Technology

Op-Ed: We Need More Aaron Swartz-Style Hacktivism

3:58pm March 11, 2013

When Internet activist Aaron Swartz committed suicide, he faced federal charges for illegally downloading and releasing articles from JSTOR, the digital library of academic journals. Northwestern University professor Peter Ludlow says Swartz was right to fight for public access to scholarship.

Queue Listen Now

Op-Ed: There's An App For Everything, And That's A Problem

2:58pm March 11, 2013

Technology companies are constantly developing new apps and tools to make our lives easier. In an op-ed for The New York Times Evgeny Morozov, author of To Save Everything, Click Here, argues that Silicon Valley's quest for perfectionism is problematic.

Queue Listen Now

Economy

The Life Cycle Of A Social Network: Keeping Friends In Times Of Change

12:32pm March 08, 2013

by Steve Henn

Facebook has unveiled a redesign of its News Feed, but any social network knows that drastic changes come with risks. Just look at Friendster, a site that fizzled after changes to the interface and a subsequent exodus made it less valuable to users.

Queue Listen Now

Rats share information via brain implants, say researchers.

Science

Researchers Connect Rats' Minds Via Internet

3:31pm March 01, 2013

by Bill Chappell

An experiment that used rats to create a "brain-to-brain interface" shows that instructions can be transferred between animals via cortical implants, according to scientists. The research could help create "novel types of social interaction and for biological computing devices," says Miguel Nicolelis of Duke University.

Science

Robert Langer, Father Of Invention

1:03pm March 01, 2013

Biotech pioneer Robert Langer has over 800 patents to his name and has launched two dozen companies, which develop everything from tumor-fighting nanoparticles to anti-frizz hair products. Yet Langer says his proudest accomplishment is teaching some 500 students and post-docs, now professors and start-up leaders themselves.

Queue Listen Now

Job Applicants Are Wary Of Firms' Resume Sorting Software

1:32pm February 28, 2013

by Annie Baxter

Some big companies are using talent management software to narrow the pool of job applicants before an employer reviews the resumes. Human resources officials say in today's economy, the systems are crucial. But employment seekers often find the software puts them at a disadvantage.

Queue Listen Now

Man sitting on a club chair reading from his laptop.

Experts Boil Telecommuting Decisions Down To Flexibility Vs. Serendipity

12:04pm February 28, 2013

by Yuki Noguchi

Yahoo touched off a debate about the effectiveness of telecommuting when it told employees last week that they may no longer work from home. The policy change was made, according to the company's internal email, to enhance workplace collaboration.

Queue Listen Now

Internet gambling has become legal in New Jersey and Nevada, but experts say enforcement and regulations still need to be straightened out.

National

As States Embrace Online Gambling, Questions Arise

6:35pm February 27, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

New Jersey is the newest state to make online gambling legal. Its law limits participation to state residents, but how will that be enforced? And groups that help compulsive gamblers are worried that gamblers won't have to go to casinos to feed their addiction.

Queue Listen Now

This map shows data reported by users of the mPING app during Friday's blizzard in the Northeast.

This App Uses The Power Of You To Report The Weather

1:19pm February 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

A new smartphone app allows users to document falling precipitation in their location. The mPING app aims to help weather officials program radar to determine exactly what's falling near you. For example, is it hail or mixed rain?

Queue Listen Now

Electric Car Review Dust-Up May Put Brakes On Tesla Profits

1:19pm February 25, 2013

by Steve Henn

After The New York Times published a scathing review of Tesla's Model S electric car, the automaker's CEO took to Twitter to slam the reporter. Disputed facts aside, the timing of the spat could hurt Tesla, which is under pressure to improve its financial performance.

Queue Listen Now