It may seem like just a weird comedy about Nicolas Cage. But it’s so much more than that.
A look at Russia’s efforts to promote homegrown social media like Rutube and VKontakte, even as local content creators choose to stick with Western services (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal: A look at Russia’s efforts to promote homegrown social media like Rutube and VKontakte, even as local content creators choose to stick with Western services — Kremlin cracks down on Western social media, but Russia’s homemade alternatives are a tough sell
Oyster, an HR service aimed at distributed workforces, raises a $150M Series C led by Georgian at a $1B+ valuation, up from $475M in June 2021 (Nimah Quadri/Fortune)
Nimah Quadri / Fortune: Oyster, an HR service aimed at distributed workforces, raises a $150M Series C led by Georgian at a $1B+ valuation, up from $475M in June 2021 — Never miss a story: Follow your favorite topics and authors to get a personalized email with the journalism that matters most to you.
Filings: Apple spent $2.5M on US lobbying in Q1 2022, up 34% from $1.86M in Q4 2021; Google spent $2.96M in Q1, up 34% QoQ but flat YoY; Microsoft spent $2.5M (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg: Filings: Apple spent $2.5M on US lobbying in Q1 2022, up 34% from $1.86M in Q4 2021; Google spent $2.96M in Q1, up 34% QoQ but flat YoY; Microsoft spent $2.5M — Apple Inc. spent a record quarterly high of $2.5 million on lobbying in the first three months of 2022 amid increased pressure […]
“Spring-loaded” system pops phosphorus into molecular rings
MIT chemists have devised a new chemical reaction that allows them to synthesize a phosphorus-containing ring, using a catalyst to add phosphorus to simple organic compounds called alkenes. Their reaction, which yields a ring containing two carbon atoms and one phosphorus atom, can be performed at normal temperature and pressure, and makes use of a […]
Anticipating others’ behavior on the road
Humans may be one of the biggest roadblocks keeping fully autonomous vehicles off city streets. If a robot is going to navigate a vehicle safely through downtown Boston, it must be able to predict what nearby drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians are going to do next. Behavior prediction is a tough problem, however, and current artificial […]
What lies beneath
Why do people wear Rolex watches or drive Bentleys, when less expensive goods can perform better? Why does anyone fight the crowds at the Louvre to see the “Mona Lisa” for 30 seconds, when they could view it online for hours? Well, they may be engaging in “costly signaling,” in which people display their wealth […]
Netflix Struggles to Hold Its Place in the Streaming Wars
Subscriber fatigue, unwelcome price hikes, and competition from the likes of Disney+ and HBO Max have rattled Netflix. What’s next?
Netflix Can Cut Off Moochers Without a Password-Sharing Crackdown
There’s a simple way to limit Netflix freeloaders—give users the ability to easily boot unknown devices linked to their accounts.
The BMW i7 EV Has a Fold-Down Movie Screen
This full-electric flagship can go 388 miles on a charge, hit 62 mph in 4.7 seconds, and has a 31-inch 8K ultra-wide TV that unfolds from the cabin roof.
A look at the downfall of Russian tech companies amid Putin’s crackdowns; Yandex looks to sell its news unit, Group-IB’s founder was arrested for treason, more (Joseph Menn/Washington Post)
Joseph Menn / Washington Post: A look at the downfall of Russian tech companies amid Putin’s crackdowns; Yandex looks to sell its news unit, Group-IB’s founder was arrested for treason, more — Yandex, VKontakte and Kaspersky all ran afoul of the Kremlin’s need to control Internet access, despite the efforts of their founders
Statsig, which offers a cloud-based tool for companies to streamline A/B testing, raises a $43M Series B led by Sequoia Capital (Maria Deutscher/SiliconANGLE)
Maria Deutscher / SiliconANGLE: Statsig, which offers a cloud-based tool for companies to streamline A/B testing, raises a $43M Series B led by Sequoia Capital — Sequoia Capital has led a $43 million funding round for Statsig Inc., a startup that helps companies find ways to improve their applications and websites.
