2025’s Best Phones Were Also Its Wackiest

If anything, iPhones and Pixels are practically vanilla. The next generation is thinner, more transparent, and folds in half. That’s a good thing.

The Gloves Are Off in the Fight for Your Right to Repair

This year, the right-to-repair movement got a boost from—surprisingly—big tech, tariffs, and economic downturn. But the companies controlling who fixes their stuff aren’t giving up that power willingly.

The Age of the All-Access AI Agent Is Here

Big AI companies courted controversy by scraping wide swaths of the public internet. With the rise of AI agents, the next data grab is far more private.

Big Balls Was Just the Beginning

DOGE dominated the news this year as Elon Musk’s operatives shook up several US government agencies. It’s far from over.

Chinese Crypto Scammers on Telegram Are Fueling the Biggest Darknet Markets Ever

Online black markets once lurked in the shadows of the dark web. Today, they’ve moved onto public platforms like Telegram—and are racking up historic illicit fortunes.

Politics Is Fandom; Fascism Is Fanfic

From Zohran Mamdani’s campaign to the US government’s Halo memes, fandom has become the defining language of US politics.

How Elon Musk Won His No Good, Very Bad Year

The billionaire’s involvement with the Trump administration and DOGE had deep impacts on Tesla’s bottom line. But Elon Musk was still able to turn his attention to SpaceX.

Tech Disrupted Friendship. It’s Time to Bring It Back

Two decades ago social media promised to connect people with pals far and wide. Twenty years online has left us turning to AI for kinship. IRL companionship is the future.