Opinion: Kids have been used like guinea pigs on Big Tech’s platforms. How much harm will we tolerate?

Opinion: Kids have been used like guinea pigs on Big Tech’s platforms. How much harm will we tolerate?

After more than a decade of uncontrolled experiments by internet platforms on millions of users, there is an emerging possibility that one group of users — kids — may gain some protection. A wave of court cases has an opportunity to fill a void left by the inaction of the executive and legislative branches of…

This new nuclear stealth bomber is top secret. So why is the B-21 Raider flying over Palmdale?

This new nuclear stealth bomber is top secret. So why is the B-21 Raider flying over Palmdale?

After years of secrecy, the B-21 Raider emerged from its Palmdale hangar Friday morning and took its first flight, soaring through the sky and giving plane enthusiasts, contractor employees and the public its first glimpse of the futuristic-looking bomber in air. The B-21 bomber, which is being built by Northrop Grumman Corp., took off from…

Behind the making of newest ‘Call of Duty’ game: Getting the costumes right

Behind the making of newest ‘Call of Duty’ game: Getting the costumes right

Tasha Valdez stood in front of a mannequin in a character scan room and tugged at the sleeves of the gray hoodie resting on its form. Surrounded by racks of clothing and accessories, she prepped the look for scanning by a 3-D camera. Eventually, that jacket would find itself on a bad guy trying to…

Bitwise co-founders face federal charges alleging $100-million fraud scheme

Bitwise co-founders face federal charges alleging $100-million fraud scheme

Federal authorities have charged the co-founders of Fresno startup Bitwise Industries with fraud months after the company laid off all of its employees and shut down without explanation. Irma Olguin Jr. and Jake Soberal surrendered to authorities Thursday after being charged in a federal complaint with conspiring to commit wire fraud and taking more than…

Column: Silicon Valley VCs wanted to believe SBF’s lies. Now they want you to believe their excuses

Column: Silicon Valley VCs wanted to believe SBF’s lies. Now they want you to believe their excuses

Sequoia Capital wants you to know that it was “deliberately misled and lied to” by convicted cryptocurrency scam artist Sam Bankman-Fried during the discussions that led to its $213.5-million investment in Bankman-Fried’s firm, FTX, last year. That’s an extraordinary admission, given that Sequoia is one of Silicon Valley’s oldest and largest venture investing firms, with…

These filmmakers use AI. And they’re not ashamed to admit it

These filmmakers use AI. And they’re not ashamed to admit it

Blazers brushed up against streetwear. Miniature cameras dangled from a woman’s earrings. One man’s hoodie read: “Rendered With Love.” Envoys from two parallel planets, software and showbiz, mingled in the Cary Grant Theatre on Thursday evening as they waited for the show to begin. Some recalled tales from the Cannes Film Festival; others debated the…

I tried a breakup simulator video game. Here’s what it taught me about the myth of ‘moving on’

I tried a breakup simulator video game. Here’s what it taught me about the myth of ‘moving on’

In the world of video games, there are plenty of so-called dating simulators, a.k.a. “dating sims,” in which players can craft a personality, meet potential partners and try to win them over. “Thirsty Suitors” is not that, and makes it clear what we’ve been missing in video games: the breakup simulator. Despite a title that…

Granderson: How did Silicon Valley fall from idealism to ruthless exploitation?

Granderson: How did Silicon Valley fall from idealism to ruthless exploitation?

Adam Bowen and James Monsees — the focus of the Netflix docuseries “Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul” — originally set out to make the world a better place. I had to remind myself of that, given the role their company played in getting young people hooked on nicotine. They were just a…

‘Fortnite’ lawsuit from Blackpink-Justin Bieber choreographer revived on appeal

‘Fortnite’ lawsuit from Blackpink-Justin Bieber choreographer revived on appeal

“Fortnite” maker Epic Games will face a new round of litigation from celebrity choreographer Kyle Hanagami, who alleges the popular video game ripped off his moves. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided Wednesday that it will revisit Hanagami’s allegations against Epic Games, after a lower court dismissed the choreographer’s lawsuit last year. On…

Column: Google’s dominance affects us all. Why is its trial being held in secret?

Column: Google’s dominance affects us all. Why is its trial being held in secret?

The public has been riveted for weeks by the most important federal trial for the tech world in a quarter-century. The criminal trial of accused cryptocurrency scam artist Sam Bankman-Fried, right? No, not that. We’re talking about U.S. vs. Google, a massive antitrust trial unfolding in a federal courtroom in Washington, D.C. Google is their…