Technology

Meta's Threads, which is basically a Twitter clone, minimizes news and politics

5:06am July 13, 2023

Meta's new app Threads aims to be a friendlier alternative to Twitter by deemphasizing news and politics. But for many people, partisan brawls are a big part of Twitter's appeal.

Are smartphones safe for tweens? Parents should be aware of the risks, a screen consultant advises.

Health & Safety

So your tween wants a smartphone? Read this first

7:02pm July 12, 2023

by Michaeleen Doucleff

When's the right time to start your child with a phone? Is 12 too young? Here's what a professional screen time consultant tells parents about the risks kids face online.

Queue Listen Now

A signage of Microsoft is seen on March 13, 2020 in New York City. The U.S. government and Microsoft recently revealed that Chinese hackers broke in to online email systems and stole some unclassified information.

Microsoft says Chinese hackers breached email, including U.S. government agencies

12:56pm July 12, 2023

by Jenna McLaughlin

The U.S. government and Microsoft reveal Chinese hackers broke in to online email systems and stole some unclassified data.

Silicon Valley is less promised land, more black hole in new novel, 'Ripe'

4:40pm July 11, 2023

NPR's Juana Summers talks with writer Sarah Rose Etter about her new novel Ripe, which explores the darker sides of Silicon Valley as a woman tries to make sense of her career and growing dread.

Prime energy drinks are displayed for sale on shelves at a Walmart Supercenter on July 10, 2023 in Austin, Texas. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer has called on the FDA to investigate whether the drinks pose health risks to children.

What to know about Prime, the Logan Paul drink that Sen. Schumer wants investigated

10:08am July 11, 2023

by Emily Olson

Prime drinks have become a Gen Z status symbol, a prized social media prop for a certain brand of teen male. But they're causing jitters among pediatricians who say they pack scary caffeine levels.

Books

How audiobooks are made

5:10pm July 09, 2023

From the podcast Nerdette from WBEZ: How can a "book on tape" bring a text to life?

Elon Musk looks on during his visit to the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris on June 16.

National

Suspended from Twitter, the account tracking Elon Musk's jet has landed on Threads

10:34am July 09, 2023

by Joe Hernandez

The account ElonJet tracked the movement of Elon Musk's private jet in real time, until it was suspended by Twitter last year. Now, it has resurfaced on Meta's fast-growing Twitter rival, Threads.

Is there life after Twitter? A rundown of all the alternatives that have cropped up

8:17am July 09, 2023

by Ayesha Rascoe

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Washington Post reporter Naomi Nix about the uptick in social media platforms and how she decides to make recommendations to potential users.

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Meta launches fast-growing Threads app; Twitter threatens Meta

4:59pm July 08, 2023

by Bobby Allyn

Facebook parent company Meta broke most-downloaded records recently with its new app, Threads. It's a direct challenge to Twitter, which has been upended under the leadership of Elon Musk.

An attorney for Twitter accused Threads of engaging in "systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets and other intellectual property."

National

Twitter threatens to sue its new rival, Threads, claiming Meta stole trade secrets

2:26pm July 07, 2023

by Emily Olson

An attorney for Twitter accused Meta of hiring dozens of former Twitter employees with the intention of creating a "copycat" platform, implying a lawsuit could come next.