science and technology Column: We're swamped with 182 million robocalls a day. Is a solution finally here? By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0500 Telecom-industry insiders say work is rapidly progressing on a system called "Shaken/Stir," which could go a long way toward making your phone usable again. Full Article
science and technology Google workers protest suspensions of activist employees By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 18:59:05 -0500 Protests within Google over how the company handles employee activism continue to grow. Full Article
science and technology Former Tinder CEO Sean Rad accused of secretly recording employees and bosses in new court filing By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 19:00:35 -0500 Tinder's parent company says Sean Rad, the dating app's co-founder and former CEO, illegally recorded conversations with executives. Full Article
science and technology Newsletter: Those Black Friday deals? They're not as good as you think By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 08:00:09 -0500 The dirty little secret of Black Friday — and its cousin, Cyber Monday — is that the best deals are still to come. Full Article
science and technology Google fires four for accessing internal documents. Workers say it's retaliation By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:58:21 -0500 Google terminated four employees for what the tech firm said were "repeated violations of our data security policies." At least one of them, Rebecca Rivers, had spoken out publicly against company initiatives including Google's past work with government agencies. Full Article
science and technology Column: These holiday scams are heavy on naughty, totally lacking in nice By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 26 Nov 2019 08:00:03 -0500 From gift-card rackets to online fraud, consumers are under near-constant assault amid what some analysts are calling the country's first-ever trillion-dollar holiday season. Full Article
science and technology Riot Games will pay $10 million to settle gender discrimination suit By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 2 Dec 2019 16:29:51 -0500 'League of Legends' maker Riot Games has agreed to pay $10 million to settle a gender discrimination suit. Every woman who has worked at the company since 2014 will get a payout. Full Article
science and technology Google's Sundar Pichai becomes Alphabet CEO; Larry Page and Sergey Brin step down By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 3 Dec 2019 17:29:55 -0500 Sundar Pichai is ascending at Google's parent, Alphabet, becoming CEO of the entire tech giant as co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin take a step back. Full Article
science and technology Developers join call for GitHub to cancel its ICE contract By www.latimes.com Published On :: Wed, 4 Dec 2019 10:43:10 -0500 Open source developers, GitHub's power users, are joining the software platform's employees in calling for the company to cancel its contract with ICE. A boycott could be next. Full Article
science and technology Tech recruiters were once welcomed on campus. Now they face protests By www.latimes.com Published On :: Sat, 7 Dec 2019 08:00:02 -0500 Tech firms such as Palantir, Amazon, Google and Microsoft hire huge numbers of college graduates every year. Student activists are trying to disrupt that recruiting pipeline. Full Article
science and technology Uber's report on sexual assaults and accidents offers some answers, more questions By www.latimes.com Published On :: Sat, 7 Dec 2019 08:00:32 -0500 Uber's first-ever safety transparency report establishes a baseline from which the ride-hailing giant must improve. Full Article
science and technology Newsletter: Privacy-minded consumer groups say the kids aren't all right By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 08:00:51 -0500 Coalition calls on FTC to review how companies are marketing to children and tracking them online. Full Article
science and technology Column: Are extended warranties worth it? Not so much, experts say By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 08:00:30 -0500 "Extended warranties are generally a bad value," says one consumer advocate. "Rarely do they pay off." Full Article
science and technology Newsletter: $1,000 is just too dang much for a smartphone By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 16 Dec 2019 08:00:33 -0500 A new study from market researcher NPD Group reveals that fewer than 10% of consumers are willing to shell out more than a thousand bucks for a phone. Full Article
science and technology Looking ahead: In 2020, we look to Mars, fake meat and the allure of wishful thinking By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 20 Dec 2019 15:33:17 -0500 What will 2020 bring? There'll be plenty to roar about. Concerts and playoffs. Electric highways and robots that bring your pizza. The future is right now. Full Article
science and technology California is rewriting the rules of the internet. Businesses are scrambling to keep up By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Dec 2019 20:01:23 -0500 A new law that will let you opt out of the online data economy goes into effect on Jan. 1 — assuming businesses can figure out how to make that happen in time. Full Article
science and technology New labor laws are coming to California. What's changing in your workplace? By www.latimes.com Published On :: Sun, 29 Dec 2019 09:00:33 -0500 For California businesses, 2020 will be a year of reckoning. Sweeping new laws curbing long-time employment practices take effect, aimed at reducing economic inequality and giving workers more power in their jobs. Full Article
