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Tech
Industry, products, and the wires that hold it all together.
546 stories archived
Science says your boss should talk less in meetings
Research suggests listening more while talking less. Killing aimless meetings can help, too.
Fake Linda and me: the Agatha Christie-worthy mystery of the fraudster who stole my byline
How a string of bizarre events led writer Linda Geddes to don her sleuthing cap and dig into a world of shadowy impersonators It started with an entirely ordinary interaction on LinkedIn. Someone had tagged me in a post, saying how much they’d enjoyed contributing to a New York Post article I’d written about “chronoworking”. As the author of a book about circadian rhythms, it was exactly the sort of subject I might write about. Except I’d never heard of this person, let alone interviewed them. I clicked on the link and my stomach dropped. There, above an article about people who organise their working lives around their biological clocks, was my name: Linda Geddes. Continue reading...
Why BioWare's Neverwinter Nights still has thousands of active players
The single-player is just OK, but according to the players, that doesn't matter.
‘You can’t make this stuff up’: why we remain fascinated by Elizabeth Holmes
The entrepreneur turned fraudster is the subject of an Oscar-tipped new documentary that takes an unusual look at her strange legacy David Agus’s first encounter with Elizabeth Holmes at a health conference came as a shock. The Holmes he met in the green room was personable and pleasant. The Holmes he interviewed on stage was altogether different. “The accent changed: this deep voice, very serious,” Agus, a medical oncologist , recalls by phone from Los Angeles. “It was as if I had met a person and then interviewed a separate person. That transition from the green room to the stage – I had never experienced something like that before.” Continue reading...
Palantir patient data tech rejected by many NHS trusts in England
Exclusive: health bodies across country say controversial US firm’s data platform no better than systems already in use NHS organisations that care for millions of people in England are rejecting Palantir’s patient data technology, according to freedom of information responses that reveal health bosses believe they can find better or equal alternatives in many cases. Some health bodies said the £330m federated data platform (FDP) operated by the controversial US company had made it easier to manage waiting lists and has improved surgery scheduling. But, from Gateshead to Truro, others said they were declining to use it or had carried out trials and reverted to old systems. A Suffolk trust said other systems “supercede” the FDP’s functionality, while Greater Manchester’s care board called the Palantir system “duplicative” and “retrograde”. Continue reading...
Which coffee chain was founded in London in 1971? The Saturday quiz
From Divine, Frank Fiegel and Helen Kane to the West Sussex estate pioneering rewilding, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz 1 Which classic of political theory was dedicated to Lorenzo de Medici? 2 What is the only jazz act to win the Mercury Music prize? 3 Spanish is an official language of which African country? 4 What 2026 release is said to be the most expensive entertainment product ever created? 5 Which West Sussex estate is a pioneer of rewilding? 6 Which gas is named from the Greek for “lazy”? 7 US doctor Sara Cohen writes bestsellers under what pseudonym? 8 Which coffee chain was founded in London in 1971? What links: 9 c 6000BC; 79; 512; 1631; 1906; 1944? 10 Divine (witch); Frank Fiegel (sailor); Helen Kane (flapper); The Beatles (vultures)? 11 Mark Brown; Mo Johnston; Kenny Miller; Steven Pressley? 12 Bag; dismiss; plunder; sherry for Falstaff? 13 Caring; Elvis; Famous Five; Revenge; Travolta? 14 Grease; A Chorus Line; Cats; The Phantom of the Opera (currently)? 15 Martin Gilbert; Roy Jenkins; William Manchester; Andrew Roberts? Continue reading...
Not cool: who hacked France’s supermarket fridges?
Whether it was youngsters proving their skills or state sabotage, Europe’s most hacked country was left with a mountain of waste after food began cooking in freezers Shortly before midnight last Sunday, the digital thermostats controlling hundreds of supermarket cold aisles across France began to flicker and rise. In a “bizarre and unprecedented” cyber-attack, hackers had remotely overridden the temperature settings on thousands of freezers, fridges and chiller cabinets pushing them from as low as -27C (-16.6F) to well over 50C (122F). Continue reading...
OpenAI models hacked a crypto wallet and breached more websites
The actions could have resulted in criminal charges had humans been behind the keyboard.
