Devin Coldewey
Writer & Photographer
The Latest from Devin Coldewey
‘Plundervolt’ attack breaches chip security with a shock to the system
Today's devices have been secured against innumerable software attacks, but a new exploit called Plundervolt uses distinctly physical means to compromise a chip's security. By fiddling with the actual
China moves to ban foreign software and hardware from state offices
China has reportedly ordered all foreign PC hardware and operating systems to be replaced in the next three years, intensifying an ongoing tech war. The country has attempted this sort of thing before
Uber’s fatal accident tally shows low rates but excludes key numbers
Uber's U.S. Safety Report sets forth in some detail the number of fatal accidents, and the good news is that the overall rate per mile is about half the national average. But the report makes some puz
Scammers peddling Islamophobic clickbait is business as usual at Facebook
A run-of-the-mill money-making operation used tawdry, hateful clickbait and evaded Facebook's apparently negligible protections.
Finally, an official Craigslist app
Fancy websites and services come and go, but Craigslist endures. And now one of its main shortcomings is fixed: there's an official app. Currently available for iOS and in beta for Android, the app pr
This 16-game arcade for AIs tests their playing prowess
Figuring out just what an AI is good at is one of the hardest thing about understanding them. To help determine this, OpenAI has designed a set of games that can help researchers tell whether their ma
The remains of India’s first lunar lander have been found on the Moon
India's Vikram lander was very near making its proud creators the fourth country in history to touch down on the moon — but it was not to be, and the craft was lost. Now India has a bit of closure:
‘Carpentry Compiler’ turns 3D models to instructions on how to build them
Even to an experienced carpenter, it may not be obvious what the best way is to build a structure they’ve designed. A new digital tool, Carpentry Compiler, provides a way forward, converting the
Scientists turn undersea fiber optic cables into seismographs
Monitoring seismic activity all over the world is an important task, but one that requires equipment to be at the site it's measuring — difficult in the middle of the ocean. But new research from Be
Gift Guide: Photography accessories for the shutterbug in your life
Welcome to TechCrunch’s 2019 Holiday Gift Guide! Need help with gift ideas? We’re here to help! We’ll be rolling out gift guides from now through the end of December. You can find ou
Apple and Google Maps accommodate Russia’s annexation of Crimea
Global politics are difficult to navigate ordinarily, but in times of conflict companies that aim to provide an unbiased service, such as a map or search function, may have to come down on one side or
This robot scientist has conducted 100,000 experiments in a year
Science is exciting in theory, but it can also be dreadfully dull. Some experiments require hundreds or thousands of repetitions or trials — an excellent opportunity to automate. That's just what MI
Report alleges Amazon worked with Indiana to downplay warehouse worker’s death and safety concerns
It's strange that no matter how hard Amazon denies that its warehouses are terrible, dangerous places to work, the reports to that effect just keep coming out. Not only that, but now a whistleblower a
Inside the Instagram AI that fills Explore with fresh, juicy content
Instagram has posted an article describing the behind-the-scenes machinery that fills the Explore tab in Instagram with new, interesting stuff every time you open it. It's a bit technical, so here are
NASA’s space pallet concept could land rovers on the moon cheaply and simply
Establishing an enduring presence on the Moon will mean making a lot of landings — and NASA researchers want to make those landings as reliable and cheap as possible. This robotic "pallet lander" co
More than 1 million T-Mobile customers exposed by breach
T-Mobile has confirmed a data breach affecting more than a million of its customers, whose personal data (but no financial or password data) was exposed to a malicious actor. The company alerted the a
Chinese spy defects to Australia, alleging election interference and cybercrimes
A purported agent of the Chinese intelligence service is seeking asylum in Australia, bringing with him explosive allegations of widespread interference in political affairs in that country, Taiwan, a
Microsoft adds Māori to translator as New Zealand pushes to revitalize the language
The benefits of machine translation are easy to see and experience for ourselves, but those practical applications are only one part of what makes the technology valuable. Microsoft and the government
FCC bans spending on Huawei, ZTE and other ‘national security threats’
The FCC has finally put the seal of approval on its plan to cut funding to hardware from companies it deems a "national security threat," currently an exclusive club of two: Huawei and ZTE.
Y Combinator abruptly shutters YC China
Prolific startup accelerator Y Combinator has abandoned plans to establish a branch of the program in China. The company cites a general change in strategy, but a deafening silence on the complexity a