Hi, folks. The winner of the week is Reed Hastings, who lost a million subscribers but saw Netflix’s stock skyrocket because he didn’t lose more. What a showman! The Plain View I got an email from Google the other day. “Dear Steven,” went the text, “This is a reminder that any existing Location History data… Continue reading The Supreme Court Accidentally Spurred a Data Privacy Push
Author: Wired Magazine
Google’s Pixel 6A Is Smart and Powerful, but the Camera Lags
Google Pixel phones have become synonymous with having excellent cameras—it’s in their DNA. Pixels have also long been some of the best devices for consistent software updates, from version upgrades and Pixel Drops that add new features to monthly security updates that keep the phones secure. So it’s disappointing when these pillars start to crack. … Continue reading Google’s Pixel 6A Is Smart and Powerful, but the Camera Lags
The 2022 US Midterm Elections’ Top Security Issue: Death Threats
In the lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections in the United States, law enforcement, intelligence, and election officials were on high alert for digital attacks and influence operations after Russia demonstrated the reality of these threats by targeting the presidential elections in 2016. Six years later, the threat of hacking and malign foreign influence remain,… Continue reading The 2022 US Midterm Elections’ Top Security Issue: Death Threats
Nuclear Power Plants Are Struggling to Stay Cool
From its humble start as a glacial trickle in the Swiss Alps, the Rhône River quickly transforms into one of the world’s most industrialized waterways. As it winds through the south of France toward the Mediterranean Sea, its chilly water is drawn into boilers, sucked through pipes as coolant, deviated for agriculture. Among its biggest… Continue reading Nuclear Power Plants Are Struggling to Stay Cool
10 Great Deals on Air Purifiers, Carpet Cleaners, and More
Cleaning our homes is the worst. Between dust, pet hair, and dishes from last night’s dinner, it just doesn’t end—and we are the only ones to blame. There’s nothing yet that will make it all go away (even robot vacuums have their flaws), but the right products can at least make these chores easier and… Continue reading 10 Great Deals on Air Purifiers, Carpet Cleaners, and More
Crypto Is Straining the Power Grid. Congress Wants to Rein It In
All of the companies included in the investigation were asked to explain “the impacts of your facilities on energy costs to local families and businesses,” but none could describe any existing estimates or models that tracked those impacts. Those who engaged with the question said this was because they didn’t expect to have a noticeable… Continue reading Crypto Is Straining the Power Grid. Congress Wants to Rein It In
Instagram Slow to Tackle Bots Targeting Iranian Women’s Groups
IRANIAN women’s rights groups have for months faced a deluge of bots following their Instagram accounts and disrupting their digital outreach operations. Activists say that while they have repeatedly asked Meta, Instagram’s parent company, to stymie the flood of junk followers, more keep coming, totaling in the millions across dozens of organizations operating in Iran… Continue reading Instagram Slow to Tackle Bots Targeting Iranian Women’s Groups
Qualcomm’s New Smartwatch Chips Promise Big Battery Life Gains
One such example is moving Bluetooth (5.3) into the coprocessor, which no longer needs to wake the main processor up when you simply receive a notification alert from your smartphone. Qualcomm says this translates to 57 percent lower power consumption for notifications compared to the last-gen Wear 4100+ chip. Some always-on health features can also… Continue reading Qualcomm’s New Smartwatch Chips Promise Big Battery Life Gains
TikTok Starts Layoffs in Company-Wide Restructuring
TikTok has begun a global restructuring of its business that includes layoffs, according to five people with knowledge of the process. The short-form video app, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, has rapidly expanded both its user base and workforce in recent years. Despite tensions with the Trump administration over fears it could be a… Continue reading TikTok Starts Layoffs in Company-Wide Restructuring
Twitter Has Entered the Elon Musk Twilight Zone
The other two outcomes, which are together much more likely, Ives says, would see Musk either buy Twitter for the agreed $44 billion, or walk away after reaching a settlement in which he pays the company damages of between $5 billion and $10 billion. “The stock is factoring in some significant chance that Musk will… Continue reading Twitter Has Entered the Elon Musk Twilight Zone