With little debate, the US Senate voted 65 to 34 Thursday to renew the law authorizing key surveillance programs run by the National Security Agency. The programs, known as Prism and Upstream, allow the NSA to collect online communications of foreigners outside the US. Prism collects these communications from internet services, and Upstream taps in …

Is it or isn’t it? There was some confusion when news first hit last week that researchers had found serious flaws, called Spectre and Meltdown, in many of the chips that power computers and phones. Yes, chips from Intel and Arm were affected, but what about chips from AMD?  AMD on Thursday put out a new statement that left no room …

Your Mac has another bug that lets people log in without your password. But unlike the last time this happened, it only leaves your computer exposed to a bit of mischief. That proviso won’t stop the bug from raising concerns about the overall quality of Apple’s software. But it means the flaw doesn’t hand anyone the keys to the kingdom. …

At CES 2018, it’s clear technology is expanding health care beyond the doctor’s office. A world of connected devices can track your vital signs, take an EKG or monitor your exposure to UV rays. That data might lead to guidance for patients trying to build up healthy habits, or to insights that help doctors do their jobs. But there’s such …

Apple on Monday released an update to iOS, the software that runs iPhones and iPads, that fixes a major problem that haunted the processors in those devices.  The flaw, dubbed Spectre by the researchers who found it, made the silicon chips vulnerable to a hacking attack that could reveal secret information your devices normally keep locked down. The update comes …

Want to cuddle up with a sloth? Instagram would like to have a word with you about that. The photo-sharing social media site said Monday it will show users pop-up warnings when they use hashtags associated with wildlife tourism. The warning: that snuggly creature could be living a life of misery. “The protection and safety of the natural world are …

The Federal Communications Commission shouldn’t vote on whether to end net neutrality just yet, a group of 28 senators said in a letter sent Monday.  It needs to first investigate claims that hundreds of thousands — and perhaps millions — of public comments on the controversial policy change appear to have been made by bots posing as regular people, they …

Fans will get closure on “House of Cards,” and Kevin Spacey won’t be involved. Netflix said Monday that it would produce a sixth — and final — season of the political thriller to stream in 2018. The TV streaming company put the brakes on production of the show in November after allegations that Spacey, its star, had sexually harassed and …

Wherever you take your phone, your wireless provider knows. And these days, you take your phone everywhere.  So if they want to, law enforcement investigators can go back in time and trace your every movement by getting your location records from your wireless provider. But do they need a warrant to do that? That’s the question at stake in a …

Uber is in hot water for waiting a whole year to announce a data breach of information on 57 million users, and not just with angry riders and drivers. The company is now under a microscope with regulators, who want to enforce rules that required the company to come clean sooner.  The New York State Attorney General has opened an …