Consumer Tech

State Attorneys General Launch Google Antitrust Probe

The investigation of Google’s advertising practices is the latest to target tech companies.

  • By Andrea Noble

I Tried to Limit My Screen Time

It didn’t go well.

  • By Ian Bogost, The Atlantic

Apple iPhones Could Have Been Hacked for Years—Here's What to Do About It

As there is no visible sign of infection on the device, it is likely users are completely unaware of the risks they’re facing.

  • By Leslie Sikos and Paul Haskell-Dowland, The Conversation

This Site Shows the Security Risks of Your Smart Devices

A new website can help you understand the security risks internet-connected devices might bring into your home.

  • By John Toon, Futurity

The Unsettling Rise of the Urban Narc App

It’s getting easier for city residents to use technology that can report bad drivers who block bike lanes. Welcome to the self-surveillance era of traffic safety.

  • By Sarah Holder, CityLab

People Are Starting to Realize How Voice Assistants Actually Work

The secrecy surrounding AI products makes even basic information about them a scandal.

  • By Sidney Fussell, The Atlantic

Do Our Electronic Devices Make It Tough to Grasp Science?

Researchers found the frequent e-device use was negatively correlated with activity in brain areas that are critical for integrating multiple sources of information.

  • By Matthew Swayne, Futurity

The Benefits of High-Tech Job Growth Don't Trickle Down

A new study from the U.K. finds that although high-tech and digital industries spur job growth, less-skilled workers don’t even get spillover benefits.

  • By Richard Florida, CityLab

Video-Game Violence Is Now a Partisan Issue

For decades, both Republicans and Democrats saw games as cultural dangers. That changed after the Parkland shooting.

  • By Ian Bogost, The Atlantic

Work Ruined Email

It’s not too late to fix it.

  • By Ian Bogost, The Atlantic

The Scheduling Woes of Adult Friendship

To avoid the dreaded back-and-forth of coordinating hangouts, some friends are repurposing the shared digital calendar, a workplace staple, to plan their personal lives.

  • By Tori Latham, The Atlantic

The Arguments for Weakening Encryption Aren't Any Better Under Trump

Law-enforcement backdoors would still make everyone less safe, even as U.S. officials set their sights on broader access to data.

  • By Matthew D. Green, Defense One

What Restaurant Reviews Reveal About Cities

Where official census data is sparse, MIT researchers find that restaurant review websites can offer similar demographic and economic information.

  • By Linda Poon, CityLab

Barr Calls For An End to ‘Warrant-Proof’ Encryption

The attorney general railed against the tech during a speech in New York City, reinvigorating a debate that’s long rankled law enforcement officials and the tech community.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Featured eBooks

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Trump’s Tax Law Threatened TurboTax’s Profits. So the Company Started Charging the Disabled, the Unemployed and Students.

The move by TurboTax maker Intuit to charge more lower-income customers has helped boost revenue.

  • By Justin Elliott and Paul Kiel, ProPublica

The Watch That Went to the Moon

Fifty years ago, Buzz Aldrin wore his Omega Speedmaster Professional on the lunar surface. It’s been an icon—and a bestseller—ever since.

  • By Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic

The AI That Could Help Curb Youth Suicide

For many reasons, parents and teachers may fail to intervene when they spot LGBTQ teens in trouble. Can Google help?

  • By Sidney Fussell, The Atlantic

The Slackification of the American Home

Stretched for time, some households are starting to operate more like businesses.

  • By Joe Pinsker and Taylor Lorenz, The Atlantic

Improving Transit Through Lyft and Uber? More Agencies Are Paying for Ride-Hailing Rides

Experts and transit leaders say that there could be real benefits to working with ride-hailing companies. But data is needed to assess how successful these programs really are.

  • By Andrea Noble

The World Cup’s Instant-Replay Problem

As the final between the United States and the Netherlands approaches, teams and fans fear a champion decided on a technicality.

  • By Robert O'Connell, The Atlantic

The Gig Economy’s Storage Hustle

A startup called Neighbor bills itself as an “Airbnb for storage,” allowing hosts to rent out their empty sheds, closets and basements for other people’s stuff.

  • By Sarah Holder, CityLab