Technology

Bug enthusiast Anna Lindqvist uploads photos like this — of the Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva aurea) to the iNaturalist app. Like a social network for wildlife, her location paired with the photo help both amateur and expert naturalists identify the sp

The App That Aims To Gamify Biology Has Amateurs Discovering New Species

8:40am August 06, 2016

by Lauren Silverman

Not everyone outside staring into their phones is searching for Pokémon — some people are looking for actual wildlife. The app iNaturalist is bringing together urban biologists and curious citizens.

World News

At This English Bar, An Old-School Solution To Rude Cellphones

8:38am August 06, 2016

by NPR Staff

A new bar in Sussex has lined its walls with foil to block phone signals. The owner, inspired by the Faraday cage, hopes people will talk to each other rather than stare at their smartphones.

Seymour Papert with LEGO Mindstorms robotics kits, which were named in recognition of Papert's seminal book, Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas.

Remembering A Thinker Who Thought About Thinking

5:49pm August 05, 2016

by Anya Kamenetz

Seymour Papert was a pioneer in artificial intelligence and learning with technology. He died this week at 88.

Students of the Catholic University of Lyon in France use laptops to take notes in a classroom in September 2015.

Education

Should Teachers Ask Students To Check Their Devices At The Classroom Door?

1:46pm August 05, 2016

by Alva Noë

Blogger Alva Noë says he doesn't feel that, as an instructor, he has a right to ask students to come to class without technology, "even when I think, even when I know, that it would be a good thing."

Jeff Moss, founder of BlackHat, speaks at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

Despite Email Debacle, Prominent Cybersecurity Leaders Favor Clinton

1:04pm August 04, 2016

by Aarti Shahani

They are political endorsements you might not expect.

Queue Listen Now

In New York, fantasy sports sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel — whose app and site are shown as they appeared in October — will now be regulated by the state's gaming commission.

Daily Fantasy Sports May Soon Be Coming Back To New York State

10:17am August 04, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

DraftKings and FanDuel suspended operations there after the state's attorney general argued they were essentially gambling sites. A new state law declares fantasy sports to be games of skill.

A 1955 Electrolux Model LX one of the more than 750 vacuum cleaners at the Vacuum Cleaner Museum in St. James, Mo. It was advertised as "The Cleaner You Never Have To Empty," says museum curator Tom Gasko, because the bag got pushed out the machine's door

National

In This Museum, It's OK If The Displays Collect Dust

9:40am August 04, 2016

by NPR Staff

The Vacuum Cleaner Museum in St. James, Mo., houses more than 750 vacuums, including some that date back to just after the Civil War. Curator Tom Gasko is a former door-to-door vacuum salesman.

Queue Listen Now

Cybersecurity Conference Includes 'Hackers For Hillary' Fundraiser

6:41am August 04, 2016

by Aarti Shahani

A Hillary Clinton fundraiser will take place at BlackHat in Las Vegas. Cybersecurity experts there say they support her over Donald Trump despite all the controversy over her email server.

Queue Listen Now

Yahoo President and CEO Marissa Mayer delivers a keynote during the Yahoo Mobile Developers Conference on Feb. 18, in San Francisco.

Is There A Double Standard When Women CEOs In Tech Stumble?

6:15pm August 03, 2016

by Laura Sydell

Men CEOs fail all the time, but when someone like Yahoo's Marissa Mayer or Theranos' Elizabeth Holmes falls short of expectations it can feed stereotypes about women being unfit for leadership.

National

During Fatal Standoff, Police Asked Facebook To Deactivate Woman's Account

2:31pm August 03, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Baltimore County police shot and killed Korryn Gaines, 23, on Monday after an hours-long standoff; her 5-year-old son was wounded. Police say Gaines was posting video of the standoff on social media.