Technology

People have been keeping personal diaries for several millenniums, but free smartphone apps now let you capture much more than words. Read full article

A 28-year-old woman with a busy social life spends hours on end talking to her A.I. boyfriend for advice and consolation. And yes, they do have sex. Read full article

A nonprofit runs the app with volunteers and full-time employees, including retired firefighters and dispatchers, to provide live updates on fire conditions. Read full article

The company said in a memo sent to its employees on Tuesday that the layoffs would be based on performance ratings. Read full article

The justices, who asked tough questions of both sides, showed skepticism toward arguments by lawyers for TikTok and its users. Read full article

The lawsuit accuses Arity, an Allstate subsidiary, of collecting data about people’s driving behavior through mobile phone apps, leading to increases in drivers’ insurance rates. Read full article

Billions in advertising flows through TikTok, which could be banned in the U.S. as soon as Jan. 19. Brands and creators are racing to prepare. Read full article

The justices are expected to rule quickly in the case, which pits national security concerns about China against the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. Read full article

The court, which hears arguments on Friday in a challenge to a law banning the app, has issued varying rulings when those two interests clashed. Read full article

Cargo could stop flowing at East and Gulf Coast ports, which handle most imports, if a union and an employers’ group can’t agree on the use of machines that can operate without humans. Read full article