Our Machine Overlords

Fear not the machines of the future. We can—and should—use the tools we’ve been developing to be both more critical and more creative.

• By Kyle Chayka

A new French surveillance law might help authorities locate the terrorists behind the Charlie Hebdo attack. But it might also rob innocent civilians of their privacy rights.

• By Kate Wheeling

Jewelry sales continue to plummet. Are iPhones and Kindles to blame?

• By Beejoli Shah

Next year may finally be the year we stop using cash completely and leave the large social networks we’ve grown accustomed to behind (think Facebook and Twitter) as we seek out safer alternatives.

• By Kyle Chayka

Why is it that old iPods are suddenly cool—and pricey again?

• By Max Ufberg

Automakers have made several advances in lighting systems—systems that would alert people when they’re about to walk in front of a car, and keep other vehicles from flooding your cabin with blinding light, for starters—but are unable to implement them because of 45-year-old “safety” standards.

• By Zac Estrada

The FBI no more deserves a direct line to your data than it deserves to intercept your mail at the post office. But it doesn’t want you to know that.

• By Kyle Chayka

A company called Blippar is using augmented reality to stretch the rules of brand engagement.

• By Paul Hiebert

Technology is a great way to activate gallery space, but it shouldn’t take it over.

• By Kyle Chayka

With Apple soon to introduce time-lapse photography to its phones, could we see the end of the selfie?

• By Casey N. Cep

Not right now—or at least, not until we know more—but it's a question a surprising number of people are asking.

• By Noah Davis

A new study makes the development of innovation districts sound like a win-win for all parties involved. But a look at some existing districts, like Boston’s Cambridge or Brooklyn’s Dumbo, makes it clear that there are downsides too.

• By Kyle Chayka

In an effort to unseat Nintendo, the company of Sonic tried to offer an alternative to their competitor's family-friendly image. It worked—and then some.

• By Noah Davis

Amazon’s one-click shopping, Facebook’s News Feed, countless mobile apps: Persuasive technology is being used to influence your behavior all day long—often without you even knowing it.

• By Jordan Larson

Senior citizens' hesitance about using caretaking robots comes from a fear that their grandchildren will become emotionally dependent on the machines.

• By Ryan Jacobs

Will the days of scrambling for a last-ditch charge soon be a thing of the past?

• By Casey N. Cep