Recommended from Around the Web (Week Ending March 14, 2014)
A roundup of the most interesting stories from other sites, collected by the staff at MIT Technology Review.
Life with Tesla Model S: One Year and 15,000 Miles Later
A Tesla owner unveils some of the annoyances of life with a Model S. But he still loves the car.
—Kevin Bullis, senior editor, energy
The Garbage Man
Unmaking products and turning them into new material—one man’s obsession.
—Colby Wheeler, manager of information technology
The Data Brokers Selling Your Personal Information
This report on data brokers on 60 Minutes doesn’t break as much ground as it claims; much of this has been reported before. But it does a great job of tying it all together.
—Brian Bergstein, deputy editor
The Monitored Man
A brave reporter tries several self-tracking devices to determine the potential, and the limits, of the latest high-tech health fad.
—Will Knight, news and analysis editor
What You Think You Know About the Web Is Wrong
An interesting piece by the CEO of ChartBeat on the metrics that dominate Web publishing, and the importance of trying to gauge attention.
—Will Knight
Snowden’s Solution: More Encryption, Better Watchdogs
Geeky Women Break Up the Bromance at South by Southwest
The annual South by Southwest Technology Conference gets a virtual visit from Edward Snowden and has women challenging the traditional gender bias in tech.
—J. Juniper Friedman, editorial assistant
Will the Real Satoshi Nakamoto Please Stand Up?
Here’s a fun one, where the NYT called a ton of Satoshi Nakamotos in Japan. Apparently “Nakamoto” is the 487th most popular surname there.
—Rachel Metz, IT editor, Web and social media
Drowning in Light
A long read on the addiction to light we humans take for granted, and ignore, to our psycho-biological and economic peril.
—Kyanna Sutton, senior Web producer
How the NSA Plans to Infect Millions of Computers with Malware
Yet another report about the NSA’s dubious efforts to extend its surveillance abilities. This one centers on a bonkers-sounding effort to create AI-managed malware.
—Will Knight
Bill Gates: The Rolling Stone Interview
This massive Q&A with Bill Gates covers a wide range of timely topics. It’s worth your time.
—Mike Orcutt, research editor
Goodbye One Laptop Per Child
A provocative post from a community working on the One Laptop per Child philanthropic effort declares the effort dying—at least as a provider iconic, cute, rugged hardware.
—David Talbot, chief correspondent