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December 26, 2018

The internet now feels increasingly fake as trust declines and users begin to appreciate how bots fake page views, conversations, and more (Max Read/New York Magazine)

Max Read / New York Magazine: The internet now feels increasingly fake as trust declines and users begin to appreciate how bots fake page views, conversations, and more — In late November, the Justice Department unsealed indictments against eight people accused of fleecing advertisers of $36 million … The internet now feels increasingly fake as

Internet billionaire Reid Hoffman apologizes for funding a group tied to disinformation in Alabama race

Internet billionaire Reid Hoffman apologized Wednesday for funding a group linked to a “highly disturbing” effort that spread disinformation during last year’s Alabama special election for U.S. Senate, but said he was not aware that his money was being used for this purpose. Internet billionaire Reid Hoffman apologizes for funding a group tied to disinformation

Tech We’re Using: Digital Privacy Is a Big Concern in Europe. For This Reporter, Too.

When the investigative journalist Matt Apuzzo moved from Washington to Brussels, he noticed that distrust had a different focus. And he adjusted some of his own tech tools. Tech We’re Using: Digital Privacy Is a Big Concern in Europe. For This Reporter, Too. Source: NY Times Tech

Bottom of the Barrel Connector: Tell Us Your Socket Hacks

Sometimes you get an epiphany for a project that will change the world. A simple device, on a custom circuit board with inexpensive parts that will disrupt the status quo and make you a billion dollars in no time. Then there are the times where you need to throw scraps of copper at a prototyping

December 26, 2018

Reid Hoffman says he wasn't aware of disinformation campaign in Alabama race, apologizes for funding group linked to it; source says Hoffman invested $750K (Washington Post)

Washington Post: Reid Hoffman says he wasn’t aware of disinformation campaign in Alabama race, apologizes for funding group linked to it; source says Hoffman invested $750K — Internet billionaire Reid Hoffman apologized on Wednesday for funding a group linked to a “highly disturbing” effort … Reid Hoffman says he wasn't aware of disinformation campaign in

December 26, 2018

An entrepreneur’s guide to navigate the changing global tech scene

As the New Year approaches, tech enthusiasts and entrepreneurs will take a moment to reflect on what has been an eventful year in the world of innovation. The tech universe has been rocked by big news equally scandalous and exciting – from the autonomous vehicles racing to hit the streets to the ethics of tech

December 26, 2018

India tightens rules for e-commerce firms like Amazon, banning exclusive agreements with sellers and the sale of products from firms the platform has a stake in (Aftab Ahmed/Reuters)

Aftab Ahmed / Reuters: India tightens rules for e-commerce firms like Amazon, banning exclusive agreements with sellers and the sale of products from firms the platform has a stake in — Aftab Ahmed, Sankalp Phartiyal — NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) – India will ban e-commerce companies such as Amazon.com … India tightens rules for e-commerce firms

The best after-Christmas deals and sales (so far) – CNET

Ready to cash in some gift cards? The best after-Christmas deals and sales (so far) – CNET Source: CNet

Amazon breaks holiday sales record again in 2018 – CNET

More items were ordered worldwide than ever before, the retail giant touts among other highlights in its annual post-Christmas data drop. Amazon breaks holiday sales record again in 2018 – CNET Source: CNet

A Daring Search for Answers in Soyuz Mystery

If you happened to tune into NASA TV on December 11th, you’d have been treated to a sight perhaps best described as “unprecedented”: Russian cosmonauts roughly cutting away the thermal insulation of a docked Soyuz spacecraft with a knife and makeshift pair of shears. Working in a cloud of material ripped loose during the highly

December 26, 2018

In 2018, smartphone makers, users, and some academics began to appreciate the affects of excessive smartphone use, leading to iOS' Screen Time and other tools (Catherine Shu/TechCrunch)

Catherine Shu / TechCrunch: In 2018, smartphone makers, users, and some academics began to appreciate the affects of excessive smartphone use, leading to iOS’ Screen Time and other tools — But will we actually reclaim our time from smartphones? — At the beginning of this year, I was using my iPhone to browse … In

December 26, 2018

As some prominent creators leave in protest after Patreon bans anti-feminist for hate speech, a look at its approach to policing speech with human moderators (Nellie Bowles/New York Times)

Nellie Bowles / New York Times: As some prominent creators leave in protest after Patreon bans anti-feminist for hate speech, a look at its approach to policing speech with human moderators — Sam Harris, the polemical atheist neuroscientist known for his popular podcast “Waking Up,” was making tens of thousands of dollars … As some

