Technology

Pilot models of self-driving cars for Uber are displayed in Pittsburgh. Autonomous vehicles are expected to cut traffic jams, but not before enough human drivers are off the road.

Economy

Self-Driving Cars Could Ease Our Commutes, But That'll Take A While

7:23am February 10, 2017

by Yuki Noguchi

One of the promises of autonomous vehicles is that they'll reduce traffic jams. Self-driving cars will bring many changes, but traffic flows won't improve until enough human drivers are off the roads.

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The Office of Government Ethics website was down on Thursday, after White House counselor Kellyanne Conway urged people to buy Ivanka Trump's products, potentially violating federal ethics rules.

Government Ethics Office Website Crashes Under Too Much Traffic — Again

6:17pm February 09, 2017

by Alina Selyukh

The OGE cites "an extraordinary volume of contacts from citizens about recent events." This appears to refer to White House adviser Kellyanne Conway promoting Ivanka Trump's brand in a TV interview.

Robot guitarist "Mach" and a robot drummer "Ashura", members of a robot rock band "Z-Machines", perform music at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.

Music & Culture

What Big Tech's Quarterly Reports Say About The Future Of Music

11:36am February 09, 2017

by Andrew Flanagan

The past week brought a slew of high-level financial filings from tech and music companies — from which we read the tea leaves.

In an interview with NPR, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly again took the blame for the rocky rollout of the travel ban and for failing to notify congressional leaders of the policy's implementation.

Homeland Security Secretary: Travel Vetting Could Include Passwords, Tweets

9:07am February 09, 2017

by Brian Naylor

John Kelly tells NPR that screening needs to improve. He also says President Trump's travel ban is not based on religion, and one of the great strengths of the U.S. is diversity of religious views.

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Update On The Journalist Kicked Off Facebook

11:33am February 08, 2017

by Aarti Shahani

A Zimbabwean investigative reporter was kicked off Facebook while investigating a case of child abuse. Now she's reinstated and still pained by the experience, but happy to be connected again.

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Wi-Fi names could give a political statement to a far broader audience than sweater pins, bumper stickers or even tweets.

Politics & Government

Using A Wi-Fi Network's Name To Broadcast A Political Message

2:42pm February 07, 2017

by Lucia Maffei

Barack Obama supporters and opponents had been doing it for a while. Now Wi-Fi owners are expressing their views about the new president through their network names, such as "Trump Won! HipHipHooray."

Twitter Introduces 'Safe Search' And Other Tools Targeting Abuse

1:23pm February 07, 2017

by Bill Chappell

"Safe search" results will not display any tweets "that contain potentially sensitive content" as well as those from blocked or muted accounts.

The people involved in organizing and promoting cryptoparties say the presidential election spurred activists, journalists and everyday citizens to attend the get-togethers to learn how to anonymously use the Internet.

Cryptoparties Teach Attendees How To Stay Anonymous Online

4:33pm February 06, 2017

by Jon Kalish

In these days of cyber intrigue, journalists, activists and ordinary citizens are interested in learning how to navigate the Internet anonymously. At cryptoparties, they learn how to do just that.

Tech Companies Unite Against Trump Administration's Immigration Ban

4:33pm February 06, 2017

by Aarti Shahani

Silicon Valley is unusually unified in its opposition to the Trump administration's immigrant ban. Normally a fractious bunch with different agendas, 97 tech companies, including Apple, Facebook, Google and Uber, have filed a legal brief claiming the travel ban is discriminatory.

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National

Nearly 100 Tech Firms Ask Federal Court To Block Trump's Travel Ban

10:49am February 06, 2017

by Bill Chappell

The ban is unlawful, discriminatory and arbitrary — and hurts business, say 97 tech companies ranging from Apple and Facebook to Google and Uber.