Digital Life

A zoo in central China's Henan province swapped a dog — a Tibetan mastiff like the one shown here — for a lion, in another story that recently swept Chinese cyberspace.

Too Weird To Be True? In China, You Never Can Tell

5:47pm October 09, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

Foreign news coverage of China is often deadly serious: corruption, pollution and the like. Then there's the funny and bizarre that often goes viral — like the zoo that swapped a dog for a lion. A number of websites are making these offbeat and satirical tales increasingly available in English.

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Rossellini is joining biologists in questioning conventional wisdom about mothers' interactions with their young.

Arts

Isabella Rossellini, Getting Animal Again With 'Mammas'

5:06pm October 06, 2013

by Pat Dowell

The star of Blue Velvet follows up her Webby-winning Green Porno series with another cheeky look at animal behavior. In Mammas, she channels mothers of many a species, challenges the belief that mothers are universally self-sacrificing — and eats an offspring or three.

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Composer Ben Prunty creates soundtracks and sound effects for video games.

Arts

Composing Game Soundtracks That Move 'Faster Than Light'

5:06pm October 06, 2013

by NPR Staff

Sound designer Ben Prunty integrates audio into some of the most popular independent video games. He figures out how to make sounds that match the feel of the game and build tension at the perfect moments in action-packed adventures.

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Private attorneys are easily getting access to defendants' emails and texts. All it takes is a subpoena, which any attorney can do.

Your Digital Trail: Data Fuels Political And Legal Agendas

11:38am October 04, 2013

by Daniel Zwerdling

Former Nixon administration attorney John Dean and a North Carolina divorce lawyer warn that if you think you have nothing to hide, think again.

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The Bill of Rights as seen at The National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Your Digital Trail: Does The Fourth Amendment Protect Us?

7:56pm October 02, 2013

by Daniel Zwerdling

Could government agents really get access to all your private data in less than a minute? Experts say no but warn we are moving in that direction.

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A screen shot of the Boston Marathon bombing video that Storyful helped verify.

Social Media Detectives: Is That Viral Video For Real?

7:56pm October 02, 2013

by Sami Yenigun

After the Boston Marathon bombing, Storyful helped journalists verify that a popular YouTube video was actually an eyewitness account. But it doesn't stop there — the company also hopes to change the "Wild West" model of news organizations using citizen journalists' uploaded content free.

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Private companies are collecting your personal data.

Your Digital Trail: Private Company Access

3:21pm October 02, 2013

by Daniel Zwerdling

Data we voluntarily provide online — such as on dating websites — may not stay with that site. While not always obvious, websites commonly allow other companies to track user behavior.

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Who's peering through your digital data?

Your Digital Trail, And How It Can Be Used Against You

4:43pm October 01, 2013

NPR and the Center for Investigative Reporting are documenting just how vivid the typical person's digital picture has become — and how easy it can be for others to see it.

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Phantom Vibration Syndrome: That phenomenon where you think your phone is vibrating when it's not.

National

Phantom Phone Vibrations: So Common They've Changed Our Brains?

10:09pm September 30, 2013

by Elise Hu

The feeling that your phone is vibrating when it isn't has been around long enough to warrant scientific research. One psychologist recommends taking regular breaks from our phones to keep anxiety down.

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An expert FAA advisory committee has recommended that airline passengers be allowed to use most personal electronic devices below 10,000 feet.

National

FAA May Stop Making You Power Off Those Electronics

10:09pm September 30, 2013

by David Schaper

An expert advisory committee recommended Monday that the Federal Aviation Administration allow the use of some personal electronic devices during takeoff and landing. But while many passengers are eager to use their tablets and music players all flight long, it may be months before any rules are changed.

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