The Why Axis
The most important technology stories of the moment, visualized
Latest Stories
Surprise! 90% of Americans Think iPhones Cost Too Much
Respondents in a recent survey overwhelmingly feel that Apple's phones are overpriced, yet two out of five would go into credit card debt to get the iPhone 16.
On Speed, T-Mobile Is First in Mobile Broadband, AT&T in Home Internet
T-Mobile's 'Speed Score' is more than twice that of AT&T and Verizon, according to Ookla Speedtest data, which also reveals large gaps in connection speeds between states.
Beware: These Are the Brands Scammers Impersonate the Most
Be on the lookout for urgent requests from Best Buy, Amazon, or Microsoft, the FTC warns. They're probably scams and could result in huge losses.
Which Tech Company Has the Worst Reputation?
Ouch: X is ahead of only the Trump Organization in the latest Axios/Harris poll.
The Internet Is Not Forever: 38% of Web Pages From 2013 No Longer Exist
A Pew report on 'digital decay' also finds tweets to be an increasingly ephemeral medium.
The Most-Watched YouTube Videos of All Time Have Something in Common
The top 10 videos on YouTube have all racked up over 5 billion views, but there's also another trait that ties them together.
The Top 10 Most-Streamed Spotify Songs of All Time
Spotify has been keeping streaming stats since 2008, and in that time, a select few songs have racked up billions of plays. Here's a rundown of the platform's biggest hits.
People in These States Search for AI Tools Way More Than The Rest of Us
An analysis of work-related search trends across the US reveals that certain states are far more interested in artificial intelligence than others.
Be Careful: These Are the Most Common Types of Smartphone Damage
Water is no longer a smartphone killer. It drops to number five on Allstate Protection Plans' list of most frequent mobile device accidents and malfunctions in 2023.
Let's-a-Go! These Vintage '90s Games Sell for a Small Fortune in 2024
Resellers of popular video games like Mario for N64 can expect over $20,000 per game. Here are the top 10 most valuable.
2023 Was The Worst Year Yet For Data Breaches in Every Way—Except One
According to data from the Identity Theft Resource Center, the total number of cybercrime victims was down in 2023, but everything else was way up.
As Major News Sites Block ChatGPT, the Future of AI Gets Murky
Many major publications have begun blocking AI chatbots from using their content. Here's a full rundown of who's doing it, and what it might mean for the internet at large.
This EV Battery Tech Could Make Lithium-Ion Obsolete
A new report analyzes patent data for 12 battery types and predicts which is most likely to disrupt the industry with ultra-fast-charging and next-level range.
Girl Dinner Playlist? Spotify Wrapped Reveals Our 2023 Meme Obsessions
Our Roman Empire is just how much Spotify knows about us collectively.
Here's What a Year of Smart Vibrator Data Tells Us About Female Orgasms
Forget Spotify Wrapped: The 'Pleasure Wrapped' year-end data review from vibrator manufacturer Lioness is way more fun.
Content Is King: Which Streaming Services Have the Best Selection?
We asked our readers to rank their favorite streaming services based on their programming. Here's how they stack up.
These Seemingly Innocent Search Terms Could Lead Kids to Malware-Filled Websites
The internet is a minefield of malware, and it's particularly perilous when you search for stuff that's popular with kids.
How Long Do EV Batteries Last? New Research Suggests It's Way Longer Than You Might Think
An independent analysis of 15,000 EV batteries finds that most don't need to be replaced until they're well over a decade old.
OpenAI, Meta, and Google Score Appallingly Low on Stanford’s New AI Transparency Test
A new scoring system ranks 10 of the largest AI models based on how much we know about them. The results are dismal across the board, but open-source models could offer some hope.
The Internet Is Full of Deepfakes, and Most of Them Are Porn
The amount of deepfake porn on the web skyrocketed between 2019 and 2023, and that boom is causing serious problems for women.
