Technology

This club in the Netherlands offers a much-needed break from technology

Internet

Most people are at least a little addicted to their phones. In the Netherlands, three young Dutchmen came up with an idea to counteract that. It’s called the Offline Club, where attendees pay for the opportunity to spend an evening phone-free.

How AI is helping to recreate childhood memories

EU threatens to shut down popular app that pays users to watch videos

Arts, Culture & Media
Illustration by Megan J. Goff

Inside the i-Soon papers and China’s secret world of hackers-for-hire

Hacking
A view of the process on a montior as lab staff use a microscope stand and articulated hand controls to extract cells from 1-7 day old embryos that are then checked for viability at the Aspire Houston Fertility Institute in vitro fertilization lab in Hous

Why an international court struck down Costa Rica’s IVF ban

Reproductive rights
Black blue and gray illustration of people coming out of phones

Spyware found on phones in Jordan

Hacking

According to a recent report, dozens of journalists, human rights workers and political activists in Jordan have been targeted with Pegasus spyware over the past few years. It’s one of the most widespread uses of spyware on civil society. Dina Temple-Raston, host and managing editor of the Recorded Future News podcast “Click Here,” has the story.

Illustration by Megan J. Goff

Threat-hunter says Iran is stepping up the sophistication of its cyberattacks

Cybersecurity

In the months since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, Iran has increased its cyber-hacking operations, according to Gil Messing, the chief of staff at Tel Aviv-based Check Point Software. The “Click Here” podcast talks to Messing about the latest.

Blue, gray and white illustration of flys in cage

China’s dominant role in producing hacking bugs

Global Security

The art of hacking has become stealthier and smarter over the years. Chinese hackers can hide the code they use to infiltrate systems worldwide. These include vulnerabilities that attackers can use to sneak into a computer network. Exploits allow them to start stealing data once they are inside. “Click Here’s” Dina Temple-Raston reports on how they can do this.

Group of people at night sitting on motorized wheelchairs

Wheelchair tours show Colombia’s Medellín from a different perspective

In Colombia, one company is introducing visitors to the city of Medellín by taking them around on wheelchairs that are pulled by electric handbikes and can reach speeds of about 25 mph. The tours are led by people with disabilities and are part of a broader effort to make the city more accessible to all, led by a very persistent businessman. Manuel Rueda reports.

Åsa Koski started the Säg hej! campaign in Sweden to get people to interact more with each other to combat widespread loneliness.

The ‘Say Hi’ campaign in Sweden is helping to combat loneliness

Lifestyle

Åsa Koski, a social strategist with the Luleå municipality in northern Sweden, started the Säg hej! (“Say hi!”) campaign to try and get people to interact more with each other to combat widespread loneliness.