology is less protected from police seizure.
Alexa, Should We Trust You?
The voice revolution has only just begun. Today, Alexa is a humble servant. Very soon, she could be much more—a teacher, a therapist, a confidant, an informant.
Suspended Animation in the Age of Trump
Before Donald Trump was elected, I reported on strange activity linking a Trump-campaign computer server to Moscow. A new report shows how much has changed since 2016—and how many questions still remain.
The Navy’s Terrible Accident Record Is Now Hidden From Public View
The latest incidence of a government agency quietly removing data from its website demonstrates the dangers of an ever-changing internet.
The Chinese Motherboard Hack Is a Crisis, Even If It Didn’t Really Happen
Apple, Amazon, and Super Micro have all denied the veracity of a report on Chinese hardware hacking. No matter the outcome, the results could inflame an already raw trade relationship for high tech between the U.S. and China.
Elon Musk Isn’t Done Tweeting Yet
The Tesla CEO mocked the SEC in a tweet just days after settling a lawsuit with the agency over a different tweet.