“thegentlemanpervert” producing AI CSAM is a NJ prosecutor, say cops
Discord user flagged AI CSAM, triggering arrest of New Jersey deputy AG.
US Rep proposes bill to give video game buyers "ownership," not "a license"
There are still significant hurdles ahead, both technical and legislative.
Bug turns one of the biggest fears about Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses into reality
The bug is fixed, but privacy concerns remain.
RFK Jr. proposes FDA look the other way on unproven peptides, report says
FDA scientists said none of the popular drugs have been proven safe or effective.
Behind the Blog: Doing Whatever
This week, we discuss a new pod setup, video games, and Elon's spending habits.
Meta may use sweeping new commercial TOS to avoid millions in AI licensing fees
Meta “streamlined” its commercial TOS. Legal experts warn it’s an AI power grab.
Podcast: Cops Can Use AI to Pinpoint Your Home with Just One Photo
How Raven, previously known as Geospy, can now find which house a photo was taken in; why a judge ruled a Flock search unconstitutional; and the wild AI video in a court case.
Here’s What Telegram Giving Data to the U.S. Government Looks Like
Newly filed court records include a letter from Telegram to U.S. authorities in which the company shares user data following a court order.
Polymarket saw $600 million in election trades after the elections were over
Millions kept changing hands long after the election outcomes were effectively settled.
Tesla turns to 50-year-old stunt technology as it tries to Roadster again
If you want to make a car spin in the air, compressed gas is a good way to do it.
Super Scam Me documentary shows what it takes to catch a romance scammer
Watch an exclusive clip from Super Scam Me where a victim tracks down her scammer.
Cops Used AI Generated Photos of a Child to Lure Out a Suspected Predator
Christopher Thomas Mertens, a high school maintenance worker, was arrested after attempting to meet up with an AI persona that he thought was a 15 year old boy.
The ultra-rich are spending one million dollars a day fighting California’s proposed billionaire tax
Tech billionaires have raised more than $340m to defeat Prop 40, a one-time 5% wealth tax that will fund healthcare and education Tech billionaires have been dumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the fight against a wealth tax in California. They’ve raised more than $340m, and the campaign they’re funding is spending more than $1m a day to defeat the measure, according to state financial disclosures. With the election less than a month away, those funds are being spent at a stepped-up pace. During the first 19 days of September, according to the most recent campaign filings, the opposition campaign plowed through at least $21.2m to fight the billionaire tax – surpassing $1m per day. Voters are being inundated with robotexts, mailers and advertisements that warn a tax on billionaires would “expose all Californians to higher taxes”, as one ad reads. Continue reading...
How to dress a tech oligarch: The Social Reckoning’s costume designer on Zuckerberg’s style evolution
Susan Lyall worked with actor Jeremy Strong to research the Meta CEO’s favorite Nikes and luxury sweaters The first Aaron Sorkin Facebook movie, 2010’s The Social Network, helped cement the early aughts image of Mark Zuckerberg rebelling against corporate norms in rumpled hoodies and T-shirts. The follow-up, The Social Reckoning, is carbon-dated from 2019 to 2021. This is “post-hoodie”, as the movie’s costume designer, Susan Lyall, describes it, “post-thumbing his nose” to formality. It is also peak robot. Zuckerberg’s reserved wardrobe of suits or interchangeable long-sleeved shirts echo his chilling composure throughout, even as fury simmers under the surface. Continue reading...
The Surface Laptop Ultra delivers on most of Microsoft's promises
Microsoft promises one machine for dev, AI, and gaming, and mostly gets there.
Elon Musk reveals ‘world’s first flying car’ at Tesla event
The Tesla Roadster 2 drove up a curved ramp before using SpaceX rocket thrusters to fly, flip and land Elon Musk has revealed Tesla’s latest model, which he claims will be the world’s first flying car, using technology from his aerospace company SpaceX to “basically fly like a rocket”. The billionaire, who hosted a demonstration of the Tesla Roadster 2 at the SpaceX rocket development and testing facility in Texas, said the sports car could go from 0 to 60mph in a record time of less than a second and had thrusters. Continue reading...