Sources: Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground will not be signing a new deal with Spotify, and is in talks with others like Audible (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg: Sources: Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground will not be signing a new deal with Spotify, and is in talks with others like Audible — Barack and Michelle Obama’s time with Spotify Technology SA is coming to an end. — The former first family’s production company …
Laser-based 3D printer can produce complex objects in any order
Existing 3D printers work by building up an object one layer at a time, making it difficult to produce some intricate shapes, but a new technique involving lasers could change that
Surveillance drone saves power by deliberately crashing into walls
A prototype surveillance drone can save power and stay on task for longer by sticking to walls and powering down its rotors, but only by making a crash landing
Amy Moran-Thomas receives the Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award
Amy Moran-Thomas, the Alfred Henry and Jean Morrison Hayes Career Development Associate Professor of Anthropology, has received the 2021-22 Harold E. Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award in recognition of her “exceptional commitment to innovative and collaborative interdisciplinary approaches to resolving inequitable impacts on human health,” according to a statement by the selection committee. A medical anthropologist, […]
MIT scientists develop low-cost, high-precision fabrication method for thin mirrors and silicon wafers
Technologies that depend on lightweight, high-precision optical systems, like space telescopes, X-ray mirrors, and display panels, have developed significantly over the past several decades, but more advanced progress has been limited by seemingly simple challenges. For example, the surfaces of mirrors and plates with microstructures that are necessary in these optical systems can be distorted […]
Don’t Buy the Myth that Every Startup Needs a Co-Founder
Co-creators can offer resources, connections, and ideas — without requiring founders to give up control.
Money in the Metaverse (with Citi’s Ronit Ghose)
Fintech expert Ronit Ghose argues that the metaverse will be as transformative as the arrival of e-commerce and explains how money will function in this new world.
4 Actions to Reduce Medical Errors in U.S. Hospitals
An estimated 1.2 million patients are harmed each year by preventable mistakes.
6 Best Snack Subscription Boxes to Satisfy Every Craving
We did the hard work of munching, sniffing, and nibbling to help you level up your nosh game.
Humanity Is Vibe-Checking Itself to Death
Social media’s economy of vibes is an engine that sustains the culture war and increasingly real-world attacks on trans and queer people.
A TikTok Army Is Coming for Union Busters
Online activists Gen-Z for Change targeted Starbucks and Kroger for anti-union firings. Now they plan to take aim at Amazon.
Analysis: half of Apple’s top 200 suppliers have facilities in and around Shanghai, where China’s COVID-19 lockdowns are disrupting activity (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia: Analysis: half of Apple’s top 200 suppliers have facilities in and around Shanghai, where China’s COVID-19 lockdowns are disrupting activity — slong COVID lockdown in Shanghai is creating chaos for Apple suppliers based in and around the city. (Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters) …
Google and Meta restrict the accounts of Hong Kong’s sole chief executive candidate, John Lee, citing US sanctions from 2020 on Lee for crushing protests (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg: Google and Meta restrict the accounts of Hong Kong’s sole chief executive candidate, John Lee, citing US sanctions from 2020 on Lee for crushing protests — Google and Meta Platforms Inc. moved on Wednesday to curtail the social media presence of Hong Kong’s sole chief executive candidate …
Microsoft’s Chris Novak, currently head of Xbox R&D, is leaving after nearly 20 years; Novak has previously worked on Xbox Game Pass and Live (Nicole Carpenter/Polygon)
Nicole Carpenter / Polygon: Microsoft’s Chris Novak, currently head of Xbox R&D, is leaving after nearly 20 years; Novak has previously worked on Xbox Game Pass and Live — From Xbox design director, to architect, to leading Xbox research and design — If you’ve subscribed to Game Pass or obsessed over Xbox achievements …
The Fake Federal Agents Case Baffling US Intelligence Experts
Guns. Luxury apartments. Duped Secret Service personnel. Did the FBI uncover a foreign plot, or something more ridiculous?
The Best Nintendo Switch Games for Every Kind of Player
From Hyrule to Hallownest, these are our absolute favorite video game escapes for the OLED Switch, Switch, and Switch Lite.
Southern Gothic Mystery Norco Is a Masterful Meditation on Place
Inspired by the rich traditions of the lead developer’s Louisiana hometown, this indie adventure game is a soaring ride through the 21st century.
