USA News

From a killer fly swatter to a family-worthy cargo bike, these are the things we bought this year that made our lives easier and a lot more fun. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2QDQrr3

A state act to protect part-timers at companies like Uber and Lyft takes effect on Wednesday. Some freelancers say it will limit their prospects. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35e6Wiu

In a year-end note, a deputy chairman said the Chinese tech giant’s confrontation with the United States would hurt its prospects for 2020. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35buxk2

The ride-hailing company and the delivery start-up are seeking an injunction against the new law, which takes effect Jan. 1. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/369vDhC

It’s true! Some tech companies had a positive social impact this year. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2QvO8pU

It’s true! Some tech companies had a positive social impact this year. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2QvO8pU

The statute was meant to standardize how companies disclose their consumer data-mining practices. So far, not so much. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/39fLOvA

In Campbellsville, Ky., the tech giant’s influences abound. The profits, not so much. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/362b4Dr

The company gets that many daily submissions to edit descriptions and details about products for sale on its site. How does it keep up? from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2EYedIU

The Chinese tech giant is spending millions of dollars on a charm offensive in Brussels, hoping for a leading role in building 5G networks. It seems to be working. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/39j8yL6

A proposal would require most drones flying in American airspace to include technology that would allow the government to keep tabs on them. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2QksQLP

Besieged by online rivals, retailers are staying open Sunday afternoons with automated cashiers. Critics see an invasion of American-style consumerism. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PWg6vK

Besieged by online rivals, retailers are staying open Sunday afternoons with automated cashiers. Critics see an invasion of American-style consumerism. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2ZpACYM

Apple has been advertising its watch’s ability to detect atrial fibrillation. The reality doesn’t quite live up to the promise. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35ZH2QR

Ready to convert your older analog audio to more portable digital formats? Here’s how to make it happen. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2EO6Fs5

The tests, from companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry, have become popular holiday gifts, but the military is warning service members of risks to their careers. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2ZqwlnV

His invention brought digital technology to a new breed of consumer devices and powered early Apple and Commodore computers. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/374Yi7u

Wall Street wants you to stay ignorant. @MrsDowJones is here to teach us financial literacy. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/34UCpWZ

He has steadily sold more than $2 billion of his Uber shares. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35OUw1P

Ignition interlock devices are becoming ubiquitous. They can distract drivers and cause crashes. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2ZfAtqI

In 2019, Hollywood put out a whopping 58 franchise films, including “The Rise of Skywalker,” released this weekend. Still, ticket sales dropped. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PQNyUF

To what extent is gifting a DNA test also a present for law enforcement? from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/38WQ7Ma

Nearly four dozen nonprofits around the world are dedicated to removing photos and videos of child sexual abuse from the internet. It’s a daunting task. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/34GwWmA

A reporter who has covered the tech industry for more than two decades explains how we may be entering a progressive era of antitrust. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2rkqcgD

The new ride to orbit built for NASA is returning to Earth early after problems during its first trip to space on Friday. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/36WpaGG

The messaging system that he and a friend created in 1978 was a forerunner of social media services like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35U2dE9

The Faroe Islands have become perhaps the most unexpected place for the United States and China to tussle over the Chinese tech giant Huawei. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PIAIrb

NASA and Boeing will conduct a test flight of a capsule that could soon carry astronauts to the International Space Station. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2rfHPOC

Text messages indicate that Makan Delrahim, the head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, worked behind the scenes to help the companies pull off a deal. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/38SKqyN

Algorithms falsely identified African-American and Asian faces 10 to 100 times more than Caucasian faces, researchers for the National Institute of Standards and Technology found. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2sGCr7B

Twenty years ago, Amazon opened its storefront to anyone who wanted to sell something. Then it began demanding more out of them. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PVTrOQ

All those tech I.P.O.s this year that were supposed to make people megarich only made them rich-ish. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2Q09tHz

Dozens of ingeniously crafted objects are on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including the world’s fanciest hat pin (at 41 carats). from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PE1vVR

The British central bank says a supplier, without authorization, provided sound from news conferences ahead of the video feed. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35EcuUu

An analysis of submissions to two top journals showed that scientists in the U.S. were highly likely to be working during holidays. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2Q0rwgY

They keep getting smarter and more powerful. We compared an internet-connected toaster oven and an old-fashioned one side by side. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2sFS6ns

The ride-hailing company “permitted a culture of sexual harassment and retaliation,” the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/36NwMeA

After three years and more than 130 columns, the smartphone was tops. There were also some deliberate Luddites among us. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2EwH9HB

