Libby Watson, Author at Gizmodo

Report: Phone Searches at US Border Set to Skyrocket in 2017

The recent anecdotal evidence of an increase in phone searches at the border turns out to be spot on. According to data obtained by NBC News, the number of phone searches at the border has skyrocketed this year, with more searches performed on phones in February 2017 than the entire year of 2015. The data…

Tech News Libby Watson Mar 13

Report Shows AT&T Ignores Poor Neighborhoods in Cleveland

There is a digital divide in America. Households in the bottom 20 percent of incomes are five times more likely not to have access to broadband than those in the top 20 percent. Yet this divide is often thought of as a rural versus urban divide. Yes, it’s expensive and difficult to run cables to…

Tech News Libby Watson Mar 10

Senator Has a Terrible Analogy About the Internet and Bridges He’d Like You to Hear

When it comes to the internet, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) is, it appears, dumb. Real dumb. Commissioners at the Federal Communications Commission appeared yesterday before the Senate Commerce Committee, and members of the world’s greatest deliberative body had their chance to grill them and get the answers that the people of this great nation need.…

Tech News Libby Watson Mar 9

The Top British Telly Americans Can Stream Right Now

Talk to any British expat in the US and ask them what they miss most from home, and it’s likely to be one of three things: free healthcare, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, and British TV. Specifically, Brits like me miss iPlayer, the BBC’s free service that allows you to stream BBC TV shows—if you’re in the…

Television Libby Watson Mar 7

Old Man’s AOL Account Hacked

Does your dad still use AOL? It’s like, ugh, daaaaad, get with the times, right? Apparently he’s not alone. The Indianapolis Star reported last night that Vice President Mike Pence used his personal AOL email for official business when he was governor of Indiana, and that the email address was hacked. The paper reports that…

Tech News Libby Watson Mar 3

Uber Sucks It Up and Finally Goes to the DMV Like Everyone Else

Remember when Uber was adamant it didn’t need a permit to put self-driving cars on the road in California? Well, you might say Uber just performed a U-turn! (Please, hold your applause.) The Mercury News reports that Uber will apply to the California DMV for a permit to operate its self-driving vehicles after all. The…

Tech News Libby Watson Mar 2

Uber Can’t Even Sign a Goddamn Letter Right

Uber, man… what are you doing? You keep fucking up so much. First there was the #deleteUber campaign, with more than 200,000 Uber customers deleting their accounts over Uber’s position on Trump’s economic advisory council. Next, the revelations from a former Uber employee detailing the culture of sexual harassment at the company. Then, incredibly, actual…

Tech News Libby Watson Mar 2

PSA: Charitable Donations Through PayPal May Never Reach Your Charity of Choice

If you’ve ever donated to a charity through PayPal’s fundraising platform, be warned: A lawsuit filed yesterday alleges that money given through Paypal’s Giving Fund may never actually reach the intended recipients. The lawsuit, reported by The Guardian, claims that PayPal holds onto donations intended for charities that aren’t registered with them and doesn’t “notify…

Tech News Libby Watson Mar 1

Republicans Want to Let ISPs Secretly Sell Your Data

Do you know what your internet service provider is doing with your data? You probably know that it can see the sites you’re visiting, but have you ever thought about whether it’s selling that information to advertisers? Anti-regulation officials are planning to make sure your ISP never has to tell you. In October 2016, the…

Tech News Libby Watson Mar 1

Billionaire Uber CEO Yells at Bankrupt Driver: ‘Some People Don’t Like to Take Responsibility’ [Update]

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick’s net worth is $6.3 billion, but if you’re a turd, you’re a turd, and all that wonderful cash can’t buy you a better personality. There’s a video to prove it: Bloomberg obtained footage of Kalanick getting into a heated argument with an Uber driver. Uber is having an absolutely miserable year,…

Tech News Libby Watson Feb 28

Facebook’s Day at CPAC, the Right Wing Nightmare Circus

For many Americans, life has been darker, bleaker, more difficult since Donald Trump was elected president. The clouds rolled in on November 8, and they have yet to part. Did we slip into an alternative universe, they wonder, where everything is just a little bit… wrong? Not so at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC),…

Social Media Libby Watson Feb 26

FCC Picks Worst Day Possible to Block Rules Protecting Personal Info [Update]

Until today, March 2 marked the date that internet service providers would be required to adopt “reasonable” measures to protect sensitive customer info like browsing histories, location data and Social Security numbers. Thanks to the Federal Communications Commission’s new leadership, however, that deadline will now be extended indefinitely, and we have no idea if or…

Privacy & Security Libby Watson Feb 24

FCC Decides Consumers Don’t Need Net Neutrality Transparency

Today, the FCC voted 2-1 to roll back enhanced net neutrality reporting requirements for smaller internet service providers. Previously, ISPs with less than 100,000 subscribers were exempt from reporting requirements; now, that number is 250,000. These rules, which will still apply to larger ISPs, require companies to provide information to customers on the price of…

