Technology

World News

How China Is Using Facial Recognition Technology

4:33pm December 16, 2019

by Emily Feng

Facial recognition technology became part of the fabric of life in China in 2019. Enabled by a vast network of cameras across the country, the government is using the technology for surveillance.

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Troll Watch: How To Be An Online Troll

5:09pm December 15, 2019

by Shannon Bond

A Finnish game lets players pretend to be trolls spreading fake news on social media. The idea is that if people understand how disinformation campaigns are built, they will be more skeptical of them.

George Laurer in 2011 at the University of Maryland's Innovation Hall of Fame. His many inventions, including the Universal Product Code, led to his induction into the hall in 1991.

National

IBM Engineer Who Designed The Universal Product Code Dies At 94

8:06pm December 12, 2019

by Sam Gringlas

The bar code is now a packaging mainstay, but it probably wouldn't have worked without George Laurer.

Salamao Mausse stands inside the dome of a radar station that stopped running in 2012. He still cleans it every few days, just in case it's ever repaired.

Meteorologists Can't Keep Up With Climate Change In Mozambique

2:23pm December 11, 2019

by Rebecca Hersher

As world leaders gather for a climate summit in Madrid, some of the countries most vulnerable to climate change say they need improved forecasting tools.

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As TikTok Grows In Popularity, It's Also Setting Off Alarms In Silicon Valley

5:09pm December 10, 2019

by Shannon Bond

TikTok is one of the world's fastest growing apps, racking up 1.5 billion downloads and minting music hits. But the Chinese-owned app is also making people in Washington and Silicon Valley nervous.

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Arts

Internet Historians Mourn Loss Of Cultural Record As Yahoo Prepares To Delete Groups

5:33pm December 09, 2019

by Neda Ulaby

At one time, there were 10 million Yahoo Groups with more than 100 million users - from neighborhood organizations to amateur astronomers. On Saturday, the archives will disappear.

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Politics & Government

Managing Misinformation On Reddit

8:03am December 08, 2019

With 5.6 million members, Reddit's r/politics is a massive online forum. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with moderator "Qu1nlan" about managing discussions in an era of misinformation.

World News

Uighurs And Genetic Surveillance In China

8:30am December 07, 2019

Geneticist Yves Moreau tells NPR's Scott Simon the ethical concerns he has for businesses and academics who may be helping Chinese authorities to track Muslim minority groups.

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U.S. and British authorities are seeking the arrest of Russian national Maksim Yakubets. Authorities say Yakubets ran Evil Corp., a group of alleged cyber hackers who stole tens of millions of dollars from victims worldwide through phishing schemes.

Russian Hacking Group Evil Corp. Charged By Federal Prosecutors In Alleged Bank Fraud

8:39pm December 05, 2019

by Bobby Allyn

Officials say Evil Corp. developed and distributed a type of malware that infected computers around the world and harvested banking credentials in order to steal some $100 million.

World News

American Citizen Arrested After Giving Talk On Cryptocurrency In North Korea

8:07pm December 05, 2019

A U.S. citizen was arrested after giving a cryptocurrency talk in North Korea. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Jason Brett, a Forbes contributor, about the arrest and cryptocurrency concerns.

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