Because nothing is just a gadget anymore. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2sBQjQv

A change in a law to hold tech platforms accountable had almost universal support in Congress last year. Now, some are revisiting their decision. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35AukrH

Users reported widespread disruptions as they tried to make outgoing calls and text. The company said it had fixed a problem involving long-distance calls to landlines. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2Z2HL0Q

Artificial intelligence is starting to take over repetitive tasks in classrooms, like grading, and is optimizing coursework and revolutionizing the preparation for college entrance exams. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PvKOf4

A decentralized internet was hailed as a way to dethrone Twitter and Facebook. But to the tech giants, the idea could unload some of their burdens. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PAtwxw

Follow the launch of the world’s newest orbiting telescope, which will search for habitable worlds. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/36PrhMC

The authorities can scan your phones, track your face and find out when you leave your home. One of the world’s biggest spying networks is aimed at regular people, and nobody can stop it. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/34wZNJZ

A change in a law to hold tech platforms accountable had almost universal support in Congress last year. Now, some are revisiting their decision. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35zSe6K

India, the world’s largest democracy, shuts down the internet far more than any other country. This week, 60 million people — roughly the size of France — have no service. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/34vM6uX

A case linked to a $670 million acquisition shows that there may be a limit to the authorities’ abuse of law enforcement to advance corrupt business interests. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2YULxtm

Gerald W. Cotten, the C.E.O. of Quadriga CX, was the only one who knew crucial passwords, the company said. When he died, users could not recover millions in their accounts. Now they want proof he is actually dead. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/38R5tSC

Three young women shoppers in three countries talk about what they buy, where they buy it and why. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2S0yPHT

Follow the launch of the world’s newest orbiting telescope. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2LZY8WI

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s chief executive, is paring back the company’s money-losing businesses. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/34xm8Hv

Few politicians have teams to spot false statements about them online, or to fight back before it spreads. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2RVc87X

Hot Wheels big and small, smartphone holders, night-vision aids and more. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2qLaR8w

Software start-ups have a phrase for what Amazon is doing to them: ‘strip-mining’ them of their innovations. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2qSPrpY

Software start-ups have a phrase for what Amazon is doing to them: ‘strip-mining’ them of their innovations. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/36IlgRP

Reusable duodenoscopes infected patients in a series of notorious outbreaks. Now there’s a disposable model to be used just once. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2EhFsh6

After meeting Alan Turing, Mr. Brooker went to work at the University of Manchester and wrote the programming language for the first commercial computer. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2EdgEqs

A tank that drives itself. A drone that picks its own targets. A machine gun with facial-recognition software. Sound like science fiction? Weapons powered by artificial intelligence are already here. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2LSgpFw

After a bailout by SoftBank, the shared office space company plans to sell customers more services and renegotiate leases with landlords. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35fV8x8

Liu Jingyao, a college student, describes what it’s like to be slut-shamed by 800 million people. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35js5sH

The difference between a bidet and a washlet, and why you might love one, too. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/38eDSu8

Companies are figuring out how to deal with a new law that gives individuals the right to see, delete and stop the sale of the personal information about them. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2YKdpQC

“Killing in the Age of Algorithms” is a New York Times documentary examining the future of artificial intelligence and warfare. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/36Cuejv

The agency has discussed taking action to prevent Facebook from knitting together WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2qLERkx

A California company has developed a “crate motor” to relatively simply (but not so cheaply) convert gasoline cars to modern electric engines. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2YIe9Wo

Every purchase evokes his design of the rectangular Universal Product Code. But although it became ubiquitous, he received no royalties. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2LOtfom

Spotify is bringing people together in an unusual way. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/34SIoMS

At $249, Apple’s noise-canceling wireless earbuds are a strong contender in the high-end earphones market. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/38rgJok

Taylor Lorenz, who writes about internet culture, explains how she keeps her finger on the pulse. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2LLQYW3

A new policy is a response to criticism that the video service hasn’t done enough to curb bad behavior by users. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/35bPV9L

The legislation, responding to an investigation in The New York Times, would make tech companies more responsible for retaining data about abuse. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2t7R5VB

Major nonprofits and other organizations have pledged millions of dollars toward groups trying to build a modern trust-busting movement. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/38pJG3T

A new law would give the country’s 1.3 billion people more power over data collected by companies but allow the government to exempt itself from the rules. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PyONpP

Foreign meddling was once the most feared source of online deception before critical elections. Now, some candidates themselves are turning to such manipulative tactics. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2qHAUxq

