Technology

At Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., riders of the New Revolution Virtual Reality Coaster wear VR goggles to play a video game while the roller coaster twists and turns.

On Six Flags' Virtual Reality Coaster, The Ride Is Just Half The Thrill

1:09pm August 22, 2016

by Corey Takahashi

Magic Mountain in Southern California has a roller coaster in which riders put on VR goggles to see an imagined world while their bodies undergo the physical thrills. How is it? We get a review.

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Jacques Guillaume, 73, has been repairing electric razors in Paris since 1962.

World News

The Last Razor Repairman In Paris

10:49am August 22, 2016

by Eleanor Beardsley

In a tiny shop from a bygone era, Jacques Guillaume gets calls about more than razors because there's nobody to fix things anymore. "Today, manual work like this is passé and obsolete," he says.

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Hopping On Hashtag Bandwagon, Host Rachel Martin Recounts Her #FirstSevenJobs

9:56am August 21, 2016

by Rachel Martin

Social media feeds have been peppered with the hashtag #firstsevenjobs for the past few weeks. NPR's Rachel Martin shares her list, from store window mannequin to English teacher in Japan.

Polling station chairman helps a voter at a voting machine during the Republican presidential primary in February in West Columbia, S.C.

After DNC Hack, Cybersecurity Experts Worry About Old Machines, Vote Tampering

8:24am August 20, 2016

by NPR Staff

Experts have long warned that America's patchwork of old and unsecured voting systems leaves votes vulnerable to tampering — and in ways that wouldn't have to involve a foreign attack.

After IVF, Some Struggle With What To Do With Leftover Embryos

7:00am August 20, 2016

by Juli Fraga

Nearly a million embryos are in frozen storage in the U.S. Some couples feel ambivalent, even after their family is complete, so put off deciding what to do with what some call their 'maybe babies.'

Ride-booking company Uber plans to offer customers self-driving cars in Pittsburgh soon. The vehicles will come with human backup drivers.

National

Uber To Roll Out Self-Driving Cars In Pittsburgh

4:14pm August 19, 2016

by Aarti Shahani

The ride-hailing company expects to include a human in case something goes wrong, but the driverless vehicles would be the first available for commercial use. They could be on the road in a few weeks.

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People stand outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., in June. DNC staffers said publication of leaked emails in July was a Russian ploy to support the candidacy of Donald Trump. But, says a Russian investigative journal

In Leak Of Democratic Emails, Questions About Russia's Role

2:56pm August 19, 2016

by Corey Flintoff

What's behind Russia's apparent hacking into the Democratic National Committee — and what could it gain by meddling in the U.S. election? "It's all about Hillary Clinton," says a Russian journalist.

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Federal Judge Throws Out Uber Driver Class-Action Settlement Offer

9:02pm August 18, 2016

by Richard Gonzales

Uber drivers claims that they should be compensated as employees, not independent contractors, get a boost. Negotiators for the drivers had okayed the deal but the judge wasn't satisfied.

The Airlander 10 took its first test flight at Cardington, north of London, marking a return of airships to the historic airfield.

World News

'Flying Bum' Airship Takes Flight In England

4:02pm August 18, 2016

by Jason Slotkin

The Airlander 10 — billed as the world's longest aircraft — took off from an airfield north of London this week. Yet it's the airship's bulbous, multi-chambered design that has captured attention.

National

T-Mobile, Sprint Vie For New Customers With Unlimited Data Plans

2:39pm August 18, 2016

by Alina Selyukh

It's a bit of a renaissance for unlimited plans, which went all but extinct in recent years. But do people really need that much data?