Bonanza of Keyswitch Datasheets Fills Our Decks with Clack

Mechanical keyboards use switches of a few different types. But even those types include myriad variations. How’s a hacker to know just exactly what equipment is out there? For example, if you grab a fellow cube-farmer’s mechanical keyboard (possibly because they clacked on their Cherry Blue’s just one too many times) and angrily rip off a few

Tech Fix: The Tech That Was Fixed in 2018 and the Tech That Still Needs Fixing

From Facebook to creepy online ads, the worst tech of the year made the internet feel like an unsafe place to hang out. Yet there were some products that were fixed, our personal tech critic writes. Tech Fix: The Tech That Was Fixed in 2018 and the Tech That Still Needs Fixing Source: NY Times

December 26, 2018

Analysis: SEC and state regulators brought 90+ crypto-related cases in the past two years, recovering just ~$36M; cases increased as the market crashed (Wall Street Journal)

Wall Street Journal: Analysis: SEC and state regulators brought 90+ crypto-related cases in the past two years, recovering just ~$36M; cases increased as the market crashed — SEC and state regulators have brought more than 90 crypto cases over the past two years, but tracing funds is hard because of the elusive nature of the

Essay: One Giant Step for a Chess-Playing Machine

The stunning success of AlphaZero, a deep-learning algorithm, heralds a new age of insight — one that, for humans, may not last long. Essay: One Giant Step for a Chess-Playing Machine Source: NY Times Tech

December 26, 2018

Snapchat adds lenses specifically for dogs, after launching lenses for cats last month, available now (Julia Alexander/The Verge)

Julia Alexander / The Verge: Snapchat adds lenses specifically for dogs, after launching lenses for cats last month, available now — Now your dog can up his or her social clout, too — Snapchat first made users fall in love by creating lenses that could turn them into dogs. Now, the company is going full

Ooops, Did We Just Close An Airport Over A UFO Sighting?

Picture this: it’s late in the evening on a freezing cold, dark, and windy December night in southern England, and an airport worker at Gatwick — London’s second international airport — sees something fly past in the gloom above the floodlights. The weather and darkness makes it difficult to see what the object was, but

December 26, 2018

8 disruptors weigh in on how to fix tech’s diversity problem

A lack of diversity is one of the biggest problems at the heart of the tech industry, and it’s urgent we fix it. Research has proven time and again that diversity in STEM leads to better teams, better products, and is necessary in allowing women and POC access to some of the highest paying jobs

December 26, 2018

How efforts by independent investigators and NGOs to document human rights violations in war zones are hampered by proactive content removals by social networks (Megha Rajagopalan/BuzzFeed News)

Megha Rajagopalan / BuzzFeed News: How efforts by independent investigators and NGOs to document human rights violations in war zones are hampered by proactive content removals by social networks — Investigators depend on photos and videos posted online from war zones. But takedowns by Facebook and YouTube are putting … How efforts by independent investigators

December 26, 2018

Hands on with the gorgeous Honor View20

Earlier this month, at a packed-out event in the heart of Hong Kong’s bustling business district, Honor announced its upcoming flagship – the Honor View20. The Honor View20 is arguably the most important device we’ve seen from Huawei’s ascendant phone sub-brand in a long time, as it ditches the dreaded notch in favor of a

December 26, 2018

Amazon says number of voice-activated shopping orders placed using Alexa during 2018 holiday season tripled YoY (Don Reisinger/Fortune)

Don Reisinger / Fortune: Amazon says number of voice-activated shopping orders placed using Alexa during 2018 holiday season tripled YoY — Shoppers are increasingly using their voices to buy products online. — Amazon on Wednesday said that the number of voice-activated orders placed via its virtual personal assistant Alexa … Amazon says number of voice-activated

December 26, 2018

A content analysis of mobile news alerts in 2018 shows their number and length rose since 2017; companion case study confirms shift from just breaking news (Pete Brown/Columbia Journalism Review)

Pete Brown / Columbia Journalism Review: A content analysis of mobile news alerts in 2018 shows their number and length rose since 2017; companion case study confirms shift from just breaking news — EXECUTIVE SUMMARY — In 2017, we did a deep dive into mobile push alerts, publishing a report in collaboration … A content

December 26, 2018

Checkbot does SEO differently than other tools. Right now, it’s $30.

Checkbot has an average score of 4.9 out of 5 among more than 15,000 active users in the Chrome Web Store — and you can find out why all those Chrome users are happy with Checkbot at 70 percent off right now from TNW Deals. A pro-level 1-year subscription is only $29.99 for a limited

Net neutrality battle heads to court in 2019 – CNET

The next chapter in the ongoing struggle for an open internet will unfold in the US Court of Appeals. Net neutrality battle heads to court in 2019 – CNET Source: CNet

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