FCC Hopes to Crack Down on Scams in the Lifeline Program
It’s been pretty easy to vilify the FCC under Trump-appointed Ajit Pai because, well, so much of what it plans to do is bad for the American people (and good for the telecommunications companies). But mobile app developers are split over Pai’s crackdown on Lifeline, a federal program that provides cheap phone and broadband service […]
Made in the U.S.A.: Is Apple Building Plants in America?
The latest Apple rumor has come from an unusual source, one that has often appeared to be at odds with the tech giant and its values: President Donald J. Trump. If the president is to be believed (and with this president, there is always room for doubt), Apple CEO Tim Cook has promised to build […]
Has the State Department Dropped the Ball on Cybersecurity?
The Trump administration hasn’t exactly played it smart when it comes to cybersecurity issues. Back in May, the president signed an executive order that bolstered the security of federal networks and our criticial infrastructure, but ever since his administration has made some baffling choices. Perhaps the most notable example was the president’s cockamamie tweet suggesting […]
Musk Urges Governors to Act Now on AI for Humanity’s Sake
To his most ardent fans, Elon Musk is some kind of tech prophet, a visionary who genuinely believes in the power of technology to solve many of the world’s biggest problems. But Musk has always viewed at least one area of technological growth as potentially dangerous: artificial intelligence. In the recent past, he referred to […]
Zuckerberg Listens to America (But Isn’t Running for Office)
Before he was elected president, Donald Trump was just a businessman (by many accounts, a corrupt and failed businessman) and celebrity with no real experience in the political realm. According to his supporters, what qualified him for office were his willingness to play outside Washington’s established rules and his prodigious deal-making skills — after all, […]
Trump, Putin, and the Absurd “Cyber Security Unit”
Cybersecurity issues have been weighing on the minds of Seattle IoT app developers lately, especially in the aftermath of the recent WannaCry and Petya ransomware attacks. The general public is not yet panicking, but people are certainly growing more aware of how vulnerable their digital information is. In this era of increased alertness to hacks […]
Someone Is Trying to Hack American Nuclear Power Plants
The general public has tended to be blissfully unaware of global cybersecurity issues, but two recent high profile cyberattacks (and perhaps the Russian hacking of the 2016 election) may have changed that. Back in mid-May, the WannaCry ransomware attack exposed vulnerabilities in networks running on the out-of-date Microsoft XP operating system. Last week, less than […]
Google’s AI Branch Is Moving to Tech-Friendly Canada
Over the past five years, Google has been on the hunt for the top talent in the field of artificial intelligence. The company is hoping to beat competitors like Facebook, Apple, and Amazon that share the same belief that AI is the way of the future. Google is already using machine learning to revamp Google […]
Tech Leaders Talk Big Changes at the Start of Tech Week
President Trump’s “tech week” kicked off Monday with an unusual scene: leaders of the tech community, usually ambivalent or downright outspoken on the president, saying nice things about his tech policies. This buttering-up unfolded in front of cameras, but the real work was accomplished in private sessions where tech leaders such as Apple CEO Tim […]
Trump Invites Tech Leaders to White House for “Tech Week”
President Donald Trump’s disapproval rating currently hovers at around 60%, and in the tech industry it’s likely even higher. For a man who has presented himself as a master businessman for the entire duration of his public life, he’s certainly done a lot to alienate the major tech businesses that drive growth and innovation in […]