Apps

She's not tuning in, she's tuning inward — letting go of stress, or at least trying to, with a mindfulness app on her phone.

Mindfulness Apps Aim To Help People Disconnect From Stress

5:05am October 16, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

Finding inner calm hard to come by? Some people use their device obsession to help them disconnect. The apps aren't a quick fix, therapists say, but might help you stick to a mindfulness practice.

Queue Listen Now

You already know what all of your friends are eating, so you might as well know how to make it, too.

Oh, Snap! Scientists Are Turning People's Food Photos Into Recipes

12:13pm August 02, 2017

by Laurel Dalrymple

Researchers have created an artificial neural network that analyzes an image of a dish and tells you how to make it. Still in the early stages, the technology might help improve our dietary health.

American kids access the Internet and social media through their phones or a parent's phone every day.

To Keep Teens Safe Online, They Need To Learn To Manage Risk

10:16pm February 27, 2017

by April Fulton

Teens should be included in efforts to mitigate their online risks, researchers say, but apps focus more on parents controlling access by monitoring and blocking sites.

Bug enthusiast Anna Lindqvist uploads photos like this — of the Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva aurea) to the iNaturalist app. Like a social network for wildlife, her location paired with the photo help both amateur and expert naturalists identify the sp

The App That Aims To Gamify Biology Has Amateurs Discovering New Species

8:40am August 06, 2016

by Lauren Silverman

Not everyone outside staring into their phones is searching for Pokémon — some people are looking for actual wildlife. The app iNaturalist is bringing together urban biologists and curious citizens.

How Your Health Data Lead A Not-So-Secret Life Online

5:00am July 30, 2016

by Angus Chen

Apps can make managing health care a lot easier, but most don't have the privacy protections required of doctors and hospitals. And a simple Web search can clue in advertisers to health concerns.

News
Science

Duke Researchers Develop New Video Privacy Software

3:11pm July 05, 2016

by Eddie Garcia

Computer scientists at Duke University are developing new camera software aimed at giving people more privacy controls.

Queue Listen Now

Researchers Offer Jet Lag Advice In Return For Data About Your Sleep

1:35pm May 12, 2016

by Alan Yu

Users of an app developed by the University of Michigan to help with jet lag entered information on their time zone and sleep patterns that helped academics with their work. But is the approach valid?

After a tornado leveled Moore, Okla., last year, firefighter Shonn Neidel (left) developed an app that helps first responders locate storm shelters under the wreckage.

Environment

Storm Shelter App Helps Pinpoint People Amid Tornado's Rubble

10:08pm August 23, 2015

by Rachel Hubbard

After a tornado hits, emergency crews looking for survivors in storm shelters face a problem: Streets and landmarks are suddenly unrecognizable. One Moore, Okla., firefighter developed an app to help.

Queue Listen Now

Smart phones contain a silicon chip inside the camera that might be used to detect rare, high energy particles from outer space.

Want To Do A Little Astrophysics? This App Detects Cosmic Rays

11:40am March 31, 2015

by Joe Palca

Two physicists keen to detect a a very rare, high energy particle think you and I can help. The researchers are working on an app that would allow any smartphone to detect rare particles from space.

Queue Listen Now

Apps Can Speed The Search For Love, But Nothing Beats A Real Date

8:13am February 13, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

Are those hours I spend swiping through Tinder getting me anywhere closer to actual romance? Yes, psychologists say. But chemistry doesn't come in an app, and that's what matters most.