The technology investment powerhouse sold its shares in the dog-walking start-up at a loss as its pushes the companies it bets on to seek profits and long-term stability. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2LEwJtr

Giant tech stocks have posted a remarkable year, shrugging off the trade war, bipartisan political hostility and regulatory threats. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/38tjFkz

With 1.5 billion users, Facebook’s WhatsApp is perhaps the world’s most commonly used encrypted communications platform. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/36lBaRF

The planet is a magnet for stuff: space dust, dead leaves, old refrigerators. Is all that mass adding up? from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2RCvoHq

Major nonprofits and other organizations have pledged millions of dollars toward groups that are taking on corporate giants. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/348ltvR

The former college baseball player’s involvement in the viral trend helped raise more than $100 million toward fighting A.L.S. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/34b5ptm

In a legal complaint, Amazon said that the president attacked the company behind the scenes to harm its C.E.O., Jeff Bezos, “his perceived political enemy.” from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/36jrhE9

TikTok says it’s ready to help its stars get rich. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2P2UNZ8

The Hollywood awards season kicks into high gear with the nominations announcement on Monday morning. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PtbfRb

A new report documents the concentration of cutting-edge industries in a few coastal areas and why lawmakers ought to be alarmed. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2P2A8UP

Are you an online star with more than 500,000 followers? Jeffrey Katzenberg may want to have a word with you. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/340MQYF

Representative David Cicilline doesn’t just want to enforce the laws governing the tech industry. He wants to change them. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2LAU8vQ

The e-waste industry is booming in Southeast Asia, frightening residents worried for their health. Despite a ban on imports, Thailand is a center of the business. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/352QWk7

Don’t count on tech companies to keep online games and chat apps safe for children, experts warn. It’s all about “parental empowerment” and imposing limits. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2E1ZP1r

After a bone marrow transplant, a man with leukemia found that his donor’s DNA traveled to unexpected parts of his body. A crime lab is now studying the case. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2RwV9J1

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other critics of an earlier proposal said a move to add offices in Manhattan proved them right. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/36aHvzh

The question isn’t so easy to answer. Also, Google’s founders stepped away just as their company enters a turbulent adulthood. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/34WZrgT

The question isn’t so easy to answer. Also, Google’s founders stepped away just as their company enters a turbulent adulthood. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2roEbSz

Despite Big Tech’s attempts to combat manipulation, companies that sell clicks, likes and followers on social media are easy to find. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2RoNQ6f

In its first safety report, the ride-hailing company detailed sexual assaults, murders and fatal crashes through its platform. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/36bNdRH

Dozens of women have joined lawsuits against the ride-sharing company, saying it has not done enough to prevent assaults by drivers. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2DLY7kZ

As the head of a $185 billion technology company, Chuck Robbins says, “We have to run a good business, but there’s more to it.” from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PsAAen

How did eye shadow become the most sought-after item on high schoolers’ wish lists? from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2ORzb1R

The commission took aim last month at the Chinese tech giant’s sales to telecom carriers in rural America. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2ORenHA

Larry Page and Sergey Brin became billionaires thanks to the success of Google. But toward the end, they appeared happy to let someone else run it. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/33PUm8D

Several apps transform a memorable portrait or vacation shot into a “painting” suitable for hanging over the couch or sharing this holiday season. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2r4jEmf

Big Tech’s presence in the capital is unmistakable, and its interests intersect with more and more issues, says David McCabe, a tech policy reporter. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/33JQypf

The weapons are notorious for their effects on civilians. But five years of reporting and hundreds of interviews have revealed they’ve also killed and wounded scores of Americans. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2YjEDh4

When an executive wrote about her house arrest in Canada, an outcry about a former employee’s treatment arose on social media. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2YgHdUX

The social network is exploring new product areas through a team dedicated to building the company’s future. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2PfGoaI

Mr. Pichai, who has run Google for several years, replaces Larry Page, the co-founder of the company. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/3834QEZ

The Tesla billionaire is expected to take the stand in a civil defamation trial in Los Angeles. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2YaN3qU

A personal-injury lawyer in Houston is using an unusual argument to try to upend the internet’s most vital law. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2OI50tQ

Beijing’s pursuit of control over a Muslim ethnic group pushes the rules of science and raises questions about consent. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2rNh8Ri

The “Liam Bot” teaches employees what to say if friends or family ask difficult questions about the company over the holidays. from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2RgDB3J

As regulators question the platform’s hold on people’s data, the company is testing a tool to let users move pictures and videos to Google Photos. Critics call it a “halfway solution.” from NYT > Technology https://ift.tt/2Lfotjv