Digital Life

A child plays with a mobile phone while riding in a New York subway in December. Two major Apple investors urged the iPhone maker to take action to curb growing smartphone use among children.

Education

Apple Aims To Help Parents Crack Down On Kids' iPhone Use

6:39pm June 04, 2018

Apple will allow users to get reports on how much their kids are using particular apps on their iPhones and iPads. The announcement follows pressure from shareholders about the overuse of technology.

Some personal injury law firms now automatically target online ads at anyone who enters a nearby hospital's emergency room and has a cellphone. The ads may show up on multiple devices for more than a month.

Digital Ambulance Chasers? Law Firms Send Ads To Patients' Phones Inside ERs

6:16pm May 25, 2018

by Bobby Allyn

Personal injury law firms are using location-based mobile ads to target people as they enter emergency rooms. The trend is raising concerns among patients and health privacy experts.

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A couple in Portland, Ore., discovered that their Amazon Echo had recorded their conversation and sent it to one of their contacts.

Amazon Echo Recorded And Sent Couple's Conversation — All Without Their Knowledge

4:31pm May 25, 2018

by Laurel Wamsley

In what it called an "unlikely" string of events, Amazon says Alexa heard background conversation and misconstrued it as very specific directives.

Johanna Humphrey, left, ended up with 24 boxes of crayons she didn't need. She gave them to teacher Laura Smith, right, through the Buy Nothing Project. It encourages people to share without money changing hands.

Facebook Project Wants You To 'Buy Nothing' And Ask For What You Need

5:46pm May 24, 2018

by Jeff Brady

The Buy Nothing Project encourages people to share without money changing hands. In five years it has spread around the world on Facebook with the help of more than 3,000 volunteers.

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A protester holds a European Union flag next to cardboard cutouts depicting Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, as Zuckerberg and leaders of the European Parliament prepare to meet in Brussels.

World News

'Are You Telling The Truth?' European Parliament Questions Mark Zuckerberg

3:14pm May 22, 2018

by Bill Chappell

One member asked the Facebook CEO how he'll be remembered: "As one of the three big Internet giants... or [as] a genius who created a digital monster, that is destroying our democracies."

How Schools Across The Country Are Working To Detect Threats Made On Social Media

8:02pm May 21, 2018

by Lisa Mullins

Some schools are working with outside technology companies to scan social media for threats against them and their students, in hopes of preventing mass shootings and student suicide.

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So Which Is It, Yanny Or Laurel?

9:06pm May 16, 2018

An audio file has divided the internet as people debate whether the voice says "Yanny" or "Laurel." Lee Miller, an associate professor in neurobiology, physiology and behavior at the University of California, Davis, explains why some people hear different words.

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Senate Democrats say they have the votes to formally disapprove of the FCC's Internet policy that will take effect next month. Here, supporters of net neutrality protest the decision to repeal the Obama-era rule.

Senate Approves Overturning FCC's Net Neutrality Repeal

7:41pm May 16, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Several Republicans joined Democrats in voting to overturn the FCC's controversial decision. But the measure has little chance of success in the House.

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Google's 'Duplex' Raises Ethical Questions

4:33pm May 14, 2018

Google has introduced a future feature called "Duplex." It can make outgoing calls to schedule appointments and it has all the characteristics of real human speech. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Shane Mac, CEO of Assist about the technology and the ethical questions it raises.

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R. Kelly, performing in 2013. The singer was the first affected by new policies announced by Spotify on May 10, 2018.

Music & Culture

Starting With R. Kelly, Spotify Pulls Artists From Playlists For 'Hateful Conduct'

5:32pm May 10, 2018

by Andrew Flanagan

The streaming giant announced a new policy covering both the content on its platform as well as the conduct of artists it sees as having been "harmful or hateful."