Backchannel

Steve Case Is Bullish on Tech’s “Third Wave,” Even If It’s Kind of a Bummer.

Steve Case Is Bullish on Tech’s “Third Wave,” Even If It’s Kind of a Bummer.

The former head of AOL talks about the future of startups, what went wrong in the merger, and what Donald Trump told him.

Steven Levy2 days ago

When Yahoo Met Alibaba — And Turned In a User

When Yahoo Met Alibaba — And Turned In a User

Years later, Marissa Mayer is still dealing with what happened in China a decade ago

Duncan Clark10 hrs ago

The Weird Redemption of SF’s Most Reviled Tech Bro

The Weird Redemption of SF’s Most Reviled Tech Bro

He blasted the homeless, then tried to make amends, startup-style. But as Greg Gopman learned, no business plan can find your way back home…

Lauren Smiley4 days ago

Why I Lit Up Lytro

Why I Lit Up Lytro

When a CEO must stare into the void — and scrap the strategy

Jason RosenthalApr 1

Can a Dress Shirt Be Racist?

Can a Dress Shirt Be Racist?

A startup finds that asking for certain data improves the fit of its clothes — and lands the company in a cultural minefield.

Moises Velasquez-ManoffMar 31

How Impassioned Amateurs Built a New Planetary Nervous System

How Impassioned Amateurs Built a New Planetary Nervous System

Using cheap sensors and ubiquitous computing, a people’s movement has transformed science

David LangApr 5

A Hacker’s Guide to Bending the Universe

A Hacker’s Guide to Bending the Universe

If you’re going to conquer the world, you can’t let a broken CRT monitor stand in your way

Marcin WicharyMar 28

The Tesla Dividend: Better Internet Access

The Tesla Dividend: Better Internet Access

Elon Musk’s newest car doesn’t just run on electricity — it needs a world class fiber network

Susan CrawfordMar 25

Those Entry-Level Startup Jobs? They’re Now Mostly Dead Ends in the Boondocks

Those Entry-Level Startup Jobs? They’re Now Mostly Dead Ends in the Boondocks

Unicorn startups are sending customer service gigs outside Silicon Valley, ending a once serendipitous career path for non-techies

Lauren SmileyMar 23

Making Drone Racing the New NASCAR

Making Drone Racing the New NASCAR

Making UAVs the next major sport — without killing the spectators

Andrew ZaleskiMar 21

What Have They Been Smoking at Apple Music?

What Have They Been Smoking at Apple Music?

The company’s streaming service as well as its entertainment software has come under fire. But the saving grace is its artisanal playlists

Steven LevyMar 18

The Law is Clear: The FBI Cannot Make Apple Rewrite its OS

The Law is Clear: The FBI Cannot Make Apple Rewrite its OS

Barack Obama has a fine legal mind. But he may not have been using it when he talked about encryption last week.

Susan CrawfordMar 16

Why the Tech Industry Shuns America’s Gun Problem

Why the Tech Industry Shuns America’s Gun Problem

Silicon Valley’s change-the-world-ism doesn’t seem to apply to gun violence

Scott RosenbergMar 14

Why Are We Fighting the Crypto Wars Again?

Why Are We Fighting the Crypto Wars Again?

The iPhone Crisis reignited a conflict that should have been settled in the 90s. The loser is our national security.

Steven LevyMar 11

The Human Jigsaw

The Human Jigsaw

Augmented reality is letting surgeons cut out and replace body parts like puzzle pieces

Jane GaydukMar 9

The New Media is Made of Memes

The New Media is Made of Memes

After months watching Snapchat’s irresistible Discover stories, I am everything but informed

Logan HillMar 7

You Didn’t Notice It, But Google Fiber Just Began the Golden Age of High Speed Internet Access

You Didn’t Notice It, But Google Fiber Just Began the Golden Age of High Speed Internet Access

Its “dark fiber” project in Huntsville creates a model that might finally thrust US Internet access into the 21st Century

Susan CrawfordMar 3

War Stories: My Journey From Blindness to Building a Fully Conversational User Interface

War Stories: My Journey From Blindness to Building a Fully Conversational User Interface

Apps are a nightmare for the visually impaired. So when I started losing my sight, I decided to fix that.

Chris MauryMar 2

I’ve Had a Cyberstalker Since I Was 12

I’ve Had a Cyberstalker Since I Was 12

After 14 years I finally reported him. In the eyes of the law, my biggest mistake was not fearing him more.

Roni JacobsonFeb 29

At Harvey Mudd College, the Ratio of Women in Computer Science Increased from 10% to 40% in 5 Years

At Harvey Mudd College, the Ratio of Women in Computer Science Increased from 10% to 40% in 5 Years

Here’s how we did it.

Maria KlaweFeb 26

Google Is Going to Speed Up the Web. Is This Good?

Google Is Going to Speed Up the Web. Is This Good?

To improve reading the news on mobile — and better compete with Facebook Instant Articles — Google today is launching AMP

Dan GillmorFeb 24

When Comcast’s Business As Usual Turns Out to Limit Minority Access

When Comcast’s Business As Usual Turns Out to Limit Minority Access

What happens when a plutocrat’s “rational” decisions wind up affecting minority areas? Take a look at Hartford.

Susan CrawfordFeb 22

This Isn’t about One iPhone. It’s About Millions of Them.

This Isn’t about One iPhone. It’s About Millions of Them.

The FBI wants to force Apple to build new software and help it hack into an encrypted iPhone. No problem right? Wrong.

Ron WydenFeb 19

We Are Now At Peak TED

We Are Now At Peak TED

In 2016, the celebrated and reviled conference doubled down on its TED-ness

Steven LevyFeb 19

The Line Tamers

The Line Tamers

When tech lets you skip every line, who’s left standing in them?

Lauren SmileyFeb 17

The Secret to Moonshots? Killing Our Projects

The Secret to Moonshots? Killing Our Projects

At X, I see up close every day how messy innovation is

Astro TellerFeb 15

The Future of Security: The Bottom Line

The Future of Security: The Bottom Line

Protecting tomorrow’s technology is the responsibility of the many, not the few

Kevin PoulsenFeb 12

Missing Minsky, Inking India, and Why We Did a Security Roundtable with Google

Salutations, Backchannel-ists!As some of you know, I periodically get in touch with our tight band of followers (now surpassing 90K, so it’s really tight in here), to clue you in on what’s behind the scenes. Kind of a backchannel to Backchannel. In the last missive, for instance, I discussed our Car Week, including stories on Bill Ford, my time not driving the Google Self-Driving Car, and 3D printed autos. I also bragged about how right we were not to bother with CES.

Steven LevyFeb 11

Our Medical Data Must Become Free

Our Medical Data Must Become Free

Data generated by your body is routinely captured and sold by healthcare companies. Shouldn’t you benefit from it, too?

K McGowanFeb 11

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