Digital Life

Video Made The Internet Star: YouTube Turns 10

10:15am February 14, 2015

YouTube was registered as a domain name 10 years ago today, and yes, it's gone viral. NPR's Scott Simon looks back on a decade's worth of cat videos, politics, self-help and everything in between.

Queue Listen Now

Hoping to prevent or limit data breaches like the one that recently hit health insurer Anthem, President Obama is urging companies to work together to protect their data.

National

Obama: Cyberspace Is The New 'Wild West'

4:43pm February 13, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The president says that companies are looking to the government to be the sheriff but that the private sector also to work together to prevent cyber attacks.

We finally found this simple, traditional radio at Radioshack — though they are also available, in abundance, online.

National

Finding A 'Radio That Is Just A Radio' In The Digital Age

1:53pm February 13, 2015

by Barry Gordemer

World Radio Day was created to celebrate the medium's ability to reach all corners of the globe, due to its affordability and portability. But how common are radios that still fit that description?

Queue Listen Now

There's a kind of attack — one that's evolving — that sneaks into your network, takes your files and holds them for ransom.

Ransomware: When Hackers Lock Your Files, To Pay Or Not To Pay?

1:28pm February 13, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

There's a kind of attack — one that's evolving — that sneaks into your network, takes your files and holds them for ransom.

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.

Facebook Offers New Options For Digital Life After Death

6:26pm February 12, 2015

by Laura Sydell

The company is introducing a new policy that allows users to appoint an executor who will keep their account active posthumously.

Queue Listen Now

Facebook is adding a "legacy contact" feature to allow selected relatives or friends to manage the account of the user after they die.

From Facebook To A Virtual You: Planning Your Digital Afterlife

4:29pm February 12, 2015

by Emma Bowman

Whether you appoint a postmortem account manager or opt for "virtual immortality," new online tools help us navigate how we will preserve our digital footprint after death.

Two girls play with blocks at Bing Nursery School at Stanford University.

Q&A: Blocks, Play, Screen Time And The Infant Mind

12:03pm February 12, 2015

by Eric Westervelt

Studies with wooden blocks show "that children who play with blocks learn language better and have better cognition."

Are these jokers ready to appear in court?

National

Next Witness: Will The Yellow Smiley Face Take The Stand?

2:21pm February 11, 2015

by NPR Staff

Emojis have popped up in a handful of court cases across the country. Could the ubiquitous yellow face, a sad kitty head or a dancing alien decide a defendant's fate?

Queue Listen Now

'Drone Shoot-Down Bill' Advances In Oklahoma

4:23pm February 10, 2015

by Bill Chappell

An Oklahoma Senate panel approved a bill that provides "civil immunity for damage or destruction of a drone on personal property."