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Slate.com
Technology writer for Slate.com
PROFILE
Will Oremus
Guest
FROM Will Oremus
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Mark Zuckerberg and data protection in Europe Mark Zuckerberg has extended his apology tour to Europe. But he got some sharp questions from members of the EU’s parliament on Tuesday. Europe has taken the lead when it comes to online privacy protections. Its new online privacy law -- the General Data Protection Regulation -- tightens restrictions on how customer data can be handled. It takes effect on Friday.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The blurred line between human and machine Google showed off a robot that sounds convincingly human at its annual conference for developers earlier this month. The company demoed the new AI technology to a wave of cheers, but some are warning about the risks of AI. Researchers have shown they can send hidden commands to Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant that are undetectable to the human ear, which begs the question -- do the perils of AI outweigh its promise?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
At CES: $980 clothes-folding machine, smartphone-proof boxers We talk about why you might want to invest in a pair of boxer briefs that are billed as smartphone-proof, and why you might not want to get a laundry-folding machine. We look at gadgets at this year’s CES, the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What we know about Russian ads on Facebook and Twitter Russian influence in the 2016 election is more extensive than anyone thought. The leaders of Facebook, Twitter, and Google are testifying on Capitol Hill about how many millions of users were exposed to fake Russian information. The question now: How are they going to prevent that from happening in the future?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What's up with Twitter this week? Twitter rep’s are on Capitol Hill today talking to staff members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees about Twitter’s role in spreading fake news during the 2016 election. Also, the White House confessed this week that @realDonaldTrump blocks Twitter users that criticize him (and some of those users are suing). Plus...do we need more than 140 characters? We talk all things Twitter in our weekly tech segment.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Facebook comes under fire for campaign ads Facebook is coming under even more scrutiny for the ads it sold during the election. The company says it will turn over at least 3,000 ads to congressional investigators looking into Russian interference. The company say it is also changing some of its ad-buying system. This comes after it sold ads relating to offensive terms, including “jew hater.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How Tesla gave drivers fleeing Hurricane Irma more battery juice Some Tesla owners fleeing Irma were surprised to see their car’s battery capacity increase. The electric car company provided a software update for free to give drivers more range in the face of danger.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Facebook sold ads to Russian trolls during November election Facebook has a fake news problem -- that’s something the social network itself owned up to after the election. Now it’s acknowledged that it sold about 300 ads to a shadowy Russian company during the election. Those ads spread political messages about things like gun rights and immigration.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Is Mark Zuckerberg planning a political campaign? Facebook is more popular now with young people. We find out why, and whether there’s anything to the rumors that Mark Zuckerberg wants to run for president. He’s hired pollster Joel Benenson.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Foxconn plans to build first U.S. factory, but is it real? The chairman of Foxconn announced a new $10 billion factory in Wisconsin to make flatscreens and other electronics. Foxconn is the Taiwanese company that makes iPhones and iPads for Apple. But it has a habit of not following through with big announcements.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Is the Seth Rich conspiracy over? DNC staffer Seth Rich was killed last summer, and his murder is unsolved – although it’s suspected to have been the result of a botched robbery. However, conspiracy theorists went into overdrive trying to link his murder to the Clinton campaign. Fox News, which published the story on its website, has since retracted it.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Identifying real news v. fake news: it's complicated Facebook, Twitter and Google have all been criticized for posting fake news stories, misleading clickbait and conspiracy theories. For example, the Pope endorsing Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton involved in a child sex ring in a pizza parlor. These companies are working on plans to combat fake news.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Are PCs are making a comeback? Apple just revealed a new MacBook Pro with a touch panel instead of function keys at the top of the keyboard. Yesterday, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Studio, a desktop PC with a giant, ultra high-definition touchscreen. One technology writer is calling it a comeback for PCs and a letdown from Apple.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Tesla’s 'ingenious' autopilot software update Following a fatal crash in May in which a Tesla Model S on autopilot crashed into a truck because it didn’t recognize it as a truck, Tesla has been working on a software fix to prevent that kind of an accident. Now Tesla says they’ve done it, and if true, it could make self-driving cars a lot safer. Slate’s Will Oremus calls the fix “ingenious.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Facebook’s Influence in the Presidential Election More than a billion people log onto Facebook every day to look at cat gifs and baby pictures; and now more than ever, people are getting their news from the social networking site. That news is controlled by Facebook’s powerful news feed algorithm, but there are also humans involved. Gizmodo reported Monday that, according to a former Facebook contractor, curators of Facebook’s trending news feature routinely suppressed conservative news stories. Facebook has denied the allegations, but a Senate committee is looking into the matter. Regardless of whether the allegations are true or not, Facebook is clearly having an effect on this election.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Elitism of the Apple Watch Tech addicts around the world have been waiting anxiously for the final rollout of Apple’s new smart watch. And they finally got their fix, Monday. Aside from the usual debates that accompany any new Apple product, there is the issue of price. The company says, “There’s an Apple Watch for everyone.” But that’s if “everyone” has at least $349 and a late-model iPhone. Mid-range models are closer to $1,000 and high-end models will go for as much as $17,000. That’s the cost to consumers, but what about the cost to Apple? The steep price of the watch could damage its image as a company that brings high-tech and great design to the masses.
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The Dream with Issa Rae Justin sits down with Issa Rae, the original Awkward Black Girl, to talk about what happens after your dreams come true, and what it's like to be expected to create work that covers the entire black experience.
Hollywood Breakdown
HBO still dark on Dish The carriage dispute between HBO and Dish Network that left Dish subscribers without the network known for 'Game of Thrones' since November 1 is still ongoing, and the rhetoric ramps up, as both parties blame the other.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Another mass shooting -- this time in Thousand Oaks A mass shooting Wednesday night in Thousand Oaks left 12 people dead, most of them young. We get the latest, and find out why California’s strict gun laws couldn’t prevent this from happening.
Film Reviews
The Girl In the Spider’s Web: A New Dragon Tattoo Story “The Girl In the Spider’s Web: A New Dragon Tattoo Story” is a reference to the terrific series that started years ago with “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” The central character in the new installment has the same name, but she’s changed and a lot around her has changed, none of it for the better.