science and technology Controversial San Bernardino airport cargo expansion approved By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Dec 2019 22:59:22 -0500 Inland Empire residents have protested the airport expansion — rumored to be an Amazon project — for months. On Monday, airport officials approved the project. Full Article
science and technology Uber and Postmates call AB 5 unconstitutional in new lawsuit By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Dec 2019 20:18:27 -0500 Uber and Postmates called AB 5 an "irrational and unconstitutional statute" that targets gig economy companies and workers. Full Article
science and technology It's 2020 and you have new privacy rights online. But you might have to show ID By www.latimes.com Published On :: Wed, 1 Jan 2020 03:01:29 -0500 Californians have newfound power over their online information in 2020. Here's how to exercise those new rights. Full Article
science and technology From 'Titanfall' to 'Star Wars,' the evolution of game studio Respawn mirrors our search for story By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 2 Jan 2020 09:00:53 -0500 Respawn Entertainment began with a mission to build a better shooter. That became the hit "Titanfall." In 2019, the studio expanded with the free-to-play "Apex Legends" and "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order." The studio run by Vince Zampella is just getting started, with a virtual reality project on tap for 2020. Zampella also is taking over the Los Angeles offices of DICE. Full Article
science and technology Seeing those opt-out messages about your personal information on websites? Thank California's new privacy law By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 2 Jan 2020 09:57:01 -0500 "Do not sell my info" links popped up on websites New Year's Day as companies scrambled to comply with California's sweeping new consumer privacy protection law. Full Article
science and technology Column: Boeing's board shouldn't escape blame in 737 Max scandal By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 3 Jan 2020 09:00:11 -0500 Boeing will be hobbled by the 737 Max affair for years to come. Yet the board that oversaw this calamity is not being held to task. Full Article
science and technology Major union launches campaign to organize video game and tech workers By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 7 Jan 2020 08:00:37 -0500 One of the country's largest unions is targeting video game and tech companies — and hired a Southern California organizer to spearhead the project Full Article
science and technology Your $14 salad's not as eco-friendly as advertised — but Sweetgreen's trying By www.latimes.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Jan 2020 09:00:45 -0500 Sweetgreen has long said nothing from its stores goes to landfill. On closer inspection, that's more aspiration than guarantee. Full Article
science and technology Women suing Riot Games may deserve $400 million, not $10 million, state regulator says By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Jan 2020 17:37:33 -0500 Two California state agencies are intervening in a class action suit against Riot Games, saying women who worked at the company could deserve more money. Full Article
science and technology It's your last chance to claim a slice of the Equifax data breach settlement By www.latimes.com Published On :: Wed, 22 Jan 2020 13:29:47 -0500 More than 147 million people's credit data were exposed during Equifax's 2017 breach. Wednesday is the deadline to file a claim. Full Article
science and technology Long hours and 'a pile of white dudes': Annual survey looks at game industry working conditions By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 19:29:56 -0500 A rare, insider look at the highly secretive game industry from the Game Developers Conference. Developers share thoughts on working conditions, the need for unionization, attempts to diversify and more. Full Article
science and technology Riot Games accuses regulators of 'questionable tactics' to block gender bias settlement By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:00:13 -0500 California state agencies argue that women who worked at the video game company could deserve up to $400 million. The company—and the lawyers for women who worked there—strongly disagree. Full Article
science and technology Ring app shares your personal data with Facebook and others, report finds By www.latimes.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Jan 2020 07:00:11 -0500 The high-tech doorbell maker's app is rife with unlisted third-party trackers that collect data from users' devices, according to a report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Full Article
science and technology Ad industry seeks to delay new California data privacy law By www.latimes.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Jan 2020 18:57:00 -0500 Some of the advertising industry's biggest trade associations are asking California's attorney general to delay enforcement of the state's new privacy law — which is set for July 1— by at least six months. Full Article
science and technology California lost more manufacturing jobs to China than any other state, report says By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Jan 2020 10:30:36 -0500 California lost more manufacturing jobs to China than any other state. Full Article
science and technology Column: Your car dealer may be quietly selling your data to your insurer By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 31 Jan 2020 09:00:08 -0500 "There's a lot of information that gets traded" about people's driving habits, says an industry official. "It's amazing." Full Article
