Where Rochester Ranks in Tech Salaries

Rochester is nowhere near the top of the list of best-paying cities for tech workers, Business.org reports. In its study of 100 U.S. metros, Rochester ranked third from the bottom. Tech workers in Rochester on average make $69,000, a 9 percent decrease from last year.

2_STARTUPS

How Charlotte Became a Startup Hot Spot

Charlotte, the fifth-fastest growing city in the U.S. last year, is both attracting major corporations and sprouting dozens of new startups across a wide spectrum of industries, Fortune reports. It is luring people from across the country with the promise of a better quality of life and a lower cost of living.

3_BUSINESS

Facebook’s Historic $5 Billion Fine

The U.S. government on Wednesday issued an unprecedented rebuke of Facebook, charging that the company deceived its users and “undermined” choices they made to protect their data, the Washington Post reports. In a settlement with the FTC, the tech giant is required to pay $5 billion and submit to significant federal oversight. But, Slate says, don't be too impressed by the FTC rebuke.

4_BUSINESS

Be a Tech Business ... or Else

Stitch Fix CEO Katrina Lake says traditional retail businesses face an existential decision. “If you want to be relevant 10 years from now, every company is going to be a tech company,” Lake said on the latest episode of Recode Decode with Kara Swisher.

5_TECHNOLOGY

The ‘Smart’ Cities Myth

Toronto and other cities around the world are racing to declare themselves “smart”—using sensors, data and ubiquitous cameras to make themselves more efficient, safe and sustainable. But Shoshanna Saxe, an assistant professor of civil and mineral engineering at the University of Toronto, writes in the New York Times that these cities will be exceedingly complex to manage, and often, “dumb” cities will do better than smart ones.

6_PRIVACY

Leaking Data Through Browser Extensions

As many as 4 million people have Web browser extensions that sell their every click. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, the Washington Post reports.

7_SOCIAL MEDIA

He Built the Retweet … and Regrets It

Developer Chris Wetherell built Twitter’s retweet button. And he regrets what he did to this day, BuzzFeed reports. “We might have just handed a 4-year-old a loaded weapon,” Wetherell recalled thinking as he watched the first Twitter mob use the tool he created.

8_APPS

Google’s Stripped-Down Photos Alternative

Google has boosted its app lineup for Android Go—a lightweight alternative of its operating system for low-end phones—with a new addition: Gallery Go, a stripped-down substitute for Photos that uses machine learning to automatically organize your photos. According to The Next Web, the best part about the new app is that it also works offline.

9_GADGETS

The Best Tech Gifts for Under $25

In a world where you can get a functioning computer for $5, drawing up a list of the best tech gifts for under $25 is no simple task. Digital Trends tackled it, anyway.

10_SAY WHAT?

Renaissance AI

A new algorithm goes one step further that most AI art projects by creating portraits entirely from scratch, Fast Company reports. AI Portrait Ars uses a machine learning system to conjure up new, Renaissance-like paintings that evoke your likeness. Upload your portrait to the project’s website and it will generate a unique work of art that looks like it was painted by an old master, but with your face.