Frozen Train Tracks? Set ’Em on Fire
It might look dangerous, but flames have kept switches moving and rails intact for a century.
The Quiet Heroism of Mail Delivery
After a natural disaster, courier services such as USPS and UPS help communities return to a sense of normalcy.
Apple’s Empty Grandstanding About Privacy
The company enables the surveillance that supposedly offends its values.
The World-Record Instagram Egg Is Going to Make Someone Very Rich
“Being the first brand to crack out of the egg is worth at least $10 million.”
FaceTime Is Eroding Trust in Tech
Privacy paranoiacs have been totally vindicated.
America’s Cold War With Chinese Tech Turns Hot
The world’s two most powerful countries are fighting over the most important next-generation communications technology.
Parkland Is Embracing Student Surveillance
A new report—and some parents—calls for police to gain broader-than-ever access to students’ data.
The Inevitable Aging of the Internet’s Famous Pets
How do owners—and fans—cope with celebrity animals’ later years?
Now Your Groceries See You, Too
Walgreens is exploring new tech that turns your purchases, your movements, even your gaze, into data.
Your TV Is Now a Computer, but Not in a Good Way
You don’t really own it, and it breaks in unpredictable ways.
Instagram Meme Accounts Are Pretty Now
Teen girls are using a new format to express themselves and forge connections online.
I Spent $925 on a Fake Canada Goose Coat
A winter splurge turns into an e-commerce nightmare.
Where Amazon Returns Go to Be Resold by Hustlers
Welcome to the abyss of the “reverse supply chain,” where hope springs eternal.
Stop Trusting Viral Videos
A controversial video of Catholic students clashing with American Indians appeared to tell a simple truth. A second video called that story into question. But neither shows what truly happened.
Why There Are No Nuclear Airplanes
Strategists considered sacrificing older pilots to patrol the skies in flying reactors. An Object Lesson.
Amazon Ruined Online Shopping
America’s largest internet store is so big, and so bewildering, that buyers often have no idea what they’re going to get.
One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Cyborg
A Transformer among mortals.
Go Ahead, Post the Stupid Photo of Yourself From 10 Years Ago
Critics have raised fears that the pictures could be used for corporate surveillance, but this is a molehill on the mountain.
Facebook Users Still Don’t Know How Facebook Works
Not even its core business practices
The Spyware That Brought Down El Chapo’s Drug Empire
For months, the FBI listened as Mexico’s infamous drug kingpin allegedly trafficked drugs and arranged assassinations. Here’s how.