Topic: Technology

LA Times homepage as seen on a computer desktop monitor Research Brief / Advertising

Why the Online Ad World Abandoned Soft-Floor Auctions

Complexity and a failure to boost platform revenue were culprits

Shopping cart on white background. Research Brief / Pricing

When Surge Pricing Comes to the Supermarket

Charging more at peak times could reduce congestion and lift profits. Would customers revolt?

Illustration of a manga cartoon Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

What’s in Your Social Media Feed?

On anime sites, what one’s friends are watching is the most persuasive prompt to engage

A young man wearing a blue shirt plays a game on his cellphone Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

What Drives Engagement in $116 Billion Mobile Gaming Industry

Novelty and social connection boost time spent playing

Black background with social media and chat, friend, message bubbles. Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

Want To Elicit User-Generated Content? Try User-Generated Rewards

Recognition by peers leads to longer, more thoughtful online reviews and discussion threads

An electric charging station filled 2ith cars Research Brief / Supply Chain

Want More Charging Stations? Spur Purchases of More EVs

Governments needn’t subsidize charging networks

Collage of trademark symbols Research Question / Investing

Underappreciated Investment Edge: Company Trademark Filings

Not part of financial reporting, trademark activity predicts stock returns

Two jigsaw puzzle pieces held together by staples. Research Brief / Mergers and Acquisitions

Two Tech Giants — and Two Very Different Acquisition Strategies

Alphabet’s M&A feeds its core business; Amazon’s more likely to push into new areas

A cube of hundred dollar bills wrapped in a blue bow Research Brief / Productivity

Trying Out Bonus-Pay Theory on Unsupervised, Low-Skill Tasks

Incentives boost output, but benefits level off at a fairly low point

An illustration of the word trademark etched on a gear Research Brief / Innovation

Tracking Product Trademarks Expands Understanding of Innovation

R&D outlays and patents alone don’t effectively measure corporate creativity

Split screen of fake lemon on the left and real lemon on the right. Research Brief / E-commerce

To Spot Fake Online Reviews, Target the Reviewers

A test was 93% accurate; more efficient than analyzing reviews

AI operated robots working in warehouse moving customer packages for delivery. Research Brief / Technology

Think Your Job Is Safe From Robots?

Automation depresses career pay for many workers, notably including those in industries not automating

Man using a laptop computer chatting with an intelligent artificial intelligence asks for the answers he wants. Feature / Investing

They’re Calling It the AI Bull Market

After launch of ChatGPT, swift reappraisal by investors

A flow chart overlaid on programming language. Research Brief / Technology

The Trade-Off Between Fairness and Accuracy in Algorithm Design

What happens when data is excluded?

Two men sit on a bench in a scene from the TV show "Silicon Valley." Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

The Role of Chance Encounters in Silicon Valley Innovation

Cellphone signals and patent citations approximate a theory’s long-sought paper trail

Woman with headphones stands in crosswalk Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

The Connective Pull of Headphones

We literally feel closer to someone we’re hearing via headphones