The must reads
I’ve scoured the internet to find you the funniest/most important/scariest/fascinating stories about technology today.
1 A suspected Chinese ‘spy balloon’ flies over the US
Officials are hesitant to shoot it down in case it injures anyone. (BBC)
+ The balloon poses no threat to people on the ground. (WSJ $)
+ How China built a unique cyber-espionage behemoth that will last. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Things go from bad to worse for Big Tech
Earnings are low and jobs are still at risk. (WP $)
+ Apple in particular fell short of expectations. (WSJ $)
3 The Kremlin appears to be tracking Russian dissidents via Telegram
The app, which is supposed to be encrypted, has reportedly been compromised. (Wired $)
4 The motley crew behind the cryptocurrency Tether
Including a former plastic surgeon and child actor. (WSJ $)
+ We are happy to be regulated, the crypto industry tells UK officials. (FT $)
+ Exchange Binance is back in business in South Korea. (CoinDesk)
+ What’s next for cryptocurrencies. (MIT Technology Review)
5 ADHD patients suffer from an Adderall deficiency
We don’t know why stocks are so low – and officials aren’t increasing quotas. (The protector)
6 Native American peoples fight for visibility on Wikipedia
Editors disagree on how to treat Indigenous history. (Slate $)
+ Authorities in Pakistan have ordered Wikipedia to remove content. (The register)
7 Those awful clickbait ads on websites aren’t going anywhere
Unfortunately, the unnerving images lead to clicks. (Fast company $)
8 The Downsides of Paying Social Media Users to Post
The Philippine central bank, for example, was not positive about it. (Rest of the world)
9 TikTok likes Manhattan’s veteran watch dealers
They are pure uncut gemstones. (NYT $)
10 Virtual reality gets sexy
Explicit content is banned on the VRChat platform, but people attend virtual orgies there anyway. (BuzzFeed)