WSJ Tech News Briefing
Tech News Briefing is your guide to what people in tech are talking about. Every weekday, we’ll bring you breaking tech news and scoops from the pros at the Wall Street Journal, insight into new innovations and policy debates, tips from our personal tech team, and exclusive interviews with movers and shakers in the industry.
2151
Facebook Unveils Privacy and Download Tools
Facebook has introduced new tools aimed at better protecting users' data. The Wall Street Journal's Katie Bindley says one tool lets users see and delete their browsing history. The other is an updated tool that allows you to download more of your information.
9 min
2152
Video Game Headset Sales Shine, Thanks to 'Fort...
The popularity of big, online multiplayer games has boosted sales of headsets. One game in particular that has spurred headset demand is "Fortnite," according to the Wall Street Journal's Sarah E. Needleman.
7 min
2153
Amazon's Sucker Punch Doubles Profit
Amazon delivered a double punch, reporting its best revenue growth in more than six years while topping $1 billion in profit for the second straight quarter. The Wall Street Journal's Laura Stevens talks where the tech giant goes from here.
7 min
2154
Snap Tries Again With High-Tech 'Spectacles'
Snap is trying a reboot with its video-recording sunglasses, Spectacles, that had a splashy debut-and then fizzled-when introduced just over 18 months ago. The Wall Street Journal's Georgia Wells has more.
6 min
2155
Google's New Gmail: A Review
For its Gmail redesign, Google put tasks, calendars, notes and email on a single screen, so now you can live your whole work life in one app. The Wall Street Journal's David Pierce has more.
9 min
2156
Can Google Keep Its Success Secret?
As Google parent Alphabet posts surging profits, its strong advertising growth shines fresh light on a controversial business. The Wall Street Journal's Dan Gallagher has more.
8 min
2157
Amazon's Median Pay Wage? $28446 a Year
Median pay at Amazon reveals the predominantly blue-collar nature of its workforce, which sets it apart from tech peers Facebook, Apple and Google-parent Alphabet. The Wall Street Jouranl's Theo Francis has more.
7 min
2158
Facebook Cleared By Audit Despite Data Leak
An auditor reviewing Facebook's privacy gave it a clean bill of health in a report to federal authorities last year -- well after the revelation Cambridge Analytica improperly obtained users' data. The Wall Street Journal's Deepa Seetharaman has more.
7 min
2159
Flip Phones Are Back. Can They Sway iPhone Users?
Flip phones and candy bars are back. The Wall Street Journal's David Pierce explains how simple devices with low prices, long battery lives and some modern conveniences might just save you from your smartphone.
7 min
2160
Facebook Previews Its Privacy Makeover
In a preview of how Facebook is changing its privacy policies, the site will start asking European users for permission to use their personal data. The Wall Street Journal's Deepa Seetharaman has more.
6 min
2161
3-D Printed Buildings: Tech's Twist on Construc...
3-D printed buildings are finally happening. The Wall Street Journal's Christopher Mims joins Annmarie Fertoli with the latest innovation in concrete jail cells, foam homeless shelters and earthquake-proof bungalows.
8 min
2162
Tesla vs. NTSB: Elon Musk's Strategy of Defiance
Tesla's public feud with the National Transportation Safety Board is highly unusual in business, but classic Elon Musk. The Wall Street Journal's Tim Higgins has the latest.
8 min
2163
How 'Fortnite' Helped Parents Like Videogames
These days, online multiplayer videogames like "Fortnite" let teens and tweens socialize while playing -- slowly changing how parents perceive gaming. The Wall Street Journal's Sarah E. Needleman has more.
7 min
2164
Fed Up With Facebook? Try Fewer Friends
Too many Facebook friends might be the reason you don't like Facebook anymore. The Wall Street Journal's David Pierce says the more your social networks reflect your real-life social networks, the more you'll enjoy using them -- and the safer you'll be.
8 min
2165
Facebook's Crisis-Management: Experts Rate Zuck...
The Wall Street Journal had crisis experts rate and react to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony in front of U.S. Congress this week. Deputy Bureau Chief for Management and Careers John Simons has more.
8 min
2166
Facebook's Zuckerberg Grilled on Capitol Hill
At a packed Senate hearing on the misuse of consumers' data, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the social-media giant's value and apologized for the company's missteps.
5 min
2167
Artificial Intelligence: Your New Human Resourc...
Human-resource departments are becoming a bit less human as companies turn to artificial intelligence for help with hiring and firing. The Wall Street Journal's Imani Moise discusses how AI tools offer instant insights that once took months to process.
6 min
2168
Amazon's Alexa to Pay Friends Soon?
Amazon is considering whether to use Alexa as a person-to-person payments feature, a move that would push it into new competition with Venmo and big banks' payments efforts. The Wall Street Journal's AnnaMaria Andriotis has the latest.
8 min
2169
Apple's 'Do Not Disturb' Curbs Phone Addiction
As smartphones become more and more addictive, the Wall Street Journal's David Pierce offers a few tricks and tips to pull yourself back into the real world.
9 min
2170
Zuckerberg Says Facebook Made 'Huge Mistake'
As Facebook continues to battle concerns about privacy and trust, CEO Mark Zuckerberg says during a conference call with the press that he made a "huge mistake" in not focusing more on potential abuse. The Wall Street Journal's Georgia Wells has the latest.
5 min
2171
Apple Pushes Apple Pay on iPhone Users
The Wall Street Journal's Tripp Mickle discusses how Apple's tactic of using notifications to enroll iPhone users in Apple Pay has worked with some users but irritated others.
5 min
2172
Spotify: Keeping Apple, Amazon, Alphabet on Point
Spotify is the global leader in music streaming, but as the company officially goes public, the Wall Street Journal's Anne Steele rounds up its top competitors working to win over artists and listeners.
7 min
2173
What You'll Find If You Download Your Facebook ...
Facebook has admitted that user data on its site was mishandled. But exactly what kind of data are we talking about? The Wall Street Journal's Katie Bindley says Facebook users can get a lot of details by downloading their data.
8 min
2174
Best Windows Laptops $1,000 Bucks Can Buy
Since most Windows laptops have a pricing sweet spot at about $1,000, the Wall Street Journal's David Pierce breaks down the best options from Microsoft, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Acer -- and zeroes in on his best overall pick.
8 min
2175
Apple's Dozens of Lawsuits Over iPhone Throttling
Dozens of iPhone owners are taking Apple to court over the disclosure that it slowed down old phones to preserve battery life. The Wall Street Journal's Tripp Mickle has more on what could become one of the biggest legal challenges to the smartphone since its 2007 debut.
6 min