science and technology AB 5 is already changing how Uber works for California drivers and riders By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 3 Feb 2020 09:00:56 -0500 Responding to a new California labor law, Uber making concessions drivers have long sought. But it may change the service in ways that displease drivers and riders alike. Full Article
science and technology App made by Clinton campaign veterans' firm is behind Iowa caucuses debacle By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 4 Feb 2020 21:51:48 -0500 Shadow, a tech developer started by veterans of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential run, built the app being blamed for delaying Iowa Democratic caucus results. Full Article
science and technology Lazarus: Would you write a 5-star Amazon review in return for a $20 bribe? By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 4 Feb 2020 08:00:36 -0500 A Pasadena man found a card tucked away with his Amazon order offering a $20 payment in return for a glowing review — as long as he didn't tell anyone he'd been bribed. Full Article
science and technology Column: The Iowa caucuses' meltdown shows that tech isn't always the solution By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 4 Feb 2020 17:05:02 -0500 The Iowa caucuses teach a lesson that sometimes technology makes things worse. Full Article
science and technology Snap is still in comeback mode. But investors are getting impatient By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 6 Feb 2020 08:00:43 -0500 Snap's stock took a tumble after a disappointing year-end earnings report, but analysts say there's ample reason to think the company's upward trajectory will continue. Full Article
science and technology Misinformation about the coronavirus abounds, but correcting it can backfire By www.latimes.com Published On :: Sat, 8 Feb 2020 10:00:16 -0500 With so much false information circulating about the coronavirus outbreak, health officials are trying to set the record straight. Here's why that can backfire. Full Article
science and technology Column: Equifax left unencrypted data open to Chinese hackers. Most big U.S. companies are just as negligent By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 10 Feb 2020 16:28:32 -0500 Equifax, like most large U.S. companies, failed to encrypt the databases that store some of the most sensitive details of people's lives. Full Article
science and technology Bernie Sanders dominates Democrats in donations from tech workers By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 13 Feb 2020 06:00:04 -0500 Bernie Sanders, who has criticized Amazon's treatment of its blue-collar workforce, led the field of Democratic presidential hopefuls in donations from Amazon employees, with support from both warehouse workers and software engineers. Full Article
science and technology Apple store workers should be paid for time waiting to be searched, court rules By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 13 Feb 2020 16:57:07 -0500 A group of Apple workers filed a class-action lawsuit alleging they were required to submit to searches before leaving the stores but were not compensated for the time those searches required. Full Article
science and technology Happy Valentine's Day. Play a video game about breaking up By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 14 Feb 2020 07:00:24 -0500 Apartment: A Separated Place is an interactive tale about moving on. Full Article
science and technology New California labor law AB 5 is already changing how businesses treat workers By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 14 Feb 2020 09:00:39 -0500 California employers may dislike the new law on independent contractors, but they're devising a host of strategies to comply. Full Article
science and technology Uber shuts downtown L.A. office, laying off about 80 By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 18 Feb 2020 20:10:55 -0500 With little warning, Uber notified about 80 customer support workers in its Downtown L.A. office that it was offshoring their jobs to an office in Manila. Full Article
science and technology Column: Uber and Lyft increase traffic and pollution. Why do cities let it happen? By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 21 Feb 2020 09:00:15 -0500 Uber and Lyft bring plenty of drawbacks to cities, but solutions aren't easy to find. Full Article
science and technology Twitter is suspending 70 pro-Bloomberg accounts, citing 'platform manipulation' By www.latimes.com Published On :: Sat, 22 Feb 2020 00:40:09 -0500 Twitter said it would suspend 70 accounts posting content supporting the Michael Bloomberg campaign in a pattern that violates company rules. Full Article
science and technology 'Please disregard, vote for Bernie': Inside Bloomberg's paid social media army By www.latimes.com Published On :: Sun, 23 Feb 2020 08:00:32 -0500 Mike Bloomberg has hired hundreds of paid "digital organizers" to boost his presidential bid on social media. A look inside the operation reveals potential downsides to this approach. Full Article
science and technology Lazarus: It's time to regulate internet service like any other utility By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 25 Feb 2020 08:00:41 -0500 Telecom companies will do everything possible to protect shareholder value. That means offsetting losses in TV subscribers by increasing revenue from internet-only customers. Full Article
science and technology The new burger chef makes $3 an hour and never goes home. (It's a robot) By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Feb 2020 11:19:39 -0500 Robotic arms like Flippy from Miso Robotics are getting cheap enough to make financial sense for low-wage work. But there's an argument in the industry. Full Article