Blake Montgomery

New York

Tech editor @GuardianUS, science fiction writer, and a tale told by an idiot. Contact: [email protected], DMs, 650.731.5423.

Articles

Trump’s tech tariffs are total chaos - and everyone’s paying the price

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Blake Montgomery

Hello, and welcome to TechScape. Today’s news: Donald Trump’s tariffs spread confusion like a germ, tech takes two kinds of environmental tolls, Meta faces an antitrust trial, and I’ve been watching two excellent pieces of serialized fiction on Instagram and TikTok. Topsy-turvy tech tariffsWhen the president first announced sweeping tariffs on 75 countries’ exports to the US, analysts predicted the next iPhones Americans would buy would cost north of $2,000.
Tech’s Trump ties are starting to burn

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Blake Montgomery

Hello, and welcome to TechScape. It’s been a busy week in tech news: Donald Trump’s tariffs led to an enormous sell-off of tech stocks; Elon Musk and Trump are playing will they, won’t they with the billionaire’s departure from the White House; and TikTok has been temporarily rescued from a ban, yet again. Tech backs Trump, loses out with Trump’s tariffsThe US stock market has lost more value in the days since Trump announced sweeping tariffs than all US equities were worth in total in 1990.
How Tesla became a battleground for political protest

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Blake Montgomery

Over the weekend, protesters gathered at Tesla showrooms in hundreds of cities across the world to demonstrate against Elon Musk laying waste to the US government in alliance with Donald Trump. Their goal: stigmatize Tesla’s cars. One sign in Manhattan read: “Burn a Tesla, save democracy.” Protesters are using the commercial democracy of consumer products to influence US political democracy.
How and why parents and teachers are introducing young children to AI

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Blake Montgomery

Since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, generative artificial intelligence has trickled down from adults in their offices to university students in campus libraries to teenagers in high school hallways. Now it’s reaching the youngest among us, and parents and teachers are grappling with the most responsible way to introduce their under-13s to a new technology that may fundamentally reshape the future.
From spit to bankruptcy: the rise and fall of 23andMe

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Blake Montgomery

Hello, and welcome to TechScape. In this week’s edition: 23andMe files for bankruptcy, Nvidia forecasts a fusion of AI and robotics, and AI enables the creation of fiction at the pace of social media. Genetic testing firm 23andMe filed for bankruptcy on Monday. The CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki has stepped down after several attempts at a buyout. Once valued as high as $5.8bn in 2021, the company’s financial failure is the finale to a long decline.
Why is Elon Musk still CEO of Tesla?

1 month ago | msn.com | Blake Montgomery

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Why is Elon Musk still CEO of Tesla?

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Blake Montgomery

Hello, and welcome to TechScape. In this week’s edition: Elon Musk suffers the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Apple beats itself up over Siri, and Meta goes after one of its own over a tell-all book. Musk took a beating last week, as did TeslaMy colleague Nick Robins-Early reports:The past 10 days have marked several of the most significant setbacks for Musk in months.
Crypto reaps political rewards after spending big to boost Trump

1 month ago | msn.com | Blake Montgomery

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Crypto reaps political rewards after spending big to boost Trump

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Blake Montgomery

Hello, and welcome to TechScape. In this week’s edition, the crypto industry’s political investments pay off in spades, the left attempts to reclaim an optimistic view of our shiny technological future, and your memories of Skype. Why crypto is enjoying a political bonanzaThe US president hosted prominent crypto leaders at the White House on Friday in what seemed like a choreographed climax to weeks of handing the industry win after win.
Why Elon Musk is targeting a free tax-filing software package

1 month ago | msn.com | Blake Montgomery

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.