innovation

A view of the central area of Atlassian's office in San Francisco. The software company found that desks were used only 20 percent of the workday — half as much as conference rooms were used.

Economy

How A Bigger Lunch Table At Work Can Boost Productivity

3:09pm May 20, 2015

by Yuki Noguchi

Some firms use motion sensors and wireless tags to find out how people actually work. That can yield useful data — like which free snacks tend to attract people to break rooms more than others.

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Arts

City of Arts and Innovation Opens First New Art Park

6:30am May 15, 2015

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Monique Yusizanna Ouz, 66, is going to have electricity for the first time in her life.

She's 66 And Finally Getting Electricity. Bring On The Ice Cream!

4:56pm April 09, 2015

by Carrie Kahn

Haiti has long relied on NGOs for aid. But the village of Tuffet is now on the grid — and paying for its power. "It's better when you pay for something," a resident says. "It doesn't go away then."

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Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page says the company will place more focus on its key projects.

Trouble Ahead? Searching For Google's Future

6:07pm February 24, 2015

by Tajha Chappellet-Lanier

The ambitious Silicon Valley giant is looking to stay dominant in our technological future. But can it adapt quickly to a changing marketplace?

Randall Stephenson, chairman and CEO of AT&T, introduces President Obama before the latter's remarks Dec. 3 at the quarterly meeting of the Business Roundtable, a group Stephenson chairs. Stephenson has said that increasing regulation of the broadband ind

Would FCC Plan Harm Telecom Investment? Even Industry Opinion Is Mixed

2:21pm February 04, 2015

by Joel Rose

The Federal Communications Commission will decide this month whether the Internet should be regulated as a public utility. In speeches, CEOs alternately have predicted a chilling effect or no impact.

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John W. Poole/NPR; Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters/Corbis; Lisa Brown for NPR; Aref Karimi/AFP/Getty Images; Said&Seen

Our Most Popular Stories Of 2014: Ebola ... And Bed Rails?

10:33am January 05, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

In July, the Goats and Soda blog was born. We came into a world obsessed with Ebola. But our readers also loved stories about chocolate, bed rails and jet-setting viruses.

David Goldhill (second from left) talks with Dan Hilferty of Independence Blue Cross, Kevin Nazemi of Oscar Insurance and Sam Nussbaum of WellPoint in a conversation about health costs. Moderator Avik Roy is at far left.

Making The Human Condition Computable

5:03pm December 11, 2014

by Eric Whitney

Technological advances are making it easier for you and your doctor to track your health and to find treatments for complex diseases. But the technology may be costly and there are privacy pitfalls.

Students taking part in Columbia University's Ebola design challenge demonstrated for judges how to use a special chamber for decontaminating small items.

From Blue Bleach To Hazmat Hacks, Students Take On Ebola Challenges

12:24pm November 06, 2014

by Linda Poon

College students excel at thinking creatively under pressure. Now they're designing tools to confront the challenges of Ebola, including friendlier-looking protective gear and diagnostic aids.