Tech News Libby Watson Feb 23

Group That Takes Money From Tech Industry Complains That Tech Coverage Is Too Negative

If you read tech coverage a lot, you might be forgiven for thinking it’s a little toothless. From glowing profiles of tech CEOs to breathless coverage of new technology that may yet turn out to be garbage, tech journalists can often forget to take a step back and look critically at the claims made by…

Tech News Libby Watson Feb 23

Facebook Sponsors CPAC, Which Sucks And Is Bad

A month after Facebook sponsored an inauguration party with conservative website The Daily Caller, the social network shows no sign of slowing down its budding romance with the American right. Last night, The Daily Beast reported that Facebook is sponsoring the Conservative Political Action Conference, which begins today. CPAC is a yearly event, celebrating some…

Social Media Libby Watson Feb 22

What Happened to Google Fiber?

For a long time, Google Fiber was the most exciting broadband provider out there. Cities wanted it, tech people drooled over it; and on a loftier level, it even promised to help bridge the “digital divide” between rich and poor. But now, things are looking bleak: Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that Google Fiber is being scaled…

Tech News Libby Watson Feb 16

Members of Trump’s Club Can Just Pose With the President’s Nuclear Codes Guy Now

Do you have $200,000 and a fascination with the prospect of nuclear annihilation? You may want to look into purchasing a membership at Mar-a-Lago, the “winter White House,” where this weekend some guy posted a selfie with the Trump aide who carries the United States’ nuclear football. Richard DeAgazio, an investor and actor, posted several…

Privacy & Security Libby Watson Feb 13

Trump FCC Chair’s Promise to Expand America’s Broadband Is Empty

Since becoming chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai has claimed he will make broadband access one of his “top priorities.” He has repeatedly vowed to work to fix the “digital divide” between “those who can use cutting-edge communications services and those who do not.” But everything he has done so far has indicated that the…

Tech News Libby Watson Feb 10

Republicans Aim to Kill Election Technology Standards Agency

In a party line vote, the House Administration Committee voted today to kill the Election Assistance Committee, which sets federal standards for voting technology. If the bill becomes law, it could affect efforts to protect US elections from cyber attacks, further indicating that Republicans aren’t all that bothered by the threat of election hacking. The…

Tech News Libby Watson Feb 7

TV Maker Vizio to Pay Out Millions After Secretly Collecting Customer Data

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it has reached a settlement with Vizio, which it alleged misled customers about what data its smart TVs were collecting. Vizio agreed to pay $2.2 million in penalties, including $1.5 million to the FTC and $1 million to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, with $300,000 suspended.…

Gadgets Libby Watson Feb 6

Libby Watson

Report: Phone Searches at US Border Set to Skyrocket in 2017

Report Shows AT&T Ignores Poor Neighborhoods in Cleveland

Senator Has a Terrible Analogy About the Internet and Bridges He’d Like You to Hear

The Top British Telly Americans Can Stream Right Now

Old Man’s AOL Account Hacked

Uber Sucks It Up and Finally Goes to the DMV Like Everyone Else

Uber Can’t Even Sign a Goddamn Letter Right

PSA: Charitable Donations Through PayPal May Never Reach Your Charity of Choice

Republicans Want to Let ISPs Secretly Sell Your Data

Billionaire Uber CEO Yells at Bankrupt Driver: ‘Some People Don’t Like to Take Responsibility’ [Update]

Facebook’s Day at CPAC, the Right Wing Nightmare Circus

FCC Picks Worst Day Possible to Block Rules Protecting Personal Info [Update]

FCC Decides Consumers Don’t Need Net Neutrality Transparency

Group That Takes Money From Tech Industry Complains That Tech Coverage Is Too Negative

Facebook Sponsors CPAC, Which Sucks And Is Bad

What Happened to Google Fiber?

Members of Trump’s Club Can Just Pose With the President’s Nuclear Codes Guy Now

Trump FCC Chair’s Promise to Expand America’s Broadband Is Empty

Republicans Aim to Kill Election Technology Standards Agency

TV Maker Vizio to Pay Out Millions After Secretly Collecting Customer Data

The Nazis’ Most Notoriously Complex Cryptographic Machine Is Now Available Online

‘Good Omens’ Season 3 Is Still Just One Episode, Despite Being Called That

Steam Gaming Has Arrived on Apple Vision Pro, and It’s Unexpectedly Glorious

RFK Jr. Will Take on Joe Rogan for Podcaster Supremacy

The Spymaster’s Guide to the Secret Agencies of ‘Star Trek’

Uber Is Testing Driverless Volkswagen ID. Buzz Vans in Los Angeles

Cast Adrift, Meta Employees Have No Idea Who the ‘Token Legend’ Is Anymore

Microsoft Office 2024 and Windows 11 Pro Bundle Hits 76% Off, a Complete PC Setup for Less

You Can Add ‘Lamp That Folds Your Laundry’ to the List of Doomed Startups

Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse Is Back at Almost 40% Off, Save Your Wrists with Ergonomic Comfort for Less

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws