Technology

National

OPM Now Says Fingerprints Of More Than 5 Million People Stolen

9:38am September 26, 2015

by Brian Naylor

Hackers were able to steal the prints of some 5.6 million people — up from the original estimate of 1.1 million. The new number comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the U.S.

Economy

Want Investing To Be As Easy As Instagram? There's An App For That

2:19pm September 25, 2015

A fast-growing app called Robinhood offers a zero-dollar commission on stock trading. Anthony Effinger from Bloomberg Market says this may not be a good thing.

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U.N. Dreams Big: 17 Huge New Goals To Build A Better World

2:14pm September 25, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

And there are just 15 years to accomplish them. Here's a rundown of the 17 aims, which include ending poverty, hunger and AIDS, fixing the environment and giving everyone access to green space.

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Tech Leaders From U.S., China Meet In Seattle, Can't Quite Connect

2:05pm September 25, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

In meetings on Microsoft's campus, the disagreements were many, from America's desired access to Chinese markets to China's desire to control Web content. On digital life, there's a cultural divide.

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U.S., China Talks On Cybersecurity To Be A 'Very Complicated Negotiation'

7:36pm September 24, 2015

NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with Kenneth Lieberthal of the Brookings Institution about why reaching any kind of detailed agreement will be a serious challenge.

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The tables are set in the State Dining Room of the White House for Friday's state dinner honoring visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping.

For China's President, An Evening Of Lobster, Lamb and Ne-Yo

5:11pm September 24, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

President Obama is hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a state dinner Friday. The menu features American favorites with "nuances of Chinese flavors." Ne-Yo, a part-Chinese R&B artist, will perform.

Mike Lester, CEO of Taxi 2000, sits in the SkyWeb Express in the company's warehouse in Fridley, Minn. The company has been working on SkyWeb Express system, a point-to-point personal rapid transit system.

Why Nonstop Travel In Personal Pods Has Yet To Take Off

4:09pm September 24, 2015

by Joe Palca

Personal rapid transit was supposed to be the future of public transport: lightweight pods on elevated tracks, on-demand destinations. But funding issues make cities reluctant to change course.

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The Svalbard Global Seed Vault was opened on Feb. 26, 2008. Carved into the Arctic permafrost and filled with samples of the world's most important seeds, it's a Noah's Ark of food crops to be used in the event of a global catastrophe.

Syrian Civil War Prompts First Withdrawal From Doomsday Seed Vault In The Arctic

4:03pm September 24, 2015

by Laura Wagner

Researchers in the Middle East have requested the first-ever withdrawal from the "final backup" seed bank because of destruction caused by the Syrian civil war.

Cybersecurity Tops Agenda As Chinese President Visits Obama

6:35pm September 23, 2015

by Brian Naylor

One of the biggest topics President Obama is expected to discuss with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week is the hacking of U.S. companies by China. American officials say the issue threatens relations between the countries, and the U.S. is threatening to impose sanctions.

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The International Monetary Fund says the U.S. and China have a combined annual gross domestic product of about $30 trillion.

U.S.-China Business Relationship Is, As Trump Might Say, Huge

2:11pm September 23, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

Even U.S. companies that don't have close ties with China have to be concerned with its slowing growth. When China buys fewer goods and commodities, prices fall for producers everywhere.