Digital Life

Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system was criticized when it was released last year for features some said didn't mesh with a desktop PC environment. The company has indicated that it will address some of those issues in an upcoming update.

Economy

Will Tweaking Windows 8 Be Enough To Revive The PC?

11:43am May 09, 2013

by Steve Henn

When Microsoft introduced Windows 8 last year, the software giant billed the new operating system as one of the most critical releases in its history. The system would bridge the gap between personal computers and the fast-growing mobile world of tablets and smartphones. But this week, the company sent signals that it might soon alter Windows 8 to address some early criticism.

Queue Listen Now

The Senate on Monday approved a bill to allow states to collect sales taxes from online retailers. Proponents say sellers will get help navigating tax collection, but many retailers says complying will be burdensome and opens the door for unforeseen probl

Some Net Retailers Aren't Buying Online Sales Tax Proposal

9:00pm May 06, 2013

by Yuki Noguchi

Proponents of the bill, currently before Congress, say collecting taxes from online sales should be relatively simple for retailers. But with close to 10,000 tax jurisdictions around the country, some online businesses say collecting the taxes and navigating potential problems will be a costly burden.

Queue Listen Now

With instant messages buzzing, emails pinging and texts ringing, how can employers increase productivity in the workplace? Software companies are tackling the problem, tracking employees' computer time to find ways to improve their efficiency.

When It Comes To Productivity, Technology Can Hurt And Help

3:27pm May 06, 2013

by Yuki Noguchi

With more employees working on the road and more distracting technologies in the office, some companies are creating new ways to improve efficiency. One software firm helps identify wasted time, while another makes it easier for co-workers to collaborate.

Queue Listen Now

A Look Ahead At The Future Of Tech

2:14pm May 02, 2013

Technology's already changed our lives in ways we couldn't have imagined just a few years ago. As part of Talk of the Nation's "Looking Ahead" series, Farhad Manjoo, technology columnist for Slate.com, discusses what's changing and how it will change us.

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National

Tweeting Crime: Law Enforcement Adapts To Social Media

2:57pm April 25, 2013

The Boston Police Department tweeted photos of bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and later announced his capture via social media. As the number of Twitter users grows, police forces face new opportunities and challenges in using social media for communicating with the public.

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National

AP Twitter Account Hacked, Tweet About Obama Shakes Market

9:56am April 24, 2013

by Mark Memmott

It quickly became clear that the "news" was not true. There had been no explosions at the White House and President Obama was fine. But a message on the wire service's Twitter account rattled investors.

Queue Listen Now

Big Op-Ed: Shifting Opinions On Surveillance Cameras

2:54pm April 22, 2013

Investigators in the Boston Marathon bombings were able to identify the suspects using footage from surveillance cameras. Some believe that this shows the need for surveillance cameras in public spaces, while others believe that such cameras encroach on our civil liberties.

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The Cira Centre, right, was illuminated Friday night with LED lights, transforming it into a giant screen to play the video game Pong.

National

Philly Turns Skyscraper Into Video Game Screen For Tech Week

6:23pm April 21, 2013

by Zack Seward

Joysticks in hand, participants played what was perhaps the world's biggest video game on the side of the 29-story Cira Centre in Philadelphia. The interactive light display kicked off a week of events for the annual celebration of the local tech scene.

Queue Listen Now

Drinks columnist David Wondrich is seen on Esquire's new Talk to Esquire app, which allows users to interact with several of the magazine's columnists through voice recognition.

Speak Up! Advertisers Want You To Talk With New Apps

10:02pm April 15, 2013

by Steve Henn

Advertisers want to hear what you have to say, and many are about to roll out new kinds of ads you can actually have a conversation with. Marketers are hoping to leverage the power of voice and the kinds of technologies that power Apple's Siri to start selling us all sorts of things.

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As newspapers around the country struggle with declining subscription rates and smaller staffs, passionate, long-form digital storytelling is creating new ways of delivering richly detailed reporting.

Arts

Great Long-Form Journalism, Just Clicks Away

11:12am April 15, 2013

by David Folkenflik

In the age of digital media, many newspapers have been forced to gut their staffs, leading some media analysts to sound the death knell for enterprise reporting and long-form storytelling. Not so fast, say the craft's most passionate advocates.

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