The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Chipmakers are already scrapping for the $52 billion CHIPS funding
While the cash is a welcome boost to the industry, the struggle is far from over. (FT $)
2 The software that manages organ transplants is dangerously outdated
Exasperated transplant doctors say the system is endangering lives. (WP $)
+ The UK’s health service will use AI to detect and treat people at risk of hepatitis C. (The Guardian)
+ A new storage technique could vastly expand the number of livers available for transplant. (MIT Technology Review)
3 Covid dealt Americans’ health a savage blow
The extent of which is only now becoming clear. (WSJ $)
+ Anti-aging drugs are being tested as a way to treat covid. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Elon Musk is countersuing Twitter
But details are being kept under wraps. (CNBC)
+ Here’s what could happen next. (NY Mag $)
+ Musk has suggested that interactions between Twitter accounts have dropped. (Insider $)
5 Data brokers are selling data on billions of potentially pregnant people
While the true number of individuals is unclear, it has chilling implications in a post-Roe world. (Gizmodo)
6 Top livestreamers are being harassed and stalked offline
Obsessive fans are exploiting the intimacy that has become the stars’ calling card. (NYT $)
+ China wants to control how its famous livestreamers act, speak, and even dress. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Part of China’s most powerful rocket crashed back to Earth
NASA was unimpressed by the country’s failure to issue a warning about the falling debris. (NBC)
+ The organization is sending a couple of helicopters to Mars. (Spectrum IEEE)
+ Here’s what you might have missed from those James Webb Space Telescope pictures. (BigThink)
8 True crypto believers are keeping the faith
They’re keeping calm and carrying on, even if other investors aren’t. (WSJ $)
+ Bitcoin’s recovery month was short and sweet. (Bloomberg $)
+ It’s safe to say advice from these “cryptovoyants” should be taken with a mountain of salt. (Sifted)
+ Forget breakfast, Tiffany is getting into NFTs. (CNET)
+ Crypto bros are offloading their pricey Rolexes after the crash. (NY Mag $)
9 These scientists want to use AI to talk to animals
The problem is, a lot of animal communication is rooted in physical movement. (The Guardian)
+ It’s much easier for AI to show us what traffic-free cities look like. (Motherboard)
10 VR’s biggest problem? It doesn’t stink enough
While scent could make it a lot more immersive, it could also be a whole lot more disgusting. (Wired $)
Quote of the day
“I can’t control the price of eggs or milk. If it goes up it just goes up. I still need it.”
—Shannon Villa, who works in an Amazon warehouse, describes how he and his family are being forced to cope with rising prices for shoppers across the US to the Washington Post.
The big story