How the Pentagon learned to use targeted ads for surveillance ~ Amazing News 2020

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02.27.24

A person holding a phone with images of hands in the background

MOBILE MADNESS | 9-MINUTE READ

The Weird, Wacky Gizmos and Gadgets We Saw at MWC 2024

BY SIMON HILL AND JULIAN CHOKKATTU

Have you played Doom on a robot lawn mower? We did. From app-free phones to an electric bike with AI and 5G, we've combed the halls of the Mobile World Congress in search of all things quirky and bizarre.

Collage featuring a group of silhouetted police officers placed against a background containing binary code

SECOND ACTS | 4-MINUTE READ

Ransomware Groups Are Bouncing Back Faster From Law Enforcement Busts

BY ANDY GREENBERG

Two months ago, the FBI "disrupted" the BlackCat ransomware group. They're already back—and their latest attack is causing delays at pharmacies across the US.

The U.S. Supreme Court building at sunset with white scribbles around it

INFLECTION POINT | 3-MINUTE READ

The US Supreme Court Holds the Future of the Internet in Its Hands

BY AMANDA HOOVER

If the court backs provocative laws from Texas and Florida that limit social platforms' ability to moderate content online, life could become radically different.

Illustration of hands holding a phone, being looked at through a drone thermal camera

CHANGE YOUR SETTINGS | 19-MINUTE READ

How the Pentagon Learned to Use Targeted Ads to Find Its Targets—and Vladimir Putin

BY BYRON TAU

Meet the guy who taught US intelligence agencies how to make the most of the ad tech ecosystem, "the largest information-gathering enterprise ever conceived by man."

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Photo collage of IVF, a patient in a hospital gown, and a map of Alabama

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS | 6-MINUTE READ

Alabama IVF Patients Are Running Out of Time

BY BRIAN BARRETT AND EMILY MULLIN

"I feel so powerless in this state."

People watching the annular solar eclipse

OVER THE MOON | 4-MINUTE READ

What's the Best Place to Watch the Solar Eclipse? This Simulator Can Help You Plan

BY ELISSAVETA M. BRANDON

On April 8, 2024, the biggest astronomical event of the year will happen in the sky over North America. A retired mathematician has created a web tool to help you find the ideal vantage point.

GPS marker on a black and white aerial map

THE LIVES OF OTHERS | 5-MINUTE READ

The UK Is GPS-Tagging Thousands of Migrants

BY MORGAN MEAKER

Ankle tags that constantly log a person's coordinates are part of a growing cadre of experimental surveillance tools that countries around the world are trying out on new arrivals.

Collage featuring images of the Beachwaver B1 curling iron and colorful hair

PRODUCT REVIEW | 6-MINUTE READ

The Beachwaver B1 Is the Curling Iron of My Dreams

BY BRENDA STOLYAR

It's a great, easy-to-use hair tool for those who struggle to achieve beachy waves and corkscrew curls.

CONSOLE-ATION | 1-MINUTE READ

Pokémon Legends: Z-A Is Coming in 2025. Will a New Nintendo Switch Join It?

BY MEGAN FAROKHMANESH

Announced during Tuesday's Pokémon Day, the release date for Legends: Z-A sparked a wave of speculation that new Switch consoles will arrive next year.