The Latest from Taylor Hatmaker
Trump promotes Michael Kratsios to US Chief Technology Officer
More than two years into the Trump administration, the long-vacant post of U.S. chief technology officer will be filled. Bloomberg first reported that today Trump is elevating Michael Kratsios, curren
Why a top antitrust lawmaker thinks it’s time to break up Facebook
When the newly-minted chair of a congressional antitrust committee calls you out, it’s probably time to start worrying. In an op-ed for the New York Times, Rhode Island Representative David N. C
Devin Nunes is suing Twitter over mean tweets from parody account of his mom
California Representative Devin Nunes announced that he will file a $250 million lawsuit against Twitter, alleging that the company engages in “explicit censorship” and has allowed critics
No Man’s Sky has a big new update due out this summer
After a conspicuous stretch of silence ending with a mysterious teaser tweet on Thursday, No Man’s Sky creator Sean Murray revealed that another major free update is on the way. The new content,
After Christchurch, Reddit bans communities infamous for sharing graphic videos of death
In the aftermath of the tragic mosque massacre that claimed 49 lives in Christchurch, New Zealand, tech companies scrambled to purge their platforms of promotional materials that the shooter left behi
Bipartisan bill proposes oversight for commercial facial recognition
On Thursday, Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz and Missouri Senator Roy Blunt introduced a bill designed to offer legislative oversight for commercial applications of facial recognition technology. Known as
Slack removes 28 accounts linked to hate groups
Today in a short blog post, Slack announced that it had removed 28 accounts with a “clear affiliation with known hate groups.” Few details were provided about the accounts or how Slack ide
Facebook will downrank anti-vax content on News Feed and hide it on Instagram
After indicating that it was exploring its options for fighting the potentially deadly rise of anti-vaccination content on its platform last month, Facebook is making a plan of attack. Facebook’
Trump called Apple’s CEO ‘Tim Apple’ by mistake
The president has to remember a lot of names! Some he remembers, some he forgets. But we will never forget today in the Year of Our Lord 2019 when President Trump called Apple CEO Tim Cook “Tim
Mark Zuckerberg discovers privacy
With the swelling confidence of a colonial power happening upon a long-settled distant land, today Mark Zuckerberg discovered the concept of privacy. In a ballooning 3,225 words — a roughly average
Facebook sues four Chinese companies over trademark infringement
Facebook is taking legal action against a cluster of Chinese websites that sell fake accounts, likes and followers both on Facebook itself and on Instagram . The company announced the legal action in
Fortnite Season 8 is about to kick off — here’s what to expect
Fortnite Season 8 is almost here. There’s a lot we don’t know — most things, really — but the long wait will be over soon. If you can’t stand the anticipation or the requisite se
Medium lowers its paywall for Twitter users
If you’re not the paying sort, Medium has a mile-wide new hole in its paywall that might interest you. (But really, you should be the paying sort.) On Wednesday, Medium CEO and Twitter co-founde
US bans lithium batteries from cargo holds on passenger flights
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration issued new rules designed to protect air passengers from the potential dangers of lithium ion batteries. The
Star Trek: Discovery will return for a third season
We’ve still barely caught up with the Red Angel, whatever it is, but CBS just confirmed that Star Trek: Discovery will be coming back for a third season. Discovery will also add Michelle Paradis
Fortnite’s revenue dropped 48% in January but the lull likely won’t last long
If you thought Fortnite was looking mortal, you might want to reconsider. New numbers from SuperData show that the Fortnite juggernaut lagged by one meaningful measure at the start of this year. Reven
XRP is the latest cryptocurrency to hit Coinbase Pro
On Tuesday, Coinbase announced that XRP will be the latest cryptocurrency to hit its pro-level trading platform. Coinbase Pro will allow users to transfer XRP to the platform right away (“After
Google makes it easier to find prescription drug disposal sites
In an effort to combat the opioid crisis, Google will begin labeling places where people can safely dispose of their prescription drugs. Now, users can find clearly labeled drug disposal sites directl
Facebook adds new background location privacy controls to its Android app
Facebook is updating its privacy settings on Android to make it easier for users to control what location data is sent to and stored by the company. In its announcement, Facebook acknowledged that And
FDA warning brings controversial young blood transfusion company to a halt
On Tuesday, the FDA issued a warning to anyone who might be inclined to give their old bones a jolt with fresh blood harvested from the young. The idea is pretty far from mainstream, even in Silicon V