Cat Zakrzewski
Writer
The Latest from Cat Zakrzewski
Pill + Lets You Share Sound Quality You Expect From Beats Headphones With Friends
In time for your Cyber Monday shopping, Beats has released its first portable speaker since Apple acquired the company — the Pill + wireless bluetooth speaker. Right down to the packaging, Appl
Privacy Advocates Celebrate The End Of The NSA’s Phone Record Collection Program
The NSA shut down its bulk phone record collection program yesterday, more than two years since former NSA contractor Edward Snowden exposed the program to journalists and prompted a global debate abo
Federal Officials Are Warming Up To Self-Driving Cars
As self-driving cars rapidly develop, federal officials are beginning to rethink their stance on the technology. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced yesterday that an update would be comin
The Encryption Debate Isn’t Taking A Thanksgiving Break
Lawmakers and Congressional staffers may be trickling out of their Hill offices and to the airports, the encryption debate is not taking a holiday this week. Following media reports that the terroris
Encrypted Messaging App SOMA Launches Group Voice And Video Calling
Secure messaging app SOMA announced the launch of group voice and video calling for up to four people.
Users can now use the app to video chat with up to four friends from phones running both iOS a
Immigration Bill Could Challenge Tech’s Ongoing Fight For Skilled Worker Visas
Even as immigration advocates push for increases to the H-1B visa quotas, calls for reform to the existing system are growing louder — from legislators and immigration advocacy groups alike. Sen
Our National Encryption Debate, In Quotes
The long-burning debate concerning encryption, its impact on both consumer privacy and the government’s ability to protect its citizens is back with a vengeance.
The dialogue appeared to be dwind
Facebook Activates Safety Check In Nigeria Bombings
Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday night that Facebook had activated its Safety Check feature in Nigeria after a market bombing killed dozens.
Zuckerberg's announcement came after the platform faced c
McCain Wants Legislation Mandating Government Access To Encryption
Senator John McCain on Tuesday told reporters that he would hold a series of hearings and eventually pursue legislation that would require companies provide the government with access to encryption.
Live Video Streaming Service Firetalk Partners With TMZ, Announces Guest Feature
Firetalk, a live streaming video platform, on Wednesday announced it would partner with entertainment news site TMZ as well as online performers. The service also announced the launch of a new feature
Parrot Unveils Bebop Drone 2 With Twice The Battery Life
Parrot on Tuesday unveiled its Bebop Drone 2, a smaller version of its popular consumer model that has a 25-minute battery life -- twice that of its predecessor. The Bebop 2 will hit stores and the sk
Hacking Collective Anonymous Declares Total War On ISIS Following Paris Terror Attacks
The hacking group Anonymous on Sunday declared “total war” against the Islamic State, the terror organization that claimed responsibility for the attacks on Friday that killed 132 Parisian
Paris Attacks Highlight Tech’s Elevated Role In Disaster Relief
As terror attacks put France into a national state of emergency on Friday, AirBnB, Facebook, Google, Skype, Twitter and Uber launched into disaster response mode. AirBnB contacted all hosts in Pari
Facebook Says It Will Enable Safety Check During More Human Disasters, Following Criticism
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg committed to turning on Safety Check in more human disasters going forward, responding to criticism that the company turned on its safety feature for Paris but not for Be
Pressure In Congress Grows For GPS Tracking Reform After Supreme Court Passes On Cell Phone Case
Senators and House representatives this week are calling on Congress to act on bills that would limit location tracking and phone surveillance after the Supreme Court decided not to hear a cell phone
Facebook Sees 23% Spike In Law Enforcement Requests For Data In The United States
Facebook revealed it received 23 percent more requests from law enforcement between January and June 2015 than in the second half of 2014.
From January to June 2015, Facebook received a total of 17
Apple’s Encryption Fight Turns To The UK
After a major victory in the United States, Apple is facing an another threat to its encryption efforts on a different front: the United Kingdom.
Though the Cupertino-based tech giant typically shi
Udacity Raises $105 Million Series D, Bringing Valuation To $1 Billion
Udacity, the coding education service, has sprouted a magical horn. The company announced on Wednesday it had raised a $105 million Series D round. With a total valuation of $1 billion, the com
Three Men Indicted In U.S. Over Last Year’s Massive J.P. Morgan Hack
Three men were charged in a 23-count indictment in connection with the 2014 hacking of J.P. Morgan Chase and multiple other financial institutions. Gery Shalon and Ziv Orenstein were first arrested in
Federal Judge Doubles Down On Expiring Phone Record Collection Program
A federal judge called President Obama to immediately end the bulk collection of Americans' phone metadata, just weeks before the program is scheduled to end.
The decision from Judge Richard Leon o