Reed Hastings says Netflix plans to offer cheaper, ad-supported plans and that Netflix will examine what those plans will look like “over the next year or two” (Alex Weprin/The Hollywood Reporter)
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter: Reed Hastings says Netflix plans to offer cheaper, ad-supported plans and that Netflix will examine what those plans will look like “over the next year or two” — Co-CEO Reed Hastings revealed the move on an earnings call after the streaming giant disclosed it lost 200,000 subscribers during its […]
Reed Hastings says Netflix plans to offer a cheaper, ad-supported plan to consumers “over the next year or two” (Manish Singh/TechCrunch)
Manish Singh / TechCrunch: Reed Hastings says Netflix plans to offer a cheaper, ad-supported plan to consumers “over the next year or two” — Netflix plans to offer cheaper, ad-supported tiers to consumers over the next year or two, the world’s largest on-demand video streaming service said Tuesday …
Demostack, which offers a “demo experience” service for SaaS sales teams, raises a $34M Series B led by Tiger Global, bringing its total funding to $51.5M (Kyle Wiggers/TechCrunch)
Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch: Demostack, which offers a “demo experience” service for SaaS sales teams, raises a $34M Series B led by Tiger Global, bringing its total funding to $51.5M — Demostack, a San Francisco, California-based startup creating a “demo experience” platform for software-as-a-service …
UK prime minister’s office smartphones targeted by Pegasus spyware
Researchers claim to have uncovered cyberattacks using Pegasus software against 10 Downing Street and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Professor Emeritus Markus Zahn, who specialized in electromagnetic field interactions, dies at 75
Markus Zahn, professor emeritus within the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), died on March 13. He was 75 years old. Zahn was born in Bergen Belsen, Germany, in 1946, to Maria (Fischer) Zahn and Irving Zahn, each the sole survivor of their respective families during the Holocaust. The small family emigrated […]
In the history lab, delving into the South Asian experience at MIT
Researching history in the MIT archives is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, according to junior Jupneet Singh. “You get a name from here, a picture from here” and you begin to piece together stories about people from the past, says Singh, who has been diving into the archives this spring for class 21H.S04 (South […]
Zoë Marschner and Charlotte Wickert named 2022-23 Goldwater Scholars
MIT students Zoë Marschner and Charlotte Wickert have been selected to receive a Barry Goldwater Scholarship for the 2022-23 academic year. Over 5,000 college students from across the United States were nominated for the scholarships, from which only 417 recipients were selected based on academic merit. The Goldwater scholarships have been conferred since 1989 by the […]
The Power of Natural Language Processing
How companies can use NLP to help with brainstorming, summarizing, and researching.
How Understanding Your Family Dynamics Can Improve Work
A conversation with researchers Deborah Ancona and Dennis Perkins on applying a human behavior theory to leadership development.
What Role Do Individual Leaders Play in Corporate Governance?
Entrepreneur Scott Tucker pioneered online payday lending in the US, before he was convicted of fraud and racketeering.
Breville’s New Multicooker Delivers Consistent, Tasty Results
The kitchen tech giant’s new multicooker entry is a solid update on the original.
The Activist Legacy of the IBM Black Workers Alliance
As a tech worker turned tech organizer, I believed the current wave of activism was the first. Then I realized I was part of an important lineage.
Battle Kitty Stretches the Limits of Netflix’s Interactive Tech
The animated kids series plays like a video game—and demonstrates the potential of interactive shows.
BlockApps, which is building the enterprise-focused Strato blockchain, raises $41M led by Liberty City Ventures, bringing its total funding to $50M (Jacquelyn Melinek/TechCrunch)
Jacquelyn Melinek / TechCrunch: BlockApps, which is building the enterprise-focused Strato blockchain, raises $41M led by Liberty City Ventures, bringing its total funding to $50M — While the digital asset industry has brought in some skeptics over the past couple years, investors are hoping that crypto startups …
A look at Xsolla, a video game payments company founded in 2005 by Aleksandr Agapitov with nearly $100M in 2021 revenue from Epic, Valve, Roblox, and more (Scott Carpenter/Bloomberg)
Scott Carpenter / Bloomberg: A look at Xsolla, a video game payments company founded in 2005 by Aleksandr Agapitov with nearly $100M in 2021 revenue from Epic, Valve, Roblox, and more — Aleksandr Agapitov is little known inside video gaming circles, let alone the business world. — Yet his company is one of the leading […]
DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg says reports of the service removing piracy websites are “made up” and blames an issue with its site:operator search function (Umar Shakir/The Verge)
Umar Shakir / The Verge: DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg says reports of the service removing piracy websites are “made up” and blames an issue with its site:operator search function — Blank site search results for The Pirate Bay gave users reason to believe otherwise
NASA Will Roll Back Its SLS Rocket for Repairs
After three attempts to run through a test of the Space Launch System, engineers spotted a leak and a faulty valve. The fixes may delay the first Artemis moon mission.
The Playdate Packs Hours of Gaming Fun in Your Pocket
The creative yet challenging games in this handheld console will help you pass the time—if you can get your hands on one.
How to Use Tech to Support Loved Ones in Tough Times
Whether you have a sick friend or a grieving colleague, here’s how to give the people in your life an extra hand when they need it.
Amazon discloses that it will conduct a racial equity audit led by former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in response to a shareholder proposal (Annie Palmer/CNBC)
Annie Palmer / CNBC: Amazon discloses that it will conduct a racial equity audit led by former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in response to a shareholder proposal — – Amazon said it will conduct a racial-equity audit, led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. — The company disclosed the audit …
Apple employees unionizing at Grand Central Terminal store want a $30/hour minimum pay, tuition reimbursement, more vacation time, and better retirement options (Kif Leswing/CNBC)
Kif Leswing / CNBC: Apple employees unionizing at Grand Central Terminal store want a $30/hour minimum pay, tuition reimbursement, more vacation time, and better retirement options — – Workers organizing a union at Apple’s Grand Central Terminal store are seeking minimum pay of $30 per hour.