Business

Comcast is the largest cable company and home Internet service provider in the United States. A recent survey found that many Americans give Internet service providers low marks for satisfaction.

Internet In America: An On Again, Off Again Relationship

6:50pm January 12, 2014

by NPR Staff

For some Americans, getting high-speed Internet can be a challenge. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, consumers rate Internet service providers worse than airlines, the postal service and health insurance in terms of satisfaction.

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A First Look At New Tech Products To Hit The Market

12:53pm January 11, 2014

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas closed on Friday. Visitors were treated to more than 20,000 new products, with everything from Internet-connected clothing to giant television screens. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with reporter Steve Henn about some of the gadgets on the horizon.

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Manufacturers At CES Offer More In Home Automation

10:21am January 10, 2014

The Consumer Electronics Show is in Las Vegas this week. Renee Montagne talks to tech journalist Rich Jaroslovsky about the push to put WiFi in everything imaginable, from crockpots to stoves.

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An oversized truck load slowly moves equipment along an icy mountain road in Pennsylvania's Tiadaghton State Forest.

Natural Gas Boom Cuts Into Pennsylvania's State Forests

7:36pm January 09, 2014

by Marie Cusick

Pennsylvania is the fastest-growing state for natural gas production, but the development is cutting through swathes of previously unbroken forests. Some scientists say this could affect wildlife, which perform important functions like climate and insect control.

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Coffee beans are raked to dry in the sun in western Guatemala.

World News

Journey Of A Specialty Coffee Bean, From Cherry To Cup

4:12pm January 09, 2014

by Allison Aubrey

That tasty cup of java from your favorite gourmet coffee shop began life on a farm thousands of miles away. Farmers who cater to the specialty coffee market compete on quality. And some use the higher prices their beans fetch to reinvest in their businesses and improve conditions for workers.

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John Rippo in July 2012 in a coffeehouse called Espresso Mio, in San Diego's Mission Hills neighborhood.

Newspaper Takes The Pulse Of San Diego Coffee Culture

3:51pm January 09, 2014

by Eliza Barclay

The Espresso, a San Diego newspaper for "cafe society," documents the local coffee shop scene with juicy vignettes in a gossip column. Publisher John Rippo says he's inspired by European periodicals written for the cafe intelligentsia.

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A Bet, Five Metals And The Future Of The Planet

11:24am January 08, 2014

by David Kestenbaum

Decades ago, amid fears of rapid population growth, a biologist and an economist made a bet about how many people the planet could sustain. Global population is now estimated to top 7.1 billion. So who won the famous bet?

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The Navigate Jacket from Wearable Experiments uses GPS navigation and a mapping app on the wearer's smartphone to signal directions. It's part of a new trend of wearable tech that some speculate will be a billion-dollar industry.

Tech Fit For The Showroom, But The Runway Might Have To Wait

10:27am January 08, 2014

by Aarti Shahani

Wearable technology is often said to look dorky. "Stylish" and "fashionable" are not words anyone would associate with devices like Google Glass or smart watches. But companies are now working to embed technology into clothing so that it's unobtrusive or even attractive.

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Economy

Former Banker Could Help Feds Learn More About Swiss Accounts

7:20am January 08, 2014

A Swiss banker has pleaded not guilty to charges he helped thousands of Americans evade paying their taxes. Raoul Weil was one of the top managers at UBS, a Swiss bank that helped nearly 20,000 Americans hide their assets in secret accounts.

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Colo. Marijuana Merchants Forced To Deal Mostly In Cash

6:56am January 08, 2014

Colorado's retailers may be allowed to sell marijuana but under federal law, the state's banks cannot knowingly do business with them. This has forced marijuana merchants in the state to operate almost solely in cash.

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