
In 1999, I got to work on a literally once-in-a-lifetime project. As the 20th century was wrapping up, the magazine where I worked declared the personal computer the most important invention of the last 100 years. It wasn’t exactly a contrarian pick: The magazine in question was PC World.
To celebrate, we put together an article looking back at 100 defining moments in computing history. I was assigned to write blurbs on several of them. One was among the most obvious landm

Right-wing conspiracy theorists once believed the government was using drones to surveil its own citizens. President Donald Trump actually did.
During ongoing demonstrations in Los Angeles against Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deployed at least two Predator drones to monitor the crowds, according to air traffic control audio reviewed by

In summer 2020, former Evernote CEO Phil Libin launched Mmhmm, a software tool designed to make video presentations look polished, even if the presenter was calling in from a COVID-era makeshift home office. It was one of many products and startups launched during that time, aimed at making the sudden wave of remote meetings more productive—or at least more bearable.

From family photos in the cloud to email archives and social media accounts, the digital lives of Americans are extensive and growing.
According to recent studies by the password management companies NordPass and Dashlane, the average internet user maintains more than 150 online accounts. Individuals produce

It hits at a certain time in the afternoon, when a familiar craving strikes. You walk to the kitchen. The satisfying sound of a can cracking, the hiss of bubbles. It’s time for a “fridge cigarette”—or as you might know it, a can of Diet Coke.
Earlier this week, TikTok user @reallyrachelreno posted: “Overheard someone call Diet Coke a ‘fridge cigarette’ and nothing’s been more true to me since.” The vid

A dozen years after its launch, fintech company Chime rang the bell this morning at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square to celebrate its initial public offering.
One of the most anticipated IPOs of the year, Chime is seemingly already basking in listing-day glory. After announcing that shares would hit

Many developers find that AI programming assistants have made writing code easier than ever. But maintaining the infrastructure that actually runs that code remains a challenge, requiring engineers to have detailed knowledge of complex cloud systems and how their companies use them.
A startup called Antimetal is working to harness AI to guide engineers through resolving issues with software infrastructure in much the same way existing tools help

Welcome to AI Decoded, Fast Company’s weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every week here.
A cooler-headed look at Apple’s troubled AI story
Apple said at its WWDC developer conference Monday that the much-hyped Apple Intelli

Fraudulent job applications have become a serious issue in the era of remote interviews and AI-generated content. Research firm Gartner predicts that by 2028, up to 25% of applications could be fake. In some cases, fraudsters in North Korea have managed to land Western tech jobs under false pretenses, according to

With the first family actively engaged in memecoin ventures, speculation about the future of cryptocurrency has never been hotter. Laura Shin, crypto expert and host of the podcast Unchained, reveals the sector’s emerging economic, political, and geopolitical implications. Shin also provides context for why stablecoins are growing so fast and how the current administration is shaping