Our Tech Column was made possible by the fine folks at Mozilla Firefox.  The nonprofit Mozilla Foundation believes the Internet must always remain a global public resource that is open and accessible to all.  And that’s why we love Firefox as our browser, and you should too. GUEST POST BY DAVID

As our country’s permanent festival of capitalism and conspicuous consumption marches forward, prepare for some holiday-infused reminders of what you, your family, and friends must absolutely buy to stay happy. And this year, what you absolutely need to buy is the Internet, but on devices.

Algorithms increasingly seem to be running our lives. They’re used in courts, hospitals, and banks. The use of the algorithms bring up a lot of concerns about bias, privacy, and the kind of content they share. I have a much more basic problem with them: they’re stupid.

DNA tests—like those offered by companies 23andMe, Ancestry.com, and FamilyTreeDNA—come with a simple promise. In exchange for cash and some spit in a tube, you can learn your deepest, most ancestral secrets.

Our Tech Column was made possible by the fine folks at Mozilla Firefox.  The nonprofit Mozilla Foundation believes the Internet must always remain a global public resource that is open and accessible to all.  And that’s why we love Firefox as our browser, and you should too. The dirty little secret

Another local restaurant has bitten the dust, and food delivery apps are causing restaurants to go under instead of helping them stay afloat. “Online ordering does more damage to a business than it helps,” says the out-of-business sign at just-shuttered Gaslamp Cafe. “Any profit from the sale is stripped away