Silicon Valley

People walk into the cafeteria at Facebook's main campus in Menlo Park, Calif., May 15, 2012.

For Some Facebook Employees, Free Food Is Coming To An End

10:45pm August 12, 2018

by Tonya Mosley

Some cities in the Bay Area want to stop tech companies from offering free or discounted food in their cafeterias. The idea is to make employees go to local businesses for their meals.

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai demonstrated new AI technology that can use human-like speech to carry on phone conversations at the Google I/O 2018 Conference on Tuesday in Mountain View, Calif.

Google's New Voice Bot Sounds, Um, Maybe Too Real

4:34pm May 09, 2018

by Laurel Wamsley

The company touts AI that peppers its conversation with "uh" and "hmm" to imitate the tics of human speech. Many observers took issue with how the bot apparently tricked a human on the phone.

From right: Kent Walker, vice president and general counsel with Google Inc.; Colin Stretch, general counsel with Facebook Inc.; and Sean Edgett, acting general counsel with Twitter Inc., swear in to a House Intelligence Committee hearing in Washington, D

Lobbyists, Campaign Cash And Think Tanks: How Silicon Valley Tackled Politics

5:00am April 09, 2018

by Peter Overby

Facebook didn't open an office in Washington, DC until it was five years old and already worth billions. Last year, the company spent $12 million lobbying lawmakers and the federal government.

Hosts of InRangeTV compare firearms. The show decided to put its videos on Pornhub after YouTube announced that it would ban certain instructional firearms videos.

National

Restricted By YouTube, Gun Enthusiasts Are Taking Their Videos To Pornhub

6:06pm March 22, 2018

by Sasha Ingber

YouTube is banning instructional and promotional firearm videos.

Sean Zadig runs the threat investigations team at Oath, formerly known as Yahoo. He talked about his team's work at the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity at the University of California, Berkeley in September.

Why Silicon Valley Is Hiring Ex-Federal Agents

6:46pm December 18, 2017

by Alina Selyukh

Major tech companies have been growing internal crime-fighting cyber teams, often staffing them with former law enforcement agents. NPR gets a look inside one of these units.

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Initially, engineer Niniane Wang didn't want to go public with sex harassment allegations because she worried it would jeopardize her relationships with other investors.

How A Female Engineer Built A Public Case Against A Sexual Harasser In Silicon Valley

4:33pm December 13, 2017

by Laura Sydell

Niniane Wang, an experienced engineer with a startup incubator, says she was harassed by a male investor. She wanted to be certain that when she came forward, she wouldn't be ignored.

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Ben Jealous was the NAACP's youngest president and one of Bernie Sanders' earliest supporters. Jealous then became a venture capitalist investing in startups. Now he is seeking office in Maryland.

The Left-Wing Tech Investor Running For Governor

5:48pm November 25, 2017

by Aarti Shahani

A man with an eclectic career — youngest president of the NAACP, Silicon Valley tech investor — wants to be the governor of Maryland. NPR spent two days with him on the campaign trail.

Ellen Pao sued her former employer, the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers, alleging she was discriminated against and sexually harassed. She lost the case but is seen as a leading voice on harassment in Silicon Valley.

National

Struggling For Investments, Silicon Valley Women Reluctant To Speak Out On Harassment

10:21am November 16, 2017

by Laura Sydell

In Silicon Valley, it's difficult for women to come forward if they want to join the ranks of its richest. Some think the best way to fight harassment is to tread carefully and get to the top.

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Jessica Alter is a co-founder of Tech For Campaigns. The San Francisco-based startup focuses on state races and is currently working on campaigns in Virginia.

Silicon Valley Wants To Dust Off The Democratic Establishment

4:28pm September 07, 2017

by Aarti Shahani

During the Obama years, Democrats got comfortable and Republicans gained a digital advantage. Now, the liberals of Silicon Valley want to change that.

Pictures of Kapor Klein's SMASH scholars and which college they will attend are on display in the office.

National

The Investor Who Took On Uber, And Silicon Valley

11:40am June 16, 2017

by Aarti Shahani

In Silicon Valley, you're supposed to build businesses unapologetically. You're not supposed to speak out against injustice. Freada Kapor Klein breaks those rules.

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