Alasdair Allan
editors@motherboard.tvAlasdair Allan is a scientist, author, and hacker. Originally an astrophysicist he now works as a consultant and journalist, focusing on open hardware, security, and emerging technologies. In the past he has mesh networked the Moscone Center, caused a U.S. Senate hearing, and contributed to the detection of what was—at the time—the most distant object yet discovered. Be sure to follow him on Twitter at @aallan.
How I Discovered the First Big Mobile Privacy Scandal
That smartphones can track our every movement seems obvious today, but in 2011 we weren't quite used to the idea.
Don't Draw the Wrong Conclusions from the WannaCry Ransomware Outbreak
"Treat the underlying culture that made this possible, not the symptoms."
Uber Fingerprinting Users Shows the Danger of Thinking All Technology Is Magic
When "always be hustling" catches up with you.
Why an ‘Assembled in America’ iPhone Won’t Bring Back Skilled Manufacturing Jobs
It’s going to take a lot more than a trade war with China to stop forces like automation from transforming manufacturing.
The Internet of Things Is Just a Pit Stop On the Way to Smart Dust
Over the next decade or two we can expect to see general purpose computing, sensors, and wireless networking, all bundled up in millimeter-scale sensor motes that can drift in the air currents around us.
The Arrival of Artificially Intelligent Beer
The world’s first beer brewed with the help of machine intelligence is now on sale.
Why ARM's Sale to SoftBank Could Fund a New 'PayPal Mafia'
Although the initial shock may have worn off, the long term implications Monday’s controversial buyout offer for British technology firm ARM, by the Japanese giant SoftBank, are still unclear.
The End of Moore's Law Might Not Be A Bad Thing
It’s possible your children will grow up with computers that are not much faster than you use today. But it might not matter, because we may well have reached the point where our computing is “good enough.”
Why the Internet of Things May Change How We View Privacy
Mark Zuckerberg famously claimed that privacy was no longer “a social norm,” but the new social norm may not long survive the coming of the Internet of Things.