Amid a global outcry over Russia’s war on Ukraine, major tech companies have started taking action against RT, the global news outlet backed by Russia, along with the state-owned outlet Sputnik. The RT News app is widely available on phones, tablets, smart TVs, and streaming devices. It pitches itself as providing perspective that viewers won’t get from mainstream media but does not always clearly disclose its ties to Russia. (Per RT’s iOS App Store listing: “The chan
Online pharmacy Ro has acquired Dadi, a sperm collection and testing startup, for approximately $100 million, say people with knowledge of the deal terms. The acquisition comes on the heels of a recent $150 million fundraising round from existing investors at a $7 billion valuation. It’s also happening during a transitional period for telehealth companies, which are having to figure out their main value proposition as the pandemic winds down and people are no longer confined to their home
I recently heard from a reader who asked about the best software for remotely accessing and controlling another computer. While I haven’t tried every solution, I’ve been a happy Chrome Remote Desktop user for years. The free software from Google lets you control another computer from any web browser, or from the Chrome Remote Desktop app on iOS and Android, and I’ve found it to be both reliable and responsive. I use the software to manage my Mac Mini’s Plex and Channe
Tech companies are currently stumbling over themselves to see who can make a bigger bet on the metaverse. However, beyond a massive financial commitment, exactly what it will take to win is still largely unproven. Will it simply be a “copy and paste” of the current digital landscape? Will our ad-filled 2D screens simply morph into privately owned virtual worlds overflowing with 3D ads? I think we all hope for something more. In the end, brands that actively try to right what the so
Over the weekend, Meta said it was giving Facebook users in Ukraine special tools to lock their profiles and make their friends’ lists unsearchable. Meta fears that the Russian military or its supporters could target Ukrainians via their social media accounts. Now Meta’s director of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, tells Fast Company in a tweet late Sunday that it will soon expand those same protections for Facebook users in Russia. The Russian military, after all, could use so
If you want to understand why there are three prestige limited series coming out in the next few weeks devoted to the fallen tech founders of Uber, Theranos, and WeWork, you have to wrestle with the 2010 movie The Social Network. The influence of the Aaron Sorkin-David Fincher film cannot be overstated. Just as Facebook is the tech success story that every founder wants to emulate; The Social Network is the artistic success story every project about founders wants to match. From its icy, synth-d
Over Thanksgiving break in 2020, Fanatics founder Michael Rubin flew to Detroit to spend a day with StockX founder Josh Luber. It was just supposed to be two e-commerce innovators hanging out, with Rubin responsible for the just-in-time apparel juggernaut, and Luber behind the secondary market for hot sneakers and other coveted goods. Rubin wasn’t expecting their time together to fundamentally change his business. But then Luber started talking about the disjointed distribution process th
Running Android apps inside Windows 11 is now just about as simple as running apps on your phone. Microsoft and Amazon have teamed up to make thousands of Amazon-curated Android apps and games available to run just like stand-alone programs in Windows 11. In its current form, this feature is labeled as a preview, which grants a little leeway for crashes, bugs, and rough edges, should they pop up here and there. I’ve used it for a bit, and the potential is definitely there. I do believe it
The cyberwar aspect of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may be just beginning. Russia’s campaign may be the century’s first major example of multifaceted war, or “360 War” as the Pentagon has called it. In that kind of war, “kinetic” weapons—such as guns, bombs, and planes—are just one part of a strategy in which tools like disinformation, bioweapons, and cyberwarfare also play important roles. In Ukraine, the “soft” warfar
Russia officially invaded Ukraine Thursday. The U.S. and its allies are imposing sanctions, but, as U.S. President Joe Biden said in a press conference Thursday, they aren’t expected to immediately stop the Soviet advance. Meanwhile, the people of Ukraine nervously await what might come next. The Ukraine crisis touches the tech world in a number of different ways. For example, a number of the U.S. sanctions relate to denying Russia’s ability to acquire high technology for military