Technology

National

Drones That Launch Flaming Balls Are Being Tested To Help Fight Wildfires

1:18pm August 03, 2016

by Ariana Brocious

The University of Nebraska is developing a fire-starting drone, adapting a flaming ping pong ball technique already used in wildfire management. They hope to help teams conduct safer prescribed burns.

Queue Listen Now

An Uber Station is shown outside a hotel in Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan province. Uber spent $1 billion in China last year, but only got a share of around 10 percent, compared to Didi Chuxing's more than 80 percent.

World News

In China, A Battle Uber Didn't Win

12:25pm August 03, 2016

by Anthony Kuhn

Uber's China arm merged with its rival Didi Chuxing this week, creating a $35 billion ride-hailing colossus. The merger ends an era of brutal competition, and may help boost China's flagging economy.

Queue Listen Now

A man walks past a display cabinet containing models of bitcoins in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

World News

$72 Million In Bitcoins Stolen From Hong Kong Exchange

10:06am August 03, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The value of the digital currency plunged more than 20 percent after news of the theft broke. Nearly 120,000 bitcoin were stolen; it's not clear who took the currency or how.

People play Pokémon Go in New York City on July 25. The New York governor's ban on playing the game will apply to nearly 3,000 sex offenders currently on parole.

National

New York Bans Registered Sex Offenders From Pokémon Go

7:05pm August 02, 2016

by Justina Vasquez

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that registered sex offenders on parole would no longer be able to sign up for Pokémon Go and other Internet-enabled games as conditions of their sentence.

Sophisticated ways of tracking reading habits give publishers hard data that reveals the kinds of books people want to read. But a veteran editor says numbers only go so far in telling the story.

Books
Arts

Publishers' Dilemma: Judge A Book By Its Data Or Trust The Editor's Gut?

4:32pm August 02, 2016

by Lynn Neary

Sophisticated ways of tracking reading habits give publishers hard data that reveals the kinds of books people want to read. But a veteran editor says numbers only go so far in telling the story.

Queue Listen Now

A poll worker prepares a voting machine before the South Carolina primary. The recent hacking of the Democratic Party databases has raised questions about potential issues with voting systems.

Hacking An Election: Why It's Not As Far-Fetched As You Might Think

1:05pm August 02, 2016

by Pam Fessler

The recent hacking of Democratic Party emails has raised questions about the vulnerability of other election-related technology and what potential problems could arise on Election Day.

Queue Listen Now

On its latest operating system, iOS 10, Apple has replaced its pistol emoji with this icon of a green water gun.

National

Apple Ditches Pistol Emoji In Favor Of Water Gun

12:47pm August 02, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

The pistol emoji will be replaced with a green water gun icon, and Apple is also adding new emojis of a pride flag, families with single parents, and women playing sports.

Three things people can do that robots can't: Tell a story. Solve a mystery. Give a hug.

3 Things People Can Do In The Classroom That Robots Can't

11:06am August 02, 2016

by Anya Kamenetz

Artificial intelligence is getting stronger. Education must adapt. Here's a framework for separating out the things schools can and should teach that are uniquely human.

NSA Director Rogers On DNC Hacking, Cyberwarfare And ISIS

6:35am August 02, 2016

Adm. Michael Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, and NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talk about the state of cybersecurity, the recent hacking into Democratic Party systems and ISIS strategy.

Silicon Valley engineer Bindu Reddy created the new social network Candid that facilitates online conversations without trolls.

Can Candid Conversations Happen Online Without The Trolls?

6:37pm August 01, 2016

by NPR Staff

After receiving backlash for writing a post about gender in the tech industry, Bindu Reddy launched a new social network with the goal of hosting anonymous conversations without harassment or abuse.

Queue Listen Now