Digital Life

The creators of 1979 Revolution interviewed fellow Iranians to create accurate scenes of Iran.

World News

Game Director Shifts From 'Grand Theft Auto' To Iranian Revolution

6:56pm December 13, 2013

by Alan Yu

A blockbuster video game director is working on a game where you don't shoot back. It puts the player inside the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and it's a financial and personal risk to the game makers.

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Three high school students in Oakland, Calif., swap photos using Snapchat.

Teens Dig Digital Privacy, If Snapchat Is Any Indication

10:45am December 10, 2013

by Steve Henn

The track record of products designed for digital privacy has been abysmal — at least until recently. Snapchat, wildly popular among teens, is changing assumptions about young people's desire for digital privacy. But it's not clear whether the trend will stick.

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Workers process applications for Oregon's health exchange program. The state paid tech giant Oracle to build its online exchange, but with the site still not functional, people shopping for insurance have been forced to apply on paper.

Could A Tech Giant Build A Better Health Exchange? Maybe Not

8:48pm December 02, 2013

by Steve Henn

Since the rollout of HealthCare.gov, many have wondered whether a private company could have avoided the federal site's many pitfalls. Oregon took that route, hiring Silicon Valley titan Oracle to create its state insurance exchange. But two months after its scheduled launch, the website is still not working.

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A screenshot of Half the Sky, where virtual successes sometimes lead to real-life donations.

World News

For Advocacy Groups, Video Games Are The Next Frontier

4:07pm December 01, 2013

by Laura Sydell

As video games become more mainstream, some social action organizations are using them to raise awareness or raise funds. They advocate for a range of causes, from the struggles of women in the developing world to the effects of power in Congress.

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Customers at Honeygrow in Philadelphia can charge their cellphones while they dine using one of Doug Baldasare's kiosks.

Economy

Businesses Woo Customers With Free Phone-Charging Stations

11:42am November 29, 2013

by Elizabeth Fiedler

It's not an uncommon experience for smartphone owners: You're out for lunch or running errands, you suddenly realize your phone battery is low, and you panic. A Philadelphia entrepreneur thinks he's found the solution, and it's supposed to help phone owners and stores.

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Why Are Seniors The Fastest-Growing Demographic On Social Media?

6:05pm November 25, 2013

Seniors aged 65 and over represent one of the fastest growing age groups to use social media. But what drives them to do so, and what kinds of technology can help their experience? Audie Cornish speaks with Dr. Laura Carstensen, who heads the Stanford Center on Longevity, for more on the culture of seniors and technology.

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Economy

A Bitcoin Insider On Crime, Congress And Satoshi Nakamoto

11:48am November 22, 2013

by David Kestenbaum

"This little baby — what my wife used to call my 'pretend money project' — is really going mainstream," says the chief scientist at the Bitcoin Foundation.

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Google Chrome Explores Middle Earth

7:09am November 22, 2013

Browsers can tour the Hobbit's homeland thanks to Google Chrome. Think Google Maps with fantasy destinations. Not all the Hobbit's haunts are available. Google still has to unlock three kingdoms before you can "rule them all."

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A lineman grounds a line on a replacement pole in McNeill, Miss., after 2012 Christmas day storms downed both telephone and electric power lines and poles throughout the state. Upkeep on traditional landlines is expensive, and some are pushing for relaxin

National

Is It The End Of The Line For The Landline?

2:35pm November 19, 2013

by Martin Kaste

The U.S. landline network was once the best in the world. But these days, phone companies see them as a burden, an old technology too expensive to maintain. AT&T wants to start replacing the system with cheaper options. Some call it a hasty abandonment of the tried-and-true traditional network.

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Politics & Government

Bitcoin Hits Record High After Senate Panel Told It's Legal

6:15am November 19, 2013

by Steve Henn

The cyber-currency was at the center of a Senate panel hearing Monday. Senators are looking into the way Bitcoin was used by the illegal drug marketplace that called itself Silk Road. But even with the scrutiny, Bitcoin investors drove the virtual currency to record highs.

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